IT seems like I don’t
have the right coats, scarves and shoes to wear. Until now, I believed
dressing up for winter days was as easy as boiling an egg. I thought all you
needed to do was throw on a jacket onto whatever you’re wearing and you’re good
to go. But now, dressing up
every morning has become more taxing than it was during summer. I have to think about
which coat to wear with what shoes and scarf.
If it’s going to be a
skirt, I have to think about stockings and if they’re pants, will my feet be
warm enough in my shoes. I sometimes find myself wearing the same coat
a couple of times before it makes its way to the laundry. Don’t judge; we all do
that. I mean, where’s the sun to dry up coats on every other day going to come
from, right?
Braids have been such a
saving grace through it all! I don’t have to worry about standing in front of
the mirror for too long in the morning. I just have to make
sure my eyebrows are on fleek and my lips are appropriately dressed and I’m out
of the house.
I hardly ever wear make-up
and when it’s cold, I don’t wear make-up at all. Instead, I moisturise
with good old Ingram’s Camphor cream.
Forget that people
believe it’s a low end market product – it works perfectly well for me and
that’s all that matters.Your skin needs to be
well moisturised during winter to prevent wind burn. Yes, there’s such a thing
as wind burn! Instead of investing in a high SPF sunscreen as you would during
winter, find a good moisturiser for your face. Remember, it’s easy to offend
your skin but it can take you a lifetime to repair it.
It’s important to
maximise on protective hairstyles like braids when it’s cold.
Besides them being easy
to manage, they protect your natural hair from the low temperatures. When it’s cold, your
hair doesn’t hold moisture as well as it does when temperatures are warm. The moisture quickly
diminishes leaving your hair hard, brittle and susceptible to breakage.
That’s never a good
thing. If anything, it’s stressful watching your hair fall off your head, onto
your bathroom floor or comb. You may not necessarily
like braids but have your hair plaited in, one way or the other. It’ll protect it from
the dropping temperatures. Having your hair
covered up doesn’t mean you pay less attention to your head. You need to religiously
oil your scalp and hairline.
Doing so will keep it
moisturised, protected and healthy. A healthy scalp will result in a healthy
head of hair. As you wash your face
every day, the oils on your hairline are also washed away. Make sure you apply
some hair moisturiser onto your hairline every other day to replace these oils. Maybe you’re thinking
the moisturiser will eventually cake and start looking like dirt. It won’t if you use an
aqua-based hair moisturiser. This usually comes in liquid form so you can spray
it onto your hair.
A petroleum-based
moisturiser will eventually cake and leave your hair dirty and smelly because you
might not be washing it over at least six weeks. Petroleum-based moisturisers
tend to make the hair smell when it’s not washed regularly because they’re a
bit on the heavy side. Also, because you’ll
have to use your fingers to apply the conditioner, it’ll make your hair-do look
scruffier earlier than you want because of the excessive touching and massaging
during the process.
Never make the mistake
of applying your fragrance onto your coat, jacket or jersey.
Because these are not
necessarily washed as they’re worn, they’ll reek of alcohol. Nothing smells as
bad as old perfume.
The fragrance settles
onto the fibres of your clothes and doesn’t mix with the chemistry of your
body. Invest instead in a
good roll on and apply your fragrance directly onto your skin as you would during
summer. Because of the
fragrances’ chemistry with your body, it’ll diffuse through the outfit and
still come through perfectly well.
Avoid wearing sleeveless pieces underneath your coats and jerseys. You do sweat a little during winter. Once you sweat directly onto your coat or jersey, it’ll be difficult for you to wear it a second time without washing it first. Instead, wear cotton pieces with sleeves – cotton is very absorbent. For years we’ve been told to wear dull colours during winter.
The season is gloomy
enough; a little colour never hurt anybody! To break the darkness
of the dull coats and boots, wear small pieces that will brighten things up a
little bit. A colourful scarf or
woolen hat could be all you need to add some oomph to an otherwise boring
outfit.
P.S Do remember to take
a bath every single day this winter! #JustSaying
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