Skin Care

Bigs and Littles

July 2nd, 2019 by Karen 8 Comments

biolage matrix equisite oil — Big things and little things

Sometimes you need a little…and sometimes you need a lot, which is why I grabbed two liter-sized bottles of shampoo and conditioner last weekend, along with a gaggle of cute skin care minis.

Ulta is having a liter-sized sale right now on select brands of big shampoos and conditioners. I popped over there yesterday and grabbed these GINORMOUS bottles of Matrix Biolage ExquisiteOil Micro-Oil Shampoo and Conditioner…

The shampoo usually sells for $28, and the conditioner for $33, but I got them for $15.99 apiece.

What a steal!

I’ve never tried them before, so I realize that this could have been risky, but Ulta has a generous return policy. Both the shampoo and conditioner are silicone-free, which my hair usually likes. Plus, back in college I used Biolage all the time.

I took both for a spin last night, and this morning I woke up to soft, bouncy hair! Paws up! 🙌

The Drunk Elephant face cleanser and moisturizer came in a Sephora VIB birthday gift set. I actually went in last Friday to restock a bottle of Kate Somerville Anti-Bac for the gazillionth time, and the MAC minis are limited edition scented versions of the classic Fix+.

mac fix plus setting spray cucumber — Tiny!

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First Thoughts on First Aid Beauty

June 20th, 2019 by Karen 10 Comments

(Psst!) Guess what I heard over by the water cooler? I heard that the First Aid Beauty line is fab for sensitive, moody skin. Spread the word. 😉

Initially, I wanted to give the line a go because of what I’ve heard about their Retinol Eye Cream ($44), even though I’m starting to feel like eye creams are one of those useless endeavors. (Sigh) Part of me still wants to believe there IS something out there that works. To that end, retinol is a compound dermatologists cite over and over and over again as one of the most effective skin care ingredients…

I’ve only been using First Aid Beauty’s Retinol Eye Cream for a week so far, but so far? Well, so far I can say that I like that I can use it around the entire eye area, both in the morning and again at night, and I also like how well it layers under makeup.

I haven’t been using it for long yet, but so far…I’m still waiting for an “A-HA!” moment.

I’ve also been using First Aid Beauty’s Face Cleanser ($21). It’s rated for all skin types, foams up into a lush lather, and I like using it after hard workouts because it completely melts away the sweat AND any leftover makeup. After I use it, my face feels squeaky clean.

First Aid Beauty’s $26 Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 30 is also quite good, especially for no-makeup days, because the sheer coverage and matte finish make it like a more affordable version of Laura Mercier’s iconic $46 tinted moisturizer. There’s a decent range of 10 shades to choose from, too.

And then there’s the Bendy Avocadeo Concealer ($22), which steers clear of my under-eye lines and doesn’t look obvious or heavy…unlike another product (ahem, I’m talking to you, Tarte Shape Tape).

It’s on the sheerer end of the concealer spectrum, so if you’re a fan of MAC Mineralize Concealer or MAC Select Moisturecover (RIP), I think you’ll like it.
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New Serums From Kate Somerville

June 18th, 2019 by Karen 15 Comments

Kate Somerville is one of my all-time, hands-down go-to skin care lines. (The Anti-Bac Clearing Lotion for acne and +Retinol Vita C Power Serum are must-haves)

Well — herald the trumpets! — they have a new line of serums called Kx Active Concentrates that are designed to firm, moisturize and downplay your fine lines, all without irritation (which is the bit that caught my eye).

Kate recommends layering two drops (because the serums are super concentrated) of the Kx Active Concentrates Bio-Mimicking Peptides Serum to clean your skin in the morning and again at night, and following up with the Deep Tissue Repair Cream.

kate somerville deep tissue repair — Why is this so satisfying?!

In other news…

Incidentally, I “need” all this stuff.

OK, so I watch Emily Noel’s videos all the time because I love how down-to-earth she is, and she seems fun to hang out with, but for some reason watching this video of home-related soaps and cleaners, sunscreens, furniture and kids’ toys she loves made me especially want to BUY ALL THE THINGS.

The Dial pear soap is totally on my Target list, along with the Aveeno Baby Sunscreen (several other friends have also recommended it lately… I’m thinking it might be an unsung hero?).
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A Detailed Deep Dive Into My Current Skincare Routine

April 25th, 2019 by Karen 27 Comments

current skin care top pic — All about retinol these days, babes.

I’ve been meaning to do an updated skin care routine breakdown, and today seems like a good day for it. But before I jump in, I feel like I should let you that I’m standing in my bathroom right now looking into my cabinet, which stands just behind and above the toilet, and having PTSD flashbacks of my Velvet Teddy lipstick falling into the toilet. 🙄

I keep hearing that *plunk* over and over again…

That said, here we go!

Everything I’m doing in my routine now revolves around how sensitive my skin is feeling on any given day, because I started using a retinol with vitamin C recently. It’s called Kate Somerville Retinol Vitamin C Power Serum, and I’m trying to ramp up slowly to be able to use it seven days a week. Right now, I’m at three days, and I find that introducing it slowly over weeks and watching everything else that I use in conjunction with it allows me to keep going without my skin turning red or freaking out.

Morning routine

In the morning, I’ll wash one of two ways. If my skin’s feeling extra tight and red and sensitive and angry, then I’ll do a few splashes of warm water on my bare face, then gently blot with a towel. If, on the other hand, my skin’s feeling OK, then I’ll use a squirt or two of Clinique Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser directly on bare skin (I’ll work it in with my fingers). Then I’ll remove it with a washcloth dampened with warm water. After that, I’ll do a few splashes of ice cold water to help me wake up.

At that point, I’ll wait…usually between 30 minutes and an hour (depends on how much time I have and what I’m doing in the morning), and then I’ll apply all of my skin treatments.

I wait because I want my skin to be completely dry before I put anything aggressive on there, because if I don’t wait, and my skin is wet when I apply a BHA or benzoyl peroxide, they’ll just aggravate it even more.

So. Completely dry!

current skin care routine — It’s less complicated than it looks, I swear!

At that point, I’ll do an eye cream. (Right now I’m using this one by Nyakio, and I think it’s just “eh.” I’ll replace it eventually with something else when I get around it.) Then I’ll use two pumps of my ride-or-die Kate Somerville Anti Bac Acne Clearing Lotion all over my face to prevent the pimples from taking over.

After that, I’ll apply a thin layer of Avène XeraCalm A.D Lipid-Replenishing Cream (which has been my skin savior ever since I introduced the retinol), followed by a healthy dollop of sunscreen, specifically Clinique Super Defense Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 for Very Dry to Dry Combination Skin.

Sometimes, before I do the two pumps of Anti Bac, if I feel like my skin can handle it, I’ll do a little with Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence, just because I like to sneak some exfoliation in during the day if I can. I’ll do that two or three mornings a week, so it’s not an everyday thing for me.

Fast forward to the evening…

First, a double cleanse. On completely dry skin (as in my makeup is still on), I’ll massage an oil cleanser on my face and eyes to break everything down. I like DHC Deep Cleansing Oil or Fresh Seaberry for this.

At that point, I’ll take a clean, warm washcloth and gently wipe everything off. Next, I’ll do a second cleanse with either Clinique Redness Solutions Soothing Cleanser, if I haven’t been wearing a ton of makeup, or if I haven’t been sweating; or the H2O Plus Elements Keep It Fresh Cleanser. I use that one when I’ve been wearing a little more makeup, or if I’ve been perspiring a lot. It’s just a stronger, more potent gel cleanser.

Again, I wait from 30-60 minutes (this generally depends on how tired I am), then apply eye cream, and I’ve been using this one called Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair Supercharged Complex.

It’s OK… I’ve yet to find an eye cream that blows my mind.
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What’s Your Routine for Washing Your Face?

April 19th, 2019 by Karen 16 Comments

Your morning routine? Your evening routine? Whatever you feel like sharing. What’s your routine for washing your face? Do you use micellar water? Makeup wipes? Do you use a washcloth? I know everybody does it a little differently.

For me, in the morning, I wash my face right after I wake up, and how I do it depends on how my skin feels. I’ve been using a retinol at night (Kate Somerville’s), and I’m trying to ramp up to using it three nights a week (Slowly… It’s taking forever because my skin’s just freaking out left and right), but if my face isn’t feeling too dry or sensitive in the morning, I’ll use Clinique’s creamy cleanser — the one in the green tube (sorry, I’m blanking on the name right now). I’ll massage that on to my dry skin, then take a warm, clean washcloth and use that to wipe it away.

Then, I’ll turn the water so it’s ice cold and splash my face a few times, because that really helps me wake me.

And then on the mornings when my skin feels super dry and tight or otherwise uncomfortable, I’ll splash my face with lukewarm water and gently blot it dry with a towel.

In the evenings, I like to do a double cleanse, so I like to start by removing my makeup with an oil cleanser (DHC and Fresh are my favorites), which I massage on to my face. No water. Just two pumps of the oil, massage it in, and let it break up whatever it can break up. Then I rinse off whatever I can with warm water.

Next, while my face is still wet, I’ll grab a face cleanser (either the same Clinique one I use in the morning, or this gel cleanser by H2O Plus, which I like to use when I’ve been sweating a lot or wearing more makeup than usual because it’s a stronger cleanser than the Clinique one, and my face feels very clean after I use it). Then, I’ll wet another clean wash cloth with warm water and use it to remove whatever remains on my face, before splashing again with water.

We go through a LOT of washcloths in our house, LOL!

Let me know what your routine is for washing your face, girl!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,