Winter Beauty Favourites

As I'm writing this it is a beautiful day outside and I'm optimistic that the seasons are changing, but realistically there's still a real chill in the air and we've had a week of rain, sleet and hail. At this time of year I start itching for new growth - encouraged by the fact that it is now just about light when I leave the house in the morning, I'm so incredibly ready for spring.

It's been too long since I've written a favourites post (well, any blog post, really - I'll get into that a little later on) and today I particularly wanted to share a few beauty products that I've loved using recently. During this transitional period I always feel a little in limbo, a little stagnant, and am usually on the lookout for fresh items to inject new life into my routines that are suitable to use now rather than in anticipation of seasons ahead. These are products which have passed muster and made me excited and I wanted to give them some deserved recognition here today.

• For me this time of year usually means layering lots of fitted clothing, so real talk: I don't like to use antiperspirants but this can leave me kind of paranoid about stale sweat transferring onto my clothing and smelling unpleasant. For this reason I've got quite into dusting powders from Lush: I started using some Silky Underwear Dusting Powder I already owned which smells amazing and keeps you drier during the day. I was layering this on top of my existing natural deodorant, but then decided to cut out the middleman and purchase The Greench Deodorant Powder as I have never tried a powder deodorant formula before. It is fairly effective and I really like the herbal smell but I've concluded that I personally prefer a roll on formula of deodorant: however I've been layering a little of it on top of my Salt of the Earth Deodorant for extra insurance and dryness and I'm so pleased with the results, particularly as the salt deodorant has no smell and sometimes it's nice to have a fragrance! I'm continuing to layer these products, choosing a powder depending on how long or active my day will be and the scent I'm in the mood for.
• It turns out they've literally just reformulated the Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick, but I've been using a couple from the previous formula and je ne regrette rien. They apply beautifully, are matte without feeling drying and last incredibly well. I had picked up Lolita, my absolute go-to everyday dark nude (that I appear to have lost as I was carrying it everywhere with me - I'm honestly devastated and I'll be replacing it!) and Vampira, a gorgeous dark red that I adore but lean towards more for evenings and winter. There are several shades from the range I'm still keen to own and look forward to trying these out in the new formula.
• I've repurchased the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer for as many years as I can think back, so it's by no means a new discovery nor a big secret in the beauty community, however when repurchasing the other day I noticed they had finally released it in a new, extra pale shade: Extra Fair (0)! I did a dance, thanked the makeup deities, and thought I'd share it here for any fellow fair skinned babes. For those who have never used this concealer, it's a little gem: fantastic coverage, long wear, and incredibly inexpensive for a cruelty free and vegan product of this quality.
• The cold weather and a lot of stress have taken a big toll on my skin recently and in trying to manage the symptoms it occurred to me that using strong products may be making things worse. Cue Pixi Rose Tonic: containing elderflower and rose this is designed to soothe, balance pH and reduce redness. I've been using this in the mornings prior to makeup application and my skin seems a lot happier.
• Unlikely as it sounds, one of my favourite beauty rules I've been sticking to is something I learnt from my dad! He has a "day off" aftershave that he only wears outside of work: as the power of association is so strong when it comes to fragrance, his "day off" aftershave immediately invokes a sense of relaxation and positivity - almost a holiday feeling. When my boyfriend bought me some Lush Twilight Body Spray for Christmas, I knew that I wanted to keep it only for days off as this would maximise the way it made me feel when I wore it and I'd love it even more. As it stands, I can never get enough of the smell of Twilight: the musky ylang ylang, tonka and lavender blend is absolutely enchanting to me.

Those who read my post on my 2018 goals will know that I started the year with optimism that I would be kinder to myself, realistically prioritising tasks and focusing more on self care. Unfortunately the year started immediately throwing some curveballs I hadn't prepared for and I was feeling very stressed, waiting for answers in limbo and even without the disruption this caused to my monthly goals and plans I had lost the ability to focus anyway. I started a gratitude series on Instagram inspired by The Adventures of Jade and this encouraged me to be kinder to myself and thankful for what I have, as though I try never to take what I have for granted I tend to lose focus of all the good when I feel stressed and anxious. Usually winter is a time of year I enjoy but I am really feeling the need to start spring cleaning, sorting out, adapting to and embracing change, which is absolutely embodied by spring as a season. I've become tired of my winter wardrobe and getting dressed in the morning solely focusing on how many layers I can fit under my giant duvet of a coat. I'm looking forward to longer days, spending more time outside, and flowers starting to bloom. I'd love to see links to your own winter favourites and for you to comment what you're looking forward to and what brings you joy this time of year (little things absolutely count!)