Winter Beauty Survival

Last week I wrote about winter beauty and quick fixes. My friend Ali Kaplan from  Shop Girls on My Talk 107.1FM asked me to be on her radio show to discuss  winter beauty. During the show I fielded several questions; therefore I thought I’d follow up this week with some additional tips to not just survive during the rest of our winter months, but thrive!

Winter is a moisture thief.
If you don’t own a humidifier, you should.  At the very least, put a large soup pot filled with water on or near your radiator to help add a little moisture to the air in your bedroom while you sleep.  Crazy as it may sound, I travel with a small humidifier (purchased at Walgreens) it actually helps me sleep better.

Keep shower/bath time and temperature minimal.
Even though a scalding hot bath or shower seems like to best thing to do after braving the elements, too much time and heat in the bath strips your skin of natural oils and makes it feel dryer in the long run.  Keep bath time short (15 minutes) and keep the water warm instead of hot.  Consider just washing what needs to be washed, and use a moisturizing soap like Dove and a puff (uses less soap) to lather up.

Patty cake
Pat, rather than rub dry and apply natural oils on the skin while it’s still damp for maximum moisturizing. After the oil has been absorbed you can even follow with a moisturizing cream.  If you haven’t already, switch from a lotion(which are lighter and better in the summer) to a cream moisturizer.

If the Glove fits
The best thing you can do for your hands is keep exposure to a minimum.  For goodness sakes keep those gloves on, and moisturize every time you wash you hands.

Make up with winter
Not only does winter rob your skin of moisture, I feel like it robs skin of color as well.  Skin looks more sallow and under eye circles are more noticeable.  Don’t despair, break out the concealer.  Find a color that matches your skin tone (or is a tiny bit brighter) and banish imperfections.  From under eye circles, to redness around the nose, to pimples, a great concealer can make them all disappear without making you look like you’re wearing a mask.

Brighten up
Now is the time to be brave and try a little more color.  Bright sheer cheek and lip colors can liven up your face and even make you look more invigorated than you feel.  If you are blonde choose warm colors in the apricot & peach family, brunettes can wear peony and pink.

Keep lips luscious
Apply a moisturizing balm and no matter what, don’t lick your lips!  Saliva evaporates quickly leaving you lips more parched.

Don’t let static get the best of you
When you’re a kid there is something really fun about rubbing your feet on the carpet and zapping your friend, or rubbing a balloon on your head until your hair stands on end.  As an adult, static electricity has become my enemy, especially since I have fine hair.  Here is what I do to get through without my hair standing on end.
-Hair masques are wonderful and my favorites are from Kerastase.  Chose a masque created for your hair type and treat your self at least once a week.
-Check out dry shampoo’s sister product Dry Conditioning Sprays from Oribe and Oscar Blandi. These innovative new products add shine, protection, and body to dry hair and even help with static.
-Static driving you so crazy you don’t want to leave the house?  Take a look around, you can even work with what you have.  Spray a bit of static guard on your brush to help tame your tresses and even rubbing your hair with a dryer sheet will help.

Keep the faith, after all the first day of Spring is March 20. That’s only 64 days away!