Makeup today

Well hello my lovely's, 

I started this post yesterday ( Friday) but life got in the way so its a two for one deal tonight. 

Well yesterdays make up was a real mix match as you can see from the picture. Im still not a fan of the pigmentation of the makeup mekka eye shadows but for a nice hint of colour I guess they are ok. 

The Elf Nail varnish remains one of my budget  favs though and this is the second time I have worn this colour. Its a lovely shade of grey with a sparkle of reds and blues. Although I know that is really hard to make out under the ligh and the camera. So all I can do is recommend you go grab yourselves some lol. 

Do you see what I mean about the eye shadow pigment? It is ok if you layer and pad it on alot but it does not wear well or keep the colour for a long period of time. Which is a real shame as the colours are great. 

Here is a quick look at the finished face before I had managed to decided what I wanted to do with my hair lol, Do many of you have that issue, its gets to the hair or the makeup part and you just don't know what you want to do for the day? As you can probably tell from the look on my face I was feeling very uninspired! 

An hour or so later hair had been straightened and left out, which nope was not going to work yesterday as all it did was irritate the crap out of me, So in the end it was all scrapped up off my face and forgotten about lol. And yes I felt so much happier! 

On to today's misspent shopping opportunity, yes you read that right. 

I had a full morning to hit the local shopping centre and after receiving some bad news from back home I thought what the hell lets go blow some money. The hubs stayed at home, which should of made it even easier to do. However thats not how it worked lol, By the time id driven the 45 mins to town Id forgotten what I wanted to shop for, complete brain fart. Now normally that wouldnt of been a problem for me I can always find lots of things to waste money on as hubbie puts it, but he just does not understand that its all stuff I do really need.So after walking round aimlessly, I ended up buying a new bra and pants set from H and M. L'oreal true match foundation (this is needed for a post i am planning on doing tomorrow after hearing good reviews on it)  L'oreal double extention, beauty tubes technology mascara and two Colorama nail varnished in berry fushion and Electric Yellow by Maybelline. I also bought a snow shovel sooo exciting I know! 

I tried the Berry Fushion varnish and I love the colour. Lets see how it wears over the next few days though.. The Electric Yellow was purchased to go with a dress I have ordered, I am just hoping it arrives before Christmas as it is to go with me for my trip to America on the 26th.

I wont be doing the sparkle pj party tomorrow as my head is not in the right place right now but I will be doing my post on the best foundations and tips and tricks to cover the unwanted side effects of facial hair. 

Hope you all have an amazing weekend and what ever your doing dont forget to sparkle. 

Love and mascara 

Vikkie 

Today's look brought to you by

Good afternoon folks, 

I wasn't planning on wearing any makeup today instead I had planned on pampering my skin, however that didn't happen. I decided to go with a simple look using browns and nothing to bright. 

Products used today where: 

ELF products:

mineral infused face primer, this has a green colouring and is great for helping hide any red blemishes. 

Eye lid Primer. 

Elf lipsticks, in charming and nostalgic. I mixed them both to give me the perfect colour for today. 

Max factor

 facefinity foundation in Golden 75.

GOSH, 

smokey eyes palette on 02 brown

bronzing powder in 02 natural glow. 

Maybelline, 

Dream lumitouch highlighting concealer

the falsies volume express mascara in black. 

Rimmel London, 

Lasting Finish soft colour blush in 020 pink rose

Clear complexion transparent powder

What have you guys worn today? Do you have a favorite go to product or brand you cant live without? 

Tonight I am going to remove my makeup, make a face mask and sit in a quiet room and have some me time I think with a nice cup of hot chocolate.

For all my American Friends and readers have a great Thanksgiving. 

What are you all upto? Im away to cook a nice beef curry for the scrubbie before I go pamper my skin. Im very hormonal and man is it showing lol. 

Be good all and dont forget to sparkle 

Vikkie 

Under Eye Bags and Dark Circles.

Noticing bags or dark circles under your eyes? Well do not fear you're not alone.And the good new,  there are fixes for under-eye flaws.

 The first step is figuring out just what the problem is.

Morning-After Puffy Eyes

These can be caused by many things but not limited to seasonal allergies, a cold, a sinus infection,  These are some of the things that can lead to water building up under the eye, the most common cause of puffy eyes. This is because we have the thinnest skin around our eyes, so it tends to be the most effected by the in and out flow of fluids.

For Example if you eat alot of salty food or if your anything like me and have a night of crying while watching a tear jerker movie these can also cause morning after puffyness no matter how much sleep you have. The reason is Water travels from the areas within the body where there is a low salt concentration straight to the tissues where there is more salt. As silly as it may sound this is true regardless of whether the salt comes from tears or soy sauce.

Simple Fixes for Under-Eye Bags

Addressing the underlying cause will help treat these eruptions of puffiness.

Here are steps to try:

• Treat hay fever, if that's the problem. There are non-sedating, over-the-counter allergy meds  that may help. If you have or suspect hay fever, talk with your doctor about how to treat it (whether or not it's affecting your eyes' appearance).
• Try a neti pot. Irrigating the nasal cavity with a neti pot -- a device that looks like a small teapot -- can help relieve fluid buildup caused by allergies, sinus congestion, or a cold.
• Switch your sleep position. Your sleep position may be contributing to under-eye bags. Thanks to gravity, sleeping on your side or stomach can encourage fluids to collect under your eyes. If you're a side sleeper, you may notice a heavier bag on the side you sleep on.  If you  wake up with puffy eyes try sleeping on your back and add an extra pillow under your head.

It may sound funny but some of our  everyday habits, including rubbing your eyes frequently, going to bed with makeup on, and excessive drinking, can contribute to under-eye bags, too. Sleeping in eye makeup can irritate your eyes, causing fluids to pool. Heavy alcohol drinking causes dehydration,  that weakens the delicate skin around the eyes, making it more likely to sink into a pouch.

Dark Circles

When dark shadows or bags linger, the cause typically is not something temporary, like a few too many cocktails. It might be something you've inherited. Pigmentary issues that cause under-eye discoloration are common more so among people of Asian or African descent. Age also contributes to dark circles. With age, the skin around the eye thins, exposing the tiny blood vessels that lie just below.

Still, you can do something about it.

Did you know that if you pull the skin sideways and the darkness turns blotchy, that's evidence the problem is caused by excess pigment in the area.

Most often, dark circles aren't about changes in the color of the skin at all. Instead, they're created by a loss of volume in the area around the eye. That exposes the orbital bone, creating a hollow trough that shows up as a dark circle. With the delicate eye area one of the first spots to reveal signs of aging, this can happen as early as the late 30s or 40s.

A good concealer, my personal favorites are from Maybelline and are their 

Dream Lumitouch highlighting concealer and their Instant Age Rewind concealer. Some tips on choosing the right concealer and how to apply it. 

For discoloration, choose a concealer that is tinted green or yellow; these will counteract red and dark spots on your skin. For scars or under eye circles, use a concealer 1-2 shades lighter than your natural skin tone.

Cover up your under eye circles. Use a concealer brush or your fingertips (the former is more sanitary) to dab concealer under your eyes. Start from the inside corner at the bridge of your nose and go to the opposite corner at your outer lash line. Blend the concealer in around the edges, so that there is not an obvious change in tone between your skin and the concealer.

• Never rub the concealer in around your eyes, as the skin here is damaged very easily. Simply pat or dab the concealer with the tips of your finger or brush in order to blend it.
• Work the concealer up on the inside of your nose if your eyes are deep-set. This area is often neglected by concealer application, and will leave you still looking sleepy.
• Be sure to apply your concealer all the way to the very base of your lash line, directly under your waterline.  

And dont forget to set your concealer with a powder before doing anything else. 

Prevention and Quick Fixes

Here are four things you can do -- without surgery -- to help keep your eyes looking youthful.

1. Don't smoke, and always apply a sunscreen around the eye area. Smoking and exposure to UV rays both weaken collagen and cause premature wrinkling and sagging.
2. Apply a moisturizer to the eye area nightly. You don't need to spend a lot, Almost any drugstore moisturizer will provide the hydration you need.
3. Add a prescription retinoic acid -- a vitamin A cream -- to your daily skin care regimen. It's the single best thing you can use to prevent wrinkles and improve existing lines.
4. To calm puffy eyes, place cold spoons, slices of cucumbers, chilled tea bags, or even a package of frozen peas under your eyes. The cool temperatures -- rather than any special properties of cucumbers or peas -- reduce swelling. And, yes, placing a hemorroid  cream under your eyes might help get rid of puffs too. I know people who swear by it.

Some home remedies can be used to minimise dark circles, brighten the eyes and reduce fatigue:

- Cucumber juice is a common remedy. It should be applied daily around eyes and washed off with plain water after 15 minutes.

- Mixing potato juice with cucumber juice in equal quantities helps if there is puffiness along with dark circles. Follow the same procedure.

- Dark circles can also be treated by mixing cucumber juice with lemon juice in equal quantities. Apply daily and wash off with water after 15 minutes.

- Tomato juice is also said to lighten skin colour.

- Consult your doctor about daily exercises. Include deep breathing exercises in your exercise schedule. This helps to deal with stress and also oxygenates the body.

- Along with external care and a healthy lifestyle, take time off for relaxation, using eye pads. Take cotton wool and make two thick square pads. They can be soaked in cucumber juice or rose water. Lie down, close your eyes and put the soaked pads on them. Keep them on for about 15 minutes. Used tea bags can also be used as eye pads.

- Applying a compress of iced water or cold milk directly over closed lids for 15 to 20 minutes also helps.

Well I think that is all I can think of, do you have any useful hints ant tips or favorite products to help with these common problems please do let me know in the comment. 

I am off to watch this weeks Sons of Anarchy. Stay beautiful and dont forget to Sparkle. 

Vikkie 

Nails face and food

Happy Tuesday everyone,

It was another chilly day here in Norway. 

Here I am trying out some of the ELF products from the other day, I won't say to much as I intend to do a haul and review at a later date. 

What do you think of my honey, mustard and chilli roast pork? Let me tell you it was beautiful. I marinated it over night and cooked it on low for 6 hours today it just melted in my mouth mmmm. 

Ok onto the real reason you read this beauty and make up bits and bobs. As I mentioned yesterday after buying the few new colours while I was out shopping I had to try one out. First impressions are pretty good nice colour after 2 coats. It's not chipped yet after 24 hours so there is hope. It's maybe on the thicker side of Polish which I am not a huge fan of but over all for budget product not bad at all. 

What have you all got planned for this week? 

I have to get some Xmas presents sent to various parts of the world over the coming week. 

Lots of products to do detailed reviews on for you and another round of helpful hints and tips for dark under eye circles and under eye bags coming up. 

Oh and a video with some random bits about me, just so you can get to know me a little better for those who don't normally watch you tube videos. 

What would you guys like to see on here? 

Ok I'm off to curl up with my nook for the evening. 

Stay warm and don't forget to sparkle 

Vikkie 

Books and nail varnish

Good evening readers, 

It is midnight here is Norway I've not long gotten in from a busy day I am sorry this is such a late posting for me but I wanted to share what I managed to buy today and what was waiting in my mail

Box for me tonight. 

This Bobby Brown book is a bible to many and I highly recommend anyone who has the slightest interest in makeup to get a copy. It is full of tips and tricks on how to apply the best makeup for your skin type etc. Tips for breaking into the makeup artist business if that's what you want to do and some useful contact points ( mainly for our brothers and sisters across the pond in the USA) and recommendations for further reading. 

I wore my elf nail varnish today. Loved the colour when it first went on but it can not be worn without a topcoat it just won't last otherwise. There will be a more detailed review over the weekend. 

While I was out and about I had to call into te chemist for some medication and what did I see. . . . Yep nail varnish 3 for 9 pound so I just had to get some. They are by a company called Ruby Kisses and made in America ( I Will do some research on the company tomorrow) 

The colours I got from top going anti clock wise are 

Dangerously Grapefruit. 

Metro Rush.

Cast a Spell. 

Lavender Dreams and Electric Purple. 

I also got a top coat as I was running low. 

So guess what I did, yep I just had to try one so I removed the lovely ELF red and I am

Now wearing the Metro Rush. First impressions are good but to find out more you will have to pop back tomorrow  as my coffee is empty and I am off for some beauty sleep. 

Much love and don't forget to sparkle 

Vikkie 

Home Made Skin Goodies.

We all have our favorite skin care products but we all know for those of us who have a cosmetic and beauty fetish this can have a serious effect on our budget. 

There are a few things we can substitute store bought products to things that we can find in our kitchens and at least half the cost. That being said I do advice using organic items if you can, reason being you don't really want to be adding the chemicals to your skin that none organic items can contain. 

The following mixtures are a staple in my beauty routine and I tend to use them more than store bought items. Just because I love the effects they have on my skin and hair. As you will find if you are an avid blog reader or youtube watcher I am not the only one to use these mixtures, they have been around for a while in one form or another. 

Facial scrub.

Ingredient's needed.

A lemon or lemon juice like jif lemon juice. 
Sugar
a cotton pad. 

Soak the cotton pad in lemon juice and sprinkle sugar on top. 
Then rub this all over your face avoiding the eye area but pay special attention the the sides of the nose and T zone.
If it stings your skin, dilute the lemon juice with water.
 Wash off with warm water and pat dry. 
This will leave your face feeling smooth and fresh. 
You can if you want use this every day but personally for me it is a once a week thing or after wearing really heavy make up. Your skin will let you know if it needs an extra deep clean. 


Face Mask.

Ingredients. 

1 teaspoon of Honey,
1/4 teaspoon of Apple cider vinegar, (do not use normal vinegar it is too harsh) 
Egg, 
2 bowls 
Whisk. 

Separate the egg white and yolk ( hence the two bowls) 
beat white of egg until frothy
Into the yolk add the honey and vinegar and mix. 
Fold the yolk mixture into your egg whites. 

Make sure your face is cleansed before applying this. A large spoon is a good tool to apply this with. 

Apply all over your face again avoiding around your eyes. It will tighten on your skin. 

Leave for 15/20 minutes. Wash off with warm water and pat dry. 

You can use this every day if you wish and the mixture will keep in the fridge for 3 to 5 days. Cover with kitchen wrap. 

IF you can not eat any of these ingredients please DO NOT apply them to your skin. 


Right so that's our skin taken care of, time for our hair. 

Moisturizing Hair Mask. 

Ingredients. 

Olive oil 2 tablespoons
Honey  2 table spoons
Ripe Advocado
Egg
A bowl

Cut the advocado in half and scoop out the insides of both halfs into the bowl. 
Mash it all up so it becomes like a green paste. 
Separate the egg and add the yolk to the advocado.
Mix in the Olive oil and Honey. 

Apply to your hair and cover with  shower cap, plastic kitchen wrap or a plastic bag and leave for an hour. Rinse well with warm water. 

If you have short or medium length hair you can 1/2 all the ingredients. 

This I use every Sunday. It leaves my hair looking and feeling great. 

Well that's all from me for today, please do let me know if you have or do try any of these or if you have any questions then pop them in the comment box and I will get back to you. 

Have a great Sunday stay warm 

and don't forget to sparkle 

Vikkie 

Elf cosmetics haul

Happy Saturday my dear blog readers and fellow makeup fans

 Look what I got in the mail today from ELF cosmetics UK. 
Yep a Haul. 

I have been watching all the You tube videos with people using and highly recommending the brand, So I thought lets go for it and see what all the fuss is about. 


I have to give ELF a huge 10 out of 10 for the shipping time, communication from customer service and shipping packaging, nothing was or could of been damaged in anyway. And seems as it is internationally shipped that's a bonus lol. Shipping costs where pretty good so on the whole no complaints so far. 

A list of products bought are 

Brightening Eye Colour (Luxe)  Duo Eye Shadow Cream (Berry Mix)  Duo Eye Shadow Cream (Black Licorice)  Glitter Nail Polish (Fairy Dust)  Glitter Nail Polish (Chic Confetti)  Hypershine Lip Gloss (Berry Cherry)  Hypershine Lip Gloss (Vixen)  Hypershine Lip Gloss (Fairy)  Last Chance Nail Polish (Metal Madness)  Last Chance Nail Polish (Cranberry)  Lipstick (Charming)  Lipstick (Nostalgic)  Loose Eyeshadow (Boysenberry)  Loose Eyeshadow (Black Licorice)  Loose Eyeshadow (Rockcandy)  Professional Shine Eraser

•  10pc Festive Brush Set
•  Beauty Book (Smoky Look)
•  Brightening Eye Colour (Nymph Dreams)
•  Eye Transformer
•  Eyelid Primer (Sheer)
•  Lip Exfoliator
•  Luscious Liquid Lipstick (Cherry Tarts)
•  Mineral Infused Face Primer (Green)
•  Mineral Moisturising Lip Tint (Cherry)

Its not really that much and the deal was too good to miss out on so I thought why not get some Christmas pressies and give away goodies while I was at it right . . .  right I knew you would agree with me. 

Are any of you like me and when you get a goodie package be it from a swap or a haul you just cant wait to try it out . . . .  well yes you guessed it, even though I was still dressed in my pj's the make  up was unpacked and I began to play. 

I will do a full review after more than 6 hours of owning the stuff but first impressions also count, so I thought the few things I slapped on today I would let you know what I thought. 

Over all I am pretty happy I have used the face and eye primer ( let me tell you they aint kidding with the green colour of the primer) The face primer gave a good base for everything else and I like it. there is no strong smell and it feels nice on my skin not to heavy, same can be said for the eye primer. 

I am not as impressed with the 3 loose eyeshadows, not quite enough pigmentation for me personally but on the other hand for a nice subtle daytime look they are great. 

The nail colour in Metal madness is lovely, goes on well and in two coats gives a lovely even coverage. But what is it with the square shaped lids  . . .  i just dont like them one little bit. 

I have not applied a top coat but will let you know next weekend when I do a more detailed haul and review on my youtube channel how it goes. 

The pictures below show you just what I mean about the eye shadow. But as I said this is just first impressions of the few items I tried today. 

Elf can be found here. 

I am away to do my eyebrows and pamper my skin for the rest of Saturday night. What are you upto? 

Have fun stay warm and dont forget to sparkle. 

Love and foundation 

Vikkie 

It's not just our skin that needs special care in the Winter

So we covered that our skin care routine has to change to take into account the different climate of winter but what about our hair from hat hair to static, split ends to frizz, when winter weather hits, a bad hair day can become a bad hair life time. In fact, even if you live in a moderate climate you're still susceptible to hair-raising changes.

As with our skin the environment can have some of the most damaging effects on hair in both summer and winter, but in winter it's often worse because we generally don't take as many precautions to protect our hair. 

Sun exposure (which can be as harsh on a ski slope as it is on a beach) combined with winter wind (which can snarl hair) as well as snow, rain, and icy cold (which makes hair brittle and dry) can all come together to create some pretty bad winter hair.

What's that you say? You plan to spend all your time in the ski lodge with a hot toddy  and not a ski pole in your hand? Not so fast, as with our skin, indoor heating sucks out the air humidity. 

So what can we do to keep our summer golden locks flowing over the colder winter months. . .

Use a hair mask  

Include a hair mask into your weekly hair care routine. Leave it in over-night if you can and always remember to towel dry your hair first to rid of any excess water.
You should always apply product beginning 2 inches away from the scalp and pull it through the hair to the ends.

If your hair is very fine, thin, and flyaway you should avoid the hair mask it's just too heavy even for severely damaged hair. Instead, try to use a regular conditioner every time you wash your hair, supplemented with a light conditioning leave-in spray.But it has to be very light or it will weigh down fine hair and make it flat and limp. Not a good look for anyone. 

Or why not try a "dry oil" spray. These mostly-silicone based products go on dry so they don't weigh the hair down, but still offer a layer of protection against the elements.

Why not try supplementing your bought products with an all-natural treatment of vegetable oil. I like to use olive oil or cocconut oil, but most natural oils will work.  Simply put a few drops of the oil in the palm of your hand, rub until your skin  "glistens," then starting at the bottom and working upwards, run your fingers through your hair.

Another tip: every time you put on hand cream, touch the ends of your hair and scrunch to help deposit a bit more moisture where it's needed most.

Static flyaway hair. 

The remedy is the same one you use on your laundry: a fabric softening dryer sheet like Bounce!

Just rub it lightly on your hair and it will remove the static, and would you believe it can work and gives you the added bonus of smelling great. 

A slightly more conventional way is using a natural boar bristle hairbrush with a wooden handle, which can also help to reduce static.

 Hat hair

Ok this is one we have all suffered with at some point along the way so some small tips to help combat it are to pull longer locks into a pony tail high on your head, or push short hair straight back, before putting on the hat. Pushing hair against the way your style should fall will help it spring out with bounce once the hat is removed.

Also carrying a travel sized dry-hair texturizer that adds instant body can help or if you styled your hair with a cream product, adding just a few drops of water to your hands and rubbing them through your hair can refresh the style.

Change your shampoo

It is essential to invest in a moisturising shampoo and conditioner to add more moisture to the hair during the winter months.

Invest in Aragn Oil

Aragn Oil is a great product to use during cold spells as they moisturise the hair instantly. Make sure the oil is not too heavy for your hair. My favorite brand for Argan oil as well as my shampoo and hair mask is the Lee Stafford range.  

Spend time on your blow dry

During the winter months we tend to use heated appliances more. Too much heat on the hair can cause further moisture loss, so by adding a little extra effort into your blow dry, this will cut down the amount of times you will apply heat to your hair.

Use a heat protector

(I use the Lee Stafford one i mentioned above)

If you do use heated appliances frequently, the best way to keep your hair in the best shape is to use a good quality heat protect spray.

Rinse with cold water

Avoid washing your hair in hot water as it dries out the hair. Instead wash your hair in lukewarm water and blast with cold water at the ends to help close and seal the hair cuticles.

Go sulfate-free

Avoid shampoo’s that contain sulfate as they can strip the hair colour and will leave your hair looking very dull. A sulfate free shampoo will ensure that your colour lasts all winter long.

I hope you have enjoyed reading my winter hair survival guide. 

Take care of yourselves have fun and dont forget to sparkle 

Love and foundation 

Vikkie

Mother Nature hates our skin

Good morning, 

I hope everyone slept well and got a decent amount of sleep, as we all know this is crucial for a glowing complexion. 

Not only does what we put into our body's and on our skin effect us but so does things we can't control. 

For instance the weather . . . . It's hammered home to us all the time that the sun is harmful  and can course us to appear older and damages our skin but the cold and wind can do just the same thing. 

With living in Norway this is something I have had to start thinking about as the winters are cold and harsh. We regularly sit around -20 and can often drop to -30 and -40 degrees Celsius. We don't get a lot of sun light some parts of the country none at all and we get a shed load of snow. So saying that I want to share my tips for radiant skin during the winter. By no means does this apply to those of us who live just in Scandinavia it can be used by all of us world wide. 

Winter weather effects are skin in several ways. Dry skin is the most comman result of the colder weather. Cold winter air lacks humidity and dries up the natural oils in our skin. 

Bitter winds can cause chap ping and windburn and although you may think the answer is to stay in all cozy in front of your fire, you'd be wrong. Indoor heating systems dry the air inside so rather than offering our skin relief you are likely to suffer an extra dose of the drying effect. 

All is not lost we can help our skin to remain healthy looking and avoid dry chapped wind burnt skin. 

So what can we do? 

1, Keep our skin hydrated.

 Not only through drinking plenty of water but also through having a humidifier in the home. I know this can be out of some of our budgets so how about placing bowls of water underneath raidiators or on the hearth. Make sure these are kept topped up with fresh water. 

2. Use oil based moisturizer. 

You may have found a moisturizer that works just fine in spring and summer.  But as weather conditions change, so, too, should your skin care routine.  Find an moisturizer that's oil-based, rather than water-based, as the oil will create a protective layer on the skin that retains more moisture than a cream or lotion. (Hint: Many lotions labeled as "night creams" are oil-based.)

But choose your oils with care because not all oils are appropriate for the face. Instead, look for "nonclogging" oils, like avocado oil, mineral oil, primrose oil, or almond oil. Shea oil -- or butter -- is controversial, because it can clog facial pores.

Try to  look for lotions containing "humectants," a class of substances (including glycerine, sorbitol, and alpha-hydroxy acids) that attract moisture to your skin.

3. Slather on the Sunscreen

No, sunscreen isn't just for summertime. Winter sun -- combined with snow glare -- can still damage your skin. Try applying a broad-spectrum sunscreen to your face and your hands (if they're exposed) about 30 minutes before going outside. Reapply frequently if you stay outside a long time.

4. Give Your Hands a Hand

The skin on your hands is thinner than on most parts of the body and has fewer oil glands. That means it's harder to keep your hands moist, especially in cold, dry weather. This can lead to itchiness and cracking. Wear gloves when you go outside; if you need to wear wool to keep your hands warm, slip on a thin cotton glove first, to avoid any irritation the wool might cause. 

To prevent chapping parched hands, embrace wipe-off, soap-free cleansers and alcohol-free hand sanitizers. 

They're less drying than washing repeatedly with soap and water,it's the wet-dry, wet-dry that really sucks the moisture out of your skin.

When you do wash, choose a moisturizing soap-free cleanser or a hydrating antibacterial gel, then slather on lotion right away.

5. Avoid Wet Gloves and Socks

Wet socks and gloves can irritate your skin and cause itching, cracking, sores, or even a flare-up of eczema.

6. Grease Up Your Feet

Yes, those minty foot lotions are lovely in the hot summer months, but during the winter, your feet need stronger stuff. Try finding lotions that contain petroleum jelly or glycerine instead. And use exfoliants to get the dead skin off periodically; that helps any moisturizers you use to sink in faster and deeper.

7. Pace the Peels

If your facial skin is uncomfortably dry, avoid using harsh peels, masks, and alcohol-based toners or astringents, all of which can strip vital oil from your skin. Instead, find a cleansing milk or mild foaming cleanser, a toner with no alcohol, and masks that are "deeply hydrating," rather than clay-based, which tends to draw moisture out of the face. And use them a little less often.

8. Ban Superhot Baths

 Soaking in a burning-hot bath feels great after frolicking out in the cold. But the heat of a hot shower or bath actually breaks down the lipid barriers in the skin, which can lead to a loss of moisture. "You're better off with just warm water, and staying in the water a shorter amount of time."

A lukewarm bath with oatmeal or baking soda, can help relieve skin that is so dry it has become itchy. So, too, can periodically reapplying your moisturizer. 

my favorite winter products I use personally are 

1) Biotherm Aquasource Gel
2) Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion
3) Elemis SOS Emergency Cream
4) Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel
5) Neutrogena Norwegian Formula Hand Cream
6) Vaseline Essential Moisture
7) Vaseline Original

Have a great day everyone and look after yourselves

love and foundation and all that sparkles 

Vikkie