What Clothes You Need for Skiing

I’m absolutely not an expert (far far from it), but I planned my trip to Mount Hood, Oregon a few months in advance so I had plenty of time to ask everyone I knew about what clothes I needed to stay warm and comfortable while skiing. If you’ve never skied before, you’re going to need to buy or borrow the following: 

Before you go shopping don’t forget to sign up for Ebates to get a percentage of cash back on all purchases (no catch! they make money by referring people to businesses you can read more about how Ebates works here). This past week on 2/10/16 I got a Big Fat Payment of $183.77. They PayPal you the money! So easy.

Clothes for Skiing

• Long underwear– I ordered Coldpruf Women’s Performance Thermal Underwear Crewneck Shirt  and Coldpruf Women’s Performance Pant Thermal Underwear Pants from Target for about $50 total and they worked great. I sweat in them and wore them a few days in a row and they did not smell.
• Snow pants- I ordered Women’s C9 Champion Snow Pants from Target for $40.
• Waterproof jacket– I ordered the North Face Women’s Cinnabar Triclimate Jacket because it was on sale on Nordstrom’s website and it’s still at the sale price right now $169.99. It’s waterproof which is key and it has a removable layer which is nice. I have it in the light blue shade because my sister’s fiancé gave me a great tip- get a brightly colored jacket because it makes it MUCH easier to find each other across the mountain vs. if you’re wearing all black. On the trip I was starting to think I should have bought an orange one so my foundation wouldn’t have been staining the color so badly, whoops.
• Snow boots– I was raised in Florida and I live in LA, I have no clue how you’re supposed to dress during winter. I asked my step mom if you can wear rain boots and the snow and she said no because you’ll slip and fall you have to get snow boots because they have a grip to them. I bought some cute Muk Luks (this pair is similar, this is my pair of Muk Luk snow boots but they don’t have the same color I have) on sale from Francesca’s collection that are no longer available. My sister wore her Hunter Wellies ($160) and didn’t bust her ass, so those might work as well. I liked that my snow boots had a nice fleece lining it makes them extra warm. Uggs will get wet and don’t have great traction.
• Socks– When you’re skiing only wear 1 pair of socks because otherwise they will rub together on your legs and be super uncomfortable. For Christmas I asked believed and received some fancy expensive Darn Tough  socks which are ~$20 but have a lifetime warranty and they dry super fast because wet socks and wet gloves in the cold are a nightmare. These stayed dry the entire time and I wore the same pair a few days in a row and they also did not smell.
• Waterproof gloves or mittens– I borrowed both gloves and mittens and didn’t see a huge difference between the two. Make sure they’re super water proof though, mine got pretty soggy.
• Scarf/ski mask/gator/bandana– I wore my cashmere pashmina that I always travel with and that worked fine, but now it needs to be dry cleaned. I tried a bandana on another day and it didn’t stay very well and wasn’t the easiest to breathe with. A ski gator is nice because it also protects your neck and chest from the sun.

• Ski Goggles– The first time I skied in Mountain High which is in SoCal and I wore sunglasses and was fine. On Mt. Hood it was super windy and snowing a lot and the goggles I borrowed were great. These OutdoorMaster Ski & Snowboard Goggles look nice, are $50, and have good reviews on Amazon.
• Warm hat– So you can’t wear a beanie with a helmet because it’s not as safe, but as soon as you take the helmet off you’re going to need something cute and warm to cover your sweaty messed up hair. I wore an old Lacoste one I wasn’t afraid to get sweaty (here’s a cute current Lacoste beanie if you want to bring back 2006 like me). I saved my adorable (and harder to clean) 2 pom-pom beanie for when my head was dry. Here’s the gray beanie my sis is wearing in the pic below.

What They Give You When You Rent Ski Equipment

1. Ski Boots – These are like rollerblades super hard to walk in, but don’t worry everyone else will be slowly taking loudly clonking baby steps through the lounge. I like to take them off during lunch and change into my snow boots, but that’s a lot of work in itself and most people don’t.
2. Skis and Poles – These are awkward and pretty hard to carry at first. Make sure you’re wearing thick gloves because the edges of skis are sharp which make them even more uncomfortable to hold.
3. Helmet – You will not look like a dork wearing helmets is absolutely in again and traumatic brain injuries are not cute. This sometimes costs extra but it’s SO worth it.

More Things You Need for Skiing

• Sunscreen– No matter how gray or overcast it is you ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS need sunscreen! Did I say ALWAYS??? You can read more about my sunscreen obsession here.
• Lip Balm– Your lips are going to get super dry so one with sunscreen is a good idea. I also love this night balm any time day or night.
• Optional- Allergy meds (I think I’m allergic to the outdoors….), tissues (again, being outdoors makes my nose run- not cute), a good playlist and your earbuds, hand warmers.

Ski Tip: Put your phone on airplane mode when you’re skiing or else your battery will drain like crazy (similar to being at a theme park or music festival). Have a time and place to meet your friends and only turn off your airplane mode occasionally to check for texts.

Things to Carry With You While Skiing

• Phone and earbuds
• Go Pro– but I don’t recommend taking any more expensive or nicer camera than that and your phone
• Lip Balm
• Money and ID for apres ski drinks and snacks
• I say leave the backpack, water, snacks, sunscreen, etc. in the locker.
• Picture Tip: Don’t put all of your stuff in your jacket’s front pockets it is a very bulgy and not cute look. Spread it out through your ski pants and other pockets and travel light.

While I was getting ready for this trip I learned that college athletes sometimes have to sign contacts saying they won’t ski because it’s such an accident-prone sport. Kobe Bryant is retiring and when they asked him what he was going to do he said ski because he wasn’t able to as a pro athlete. Skiing is hard as hell so don’t push yourself too hard and don’t be afraid to take breaks (or only do half days- that’s what I did!) because who the hell wants to break something on vacation!?

Ski Beauty Tips

• Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade is awesome and won’t budge while you’re sweating.
• Take pictures of yourself immediately after you’ve done your beat because it’s all down hill from there.

• Luckily all the equipment can make it so you can take cute ski pictures without showing any of your face at all.

• Focus on the eyes- lots of your favorite mascara that doesn’t move, a nice long wearing eyeliner along the lash line and fill in your brows. Go light on the foundation and lipstick because it’s going to all rub off on your jacket.
• Braids are a great way to keep your hair from becoming a sweaty frizzy dreadlocked mess.

Disclaimer: You don’t have to look cute while skiing. You don’t have to do your makeup or hair. Do whatever the hell you want, just have fun! Also, I make some pennies if you click on any of my Amazon Affiliate links and purchase something. I get much more money if you sign up for Ebates through my link ($5 plus bonuses depending on how many people sign up).