It’s been a cold winter so far. Like, we’re talking cold. Yesterday, it hit -17 degrees outside by midday, but, to make things even worse, with the windchill it felt like -26 degrees. And today, today is balmy in comparison! It’s only -12, and with the windchill, it feels like -19! Bikini weather!! -.- With all of this LOVELY winter weather that we’ve been getting here, all I’ve been doing in my downtime is cuddling up by the fire, mug of tea in hand, watching some classic movies or reading a good book (I’m currently reading Burning Blue by Paul Griffin, SO GOOD), and giving my cat Lucky some extra attention. There’s a pattern that I’ve noticed, though, and do you know what it is? I’ve not worn a pink or a nude lip more than once or twice in the last couple of weeks. What is it about the colder months of the year that leaves us yearning for dark lips? I don’t know, but it happens, every year, without fail. However, with all of those lovely dark lip looks comes the biting chill of winter on our doorstep, and with that comes the dreaded chapped lip.
Today, I’m going to show you some of my go-to lip products for this time of year, but seeing as I have gathered so many products to show you, I’m going to break this into three parts, which will be posted consecutively Tuesday January 20 – Thursday January 22, 2015! That way, each section, if you will, can get the love and attention that it deserves! I’ll still include everything you need to know, it will just be an easier read. So, let’s start, shall we? Today’s post will feature my favourite lip care products and how I use them to avoid getting lips so chapped that they are blood red. And not the artificial kind of blood red, either…yea, not a good look.
The “Care Bears”
Lip care is essential, any time of year, but especially when winter comes to suck every ounce of moisture out of your lips with only a moment’s notice. Also, wearing darker lip colours is a little like wearing a magnet, you’ll instantly look flawless, even if you messed up your foundation in the morning, you’ll gain a bit of confidence (something about going three shades darker than you normally would brings out everyone’s inner Lara Croft, don’t-mess-with-me-or-I’ll-dropkick-you, bad, bad self ;)), and you’ll get many, many compliments. Only thing is, no one is going to compliment your makeup and/or your lip colour if your lips look like they’ve just been through a shredder, are they!? No. With that in mind, here are some of my favourites for soft, plush lips when the temperature goes from “ohh, I love winter and it’s lovely, cozy sweater weather” to “If I don’t get inside right now, my family will find me right here, as a great big frozen chunk.”:
Homemade Lip Scrub: If you’ve been a reader for a while, you’ll know that I’ve come to prefer homemade lip scrubs because they work just the same as any one you could get from Lush or Sephora and are much, much cheaper. You can make these using common household ingredients, such as sugar, some kind of oil, etc., but my favourite one for this time of year is this one that I actually wrote a post on how to make last year. However, we’ve run out of peppermint extract in our house, so I just whipped up a new scrub made of brown sugar and coconut oil a few days ago and it has been a lifesaver. Scrubbing your lips with this extra nourishing exfoliant every couple of days will make them soft and flake-free, plus you get some extra hydration through the oil.
Nivea Lip Butter in Caramel Cream Kiss: I absolutely love the Nivea lip butters, they are moisturizing, soothing and are super inexpensive. Considering what you pay for them, it’s hard to imagine that this is the only product I turn to in the morning, but it is. Seriously, one generous “coat” of this on my lips, and I’m in moisturized, happy lip heaven.
Lypsyl Intensive Lip Repair*: Speaking of lip heaven, whenever I apply this, usually before I start my makeup, I know that my lips will be taken care of. This product, which I so kindly received as a PR sample from Brill Communications (thanks again, Michelle!), is simply lovely on the lips; it’s super creamy and seals in moisture which is perfect for busy days and when I’m running errands. The rest of my face might immediately freeze in one position, but I know the lips are sealed (ha, I’m so punny)! Plus, it’s inexpensive and can be found at local drugstores like Shoppers Drug Mart, Rexall or even Walmart. Easy to find and nice to use? It’s a win-win!
Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment: Okay, so I’ve walked you through the balms that I use at the start of the day and before I apply my makeup, so, naturally, I have to share what I use in the evening before I go to sleep! The Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment is the perfect product to apply right before you fall into a deep slumber (or if you’re me, try for about 10 minutes and then start binge-watching New Girl….hehe….who needs sleep, anyway!?), because it’s creamy and hydrating ingredients help rehydrate my lips and the sugar helps lock that moisture in. Whenever I use this, I absolutely love the way my lips look and feel in the morning; smooth, plump, unchapped and ready for that sweet Valentine’s Day kiss! Napoleon (my stuffed teddy bear) will be so pleased! 😉
NYX Sharpener: Now, obviously, this isn’t a lip care essential, but it is often a central part of my routine for when I want really dark, bold lips, so I thought I’d throw it in here! I’ve had this sharpener for ages, but it still works like a charm. What I love about this particular one, though, is despite having other makeup pencil sharpeners in my beauty collection, this is the only one that will accommodate for the larger pencils that I have as well as regular sized pencils. For that reason, I always take this with me when I will be doing a “lip change” on the road…aka when I go from a nude lip for daytime to a bolder lip for evening without much time to spare and/or when I travel abroad. It’s a real keeper, and given that it costs less than $3, it’s worth checking out!
Alright, well that’s it for part 1! I hope you enjoyed the read and found it helpful. Be sure to come back tomorrow to discover which deep(ish) lip products I turn to for daytime! Oh la la!
‘Til tomorrow,
S♥
