Hydrating and brightening Winter skincare staples

Although I feel this November seems milder than it has in previous years, there's no denying that Autumn is nearly all gone, Winter nights are becoming colder and Elf is probably playing on repeat.

I suffer from dry skin but this Winter I've found my skin has become a little sensitive too so below are a few of my pics to keep skin supple and bright in the cold weather.

#1. Moisturise: Let's begin with a simple moisturiser. I've never stuck with a moisturiser for very long which is possibly a bad thing. Chopping and changing isn't always good for your skin. Recently I've been trying our L'Occitane's Shea Light Comforting Cream. As the name suggests this is a lovely comforting moisturiser, good for dry skin but not clogging or heavy. It contains 5% shea butter which I love as I find it really helps to soften leaving my skin plump and supple without irritating it. 

#2. Moisturise those eyes: When my skin is dry or dehydrated, I tend to feel it the most in my eyes so an eye cream is an essential. I've been using Pai's Echium & argan gentle eye cream. I like this eye cream because it is very gentle and kind to the eyes, a little goes a long way and it does a fairly good job of hydrating. It does have some anti-ageing claims though I can't say I've noticed a difference in the few fine lines I have. Honestly I'm not sure if I will repurchase this once I've used it as it's not doing any miracles, but I haven't yet found an eye cream that has. 

#3. Oil: Oils are amazing to use all year round but in the winter they can really help to keep skin hydrated and supple. I use an oil in the morning and evening and find that applying a small amount on my cheekbones and the very outer eye area helps my concealer to blend in and leaves me to achieve a natural glow. I love Pai's Rosehip bioregenerate oil. With one ingredient it manages to keep my skin bright, help fade any blemish scarring and keep it soft and supple (how many times have I used the word supple now?). It's sometimes nice using an oil to even out my skin tone in the winter rather than harsher toners. 

#4. Don't forget the lips: Winter is really not kind to your lips. The cold wind paired with all of the deep matte lips you're probably putting on can really take it's toll. I've already spoken about my favourite lip balms for ensuring kissably soft lips but wanted to quickly mention my favourite here. Ren's Vita Mineral Lip Balm is really wonderful at softening and moisturising your lips. It comes in a nice and big squeezy tube and is perfect for using during the day and overnight. 

So there are a few of my favourites but it's really the steps I wanted to mention the most. Moisturising in the winter is important and if you're feeling dry try adding in an oil or eye cream and using a good lip balm. Also you should be applying eye creams before your moisturiser as they are designed to penetrate the delicate skin around the eyes not to fight through your heavier moisturiser. What are your favourite moisturising products for winter?

L'Occitane's Shea Light Comforting Cream, £26, Pai's Echium & argan gentle eye cream, £30, Pai's Rosehip bioregenerate oil, £22, Ren's Vita Mineral Lip Balm, £9. P.s. Pai occasionally email out offers for £10 off orders so keep an eye out!