Ditch New Year blues and take a little me time with calming products to help you beat SAD — that’s seasonal affective disorder
Even making small changes to your daily beauty regime can lift your mood and make you feel more confident this New Year
ARE you struggling to shake off the January blues?
After the Christmas blowout, your bank balance may be grim, those jeans are more of a squeeze – and spring is still a long way off.
One in three people aged 24 to 35 is likely to suffer from seasonal affective disorder around this time of year, with women more likely to be affected by it than men.
Take time out and make plans just for yourself.
Even making small changes to your daily beauty regime can lift your mood, make you feel more confident and have the spirit to say #IAMFABULOUS.
Acting Beauty Editor SOPHIE BRONSTEIN reveals how to do it.
Bath
Soothe away the winter blues with a relaxing, indulgent soak.
Cancel plans, get the kids looked after elsewhere and chill out the atmosphere.
Light a candle, put on some music or grab your favourite book to make the most of your me-time in the bath tub.
Cowshed Moody Cow balancing bath and shower gel (£18, ) is packed with rose geranium, ylang ylang and frankincense, a blend that will lift a low mood while cleansing your skin.
The Ritual Of Ayurveda bath foam (£13.50, ) combines Indian rose with Himalayan honey, both known as mood-boosters. They moisturise too.
And the Body Shop Spa Of The World Balkan Juniper bath and shower gel (£7, ) features juniper fruit oil and Ethiopian honey to leave you fresh as a daisy and ready for whatever winter throws at you.
- Cowshed Moody Cow balancing bath and shower gel, £18 from cowshed.com —
- The Ritual Of Ayurveda bath foam, £13.50 from rituals.com —
- Body Shop Spa Of The World Balkan Juniper bath and shower gel, £7 from Body Shop —
Pamper
What feels better than being pampered from head to toe?
If you are using products with ingredients known to lift your mood, it is a win-win. First things first. Light a Sainsbury’s Home Rural Retreat cedarwood & spiced plum candle (£4.50, ).
The uplifting cedarwood will have you refreshed with every sniff.
Leahlani’s Champagne Serum (£37, ) is like happy hour for your skin. Its cocktail of chardonnay grapeseed oil and tea antioxidants will help sort out confused complexions, while the relaxing aroma can help you with any unbalanced feelings, too.
Slather your body with Neom Organics Great Day body and hand lotion (£20, ). It is brimming with mint and mandarin – both known to lift low moods.
- Sainsbury’s Home Rural Retreat cedarwood & spiced plum candle, £4.50 from Sainsbury's —
- Leahlani’s Champagne Serum, £37 from Cult Beauty —
- Neom Organics Great Day body and hand lotion, £20 from neomorganics.com —
Make-up
Some colours are proven to lift your mood – including orange, green and red.
Why not incorporate these winter-friendly brights into your make-up regime, for a happy face all day long?
Bring the warmth of summer to your complexion with Revolution Re-Loaded Palette Newtrals 2 (£4, ).
With burnt oranges and deep reds, the palette includes matte and shimmering shades to instantly give you a glow.
It is the oldest trick in the book – if you are looking and feeling a bit dull, put on lippy to feel alive.
Try the MAC Matte Lipstick in Marrakesh (£17.50, ).
Feel serene with green and use NYX retractable eye liner in aqua green (£5.50, ).
It may be a little outside your comfort zone, but a bit of experimenting is sure to brighten up your day.
- Revolution Re-Loaded Palette Newtrals 2, £4 from Beauty Bay —
- MAC Matte Lipstick in Marrakesh, £17.50 from Mac Cosmetics —
- NYX retractable eye liner in aqua green, £5.50 from Boots —
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Snooze
Energy and happiness is often dictated for the day ahead by the quality of sleep you get.
To wake up with a radiant complexion that will boost your confidence, catch some serious Zs as skin renews while we sleep.
Before bed, cover yourself in Sanctuary Sleep Relaxing Body Butter (£11, ) and let the scent of its midnight flowers, sweet almond and lavender oils calm your senses. Lavender, vetivert and camomile can get you in the mood for bed.
They work wonders on dry hair, too.
Try a drop of This Works Sleep Plus Hair Elixir (£25, ) on parched ends before hitting the sack and let the solution get to work as you rest.
Try a few spritzes of Boots Sleepeaze Pillow Mist Lavender (£5.99, ) as you hop in to bed. It is full of calming aromas.
- Sanctuary Sleep Relaxing Body Butter, £11 from Superdrug —
- This Works Sleep Plus Hair Elixir, £25 from This Works —
- Boots Sleepeaze Pillow Mist Lavender, £5.99 from Boots —
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