Winter Special: Beauty Pick-Me-Up

When your morning latte doesn't just do justice, that's when you need to attack your make-up drawer and make your face presentable enough to step out of the house in.

Say ba-bye to the winter blues by these lovely beauty products that may just make you want to get out of the blanket. Maybe.

Bronzer
Aside from giving you the perfect cheekbones and a glowy look, bronzer is a make-up artist's hidden treasure. If blended well into the high points of your face - the light-reflecting angles - it can make you look like you have the cheekbones of Angelina Jolie. And if all else fails, fake it until you make it. Buy some fake tanning lotions and have a tanning session in your bathroom, while it snows outside.
Here are some tips to follow when applying foundation this winter:

• Prep the skin with foundation first, or even BB cream, if you're going for a more casual look. Without a base, bronzer could go patchy. 
• Use a big blush brush and dust bronzer over your cheekbones, along the jaw and hairline. Don't forget the area under your chin, as that's the lightest area on your face. 
• Now use a slightly more shimmery bronzer, or an illuminator if you fancy those, and apply a little on the high points of your cheekbone and on the apple of your cheeks, for instant shine and glow.

Our Favourite Products: Laura Mercier Matte Radiant Baked Powder; Clinique True Bronze Pressed Powder; No7 Perfectly Bronzed Mosaic Bronzer. 

Blush 
Nothing says fresh and bright like a dab of pink on the apple of the cheek. Go for a matte, cream-based blush, as that won't leave your skin dry when you're walking against the chilly winter wind. There are studies that prove that a hint of colour on the cheeks have helped made other people's days better. OK, maybe not, but hey, we dare you to try.

Our Favourite Products: Blush in Afternoon Tea by Topshop; Estee Lauder Pure Color Blush; Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheek.

Red lipstick
"Beauty, to me, is being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick," said Gwyneth Paltrow in an interview once. And there couldn't be more truer words spoken from this kale-munching Hollywood mumma. Red lipstick has the magical power to make your day seem a 100 times better - be it a strawberry hue or a cherry red. It's the anatomy of the shade that just screams, 'Smile! It's a good day'. Even if you want to go bare minimum on the rest of the face, a tint of red on the pucker is enought to make a dreadful day look like a warm summer night.

Our Favourite Products: Max Factor Colour Collection in English Rose; Hourglass Opaque Rouge Liquid Lipstick; Chantecaille Hydra Chic in Persimmon.

Tip: Swap the mascara for eyeliner this winter - mainly because you'll never know when it might rain or snow. You don't want to be caught in a downpour with panda eyes, now do you?