How to Get that Summer Glow in Winter?

Winter has its perks like every other season but one thing we miss the most about summer is healthy glowing skin. So what if the cold months are dark and dreary?  Light up your complexion with these easy beauty tips that will keep you looking fresh even when the mercury drops.

1. Stay Hydrated

While you may not feel so thirsty, it is important to drink plenty of water during the colder months as well. I learned this the hard way by suffering dehydration one winter. So now it has turned into a daily habit. Believe me it does make a difference! You may not see it quickly but you will definitely notice it in time.

2. Get your blood pumping through exercise

In order to keep the body’s vital organs warm, our muscles contract in the cold resulting in the contraction of blood vessels. This may sound weird but less blood flow to skin cells in cooler days ultimately results in dull and pale looking skin (since it is actually the blood that provides our skin with nutrients). To cope with that, do a little exercise (if you are not a regular gym person) and get the blood flowing. This is one ultimate tip to keep your skin healthy and glowing in winters even when you think you will freeze to death. :-D

3. Milk Cleansing

Nothing works better for cleansing skin than a cotton ball dipped in milk. I discovered this while I was still in college. Maintaining a skin care routine after spending the entire day out of the house was not a pleasant idea to me. Keeping up with being a lazy butt, I ended up cleansing my skin with milk every night. Even my favourite milk cleanser failed in front of that. Soaking a cotton ball in milk, squeezing out the excess and moving it all over face, neck and hands (even feet) in circular motions for 5 – 10 minutes works like magic. You will even feel your skin softened and tightened afterwards, yeah that’s because milk has protein in it, remember? :-D

4. Exfoliation

While cleansing does half of the work, exfoliating once or twice a week is important as well. Getting rid of the dead skin cells’ layer will reveal the robust skin cells buried beneath it. This will definitely bring out the glow hiding under all that.

5. Moisturization

While chilly winds require you moisturize your skin to protect it from harsh weather conditions, you should not skip it even in summers. Moreover, make sure you use a separate SPF cream if your moisturizer does not contain it already. There are different ones for various skin types so pick one that suits you best.

6. Fake it! Bronze and highlight

Since we all love makeup, it wouldn’t hurt to fake some summery glow when the sun decides not to shine upon us, right? Use your favourite bronzer to get that sun-kissed glow. We recommend MUR Ultra Bronze (it’s that matte bronzer that everyone can easily fall in love with) and add a bit of a champagne highlighter such as ELF Moonlight Pearls, Sleek contouring kit, MUR Golden Lights or NARS Albatross for that extra glow. You can skip the highlighter if you wish to use a shimmer bronzer like one from Wet n Wild or Urban Decay.

7. Flushed cheeks

As the blood vessels near the surface shrink making us pale during the winter time, you can easily fake a healthy flush with the magic of makeup. We recommend a cream or liquid blush as it will last longer, leave a stain and give you that lit from within glow. It is especially suitable for mature skin that is more prone to dryness. There are some excellent options such as Chanel, ELF, Makeup Revolution, NYX, etc.

8. Detoxify your body

It is essential that you take time to flush out harmful toxins from your body. You can make up a powerful blend of antioxidant fruits and vegetables anytime. It is best to take it regularly as there are often free radicals produced in the body that must be neutralized. They really help your metabolism and keep you feeling and looking great all the time.

9. Eat Healthy

Since we won’t be going into hibernation in the winter, your body needs that extra boost of energy as a lot of it is expended to maintain body temperature. Super foods like dark green leafy vegetables, whole grains and nuts are rich in vitamins, minerals and special compounds that can do wonders for your health.

We want to share one of our favourite winter recipes, which is healthy, wholesome and can be enjoyed by everyone. Walnuts are full of omega 3 fatty acids, fibre and contain zero cholesterol.

Recipe for Walnut Chocolate Brown Sugar Cupcakes (Serves 6)

Ingredients

Melted unsalted butter/ Desi Ghee-1/4 cup
Unprocessed brown sugar (Gurr)-1/4 cup
Whole eggs- 2
Flour- 1 cup
Baking powder-1 tsp
Baking soda-1 pinch
Cocoa powder- 2 to 3 tbsp
Vanilla essence-2 drops
Milk at room temperature- For perfecting consistency
Oil- For brushing on tray
Chopped walnuts-A handful or to taste

Method

1. Pre-heat electric oven at 160°C at least 20 minutes before use
2. Take a clean bowl and mix the melted desi ghee and gurr together
3. Whisk the eggs into this mixture and then add the vanilla essence to it
4. In a separate bowl, add the dry ingredients namely the flour, baking powder, baking soda and cocoa powder
5. Now pour the liquid egg mixture into the bowl of dry ingredients and mix thoroughly
6. You will notice the mixture is too thick so keep adding a bit of milk until you achieve a glossy batter of medium consistency
7. Throw in the chopped walnuts once you are happy with the batter or top them onto the batter once you have poured it into the oiled baking tray
8. Bake the cupcakes for around 25 to 30 minutes. Be sure to test if they are ready with a tooth pick or fork before taking them out of the oven

Delicious walnut chocolate cupcakes are now ready to be devoured with tea or coffee and perhaps a good book to keep you company on those long winter nights. If you would like some more inspiration with some recipes and healthy foods, I recently was checking out ALOHA and saw that they have a variety of healthy recipes to make.

We hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful because apparently..... “Winter is coming!”

How do you achieve that lasting summer glow in winter?

Love,
Fizzah and Sadaf  

Disclaimer: This is a personal blog edited by its owners and the opinions expressed here belong solely to its owner's. For questions and queries please email at thepoutpainter@gmail.com