Winter Thriving Guide: How to Survive the Winter Uglies
Written By: Hannah Corbett
I couldn’t help but wonder—why does winter feel like a bad breakup? One minute, we’re glowing from our summer tan, and the next we’re ghosted by the sun, left alone with our seasonal depression and a puffer coat that makes us look like a sentient marshmallow.
Winter is when I lose my charm. The streets turn slushy, the wind is personally offensive, and somehow, your reflection always looks… gray. It’s what we’re calling Winter Uglies—that period after the holidays and where everything feels a little lackluster. You’ve worn your favorite sweater twenty times, and you’re ready for summer wear. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned, it’s that winter is not just about survival. It’s about getting ready for the next season.
When winter threatens to turn you into a hibernating gremlin, throw on your winter wardrobe. As much as we want those mini skirts, your fur coat will soon be thrown to the back of the closet. Get re-inspired with your clothes. Look at them in a new way, and style them like you haven't before. Nothing puts me in a better mood than a cute matching set, better yet, a sweater set. You can't wear loungewear all day in the summer, so this one is a pro, amongst the many, many cons.
You wake up to darkness, you leave work in darkness, and somewhere in between, your office’s fluorescent lights reveal your under eye bags. The solution? Self tan. My favorite is loving tan 2 Hour Express Self Tanning Mousse. And I love to add tan-luxe illuminating self-tan drops for that extra tan for my face, so even without my makeup I wake up not scaring myself in the mirror.
Something else that I am spending a little extra time on this winter is my hair care. In the summer, being in the sun, in and out of the oceans, salt water, and chlorine pools, my hair gets dry and dull. So I'm trying my best to make it the healthiest I possibly can, and continuing that throughout the summer as well. I’ve seen a lot of people talk about how expensive hair care like Olaplex hurts their hair more than helps and I couldn't agree more. I saw a significant difference in my hair texture after using olaplex for about a year. So I turned back to my roots. OGX Argan Oil of Morocco. Truly, the best my natural hair has been in years! And the healthiest my hair has been when I use heat on it. Besides trading my shampoo and conditioner, I’ve been using day and night hair oil. In the morning I use Odele hair oil, and at night OGX hair oil. Sue me, I sleep with my hair wet. BUT, I always use Ouai leave-in conditioner spray.
One day, the sun will return, I keep telling myself that at least. The sidewalks will dry, and you’ll remember what your ankles look like. Until then, I'm trying to romanticize the struggle, dress the part, and for the love of all things chic—moisturize.