6 winter beauty essentials

When the mercury drops, a few strategic swaps in your get-ready rituals will ensure your skin feels comfortable and looks radiant.

As a general rule, take everything you use in summer and make it a million times more hydrating. In winter, our skin needs much more moisture to feel good. And while our focus is usually on skincare swaps, a few tweaks to our beauty regimen can make all the difference. Plus, it's a good chance to embrace new textures, shades and formulas.

Rule 1

The tinted balm

A balm may seem the most basic beauty buy until your lips start crying for moisture at the first hint of cold weather. These nourishing formulas prevent dry lips by creating a protective barrier, all while delivering a hint of colour. To let your natural lips shine through, By Terry Baume De Rose, $97, will protect your pout through the harshest winter without complaint. For more colour, you can't go past Lanolips Tinted Balms, $17.50, in gorgeous shades like rose and rhubarb. And if you can't give up the lippy feeling, opt for a super-moisturizing balm-hybrid like Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Lip Protectant Stick Sheer Tint SPF15, $43, or the luxe Dior Addict Lip Glow Lip Balm, $60.

Rule 2

The hydrating base

We used to switch to matte make-up in winter because skin can handle a heavier base in the cooler months. With the rise of make-up with skincare benefits and our desire to filter rather than blanket, the strategy has changed. For those who like to see their skin through their base and don't need pigment to even out skin tone - a tinted moisturiser (like Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, $74) will hydrate and flatter without covering too much. As there's less light in winter, skin can appear dull, so opt for a hydrating base (like Giorgio Armani Neo Nude Foundation, $85) or smooth a luminous primer (like Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow, $71) under your favourite foundation. Just wait a minute or two between steps to ensure the formulas play nicely together.