Here are the best SPF lip balms to pack as you head to the slopes (or just to the shops). Plus other key beauty items for facing the chilliest days, whether you’re in Courcheval or Cork …
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First and foremost, you need a trusty SPF for the face. A high factor SPF is your single most important item to pack – the harsh glare of winter sunlight is damaging for your skin, however lovely it is to bask in. Make sure you have plenty of SPF50 on hand and reapply it during the day. Even when it’s cloudy, you need to wear SPF to protect your skin from UV damage.
Try Ultrasun SPF50+, La Roche-Posay Anthelios SPF50+ and Heliocare 360 Mineral Tolerance SPF50, currently under €30 at The Skin Nerd. TIP: It’s a good idea to check out what dermatologists and skin experts recommend. Try shopping websites such as Dr Coleman Skin Store. (Dr Coleman rates brands like Revision and Heliocare), the Institute of Dermatologists and The Skin Nerd.
Along with facial SPF, another key item that’s easy to forget about is an SPF for your lips. Cold winds lead to dried-out, chapped lips, so you want a heavy-duty lip protector that hydrates and offers UV defence too. We’re gathered some of our favourites here, plus a few non-SPF options to soothe and rescue lips in the evening, too.
THE TINTED ONE
We’re impressed with Hello Sunday’s Tinted Lip Balm, in two pretty shades, with SPF50 (€12). Non-sticky, with moisturising shea butter and hyaluronic acid, this is an attractive option (there’s also a fragrance-free version).
THE EASY TO WEAR ONE
I love Ultra Violette’s Daydream Screen SPF50 for face, so check out their Pout Protectors with SPF50 (there’s a set of three shades on sale at €23.40 online right now).
THE NATURAL ONE
Australian brand MooGoo do a lovely natural option that’s “made from edible ingredients”, so no petroleum jelly or UV filters, while offering mineral sun protection SPF15 (zinc oxide).
Malin + Goetz also do a lip balm with SPF30; try also Supergoop’s tinted mineral one.
THE EVENING ONE
We love a lip balm for evenings, something comforting and a bit glossy like Laneige, Summer Fridays, Rhode or, as a treat, La Mer’s silky, pepperminty balm (so expensive for 9g, but just gorgeous to use; best price we’ve found is €63.50 at Dublin and Cork Duty Free. A cheaper option: Dr Pawpaw’s Shea Butter Balm (€5.85, 10ml) with natural ingredients. You won’t find a better one for under €6.
4 MORE TO PACK
1 Hardcore Moisturiser
Hydrate your skin before applying your SPF for the daytime and later after a long day. Try iS Clinical Reparative Moisture Emulsion, €130, at Phare, or pharmacy favourite Dr Hauschka’s Apricot Day Cream (currently €26, down from €35). TIP: check out the winter sale, too, with lots of bargains on gift sets. We’re stocking up on their gorgeous moisturising shower creams at a tenner.
SEE MORE: Take A Peek At The Beauty Bargains To Pick Up This Month
2 Hair Saver
Winter finds us reaching for hair oils and serums in an attempt to smoothe frizz and general unruliness, so a leave-in conditioner can be a hair-saver. Gisou’s Honey Infused (€30) with baobab and argan oils is softening as well as detangling, plus it leaves a gorgeous soft scent in the hair.
3 Nail Oil
Cold weather is not kind to hands and nails, so I’m always looking out for a good nail oil to restore moisture and rescue cuticles. While a basic sweet almond or coconut oil will go some way to helping, this Huile Verte by Manucurist combines several nourishing oils, is kind to hands and will make your manicure go further, while strengthening nails and skin. Apply some in the evening or just before bed, and also after washing your hands. Currently €13.95 at Look Fantastic.
4 An Icy Scent
Scent-wise, we can either warm ourselves up by wearing something comforting and delicious – perhaps vanilla or tona-centred – or else embrace the chill with a cool and invigorating scent, with notes of earthy iris and breezy green galbanum.
For me, iris has a coolness that’s so elegant and appealing: it makes me think of the Snow Queen, elegant in a fur coat. Frederic Malle’s impossibly beautiful Iris Poudre suits or Prada’s Infusion d’Iris eau de parfum, which also features warming notes of mandarin and neroli.
Issey Miyake’s Le Sel d’Issey (from €79 at Arnotts and pharmacies nationwide) by perfumer Quentin Bisch is a spray of salty vetiver and cedarwood that’s icy cool and fresh. There are notes of laminaria seaweed and oak moss in there, along with a salt accord and hints of ginger. It’s like a sea swim without the shivering and the packaging is even said to be made from 10 per cent upcycled seaweed. While designed for men, few of us abide by these labels anymore. Layer it with an Atelier Cologne vanilla for a delicious combination.
