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Evening Skincare Routine

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It’s been awhile since I’ve shared my evening skincare routine, and admittedly it’s been awhile since I’ve been strict and diligent about it. But after this brutal winter, and a recent sunburn I knew it was time to get back to it. I’m turning over a new leaf and trying my best to take care of my skin. So here is my updated evening routine:

1. Makeup Remover: For makeup removing I’ve been loving The Body Shop’s Camomile Gentle Eye Make-up Remover. It’s formulated for all skin types, including sensitive skin. My skin isn’t super sensitive but I’m always really careful around my eyes, and this gentle formula works really well. And it’s not oily, like a lot of other makeup removers out there that leave oily residue around my eyes that I feel the need to scrub off afterwards. It has a really relaxing light and fresh scent too. It’s always really important to remove your makeup. Please don’t forget.

2. Cleanse: I’ve been using two different cleanser lately. The first is Olay Foaming Face Wash for sensitive skin. I actually picked this one up by mistake thinking it was the Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser (which I love), but this one has been really great too. I’m not very picky about the brand that I use with my everyday cleanser, but I need it to be a foaming/sudsy cleanser in order to feel like I properly cleansed my face. When I’m travelling I always opt for a more travel-friendly package and for that I’ve been using The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Cream Cleanser. I know that I’ve been going on and on about the Vitamin E line, and this one is no exception. This one is super easy, no water necessary. Just smooth it on and remove it with cotton pads. Like all other Vitamin E products it leaves your skin feeling incredibly soft.

3. Exfoliate: For those days that I’ve been exfoliating (about 2-3 times a week) I’ve been using the St. Ives Green Tea Scrub. The oil-free formula actually helps clear breakouts and refreshes the skin. It feels great!! It’s important to exfoliate to remove impurities and dry/dead skin from your face, but make sure not to do it too often or you will damage the skin that is healthy. The great thing about St. Ives is that it’s hypoallergenic and formulated without parabens.

4. Tone: I always think that toning is an important step for daily skin care. For years I’ve been using Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2. It helps remove any dirt and greasy oils that the cleanser may have missed (although with the right cleanser that shouldn’t be a problem) and over time it helps revitalize skin’s natural renewal process. So skin looks healthy and renewed.

5. Moisturize: And of course the final, and most important step is to moisturize your face. I’ve been using Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel for years and I’ll probably never change it. But some days I also use a small amount of Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil for a deep and intense moisturizer. I’ve also been pretty strict lately when it comes to focusing on my eyes. I’m finding that the skin under my eyes is looking more and more worn and tired looking, so I use either Roc Hydra+ Anti-Fatigue or Origins GinZing Eye Cream, which has recently become a non-negotiable staple in my evening skincare routine. Once in a while, for that final spritz of moisture, I’ve been using The Body Shop’s Vitamin E Face Mist  for an instantly refreshing moisture boost.

There are a ton of skincare products out there that I really want to try. So I will probably be mixing this up again soon. Of course I refuse to change up the good ones that have never steered my wrong such as the Clinique Clarifying Lotion, Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, and the Origins GinZing Eye Cream. What evening skincare products do you love? Any good suggestions for a mask?

The Face Regime

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Life is stressful, and schedules are constantly changing. But one thing in my life that remains consistent is my face washing regime. Nothing feels better than washing your face at the end of a long day of work. And I love nothing more than washing my face with the products that I have grown to love and trust.

My skin is not extremely sensitive, but I’m pretty picky about what I put on my face. Nothing too smelly, but a little bit smelly. Nothing too exfoliating, but maybe a little. It’s been tough finding a full regime that I like, but I’ve stuck with it and I know it works.

So, first things first. To begin with I use Lush 9 To 5 Cleansing Lotion to take off all of my eye makeup. There is nothing worse than having eyeliner left over from the night before and I hate the oily/greasy feel of liquid eye-makeup removers. This lotion is technically supposed to be used for all over face cleansing, but cleansing without water is weird. It smells great and takes the makeup off really well. After that I wash my face thoroughly. I have two different face cleansers that I like. One I use at home and one I use on the road. For home I use Neutrogena Fresh Foaming Cleanser because I absolultely love the smell and love the way it lathers. I feel so refreshed after washing my face with this. While on the road I need a face cleanser in a resealable bottle, so I use the Biotherm Biosource Tonifying Exfoliating Cleansing Gel which smells like seaweed and heaven. It doesn’t lather a lot, and is not super exfoliating. I really love this face cleanser.

About once a week I use the Body Shop Seaweed Ionic Clay Mask. I put it all over my face (avoiding my eyes of course) and leave it on until it is completely dry and kinda cracking.  Then I just wash it all off, and kinda rub it in more in the process. The mask is great at pulling a lot of dirt and oils to the surface of your skin, and leaves me feeling super refreshed.

The next step is toner. For years I have used the Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2. It leaves my skin feeling really really clean and gets any dirt that I’ve missed. I find that a few days missing this step makes a huge difference and I’ll start to see more blemishes. I’ve always loved this product. For those days that I do see a few blemished I use the Burt’s Bees Blemish Stick which I just roll over the blemishes. It smells super alcohol-y and burns like crazy if your blemishes are open or irritated. But it does the job, and quick! Next morning it’s dried out and less than half the size.

And last but not least, the moisturizing step. Just like the Clinique toner, I’ve been using the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (not pictured, oops!) for years. Every other moisturizer I’ve used have been either too thick or too thin or just haven’t done the job properly. But I know I can always trust Clinique. And finally, for those long days and stressful times that the eyes get dark and puffy, I love the Roc Hydra + Anti-Fatigue. Just a little bit under the eyes and POOF, gone the next day.

So there you have it. The whole shebang! Nothing feels better than a nicely cleansed face! So whats your face regime? Have you ever used any of these products?

Get shopping!!