If there's anyone who knows how to protect your skin from harsh winter weather, it's those who live in my home state of Minnesota.

Just this week, temperatures dropped to a bone-chilling -26C, before bouncing back to a slightly more bearable -9C - so warm that my siblings hailed it spring and shorts weather.

So when one of my closest friends from home recommended Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream for winter, I took note. Its no-nonsense branding suggested trustworthiness, although at a premium price ( or ).

A travel-size pot passed muster and I'm now on my third tub and regularly hunt for Kiehl's sales. wasn't initially on my radar, but I was pleasantly surprised to discover it's a strong contender against Kiehl's - and for half the price.

The Superstar Facial Kit contained:

This little glass pot of cream had the two angels of timing and necessity on its side. I decided to put it to the test during a long weekend trip from Glasgow to London, bringing no other products with me.

I arrived in London just as a named storm struck the country. Freezing temperatures and harsh winds justified my decision lugging my warmest coat from Glasgow. The long puffer jacket shielded me from the weather but also made me uncomfortably hot on the tube, even when I took it off - a bundle of dead weight in my arms.

The canvas for this all-new skincare routine was a face both dry, oily and literally weathered - my expectations were realistic.

I wasn't searching for a replacement, but this cream managed to find a place in my skincare routine. If is my favourite oversized sweatshirt, then was the knee-length down parka with a fur-trimmed hood in an emergency.

It's a beautifully scented thick cream with the extra oomph needed during the harsh winter months or for those with dry skin. A small amount was enough to soothe and hydrate my chapped skin, leaving it feeling soft and silky through the next day when applied it at night. It's also billed to be 'anti-ageing', and while I'm not quite in that demographic, I can attest it is visibly plumping.

Of course, the cream doesn't deserve all the praise. The overall effect was also due to the other minis in the Beauty Pie kit. The felt particularly luxurious and worth purchasing on its own.

While I liked them all - except the mascara which didn't do much - the cream felt the nicest when applied and the one I'm most keen to buy in full size.

Everyone's skin is different, but it's impressive how these new-to-me products didn't irritate my skin, but thorougly hydrated and soothed it.

The catch here is Beauty Pie's unique membership setup, which can be a barrier to entry.

You can purchase , but the non-membership price makes it seem pointless for me to buy without signing up. For instance, the cream costs £50 for non-members or £19 for members.

The Superstar Facial Kit included a free three-month membership, and while it's no longer available, . It's simple enough to wait for a free trial promotion or just pay - .

The part of me that's repelled by paying for shipping isn't thrilled about spending a few quid, but the savings are significant.

Before this, I'd bought a few Beauty Pie products through an aunt with a membership. They were definitely worth repurchasing: the perfectly balmy and the heavenly botanically-scented .

Even though I'm already sat on a mountain of skincare products, I'm eager to get my hands (and face) on them again.