My Oscars Night Dress Favorites

Taylor Swift wearing Alexandre Vauthier 

Chrissy Teigen wearing Marchesa 

Cate Blanchett wearing Armani Prive 

Jennifer Lawrence wearing Dior 

Charlize Theron wearing Dior 

Saoirse Ronan wearing custom Calvin Klein Collection

My Winter Skincare Secrets

This winter has been by far one of the mildest winters I’ve ever seen. Honestly, compared to what is normally happening in north-east Ohio in late February this is incredible. However, even though we’re blessed with beautiful sunny, warmer days, that doesn’t mean it’s the same type of climate during the early mornings and late nights.

Cold weather takes a toll on your skin. It sucks all the moisture out and makes it crack and peel with the constant assault from the wind. This leaves skin looking dull and lifeless, which is not a good look. So this might not fall under the ‘fashion’ category, but I think that a good skincare routine, especially in the cold winter months, is something to invest in. Because let’s face it, there’s nothing fashionable about cracked, peeling skin. (p.s. all the products listed in each category are products that I've used and have loved and would 100% recommend)

Exfoliators

When the outer layers of your skin are dry and dull its extremely important to use an exfoliator to remove the dead skin. It’s a good idea to work an exfoliator into your skincare routine 2-3 times a week, and not just in the winter months. It’s important to clean off the outer layer for several reasons but the most important being you’re allowing your face to breathe and have better absorption for all the other products you use.

Although exfoliating can help remove the dead outer layer, reduce hyper pigmentation and create better blood flow to your face, it’s also important to remember not to over exfoliate. By doing so you’ll actually do more harm than good and could, potentially, severely damage your skin.

St. Ives Apricot Scrub, Origins Modern Friction

Cleansers

My go to cleanser since the sixth grade has been the Clean & Clear Continuous Control Acne Cleanser. This is mostly because it’s one of the only face washes on the market with benzoyl peroxide in it’s formula and that seems to be the only acne medication that my face responds. But in general, you want to find a cleanser that isn’t going to totally strip your face of all of its natural oils. Or you can just stick to what you normally use to wash your face with. If you don’t have a cleanser that you use regularly then I would highly advice looking into purchasing one. Even if it’s just taking some Bioderma on a cotton pad and wiping your face twice a day, it is important to clean all the dirt, makeup and excess oils off of your face so your skin is clean and free to breath and heal itself, especially at night. 

Continuous Control Acne Cleanser, Bioderma  

Moisturizers 

A good moisturizer is probably the most important part of a winter skincare routine. During the cold, cold months I layer up and use three. Moisturizers are necessary because by using one you’re healing the cracked, dry skin and replenishing all the nutrients lost during the day. Now, I’ve used many moisturizers in my time (there was a point in my life where I was switching them every month) but the one I found works the best isn’t even a traditional moisturizer, it’s an argon oil.

A couple of years ago, Josie Maran Argon Oil was the Holy Grail beauty product everywhere. In magazines, on Youtube, beauty bloggers and makeup artists everywhere were singing its praises. Since then people have been playing with other products that have come around and it moved to the back burner but, I swear, this product is still the only thing that can bring my skin back from resembling a desert. Seriously, this product is such a life saver and it doesn’t get nearly enough recognition.

In the winter, after applying oil I’ll layer a typical crème moisturizer on top. For the past couple of years my go to’s have Celestial from LUSH or Hope in a Jar from PHILOSOPHY. Celestial is a thicker consistency than HiaJ though, so when using them both in my routine I use Celestial at night in order to help it actually sink into my skin.

As for under eyes, the under eye crème that is my favorite is Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado. This stuff has been around for ages and is actually a god send, it decreases puffiness and helps smooth wrinkles (because tbh it is never too soon to start preventing signs of aging).

All of these products used together help create a thick barrier on your skin and send the flakiness away, leaving your face smooth, hydrated and glowing.  

 Josie Maran Argon Oil, Celestial Facial Moisturizer, Hope in a Jar, Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment

Masks

If you find that after keeping a solid moisture intense skin regimen your face is still in need of some extra attention I would turn to the masks department. There are two masks specially that I would look into if you’re having problems with dry skin. The first one is the GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment and the second is the Oatifix Face Mask from LUSH. So one of these (GlamGlow) is obviously a high end and the other is more affordable but, honestly, they both are really effective and the results are obvious right away. (Another tip is so use raw steel cut oatmeal as a quick hydrating face scrub. Just take a handful of dry oats mix them with a little bit of water and wash. The oats provide a gentle exfoliator and deposit an insane amount of hydration power. This is actually how I got my skin to survive my early teenage years when my I extremely spot prone.)

Oatifix Face Mask, GlamGlow Face Mask 

I hope some of these tips are helpful to you guys. Dry skin isn't fun at all and when it's bad enough it can be extremely painful. It also prevents makeup from sitting smoothly on your face and, I think, it can be worse than acne at times. 

Let me know if you try any of the products mentioned or if you have a Holy Grail item that you love to use for your dry skin. 

Love, 

A. xx