After the thrill and excitement of the holidays are over, we are left with two months of winter that feels like they take forever! After putting all of that fun Christmas décor away, I’m so ready for sunshine and warm weather. However, winter time in central New York definitely has it’s ups and downs. Some of my favorite things, like oversized sweaters and leggings are combined with some of my not so favorite things, like forever being cold, chapped lips and dry skin. Here are some of my top winter items that I’ve been using this season that may be able to help you beat these cold winter blues!
Baggy Sweaters!
Let’s start with the thing I love most about winter: oversized sweaters. To me there is honestly nothing like being covered by a warm cuddly sweater that is as big as you want it to be! I’d much rather be too cold and layer up then be too hot and have not as many options for clothing. I have so many favorites that it’s hard to narrow it down to just one or two for the sake of this post, but here are a few I love!
Chenille is one of my favorite cozy fabrics simply because it’s so soft and warm. I actually scored this amazing circle hem pull over from Express on a crazy deal, so watch out for their sales! I’m typically a small/medium, but I ordered this one in a large just because I wanted that extra big and comfy feature, so I would suggest sizing up one or two sizes if that’s what you’re looking for, too! It is long enough to cover your behind when you size up depending on your height, but if that’s a major concern I would definitely suggest going up one or two sizes! My one and only con, if it even counts as a con, is I wish the sleeves were full length, these are more of a three-quarter sleeve, but there are times I’m thankful for the shorter sleeve, so it really depends on what I’m doing during the day. Other than that, this one is SO worth it!
Because I love these types of sweaters so much, here is one more that I’m currently loving from Express, too. I have this one in an olive green, but I love it so much I might grab it in a few more colors, like this pretty alabaster! Although it does say on the website it is true to size in the reviews, I would definitely say it is on the bigger side. I am 5’1 , and this one reaches below my behind, and I have it in a medium. It also has the three-quarter sleeves which is a pro and a con for me, but I love this sweater so much it doesn’t really make a difference. You can dress this one up with a long necklace or scarf, or dress it down with leggings and furry boots. I wear it to work pretty often in a business-casual setting with jeans or leggings and love it so much! It’s super warm and feels heavy thanks to the ribbing on it, I also love a good crew neck sweater, and this is definitely a favorite.
Shoes!
I love the coziness of a good pair of Uggs. I’m one who hates wearing socks around the house, I’m more of a slippers kind of girl, so that’s probably why I love these boots; you don’t need to wear socks! I have a few pairs of Uggs, so while doing some holiday shopping I came across these from Macys’ that were on a great sale, and had to have them! They have a cute wedge which makes them seem a little more dressy, and are short so you can wear them with skinny jeans, leggings, pretty much anything and feel like you’re just wearing a short pair of warm shoes! I have these in black, true to size!
For your Skin!
Not only is it cold and dry in NY during the winter, my husband is obsessed with burning wood in our wood stove, so it adds a whole other level of dryness to the air in my house. I’ve found a few go-to products to help combat this issue, check these out if you have the same problem!
I will be the first to admit that I am a sucker for good packaging. If it looks good, I will buy it, it doesn’t matter if it’s mascara or toilet bowl cleaner, haha! That might be what lead me to purchasing this Neutrogena Hydroboost hydrating cleansing gel, but it also had the word ‘hydrating’ in it, and that, for me, is a big deal. I have struggled with dry skin forever, and now that we have a wood stove it’s even more of an issue. I cant say that I’ve seen drastic dramatic differences in my skin since using this facial cleanser, but one reason why I won’t give it up, aside from the fact that it *could* be helping my dry skin: it will take off my makeup, no matter what I’m wearing, hands down. I love facial products, especially makeup, but I hate the extra step of using a makeup remover on top of washing my face. With this cleanser, I don’t need any extra makeup remover! I would definitely recommend!
After washing and drying my face, I alwaysalwaysalways use a moisturizing lotion. I’ve tried so many in my day that it’s hard to pinpoint one as my #1 holy grail. I truly love the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion+, AS WELL as Clinique’s Moisture Surge 72 Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator. Those two are probably my top products, but recently I purchased IT Cosmetic’s Confidence in a Cream Moisturizing Super Cream, and I am loving that one as well. I’m really putting that one to the test this winter, and it’s definitely helping my skin. If you have any holy grail moisturizing products let me know, I’m always willing to try something out!
Last piece of my facial skincare trifecta for these harshly dry months is lip care. I’m not one to use a Chapstick during the day, shocking, right?! I think it gets in my mouth and it tastes weird, so I just don’t really use it. One thing I do use, though, is a good lip mask after brushing my teeth at night to sleep with, and I’ll slap it on while putting my makeup on in the morning if remember. I don’t typically wear lipstick on an every day occasion, so having dry lips isn’t such a huge deal for me other than the fact that they can end up hurting and it just isn’t ideal. I’ve used these lip masks that I really like, and I’ll link them below for you to check out!
Another great skincare add is hand lotion, since our hands tend to be one of the first things to age, it’s a good idea to keep them nice and soft! I really love Aveeno’s Stress Relief Moisturizing Body Lotion with Lavender, Natural Oatmeal and Chamomile & Ylang-Ylang Essential Oils to Calm & Relax (quite the name, definitely fits the product to a T). I love the scent and richness of this lotion, it isn’t greasy, but leaves my hands feeling so soft and buttery.
For your Home!
Winter is a great time to add pops of mint greens and crisp blues into your pallet at home, if you like to change it up for the seasons! Here are a few items I’ve added to our home this winter that I’m absolutely loving!
I purchased a candle that was Eucalyptus and Mint at Home Goods recently and I’ve had it burning non stop. I looked for it on Yankee Candle’s website, and could only find Eucalyptus and Mint in separate candles, but I would highly suggest either of these scents for this time of the year! They are so comforting and calming. I don’t like to burn my Holiday candles past the holidays, since I tend to associate those scents with holiday memoris and I like to keep those closer to the holidays, so I was in search of a good replacement!
Next, After taking the holiday garland off of my fire place I felt almost a sadness and emptiness on my mantle! I was on Amazon one night and came across these fun eucalyptus garland strands and ordered two of them. I love the color they add to my living room! They are a fun way to dress up a shelf, mantle, book case, really anything in your home that you think may feel a little empty!
Lastly, I purchased a Yeti for so many people this Christmas that I had to grab one for myself, haha! I chose the big pink one from Dicks Sporting Goods and I absolutely love it! I find it hard to get the right amount of water in the day unless I’m drinking out of a fun cup, and this definitely holds a lot of water and is fun to drink out of! I love the magnetic slide on the top to sip out of and also love the thin bottom so it fits well in my car’s cup holder!
Although the winter is definitely beautiful and there are lots of fun things to do in the snow, I’m definitely a spring/summer girl! These items have helped me, and I hope they help you, as well!
Until next time!
The Belle Journal 