Beauty // Skincare

Happy Wednesday Friends! I was going through a couple options of what to post today and I hope you enjoy reading these as much as I do. I'm a sucker for reading about what products people are using. To follow up on that note I would like to add a disclaimer that these are things that are working for me and might not for you. But if you are interested in giving them a shot after my review than definitely go for it and let me know what you think! My skin fluctuates and nothing seems to work consistently for me. Right now my skin is normal to dry and is definitely acne prone. I drink lots of water and eat decently well. I have stuck with this routine give or take a couple of products and switching things around for several months now.

Since there is no makeup or build up on my skin when I first wake up, I cleanse with Cetaphil. It is very gentle and has little to no smell. I've found that it works best with a dry face first to massage it into the skin and then rinse with warm water. I like using this in the morning opposed to at night because it doesn't strip my skin. The Cetaphil cleanser costs $7.99 at Walgreens. Immediately following I tone with the Eau Roma Water from Lush. When I first discovered this product I was looking for a rose water toner. Rose extract can help acne prone skin by killing off bacteria, decreasing inflammation, and soothing the skin. I only use this in the mornings due to it's hydrating factor and it also being gentle. I fell in love with this one and it is a staple in my skincare regimen. This product costs $10.95-$22.95 and when I first tried it out I got the smaller size. Now that I know I love it I buy the larger size.

Right after toning my skin I use 2 to 3 pumps of my Elf Daily Hydration Moisturizer. I really like Elf's makeup products so I figured I would give their skincare a chance. I really like this one because it is a delicate hydrator and isn't to harsh for me. The price is amazing at only $8. Definitely worth a try, right? To finish up my day time routine I use the Nivea Men Post Shave Balm. This is something that I talked about in my Current Must Have's last week. It is used as a primer for your foundation surprisingly enough! I used to have trouble with my foundation resting on top of my skin feeling oily and heavy. I hated the feeling. I couldn't wear sunglasses without it getting all over them. I was a hot mess and then I discovered this holy grail of a product. I have tried high end primers and drug store primers. Nothing, literally nothing compares to this product. The reasoning behind this is a ingredient called Glycerin. Glycerin helps other products stick to it instead of just sitting on top of it. This product is also only $5.54 at Walmart. Holy cow. What a huge savings especially if you're used to high end primers costing $30+. Do yourself a favor and give this a try.

In the evening, after my makeup has rested on my face all day I really need something that is going to do a great job of taking it all the way off and getting my skin cleansed. The Peppermint Pure Castile Soap does the trick. I used to have to wash my face twice at night. Once to get the makeup off and a second time to cleanse. Well, not anymore! I love this product for many reasons. It has a delightful yet not overpowering smell of peppermint, you only need a little bit because it lathers up a lot, and I feel like it does a great job at cleaning my skin. I purchased this product 2 months ago and I have only used up to where the label starts. It lasts forever and costs $10.49 at Walgreens. Ok - So, the bottle shown for my night time toner is not actually what I use. I repurposed this bottle when I ran out of the product a long time ago. I did like it and it was a substitute for my Lush rose water toner when I couldn't make time for a trip to my closest store 3 hours away! What I actually have in this bottle is Apple Cider Vinegar mixed with Lemon juice. I use this concoction to help reduce redness and pigmentation from acne. I really feel like this helps clear up my skin!

Now when it comes to anti-aging you really can't cheap out. I use these kinds of products at night only because that's when your skin rebuilds and repairs itself. The Genifique serum helps to boost radiance and smoothes the skin. I really feel like I see a difference in my skin when I stop using this product. I am a huge fan of radiance and this does exactly that. This product ranges from $78 - $175 depending on the size you get. The Clarisonic Opal Eye Serum came with my Opal device and it targets fine lines and puffiness. I found a bundle on their website for $65 that comes with two Opal heads and this serum but not the serum alone. If you have a lot of fine lines around the eye I would recommend checking out the Opal device. It helps stimulate and firm the eye area. It's a really neat little thing. When I worked in the regular cosmetic retail world I sold more of those than the Clarisonic Cleansing Brush because people can see an immediate difference.

I've been using this eye cream consecutively for around 2 months and I honestly can't tell a huge difference. It could just be due to the fact that I really don't have eye wrinkles yet and this product is definitely geared toward filling in lines. I probably need to find something that is more for firming but I wanted to use this up before I go and get something else. This product costs $68 and I believe would work for you if you have fine lines. Especially with me being more on the dry side right now I've found that using pure 100% coconut oil as a moisturizer at night makes my skin so freaking soft and plump. I love the way it feels when I first wake up after using this. It feels extremely hydrated and nourished. It surprisingly doesn't cause me to break out either which is really nice. You can purchase Organic Coconut Oil anywhere from $6.00 - $15.00 and you really don't need much so it lasts you a lifetime. Alright, well there you have it. My complete skincare routine. If you give any of these products a shot and enjoy them, I'd love to hear from you! - Amy