"Be a first rate version of yourself, not a second rate version of someone else."

Thursday 28 April 2011

My Evening Skin Care Routine

Skincare is a highly personal and highly annoying aspect of anyone's beauty routine. Quite frankly, it's the area of beauty where one is most likely to over spend and waste money trying to figure out what works. Everyone's skin is different.

I appreciate the fact that this sucks. It really does. Why do we have to play trial and error on our face and with our wallets? Believe me, if I had the magic answer, I'd be a millionaire. I don't want to lie to you in any way, so I'll remain an average Josephine til I can market the perfect the routine.

My Skin:

  • reactive. I will break out if I fuss with it too much
  • very fair, I burn then tan MAC Prolong Wear NW15 works. MUFE Mat plus Velvet 125, MAC Face and Body in C1 or N1, Nars Sheer Glow in Mont Blanc
  • sensitive. Perfumes in products make my skin freak out. If you're the same, stay away from Guerlain. Trust me. Ouchies.
  • combination. Before I figured out my skin routine, my skin was super oily. It was only compensating for the products that I was using. I was stripping my skin of valuable oils. This was not good. Now that I know that my skin is dry- combination with an oilier Tzone, I can control the oil. I think a bit of shine is a good thing. It means that I won't get as many wrinkles, and it just looks better. I only have to blot between 4 and 5 p.m. 
  • I do the majority of my repairing and moisturizing in the evening. It soaks in all night. I wake up refreshed and glowing on most days. 
  • My skin does not shed. It's a condition. I have to pull double duty with my exfoliation because my skin just won't do it naturally. It sucks. I break out if I don't pay attention.
  • I do not wash my face in the morning. I'll get to my morning routine with another post.

The following products have not reacted in any way on my highly reactive skin. Seriously- if something has even a hint of an allergen in it- my face will erupt in painful, itchy blotches. The worst offenders will break me out almost immediately. In fact, I'm still recovering from two very painful and unusual cystic pimples thanks to Vichy Aqua Thermal 24 Hour Moisture in the pump bottle. Who puts alcohol in moisturizer? Seriously. Shame on me for not inspecting the ingredients.

The following products are my nightly routine. I would use these products after a bath or shower. For the record, I don't use soap based products anywhere near my face. It's instant flaky dry broken out skin that turns crazy oily the next day. I only wipe my face with warm water and use make up removers that I will explain soon.

From Left to Right

1. Lush Eau Roma Water:

I use this whenever I feel like my skin needs a pick me up. It is refreshing and cooling. It's nice to have, really. One huge plus: I've had this bottle for 6 months now. It's still going strong! Cost: $17.95 for 250ml

2. Clinique Take the Day Off Eye Make Up Remover

Although this is a sample, I will be purchasing a proper size bottle soon. This make up remover does not bother my eyes, clog my pores and leaves no mascara debris. I have sensitive eyes so I appreciate the fact that this does not sting or smudge all over my eye ball. This sample has lasted me 3 plus months. Hello Value! It's effective therefore I use less! Future Cost: $21.50 for 125ml. Plus: I won't be purchasing until a good sample set comes out! Gift with purchase!

3. Reversa Glycolic Acid Solution for Oily and Acne Prone Skin

This is a product that my skin requires for exfoliation. As you can imagine, my sensitive skin does not take well to super abrasive scrubs. Hello break outs, redness and oil! This product has been an absolute dream for my skin. It unclogs my pores, cleanses and brightens. I used to have a lot of uneven spots with a rough texture until I found this product 3 months ago. I'm almost at the end of this bottle.
Cost: $25.00 for 175 ml I got this during a Shoppers Drug Mart sale. Reversa goes on sale for 25% every once in a while- I wait til that time.

4. Vichy Purete Thermale 3 in 1 Make Up Remover/Cleanser.

This product came in a set with something else the moisturizer I spoke of before that seriously messed up my skin. This product is really interesting. It's like a cleanser/moisturizer that does not need to be rinsed off. If I've had a heavy eye make up look that maybe the clinique missed, and I don't want to rub hard anymore, I just pop a little of this on my eyes to sooth my skin. Sometimes this is all I use in the morning to do a quick pick me up. I pop it on some cotton pads and off I go!
Cost: part of a set that was worth $37.00 Cdn. It's nice to have but not necessary.

5. i.d. Bare Vitamins Skin Revver Upper

This is seriously the 8th or 9th bottle of this product that I've purchased. It's my HG chemical exfoliator/face mask/awesome skin care item. I use this more in the summer for extra exfoliation. However, this product combined with the glycolic acid is my go to sucker punch for clear skin. The two really penetrate my pores and keep me clear ! I would be lost, seriously lost without this product. I keep one as back up. It adds a touch of moisture while eating away at my dull skin cells. It has a bad rep online, but I need to state that this product is not a suitable make up primer. It's best left for night time as a treatment for glowing skin.
Cost: $26.00 at Sephora. One bottle lasts me 3-6 months. I tend to use it more in the summer.

6. Estee Lauder Night Recovery Treatment

This sample has really shocked me lately. I had it sitting around forever, then I finally decided to use it. I put it on as one of my last steps right before bed. I'm telling you - I see a serious difference the morning after using this stuff. My skin looks alive, plump and GLOWS. I love this product. Since it was a tiny bottle, I was using it every other night. When I purchase it, it will be used nightly. I have a feeling this will be an expensive purchase. However, that tiny bottle lasted me a few weeks, and I was probably using more than I should because it was such a odd bottle.
Cost: It's listed as $63.00 Cdn on Sears.ca. I'll wait for a big sample event to purchase this. Gulp. But it makes my skin GLOW! Splurge alert.

7. Bobbi Brown Extra Night Eye Cream

I received this as a gift at Christmas. I've barely made a dent in the bottle. I'm not 100% sure I enjoy this, but I don't see the need to get something else until this is all used up. I find it a bit thick, maybe too thick for my particular needs. I think it's expensive, too. I'll be honest, I'm just on the fence with this product. I think I like it better on my cuticles than my eyes. Lol. So bad, eh? I'm pretty sure it's $50 Cdn. All her products pretty much sit around that price point.

Wow, I know I'm verbose but that's ridiculous! If you've stuck with me so far, I hope this helps you in your search! Since skin care is a constant battle, I will update if I make any changes. However, it's safe to say that number 2, 3, 5 and 6 will be in my life for a while!

Cheers,
Lauren

No comments:

Post a Comment