Hiphopsideproject

Yegads! Looks like our summer is slowly coming to an end :( I’m sure you’ve noticed the weather changing, however muggy and random it may be. Alas, we’re almost midway through August, the nights are closing in and the sun’s slowly drooping in the sky (making it fucking horrendous to drive between the hours of 5-7pm) . Sad face. BUT! Look on the good side, we’ll soon be able to don our favourite coats, scarves and hats again (and invest in new bits and bobs, too), and eat yummy casseroles and stews whilst watching the rain outside ♥

Those of you who were early readers here may remember that last year I wrote an article about looking after your skin in the colder months, which is a bit of an epic read detailing the separate areas of skin care and focusing on certain products that keep your skin in tip-top winter condition. I’ve already started making a few changes to my routine in preparation for winter, not just with my skincare but with other aspects of day-to-dayness too. Here…

• Wardrobe
  Without stating the obvious, it’s going to start to get a bit colder. I know it can be hard to lose the summer ritual of stepping out without a jacket, but ladies, do yourselves a favour and grab a cardigan before you leave the house. For those of use who’ve been enjoying this lovely British summer, I’m sure this is something you’ve been doing for the past few weeks anyway! A lot of the highstreet stores have already started stocking their winter coats, too, so why not spend some time investigating the style you’d like this season? Don’t forget your hats & scarves, too!
• Vitamins
  Nothing beats a varied diet of fruit, vegetables and protein to keep your body’s defenses high, but in Winter it can be difficult to get the right kind of nutrients from the food we eat and the environmental changes. Vitamin D, for instance, is created in your skin when it’s exposed to the sun… hello, winter! your general multivitamin should contain a dose of it. I’ve just started on my winter vitamins so I’ll definitely be ready for what the season has to throw at me, starting now will build up a super strong winter barrier! This year I should have probably continued with my vitamins throughout summer seeing as I managed to get two pretty bad summer colds. I’m taking a skin, hair & nails supplement, a cod liver oil tablet (dude, I’m gonna have glossy Labrador hair!) and a general multivitamin. If/when I feel like I’m chugging along with sniffles and a cough I’ll add an echinacea supplement to this, too… and wash it down with a gallon of Orange juice!
• Skin Care
  As I mentioned earlier, my article last year describes a full-on assault into beating a greying winter complexion. The easiest things to do right now are to start switching up your light summer moisturiser for your heavier, skin protecting winter version. If you haven’t already got one, try pick one up with an SPF, it makes life a lot easier! otherwise, check your foundation (if you wear one) for it’s SPF, or invest in a facial SPF. Also, is it just me, or does winter bring with it ridiculously dry elbows? I’m thinking it’s because of wearing long sleeve sweaters that rub the skin. Anyhoo, invest in a small pot of nivea cream – it’s a lifesaver!

• Footwear
  Ok, ok… here’s where I admit that my feet are generally stuffed into nikes, hardly ever seeing the light of day. This year I did wear open flats quite a lot, though, and I’ll be sad to see them go. For me and my sneaker clad feet there won’t be much of a transition, however I have started walking to work and even the best trainers in the world won’t stand up very well to huge puddles and hail. I think this year may be the year of the welly for me! In all seriousness, though, whilst there are those who think that the only way to look fashionable is to wear heels every day, you need to bare in mind some kind of practicality. Opt for cute alternatives that won’t see you slip-sliding down the street., You’ll just look like a douche otherwise!
• Haircare
  Yeesh – rain, hail, snow, wind, central heating. It’s a wonder that we come out of winter with any hair left! Hats, hats, hats, ladies. They will be your winter hair saviors. Start introducing hats into your wardrobe on the windy Autumnal days that are already starting to destroy any idea of a hair style. Prepare your hair-emergency kit, too, a brush, a small tin of wax and some clips will come in VERY handy when you’re out and about and get caught in a gale!
• Looking Foward
  Don’t dwell on the loss of Summer, it’ll be back again (in some form) next year. Instead, spend a bit of time listing the things you love about the colder months, get excited by the changing seasons. It’ll make those dark mornings and long nights much easier to deal with! My list includes pumpkin pies, yankee candles throughout the house, cooking up bubbling beef stews with dumplings, curling up with a book and watching the rain, snow storms, the excuse to shop for new winter clothes, huge heavy duvets.