some winter shine

so, heading into the worst winter months i am thinking about what little things i can do to tweak my quickly greying appearance and help me keep up my morale and so far these are the winners:

What: JK Jemma Kidd Year Round Body Glow
Where: Target, $25
Why: Because it imparts a beautiful glow to skin, reflecting light and adding luster. Mind you, I said glow, not tan, which means it is color free and works for all skin tones. Woop!

What: Stila Convertible Color in one of the Brightest Shades like Poppy or Gladiola (below)
Where: Sephora, $24
Why: Because the bright nature of these add life to the grey pallor of winter skin. They can be used on cheeks and lips which means you don't have to waste time trying to match such strong colors to your other cosmetics-you just need a swipe of defining mascara and voila! Also, these shades are much stronger in the compact so DON'T BE AFRAID. When you put them on they look like a beautiful version of wind-burnt skin without the actual wind and burning.

What: A Hair Glaze
Where: Drugstores, $9
Why: Because sometimes all your hair needs is a little kick to combat winter dryness and static. A colored glaze will punch up your color by depositing a teeny bit of pigment to your hair to make your color deeper. Or you can go for a clear gloss which will seal your cuticle and add a ton of shine. It will bring attention to the life in your locks and make a great contrast for the brightness of the makeup above.

What: Whitening Strips, $24
Where: Drugstores, $24
Why: Because you had too much wine over the holidays, first of all, admit it. Secondly, because brightening your teeth right now when all other color has left your face gives your look a pretty and natural focal point. And it will make you want to smile more which actually boosts your mood whether you are happy or not. This is science people. (Note: I prefer Rembrandt products bc all of them are enamel building in addition to being whitening but any whitening product will work).

What: The brightest shirt you can find. 

Where: This one is from Spiegel, $29

Why: Because try as we might we can't always fake life in winter hair and skin but you can fake it with your clothing. Adding a bright color is surprising against all those winter greys and reflects color back onto your skin.

What: A Cape
Where: American Apparel, $159
Why: Because it will keep you warm, you are basically walking around in blanket but you won't look like a vagrant while you do it. But also bc adding a cape as a topper adds visual interest to anything you are wearing, you can have the world's ugliest Christmas Sweater under that cape and you would still look like the chicest girl in the room. However, if you want to up the ante imagine the chartreuse top above peeking out of it with poppy colored lips and cheeks and shining hair and teeth...just fantastic.