Sunday, October 25, 2015

6 Miracle Moisturisers for Winter

Up until last year I was never really that into skincare; I cleansed at night and slapped some moisturiser on (face, body, foot cream.. whatever was nearest) and didn't really think much of it, but late one night I realised that neither me or my skin were residents m of Neverland and would very soon begin to age so did a big ole u-turn and started to focus on a bit of self-lovin'. Not that kind, you dirty fool, the moisturising kind. One of my friends is verrrrry beauty-knowledgeable so, with her advice, I started stocking up on some sassy skincare. With Winter creeping up (or should I say running at us at full speed) I thought I'd focus on moisturising products today and I'll loop back to skincare a little further down the line. Without further ado, here are 6 of my favourite moisturisers.

6 Miracle Moistursers The Little Magpie

LIZ EARLE HAND REPAIR
Oh how I love this badboy. I've had the hands of an adult since I was about 8 (I think because I bite my nails so often they've wrinkled at a rapid rate) and in Winter in particular my hands just shrivel up, so I'm always on the hunt for good hand moisturisers. My favourite of the moment is the Liz Earle hand repair, particularly the Rosemary & Rock Rose (it also comes in Orange Flower and Lavender & Basil). I already love, and use daily, the hot cloth cleanser, so had a feeling this little guy was going to be good. It's nice and thick, in a similar texture to the cleanser, and leaves your hands feeling thoroughly moisturised and plumped up without being greasy. It's filled with echinacea, essential oils and Vitamin E so you know your hands are getting a whole lot of lovin'. It's not the most travel friendly size so is a good one to apply when you wake up in the morning and just before you go to bed. I also put some on just before I pop on my gloves to do the washing up for an extra bit of TLC, so there's a housewives secret for you.

NEAL'S YARD BEAUTY BALM
I only discovered this at the beginning of summer and instantly fell in love. It's made with 99% organic ingredients (no parabens, no synthetic fragrances etc) so is very gentle on the ole skin. It's one of those wonderful products that has many, many uses - cleanser, exfoliant or nourishing balm - but I tend to use it mainly as a moisturising balm at times when I need some extra help. You don't need a lot of it; I actually only use a little on particularly dry areas, but just a tiny bit will give your skin the re-juvination it needs and will leave it feeling SO soft by morning. And the smell, oh the smell... don't even get me started. Spa-arific. It's one of their cult products and from what I gather, and can also back-up, once you go balm you never go back. I should also add that the tub will last you forever, I've been using mine for months now and it's still more than 3/4 full. Schwing. 

One of the more recent creams I've added to my collection but it's very much become a favourite. In fact, it had me at packaging (don't judge a book by its cover, I know, but it's hard not to when it looks this good); it comes in a beautiful silver box all wrapped in silver tissue paper, with the pot sitting on a little silver stand complete with MINI SILVER SPATULA. I feel like Mr Bean's character in Love Actually might have had something to do with the wrapping. The texture's absolutely beautiful; it's thick but weightless (no richness or greasiness here thanks) and after only three days of using it I was sold - my skin felt softer than that cute little Pampers baby's butt. Now, let's not avoid the elephant in the room.. the price. It's obviously a very high price point - which is why I was hoping not to like it so much - but really is an absolute treat. That's a good few weeks I've been using it on and off now (special occasions and all that) and there's hardly a dent in the pot so, if you work out cost per wear, it makes you feel a lot less nauseous. Classic girl trick. If all else fails, buy it for your Mum as Christmas gift and offer to trial it for her... every night.

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This pot's an absolute dream. An eye cream and a lip balm in one suave compact, both very moisturising,beautiful in texture and perfect for when you're on the go. I've always suffered from dry, chapped lips - sexy, I know - and this is one of the few lip balms I've found that deeply moisturise my lips rather than just sitting on the top of them. It's got a nice shine to it too so, as well as looking good on its own, is great to pop on on top of lipstick to add some shine. The eye cream's pretty shamazing too, lightweight but moisturising, and you can apply it over foundation if you need a wee boost throughout the day (it lasts for a good few hours too which is rare, for my thirsty eyes anyway). However, this is another one with a high price point and isn't something you'd just pick up on a whim, but if you're feeling like a splurge then I'd definitely recommend it. On another note, a budget-friendly lip balm with top notch results is Carmex, one of my first loves in life and one of the best I've found for chapped lips. I always have at least three on my person (I'm not a dodgy Carmex dealer, I just like them. Unless you're offering a good price?).

Kiehl's was one of the first skincare brands I really got into when I started my quest last year so it'll always have a special place in my heart. I've already mentioned how much I love the Midnight Recovery Concentrate, which is why it's not included in here, but I don't think I've touched on this one before. I've been using this daily for about a year now and it's one that I don't think I'll ever stop re-purchasing. It's so lovely and light, moisturising without sitting heavy on your face (notice a theme here?) and has SPF 50 in so will keep you protected from the skin nemesis that is sun. It's fragrance and oil free which is important for me for a daily moisturiser because my skin's a bit of a sensitive sally and breaks out at the mere mention of oil. See? I got a spot from typing that word alone. The Superhero of my hero products!

A little known fact about me; I was born with the legs of a lizard. I don't know why but my poor, poor shins get so dry sometimes that they actually look scaly. Again.. very sexy. I admit to chopping and changing a lot with body moisturisers, but this is one of the ones I keep coming back to. It's sold as being for the legs but you can use it all over the body, which I very much do. It promises to enhance and combat imperfections and I have to say it does, because of the silky texture and the light tint to it it leaves you looking very smooth (in the leg department in particular, mine looked like I was wearing shiny skin coloured tights, a more attractive sight than it sounds). It's not the most deeply moisturising moisturiser I've ever met, so I use Palmer's cocoa butter every few days for a more in-depth moisturise and then this in between to get my glow on. It smells quite strong but it's a nice smell, again quite spa-y. I know that's not a word but work with me here people. The only thing I would say is that the packaging's pretty terrible, especially for the price point, the little squirter's pretty delicate and isn't the easiest to use which is a shame.

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Wow. I did not mean to write so much there.. I hope you had a cup of tea or a biscuit/packet of biscuits to help you through this post.

Amy