Snow and skin care in New York

No going out for the flip flops!

The thing I love about living in the Northern Hemisphere is the seasons, although there doesn't seem to be much of a variation some years! I love New York at any time whether it's scorching hot or freezing cold. Being February it was bound to be cold and as I've said in a previous post, it has been known to be spring like in January so anything is possible! However, this year the winter has been a bitterly cold one.

In the weeks prior to my arrival the temperatures had been extreme with snow storms and ice threatening to disrupt travel plans and the Super Bowl. I was lucky as it had calmed down and when I arrived it felt relatively mild .. and apart from a few mounds of leftover snow drifts most of it had gone and I had an easy transportation into New York City.

If you have read the previous post to this you will already know that my first day was working at Super Bowl but once that was over I could look forward to nine days of fun in my favorite city with good friends.

Carl Schurz Park

Dog walkers with their pack

Waking up on the morning of my first day off I looked out of the window and saw it was snowing heavily. I love the snow and was not deterred from going out. New Yorkers know how to deal with it too .. people were already out clearing the sidewalks and garbage trucks doubled as snow plows to clear the roads so traffic could function as well as possible. People carried on as normal and were out with their dogs .. some with custom coats and booties - the dogs that is! I even saw a cute little pooch with a black leather jacket obviously made to measure! It helps to have the right gear yourself and as long as you wear layers and have a good coat and some snow boots, or in my case boots with yak trax attached, you can plow through the ice and snow with abandon! (I highly recommend having some of these on hand anyway as you never know when you might need them.) I particularly loved walking through the park .. the fresh snow brings a sound of silence (except for the crunching underfoot) and a freshness in the air that for me has a real feel good factor. 

The one downside is that the freezing cold air really does play havoc with your facial skin specially when you have been in an environment with warm dry centrally heated air indoors! My skin felt dry and dehydrated even though I was drinking copious amounts of water and moisturizing profusely! One morning I decided to give myself a DIY facial using skin Chemists Rapid Facial. It's a real luxury item and not cheap (£117) but you only need a small amount at a time and I found it really gave my skin a healthy glow and made it feel smooth and soft again. Unlike other 'face masks' I've tried before it does not dry to a hard feels-like-your-face-will-crack-if-you-smile finish and it just requires a gentle rub as you exfoliate and wash it away with warm water.

My next posting will be about exploring the East Village and the fab restaurants and shows I was lucky enough to attend!