“I’m Cold Makeup” is This Season’s Perfect Holiday Look

“I’m Cold Makeup” is This Season’s Perfect Holiday Look

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Meet the winterized version of the sunburnt blush trend that you can wear for the festive season and beyond

Sure, a classic red lip and gleaming lids might be the quintessential holiday beauty signatures, but this season welcomes new festive interpretations. During their Fall/Winter 2022 show, Christian Siriano and Simone Rocha showcased the charisma of minimal color play while labels like Miu Miu, illustrated the ever-enduring allure of lustrous skin. It’s undeniable that the holiday beauty direction constantly morphs. Nonetheless, the true beauty spirit is in the joy of experimenting with makeup. 

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In beautytok, a new holiday beauty obsession is taking over. Case in point: I’m Cold Makeup. Its eponymous thread collected 25.4 million views with over thousands of fans recreating the look. It also earned the approval of Miss Universe 2018 Catriona Gray, who donned the look at Jo Malone’s Season of Scent soirée. And despite taking inspiration from the winter season, the trend proves that it is one universally flattering makeup format for the holidays and beyond. 

A look into “I’m cold” makeup 

The frostbitten beauty signature in romantic holiday movies is hard to miss. In contrast to a glamorous direction, classics like Love Actually, Holidate, and Falling For Christmas popularized a minimal approach to the genre. A soft matte skin is central to the interpretation while a sweep of blush and velvet lips punctuate the overall look. The beauty format perfectly captures the glowy-flushed look of the main character who fell in love during a holiday vacation. 

It garnered the attention of beauty fans, including Zoe Kenealy, the artist behind the “I’m cold” makeup. In her video, which has 2.4 million views, Zoe described the format as a look that evokes serotonin, feeling like you’re in a Hallmark movie. It’s also quite comparable to the natural flush your skin gets when met with colder weather—a winterized version of the sunburnt blush trend. 

The beauty equation

@zoekimkenealy #greenscreen I think this is my favorite TikTok I’ve ever made even tho I felt so basic going outside and taking selfies with my Starbucks it was also the highlight of my day hehe it’s Makeup for serotonin feels and hallmark movie time! It’s the im cold it’s winter and the holidays and fall makeup look tutorial. #wintermakeup #fallmakeuplook #coldmakeup #maccosmetics #benefitcosmetics #makeupforever #wintermakeuplook ♬ august – Taylor Swift

The seasonal trend nods to the beauty direction of the main character in a romantic holiday movie. In her tutorial, Zoe patted her trusted loose powder on the key points of her face to create a matte blurred base. Next, she layered a rusty orange and soft pink blush on her cheeks, on her top lip, and on her nose to mimic a rosy flush. Once applied, the content creator blotted a setting powder for a natural finish. To complete the look, she swished a soft nude shade on her eyes and swatched a fall-hued shade on her lips. 

@sagszn I’m overheating from wearing this fit indoors but I look like I’m fresh out the snow ❄️☃️ #imcoldmakeup #imcold #winterishere ♬ son original – quentin

The makeup format is surprisingly versatile. Beautytok creators like Ujin Kim, Ghail Diola, Sagal Jama, and Toni Bravo took their creative liberty to recreate the look with new techniques and alternative shades to suit a variety of skin complexions. A delve into #imcoldmakeup unveils different iterations for a perfect holiday look. 

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