Winter-proof in 5 steps

The smell is hanging in the air. This morning as I cycled to work I realised that my trench-coat was not quite warm enough, so I’ll be dropping my winter coat off at the dry cleaners to get it ready for a new season.

I’m looking forward to the open fire (at my parents house), having a warm bath in the evenings with lots of bubbles and candles along the edge (also at my parents, cause I don’t have a bath), homemade gluhwein, thick knitted socks, mistletoe, presents under the tree and secretly sitting on my couch with Uggs on (mine). Winter is a-coming, whether you like it or not. The following things will make sure you are winter-proof and make those cold, dark days a bit more bearable.

Aside from already having a bag of sidewalk salt and a shovel in house (although I assume that a man will help me scrape my snowy stoop clean), there are a few other things that you need to prepare for winter.

Treat yourself to a day out at Skins Cosmetics and buy a lovely winter scented candle from Diptique. ‘Feu de Bois’  smells just like a crackling open fire and is wonderful for cold days.

I can never get used to waking up in the dark. The Phillips wake up light makes it a little easier. About a half hour before your alarm goes off, it slowly starts getting lighter and brighter. When your alarm eventually does go off you could choose for the good old radio, the good old alarm sound (make sure you don’t oversleep), if you want to hang on to summer for a little longer, you could choose for birdsong or the sound of sea. That is a chilled way of waking up.

Buy a big pot of moisturising body lotion to smear your arms and legs in every morning. Your skin needs more nourishment in winter otherwise it dries out quickly and you get scaly legs. You can’t start early enough with prevention.

Chilly weather also causes dry lips and dry skin. Buy a lip balm and keep it with you. Eight hour cream from Elizabeth Arden is a classic but not everyone likes the smell. Chanel and La Prairie also have a really good one.

Cold can make you grumpy, so be sure to keep warm. Invest in a good (thick) winter jacket. Mine seriously cost a fortune, but no drop of wind gets through and it will last for a few years. The same goes for jumpers. Buy real wool, not those fake synthetic things. They help far less against the cold and we want the real thing right?