Good morning, Friday. It's positively fr-fr-freezing here in the city today. Even werewolves like me (I run hot) are shivering in this weather, so bundle the f up and snuggle the hell in- it's not Spring yet, and I suspect we're going to have a long winter.
In addition to trying to stay warm (I adore the ear muffs over hat trick of the glam girls above), I've been trying to keep my skin in check because it gets so damn dry- from the radiator heat in my "charming" Brooklyn flat to the dryness left from yet another cold to hot showers on already chapped skin. So today's five spot will be all about skin remedies for every day use, some spendy, some totally not. I love 'em all and I have tested loads of them. Here's what works for me:
By Terry Rose Balm, $60 at Barneys- OK, stop judging. I know $60 for lip balm seems very Wolf of Wall Streetish. But truly, I've had the same little tub for about a year and I am just about ready to get a new one, because Lord help me if it keeps the lips from drying out better than any other product I've tried- it's soothing and lovely and perfection. I can see why its reached cult status amongst a certain beauty fanatic class. I keep a little tub by my bed to lock in some moisture before I hit the hay. It's an investment, but a sound one if you're prone to gross dry lips in the winter time. Do it. You're worth it.
Vaseline Spray & Go moisturizer in Cocoa Radiant, $5.84 at Drugstore.com- So from one extreme to another- here's a great, cost effective product to solve that getting out of the shower and tired of Neutrogena Dry Oil thing (I still love that too, ps but just wanted to switch it up). My husband got this one for me as research for a project he's doing, and yea, its' great. It smells like Summer and really relieves dryness. One word of caution- it's pretty cold when it goes on. Just FYI- if you're looking for warmth, not going to find it here. But it does work really well in helping the skin feel quenched. Nice after shaving the legs too.
The Body Shop Aloe Soothing Gel, $18 at The Body Shop- almost never think of The Body Shop anymore (none of us were without their body butter back in the day), but I popped in on my way to work to see if they had anything for the horribly dry area around my nose- too many tissues, too much nasal spray, too many sneezes. The ladies there were super helpful and hooked me up with their brand of soothing gel Aloe, which feels lovely on raw cold strewn skin. A great thing to have in the house- lovely on any skin irritation really, and great for sensitive skin.
Kahina Giving Beauty Fez body serum, $98 at Net-A-Porter- I know, we're back in big spender territory, but this product is magnifique. I'm a huge fan of their Argan oil- it's a cure all for any skin funkiness and I swear by it. The serum for the body is another amazing product for freshly showered skin, and spells incredibly delicious- rose, vetiver, cloves, and cumin- you'll spell like a mysterious chic boho wandering her way through Morocco, and your skin will not only be less dry, but super glowy. Amazingness. Bonus points for pretty packaging.
Aesop hand lotion, $27 at Aesop- Fortunately for me, my hands don't get as dry as the rest of me, but always amazing to have a good hand creme around, and any excuse to go into any of Aesop's beautifully designed stores is reason enough to buy some hand cream. At $27, it's not cheap, but they last and last and smell so good. I also love their hand washes- fabulous products. An instant classic and lovely to stash in your bathroom so guests can use it too. Adore their stuff, and the packaging is chic.
Oh and I know we're doing five here, but you must check this out as a bonus track for those winter dry skin blues:
Lucas Papaw ointment, $22.90 at Amazon- This stuff. Wow. This is another hippie dip product that has gone all kinds of chic. Made from Australian fruit, this cure all ointment is great for everything from bee stings to dry patches to burns. I love it so much and is a great and long lasting all purpose salve- excellent for eczema and super chapped lips. If you have kids, you may already have this around- it's sort of the way Windex was to the dad in that Greek wedding movie. It really can fix everything. Comes in tub form or balm form.
Oh and maybe you're wondering why I did not include haircare in this list- I LOVE my hair in the winter time and dry weather is great for my locks- no frizz and fancy free in my book. But I did use to love those hot oil treatments back in the day, so the best and most grown up version, to moisturize those dry locks is from Kanebo, a Japanese product line whose Sensai intensive hair mask is a favorite of my favorite hairdresser, Siobhan. She would never steer a girl wrong. Thanks for the tip, lady.
Cause that's what's up this nourished and hydrated Friday in the freezing cold 212. Stay warm this weekend, comrades. Yours, in soothed skin. Take care of you. XO