I'm cold makeup trend© Instagram

‘I’m Cold’ Make-Up Is Perfect For Your Next Holiday Party

First popularised and coined by make-up artist Zoe Kim Kenealy, social media’s latest obsession is the “I’m cold” look, which emulates the weather-beaten, blushed winter face, but in a way cuter form. The frosty and serotonin-inducing ‘Hallmark Holiday’ look is essentially a seasonal version of the sunburned make-up trend that was all over the internet this summer, and, to everyone’s delight, it involves copious amounts of blush.

Although we doubt beauty girlies on Instagram are old enough to have lived through the early 2000s make-up era featuring frosty eye shadows, rosy wintery cheeks and glossy lined lips, paired with furry boots and hoodies, this trend is a replica of that.

The look involves a few key things - blush, (a lot of it), iridescent white eyeshadow from the depths of your forgotten make-up stash, sticky lip gloss and translucent powder, and you’re set! Whether you like it or not, winter is quietly creeping closer and replacing the glossy and bronzed looks with more regal mattes, moody shades and wind-kissed cheeks. And, we’re so ready for Instagram’s winterised version of the minimalistic, blush-heavy make-up look perfect for the imminent icy weather.

Described as the look that evokes a cosy, holiday Hallmark movie energy with an adorable nose-tip blush giving “small town cupcake baker who falls in love with undercover royalty” energy, the “I’m cold” beauty trend is what main characters are made of.

Here’s how you can get the look at home

  1. Start by applying a matte or semi matte foundation or skin tint to achieve an even and smooth base.
  2. Lightly illuminate the under-eyes with a gentle sweep of brightening concealer, and set the entire face with a matte translucent powder.
  3. Generously swirl powder or cream blush along the apples of your cheeks, eyelids and mainly on the tip of your nose for a bright Rudolph the red-nosed reindeer type of aesthetic. Don’t connect the blush of the cheeks to your nose to achieve an authentic winter look.
  4. Diffuse the intensity and blend it all together with another dusting of matte powder.
  5. Add a white highlighting pencil in the inner corners of your eyes and on the tip of your nose for an angelic glistening effect.
  6. Finish with eyeliner, mascara and a blush-toned soft matte lip stain in a warm tone. Line your lips roughly before applying your lipstick and diffuse it with your fingers.
  7. Blot off any excess lip colour with a tissue to tie in the entire makeup look.

Of course, there are a million ways to make the ‘winter movie heroine’ look your own, including using different blush shades like rose and berry, the latter of which is always a winter favourite and might be preferred by those with cooler undertones.

To get the most natural-looking “I’m cold” look, consider stepping outside for a bit (or into the grocery store freezer aisle, whatever works) and checking what shades naturally appear when you’re taking a stroll outside in the cold.

Even if you live in a tropical place where the leaves never change colours and it’s reliably 30 degrees even during Christmas, at least you can live vicariously through your blush, right?