Skin Care

New Skin Care From Too Faced

July 10th, 2019 by Karen 5 Comments

When we’re talking Too Faced Cosmetics, you might think of their saucy, sexy mascara or their penchant for peaches or palettes in travel-sized tins.

Makeup might be what they’re famous for, but they’ve got their sights set on becoming a skin care leader.

Say “hellllooooo there!” to the new Too Faced Hangover Skincare line.

The brand recently launched a new $39 hydrating serum, a $34 SPF25 sunscreen , a new supersized $49 version of their Hangover face makeup primer and a $32 re-promoted makeup setting spray.

Crazy about coconut? You’ve come to the right place, ya nut, because coconut water is the star ⭐ ingredient in the Too Faced skin care range. 🥥

Hangover Rx Good in Bed Ultra-Replenishing Hydrating Serum: Along with coconut water, this lightweight texture-smoothing serum contains two types of hyaluronic acid.

Hangover Rx Good to Go Skin Protecting SPF 25 Moisturizer: This chemical SPF 25 sunscreen is chock full of sodium hylauronate and aloe, and it leaves skin luminous and dewy without a white cast.

Hangover Replenishing Face Primer: With probiotics and olive oil extract, this colorless makeup primer, which has a demi-matte finish, nourishes and moisturizes.

Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer and Setting Spray: Use this coconut water-infused makeup mist to prime your skin before you apply makeup, or to set a fully made-up face, or to just refresh your skin throughout the day.

I bet we’ll see more Too Faced skin care in the near future, because when I interviewed their founder, Jared Blandino, a few years ago and we got to talking about skin, it was like trying to chase a runaway train! Homeboy was passionate about the subject. I see a full range with face washes, toners and treatments coming soon.

Ingredients

Hangover Rx Good in Bed Ultra-Replenishing Hydrating Serum
Water\Aqua\Eau, Butylene Glycol, PEG/PPG/Polybutylene Glycol-8/5/3 Glycerin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Yogurt Powder, Sodium Hyaluronate, Hydrolyzed Sodium Hyaluronate, Algae Extract, Hylocereus Undatus Fruit Extract, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Liquid Endosperm, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Juice, Acetyl Hexapeptide-8, Panthenol, Glycerin, Caffeine, Dipeptide Diaminobutyroyl Benzylamide Diacetate, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer, Caprylyl Glycol, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Fragrance (Parfum), Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Metabisulfite, Mica, Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891)

Hangover Rx Good to Go Skin Protecting SPF 25 Moisturizer
(US) ACTIVE INGREDIENTS: AVOBENZONE 3.0%, HOMOSALATE 8.0%, OCTISALATE 5.0%, OCTOCRYLENE 8.0% INGREDIENTS: Water\Aqua\Eau, C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Glycerin, Octyldodecyl Neopentanoate, Butylene Glycol, Glyceryl Stearate, PEG-100 Stearate, Tocopheryl Acetate, Sodium Hyaluronate, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract, Cinnamomum Zeylanicum Bark Extract, Simmondsia Chinensis (Jojoba) Seed Oil, Sodium Acetate, Beeswax\Cera Alba\Cire D’abeille, Ethylhexylglycerin, Inulin, Lactobacillus Ferment, Octyldodecanol, Sarcosine, Yogurt Powder, Cellulose, Acrylates/C10-30 Alkyl Acrylate Crosspolymer, Capryloyl Glycine, Steareth-20, Hydroxyethylcellulose, Hexylene Glycol, Citric Acid, Sodium Hydroxide, Fragrance (Parfum), Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water, Disodium EDTA, Tetrahexyldecyl Ascorbate, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate

Hangover Replenishing Face Primer
Water/Aqua/Eau, Lactobacillus/Salix Alba Bark Ferment Filtrate, Propanediol Dicaprylate, Propanediol, Ceteareth-6 Olivate, Lactobacillus Ferment, Triolein, Aluminum Starch Octenylsuccinate, Microcrystalline Cellulose, Glyceryl Dioleate, Hydrogenated Olive Oil, Polyacrylate Crosspolymer-6, Cellulose Gum, Olea Europaea (Olive) Fruit Oil/Olea Europaea Fruit Oil, Trisodium Ethylenediamine Disuccinate, Olea Europaea (Olive) Oil Unsaponifiables/Olea Europaea Oil Unsaponifiables, Pectin, Xanthan Gum, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water/Cocos Nucifera Water, Glycerin, Lauryl Alcohol Diphosphonic Acid, Pentylene Glycol, Lecithin, Lauric Acid, Magnesium Aluminum Silicate, Fragrance/Parfum, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Juice/Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, Citric Acid, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.

Hangover 3-in-1 Replenishing Primer and Setting Spray
Aqua/Water/Eau, Pentylene Glycol, Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Juice, Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysate, AMP-Acrylates/Allyl Methacrylate Copolymer, Glycerin, Lactobacillus/Salix Alba Bark Ferment Filtrate, Maris Aqua/Sea Water/Eau De Mer, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Water/Cocos Nucifera Water, Hydroxyacetophenone, 1,2-Hexanediol, Caprylyl Glycol, Sodium PCA, Urea, Panthenol, Yogurt Powder, Trideceth-9, Cocos Nucifera (Coconut) Fruit Juice/Cocos Nucifera Fruit Juice, PEG-40 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Trehalose, Fragrance/Parfum, Polyquaternium-51, Sodium Hyaluronate, Polysorbate 20, Phenoxyethanol, Potassium Sorbate, Sodium Benzoate.

Adventures in optometry

I had an appointment earlier this afternoon, and in the middle of it I realized that getting your eyes checked is kind of weird… I mean, you’re sitting a foot away from a complete stranger in a quiet, dark room, which in other circumstances would be totally creepy. They’re also shining bright lights in your eyes and looking into places (like the back of your eye) you’ve never seen before.

It’s strange, right?!

I do like trying on glasses, though! I’m still very happy with my pink Kate Spades and don’t think I’ll be updating them anytime soon, but I did try on some wacky frames because, if you’re gonna wear spectacles, they might as well be fun.

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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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