The Winter Skincare Edit

As a dry skinned gal, Winter is certainly no friend to my skin. Getting my skin in to cooperate is hard enough as it is during the warmer months without having to amplify everything by 10 when the temperatures drop.

But switching up our routines for Winter is essential, no matter your skin type. Whether it be simply switching from powder to cream make-up where possible or from light-weight skincare formulas to rich, creamy ones, or changing up your whole routine entirely, the toll that Winter takes on our skin can definitely be managed with the right know-how.

Cream Cleanser

I use a gentle cream cleanser all year 'round because that's just what works for me, but I always recommend switching from a foaming to a creamier cleanser come the Winter months as cream cleansers tend to strip far less of your face's natural oils which is a great way to tackle Winter dryness and irritation. The cleanser I use every single day is QV's Gentle Cleanser. It's milky and wonderfully gentle but still manages to break through makeup and grit, leaving my skin feeling fresh, soft and moisturized.

Heavy Duty Moisturizing

My skin is incredibly difficult so I have to use a variety of moisturizers, varying depending on whether it is morning or night, Summer or Winter. In the morning, I start off with a layer of The Ordinary's Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5* and smooth Clinique's Moisture Surge* over that once fully absorbed. It works to repair the skin's moisture barrier over time, which ensures that my skin stays hydrated, even when out in the weather. I've been using ESPA's 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser** as an extra step on top of that (when I say that my skin is dry, I mean it). It's thick but layers wonderfully in which it doesn't leave my skin looking or feeling greasy, and is so very hydrating.

Winter nights call for heavy duty moisture, especially if you don't have a humidifier. I start off light with a few drops of Trilogy's Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+* and leave it to soak in for a few minutes. I then smother either FRESH's Rose Deep Hydration Face Cream, which has time-release technology - perfect for replenishing lost moisture, or ESPA's 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser** (yet again) all over my face. Right before bed (typically a few hours after my shower and moisturiser routine), I apply The Body's Shop's Sleeping Cream*. It's basically a face mask that sinks in enough to not stick to your bedsheets and gives me THE softest, plumpest skin come the morning.

Use a Facial Oil

Facial oils are worth the hype I promise you! Even if you have oily skin, I highly recommend a facial oil (rosehip is my favourite). It's not as scary as you think trust me. As I've already mentioned, I use Trilogy's Rosehip Oil Antioxidant+* every night and it make such a difference to the overall condition of my skin. On super dry mornings, or days when I know I'm going to out in the cold a lot, I'll even mix a few drops in to my moisturiser for an extra boost.

Hydrating Face Masks

Your skin will be so much happier if you make time for a weekly hydrating face mask (Sunday is my go-to pamper day). I like to use The Body Shop's Ethiopian Honey Deep Nourishing Mask* when I'm looking for a plump, smooth and glowing finish. It's sticky and has the consistency of honey but gives me a nice amount of much needed nourishment. I also use LUSH's Oatifix on days that my skin feels a little irritated. It is soothing, calming and great for sensitive skin (although a little messy). I reach for LUSH's Cup O' Coffee when I'm after some brightening. It does contain Kaolin clay, but surprisingly, it works for me and smells amazing, too.

Lip Care

I don't know about you, but my lips get super dry and flaky throughout Winter. I carry a balm (look for balms that contain seed and plant butters and oils) around with me everywhere I go. My favourite lip "treatment" is the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, hands down. It's thick and incredibly hydrating. I pop some on every night before bed for soft, nourished lips come morning. In addition to constantly being smothered in some lip balm or other, I also love to use a lip scrub to slough away any flakes, smooth any rough patches, and just generally maintain the look and feel of my lips. LUSH's lip scrubs are my all-time favourite (always bubblegum)! They taste amazing and contain moisturising oils to really condition the lips.

Body Care

It's not just your face that needs extra nourishment during the colder months - your body does too. I love to use Palmer's Cocoa Butter Body Lotion** on my legs and arms after a shower - it's so hydrating and leaves my skin feeling smooth and moisturised without feeling greasy. I love to use their Cocoa Butter Concentrated Cream** on the driest parts of my body, too. Palmers products are amazing on sensitive skin (opt for fragrance free) and if you happen to suffer from eczema like I do, their products are absolute lifesavers! I've also been using ESPA's Smooth and Firm Body Butter** lately, mostly on my thighs and hips. It's such a thick, hydrating formula than sinks in quickly and leaves my skin feeling soft supple - heavenly.

Haircare

I like to class haircare as a branch of the skincare category too because I guess that we can technically call this step scalp care, right? Sure. Let's go with sure. I like to treat myself to a deep conditioning treatment once a week, typically on Sundays. I reach for Essano's Argan Oil Recovery Hair Mask to replenish any moisture lost due to the dry heat of the office heating system and give my hair a healthy, smooth shine. I also get quite bad static through my hair in the Winter - Redken's Frizz Dismiss Fly Away Fix Finishing Sheets* are amazing at combating static! They're basically dryer sheets.. but for your hair. Genius!

What are your most trusted Winter skincare switch ups? I'm always looking for new hydrating products to try!

Is there anything listed here that you'd like to try?

Some products mentioned in this post have been gifted to me, free of charge. This does not in any way affect my opinion. I will always give my true and honest thoughts and would never recommend anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in, paid for or not. Integrity is something that I value tremendously. Said items have been marked **

This post also contains affiliate links. I will always disclose such information with an asterisk (*) for full disclosure to my readers. Feel free to find and purchase these products elsewhere if you don't get down like that. :)

P.R. Mail First Impressions - Testing New Skincare, Haircare and Bodycare Products

Over the past few weeks, I have very kindly been sent a handful products to try. Beyond the fact that I am forever grateful that P.R. companies and brands are interested in hearing what I have to say about their products, I am also so very excited to have the opportunity to trial some new products over the course of the Winter months.

I like to give new products a good month or so of testing before I publish my thoughts, especially when it comes to skincare, but I've been using these products for a few weeks now, so I thought that I'd share my first impressions with you all today. I'll be letting you all know how I get on with the products after continued use. Definitely keep your eyes peeled for full, in-depth reviews in a couple of weeks time - they're on their way.

For the sake of full disclosure, all products mentioned in this post have (obviously) been gifted to me, free of charge. This does not in any way affect my opinion. I will always give my true and honest thoughts and would never recommend anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in, paid for or not. Integrity is something that I value tremendously.



The brand reps for Palmer's kindly sent a tube of Concentrated Cream and a bottle of Body Lotion for me to try. As a dry skinned gal, this package was much appreciated, let me tell you. I've been using both of these for a few weeks now (I very briefly touched on the concentrated cream in my "How I Relax After a Long Day" post) and I'm absolutely loving them both so far! Winter wreaks absolute havoc on my skin, so I've been using the concentrated cream on the driest parts of my body; I especially love applying it to my feet, popping on some socks and waking up to beautifully soft skin come morning time. It works wonders on places like elbows and knees, too. I've been using the body lotion on my arms and legs at night and it's been an absolute delight on my sensitive skin.



My package from RY.com.au contained three absolutely gorgeous products. RY has a special place in my heart - my very first ever Beauty Blender came from RY online back when I first started to get serious about make-up so I was thrilled to receive something from them.

I think that my favourite product of the bunch so far has been the ESPA 24 Hour Replenishing Moisturiser. Even if we ignore the fact that the packaging of this stuff is so luxe (LOOK AT IT!), I've really been enjoying this moisturiser! The texture is beautifully thick and rich and it has done absolute wonders to my dehydrated skin. I've had the flu for almost two weeks now, so my nose and mouth area were quite dry, sore and red. THIS DANG MOISTURISER has been the only thing that has given me a good amount of relief. No irritation, just soft, plump skin. I've been using it daily and will continue to do so - I'm loving it so far.

I've also been using ESPA's Smooth and Firm Body Butter. I've always been cautious of "firming" products because I think that you have to go in with the right mindset. Many people get stuck in the "this magical cream will remove all of my wrinkles, cellulite and stretch marks" ideal and end up disappointed. This cream claims to smooth and increase elasticity of the skin with regular use and although I do not expect this (or any) product to zap away all of my undesirable areas, I am excited to see if it helps to reduce the appearance of the couple of stretch marks that I have. Of course, I have not been using it long enough to see any crazy differences (I should do a before and after!) but I'm very curious to see how it goes! At the very least, this body butter is incredibly hydrating, sinks in quickly and leaves my skin feeling supple. Like the facial moisturiser, it has a thick, rich texture and is not all all waxy or greasy like many body butters tend to be (I'm looking at you, The Body Shop). Lovely to use regardless.

I think that the most intriguing product of the lot is the Grow Gorgeous Hair Density Serum. I know that a lot of you would be curious to see if this serum truly works (I'll definitely be doing a results post for you) because the struggles of thin hair are so real. My hair is quite thin and I'm constantly straightening it, so it's definitely on the damaged side of the scale. This claims to stimulate growth and improve hair density and volume, leaving your hair looking thicker and fuller. It has quite the impressive ingredient list, is paraben and sulphate free (tick!) and from what I've tried so far, it's a treat to use. I've been using it for a couple of nights now, on wet hair. I was a little nervous that it would leave my scalp looking oily, but that has not been the case when applying it to wet hair at all! I'll definitely be giving it a whirl on dry hair for comparison too. It's so very lightweight and my hair does feel a whole lot softer after application. I love the scent, too! To me, it smells like sexy men's cologne and I'm obsessed. To say that I'm excited to see how this performs long-term would be a gross understatement.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your thoughts? I'd love to know!

Would you like to try anything I've mentioned here?

As previously mentioned, I was sent these products in exchange for reviews. All comments and opinions expressed are 100% my own. I would never promote anything to my readers that I do not 100% believe in.

June Look back and July 2018 Goals

Input all food in to MyFitnessPal

"Rewind a year-or-so ago, I was using MyFitnessPal religiously and guess what?! I saw results. Shocker. I have been inputting my calories on-and-off for a few months now, but I always eventually grow tired of the process and end up not bothering. Queue the weight gain... Re-gain? I'd definitely like to get back in to the habit of inputting my meals and snacks in to MyFitnessPal each and every day. It's tedious, but it works."

Cross: I was so of on and off (mostly off) with my food input. I would religiously record everything for a handful of days and then not record anything at all for another handful. 

Find a portable power bank

"I've been meaning to pick up a power bank for years now. I'm doing much more after work these days. Whether it be going to the gym or attending blogger events, it's imperative that I have my phone charged and ready to go. I'm looking for something of good quality, that isn't going to cost me an arm and a leg at the same time. Preferably in pink.. Because I'm basic."

Tick: The Mophie XL Powerstation, in case you were curious (there was a smaller size and a larger size - I went for the middle option). It has already come in handy!

Have at least 2 date nights

"Jesse and I used to have a date night every Wednesday after work. Since building a house, once a week dates aren't as doable with the funds that we have available but it's no excuse to not have any at all! We haven't had a date night in over 6 months, easily, which is sad because I do love spending quality time with him. Adult life has definitely gotten in the way, but I think that two Wintery date nights this month would be wonderful."

Tick: I booked a torchlight tour of Fremantle Prison (highly recommend) and Jesse actually surprised me with a movie date night himself. What a cutie. It was so good to get out and have some fun again.

Visit a (dog friendly) walking trail

"For as long as I can remember, I was excited to get a dog because it meant that I would have an excuse to explore plenty of hiking trails. Do you think that I've visited even one since getting Milla? No, Sir. It would be a great excuse for a doggy playdate and catch-up with a friend and it's an easy way to get a bunch of steps in! Being Winter, there is likely to be far less people around and the creeks and waterfalls should have at least a little water in them. Lovely."

Tick: My sister took me to a trail that is actually about a 5 minute drive from my house. It was lovely and has got me excited for many more trails to come.

Fridge and pantry clean out

I love an organised space, so every few months (in this case, 12) I like to completely gut and reorganise the pantry, fridge and freezer. Getting rid of anything old, expired and/or forgotten and putting things back in an orderly fashion brings my OCD-ridden self with such peace.

Buy everything needed for our holiday
September 1 just keeps creeping up! I would confidently say that I'm about 95% prepared for our time away, I just need to buy a few small things: sunscreen, bug repellent.. things you don't really think about during the Winter months. I'd also like to check that my bathers still fit and make a little list of the types of outfits that I'd like to bring, making sure that I don't need a new pair of shoes or shorts (what a shame that would be).

Walk Milla every morning
I'm taking a break from the workout plan that I made for myself to work on completing Jacklyn Waterson's full body program (I'm feeling muscles I've never felt before, oh boy). Since, unlike my old workout plan, Jacklyn doesn't require me to get up early for a before work gym session, I've really been enjoying laying-in, which means that I've been skipping Milla's morning walks - oops (it's also the middle of Winter and freezing in the mornings). I do feel bad, though, so rather than rolling over when the alarm goes off, I'll be getting up and moving! I'll be getting up early again when I complete Jacklyn's program and switch back to my original plan so I may as well stay in the habit.

Take body measurements
I'm lifting a lot more weights and doing a lot more muscle work throughout this program than usual, so the scales are only really going to tell me so much. For a true gauge of my progress, I need to be taking body measurements (buying a measuring tape may be a good start) and taking photos from every angle - something that I've been purposely putting off.

Get to a Winter Fest
Perth has some pretty cool Winter activities (in the city and in Fremantle) that I'd love to make a date out of. Considering I've never seen snow, the fake snow in Fremantle is going to be as close as I'll get and sounds absolutely magical. Sipping on mulled wine and watching Jesse attempt to ice skate sounds like a perfect way to spend an evening to me.


What are you hoping to achieve this month?

See also:
June 2018 Goals
2018 Resolutions