As much as we love curling up in front of the fire during the winter months, and embracing gorgeous knits and cosy winter attire, the cold weather can play havoc with our skin and hair. The chilly weather can cause all sorts of problems from extreme dryness to tinges of red (and for brides that have been paying particular attention to their beauty regime in the run up to the wedding, it can be a total nightmare!). But there are some beauty steps you can take to help keep dry patches and the like at bay this winter and some wonder products you can pop in to your shopping basket! Make-up Artists Laura Kay, Ailbhe Lynch and Kerry Harvey are on hand to share their advice and beauty product wisdom when it comes to keeping your skin in tip top shape this winter, ensuring it’s flawless in time for the Big Day and hair stylish Shauna Lawlor has some great tips for looking after your hair!
Hair by Shauna Lawlor – View Profile
The first bit of advice I give bides-to-be is don’t skip regular trims, I know you’re probably growing it but I can’t stress enough how important this is. Think of it this way – split ends will only lead to more split ends. Get a trim every 8-10 weeks and it will grow quicker.
The winter months can play havoc with our hair. Central heating tends to take a lot of moisture out of it leaving it dry and frizzy. Using deep moisturising products for example Redken All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner regularly and Redken Heavy Cream Super Treatment twice a month will prevent any breakage and leave your hair feeling soft and shiny.
With the party season in full swing, your hairdryer and Ghd are getting more action than usual. Protect against damage by always prepping wet hair with a heat-protecting spray like Unique One from Revlon.
Laura Kay Makeup – View Profile
Cracked Lips – In the winter months, lips really take a beating. My advice has always been NIPPLE BALM!! This has lanolin in it, which is the closest thing to our skin’s natural oils. The skin on your lips is most like your nipples and nipple balm is the only thing that will really repair your dry, cracked, flaky lips. If you don’t want to cart around nipple balm in your handbag, understandable, then try Dr. Lipp around €14.30 for 15ml. However, if you don’t care about your street cred, then every chemist will have a much larger tube of nipple balm for around €13.
Dry Flaky Skin – When my skin is going through a tough time and has gotten very dry, flaky and in some cases cracked, I always reach for La Roche-Posay CICAPLAST BAUME B5 SPF 50, around €13.50. This really helps to soothe and repair my skin. Always make sure your moisturiser has an SPF even in the winter months. The ingredient; Madecassoside – stimulates renewal of your skins cells and nourishes it from within. Stops the flakes in their tracks! This is a wonder product as it can also be used on grazes and babies bottoms. I love a product which has multiple purposes!
Raw Red Skin Repair – If your skin has become raw and red, then perfumed creams will almost certainly irritate the skin. I know everyone keeps harping on about it, but if you don’t have a tub of coconut oil (around €4 in your local supermarket) in the press by this stage, you must have dodged social media for the last number of years. Put coconut oil on the raw or dry patches overnight and they’ll start to heal.
Cleansing – I’m always harping on about double cleansing. The days’ makeup and impurities don’t come off with just the one cleanse, use Vichy Purete Thermale Cleansing Oil (on offer in Sam McCauley for €12.38) before your normal cleansing. Even if you have oily skin, cleansing oils are great. Cleansing oils mix with the oils on your skin. These can be your natural oils or from makeup or other products. When you rinse, the good and bad oils are washed away along with the dirt. Massage into the skin, the oil in the cleanser binds to the impurities without clogging your pores. This leaves the skin clean, soft and hydrated.
Ailbhe Lynch – View Profile
Moisturise – The winter months can make our skin dull and dry so it’s a good idea to swap your lightweight summer skincare for something a little richer. While a moisturising fluid is fine in the summer months for normal to dry skin, switching to a more nourishing cream for winter will really benefit your skin. Think comforting and nourishing when it comes to winter skincare. Add a few extra skincare items to your routine. I love to use Moogoo Rosehip Oil under my night cream in the winter months. It hydrates and nourishes the skin while regenerating damaged skin tissue. This is a perfect product to add to your night routine as your skin repairs itself while you sleep.
Avoid Alcohol Based Products – Avoid skincare products that list alcohol as a main ingredient. Alcohol can be very drying and it can weaken the skin. While it has a drying and mattifying effect that can feel good to oilier skin types, this can damage the surface of the skin and cause more problems in the long run.
Always Use an Eye Cream – Not using an eye cream can result in dehydration lines and nobody wants lines before their time. If the skin around the eye is dry, makeup will only accentuate this. Keep the skin soft and supple by applying an eye cream morning and evening. If you haven’t used an eye cream before try something like Avene Eye Contour Cream which helps reduce puffiness and works well for sensitive skin too.
Use the Correct Primer – I often see clients using primers that are incorrect for their skin type. Take care when purchasing a primer and select one that works with your skin type. If you have dry skin, don’t choose a primer that is mattifying or oil free. These work much better for combination to oily skin types. Daily use will cause your skin to feel taut and dry and you may not relate the dryness to your primer. Likewise, be careful when choosing your foundation. Combination to oily skin types should stick to oil free, matte and long lasting foundation while drier skin types should opt for hydrating, moisturising and satin finishes.
Chapped Lips – Keep chapped lips at bay by using Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream. Using a product like Vaseline will only provide instant relief but it won’t repair. It’s tempting to pick the cheaper option but 8 hour cream is such a great product to have for winter and the tube lasts for ages! It’s an excellent lip balm but also soothes chapped and dry skin on face and hands. You can also apply it to your cheekbones on makeup free days for some extra glow.
Hand Care – Don’t neglect your hands in the winter months. They’ll be in quite a few photos on the Big Day too! My absolute favourite hand cream is L’Occitane Shea Butter Hand Cream. If you suffer with chapped hands in the cold winter months, this hand cream won’t irritate or sting like some can.
Inside Out – Start taking fish oils daily and treat your skin from the inside. Fish oils are fantastic for skin and nails. And they work as an anti-inflammatory which can help with acne too.
Kerry Harvey – View Profile
It’s that time of year again – we’re bulking up and donning thicker threaded clothing. Our handbags are stocked with tissues and we’ve the comfort of relaxing fire-side filled evenings ahead of us!
If you’re a bride-to-be in the coming festive season or simply a bride wanting to get on top of her skincare regime for a spring wedding, remember, we can all get dehydrated from time to time at this time of year, especially our skin! Yes, this includes all you people with an oily skin type too! Dehydration is a changeable condition, not a skin type. It’s caused by external factors such as ‘climate’ – i.e. going from cold to hot conditions. Having hot showers and using alcohol based products also strip the healthy natural oils from our skin leaving it sensitive. So try to avoid these during the colder months!
Here are my ‘Top 6 Tips’ for optimum glowing skin for the fast approaching colder winter days!
Exfoliate – Incorporate exfoliation into you’re your shower routine 2/3 times per week to wash away the additional dead skin cells that accumulate due to external environmental factors of cold weather and warm heated homes. This also stimulates the tiny nutrient filled blood vessels to nourish our freshened skin, encouraging new cell growth and rejuvenation!
Hydrate – Pop a hydrating mask on for 10 minutes after you exfoliate, 2/3 times per week to ensure your skin has the best playing field to truly absorb all the mask’s hydrating goodness leaving you with soft, subtle glowing skin!
Serums – Adding a serum to your routine, especially us girls of 28+. It adds not only a radiance to your skin aesthetically but encourages collagen stimulation for plumper youthful skin and helps diminish fine lines that become more defined when our skin is dehydrated!
Eye-cream – This delicate area mustn’t be forgotten so treat as you would babies skin! Do not apply thicker creams here as this fine area requires a devoted eye-cream. Thicker creams clog the skin under the eye and its drainage system hence puffiness can occur if you’ve rubbed your winter moisturiser on this area.
Love Your Entire Body – Remember to exfoliate all over – exfoliation gloves are a great quick time saver you can do in the shower and then slather yourself in body butter, not forgetting hands and feet for a softer more supple you all over!
The Little Extras – Pop a hand-cream or facial mist to your desk and/or side locker to add hydration throughout the day! Wear an SPF in your moisturiser, no lower than 30 to combat those pesky UVA/UVB aging rays from our winter sun and lastly, drink more water and eat a healthy diet! Hydrating from the inside out is a must and in combination with a great skincare routine, you’ll be every inch the blushing bride come your wedding day!
Check out my vlog where I show you a simple test for dehydrated skin. I also go through all my TOP TIPS, step-by-step showing you how to put them into action with lots of beautiful product recommendations, plus cost effective and DIY options for all you budding brides-to-be!
Main photo from Lisa & John’s real wedding by Kathy Silke Photography
