It’s no secret that the Edinburgh winter is harsh on all aspects of our health, whether that be physical or mental. The dark nights and miserable weather, in particular, can make one feel especially rough, and as my mum would say: ‘a bit run-down.’ To combat this, I’m going to share with you a few tips to ward off the ‘winter uglies.’
Listening to your body is the most important thing to consider during the colder months. Your body’s circadian rhythms are programmed to respond to the hours of daylight; naturally, the changes to this can cause you to feel out of sorts. Try to maintain a routine in the mornings and evenings, and sleep more when you need it. Although scientists advise against lie-ins, I truly believe there is nothing more rejuvenating than a 12-hour-long slumber; in fact, I think that it’s the single most important key to achieving a ‘winter glow.’
I’m a massive advocate for exercising to clear your head and reduce stress. However, I don’t think it’s the best idea to shock your body with intense exercise first thing in the morning. Instead, relax your body with yoga, or other forms of slow exercise if you prefer to do so early in the morning. Save the intense gym workouts until you’ve nourished your body. There’s nothing like a good sweaty workout—providing you with a very visible ‘glow’, if you will.
To avoid feeling worn down by bad weather or illness, it’s essential to properly nourish yourself nutritionally—I know I’m stating the obvious, but make sure you’re eating fruit and veg. I’m definitely not a supplement person like my best friend Uma, who uses a pill-box to organise hers. However, I will say that vitamins C and D are vital for boosting your immune system and overall health.
To keep your skin from getting dry and flaky, I’d recommend investing in a good body lotion and/or hand cream. I currently have a Molton Brown one, but I would strongly recommend anything from the Body Shop, for example, their Almond Milk Body Butter.
If you want to achieve a glowy, wintery makeup look, you should first focus on a good quality, well-pigmented blush. I absolutely love the Charlotte Tilbury liquid blush in the shade ‘pinkgasm’— it’s really sparkly and a gorgeous, rich pink shade. Another favourite of mine is the Glossier cloud paint in ‘puff.’ A snowy white or light blue sparkly eyeshadow is also great to create a frosty glow, as well as a cool-toned highlighter. Finally, top off the look with a nourishing lip balm, keep it simple with Nivea.
I hope these tips help you to stay pampered and relaxed. Remember to take care of yourself and nourish your body as the temperatures drop this week!
Photo by Eric Prouzet on Unsplash