January can be somewhat of a dull and depressing month, not only for our bank balance but for our skin too.

At this time of year, it’s likely that our skin can look lack lustre and tiresome. We have over indulged and had too many late nights from the previous month, which results in bland complexions and worn out features.

During the month of January (and February) your main focus should be skin brightening and enhancing your complexion to get back your natural glow.

Follow my tips and tricks to ensure you look bright-eyed and bushy tailed for the months ahead.

Exfoliate, exfoliate, exfoliate– exfoliating your skin is a crucial step to ensure a bright complexion. I recommend exfoliating twice a week after cleansing. Not only does it slough off dead skin cells, it uplifts the face by reducing the appearance of blemish marks, pigmentation and dry skin.

Use a highlighting concealer– highlighting and illuminating concealers will make the biggest difference to your appearance if you are feeling a little under the weather. It will be your best friend for tired eyes – apply to the inner corner of your eye and dark circles, blending outwards with your ring finger. A highlighting concealer is also great used on the cheek bones, around the nose and on the chin to give the appearance of radiant skin.

Invest in a facial oil– a lot of people are weary of facial oils - don’t be! They work wonders for your skin. Even if you have oily skin you can use facial oil, however, don’t go overboard as you only need the tiniest (1-2 drops) amount. Facial oils are packed with antioxidants and skin boosting ingredients. Warm your facial oil in-between your hands and apply to moist skin after cleansing, using circular and massage like motions to invigorate your skin and brighten your complexion.

Add moisture– late nights, fatty foods and alcohol can majorly reduce the levels of moisture in your skin, resulting in dry and dehydrated skin. To ensure your skin looks soft and plump you need to use moisture increasing ingredients that will penetrate into the skin. The main ingredients that will hydrate the skin and attract water into your skin cells are: Hyaluronic Acid, Avocado and Aloe Vera. Apply a thick layer of your moisturiser before you go to bed for a hydrating, overnight face mask.

Incorporate a radiance enhancing foundation/tinted moisturiser– foundations and tinted moisturisers that fall into the ‘radiance enhancing’ category will give you a healthy and luminous appearance. Products that aim to enhance radiance are normally light reflecting and contain pigments to create a natural glow. Apply after your moisturiser and before your concealer for an even and radiant complexion.

Top picks for dull days:

Pevonia Enzymo-Sphérides Peeling Cream (£30.00)

Chanel Éclat Lumiere Highlighter Face Pen (£26.00)

Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial (£45.00)

Elemental Herbology Cell Food (£42.00)

NUDE Radiant Day Moisturiser (£42.00)

Clarins Skin Illusion Natural Radiance Foundation (£24.00)