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I've been unpacking some of my fall/winter clothes as the days get chillier, and I thought it might be interesting to talk about how our beauty routines change with the seasons, too. For me, it's a few things:
I give up on airdrying my hair, and as I use the blow dryer more I'm switching my hair products back to the “keep my hair straight and frizz free” side of the bathroom cabinet (such as this) and putting away my “enhance my curls” side of things. (We'll see how that goes this winter. If, unlike me, you'd like to rock your curls all winter, check out this post on how to do be curly when it gets colder.)
Psst: here are some of my favorite hair products:
Psst: As of 2024, these are some of Kat's favorite hair products (she largely follows curly hair routines)… but she loves this $30 brush/blowdryer!
I stop using bronzer (because it's ok to be pale)!
I start using a more moisturizing face wash (I like St. Ives Olive Scrub, which I discovered while pregnant)
How about you guys? What changes about your beauty routine when the seasons change?
(2020 updated images via Stencil. Originally pictured: Chilly, originally uploaded to Flickr by CrowcombeAl.)
Midwest
In the last few weeks, I’ve:
– switched to a heavier facial moisturizer at night
– started wearing more eye makeup again (I can’t be bothered when it’s 95 degrees out.)
– stopped painting my toenails
– been shaving waaay less
– started applying hand lotion throughout the day
kerrycontrary
-I wear more eye makeup and switch to gray/purple eyeshadow instead of bronze colors
-No more bronzer, just blush
-started wearing foundation instead of tinted moisturizer this week!
-more straight hair. although it was so humid this morning that it was a waste of time….
Honey Pillows
My beauty routine pretty much only changes in the colors I wear -more plum and darker reds on lips and nails, more muted, darker tones on eyelids.
Beauty advice semi-related TJ: I’m having trouble sifting through search results, although I’m sure it’s been covered. What products/techniques do you ladies use for fine, very thick, wavy hair to keep frizzies at bay, both with air drying and blow-drying?
I always feel plain and unprofessional when I wear my hair down, no matter what I try to do with it!
January
My hair is fine, thin, and very wavy. I just tried Dove Nutrient Oils shampoo and really like it- I have shiny, swingy hair. I also recently tried samples of Redken Smooth Lock shampoo, and I think that tamed my hair pretty well. Both products have made my hair feel very nice and soft. I blow dry my hair and use Velcro rollers for body and controlled waves most days.
Curls in the LBC
I don’t know if my hair problems will apply to you, but I have very fine, relatively thin, curly hair that is only wavy unless I treat it right. You might briefly check out the hair typing/recommendations at Naturally Curly dot com (my hair HATES no-poo, so I take their recommendations with a huge grain of salt), to see if anything sounds helpful. I found my kick-ass, surprisingly inexpensive hair stylist from their salon recommendations, and a good cut by someone who understands curly hair like yours and doesn’t expect you to spend an hour with a flat-iron every morning is worth every penny.
My fine hair is more manageable and healthier when I use hair products with some protein. My stylist introduced me to Iso Bouncy Creme (more than a half-pea amount weighs my hair down, but that might help tame your hair) and to TIGI’s Curls Rock Curl Amplifier, which gives me great curl enhancement and frizz control. Naturally Curly folks seem to think that frizz is reduced by applying hair products to sopping wet hair, but either my hair is too fine or too thin for that to work (my hair just looks weighed down). Blow drying tends to increase frizz, so I use my diffuser with medium heat and use it only on my roots, with my head flipped upside down.
Divaliscious11
– I don’t stop being curly in winter, but I start doing my hair on Sunday rather than Monday/Tuesday am so I can dry at home. In a pinch, I can sit under the dryer.
– I add a daytime layer of heavier moisturizer to my dry cheeks
– More moisture on my body is a must
Lyssa
I don’t change much, but I usually use much more lotion and put it all over after the shower (as opposed to just hitting my legs and arms sometimes). Also, I stop using self-tanner on my legs periodically (though I spent a lot of time at the pool this year, so I haven’t done that in a while, anyway). I change up some of my nail colors, but I still like to keep my toes polished (but we can usually wear open/peep toes most of winter around here), though I often let it get chipped just because I don’t feel like taking my socks off to repolish at night. I sometimes change up facial moisterizer, but I haven’t been using any at all lately; pregnancy has given me major greasies! I keep on shaving my legs daily all year, unless I’m not sharing a bed with my husband for some reason.
Anon for this
I’ve started getting a cluster of acne on my forehead that’s super embarrassing. It started around the time I started my new job at the end of August. All my usual tricks are not working (i.e., Neutrogena’s On the Spot benzoyl peroxide cream). Does the hive have any advice?
Honey Pillows
Make sure to watch what you do with your hands. I had that with my new job, on my lower cheeks, and realized it was probably from leaning on my hands. I’ve started using hand sanitizer, applying tea tree oil to the affected areas while I’m at work, and being very very conscious to keep my hands away from my face, and it’s slowly been clearing up a bit.
Samantha
In the winter I require more moisture in my skin so I slather baby oil on my still wet skin after a shower. It means cleaning the tub more frequently but my skin is happier. I definitely shave my legs less and make sure my lip balm is handy. I probably drink more water because the winter air dries everything out and it keeps colds and other illnesses at bay.
Great blog, but the way. I’m in my element! :-)
TO lawyer
I use more moisturizer and lipbalm, shave my legs less (unless the SO is in town) and start using darker nail polish colours – I love dark purples, greys and grieges.
Alli
I noticed a lot of us are mentioning that you transition to darker nail polish colors. I was wondering what everyone thinks about wearing these darker colors in a (traditional) law office, or more specifically, to court. A deep purple or a greige seems safe in most environments, but is it ok in front of a federal judge? Thanks!
AnonInfinity
I wouldn’t do those colors in court, though I would wear them to my fancy business casual office. I don’t think all judges would notice my nail color, but I would hate to be remembered as that girl with the purple nails.
Monte
I would wear them in court as long as I am not in trial. I might rethink it if I am in front of a female judge, but in front of a male judge I would have no issues with it. I find that male judges notice the bigger issues regarding wardrobe (pants versus skirt suits, or suits versus separates) whereas female judges are harsher on the pantyhose/peep toe/nail polish issues. YMMV.
RKT
Question for other readers: do you have any beauty blogs you like reading? I used to enjoy beautyaddict.blogspot.com and blogdorfgoodman.blogspot.com, but they’re stoped posting. They both offered useful, intelligent commentary on the products they reviewed, and I haven’t found anything with which to replace them. I’d love any suggestions other Corporettes have.
Miss Cellaneous
Ooo I can help here! I have scoured the Internet for the very best blogs, and a few beauty ones have made my list (right below Corporette, of course).
Great skin is a major beauty issue, so I read some dermatology blogs.
– Dr. Bailey’s Skin Care Blog (1-2 posts a week, so reading them is very easy. She almost always pushes products in her posts, but I don’t mind because she seems to genuinely believe they’re the best and often mentions which ones she uses herself.)
– FutureDerm (Has really increased posts lately. Due to this, I’m no longer a regular reader, but I check in every week or so for some of the really high-quality posts like guides to certain ingredients like glycolic acids and sunscreens.)
For intense, excellent reviews of new makeup products:
– Temptalia (my preference in this category)
– Makeup and Beauty Blog
Unless you’re in the beauty industry, you probably don’t want to read these every day, but they’re the first places I go when I’m itching for a new product or need to replace something (I always check to make sure that I’m still using the best eyeliner, foundation, concealer, etc available).
Other:
– BellaSugar (This may be the one for you. It’s one of those blog-azines with multiple writers, editors, and tons of posts. It’s part of the “Sugar” family that has blogs on several women’s topics. BellaSugar posts about all different beauty topics and often features new products and tutorials.)
– The Beauty Department (Written by some of Lauren Conrad’s friends and associates, this one mostly features tutorials, though they’re mainly for styles that aren’t appropriate for my lifestyle… Or probably the lifestyles of most Corporette readers. Their beauty tips are more appropriate for people with the style of a stereotypical fashion blogger who wears a sock bun and thinks that sheer is appropriate for the office. I know that sounds judgmental, but really I’m just envious that people can live in such casual clothes. I love looking sharp and powerful, but…)
– All Lacquered Up (A nail polish blog. No longer posts regularly, but if you want to improve your ability to do your own nails, she has awesome tutorials and product recommendations in the archives)
– The Beauty Brains (Written by cosmetic chemists, this blog has really interesting info on the ingredients in all types of beauty products. I don’t read all of the posts, but I keep this blog in my RSS reader for the really interesting ones.)
– 15 Minute Beauty Fanatic (Assorted beauty posts written by a pediatrician. I go on and off with this one.)
JKT
Sorry I’m so late in replying to this, but THANK YOU! Lots of new favorites.
Laura
Australian winters aren’t that cold, & our house has a woodfire heater. We don’t use electric heaters. Sometimes in the evenings we don’t get home until only an hour or two before bed, & won’t bother lighting the fire. If it’s cold enough, I’ll have a shower before bed to warm up, & don’t sweat enough while sleeping to warrant another shower in the morning.
In summer I get my hair wet every day whether I wash it or not, because it’s impossible not to drip with sweat on a three & a half hour CityRail commute.