The dropping thermometer outside and the cranked up heat inside can make your skin appear lackluster and dull. Here are a few products and tips for a healthy glow perk-me-up.

Tip # 1: Prep your skin according to the weather

Your primer should change according to the weather just like your skincare routine. In warmer climates when there’s a lot of humidity, a silicone-based primer creates a barrier between your skin and makeup, helping keep your oilies at bay and your make up in place.  

In the colder climates, when the extreme cold air and the heater sucks all the moisture out of your skin, try a primer that’s more moisturizing and has illuminating properties to bring back some life into your skin. 

How to: Apply a luminizing primer all over your face or mix it in with your regular foundation. Since the illuminating property of primers are usually very fine, a trick I like is to apply it on your cheekbones as a highlighter. This will give you a subtle glow and stretch your primer for more uses. 
 Products to try: (1) Burberry Fresh Glow Luminous Fluid Base (C$48.00), (2) Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Pearl (C$41.00), (3) Tarina Tarantino pearl glow luminizing primer (C$32.00) 

Tip # 2: Try a cream blush! 

I love powder blushes, especially for summer. But in the colder months when my skin is parched, powder blushes can accentuate the dryness around my cheeks. So trade in your powder blush for a cream blush that will help you fake a "lit from within" look. 

How to: Lightly dab a cream blush on the apples of your cheeks with a brush or your fingers. (Check out ChickAdvisor's top 10 cream blushes!) If you’ve got some flakies make sure you dab, not drag the product on your skin. Oily gals can also try a powder blush that has a sprinkle of shimmer. 
 Products to try: (1) Joe Fresh Highlighter in Pink (C$8.00), (2) Lancôme Maison Lancôme Powder Blusher (C$48.00), (3) Cover Girl & Olay Simply Ageless Sculpting Blush (C$12.99) 

Tip # 3: Make friends with your cream highlighter 
 
Cream highlighter is one of the easiest ways to create a healthy glowing complexion. The key is to avoid products that are too shimmery and to apply highlighter strategically. You can read more about highlighting and contouring here.

How to:  Lightly dab a cream highlighter from your temples to your cheeks in a reverse “C” shape. You can also apply just a tiny bit on your brow bone. It’s that easy! 

Products to try: (1) Benefit Watt's Up Highlighter (C$34.00), (2) e.l.f Shimmering Facial Whip (C$1.99), (3) Joe Fresh Coquette Face Duo in Ingenue (C$12.00) 

Tip # 4: Highlighting pens = your new secret weapon

You should really throw one of these little guys in your purse. What is a highlighting pen? Think of it as an illuminator/concealer hybrid. These little double duty magic wands are great for areas around the eyes as it conceals and brightens at the same time.

How to: Apply the products onto the dark areas of your undereye and extend it all the way to your cheekbones. While you’re at it, you can also dab some on your cupid’s bow, chin and nose. 

If you're "blessed" with the unfortunately hereditary gift of super dark undereye circles like me, these highlighting pens also work well on top of your regular concealer - even powder! Just make sure you tap the product on gently instead of rubbing. 

Products to Try: (1) Clinique Airbrush Concealer (C$29.00), (2) Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat (US$40.00), (3) The Body Shop Lightening Touch (C$15.00)

What is your best tip to create a healthy winter glow?