Fashion & Beauty

Beat the Polar Vortex with these fab beauty finds

There are plenty of things to love about winter, but there’s simply nothing pretty about a “polar vortex.”

“Everyone hates winter,” declares Claire Distenfeld, the 28-year-old founder of Upper East Side boutique Fivestory. “It dries out your skin, there’s never enough moisturizer — ever. It dries out your hands, it makes your hair frizzy. I could go on and on,” she gripes.

It’s a common battle cry wailed by every woman who’s weathered a New York winter — but you don’t need to crawl under a blanket and hibernate until spring. Thanks to a glut of ultra-hydrating, ridiculously rich beauty products on the market, you no longer need to worry about your skin cracking, your lips chapping or your hair frizzing in the blistering cold. We spoke to six beauty experts for their tips on how to beat the winter beauty blues.

Ann Colville Somma

(L)Cult of Pretty blogger Ann Colville Somma (R) Oscar Blandi dry conditionerWireImage

“I use a leave-in conditioner to tame flyaways and minimize static,” says Somma, the voice behind the beauty blog cultofpretty.com. Her suggestion?

Oscar Blandi’s new dry conditioner: “It adds weightless shine and moisture without making your hair damp or oily.”

Oscar Blandi dry conditioner, $25 at sephora.com

Claire Distenfeld

(L) Fivestory founder Claire Distenfeld (R) La Mer moisturizing creamGetty Images, Richard Pierce

While hair is certainly a headache, skin is cold weather’s biggest casualty by far.

“I bit the bullet and got La Mer products,” says Distenfeld, the founder of Upper East Side boutique Fivestory. “You always go, ‘No, the products that cost a lot are probably not that much better.’ But I just went for it, and they’re awesome.”

Moisturizing cream, $285 (2 oz.) at cremedelamer.com

Hannah Bronfman

(L) DJ Hannah Bronfman (R) Kiehl’s coconut lip balmChristopher Starbody

It’s important to remember good health and hydration start from the inside.

“A big problem a lot of people have during winter is eating really heavy foods, so they’re left feeling bloated and lethargic,” says Bronfman, the Seagram heiress, DJ and It girl who channeled her enterprising genes into co-founding Beautified, a mobile app that helps users score last-minute salon and spa appointments.

“My remedy is to eat coconut everything. It improves digestion, gives you energy, tastes great and is super hydrating.” Dabble this balm on your lips for a moisturizing — and yummy — taste of summer.

Scented coconut lip balm, $9 at kiehls.com

Gabrielle Korn

(L) Refinery29.com beauty assistant Gabrielle Korn (R) Thirstymud hydrating treatmentRockie Nolan

Korn, a beauty assistant at fashion blog refinery29.com, says an over-night treatment can work wonders.

“Thirstymud is a night mask, so it’s a little bit heavier than a night cream,” she says. “It’s both hydrating and calming, so it gets rid of dry patches and the redness … And, in less scientific terms, it smells great.”

Thirstymud Hydrating Treatment, $69 at glamglowmud.com

Kim France

(L) Lucky magazine’s founding editor Kim France (R) Josie Maran argan oilWireImage

France — who served as founding editor-in-chief of Lucky magazine and currently writes for her beauty and style blog girls-ofacertainage.com — advocates daily cleansing and nurturing with oil-based remedies such as Josie Maran’s 100 percent argan oil treatment. During dark winter days, she finds salvation in Maran’s bronzing argan oil.

“It makes you feel so much better about yourself,” says France. “You just have to go out and find [a bronzing oil] that’s good for your skin tone, because the wrong one is really bad.” Essentially, fake it till you make it … to summer.

Josie Maran argan oil, $66 at qvc.com

Polly Blitzer

Polly Blitzer recommends John Frieda Frizz Ease nourishing oil to give hair a glossy, smooth feeling.WireImage

Blitzer, founder of beauty site beautyblitz.com, says to wash hair no more than twice per week, so you don’t strip follicles of essential oils. “Sometimes I just shampoo the hairline and cover the rest with a shower cap,” says Blitzer. When it comes to renourishment, she says, “I’ve been using the new John Frieda Frizz Ease nourishing oil elixir, made with argan oil, when my hair is damp. It adds light hydration and gives hair a glossy, smooth feeling.”

John Frieda Frizz Ease nourishing oil elixir, $9.99 at drugstores