All this talk about subtle ways to improve one's lifestyle (also dubbed the "winter arc" trend on TikTok) has me wondering what small things I could do to improve my beauty routine without cancelling out all the hard work I've done over the year to get into good habits. One of the best ways I like to revamp my product lineup is by identifying the things I love the most about products I've tested over the last year: whether its how the texture of a hair gel feels on my scalp or the long wear time of a scent as I dash around the busy streets of New York City.
I combed through endless screenshots of products that stood out to me and pulled them together to create my official winter arc edit in hopes that it will propel me into the New Year with a fresh outlook on my beauty routine, and I'm sharing them with you below! Because, who knows? You may spot something here that could inspire your personal spin on the "winter arc" trend.
My Winter Arc Must-Haves
1. Skincare
Omorovicza
Queen of Hungary Mist
I'm experiencing my first East Coast winter as an NYC resident and can personally testify to how much the sudden drop in temperature has dried out my skin. To help restore and lock in hydration, I've started to spritz my face at the end of my skincare routine with this Omorovicza healing concentrate for a refreshing pick-me-up.
Customer Review: "This mist is absolutely beautiful. It’s a fine mist, and it smells like a spa and neroli and rose—my skin loves it. I would definitely recommend it."
Éminence
Strawberry Rhubarb Hyaluronic Serum
My last facialist at the Gene Juarez Salon & Spa used this brightening and hydrating hyaluronic serum to zap some life back into my complexion, so I've been obsessed with it ever since then. It's infused with plant-derived hyaluronic acid for plumpness, and salicylic acid gently removes debris from your pores.
Customer Review: "I ran out for a week and will never do that again! It makes such a difference in the hydration of my skin, and my wrinkles have diminished so much since I started using it in December."
Chantecaille
Hibiscus Smoothing Mask
Admittedly, this is the first face mask I've used with revitalizing hibiscus at its heart, but Chantecaille's Hibiscus Smoothing Mask has won me over. The mask is infused with extracts of papaya and fresh grapefruit as well as hibiscus-derived flower acids that deliver smoother, brighter skin after just one use. I like to applying a generous amount of it to my skin before sponging it off with lukewarm water.
Customer Review: "I saw brighter more radiant results after the first use! I use this gentle yet effective mask twice a week. You can feel it activating, yet it is not harsh. Lovely scent and texture. Great quality like all Chantecaille products."
Peter Thomas Roth
Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel
Did you know that with the right product, you can do a facial peel daily? The Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel by Peter Thomas Roth is a two-step AHA/BHA peel pad pre-dosed with five acids and 12 antioxidant that I've noticed visibly smooths away skin texture while shrinking the appearance of fine lines and pores. It's formulated with some of my favorite skin-loving ingredients like resveratrol, green tea extract, and glycolic acid.
Customer Review: "After using this product for 10 days (I had a 10 day sample), I am in love with the results. Smaller pores, gentle exfoliation, brighter skin and easy to use. I went and purchased the full size the day I ran out of samples."
2. Bodycare
Nécessaire
The Body Peel Resurfacing Treatment
Speaking of peels, I've been loving the results from Nécessaire's The Body Peel Resurfacing Treatment. The brand's daily 12% acid peel is clinically proven to treat everything from KP and ingrowns to strawberry skin and discoloration on my legs and abdomen. In addition to helping resurface the skin, it also promotes skin cell renewal and visibly clams irritated skin. My only qualm with this product is that it doesn't come in a bigger size!
Customer Review: "I’d give this 100 stars if I could! I’ll never be without this product. As someone with KP, this is an absolute must. I’ve struggled with my bumpy arms for years and years and now they’re finally smooth!"
Aesop
A Rose by Any Other Name Body Cleanser
You can never have too many body cleansers in your collection—at least that's what I've heard! One of my go-tos is the A Rose by Any Other Name Body Cleanser by Aesop, which has an aromatic formula that cleanses and hydrates the skin with rose petal oil and a medley of other skin-softening botanical extracts. The scent that's left behind is also amazing with warm and spicy notes of notes of rose, black pepper, and cardamom.
Customer Review: "A good non-drying body wash. I don't like the scent of rose in body products, and this one is pleasant because it's lightly scented and not too sweet like roses because of other ingredients that neutralize the sweetness."
First Aid Beauty
KP Bump Eraser Body Scrub
Another product I use to combat KP is this award-winning body scrub by First Aid Beauty. Using pumice buffing beads and bisabolol in addition to glycolic and lactic acids, this product works overtime to resurface the skin by sweeping away dry, rough bumps for glowy, healthy-looking skin. It's also gentle enough for use on sensitive skin like mine.
Customer Review: "If you have strawberry skin or KP this is a must have for you. It has worked wonders for my skin and always leaves my skin feeling smooth. I use this once to twice a week on my legs before shaving! I have purchased this product multiple times and love it!"
Soft Services
Speed Soak Skin Rehydrating Gel
When I'm short on time but still want to deliver deep hydration to my skin after I hop out of the shower, I slather on this hydrating gel. It differs from your standard body creams because it instantly absorbs into the skin in seconds, flushing the skin with a formula filled to the brim with skin-loving ingredients to reinforce the skin barrier against water loss. I especially love how it leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth, and far from sticky.
Customer Review: "A perfectly light body lotion. This is what I wish my skin’s baseline moisture level was. And it really requires no [dry] down time between application and getting dressed."
3. Haircare
Olaplex
No.5 Moisturize & Mend Leave-In Conditioner
When I went to get my last silk press, my hairstylist flagged the number of split ends. I got a trim but decided to add this leave-in conditioner to my curly washday routine. Since then I've noticed a lot fewer split ends, and my strands feel a lot stronger thanks to the conditioner's unique Bond Building Technology and High-Adhesion Sealing Complex. All in all, this one's a 5/5 for me.
Customer Review: "The best new product from Olaplex. This has 100% become my go to leave in. It smells great, is super hydrating and it even works as a heat protectant! 10/10 would recommend for my curly girls"
Davines
OI All In One Milk
It's no secret I'm a huge fan of hair products that can do everything I need in a single step. Davines OI All in One Milk is one of the best because it's a leave-in treatment that controls frizz, adds hydration, prevents heat damage, and softens the strands for a smooth and shiny finish. Its formula is infused with roucou oil, which protects the hair using beta-carotene and antioxidants.
Customer Review: "I've been using the OI All In One Milk for a while now, and it's truly a holy grail product for me. My hair tends to be frizzy and difficult to manage, especially in humid weather, but this product has been a game-changer."
Color Wow
Dream Coat for Curly Hair
While I've been seeing Color Wow's Dream Coat for the past few months, I recently discovered the popular product now has a formula designed for those of us with curls and coils. It's a lightweight, all-in-one curl styler for crunch-free, defined results with conditioning proprietary tri-polymer complex, moisturizing hydrolyzed keratin, and hydration locking glycerin.
Customer Review: "I originally got this at my salon, and it is a staple in my bathroom now! Don’t be afraid to really spray your hair down with it. If you’re looking to plump up your dull curls this is it!"
Curlsmith
Hydro Style Flexi Hair Jelly
Before I head into the next year, one of my goals is to get some practice in styling my curls when they're out of protective styles. The Curlsmith Hydro Style Flexi Hair Jelly has made the biggest difference in cutting down on the time it takes to set my two-strand twists for bouncy, defined curls the next day. It also helps minimize scalp buildup and leaves no crusty mess on my strands while offering medium hold.
Customer Review: "I spent a lot of time browsing curly hair products and then I bought a couple of minis to try. This was the winner and I'm back to buy a full size of this hair jelly because it really adds beautiful definition and shine to my curls!"
4. Fragrance
Jouissance
Les Cahiers Secrets Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: warm spices
Key Notes: fresh-cut lilies, cumin, pressed powder, heliotrope, orris, musk
One of my biggest goals of 2024 was to open up my fragrance collection to scent profiles that still smell like me but with something unexpected sprinkled in. The Les Cahiers Secrets Eau de Parfum by Jouissance hits the nail right on the head with a second skin–like base backed by warm spices. To me, the star note has to be the delicate and sweet fresh-cut lilies.
Customer Review: "Les Cahiers Secrets is a subtle caress, spilled face powder, lipstick on starched collars, tangled silk sheets."
Byredo
Bal d'Afrique Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: gourmand floral
Key Notes: bergamot, African marigold, bucchu, violet, cyclamen, vetiver, Moroccan cedarwood
Every winter, I come back to Byredo's Bal d'Afrique as my daily fragrance to wear alone or layer with my other top picks. Its enchanting combination of bergamot, African marigold, violet, and Moroccan cedarwood are just too good. I can't imagine switching this sweetly sensual scent for another anytime soon. So, yes, it really is that good.
Customer Review: "This is one of the best perfumes I own. It just blends smoothly on me. It is so comfortable as well as surprising. Never bores me. It’s sweet in a same time warm and woody. I like how it is reminds itself through the day with different notes. I love it hot sunny days as well as crisp freezing evenings. It is staple of my fragrance wardrobe."
Aesop
Virere Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: citrus woods
Key Notes: galbanum, petit grain, bergamot, green tea, mastic, pink pepper, cedar, green maté, hay
I first tried this Aesop fragrance as the last slow days of summer came to a close, but I'm fully planning on wearing throughout the colder months. While there is certainly something inexplicably warm and solar about it, the scent's lighter, more floral notes are backed by the aromatic energy of hard-hitting scents like pink pepper, cedar, and hay that really capture my attention. I'm planning on stocking up on this one and wearing it year-round!
Customer Review: "I adore this new Aesop fragrance. Vivere takes me on an olfactory journey. On me, it evolves from fresh fig leaves notes to a sweet floral experience."
Gabar
02 Ground Eau de Parfum
Scent Type: olfactory woods
Key Notes: oud, sandalwood, cedarwood, saffron, pink pepper, vetiver, and musk
What's more grounding than a scent that envelopes you from the get-go with cozy oud, cedarwood, pink pepper, and a whisper of musk? Gabar's 02 Ground Eau de Parfum is exactly the scent I've been after for the past few months—warm, inviting, and elegant.
Customer Review: "Very well executed fragrance. The wood and green scents combined with a seamless touch of fig that makes everything work together. Good longevity that last enough for the work day or event you'd attend. I loved this fragrance and will be a permanent on my collection."
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