I used to be a little more on the ball about the different trend and collection releases that come out every season but this year has been a little up in the air for me. Too many things are happening in real life for me to even bother keeping up with something as ephemeral as makeup trends so I haven’t been paying a lot of attention.
However, one thing did strike me as prevalent. When the joy and holiday rush of the December holiday season was over, with its sparkly rendition of makeup, the market was flooded with Spring choices of light colours; pastels for eyes, soft pinks come to the fore for cheeks and lips and pretty, delicate prints and packaging take centre stage.
Now that we’re pushing into Summer in most parts of the world, bronzers make their annual appearance together with a deliberate shift to coral and orange shades for lips and cheeks and bolder eye colours – blue is in if you believe Dior. Blue always appears in Spring (baby blues) and Summer (bright blues) but less so in the cooler seasonal collections.
It made me wonder if you, as a user, do find that the changing seasons define your makeup colour choices? Or do you feel the need to thanks to the marketing and ad campaigns?
When I was living in a country with seasons I wasn’t yet interested in wearing makeup so I can’t speak from experience. Living as I do in a country where the only seasons we get are hot and dry and hot and wet, I can safely say with great certainty, that my makeup choices aren’t influenced by the weather nor the seasons at all.
The reason I’m curious about this is because if as consumers, we do find that our makeup choices are in one way or another defined by the seasons, then wouldn’t it be quite a waste of money to be actually buying any Spring or Summer makeup knowing that you’d use it only just for less than half the year before the cold wind and snows arrive again? We seem to be having a lot of long winters in the Northern Hemisphere in recent years.
I personally thought that wearing bronzer in winter might actually make some sense, to add some warmth and colour to the skin, but we don’t see bronzers being released in Autumn/Fall – Winter collections do we? They always make their appearance in Summer collections (well, except for Guerlain’s bold release end of last year that was excellent)
As I said, living where I do, it’s easy for me to wear bright colours all year round. It is just as easy for me to wear light pastels if I’m so minded or soft colours if I’m in the mood. Rich colours do tend to be reserved for the evening but it doesn’t always stop me from bucking that trend.
I do tend to wear my makeup according to my mood, occasion and preference, which means I tend to overlook Spring and Summer collections which would logically suit my weather better, and gravitate towards Autumn/Fall-Winter collections which technically have no place in our weather LOL! But as I said, it’s simply because I don’t have definitive seasons here in Malaysia so the weather conditions do not affect my makeup choices.
Do you find your makeup choices influenced by the seasons where you live? Do you tend to follow seasonal trends when picking your makeup colours?
If you live in a seasonal country, I’d love to hear what you think because that’s where most of the brands come from and cater to. I’d like to know if you wear light colours and soft pinks in Spring, bronzers and coral lipstick in Summer, khaki and plum in Autumn/Fall and reds in Winter, to be stereotypical 😀
Paris B
I dont change my makeup according to seasons, but to my mood and to fit along with the attire I wear. If I am chirpy and happy (even giggly), regardless the time of the year, I wear Spring. If I wanna look a little sophisticated, I choose darker shades on the eyes or lips. Malaysia is just too hot for us hot chicks to wear bronzer all along for the entire year. Hehehe.
Not to mention that everyone wants to look fair and fresh as a daisy! Haha 😀 Thanks for sharing your thoughts on this Liyeun. I think for most of us in the tropics, seasonal makeup just doesn’t do it and yet, the seasonal collections sell like hot cakes! Who’s wearing the deep plum lipsticks I wonder
I agree that it would make much more sense to use bronzers to warm up the face in the winter but thinking back on it, since the weather here in the UK is so grey during that season, personally, I wouldn’t wear bronzer as my skin just turns very pale and it just makes me look tanned ( which isn’t the point during winter seasons) – but that’s just personal preference -. But why follow the trend eh? I say, be daring and wear spring colors during autumn or winter!
That’s an interesting thought Robert. I guess the weather (and the light or lack thereof) might play a part in how we perceive our makeup and therefore what colours are used. I thought the idea was to look tanned in winter thanks to the pale skin (ugh! memories!) and as if you’re able to afford a tanning salon or a holiday! Haha
Hmm thats true but I dont wear eyeshadow nor lipsticks so never really gave thought to it. Oh and yeah, tanning salons always remain an option but for some reason (and I’m over generalizing here), I feel like a typical asian (no offence people!) Who fusses about how they want their skin to look pale etc. Oh and recently moving from malaysia to uk, still not used to the bipolar weather.(getting out of topic here lol) – and I dont see alot of “whitening” range here..hmmm
Ah Whitening is definitely an Asian thing haha! You’d be seeing a lot of tanning stuff though!
Yes! Definitely. I wear bronzer almost throughout the year (a little less towards the end of summer when I’ve gotten a smidgen tanner) because I’m cursed (blessed) with extremely pale and pasty skin. And when the cooler months roll by, I usually have a stronger, vampier lip and nails.
To be honest, most of the time I can’t really be bothered and work with what I know. Time is not one of the luxuries I have in the mornings, unfortunately 🙁
That’s interesting about wearing bronzer all year round. It’s something I’d expect but for some reason, bronzers only really sell in summer and then disappear for the rest of the year. But I like the idea of wearing stronger colours in cool weather and I can see why coz I think the lighting plays a part too. When the sun and light is bright, deep colours look too stark.
To be perfectly honest, I don’t actually pick up on the makeup trends and the season changes definitely don’t play a role in deciding my makeup looks. Living overseas, yes, as I did find myself reaching for different kinds of looks, more bronzer in the summer, maybe darker lips in the autumn, but here in Malaysia, its always been my standard red lip with lashings of black eyeliner lol!
Most days, it’s just too hot to bother wearing a lot of makeup here right? LOL I don’t really pick up seasonal trends either but when a whole slew of makeup collections skew towards one look, it’s hard not to notice. Sometimes, I do think it’ll be fun to have changes in weather that allows us to experiment a little more but other times, I’m just glad we have sun all year round. It’s so depressing otherwise 😛
I prefer the offerings from Spring/Summer collections so I tend to just skim over the A/W releases since these aren’t really my style. I do like to wear a dark lip (just veeery occasionally, but even then, not so much lately because I have too much redness in my skin) sometimes and end-of-year collections are great for that.
Teehee, we’re polar opposites in makeup choices 😀 I guess I like stronger colours in general but towards the year end when a lot of shimmer and glitter make their appearance, I tend to run too. Too shiny!
I agree, Malaysia only have two seasons, sunny and rainy so why bother to follow the makeup trend following those four seasons LOL
I’m more to following my current moods – if I feel moody or bold, my makeup tend to get darker at eyes or darker, vampy lips with barely there or no blush at all (think of vixen vampire, haha). When I feel young, bubbly and carefree, I’ll use lots of “happy” colours – pink blush/health glow bronzer, pink lipstick, bright eyeliner (blue, purple). And lastly, when I feel down-to-earth or mood at neutral (no extreme), I will prefer to use my basic colours – brown-black, grey-black, green-black or anything with blackish shade eyeliner, neutral/one or two shade darker lipstick, healthy glow bronzer 😀
So, sunny or rainy, wet or dry, my makeup preference will be selected based on either of my three moods. Which is why, sometimes in one day, when my morning and afternoon moods are difference, I will use different shade of lipsticks or eyeliners 😀
That’s what I thought too Fathin! We get the mags telling us what’s in for Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter and here I am thinking that none of it is relevant to us at all so why bother pushing it? Just tell us how to wear makeup – any makeup! Haha… It’s interesting how most of us do our makeup according to our moods. I didn’t really pay a lot of attention to that since I only wear makeup on week days for work so mood doesn’t quite come into play but maybe what I wear does 🙂
In some sense, the weather(tropical) affects my makeup – how hot or cool… So if it were really hot/sticky outside, I tend to go for lighter clothing and makeup, waterproof products, and more neutral colors (to escape from smudging products or fading), if it was cooler/dry outside I would opt for a dewy look or more defined eye makeup or use warmer colors for my makeup.
That’s a good point too Crystal about hot weather making our makeup slip and slide. I don’t notice it a lot because I’m indoors for most of the day but it’s definitely something to think about!
i somewhat follow seasonal trends but i don’t allow it to stop me if i feel like wearing a jewel tone in the middle of spring. seasonal colors just get repurposed when it’s not the appropriate season. for example, instead of a pastel being a lid color, it gets turned into an inner corner highlight.
Good point Joy 🙂 I don’t think we should allow our makeup choices to be dictated by the weather (or by mags or brands 😛 ) so it’s interesting the point you raised about repurposing makeup colours for different seasons. It makes your seasonal makeup colours go further too!
Nah, I don’t. I never really understood the reason of wearing dull colours in cold seasons and bright colours in hot seasons. I prefer to do it the other way round. Bright colours (bright lippie, bright nails) during the cold months because the weather is cold, dreary and we’re always in black anyway. Duller colours in brighter months just to balance it out. See, that’s why I don’t report on trends because I’ll never be able to follow them. 😛
Haha you are a contrary person Tine! 😉 Like you I’m blind to trends in clothes and makeup and whenever I’m asked, this is one question I always struggle to answer. I can only base my interpretation on the slew of makeup collections and their collective voice, not mine because I’d buck the trend every step of the way 😛
Oh yes! I always,always change my makeup depending on the season. I tried sporting a neon pink occ liptar in the winter and i looked totally ridiculous! Im not sure why but it just didnt seem right,clashed with everything. It was like pairing a summer bag with a winter coat,lol! Somehow,wearing dark red lips and smokey eyeshadow during the fall/winter season adds a bit of sophistication to any outfit,especially when you’re all bundled up with layers and layers of clothes.i cant wear spag straps or pretty dresses during these seasons so my makeup is my must-have accessory.i contour rather heavily too during that time. In the summer i opt for light colors,and neon lipcolors,matte foundation and just a teeny tiny bit of bronzer.not a fan of dewy foundations in the summer,i always go from dewy to oily in a few hours! Though i wish i could wear the same foundation in all four seasons,that would def save me a couple of bucks! ????
Hey Ayen, thanks for sharing your thoughts ont his! It’s always good to hear from someone who lives in a country with seasons on what they think of the whole trend thing and it’s interesting that it actually matters! I never quite thought about the dressing bit which makes a lot of sense. Winters can be so dreary can’t they? Thank goodness for makeup 😀 Oh and yes, foundations! I’m sure they must cost a bomb – they should make them in smaller sizes!
I’d say I choose makeup based on my mood, but I do wear bright lip shades in SS and darker ones in AW.
That’s interesting Marina – I was wondering if it was a myth about the lipstick shades in SS and AW but it turns out it’s not a myth at all!
My taste in make-up has never really changed. I like bold & bright colors. Bright pink, bright coral, dark reds. A flawless skin. But ever since I’ve gone to the dermatologist (I’ve just finished taking antibiotics given by my THIRD dermatologist this time. 4 months of taking antibiotics now all I can do is keep up with the same routines, trying to maintain my skin however I can and keeping my hormones in check, feeding my body with healthy food. Even then my skin still isn’t flawless yet. I have been getting really bad acne on my forehead ever since National Service & after googling the causes one of them is dandruff & I have been getting really bad dandruff ever since NS too so that’s the root of the problem I need to treat and say goodbye too quickly!) I don’t wear make-up anymore now. Not until my skin is really flawless because if I keep on wearing make-up right now, my face would look really cakey and weird. But I still buy them because it’s a fetish :p
Yikes, sorry to hear about the turnaround of your skin 🙁 That stint in the NS sounds like quite an adventure in more ways than one! You’re right about letting your skin rest and heal but perhaps you could wear light makeup instead? I know I sometimes feel better for wearing a bit of makeup even if my skin isn’t at it’s best because it just makes me feel better, but just a bit 🙂
I suppose for ladies who live in big seasonal changes, their moods are somehow affected by the amount of sun available. So yes, while we are blessed (or not?) to have the sun nearly 360 days a year, it doesn’t affect us much as compared to a gloomy winter day, or taking inspirations from the orang-red fall leaves.
I don’t tend to follow the seasonal trends in makeup. But I do like to pick up one feature that’s “hot” in that trend, for example, playing with under lash lines with turquoise or emerald green liner, or featuring the cheeks with a flush of colour. But things like nude lips or extra thick (& black!) eyebrows trends… ahem… forget it! haha
Most of the time, it’s really depending on the clothes I wear. In my office, ladies do not wear too much makeup so it would be attracting too much attention to wear smoky eyes (although I sometimes do with softer colours) no matter the season.
In Thailand yeah we have summer, rainy and winter. What matters the most to me is how to keep the makeup from melting. For example, in Winter I may not even use a fixing spray. But in summer… oh dear… even laghing out loud (with some tears) melted the damn eyeliner which I thought wouldn’t even budge! Yep it happened today. One eye raccoon while talking to a business acquaintance. 🙁
I think you’re right that it may not be a weather thing but a mood thing and as some people have pointed out, what we wear too. That said, as a tourist although it was cold and dreary and I was wrapped in layers, I didn’t quite feel the need to put on more makeup than usual. Then again when I’m on holiday, I don’t wear a lot of makeup as a rule haha! It’s interesting that you say the ladies in your office don’t wear a lot of makeup. I’ve noticed that Thai women wear more makeup than Malaysian women that’s for sure! We’re starting to catch up now, but I’ve always been impressed at how groomed the Thai women look all the time. That’s something we could definitely learn. But as a tourist in Thailand, I’m always a lump of sweat and grime after trawling the streets so I’m like the dog’s dinner haha!
Hahaha Paris! If you live here, you’ll want to hide yourself in department stores and cool offices. Nobody really trawl the streets (except lunch time) for leisure I suppose? :p
Yeah I don’t wear a lot of makeup on holidays as well. Usually not enough time as timetable is always jam packed!! :p For Songkran this year, I found myself getting ready within 10-15 minutes. Everything swung into turbo speed. Since it’s the hottest time of the year, there really isn’t much point to pile on loads of products because by noon everything shall melt… :p
Hey Paris, I used to not really feel the difference, but I have come to associate certain shades with certain seasons, and sometimes it just feels more “right” in a strange way! For example, as much as I love khaki, it feels more right when the weather is cooler. Although I can tell you that coral season is year round for me :p
That’s so interesting Sunny. I think if I were to live in a cooler climate I might get it but you’re also right. Khaki in very hot weather just looks off unless used as a tiny hint
Personally, my makeup depends on my mood. I live in a country just like yours, I can even say it’s summer all year round! Also, I base my makeup to where I am going and my outfit.
Haha indeed, it’s summer all year round here! So deeper “fall/winter” makeup choices do end up being mostly used for evenings 🙂
I am a moody person but yes I change makeup according to seasons like in winters I like to go with dark and bold shades whereas in summers I prefer light shades…..Moreover it depends on my mood too…..xoxoxo…:)
Thanks for sharing your input Nora 🙂 It’s always interesting for me because I don’t experience that for myself! 🙂
Seasonal colours does not affect my makeup choices. My mood, the type of clothing and occasions are the main deciding factors on the colour of my makeup. However, the colour of my clothes however, may depend on seasons e.g. during spring, most clothing brand releases pastels, while autumn/winter clothings are generally more bronzy and darker (even if the clothes are perfectly fine and thin to be worn during hot days in Malaysia). Since my makeup depends on the colour of clothings that I wear, I guess seasons have an indirect impact to my makeup. I can’t just pull off dark smoky eyes while wearing pretty pastel dresses; or light pinkish eye makeup with wine-colour dress.
Clothes, that’s interesting too Kristin 🙂 I do notice the proliferation of florals and pastels in SS clothing which also explains why I shy away from them a lot of the time haha! Like makeup I prefer deeper/bright jewel shades mainly because I just look better in them. But you are right, deep smokey looks with a floaty pastel dress just looks wrong somehow
I’m more like you in this case, I tend to wear makeup based on my mood ^_^ Which usually means that I can rock a smokey eye in the middle of Summer and a bubbly, pastel look at the height of Winter.
There are a couple things that are seasonal for me though. First would be the amount of makeup I wear. Because at the moment I live in Sweden, where you can REALLY feel the difference between seasons, when Spring rolls around I really don’t feel like wearing much makeup as it gets really warm really quickly. Usually, if my skin is behaving well, I’ll just use pressed powder, some mascara (maybe a barely-there eyeshadow swiped across the lid) and a lip product. That’s the second thing for me – lip colors. I don’t drastically change them from season to season, but I do feel more into bright shades when the weather is warm and sunny.
Finally, I find myself reaching for nail-polish much more often in the warmer months. I guess this is the same for many women, as our feet get displayed often during this time, but for me both manicure and pedicure become a much more frequent practice than it would be during Winter!
Hi Cat, thanks for sharing your input especially depending on where you live right now. I guess it’s so hard for me to relate since I don’t have that seasonal reference but I can relate to the heat and wearing less makeup because most of the time, that’s how it feels here! Doesn’t stop me pulling out the smokey eye look but it’ll be a much more muted smokey eye as opposed to a full on party look because it just feels too heavy otherwise.
Oh and (sorry for double posting!) I have to say that when I lived in Korea, I felt a bit more pressure to ‘put on my face’ daily, since the Korean women look so polished all the time! Even in Summer, when it was literally hellish heat and humidity, I felt like I should look somewhat ‘presentable’ even if I’m going out for groceries.
Oh I have to agree with you about Korean women! I was just a tourist when I was in Seoul but I felt the need to put on a face daily just because everyone had their face on, even if it looked all natural!
Not really. I wear what I want whenever I want, regardless of the season. Only in summer, I tend to go for lighter ot waterproof formulas, but I still wear all kinds of colours.
It’s always nice to meet someone who’s happy to buck the trends, Gio! 😀