I think we are entering a lovely time of year. The days are colder but can be so bright. It is great to recall old reliable from the back of the wardrobe and give them a fashionable lift with the purchase of a new accessory. Make up becomes autumnal tinged with the rich coffee and gold shades of eye shadows that are in. These are always easier wear than the often harsh fun colours of summer time so it is easier to look better too. We tend to nurture ourselves more through diet and skin care routines once school is back which guarantees a fresher, brighter you. So here are the little tips and methods I am using to reinvent myself for the new season!

Tip 1 = Controlling harsh car heat!

Oh I know, you get into the old motor on a frosty October morn unsure that all your fingers are still attached to you. So the heat is turned up, the air conditioning is full on and the skin is drying out! When you are in an artificially warm environment your skin actually gives out its own moisture to try and rebalance the temperature of its local air. Isn't it fascinating how our skin tries to protect itself! As a result of this moisture loss, known as "environmental assault" a person can develop environmentally sensitized skin. This is quite a new phenonomen in the skin care world and I am only seeing clients coming in for help with this in the last 6 years. Maybe we did not have such sophisticated heating systems in our cars before or spend as much time in them to suffer this painful skin reaction. The tell tale signs of excess car heat are a slight burning sensation with areas of redness and roughness on the face or body. I use a product to prevent this happening to me every morning and night time and it is a gem. This product, 3 drops of which I mix into my moisturiser, is called Gentle Soothing Booster and contains red raspberry extract which is known for helping restore strength to vein walls so it prevents blushing and broken veins on the delicate nose and cheek area. The reason it helps against the car heat syndrome is that it is fortified with honey which restores natural moisture levels. Having said that, prevention is always more desirable than cure so I would rather wear my scarf and gloves in the car than have my car heat up high!

Tip 2 = Warm drinks are great, healthy ones are best!

It is so easy to have a third latte on a day when rain seems to time itself to pour just as you decide to stick a toe outside the door. However be strong reader. Have you tried White Tea yet? It is a tonic for your skin as it is packed with antioxidants which act as a shield lining your skin that free radicals (such as dust from your car engine coming through that heater) bounce away from, and premature aging is prevented. Every adult would benefit from an afternoon cup of White or its less effective but still excellent sister Green Tea.

Tip 3 = Cold Drinks can leave you Cold!

It may not sound like Einstein material but I offer it to you none the less.
Cold Day + Cold Drinks = Cold Stomach
With a new season comes new ways of doing things. More than ever we need our two litres of still water every day but where as in summer an icy mineral water did the trick, come autumn time that needs to alter to a room temperature version. I believe drinking cold water this time of year can make your bladder work overtime and as we go from warmth to cold a lot unavoidably in the day at least we can try to keep our inner temperature more balanced.

Tip 4 = Avoid Water Retention

So many female clients complain to me about retaining water and feeling bloated and it is fairly avoidable. If you find that you work 5 days a week in a structured environment, for example an office and are very disciplined in consuming your required water intake every day but come the weekend this water intake either goes out the window or is substituted with vodka , chances are you are a water retainer! Big deal you might say! Well, I do not want to weigh 3 or 4 pounds more than I actually do and I definitely do not want water melon like ankles!

The reason water retention happens is because every cell of your body has a memory.

If you drink water brilliantly for three days but have none on the fourth your cells think, ok, we are in a drought scenario here, code bloat! Yes your body holds on to every drop you have drank because it is intelligent enough to remember last week when no water arrived on Saturday!

This same memory can be retrained thankfully. If you commit to drinking the same amount of water for a month you will break the retention cycle. You might find also by doing this that your body will retrain you to want this water daily and so it becomes less of a chore to drink. For those who find it to difficult to master, drinking a cup of Dandelion Tea has a great diuretic effect on the body which helps eliminate unwanted fluid.

Tip 5 = Nurture Yourself with Wholesome Foods

What better way to make your hair, skin and nails radiate with health than to make healthy foods your fuel of choice. This is the season to eat wholesome, warm foods like porridge, soups and vegetables. Try to give bread a break. When you are adventurous with your vegetables your skin will thank you for it. Diversity in the diet keeps the body fresh so it is a worthy goal to try and not eat the same food with in a 72 hour time frame. It is not easy to do but does encourage you to develop a healthier palate. This week I have made room for edamame soya beans in my diet as I will get more benefit out of my broccoli by not making it my daily vegetable.

Tip 6 = Exfoliate away the old, welcome the new!

Using an exfoliator in winter is a must as dried out dead skin cells do not fall off as freely as they shed in summer time. As a result your face can look tired and dull coloured. For women I would recommend Daily Resurfacer, a dynamic leave-on exfoliating treatment that you wear to bed. I find most people actually only need to use this twice a week and on the night before special occasions. Men can benefit from using Skin Prep Scrub on their entire face and neck before shaving to release ingrown hairs and prepare their skin to absorb moisturiser better. A body polishing treatment is great to use weekly on the entire body and always follow this with a good quality body moisturiser.

Tip 7 = New Make Up, New You

Eyes are turning sultry this season with Clinique having brought out a must have eye shadow called "Midnight". This is a matt black shadow which might seem a strange choice but will benefit all ages. When used on the outer socket of the eye, near the lash line what it achieves is that it makes the eye shadow on the rest of your eye look a shade lighter making eyes wider, bigger and warmer. It can be used very subtly by using a tiny bit or you can go for night time glamour with a heavier application.

Blusher is as big as ever so make sure you have chosen the correct shade for your skin. Always go into buy blusher wearing foundation so you can test it on your skin and see if you have the desired look of youthful flush as opposed to stressed and overheated!

Lips are staying vibrant with scarlet lips hitting the catwalks. This look is only suitable to those blessed with white, perfect teeth as all attention is drawn to the mouth area. A less dramatic and still lovely version of this is to go with the safer brown/ reddish shades and put a tiny bit of brighter gloss on the middle of your lips only. It looks fashionable without being garish.

Tip 8 = Use a richer moisturiser

As the weather gets colder it is a good idea to either move to a richer moisturiser or use your current one more often. I would highly recommend that every person needs to be moisturising twice a day. Moisturising masks are an easy way of keeping your skin looking its best too. For people who exercise outside a lot in all seasons a sealant for your moisturiser is a wise investment. Look for a water free product as it will last a lot longer on the skin. I use one called Barrier Repair and apply a pea size over my moisturiser to keep my face and neck balanced.

I hope my tips will help you look your very best this season. Thank you for reading.