Brighten Up Your Dull Winter Skin
Winter is heavily upon us and along with it comes dry air, wind chapped skin, and a dull complexion. There are a few tricks you can do that will help your skin be as beautiful as ever. I know that some of these tips and tricks may already be pounded into your head, but TRY THEM they really do make a difference.
Exfoliation:
Face and Body: The main thing you should be doing is exfoliating your face and body. This allows a deeper penetration from your face wash because it scuffs of the dead and flakey skin. Exfoliating your face and body allows your face wash and lotions to penetrate deeper and it allows your makeup to look nice and smooth. If you use a gentle exfoliant, feel free to use it daily as long as your skin allows. If you use a stronger exfoliant, only use it 2-3 times a week.
Lips: After brushing your teeth in the morning, take your toothbrush and gently rub it across your lips. Follow by a moisturizing lip balm or chapstick.
Easy, DIY Exfoliation Recipe:
- Mix 3 TBSP of baking soda with 1 TBSP water.
- Gently apply to your face in circular motions.
- Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water.
Tips:
- You can substitute baking soda for sugar or salt on your body.
- Salt provides a coarser exfoliation; so do not use it on your face.
- Always exfoliate on a clean face.
Lotion:
After you exfoliate, always, always, always make sure you apply a lotion of some sort. This allows the oils, nutrients, and hydration to be replaced back into your cells. A personal favorite of mine is Coconut Oil. It smells delicious, gives you a lustrous shine, and you can even use it in your hair!
Face:
- Wash face at least 2 times a day. Morning and night is great because it removes oils produced throughout the night, and then you wash your face and remove makeup and oils produced throughout the day.
- Always wash your face after working out. It is as simple as that. Make sure you get rid of and sweat on your face and body as soon as possible. This will prevent you from breaking out as well.
- Use a lotion with SPF. Even on cloudy days, this will protect your skin from damaging UV rays, allowing your skin to stay younger longer.
Makeup:
I cannot stress enough the importance of doing prep work (exfoliation and hydration), as well as having makeup that is right for your skin. If you have oily skin, a liquid foundation may not be the best idea, and if you have dry skin a powder may not be the best idea. So test out a few different products and see which you like best. Personally, I have combination skin with a little bit more on the oily side. I love the look and coverage of liquid foundation, so I blend a thin layer all over my face, with a layer of translucent matte powder. The powder absorbs some of the excess oil I get throughout the day.Another way to brighten your face using makeup is by using a highlighter. Last year, we posted about highlighting and bronzing of the face, TAKE NOTE OF THIS! If done right, highlighting is amazing. Below is a face map of where you should highlight and bronze (contour). Make sure you blend though!
A Tip for the Eyes:
- One thing I love doing is applying some light eye shadow on the inner corner of my lid, where the tear duct is. This creates the illusion that you are more awake and that your eyes are bigger.
- Mascara also helps to bring out the eyes. Apply from base to tip of lash on both upper and lower lashes.
By Talia DiFulvio
Exfoliation:
Face and Body: The main thing you should be doing is exfoliating your face and body. This allows a deeper penetration from your face wash because it scuffs of the dead and flakey skin. Exfoliating your face and body allows your face wash and lotions to penetrate deeper and it allows your makeup to look nice and smooth. If you use a gentle exfoliant, feel free to use it daily as long as your skin allows. If you use a stronger exfoliant, only use it 2-3 times a week.
Lips: After brushing your teeth in the morning, take your toothbrush and gently rub it across your lips. Follow by a moisturizing lip balm or chapstick.
Easy, DIY Exfoliation Recipe:
- Mix 3 TBSP of baking soda with 1 TBSP water.
- Gently apply to your face in circular motions.
- Let sit for 5 minutes.
- Rinse off with warm water.
Tips:
- You can substitute baking soda for sugar or salt on your body.
- Salt provides a coarser exfoliation; so do not use it on your face.
- Always exfoliate on a clean face.
Lotion:
After you exfoliate, always, always, always make sure you apply a lotion of some sort. This allows the oils, nutrients, and hydration to be replaced back into your cells. A personal favorite of mine is Coconut Oil. It smells delicious, gives you a lustrous shine, and you can even use it in your hair!
Face:
- Wash face at least 2 times a day. Morning and night is great because it removes oils produced throughout the night, and then you wash your face and remove makeup and oils produced throughout the day.
- Always wash your face after working out. It is as simple as that. Make sure you get rid of and sweat on your face and body as soon as possible. This will prevent you from breaking out as well.
- Use a lotion with SPF. Even on cloudy days, this will protect your skin from damaging UV rays, allowing your skin to stay younger longer.
Makeup:
I cannot stress enough the importance of doing prep work (exfoliation and hydration), as well as having makeup that is right for your skin. If you have oily skin, a liquid foundation may not be the best idea, and if you have dry skin a powder may not be the best idea. So test out a few different products and see which you like best. Personally, I have combination skin with a little bit more on the oily side. I love the look and coverage of liquid foundation, so I blend a thin layer all over my face, with a layer of translucent matte powder. The powder absorbs some of the excess oil I get throughout the day.Another way to brighten your face using makeup is by using a highlighter. Last year, we posted about highlighting and bronzing of the face, TAKE NOTE OF THIS! If done right, highlighting is amazing. Below is a face map of where you should highlight and bronze (contour). Make sure you blend though!
A Tip for the Eyes:
- One thing I love doing is applying some light eye shadow on the inner corner of my lid, where the tear duct is. This creates the illusion that you are more awake and that your eyes are bigger.
- Mascara also helps to bring out the eyes. Apply from base to tip of lash on both upper and lower lashes.
By Talia DiFulvio