Photo by Alex Vans-Colina on Unsplash

The winter months can be a real test of self-acceptance. With the extended darkness and cooler temperatures, we suddenly start questioning every tiny detail about our appearance. From our hair and nails to our wardrobe, the winter chill has us second-guessing our entire appearance. 

If only there was someone who could give us tips on how to look our most beautiful this season... With that thought in mind, we're sure you're not reading this article for its fashion advice alone. 

After all, who doesn’t want to look their best?

1. Don’t Forget To Protect Your Skin

In the winter, our skin is more susceptible to damage from the elements. The lack of humidity and the extreme cold can cause a loss of hydration and blood flow in your skin. If you don’t protect your skin, your skin will be more prone to dryness and even pigmentation. 

To keep your skin hydrated, use a moisturizing body wash, body oil, and/or body moisturizer. These will keep your skin plumped and soft, while protecting it from the elements.

To protect your skin from the cold, wear gloves while you’re shoveling the walks and cleaning the windows. You can also cover outdoor walls and fences with plastic sheeting to shield them from the bitter weather. You can also use a body moisturizer before going to bed to keep your skin hydrated and protected from the elements.

2. Keep Your Hair Up

When you’re bundled up and out in the elements all day, it’s not unusual for your hair to become a tangled mess. In fact, tangled hair is one of the top reasons for headaches and migraines. Not only does it look unkempt, it can also be extremely uncomfortable and cause damage to your scalp. 

To prevent your hair from tangles, have a hairnet on hand to keep your hair out of the way while you work. Also, keep your hair away from your face while you’re working so that it doesn’t get tangled in your tools. 

If your hair becomes tangled, try to take it out of the tangle as soon as possible. If you don’t, you’ll cause damage to your hair that will take longer and be more uncomfortable.

3. Wear Shades On The Go

While many people enjoy forming a bit of a rainbow with their makeup, the winter months can bring on a lot of colour fatigue. That’s because many shades become too close to one another, and it can be difficult to find a colour that doesn’t seem too similar to the rest. To prevent colour fatigue, take a good look at your makeup bag. Is everything you have ever worn in shades that are similar to one another? 

If so, consider throwing a few things out. You may end up wearing something new and exciting that you never thought about before. When you’re on the go, pack a few neutral shades in your bag. These can be used to cover up any overly coloured looks that you come across while you’re out.

4. Dust Off Your Feet

Before you know it, you’ll be dealing with cracked, dry feet. This can be a painful and uncomfortable experience, especially when you’re trying to wear heels. A foot dryer and/or foot cream can help avoid this issue, but you’ll want to apply it frequently to keep your feet moisturized and hydrated. 

To keep your feet moisturized, try wearing socks in between showers. This will help keep your feet moisturized and healthy, while also keeping them away from the rest of your body. To prevent your feet from cracking, dust them occasionally with a foot powder. Foot powders are specially formulated for this purpose, keeping your feet from getting too dry too quickly.

5. Get a Good Night’s Sleep

This may come as no surprise, but the best way to improve your skin and hair is by getting a good night’s sleep. When you sleep, your skin and hair are both naturally at their softest and healthiest. That’s why it’s so important to make sure you catch some z’s every night. 

You can easily improve your skin and hair by catching a good night’s sleep. That means less stress, less damage from hormones, and naturally healthier and better-looking skin and hair. Avoid drinking alcohol and smoking before bed, as these can disrupt your sleep and leave your skin and hair at their roughest point.

6. Eat Well to Look Radiant

The best way to keep your skin and hair looking healthy and young is to consume foods rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Make sure you’re getting enough iron in your diet as this helps with the production of red blood cells and hemoglobin, which carry oxygen to your cells. This is super important as oxygen is required for healthy skin turnover. 

When it comes to your diet, make sure you’re consuming plenty of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts, and legumes. Unfortunately, for some of us, eating healthily may feel like a far cry from reshaping out bodies in way that allows us to feel confident. For these rare situations, there are some professional options on hand like fat freezing with Cooltone Experts that will help sculpt your body exactly how you want and allow to start down the path of healthier, more confident life, that you can combine with the above healthy eating tips.

7. Be Careful Who you Ask for Makeup Tips...

While this may not be the worst reason to use makeup, it is important to consider the source of your tips. When receiving makeup tips, ask yourself a few questions. Is the makeup look you’re trying to achieve natural? Is it something that would be applied in real life? Is it something that would be done with a brush?

For more ideas on how to curate a healthy lifestyle for yourself that’s fun and delivers results, keep reading here.

*contributed post*

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For most people, the reality of preparing for an emergency is not on their radar. Many of us put our heads in the sand and don't think that we need to prepare for these things, but it is far better for you to understand what emergencies can arise based on your daily lives, where you live, and a number of other variables. So what are some of the fundamentals that you need to ensure that you can thrive if an emergency ever comes up? 

A List of Important Numbers

From the number of a mobile locksmith to a towing company that can help you when the car breaks down, this is a very simple thing that can make a significant difference. When you have a list of the numbers you need in a crisis, it's a good idea to print it out on a piece of paper in case you do not have access to your phone. 

Making a Plan

A very simple way to ensure that you are going to be okay in an emergency is to make a plan, not just for you, but for any loved ones or vulnerable people. It's a good idea to arrange a meeting place in advance in case there are any potential hazards, this is especially important if you live in an area that's vulnerable to adverse weather conditions like tornadoes or hurricanes. 

Learn First Aid

Life-saving skills such as first aid or the Heimlich maneuver will be invaluable in those emergency situations. When we are in an emergency, we need to feel we have more control over the situation, and one of the biggest fears most people have, especially when out and about with loved ones like children, is not knowing what to do and feeling a sense of panic. This is where first aid is invaluable, because first aid has been proven countless times to be the thing that helps save someone's life. There are a variety of first aid courses available, and it is the perfect thing for you to do that gives you that extra sense of control and confidence when everything hits the fan. 

Pack a "Go Bag" 

Every different type of crisis requires different types of preparation. You need to know what type of disaster you will expect where you live, for example, wildfires, floods, or earthquakes. This means that, if you need to leave your home in a hurry, a go bag with an emergency kit that contains first aid supplies flashlights batteries, food and water, and maps is essential. Because if an emergency situation arises, you've got to react quickly, that time it takes to get some of the essentials together while you are panicking means you will very likely leave something behind. A go bag like this that you can check every so often will ensure that, whatever happens, you and your loved ones have supplies to last you a couple of days. 

There's a lot that we need to bear in mind when it comes to emergencies. Ensuring your home has the best safety features and having the supplies in place is part of the wider spectrum of your being prepared. Rather than putting your head in the sand, make sure that whatever emergency occurs, you are prepared.

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If you’ve spent a lot of time and money making your home look nice, then the last thing you want to do is ruin the effect by having the lace smell a little funky.

Luckily, there are lots of really simple things you can do to make your home smell better and better each day, including the following.

1. Open the windows

If you can open the windows in your home for at least one hour every day, it will enable you to release stale odors and let lots of lovely clean fresh air in, so this should be your starting point if you want your house to smell better.

2. Deal with pests

Pests leave droppings and droppings can cause your home to smell, so call in SWAT Wildlife if you have rats or raccoons or even birds who are getting into your property and causing a stink. The sooner the better.

3. Become best friends with baking soda

If you want to have a clean, fresh-smelling home then baking soda really is your best friend. You can open a box and leave it in the fridge to absorb food smells, sprinkle it on carpets to get rid of lingering odors, and so much more besides.

4. Invest in a diffuser

Aromatherapy diffusers are very simple gadgets that you fill with water and a few drops of your favourite essential oils. You then turn them on and they start emitting a mist of wonderful-smelling vapor that fills your home and makes it smell naturally wonderful. If you want your home not to just smell neutral, but to smell of lavender or orange or lemongrass, this is one gadget you will not want to do without.

5. Groom the dog

If you have pets, then keeping them clean and well-groomed will mean that your home doesn’t end up smelling doggy or catty or hamster-like, which is why it is so important to practice good pet hygiene.

6. Bake your own bread

Baking your own bread is a really good way to ensure that your home always smells amazing, because there is nothing better than the smell of baking, right? Not only that, but homemade bread is usually a lot more healthy than the stuff that you buy at the store, so you can kill two birds with one stone, so to speak.

7. Roast your own coffee beans

Buying and roasting your own coffee beans each morning is also a good way to infuse your home with rich, natural aromas, and it makes for a much more satisfying cup of coffee that it still likely to be cheaper than your usual takeout order, too.

8. Make stovetop potpourri

If you love the smell of potpourri, make your own y mixing herbs, spices, flowers, orange peels, and anything else you like in a pan of water and leaving it on the stove to simmer for as long as possible. It will fill the whole house with its scent.

Here's to a home, sweet-smelling, home!