I had been saving this little beauty for when the weather turned very, very cold – and then the weather did turn very, very cold but I didn’t have enough time to do a write-up. Christmas Gift Guides took over my life.

Now that life is vaguely back to normal (except that I’m writing this from my bed, recovering from a bug, weakly tapping out every individual letter like Mr Burns from The Simpsons) I can give Chanel’s Active Nutrition (Nourishing Cream for Dry Skin) my full attention. Because it’s truly delicious. As white as newly settled snow, as creamy as…er…cream, and as fragrant as an angel’s underwing.

All joking aside, because it’s hurting my head even trying to think of mildly amusing things to say to you; this cream is wonderful. If you, like me, need full-on hydration to battle the whole ‘inside temperature like the Sahara, outside like Siberia’ problem, then you might consider splashing out on this winter skin-saver.

There are plenty of intensive, ultra-hydrating, ultra-nourishing moisturisers out there at every price point and for every skin type, but I find many of them far too rich. I think that some formulas are simply the same cream that you would market as an ‘extreme’ anti-wrinkle product – very heavy and intense, and much too clogging for younger skin. I want a lighter texture that absorbs fast and doesn’t leave a residue, yet continues to hydrate and protect for the whole day. (Don’t want much, do I?)

I have been using the Active Nutrition since the end of November, when we started to see a real drop in temperatures in the UK. I found that it really helped my skin to stay balanced and slightly dewy when moving between the bitter outdoor weather and the dry, centrally-heated indoors. Because I’m prone to having a touch of oiliness in the T-Zone area, I’ve been more careful with application here, warming the cream between my palms slightly and then pressing very gently and lightly over my nose and chin. My forehead, for some reason, doesn’t seem to get so oily, so I go full steam ahead there and apply straight to the skin.

If you’re a Chanel fan already, this cream won’t disappoint – it’s a great temporary cream to use in the winter months, or a good one to try if you feel that you need to step up to a more heavy-duty cream, but aren’t ready to do the full ‘anti-ageing’ monty. I love the smell of the Hydramax products, and they look quite unisex and ‘sporty’ too, which has its own appeal.

Chanel Hydramax Active Nutrition is £46 from Chanel Counters and Boots.com