10 Winter Beauty Essentials | 2017

Our Canadian cold weather usually brings great luxuries: snow, beautiful winter landscapes and maple syrup to name a few, but it also brings some not-so-fun side effects like dry skin, frizzy hair, and chapped lips! Luckily, these 10 super products are here to help banish all my winter beauty bummers.

1.

Body Scrub

(The Body Shop Coconut Body Scrub) 

Cold weather turns out to be the culprit of my snakeskin legs and my itching all over.  To stay warm during our winter months, we tend to overheating our households and workplaces. We also take hotter showers, and sometimes, we use soaps that take away our skin’s natural oils. It’s one thing to moisturize but I also like to get rid of all that dead skin. Body scrub are a must for me and I’ve been a big fan of The Body Shop Body Scrubs for years. When there is a big sale, I stock up with at least 3 jumbo jars that will last me the whole year or so…

2.

Heavy Duty Body Cream

(Acure Ultra-Hydrating Body Lotion)

What is the most important step after you’ve scrub your entire body? Duh… Applying an extra moisturizing body cream is key to lock all the moisture inside. I adore Acure Ultra-Hydrating Body Lotion since it dries very fast,  it’s cruelty-free and affordable. It’s also unscented (I just don’t want my perfume to badly mix with an overly fragranced body cream in the morning). With ingredients such as cocoa butter, evening primrose, organ oil and CoQ10, what’s not to like!

3.

Hand Cream

(L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream) 

I’ve neglected my poor hands so much in the past, they used to look like I was 70 (No joke!). Now, I make it a priority to apply at least, each night before going to bed, a rich hand cream, so my hands look as smooth as they can be in the morning. L’Occitane really knows how to create beautiful hand creams with ingredients like shea butter, linseed, honey and sweet almond fruit extracts.

4.

Lip scrub + Lip Balm

(Rosebud Perfume Co.Rosebud Salve)

In the winter months, my nighttime routine includes scrubbing my lips and applying a lip balm. If I don’t apply a lip balm during the day, my lips will literally get dry to the point of bleeding. My favorite lip scrubs are the ones I make myself (Easy DIY recipe HERE) and for lip balms, I have been addicted to Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve. Even though I’ve tried so many others, for the last 5 years, I’ve always come back to this affordable little magic pot.

5.

Hair Mask

(Wen Sweet Almond Mint Hair Treatment)

Granted that I’m frizzy all year long, but during winter, my hair looks like hay. If I’m not using a hair mask once a week, my hairdo is a disaster. Coconut oil makes an affordable do-it-your-own treatment but I also have been enjoying Wen Sweet Almond Mint Hair Treatment! I always buy mine at Winners at a fraction of the price because it’s quite an expensive brand!

6.

Face Oil

(Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil)

My skin is combo all year long with the exception of winter months, where it’s definitely dry. You all know that dry patchy skin and makeup is a disaster in the making, so I ALWAYS apply a face oil at night and most of the time, I also mix a drop of oil with my moisturizer or foundation in the morning. My all time favorite is Fresh Seaberry Moisturizing Face Oil.

7.

Water

Do not laugh but drinking water is winter’s best kept secret for keeping our skin fully hydrated. It’s not rocket science, but the more water you drink in one day, the better your skin looks. I aim for a minimum of 1L per day (4 cups), 2 would be ideal. H2O should be your beauty BFF all year long, winter or summer! Only downsides are, when you have a small bladder, you always have to look for bathrooms and you pee like a pregnant woman!

8.

Bronzer

(Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact #3)

I have pale skin and in winter, I look like Casper the Friendly Ghost. Bronzers may be a summer must-have but it’s also a winter mood booster. I usually choose a light bronze color to use as my contour/blush/bronzer to bring life and add some glow to my translucid face. I omit a regular blush since with the cold, my cheeks are permanently red ☺️. This winter, it’s all about Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact #3! This powder is such a beautiful bronze shade that it makes my fair skin glow without looking muddy or artificial!

9.

Waterproof Mascara

(L’Oréal Waterproof Voluminous Miss Manga)

I feel that this year, we have snow every other day so opting for a waterproof mascara is a must if you don’t want to look like a raccoon or Alice Cooper. I always apply my favorite regular mascara and I top it off with a waterproof version. I don’t have a favorite waterproof mascara to share since I always buy the one who is on sale when I need one. So this winter, I went with L’Oréal Waterproof Voluminous Miss Manga. While not being the best mascara I’ve tried, it does the job!

10.

Sunscreen

(Coola SPF 30 Daydream Mineral Primer)

We tend to forget that the snow reflects back 80-percent of UVA rays, nearly doubling your exposure during winter months! SPF is a 365 days a year necessity… When BeardMan had to travel to Scottsdale AZ recently, I made him a short list if he passed by a Sephora Store. He brought me a few products unavailable in Canada and I instantly fell in love with Coola SPF 30 Daydream Mineral Primer. Other than containing a good SPF factor for winter, it’s possibly the best primer I’ve ever tried. I will do a separate review on this product shortly… and pray for BeardMan to go back real soon to some US city.

DISCLAIMER: I paid for all these items except for Acure Ultra-Hydrating Body Lotion. This post contains NO-AFFILIATE Links!