Baby, it’s Cold Outside: Updating Your Beauty Routine for Winter
There’s a lot to dislike about winter: dark mornings and evenings, wearing (against your will) multiple layers of leggings to brave the outside world, how it seems to drag on forever, etc. However, amidst all this greyness, there is a bright spark – wintertime is an excellent opportunity to rejig your beauty routine.
When it’s freezing outside, comfort is everything. Thankfully, bringing in more soothing skincare can help. Feeling cosy is essential, and this edit of products is a surefire way to make you feel at least a little happier about the season.
Beauty Routine – the Perfect Products
Calming Cleansers
When your face is wind chapped and dry, you’ll want a cleanser that’s as hydrating as it is calming. The Merumaya Melting Cleansing Balm is precisely that. It feels super expensive and rich on the skin, melts off makeup and grime in moments, but is super affordable. The scent is also absolutely stunning on a cold winter night.
Top-Tier Toners
The toner equivalent is the Kiehls Ultra Facial Toner. Again, it has a delightfully soothing, herbal scent and adds an extra layer of calming hydration for stressed winter skin. If you’re on the oilier side, I’d recommend the Mario Badescu Witch Hazel & Lavender, which is similarly soothing but also manages to clear out pore-gunk.
Fabulous Face Masks
Speaking of pore gunk, there’s nothing like a face mask during the long winter months. A night of pampering is as good for the soul as it is for the complexion. I’ve loved the Kiehls Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Mask, which minimises pores without feeling stripping or drying. And if you do feel you’ve overdone it on your skin, a layer of the Mario Badescu Azulene Calming Mask will put you right.
Super Serums
A serum is a skincare standby year-round, but I’ve loved the Gallinee Youthful Probiotic Serum this season. It’s truly excellent at adding glow, which your beauty routine desperately needs when you last saw the sun in what feels like months.
Must-Have Moisturisers
Winter is also when I up the ante with my moisturiser. Going for something thicker and creamier not only helps add hydration to parched skin – it feels more luxurious and comforting. The Mario Badescu Seaweed Night Cream is a new favourite (with bonus points for its spooky green colour). However, if you’re on a tight budget, the CeraVe Moisturising Cream (in the tub with a pump – this is very important) is unbeatable.
Baths to Banish Bad Weather Blues
Brilliant Bubbles
Winter is the season for baths – and with them, bubbles. I love a lavender scent during the colder months. It’s calming and fresh enough to remind me that spring is just around the corner. I’ve found the two most authentically plant-like scents are Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap in Lavender and the L’Occitane Lavender Foaming Bath. Then, add some Epsom salts into the mix for what I guarantee will be the soak of a lifetime.
Body Care for Beauties
You need to up your body care game during winter, too – or risk parched, dull skin that just looks sad once the seasons change. The Lush Sleepy Body Lotion is another lavender hit, but the L’Occitane Almond Supple Skin Body Oil is incredible for a more serious glow. As a bonus, it leaves you smelling like Bakewell tarts.
Self-Care Secrets – Treat Yourself this Winter!
Fun Fragrances
My final wintery recommendations are all about scent. For this season, I care about only one fragrance brand: Maison Margiela. Their Jazz Club and By The Fireplace scents make me feel warm and cosy – even when the weather outside suggests otherwise.
Serene Scented Candles
And while you’re curled up at home on a dark and chilly evening, a scented candle can make all the difference. The Maison Louis Marie No. 10 Aboukir is my current squeeze – it’s woody and sexy but still with a hint of green freshness that prevents it from becoming cloying.
Looking for more beauty recommendations? Check out our 6 Quick Picks for Solving Dryness with Moisturisers!
