My Winter Beauty Favourites

It’s winter beauty time!

I’m probably not going to endear myself to anyone by telling you this, but ever since I have switched to Paleo my skin has been insane. Insane in a good way. I had one zit the whole of last month and it was one of those hormonal ones that arrives in THAT WEEK and disappears as soon as the tampons get put back in the cupboard. Which I guess proves to me what those skincare geniuses have been saying all along: great skin comes from the inside and my inside apparently does not care for refined carbohydrates.

Winter Beauty

The upshot of this has meant that I haven’t felt such a need to slather myself in lotions and potions every morning and evening and have somewhat relaxed my skincare regime. I’m still loving my Clinique cleansing balm, am using a gentle toner and moisturiser but am no longer scouring the internet for miracle cures for my dull and tired skin. Cos it’s not so dull and tired anymore, wahey!

I’m still not in the place I want to be, which is to go out regularly without make-up; I don’t think I’ll be here until I stop drinking red wine in the evenings and my children sleep in after 6am. But I’m not finding such a need to slap on the heavy foundation and concealer which feels kind of liberating. Well done, paleo, well done.

Radical Skincare Age Defying Exfoliator Pads – £45
I’ve long been a fan of chemical exfoliants, ever since I heard the guru that is Caroline Hirons waxing lyrical about their benefits and like most women in their twenties who read Caroline’s blog I immediately began using Alpha-H’s liquid gold a couple of times a week and loved it. So when the people at Radical Skincare asked me to give their Age-Defying Exfoliating pads a go I thought it would make a good comparison. These are brilliant – as good as Alpha-H, if not better. Using these 2-3 times a week (they recommend every night but my skin is pretty sensitive) I definitely notice my pores are smaller, my skin feels less congested and is much smoother and brighter. The pack includes 60 pads so although it may feel pricey it will last a long time.

L’Oreal Code Lumiere BB Cream – £7.95
I chucked this in my trolley at Tesco’s on a whim a couple of months ago and I’m so glad I did! It’s a really light yet hydrating cream that I tend to use day-to-day. I’m still very much into Clinique’s CC cream but that is now reserved for nights out or special occasions. The L’Oreal BB cream slides on really easily so it’s perfect to apply in the morning when I’m rushing to get out the door for the school run and then I literally don’t think about make-up for the rest of the day. The last time my mum saw me when I was wearing this she said my skin looked ‘glowing’ and this product really does work to illuminate my face.

Giordani Gold Jewel Lipstick in Mauve Dream -£9.95
It’s very nearly fashion week and to try and re-live some of the fashion-y fun I used to have when I was living in London and surviving on cocktails I popped along to the Zalando press day. Honestly I’d kind of forgotten how boring the whole fashion thing is – look at clothes that won’t be in the shops for ages, look at people who are dressed way cooler than you, swig free champagne. What a drag. This dress (French Connection) MUST be mine this summer though, I’m totally in love. In my Zalando goodie bag was this Giordani Gold Jewel lipstick in Mauve Dream and I’m totally in love. I don’t often wear lipstick, let alone dark colours, but this is gorgeous. It’ll look great with my new dress in the summer ;)

Fenjal Classic Luxury Creme Bath Oil – £12.49
Since we moved house (but before the poo/bath incident) I’ve really enjoyed relaxing with some oils, a couple of candles and a magazine in a big tub of hot water. Fenjal’s bath oil is my favourite product to use because it’s something my mum always used to use for her bathtime so the scent takes me right back. It’s relaxing, moisturising and always feels like a treat.

Oqibo Intense Moisture Defence – £35.75
Oqibo wasn’t I brand I had heard of before I was contacted by their Customer Relations team just after Christmas; let me start this by telling you that everyone who works for Oqibo is incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and, well, just happy, and that always gives you a positive view on an organization. So I began my experience with their Intense Moisture Defence feeling pretty uplifted and that is how I have remained. This product has slotted in beautifully with my new low-maintenance skincare routine as it’s a creme that can be used morning and evening and does exactly what it says on the tin. It’s a very hydrating moisturiser which works wonders with skin like mine that requires a bit of extra TLC, especially in the winter. The creme is a gorgeous texture that sinks in easily but what really sets it apart for me is the scent; so many moisturisers turn me right off with the way they smell but I absolutely adore this.

Neal’s Yard Bee Lovely Head To Toe Gift Set – £22.50
As part of Intellicig’s New Year New Start campaign they sent me a set of Neal’s Yard pampering gifts and some aromatherapy scents so I could spend an evening relaxing. I’m a pretty devout non-smoker and have friends who’ve kicked the nasty habit using Intellicig’s electronic cigarettes so I’m quite a fan of theirs (is it me or do they look pretty cool and space-age anyway?!), and even more so now! I think I gained a lot this New Year by focussing on all the good things in my life rather than moaning about what I want to change and this is going to continue into 2014… making myself happy by taking time out to pamper myself, have massages and get to the gym is an important part of that. I adore Neal’s Yard and in particular their Bee Lovely hand cream so this gift set was perfect for me; it lives in my kitchen to give my poor winter ravaged knuckles a bit of TLC.

Korres Jasmine Shower Gel – £8
I might be reaching a bit here lest I feel guilty for spending such a fortune on shower gel, but I swear this gorgeous product means my day begins with a bang rather than a bleurgh. I blame Waitrose for stocking such lovely beauty products and I also blame my kids who like to spend our shopping trips shrieking over cake, mini eggs and bananas. By the time I get round to the beauty aisle an 8 quid shower gel is one of the only things standing between me and complete craziness. If you’re in the market for an expensive shower gel you should make this one it.

Kiehl’s Creme De Corps – from £8.50
Best body moisturiser ever. End of.