skincare

Skincare Products That I've Been Using | #2

7:37 PM


It's been a few months since my last one of these, and I've cut down on quite a few products. In the morning, I wash my face with the Yes to Carrots Fragrance Free Daily Cream Facial Cleanser, which is really nourishing and hydrating. It's a great winter staple, but I think I might put it away simply because it's getting a bit warmer these days. 

After cleansing, I apply my moisturizers. My eye cream is the same as last time - the nice and lightweight Burt's Bees Sensitive Eye Cream. This eye cream contains cotton extract and is lightly moisturizing but doesn't aggravate my milia. The moisturizer I use in the morning is the H20+ Face Oasis Hydrating Treatment, which has such a nice, clean scent and awesome gel texture. 

At night, I remove my makeup. I've run out of the lovely Sephora makeup remover that was in my last installment of this, and I've been too lazy to go and get another one so lately I've been using coconut oil to remove my makeup. It eats through makeup and also conditions my lashes and dry patches. 

After that, I hop into the shower and wash my face then. I've been using the Eclos Facial Cleanser Skin Prep, which is a really nice foaming cleanser that gently cleanses the skin deeply and washes away makeup. This product is pH balanced and gentle, making it great for all skintypes.  I would really love this if it weren't for the weird-ass smell, which is almost gingery.

Of course, after that I tone with the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. I'm indifferent about this; it gets the job done and I like the scent, I suppose. I apply this with my fingers because I feel like I get more use of the product this way, plus it feels really nice.

The final step of this is to pop on my nighttime moisturizer, which is the Yes to Cucumbers Calming Night Cream. This spreads easily over the face and absorbs in quickly. It has a soothing scent of cucumbers and chamomile, which is perfect for nighttime.

I've cut out a spot treatment simply because I don't get spots very often anymore these days. I can tell there will be a reckoning on my face soon though. Twice a week I make my own scrub from this recipe, which uses green tea, honey, and rice flour.

Thanks for reading! What products do you use?

giovanni

Triple Threat Facial - VDM Style

4:23 PM

I'm sure you all read the famous Vivianna Does Makeup, and that you're familiar with her "Triple Threat Facial" posts. In case you aren't, I'll catch you up. Basically it's a triple whammy - first you exfoliate, then you deep cleanse, then you hydrate. I really enjoy doing these because afterwards my skin feels smooth me hydrated, and looks radiant and glowing.


Sometimes I like to mix up my own scrub by just adding a bit of sugar into my usual face wash, but more often than not I like to use the St. Ives Green Tea Scrub, which doesn't do much for acne but is great for buffing and polishing the skin. I like to apply it to a dry face (with damp fingers) to really make the most of it. I tend to leave it on my skin for a couple minutes simply because I like the way it smells.

The next step would then by a detox or deep cleansing mask. Mud and clay masks are especially good for this, so my weapon of choice for today is the Giovanni D-Tox Purifying Face Mask. It has a soothing scent and the skin feels cleansed from the inside.

The last and final step is to use a hydrating mask. My favorite one is the Origins Drink Up Intensive because hey, what's not to love? It smells nice, reeeeally hydrates your skin, and pretty much makes me happy.

Thanks for reading! Try out this facial method and let me know what you think.

routine

Beauty Basics | Skincare 101

5:46 PM



I like to remind people of the basics. The three most important beauty rules are to stay hydrated, happy, and put on sunscreen. But that's not the point of this post.


I think a lot of people are confused by all the products we have nowadays. There's so many, can you blame them? Serum, lotion, toner, moisturizer, night cream, spot treatment, etc. I'm going to take you through the basics of skincare.

Step number one: determine your skin type. Dry, normal, oily, combination, acne prone, and sensitive are the major skin types. This is going to help you through the rest of your routine.

Step number two: once you know your skin type, follow the three basic skin regimen rules: cleanse, tone, moisturize.

I'm going to go off on a bit of a tangent here about toner (sometimes called a lotion). Technically. This step isn't needed. A toner is basically meant to get the last traces of dirt, oil and makeup off your face (NOT remove makeup, your cleanser or makeup remover should do that!!) and balance the pH of your skin after the cleanser. However, some people say you must have it in your skincare routine. I have a toner, but do whatever makes you comfortable.

Step number three: stick to the routine! It takes your skin quite a while to get used to a product (30ish days) , so don't be surprised if the skin doesn't agree with at first. Give it some time. If it doesn't clear up, stop using the product. Obviously, stop using the product if there's a major reaction shortly after you start using it.

That's basically it. Everything else (serums, spot treatments, night creams, emulsions, etc) are optional and not something you have to incorporate into your routines.

Okay people, thanks for reading!

origins

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask Review

4:02 PM

Hello! I have a review today on the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask.


I have a little sample size containing 1 fl. oz of product, but the full sized product can be purchased online and at certain department stores (think Macy's). The 3.4 oz sized bottle costs $23. Origins is cruelty free and is also eco friendly.



This is an overnight mask, which is similar to a night cream. However, think of this as a very very thick night cream. You smooth it all over your face before going to bed and by the time you wake up in the morning, you should have happy, hydrated skin. This is best used on dry, dehydrated skin but of course any skin type can use it.

\
It's a creamy color, very thick in consistency and amazing in smell. I kid you not, it smells delicious. I would wear this as a perfume if I could. As directed, I smooth this on my face twice a week before I go to bed. However, since I'm trying to ration this little sample size, I only use it on my particularly dry spots (cheekbones, forehead). It's perfect for my normal/dry skin and by the time I wake up in the morning, those spots are totally hydrated and my skin is super happy. Origins claims that this mask "instantly quenches compromised moisture reserves and builds a reservoir for tomorrow." I couldn't agree more. This mask is amazing. If you can afford it, you should definitely get it.


Beauty

Pond's Dry Skin Cream Review

2:00 PM

Hey everyone, I have a review for you today. As you can see by the title, it's on Pond's Dry Skin Cream.

Pond's Dry Skin Cream - 6.5 oz


I got mine at Target for around $5, I believe. There is a 10.1 oz size jar of it, available for around $8. It's in a 6.5 oz plastic jar with a blue lid. The front has the product name on it, the back has some claims, directions, and ingredients. Unfortunately, Pond's does test on animals.


I really wanted to like this product. I'd read some good reviews on Makeup Alley, and it seemed perfect for my normal/dry skin.


I don't know if the photographs really do it justice, but it is a very thick cream. I definitely would not recommend this for oily skinned people, or even normal/oily. It smells very strongly of the classic moisturizer scent, kind of old-ladyish, but that didn't bother me too much. It does take a few minutes to absorb in your skin. A little bit of this stuff goes a long way. I felt it hydrated my skin fairly well, but my skin didn't react well to it. Not many things break me out, and this did. It clogged my pores and gave my skin an overall bumpy appearance. Now, I know that it takes skin a while to get used to a new product, so I used this for about a month. But the bumps didn't go away until I stopped using the cream. It's a shame, because I really wanted to like this product.

Overall, I liked it but it did break me out. It might be just my skin, everyone's is different. Be sure to give it a go before you judge it.

Ingredients:
Water, Mineral Oil (Paraffinum Liquidum), Isopropyl Palmitate, Petrolatum, Glycerin, Stearic Acid, Ceresin, Glyceryl Stearate, Cetearyl Alcohol, Sorbitan Oleate, Candelilla Cera (Euphorbia Cerifolia Wax), Triethanolamine, Laureth 23, Fragrance (Parfum), Carbomer, Disodium EDTA, DMDM Hydantoin, Methylparaben, Iodopropynyl Butylcarbamate

Beauty

Skincare Routine

5:48 PM

Hey everyone, thought I'd bring you a skincare routine.

To my, skincare is the most important part of a beauty routine. Good skin makes me feel confident. I'm not 100% satisfied with my routine right now, but I'm pretty happy with it. We get along well.

Some background on my skin - it's normal/dry, and a little dull. I don't usually break out, but I do get the occasional blemish. I think my routine is pretty simple, and I try not to use too many products on my face. A lot of people have different products that they use at night and day, but not me.

Morning
Splash face with cold water. Pat dry.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream - about $10
Dab a bit of Neutrogena Healthy Skin Eye Cream underneath my eyes and up to my browbones
Nivea Soft - about $5
Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 with helioplex - $13
Massage Nivea Soft onto face, sometimes mixed with Neutrogena Healthy Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 50 if I'm spending more than ten minutes outside.
Garnier Nutritioniste Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller - $12
Roll Garnier Skin Renew Anti-Puff Eye Roller underneath eyes and up to browbone
Mederma Scar Gel - $19
Scar cream with Mederma Scar Treatment. Probably not supposed to be used on the face, but oh well.
C.O. Bigelow Rose Salve - $5.50 at Bath and Body Works
Put a copious amount of lip balm on

Like I said, a lot of my night and day items correlate. You'll find the same basic products.

Night
Pond's Deep Cleansing Cleanser - purchased in Taiwan. Not sure where you can get it in America.
Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub - $8 for the big bottle
Not sure what to call this other than face brush - purchased in Japan for 100 yen. You can get them at Sephora for six bucks a pop.
Wash face with Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub (every other day) and Pond's Deep Cleansing Mud Cleanser (when I don't use the foaming scrub). I like to use the little face brush with the Pond's.
Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner - around $7
Pour a little toner onto my hands and gently pat onto face. I'm using the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner right now. It smells nice.

Moisturize with Neutrogena Eye Cream and Nivea Soft again

Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick - $7
Apply Burt's Bees Herbal Blemish Stick to any problem areas. I popped out the unhygienic rollerball and dip a dampened cotton swab into the bottle instead.

Exfoliate lips with a DIY scrub I made out of Vaseline and sugar

Apply generous amounts of lip balm and slather Vaseline over.

I like to give myself a mini facial while putting on my moisturizer by pressing on the high points of my cheekbones and my browbones and, making L shapes with my hands, moving from the center of my face out (I do this from the top of my cheekbones, the middle, and then my jawline).

Twice a week, I give myself a facial by slathering on moisturizer and lying a hot towel on my face until it cools, which I repeat twice.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask - $16 for the 1.7 oz tube
Twice a week as well, I use an overnight mask on my particularly dry areas (high points of cheekbones, t-zone and eyebrows). Right now I'm using a little sample size of Origins Drink Up  Intensive Overnight Mask. Love it.
Petal Fresh Aloe & Cucumber Facial Peel Off Masque - purchased in Taiwan but $5 on Ebay
Sometimes I forget, but I try to use a mask at least once a week. I'm using a peel-off mask right now, the Petal Fresh Botanics Aloe and Cucumber Facial Peel Off Masque. I got this in Taiwan, so I'm not sure where you can get it in the states.

So that's it, guys. Thanks for reading! I appreciate it.

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Hi there, I'm Emily. It's nice to meet you. I'm a beauty blogger who also happens to be very interested in photography/film. Chat with me, let's be friends!