“Joy is in everything around us, we just have to extract it”.
Confucius.
Hello, young Padawan
After last week’s article about getting your liver back in place, here is the one to get your skin back in shape. Winter, even if it is the prettiest of seasons with its cold light, its calm, its snow, its dark green tones, and its icy contrasts of all kinds, is my favorite season, so you can feel my objectivity; winter, I was saying, does not give your skin any gifts. If you do not take care of it, it starts shredding, especially for those who, like me, live in mountainous, windy, or cold regions.
And yet, it is so simple to take care of it because it is ultimately just a matter of bringing water and fat, whether with pleasure in the context of a 5-10 minute or more ritual or practical mode, five minutes shower included.
Our October article discussed the basics of starting the cold season with love, glory, and beauty. Here, we will get more technical because I know that people among you like to apply several layers on the skin. Here we go for our little winter beauty article focused on expert skin care, namely serums, and masks, and how to make way for bounce, comfort, and light!
Hydrating serums and their little extras.
Of course, as we don’t change a winning team, I still recommend my ELMW, which I use morning and evening religiously before any serum. For those who have a short memory or are new to the blog, I have already talked about it so often that when I type “ELMW” in the blog’s search bar, the answers are on two pages of articles, so I invite you to do the same if you want to discover the one that moisturizes, repairs and improves almost all skin types, or to click here or there.
But this time, we are going to go off the beaten track since I am going to introduce you to three new treasures that I have been testing on my skin for three months now because I am lucky enough to live in these regions where we freeze our butts off as early as the fall.
The first, the Revive Serum from Beauty of Joseon, a Korean cosmetic as its name suggests (Joseon is the old name for Korea under the Yi dynasty, from the 14th to the beginning of the 20th century approximately, ed), contains in particular ginseng root and 3% snail slime. Bon appétit. It is a little wonder to restore radiance to the complexion and erase the first signs of aging. I started to see a real difference after about three weeks of use when used in the morning.
The second, also a Korean cosmetic, is the Glow Hero from the Yepoda brand, which I will tell you more about soon. It contains bakuchiol, better known as “plant retinol,” a derivative of the babchi plant, which fights wrinkles and irregularities of the skin. It is an oil serum to be used alone after the cream, or 2-3 drops in the cream. I noticed much more radiance and bounce after about three weeks of use in the evening, and crazy thing on my sensitive skin: no appearance of small pimples while this product contains oil. The formulation is, therefore, very accomplished and well-managed.
My favorite eye serum for months is the Hya Collagen Eye Contour from green keratin. First, it contains collagen to restore elasticity and hyaluronic acid to moisturize this hyper-sensitive area devoid of sebaceous glands, often dry and dehydrated. Light and quickly absorbed serum, I saw results after 10 days. With fewer fine lines, more elasticity, and more comfort, it is adopted. It can be used morning and evening.
Masks and deep repair
When it comes to saving skin that feels tight after spending too much time outside in the cold or skiing, I have two options. If I need more of a soothing side than a moisturizing one, I choose the Aura mask with manuka honey from Antipodes, which soothes, repairs, and relieves cheeks bruised by the cold and wind. When it’s the opposite, therefore, a need for hydration takes precedence; it’s the intensive Hydra-Flash from Sisley. Both are to be applied for 15 minutes on clean skin, which is precisely the time it takes to prepare an aperitif. Masks that I always apply with the one below. These two masks have been with me for more than 10 years; we are in a long-term relationship.
My S.O.S eye contour mask has also been the same for at least 10 years. This is the one from Sisley, the Eye Contour Mask. It says it reduces puffiness; I don’t have it, but it is not formulated only for this problem since it also works on the signs of aging and dehydration. This stuff literally irons the contour of your eyes.
Gingko Biloba, arnica, horse chestnut, and other hocus pocus make you forget that time passes and act like you slept 12 hours. I place a drop around each eye and always put reusable silicone patches on top that you can find everywhere; just wash them and rinse them with clear water after use, then put them away once dry in their box; I have had these ones for a few years. The goal is to prolong the effect of the mask on the eye contour by preventing the product from evaporating too quickly—crazy effect guaranteed.
Here’s what you can expect this winter: a luminous, plump, hydrated, and radiant complexion. If, after all this, you still don’t like winter, then I’ll eat my chapka! See you next Friday for more adventures.
XO ⛄️
