I proudly announce that I survived my first winter experience in South Korea! As a loyal inhabitant of a tropical country who constantly suffers from the scorching sun and hot humid air, and an occasional heavy downpour, I looked forward to experiencing subzero climate. As I was writing this, I deeply miss the weather in South Korea. I truly long for the cold icy wind that brushed my pink cheeks as I walked down the street. I miss the days where I breathed out smoke when it got too cold.

Winter may be a paradise for people who experience summer all year round, but it appears to cause a harsh condition for our skin. This dry season is indeed unfavourable to the overall wellbeing of our skin and health. During my one week of winter experience, I have learned and experimented many ways to combat dry skin as well as to maintain a smooth glowing skin.

Hydration is the key for smooth and supple skin during this season. As the humidity levels dropped and the blue skies were almost cleared out of clouds, hydration is important to fight dryness. The most fundamental way to start is by drinking sufficient amount of water. Moisturizer may be the most common solution to combat skin dryness but hydration mostly comes from within. Ensure sufficient fluid intake even though we do not feel thirsty often.

Apply moisturizer to maintain skin hydration. It’s better to get an oil based moisturizer, specifically for dry skin types, as they trap more moisture on the skin. I still prefer my water based moisturizer, as I have oily to combination skin type. My favourite moisturisers are from Nature Republic. You may check out their bestselling Super Aqua Max Watery cream. It has very light texture, almost similar to gel. My second pick would be the Fresh Green Tea cream.

Keep a facial mist in your handbag. It provides instant and refreshing hydration for your face at the most convenient way!

It is crucial to hydrate your face prior to make up application or during every skincare. Hydration is also important for good sebum control in oily to combination skin. To boost up the hydration, I applied Innisfree’s Green Tea sleeping mask every night prior to bedtime. It prepared my skin to be supple and rejuvenated the next morning!

Besides hydration, it is important to exfoliate and unclog pores during this season. I used lukewarm water to prep my skin before using Missha Super Aqua Pore Correction Cleansing Foam to cleanse out the impurities from the pores. After cleansing, I applied Skin Food’s Black Sugar Perfect First Serum using a cotton pad. It is an exfoliating serum with hydrating properties.

It was important to carry a tube of hand cream with me as my hands got dry easily. I used Etude House’s Aloe Vera gel to hydrate and soothe my skin. Yes, I actually checked in the whole tub of aloe vera gel has aloe vera has healing properties for frost bites. Alternatively, I used Eubos Senstive Moisturising Cream to lock the moisture on my skin.

BB Cushion is always the perfect product whenever I go travelling. It is convenient as I do not have to worry about bringing my foundation brush along with me! Besides, cushion provides a very even and light coverage. I always use my Chica Y Chico Mat Fix BB Cushion as it has the perfect shade for my skin tone. I used Innisfree’s No Sebum mineral powder to set my makeup.

Everywhere was white in certain areas in South Korea where snow was present. You might not want to look pale and blend into the white surroundings. Contouring and Blushing are important to add natural colours to your skin. It is also important to add shadows and definition of your facial features by contouring in order to make yourself stand out from the snowy surroundings.  I used my NYX Go to Palette as it is very travel friendly. It definitely lived up to its name. It has a few choices of eyeshadow shades, a highlighter, blusher, and a bronzer.

Lips usually get affected by dryness first. I always use my favourite Nivea Essential Care lip balm which contains shea butter as the active constituent. I have been using this product for years and it constantly provides and retains moisture to my lips well. When I feel like having some colours on my lips, I applied a thin layer of my favourite NYX Buttergloss before putting another layer of lip balm for extra moisture.

  

That's all I want to share from my experience. If you have any tips, feel free to share them in the comment section below! Have a pleasant winter!