Winter Skin Care: From Scary to Baby (Spice)

If you live near [insert any land mass on planet Earth here], chances are it’s been unusually cold, even for your [cold/warm/mild/unpredictable] climate, so it’s no surprise your face and body skin is dry, scaly, and all around pretty effing creepy right now. Mine had gotten so bad earlier this month that I knew I needed to step up my game, lest I wanted to look like the victim of a chemical peel gone terribly wrong all winter. After trying several skincare regimes, this is the one I’ve been swearing by the past couple of weeks, and I’m delighted to tell you: I look amazing.

1. Fresh Sugar Face Polish, $58
2. GlamGlow Super Mud, $69
3. Bliss Fabulips lip scrub, $18
4. La Mer lip balm, $50
5. CeraVe PM face lotion, $10
6. Caudalie Cru Eye Cream, $99
7. Korres Body Butter Vanilla Guava, $29
8. Elizabeth and James Nirvana Black, $55

I’d been vaguely familiar with the Fresh line of products for a while, but had never tried them until a Sephora sales associate explained that this was the best facial exfoliant because not only did it remove dead skin gently and effectively, it also nourishes and hydrates skin making it feel moisturized and even radiant. None of this is lip service—the product actually works this way! It says you can use it 3-4 times a week…I love it so much, I’ve probably been using it more like 5-6.

Following my face polish, I will sometimes use my Glam Glow (in the white jar) to spot treat. This formula is designed to clean out pores, making it a great overnight spot treatment. So yes, literally, dot this junk on any blemish you have or feel rising up from the depth of your face holes and leave it on overnight (it will NOT rub off on your sheets). When you rinse it off in the morning, your spots will be visibly improved.

I know the idea of exfoliating your lips seems a little excessive, but this is a complete must have for me this winter. I’ve talked about Bliss’ fabulips lip scrub before and it’s even more true this season. Top with a luxurious lip balm to seal in the moisture!

Once my skin is bright and smooth, I top it with a rich, non-greasy facial moisturizer. Since I do this routine at night, I love my CeraVe PM face lotion (though admittedly, I also use it in the AM…YOU CAN’T HOLD ME BACK, LOTION!!). It’s incredibly moisturizing and is formulated to last throughout the night as your skin does most of its restoring.

I’m still on a journey to find the most effective eye cream, which is why the photo above is of a sample, but I needed to make sure this shit worked before shelling out my cold hard cash! Looks like I’m about to be out $100 though, because this Caudalie Cru Eye Cream is rocking my world! I dot on a little under my eye, around the outer corner, and up to my brow bone, morning and night, and while I don’t know exactly what it’s doing, I do notice some of the fine lines creeping up have minimized in the past couple weeks.

Of course, no winter skin care regimen is complete without taking care of the rest of your gross, scaly body. This season, I’m obsessed with Korres Body Butter in Guava Vanilla, a rich, elegant vanilla scent. I love body butters, but find that more often than not, they’re too greasy for my taste. Plus, they often come in a tub, and that’s just a pain in the ass when your hands are covered in grease. This body butter is super rich, but not the slightest bit greasy—it absorbs into the skin immediately; plus, it comes in a tube, making the lotioning process much less frustrating.

I know we’re talking primarily about a nighttime skin care routine, but I just thought you had to know about the new Elizabeth and James fragrance line. I have both Nirvana White and Black, but if you only want to splurge for one, I’d recommend the Black. It’s more sensual and spicy, which makes it perfect for the winter time. Ya know, when you’re not shaving your legs and your lips are dry and crusty. It’s the perfect formula for seduction.

What else are y'all using to keep the scales away this winter season?