As winter’s first frost settles across windowpanes and the air turns crystalline, beauty trends are following suit with a dramatic pivot from bronze to frost. The makeup world is experiencing its own seasonal metamorphosis, trading sun-drenched terracottas for icy pinks and cool-toned berries that mirror the mood of shorter days and longer nights.You can already see the shift on faces like Hailey Bieber, Sabrina Carpenter, Hunter Schafer, and Dove Cameron, all embracing chilled pink cheeks and berry-stained lips. BeautyTok has already crowned it the “cold girl” look, winter’s new calling card and here’s how you can make it your own.
Decoding your undertones: cool vs. warm
Let’s break down the undertone puzzle before you dive into the cold-girl world. The quickest way to figure it out is the vein test: blue or purple usually means you’re cool-toned, green leans warm. Cool undertones naturally play well with icy pinks, mauves, and berry shades. Warm undertones can still join the party by picking cooler twists on their usual favourites — raspberry over coral, rose over peach. And if you’re neutral, you’ve got the easiest job of all: you can dip into both ends of the spectrum and make the look work with almost any shade.
Finding your perfect cold girl palette
Finding the right cold-girl palette is all about choosing shades that work with your skin instead of competing with it. Fair complexions tend to glow with soft mauves and dusty roses that add just enough depth. Medium skin tones come alive with deeper berries and plums that create a striking contrast. And deeper complexions look incredible in rich burgundies and wine tones that give a lush, jewel-toned finish. The common thread is simple: stick to shades with blue or purple undertones rather than anything orange or yellow. That’s what gives the look its unmistakable frosty edge, no matter your skin tone.
The application technique that makes it work
The trick to nailing the cold-girl glow is all in the right placement. Sweep a cool-toned blush high on your cheekbones and lightly across the bridge of your nose so it looks like the weather did the work for you. For lips, tap a berry stain in the center and blur it outward to get that soft, bitten finish. Keep your base true to your skin tone — or a touch lighter — and set only the areas that actually need it so your real texture still comes through..The goal is appearing naturally flushed by winter air rather than obviously made-up.
Building your cool-toned starter kit
Essential pieces for this look start with a mauve or berry blush, a burgundy or raspberry lip stain, cool-toned shadows in purple-gray or taupe, and a highlighter that leans pink or silver instead of gold. A lavender or blue-tinted primer helps cut any lingering warmth in your base. Put them together and the whole look softens into that fresh, just-stepped-into-the-cold flush.
Turn your “I’m freezing” face into the prettiest thing in your winter kit, a face card that refuses to decline, even in the dead of season.
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