Amour Ophelia.

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A Winter Routine

Beauty and skincare is like fashion to me, with every new season, comes a new skincare routine and a makeup bag switch around. Throughout the Spring/Summer my skin holds a natural glow and is pretty well behaved each month, no dryness, no blemishes and over all a normal complexion however when winter comes, all moisture is lost and the healthy summer glow disappears. Although I don’t have patches of dryness, my complexion tends to look dull and is incredibly dehydrated which is why skincare is such an important step of day for me at this time of the year. I’m all about cleansing balms that dissolve makeup, moisturisers that really hydrate my skin and add a glow and oils that nourish and repair.

AM SKINCARE: Once I’ve dragged myself out of bed in the mornings I head straight to the bathroom and sort out my face. Depending on how my skin feels, I’ll either lightly spray some Antipodes Ananda Toner* onto a cotton pad and swipe it all over or go in with my gentle Jurlique Rose Cleanser* which just removes any excess oil or unwanted dirt that as built up over night. Once I’ve cleaned my face, I’ll wake it up and re hydrated with a spritz of Jurlique Rose Moisture Mist* followed by a small layer of my NUDE Radiance Day Cream.

MAKEUP ROUTINE: To get some more hydration in and a touch of radiance I go straight in with my Lancôme Hydra Glow Primer which is perfect for this time of the year, it’s full of hydrating properties and adds a really subtle, healthy glow to the skin. For a light even base of colour and dewiness, I blend in some Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation, which has been my go to base for months now. The Rodial Airbrush Concealer in Aspen 01* is the perfect under eye concealer that hydrates the eye area whilst really covering up any discoloration, leaving my complexion looking flawless but effortless. Moving onto eyes, I’ve been leaning towards two options, for a daytime look, Charlotte Tilbury Jean, which is a light gold cream and for something a bit more smoky and dramatic, Chanel Caroube has been my shadow stick of choice. Blended over the top of Jean and smudged in from the outer corner, this is a great eye look that takes you from day to night. Charlotte Tilbury Fat Lashes is still my favourite mascara for it’s fat brush that lengthens, adds drama and really opens the eye, I apply two strokes of this on my top lashes and a tiny touch on the bottom just to dramatise the look even more. I’m embracing the bushy brow trend at the moment and have left behind the powder brow products, moving back to a pencil. The Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil is a game changer in the brow department for me, the angled pencil ensures an easy application that stroke perfectly through the hairs without creating any harsh lines, and it leaves my brows looking fuller but natural. To finish it off, I’ll brush through some NARS Brow Gel to hold them in place.

Going back to the skin now, I’ve been keeping it pretty simple to create a focus on the red lip and gold eye so I’ve been applying MAC Lady Blush to the apples of my cheeks which is a really natural, muted shade, followed by a light dusting of Rodial Bronzing Powder* just on the temples, brought down to the cheeks. To finish off the skin and add some a touch more glow, I dust some Kevyn Aucoin Candlelight Highlight wherever I want some more glow, usually down the bridge of my nose, across my brow bone, cupids bow and the tops of my cheek bone. To bring this festive look together, I’ve got two lip options. For an easy day to day look, I line my lips with my favourite Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk Lip Liner then add some Neals Yard Lip Balm on top, keeping it really natural and chic. If I’m going out for the day or an evening then I’ll add a festive red. My newest makeup addition, YSL Rouge Pur Couture lipstick in 204 which is an intense, matte, moisturising lipstick. I apply some straight to the lip and then neaten it up with my Estee Lauder Lip Brush*.

PM SKINCARE: After a busy day, the first thing I do when home is take off my makeup with my Rodial Bee Venom Cleansing Balm*, a seriously hydrating, buttery and luxurious balm that dissolves makeup once removed with a warm muslin cloth, leaving skin beaming with radiance and soft to touch. To ensure everything is removed, I take a cotton pad soaked in Antipodes Ananda Toner* and swipe it over my skin and eyes. Once everything is cleansed and removed, I go in with my Jurlique Herbal Recovery Eye Serum* to plump and treat then apply 2-3 drops of Jurlique Skin Balancing Face Oil* which is packed full of Avocado, Rosehip, and Macadamia Oil to address moisture loss and improve an uneven skin surface.

What is your winter beauty and skincare routine? 

All products marked with an * are PR samples or sent to me by the brand.