$20.05 for that dewy summer face in winter - a cheap daily spa?

In the summer, I get some decent color in my face and have something of a "rosy glow" naturally.

Come winter, my pale, colorless skin starts to show a lot of imperfections, not the least of which is skin so dry it sometimes flakes off around my mouth - how appetizing for anyone I'm lunching with;-).

If you are 20 and have naturally dewy skin, you probably don't need to read these tips. If you're in some lovely, moist tropical climate and don't deal with five sunless months of furnace heat blasting your face in your house and car, you can skip this.;-) But for anyone else from Canada to the Upper Peninsula and past your first two decades of life, here are some ideas you might enjoy.

Yesterday, I had some time due to an appointment, and brought with me a stack of magazines from my free magazine exchange to skim. I was really happy with the following ideas, all from the May 2009 edition of More.

1. Moisturize in layers -

For maximum plumping, follow your regular lotion with a heavy cream or facial oil. "On really bad beauty days, I put on oil and wait an hour before looking in the mirror," admits makeup artist Bobbi Brown.

For this, I stopped at Walmart yesterday and bought Noah's Naturals anti-aging Gel Serum for $8.57. It should last most of the winter. I slathered it on last night and lo and behold, my face was much less dry looking and more moist looking this morning! But if you have really oily skin, this may not be such a good idea.

2. Put on two layers of moisturizer.

Apply one before the foundation, then pat on a second, very light coat over your makeup. "This gives your skin a dewy finish and an extra dose of hydration." says Audrey Kunin, MD, a dermatologist from Kansas City.

I'd never heard of doing this OVER foundation, but I tried it last night since I was going to a friend's place, and braving 50 degree weather to get there, and sure enough, it did help keep my skin looking moist. I use the equate version of Oil of Olay. An aside, Oil of Olay products are some of the best buys in lotions because they are every bit as good as many of the far more expensive brands at least according to several magazine articles I've come across. Now as they advertise in those magazines, I don't know exactly how disinterested those comparisons are, but I'm pretty sure I read the same thing in the book, "Don't go to the makeup/skincare counter without me". I forget the exact title, but the author had done an independent assessment of a lot of beauty products. And one other tip from a magazine, never bother to buy a moisturizer that doesn't also contain sunscreen.

I don't have the receipt of the moisturizer, but I'm pretty sure it is about $5.58, so I will round up to $6.00.

3. Go Golden - Use Bronzer

"Skin loses pigment and radiance as you age so either switch to a foundation with a warmer hint, add a drop of liquid bronzer to your favorite foundation, or make bronzing powder part of your makeup regimen," says Sandy Linter, a consulting makeup artist for Lancome.

And I did see the power of bronzer once demonstrated on a cruise ship. My husband and I took a winter cruise one year and they had a free makeup session. What it turned out to consist of was three beauty consultants slathering on bronzer to many pale-skinned midwestern vacationers escaping winter's January chill to Mexico. And I must say, in each case, it did seem to bring some warmth to those faces. So I figured, what the heck, let's try it for the winter. Much cheaper and way better for the skin than a tanning bed. The bronzer I got had a blush on the opposite side of the compact, which is also said to brighten not-so-radiant skin when put on the apples of the cheeks. Cost for bronzer/blusher compact $11.48.

Used sparingly, these products should get me to the first gentle, welcome April showers. May you glow with radiance, both internal and via Physicians Formula, all winter long;-).