Need to sort out my winter mum style... help please!

[Spudlet]

Preferably for as little as possible

I mention the mum thing as I have a dc of almost two, who never stops and believes in being outdoors as often as possible, so all clothing must be machine washable, hardwearing, and give some weatherproofing! We cycle to lots of places, so skirts are out, mostly. And we live in the country so mud is a thing for us.

Basically I would like to nail the 'breezy, rural, wholesomely tousled' look. But mostly I fear I look frazzled and weatherbeaten I have a tendency to shiny skin, but any mattifying make up seems to send me too far the other way and makes me look flakey, almost. I wear waterproof mascara (red head, without mascara I basically have no eyelashes), tinted moisturiser with spf, lip balm and eyebrow pencil.

Hair is a longish bob, which I try to blow dry most days. I need to be able to scrape it back on blustery days so can't go too short, but too long and floppy is not a good look for me.

I just bought the boots pictured as practical yet (hopefully a bit) stylish rural running about boots, and I am a fan of black skinny jeans and oversized jumpers... I'd just like to look relatively pulled together. You know? I often feel so messy! Our house is inevitably freezing in winter too, so I end up bundling myself up like a yeti. I would like to feel nice...

So that's a ramble, but basically could you please suggest some nice looks for me to copy, and sources of cosy cut price knitwear? Marvellous make up? Hurricane resistant hair products?

Thank you 😊

I love the sound of your lifestyle and the sort of look you're going for, and the boots are lovely.

Two shops I think you might like for colourful, outdoorsy looking tops and jumpers to go with your jeans and boots are the Edinburgh Woollen Mill (you might assume from the outside that everything in there is frumpy, but some of the ranges are actually quite cool in a Boden/FatFace/White Stuff/Sea Salt kind of way and the chances are nobody else you know will have the same thing) and the Mantaray range in Debenhams. They both also have nice colourful, soft knitted dresses if you should happen to fancy a change. Mantaray's tend to be shorter than EWM's. I recently bought some lovely warm thick cotton-mix tights from White Stuff (which is a bit out of my price range for full outfits) that would go well with that kind of dress - mine are mustard yellow, but they had burgundy and purple and brown and blue too. I think those same boots could work quite well with that look, especially with the shorter dresses.

I'm also a redhead and my basic make-up routine is pretty similar to yours except I usually also wear eyeshadow, but in fairly neutral colours. I love the www.benefitcosmetics.com/uk/en-gb/product/big-beautiful-eyes-eyeshadow-palette palette from Benefit which is in the perfect pinky-brown range for my colouring. I wear that most of the time although I occasionally also experiment with purplish colours and dark smokey greys.

Thank you, that's very kind of you to say! I will have to check out the Edinburgh Woolen Mill, I am definitely guilty of assuming it would be a tad on the frumpy side, but I will pop in next time I'm passing. I love short dresses and woolly tights or leggings too, so I shall keep an eye out for those.

I find eye shadow goes into lines over the course of a day, unless I do the full primer and powder routine, but I might give it another go as it does make me feel more put together. I used to wear more make up but it's a time thing at present...

I have today bought myself some red skinny jeans, hoping to take them as inspiration for sorting myself out a little and getting a bit more polished (albeit underneath the mud ).

I've just got two lovely jumpers from Uniqlo from the uniqlo u collection. They are so so cosy and thick and nicely proportioned, and a merino blend so can be chucked in the wash and don't shrink. And I'm hoping they won't attract moths as my pure merino and cashmere jumpers did. I got a v neck one in a colour they describe as pink, but it's a burgundyish pink which is unusual and lovely, I've already had a few people ask where it's from.

Uniqlo is good for knitwear in general imo and have nice colour selections.

I recommend Uniqlo heat tech thermals - they're really thin and come in anything from a camisole vest top to a long sleeved polo neck.

They work really well and don't overheat you - perfect for wearing under a nice jumper / shirt without ending up like the michelin woman in 1000 layers!

I find wearing these means lots more options in day to day clothes They also do the same range in leggings and tights

Sainsbury's or Next skinny jeans or cord jogging, Uniqlo knits in a few different colours, Joules have a lovely curved hem fine knit jumper in several colours if you like something flowier, a Joules Wesley scarf to match the jumper and I'd say the job's a good'un. I have a Joules Moredale jacket for the autumn ( wait for the sale) and a fitted black Barbour ( expensive but 5 years in and gets better with age) for winter. It looks surprisingly stylish with black jeans.

Thank you, I like the sound of Uniqlo. I have an invoice to send out, perhaps I'll treat myself to a browse of some of these sites. I do like a bit of Joules too (in the sale!)

I have a belted wax jacket for autumn too, it's great. Then a proper farmers one for when it's cold, complete with patches where I've torn it on barbed wire, which is... less obviously stylish

If your outdoors a lot even in the winter you need to be wearing a high level spf every single day. I started doing this this year and a proper skin care routine and my skin is so much better. Means I can get away with less makeup.

Look at Joules, lovely sensible coats but still fashionable. Good fitting skinny jeans will look great with your boots and also trainers and wellies.

OP, reading your post and the look you’re going for automatically made me think of Toast. They have some lovely knitwear in at the moment, and it’s all good quality stuff that wears well. It is a bit expensive but I try to look out for their sales and buy online (no store near me).

My moisturiser and tinted moisturiser are both spf 15 - is that high enough? I suppose the two don't combine to make them factor 30

I will have a look at Toast, I've always sort of assumed I couldn't afford it, but perhaps I'll get some ideas anyway.