Beauty tricks to beat the winter blah's

It's that time of year again. The excitement of the holidays is over. Spring is still too far away. And it's still friggin' cold.

Wouldn't it be nice to jet off to the Bahamas right about now? While most of us can't just hop a plane to paradise for a much needed tropical vacay, it is easy to shake the cold weather blah's by bringing a little warm weather glamour into your winter beauty routine.

1. Self-Tanner

My favorite winter beauty boost is to reunite with my beloved fake tan. Products like Fake Bake Tantalizing Self-Tanning Body Butter ($24, fakebake.net) have the added benefit of delivering much-needed moisture to dry winter skin

2. In a hurry?

If you're short on time or you aren't a big fan of self-tanner, you can always brush on your favorite bronzing powder. Because skin trends to be drier in the winter, however, I particularly like to wear subtly tinted moisturizing bronzers this time of year.

Products like Tarte Sunburst ($28, Sephora) contain a small amount of bronzer that's just enough to give you a warm, glowy complexion without looking unnatural. Another option is to to just mix a few drops of liquid bronzer with your everyday moisturizer.

3. Brighten up with blush

If you're not the bronzer type, try waking up your complexion with a pop of peachy pink blush. One of my favorites is Neutrogena Healthy Skin Blends blush ($13, CVS) and a new one that you may be interested in is Coralista blush by Benefit ($28, Benefit).

4. Sniff your way to a warmer place

The sense of smell is powerful and it has the ability to evoke memories and even change your mood. For an instant pick-me-up, try a perfume with fragrance notes that remind you of summer.

While you can go for a summery perfume like Elizabeth Arden Mediterranean Breeze ($47.50, elizabetharden.com) or the new Island Michael Kors Bermuda ($62, Sephora), another option is to explore single note fragrances like the ones made by Demeter. Choose single note perfumes like "Honeysuckle" or "Grass" or blend your own to recreate the scent that reminds you most of the summer months.

5. Indulge in cold weather beauty treats

Take advantage of the chilly weather and pamper yourself with some luxurious skin treatments that you might not normally indulge in during the warmer weather months.

For example, you can make your own deep-moisturizing spa treatment at home by whipping up a batch of heated body cream. You can spoil yourself even more and follow up your moisturizer by donning a heated bathrobe. For more details and how-to's, be sure to check out my post on how to get rid of dry winter skin.