Each season comes with its own annoying beauty challenges, and in the winter, chief among these is the frustration of tracking down the best makeup for dry skin. With the frigid air sucking moisture from your face, you need more than just a solid heavy-duty moisturizer if you want skin that glows and makeup that doesn’t flake—especially now that we’re dealing with chafing and irritation from masks on top of our regular seasonal dryness. 

So we went to one of the best celebrity makeup artists in the game, Katie Jane Hughes, for her tips on how to apply makeup when your skin is dry and flaky. True to her excellent form, she let us in on exactly how she pulls off the incredible looks she demonstrates on Instagram, no matter what winter skin issues the season serves up. Her biggest tip: Your skin-care prep before putting on makeup is just as important as the concealer or foundation you use. Read on for Hughes’s advice, plus the best makeup for dry skin.

Cleanse With Micellar Water

During the winter, Hughes says she starts with a micellar water for both herself and the models she works with. The first step is always a few swipes with it on a cotton pad, which leaves your skin clean and free of makeup but not dried out (the danger with too-harsh cleansers—which is why foams are also great in the winter).

Get Rid of Flakes With a Peel Pad

If you’re exfoliating only at night, your life is about to get so much better. Hughes says that a quick, mini chemical peel in the morning is a crucial step, especially during the winter. She recommends a peel pad with glycolic acid, specifically Dr. Dennis Gross’s, to get rid of flakes and dry skin without the harshness of buffing exfoliants. Heads up: In the winter, go super easy around your nose, chin, and brows, where we tend to get most dry.

Mist Your Skin for Extra Hydration

It might feel counterintuitive, but applying moisturizer when your skin is wet actually helps it do its job better. The best way to do that? With a face mist. Hughes swears by Caudalie’s Beauty Elixir and Tatcha’s Luminous Dewy Skin Mist to get her face just slightly damp so her moisturizer has some hydration to lock in. It’s a small thing, but it makes all the difference when you’re heading out into a dry, cold wind.

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