Finally!
Its Winter!
Christmas trees, fairy lights, thick socks, candles and ugly jumpers all round wooohooooo.
I expect each and everyone one of you to own at least one ugly Christmas jumper, bells and flashing lights included, and maybe even a little button that plays a tune, and if you don't then I will personally knit you one and send it to you myself.
(You could be waiting ten or plus years as I have no idea how to even hold a knitting needle let alone knit a full jumper).
Although Winter is the most wonderful time of the year (I'll give myself a slap on the wrist for being so cliché) it is also somewhat a pain in the backside for girls everywhere having to deal with harsh 100mph cold winds, ice, and maybe even snow being thrown at us and our delicate skin and perfect makeup causing us to leave the house looking like we're red-carpet event ready and an hour later looking like we've been tied to the back of Santa's slay and dragged along off around the world. Our makeup gets smudged, or completely comes off, our skin gets dry and well, lets not even mention the hair issues.
Winter is beautiful.
But sure as hell knows how to mess up a good hair day.
So I am going to share with you my Winter 'go toos' and the products or methods I use during the colder months to help keep my skin nice and my makeup intact.
Starting with skin I recently bought a magazine (being a complete sucker, I pretty much just bought it for the free samples inside..) and it came with three little samples from Ren.
I've only heard good things about Ren products but never used any as they are more on the pricey side, so I decided to try out the little samples and see if they live up to my expectations..
And they most definitely did!
The first little one on the left is an eye cream which you can apply whenever you like during the day. I use this in the evening for my night time before bed skin care routine after my night cream. It comes out as a transparent gel which is quite slippery and weird so it needs to be patted into the skin under your eyes to prevent it from sliding off the intended areas of skin. A little of this goes a long way as well, so you literally need the tiniest pea-size amount for both eyes.
I found it really refreshing and gives a lovely hydrating feel once its dried (and it dries super quick!)
I find eye creams to be really helpful during the winter as I feel like under your eyes is a part of your face gets a bit forgotten about when caring for your skin, and the cold winds and harsh weathers are likely to effect it as its quite a delicate area.
In the middle is a day cream, so this is to be applied at the beginning of the day onto a clean face before makeup. Its quite a thin consistency so its easy enough to put makeup on over the top. Day creams are really important as it keeps your skin hydrated and moisturised all throughout the day - even under your makeup.
I am new to day creams so wasn't really sure what to expect, but I loved it! It smells really nice and fresh and made my face feel clean. I know some creams or moisturises can feel heavy on the face but this one is lovely, and helpful to fight against dry skin in the winter.
Finally on the right is a night cream. The consistency of this is a lot thicker than the day cream and more of a yellowy colour than a normal white for a cream. I apply this on a clean face just before bed and it helps to keep skin moisturised and hydrated throughout the night. I find it soaks into the skin really well and doesn't leave any sort of greasy feeling which I am pleasantly surprised at seeing as it's so thick.
I'm actually tempted to buy the full price of Ren day and night creams, after trying these little samples, my poor bank account - damn you free samples.
Sticking to face creams, this little one I have only used twice and was firstly not impressed. For one it was packaged in a much larger box than the tub so I was expecting a bigger tub, but to be fair you don't need a lot on your face so it should last a while.
First impressions to the actual cream was the thickness. Its much much thicker to the Ren night cream and has a greasy feel when on your skin which I didn't like at all but after a few minutes this goes and it just feels like any other cream. I am going to carry on using this cream as I love how clean and hydrated my face feels in the morning, and at only £3.90 it was a bit of a bargain! (And will hopefully stop me from buying the more pricier Ren cream - but I doubt it hehe).
Stepping away from face creams. This is an 'all-over body cream.' Firstly this smells AMAZING. I can'e explain but its just a very fresh and clean scent which is nice to put on your skin after a shower to make you feel extra clean!
I use this mainly on my legs, but it can literally be used anywhere on your body.
It is non-greasy and contains Argan Oil which is added to help nourish and moisturise your skin. Vitamin E is also contained which works as an antioxidant that shields your skin against environmental damage, so this is perfect if you have any areas which get particularly dry in the Winter such as your arms, hands, or even knees! I highly recommend this product for the Winter months but it was limited edition in Superdrug so may not be in stores anymore..:(
Moving on from creams.
I love Simple products, especially their face washes. Whilst doing some online shopping on the Superdrug wesbite I discovered this new face wash and all the reviews were saying good things. Its designed to fight against spots and blemishes on the skin and unclog pores (which we all know are a big threat during the Winter).
The thing I love best about Simple is that they always use natural ingredients which I personally think is the best remedies to have on your skin everyday. This particular face wash contains Chamomile (for smoothing the skin and is anti-irritant), Witch Hazel (for toning and tightening the pores), Zinc PCA (which absorbs excess oils) and Phytosphingosine - good luck pronouncing that one - (helps to fight the spots and blemishes).
It also states on the back that it does not contain any unnecessary or harsh chemicals that may upset your skin.
I don't know about you but when buying face washes and face creams I always check the back for what they contain and try to get the most natural ingredients as possible, going straight to the Simple section is your quick and easiest way of finding these natural products! And at such affordable prices!
I use this every night after taking off my makeup and it always leaves my face feeling fresh and unclogged. This is especially good if - like me - you wear foundation and concealer, as this wash helps to get rid of all the makeup your wipes may miss. But I do recommend using a cream afterwards as my face does sometimes feel a little tight after use.
The hardest thing I find to keep moisturised from the cold is my lips. Chapped lips feel horrible and look horrible and something to avoid if possible!
I normally use Nivea lip balms as I find these the most effective, yet the clear ones leave my lips looking a bit lifeless and shiny, so once again on my Superdrug online shopping session I came across this little pink Nivea in 'Soft Rose.' I instantly knew I needed this in my life.
I am utterly OBSESSED with this lip balm. I keep it in my pocket or handbag all day whether at work, out or home. It not only keeps my lips hydrated and non-chapped but also adds a little bit of natural colour which stops that horrible lifeless look lips seem to get during the Winter. And its so ridiculously cheap - it's just the perfect Winter lip product.
Next too is Rimmel London Kate Moss nude lipstick in the shade 45.
I apply this over the top of the Nivea lip balm if I am going out or just want to give my lips that extra little bit of colour. It's a extremely natural shade, the sort that people don't really notice that you're wearing, they just notice that your lips look great and healthy ;)
Autumn and Winter is a time when you can really start to experiment with eye shadows and different colour shades. This little palette gives instructions on the back on how to use the colours and the best places to put them on your eyes and where to blend. I use these plus mix one of my everyday colours over the top just to add a little bit more colour. I love how this palette looks when it's finished. It gives you a warm look with a little bit of sparkle - perfect for the festive season!
As for hair, mine is the worst for going frizzy and uncontrollable in the cold and rain so I needed to find a new way of keeping it tame and looking nice.
And I found it by doing the most simple little trick.
After washing my hair my routine is to always towel try it by tipping my hair upside down and rubbing the towel all through and then once the worst has gone, wrap my hair up onto the top of my head with the towel and then leaving it up like this whilst I get dressed etc and then take it down and leave it to naturally dry, and this was making it seriously frizzy and crazy.
So I recently tried a new way of towel drying my hair by combing it when out the shower and then simply patting my hair until the worst of the wet has gone and then just tousling my hair with my hands to give it some body, use the hair dryer to dry my fringe and roots and then DONE.
I did this today and then went outside in the wind and rain shopping all day and all my hair did was go into nice natural waves - perfecto!
I assume many people already do this method of drying hair after washing but if you don't - try it! It's so simple and doesn't cost a penny :)
Okaaaaaay.
My fingers may possibly be about to break or just fall off completely after that mammoth post.
I cannot not ramble.
So if you got this far I hope you enjoyed having a little insight into my products used during the Winter, and maybe go out and buy some for yourself.
And remember,
don't let Winter ruin your hair!
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