The Pre-Winter Beauty Reset – The Anna Edit

It’s that time of year where you’re feeling a bit ‘meh’, right? I know I’m feeling a bit dry and dull and you know what makes me feel better aside from a binge watch of the early seasons of Real Housewives of New York whilst eating chocolate covered pretzels!? A big ol’ beauty reset. It’s not just your classic ‘everything shower’, it’s a bit more than that. It’s time to call in the professionals, indulge in alllll the self-care and to take your time to feel great again. Here’s what I’m doing right now…

HAIR

It’s taken me years, but I have FINALLY got into the swing of regular haircuts. It’s grim but before I would easily go years between trims and my ends were just crying out for a snip! I now go to see Roxy at The Hair Bros every six months. Their cuts are EXPENSIVE and pretty low-key, but I like that I come out and just look refreshed, rather than anything drastic. I’ve just been for a cut and will do my next one pre-summer in six months time. Aside from my usual hair-wash-and-style routine, the only real ‘treatment’ I use is the Sisley Regenerating Hair Mask* (ad – gifted), which I think I must have received around four years ago because I remember using it back at our old flat. I’m just getting to the end of the tube which I have decanted into a pot because this stuff is GOLD and I want to use every last drop. If my hair is ever feeling a bit dry I’ll apply this liberally over my ends, go to bed with it on and then rinse it out when I shampoo the following morning. It leaves things feeling *smooth*.

SHOP THE EDIT

BODY

Look there really isn’t a better investment you can make for your body than an Exfoliating Mitt*. Cheap as chips and something that will quite honestly last you years (I just throw mine in the washing machine after I’ve given it a few uses and it goes back to being brand new). Incorporate it in as part of your ‘everything shower’ and you will be GLOWING. I love to use my exfoliating mitt, then shave (I use the Estrid Razors*), then come out of the shower and apply either an oil all over like Mirrorwater Smooth Body Oil* – that’s my fave – or the Tan-Luxe Gradual Tanner*, which gives a real subtle tan to the skin. Do one of those sessions once a week (or I like to apply the Tan-Luxe every two-or-three days to maintain a sunkissed look), and you’ll be feeling FAB. If you’re feeling really fancy try a Lympathic Drainage Massage – these are great if you’re feeling a bit bloated. I go to this spot in Brighton.

SHOP THE EDIT

HANDS & FEET

Now is the time of year to do one of those Acid Peel Sock* things where your skin basically sheds like a snake to reveal silky smooth feet. It’s so gross, but so satisfying and because we’re now well and truly into sock wearing weather no one will ever know. I like to do one pre-winter and one pre-summer. These REALLY work. Then maintain your hard work with weekly use of the Margaret Daabs Foot File* – the absolute BEST on the market – and Beauty Pie’s Footopia Foot Cream* – really slap it on and allow it to absorb. I’m well and truly committed to the nail salon life now – once you start, it’s SO hard to stop! I’ve got my feet done since I’ve had Ralph, because I couldn’t bend over when I was pregnant! But now I do fingers too – I’m a woman obsessed! I go every three weeks for those – so now I do one session that’s just fingers, and then a session that is fingers and toes. So if you too are committed to the nail salon life then book your treatments till the new year. If you’re an at-home nail lover then I really rate doing at-home gels on your feet – get yourself a Lamp*, then some kind of CND Starter Kit* (I’ve always found this brand quite easy to do at home) – and you’re ready to go. For fingers I found it kinder on my nails to a sort of pseudo-gel like the Manicurist*. On me it lasts a week, but it’s super quick to take off and reapply and isn’t so harsh on your nails. Of course nightly hand cream is a MUST. I really like the Kiehl’s one* – it’s a classic – Mark got me into it! And for a cuticle oil I get so lazy with them that I have to entice myself with something fancy to make me actually use it, and for that the CHANEL one* works.

SHOP THE EDIT

FACE

I’ve entered a new era when it comes to skincare and I think that’s down to my skin experiencing a major shift. I’ve got drier, more blemish-prone and it’s forced to me to do a real shake-up in my routine, instead of just reusing the same ol’ faithfuls that I’ve been using for years at this point. If you want the down-low on everything I’m using, then have a read of this Instagram post. But in terms of a reset here’s what I’m thinking. It’s actually a really good time to dig into professional treatments. A few require downtime which is easier to get in when your social calendar isn’t as packed as it was during the summer, and most require you to stay out the sun which is pretty darn easy to do at this time of year. I’ve just done a CO2 Laser Resurfacing Treatment (I got it done here), which helps to resurface the skin. The downtime was around a week, but it has significantly reduced my blemish scarring and hyperpigmentation. I’ve never had anything like that done before and I’m honestly amazed at how quickly it’s given results. But if you’re seeking at-home remedies then I would say that you need the big 3 – an LED Mask (I find the Currentbody one* the most comfortable to wear and the charge lasts ages – I do it three times a week), a face mask that caters to your particular skin needs (seeing as I’m congested I really like the Fresh Umbrian Clay* one) and with it being winter it’s a good time to introduce a retinol too (I use Skin + Me). Use those three things on the reg and you’ll notice a huge difference.

SHOP THE EDIT