Fashion

This time of year can be rough on the skin- the festive season, central heating and chilly weather leads to a lacklustre complexion, caused by dehydration.  Being out of your normal routine over the Festive season, too much alcohol and the wrong kinds of food, late nights and going to bed in your make-up, will cause your poor wee face to suffer. It’s essential to get the moisture back in into your skin and give it a bit of a TLC.

I asked leading Make-up Artist and Beauty Expert, Oonagh Boman, for her tips on getting your skin back to tip-top condition: ‘This is the time to replenish the skin with oils and moisturisers which will help protect against external aggressors and environmental damage.

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate.  As the skin has been hidden under layers of clothing we tend to forget about maintaining it, now is a great time to rid the skin of dead skin cells.  Use an exfoliator specifically designed for the face or body, do not use body exfoliator on the face!! 

Essentials oils and serum are a great skin ‘pick me up’.  The formulas brighten the complexion by penetrating the surface of the skin to feed layers underneath.  Eye creams/serums which especially designed for the delicate tissues around the eyes and mouth are a must especially during these cold months. 

Water is the skins best friend.  Its rids the body of toxins and clears the complexion, try flavoured water as an alternative to normal water and aim to drink at least 8 glasses or equivalent per day. The skin reflects our inner wellbeing, so beautiful skin reflects a beautiful you!’  

With that in mind I had a chat with the cosmetic sales consultants in Medicare and Boots and asked them to recommend their top products for worn-out skin. I would advise you to do the same- all the ladies were very helpful and took the time to talk me through the various products. It’s usually best to use products from one skincare range, as the ingredients will compliment each other. I have picked one or two products from each range, but you will really need to test the various lotions and potions to see what is right for you- personally I love Soap and Glory and my bathroom is coming down with their face and body range- great products and super-pretty packaging!

First things first- a lovely rich cleanser- I love Soap and Glory’s ‘The Fab Pore Hot Cloth Cleanser’, which smells scrummy and comes with a little muslin cloth which will gently exfoliate. A gentle exfoliator is a must to get rid of dead skin cells and allow moisturisers to do their thing- ‘Clarins Gentle Refiner Exfoliating Cream with Microbeads’ is great and should be used twice a week. To deliver a burst of moisture, a hydrating mask should be used every week- something like ‘Boots No. 7 Heavenly Hydration Moisture Mask’. 

Our skin protects itself by day and repairs at night so it is important to use separate day and night creams- ‘Lancome’s Genifique’ range have some beautiful moisturisers and ‘Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair Serum’s’ ‘extraordinary technology helps skin to reduce the appearance of past damage and help prevent future damage’. Don’t forget about the eye and lip areas- both are delicate and require their own products.

Dehydrated skin is not the best canvas for full make-up, as a heavy foundation will draw attention to dry patches - try a lighter foundation or tinted moisturizer- Boots No7 have just launched their ‘Beautiful Skin BB Cream’, which promises ‘it’s unique 3-in-1 formula evens and enhances skin tone and disguises imperfections, while the nutrient-enriched formula helps banish blemishes.’ Finally, your beauty routine should not stop at your neck- being hidden away under layers all winter will leave your body looking sluggish- a lovely rich crème such as Soap and Glory’s The Righteous Butter will perk up neglected limbs in no time.