How To Update Your Autumn Beauty Routine For Winter

There’s a lot to dislike about winter: dark mornings and evenings, having to wear multiple layers of leggings to brave the outside world, the fact it seems to go on forever, etc. But amidst all this greyness, there is a bright spark – wintertime is an excellent opportunity to rejig your beauty routine for winter.

When it’s freezing outside, comfort is key, and 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 For Winter

Your Skin

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 exactly that. It feels super expensive and rich on the skin, melts off makeup and grime in moments, but is actually super affordable. The scent is also absolutely stunning on a cold winter’s night.

The toner equivalent for a beauty routine for winter is Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Toner. Again, it has a delightfully soothing, herbal scent, adding 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.

Speaking of pore-gunk, there’s nothing like a face mask in winter. A night of pampering is as good for the soul as it is for the complexion. I’ve been loving Kiehl’s Rare Earth Pore Purifying Mask, which manages to minimise pores without ever 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.

A serum is a skincare standby year-round, but this season, I’ve been loving the Gallinee Youthful Probiotic Serum. It’s excellent at adding glow, which is so desperately needed when you haven’t seen the sun in months.

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). But if you’re on a tight budget, the CeraVe Moisturizing Cream (in the tub with a pump – this is very important) is basically unbeatable.

Beauty Routine For Winter

Your Body

Winter is the season for baths – and, with them, bubbles. I love a lavender scent during the colder months. It’s calming but also fresh enough to remind me that spring is approaching. The two most authentically plant-like scents I’ve found are the Dr Bronner’s Magic Soap in Lavender and the L’Occitane Lavender Foaming Bath. Add some Epsom salts for what truly is the soak of a lifetime.

You need to up your body game during winter, too – or risk parches and 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.

My final wintery recommendations are all about scent. For this season, there’s really only one fragrance brand I care about: Maison Margiela. Their Jazz Club and By The Fireplace scents just make me feel warm and cosy – even when the weather outside suggests otherwise. 

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.