Makeup removers/cleansing:
To me, this is a strange part of my routine. I don't like spending crazy amounts of money on cleansers and makeup removers just because they don't stay on the skin for very long. Some may disagree with me, but it's just something that I go through really quickly and as someone who has bills (as a lot of us do), it hurts my wallet to spend $30 a pop every time I have to replace anything in this category. There's so many different ways of removing makeup, so I'll only show my preferred products I tend to use more often as opposed to my entire collection
Makeup wipes are probably the quickest and easiest ways to remove makeup at the end of the night, since they're so convenient I know a lot of us reach for our makeup wipes at the end of the day. My favourites are the Tarte Fresh Eyes wipes with Maracuja oil and the H2O Aqualibrium wipes. These two are the ones I've found that don't leave that sticky, dry residue that some wipes tend to. The skin actually feels quite nourished and moisturized after I use these
Liquid, creams and oils are also fairly quick to use; but they do require a little bit more to remove them completely. I know some people are going to go nuts that I use Bio-Oil to remove my makeup, but I hated it as what it's intended to be used for, and it's basically just mineral oil so it does well to remove everything and break all the makeup down. My other 2 favourites are the They're Real! makeup remover and the H2O+ Aqualibrium Dual Action eye-makeup remover. I'll do a more thorough review on the They're Real! on Thursay since it will not be released until 27 June.
Last but not least in this category are the traditional facial cleanser and cleansing balms. I use these at different times of the day. Pictured here are my Philosophy Purity 3 in 1 facial cleanser and The Body Shop Chamomile sumptuous cleansing butter. I tend to use my Purity more in the morning, even though it supposedly removes makeup as well, and my Body Shop butter in the evening when I want to give myself a nice and relaxing facial massage. The butter also leaves my skin feeling so soft and moisturized, and the way it feels on the skin is so luxurious that I just want to rub it on my entire body.
Toners and exfoliants:
This is by far (to me) one of the most important parts of any skincare routine. Exfoliation removes all of the dead skin cells and reveals all the fresh, beautiful skin underneath that icky layer on the surface. I take this step crazy serious, so there's a lot to talk about.
Everything pictured: H2O+ Aqualibrium Toner, Benefit Refined Finish facial polish, Tarte Double Detox Amazonian clay exfoliating facial mask, bliss Fabulips sugar scrub, Tarte Maracuja lip scrub, e.l.f lip scrub, Peter Thomas Roth Firm Rx Peeling Gel.
I LOVE toning and exfoliating, this is where I give myself more relaxing facial massages and it sloughs away all the dead skin cells on the top layer of my skin revealing all that lovely, fresh, healthy looking skin underneath. I'm one of those people who uses some sort of exfoliation every single day. Bear in mind, I don't have sensitive skin at all. It's quite dry and very dehydrated, so this is an absolute MUST in my skincare routine. Depending on your preferences and skin type, you may need to exfoliate only a couple times a week. Toning is what I do after I have removed all of my makeup (nighttime) and have given my skin a proper cleanse. This is to remove any excess cleanser that may have been left on your skin. Some also exfoliate, have acne control, etc...another favourite not pictured is my Pixi Glow Tonic. There are physical exfoliants and chemical exfoliants. Physical being those that contain the little microbeads, chemical containing BHA's and AHA's (Betahydroxy Acid and Alphahydroxy Acid).
The main star of this category is my Peter Thomas Roth Peeling Gel. It's a chemical exfoliant so there's no micro beads in it, which can irritate if you have sensitive skin. Since using this, my skins texture has improved dramatically, and it's neat because you can see all the dead skin rolling away as you massage it into the skin.
Serums and moistuizers:
This is another important step in your skincare routine, since all of the exfoliating and cleansing can strip some of those natural oils the face needs to stay glowing and healthy. Moisturizer will restore that moisture and seal it in to ensure you have plump, soft skin. Serums are just an added step I prefer since a lot of them have specific skin benefits that not all moisturizers have. In this category I will also mention my favourite facial oil as well as my overnight creams.
Products include: H2O+ Aqualibrium moisturizer, Tarte pure Maracuja oil, Tarte C Brightener undereye cream, Mario Badescu Caviar Night cream, H2O+ Night Oasis overnight moisture lock, e.l.f Eye Restore.
This is where personal preferences come in, there are some who will use a facial oil as a daytime moisturizer, others, a cream, some use both. I use both a facial oil and a moisturizer just because I like the way my skin feels with both being used. This also applies to nighttime as I like to get all the moisture I can while I sleep. Undereye cream is also a personal preference, but seeing as I have undereye bags as well as dark circles, I use products that help with these issues; especially since makeup can accentuate all of these problem areas. We're almost done...promise. Only 2 more categories.
Face masks and treatments:
This is optional considering a lot of people are on a budget, but they are nice if you want to pamper yourself after a hard day at work. I only have a few listed here, but I also use sheet masks which can be hard to come by in the U.S as well as eye gel packs.
Products featured: Clinique Pore Refining correcting serum, Tarte Double Detox Amazonian clay mask, and Shiseido The Skincare Purifying Mask. Products not featured include: GlamGlo Thirsty Mud hydrating mask, Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell mask, and The Body Shop Vitamin C mask.
Like I said before, these are just things I use to pamper myself and give my skin a little treat every so often. These are the 3 that I use most, there are so many more I'd love to talk about but they tend to run on the crazy pricey side and I'm not here to throw around how much I spend on skincare. There are so many different masks for each specific skin concern, these are just the ones I use based on my skin type.
Last but not least, sun protection:
I use sunscreen like a crazy person. I fear the sun and stay out of it as much as possible, but that's just the way I am. For all of you who love the sun this also applies to you seeing as the UVA/UVB rays can cause crazy problems with skin in the long run. There's only one that stands out to me in this category and that's my Benefit Dream Screen SPF 45
I also use primers and foundations, BB/CC creams and tinted moisturizers that contain SPF...but that's a whole different post. There's chemical blocks as well as physical blocks when it comes to the world of sunscreen. Again, it's all personal preference when it comes to which you would use on a daily basis. I will tell everybody to use some sort of sun protection, especially for the delicate facial skin. Your face will thank you in the years to come.
I apologize for the length of this post, but I do feel very strongly that this is the most important part of being a beauty lover. We all want to take care of ourselves as best as we can, and skincare is just so important in our world. Please let me know if you want me to stick to shorter blog posts, or if you enjoy the lengthy and more informative posts. I want to make content that everybody will enjoy. I understand I can't make everybody happy, but I can do my best. There will be some who dislike lengthy posts and others who want more in-depth posts. I will do my best to try to include both types, but I also want all the feedback I can get. Let's make this blog a place for everybody. Kisses, loves.
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