Skincare Routine & a quick everyday look!

You could say I am a little obsessed with skin care.  I have always been wary of the aging process.  I don't mind getting older, I just don't want to look older!  Skincare is an essential part of aging because if you don't take care of your skin, it's the first to show your true age.  Sometimes genetics play a role into how old your skin looks, however I don't want to take any chances so I make sure I try my best at keeping my skin clean and protected.

It is important to make sure you wash your face daily and never sleep with make up on.  The best place to start your skincare routine is in the shower, using a great facial cleanser.  I have a drugstore favorites and a high-end favorites for all of the skincare products I use.  My favorite drugstore cleanser is Neutrogena's Fresh Foaming cleanser ($6.99).  It is amazing at taking off makeup and it really leaves my skin super clean.  A high end pick would be Philosophy's Purity cleanser ($20.00).  It is thinner and foams less than Neutrogena's but it does the job just as well. 

After using a cleanser, I love to exfoliate my skin.  Exfoliation scrubs away dead skin cells which help generate new cell growth.  Being extra careful when choosing your exfoliator is essential since many are rough and irritate sensitive skin.  My drugstore picks for great exfoliators are St. Ives Apricot scrub ($3.00) and Biore's Even Smoother Microderm exfoliator ($13.99).  I find that St. Ives cannot be used daily (at least not on my sensitive skin), however it does a great job on my face and body.  Biore's exfoliator is more gentle and can be used daily.  My high end pick would be Philosophy's Microderm Exfoliating wash ($25.00).  It is amazing!  It's gentle enough to use everyday and I promise you will see results just after a few uses.  My skin is always brighter after using ANY exfoliator.

After cleansing and exfoliating you want to tone and moisturize.  Toning helps shrink pores and moisturizers help thirsty skin become hydrated.  Moisturizers also help reduce the appearance of wrinkles, frown lines and problem areas around the eyes.  Toners are based on personal skin needs.  Drugstore toners can vary widely.  If you have dry skin, you want to avoid using a toner with alcohol since alcohol can be very drying.  Neutrogena makes an alcohol free toner for $7.99.  Also a lot of women love Seabreeze.  I'll be honest, I haven't used Seabreeze in many years but it's affordable and does the job well-especially if you have oily, acne prone skin.  You can find the original Seabreeze toner for $4.99.  A high end toner that I have found recently is Elemis' Soothing Apricot toner.  Not only does this toner clean and tighten my skin, it smells great and is very gentle.  You can find the Elemis' Apricot toner for $33.00. 

Moisturized skin always keeps a face looking fresh and young.  The older we get, the less oil our skin produces, which helps to age, wrinkle and dry out our face.  Moisture is essential to great skin.  A good moisturizer goes a long way and it can be overwhelming to pick one since the skincare market is saturated with so many choices.  If you have oily skin a good drugstore choice is Olay Complete All Day (Spf 15) moisturizer ($4.00).  A high end choice would be Clinique's Dramatically Different gel ($25.00).  If you have normal to dry skin try Olay Regenerist's UV Defense lotion with spf15 for $20.00.  There is one moisturizer that I love above all others.  I highly recommend Ahava's Smoothing Moisturizer ($34.00).  It is labeled for normal-dry skin but I find that it works wonders on my sensitive, oily t-zone.  It absorbs quickly and has no overwhelming smell!

Of course skincare doesn't stop with these steps.  You also may find that you need area specific products (examples-eye creams or lip scrubs).  I find though that a good cleanser, exfoliator, toner and moisturizer are the basic steps needed for a fresh face.

Below you will find some pictures of me without makeup.  I suffer from dark circles, bags under my eyes and the occasional acne bump which usually shows up on my forehead or chin.

*As you can see above there is occasional blotchiness and dark circles.  Fighting discoloration with exfoliation is good however sometimes it can be because of hormones or genetics.  Dark circles are also more common with people who have brown eyes. 

~Quick Everyday Look~

Since you want to work hard at cleaning your skin, why turn around and layer a lot of makeup on that great skin that will age you?  Using light colors and oil-free products can help reduce acne breakouts and leave you looking younger. 

I start by using a primer on my skin (to help matify my t-zone).  Afterwards I applied Rimmel's Lasting Finish foundation and I set it with NARS loose powder in "Flesh".  After powdering I used Laura Geller's Bronze-n-Brighten bronzer all over my face and neck.  Next I applied NYX's "Peach" blush to my cheeks for a little color.  On my lips I chose L'oreal's Colour Riche lipstick in "Candle Light".  On my eyes I chose to use Wet N Wild's "Walking on Eggshells" palette.  For the eye look, begin by using the lightest shade all over your eye.  Next, take the bottom shade and pat it on your lid.  Lastly, take the darkest shade and focus it on your outside corner of the eye.  This is a great palette to use everyday.

Lastly I finished my look with a quick swipe of Wet N Wild's Coloricon eyeliner in the gray shade (it only costs .69!) and Clinique's High Impact mascara.

Vita-Whaaaat???

I haven't posted here in over 3 weeks!  First I was hit with the flu, then a close family member was hospitalized.  It's been a busy few weeks but I'm back. 

Lately I have been on a skincare search for the best products.  First, they must be gentle on my sensitive skin.  Second, they must smell good or not smell at all-there is nothing worse than applying something that smells on my face which of course is right next to my nose!  Third, they must be reasonably priced and lastly they must work. 

I have always been interested in the Origins skincare line.  Origins prides itself with providing products driven from nature; using the least amount of chemicals possible .  Over the past year I heard a lot of women say they liked Origins, especially the Vita-Zing moisturizer.  Since I am always looking for a new moisturizer, I went ahead and purchased a tube at my local Dillards.  You can find this moisturizer at your local Origins counter in department stores or on http://www.origins.com/  This product costs $35.00 for 1.7fl. oz.  

The magic secret for this moisturizer is that it darkens as you rub it in.  It's not exactly a tinted moisturizer since the product itself is not pigmented, however there are tiny micro beads which break as you rub it, which leave behind a tint.  The salesman stated to me that this could help reduce or eliminate the need for foundation.  My skin is oily in the t-zone and drier on my cheekbones.  I usually don't struggle too much with foundation and concealer however I suffer from HUGE dark circles so I thought this may be a wonderful layer to go under my makeup. 

*Example pictured above of how the moisturizer looks when first out of the tube.

PROS- This moisturizer is very hydrating and creamy.  It applies smoothly and seems to help eliminate flaky areas on my cheeks.  A little product goes a long way since it only takes a pea-sized drop to cover most of my face.  Another good point is that it contains spf15.

CONS- The idea behind this moisturizer is nice-just rub it in and it will blend into your skin.  Unfortunately that didn't happen for me.  I have blended this moisturizer in and even tried another layer on top of the first.  I found that this product does not match my skin tone very well and appears too dark in some areas and not heavy enough in other areas.  Even if I was to wear this alone with a little eye shadow and lipstick, it would be too sticky since it takes a long time to absorb into the skin.  Another negative about this product is its size.  The tube is small despite the product going a long way with each use.  You only get 1.7oz and for this price you should get more.  If only the tint was better and the product absorbed completely, then I think it would be a winner.

*If you look in the picture above you can see where I applied the product.  This picture was after several attempts to blend the moisturizer.  I used only a small amount however you can still see the difference between my skin tone and the product.  Unfortunately this product only comes in one shade, so if they made a lighter version it might would work for me.

Overall I would not purchase this product again.  I think this product is slightly gimmicky however it is a good moisturizer for night time use since you won't have to wear it under makeup or worry about shine and absorption.