Malinda's Beauty Bar: Winter Favorites

These are some of my winter must haves.

Hello friends! Hope you are all keeping as warm as possible. I know I am.  Its funny, when I was younger, the cold never bothered me. I loved it actually. The older I get, the more I want to be a snowbird and only live in New York from April to November and spend the rest of the year somewhere extremely warm. But knowing me, I'd get sick of that too and run home. I often get asked a lot of questions about my beauty and skin routine. I really just stick with the basics, thanks to my amazing mother who is an esthetician and phenomenal make-up artist. But like everyone I have my favorite items that I absolutely LOVE. Here are my winter picks.

For those of you who don't know, I love soft skin. I will do almost anything for soft skin. I remember working in Atlanta when I was there for university and on my lunch break, my co-workers and I would sometimes eat at a near by strip club ( long story and I will touch on that another time) for their $5 steaks. My biggest impression from all the women that worked there was that they all had the softest, most supple skin I had ever felt. Let the coveting commence! I asked "How is your skin this amazing?" and I received the same response every time…oil. I'm big when it comes to oil, especially in the winter because if you live in the Northeast of America like me, you know just how dry and bitter winter can be. Josie Maran Aragan Oil is one of my all time favorites for any season and I use it all year round. I use the light version on my face at night and the regular in my bath, on my skin and on my son's hair after a good, deep conditioning. If we're going to keep talking about skin, we can't forget the lips. My lips are one of my most beloved body parts, so I make sure to take extra care of it. Especially since your lips have no moisture glands and this is the reason why they become chap. Now I have an abundance of lip balms and slaves and creams, but I love my Smith's Rosebud Salve. You only need a small amount and your lips will feel like silk. not to mention the amazing smell they give off.  I'm also a big Clarins users. I use their gentle cleanser and facial exfoliate, their body scrub and renew mask. But one of the best in their line is the fine line corrector. Now, I don't have fine lines just yet, but I do get dark circles under my eyes for sure. A small amount just before I put on my moisturizer and "BAM!", I look like I've slept like Sleeping Beauty. Lastly, since progressing into my pregnancy I try my best to find ways to relax. I do yoga and listen to tons of music, but by far, my number one way to relax on my own is taking a bath. I dim the lights, put on some Sade, lit one of my favorite candles and hop in the tub. I use a number of bath bombs, salts and oils, but this Japanese Milk Bath is awesome. Its cheap, has a lovely, not over powering scent and its exactly what I need after a long day and a growing belly.

So there they are, my winter picks. And of course, these are not the only products that I use, but I do love them dearly. What are some of your favorite winter products? I'm always looking for something new. And always feel free to ask me any questions about items I use. Enjoy the rest of the week and take care!

Love Malinda xoxox

*All items, except Milk bath can be found at Sephora.com or any Sephora location.