In all the excitement in the run up to Christmas, I almost forgot about the winter solstice. I like to pay attention to this day every year as that means that from now on the days are (finally) getting longer! And as much as I love the festive season, sometimes I feel like the sun has barely risen before we are plunged back in to darkness at 4.30pm in the winter. So in the winter months, I like to do whatever I can to reinvigorate to my beauty regime and wardrobe to keep away those winter blues!
The Natural Look
I like to keep my day to day look reasonably natural. Who doesn’t want a fresh, flawless finish? To perfect the natural feel, it all begins at the exfoliating and cleansing stage. The cold weather can be particularly harsh on your skin, so bringing it back to life takes a little TLC. There is an abundance of naturally sourced and produced gentle exfoliators perfect for all skin types; it’s simply a case of finding one that works and suits you best. The same goes for moisturiser – it’s important to think about your skin type and find a product that suits you, and then moisturise regularly. Nowadays everyone is clued up about the damage that sun can do to your skin, but it’s worth using a moisturiser with SPF protection all year round as UV rays can still damage our skin in winter. If using a tinted moisturiser, you may wish to finish off with a little powder, and providing you conceal any blemishes this combination is sure to leave your skin glowing. The real attention should be focused on your eyes and lips with defined lashes which are essential for this look. You can forfeit eye shadow and eyeliner but never the mascara. Blondes should try using a brown mascara, whereas darker hair should stick to black. Finally, to add a pop of colour pick a lipstick that almost matches your natural lip tone. This will naturally enhance what you already have whilst still creating a rejuvenated feel. Apply with your finger for a less concentrated final look.
What to wear?
Our calendars are often filled with Christmas drinks and parties over the festive season, which for me means coming up with different ways to wear my favourite black dress. But if you’re going for a natural beauty look then your clothes should be both comfortable and stylish. A personal favourite of mine is a stylish polo neck with plain black jeans and a pair of sophisticated black boots. It’s a look that is both understated and chic, and can be easily adapted if you’re going straight from the office to Christmas drinks with friends.
Glamourous
Whether glamour is your everyday look or you simply want to feel that extra bit special, the glammed up look requires more shimmer and shine. In the winter it feels like it has been so long since we saw the sun, so we do whatever we can to bring a little sunshine back in to our beauty regimes. However this means that there are a lot of disastrous fake tan attempts: you can have the best fake tan and still manage to get it wrong. To pull off the glamourous look from head to toe, you really need to master the art of applying foundation, and bronzer as well as fake tan. You can spend hours watching video tutorials on how to contour or achieve the perfect smoky eye, but fail to get the fake tan bit right and you have an issue on your hands, literally. Always exfoliate beforehand to remove all dead skin, and follow with a good moisturiser. Make sure you don’t forget the elbows and ankles. Beginning at the arms and shoulders, gradually make your way down using circular motions. For best results apply fake tan at night leaving plenty of time for it to develop. Showering should be avoided until the tan has had time to fully develop.
What to wear?
From my experience black works best as well as olive tones. Of course it’s important you show off your new and improved looking skin. Off the shoulder ruffled tops are fast appearing in all major high street shops; the shoulders offer a subtle hint of sexiness without going full out. Paid one of these with a stylish pashmina scarf and a long trench coat to complete your glamourous look. The important thing here is to remember that you want to show off a little skin to embrace your new-found summer glow, but you also need to dress appropriately for the weather outside.
