Current Skincare

When it comes to skincare, I like to try a lot of different things and rarely does a product find a permanent home in my routine. For a while I had been sticking to a regular regimen of products, but they were coming to an end and I got a bit bored of it. After my skin started to change in the colder weather, I knew it was time to try something new. Since switching it up, my skin has gotten so much better and I've become obsessed with maintaining it. Here are the products I've been using. 

At night, I will take my makeup off with good old Johnson's baby oil. This gets everything off in seconds, doesn't irritate, and is incredibly cheap, but be prepared for an oil-face afterwards. 

Next I will wash my face with Cetaphil for normal to oily skin. After hearing all the rave reviews about this, I had to try it out, despite my hesitations because it just looks so boring. But, it's amazing. It makes the skin feel really clean, refreshed, and healthy. The only down side is that it contains a few ingredients that might raise a few eyebrows and although a more natural alternative would be nice, for now, this is incredibly addicting. 

Because my skin has gotten a lot drier, I started using Bio-Oil as an overnight moisturizing treatment. Now, I used to be one of those people that cringed at the thought of putting oil on my face, but I took a leap of faith in trying this and it has worked amazingly for me. You don't need a lot at all (I made that mistake the first time I used it) and it feels really nice to massage into the skin. It never completely sinks into my skin, but I don't mind because it really locks in moisture and leaves me with soft, smooth skin when I wake up. To my disbelief, this hasn't broken me out. 

Then I put some of the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo on my t-zone, which I have already raved about here. 

I mentioned in a previous post that I wanted to try some products from the Mario Badescu skincare range, so I got the enzyme revitalizing mask and the hyaluronic eye cream. The eye cream is very rich and moisturizing, so it is more appropriate for night time use, although I sometimes use a little in the day time. As with many eye creams, its effects are not immediately apparent, but one thing that is obvious - it's extremely moisturizing, which hopefully means it is great for preventing fine lines and wrinkles. 

The mask I use every 3 days, although it is so good that I am tempted to use it everyday. It has papaya and grapefruit extracts which act as gentle, natural exfoliators and is also surprisingly moisturizing. After using this my face is brighter, softer, and more balanced looking. I absolutely love this and would recommend it to anyone, really, because it is so gentle. 

After my experience with these products and looking at the other products that Mario Badescu offers on their website, I have to say I am a little bit obsessed. There is something for every single skin type and the products just seem to cater to my every need. It shocks me how affordable they are for their quality and I am dying to get more. I have already ordered another product from them, a body wash =x. 

In the daytime, I keep it really simple and just use Clinique's dramatically different moisturizing gel and some sunscreen (I haven't found one I like yet). I got this at Sephora while looking for a daytime moisturizer. I was pleasantly surprised when I swatched it and felt that it's not really a gel as you would expect, but more like a cream-gel. Because of this it is perfect for a non-greasy but hydrated feel on your skin. 

I'm always in search for the next best lip balm, and the two that I am using now are the Nuxe Reve de Miel lip moisturizing stick and the Dr. Hauschka lip balm. The Nuxe one is nice, but I like my lip balms to have a little more slip to them than this one provides. 

The Dr. Hauschka one is the real winner here. It is pricey for a lip balm, but I think it's well worth it. Housed in a little glass pot, this product is fantastic for dry, flaky lips. Once it is warmed up with your fingers, it glides on like a creamy, luxurious oil. I use this at night and it really feels like my lips are repaired in the morning. The product states that its natural ingredients don't encourage dependency but, I'm addicted. 

Finally, I wanted to include my favorite hand cream, Eucerin intensive repair hand creme. I've been using this for over a year now, and I keep repurchasing it. It's definitely not something luxurious that you can be proud to pull out of your bag, but it works way better than some of the fancier hand creams out there in my opinion, kind of like "the Cetaphil" of hand creams. 

Wow, that seems really long. Thank you to those who are reading this, I hope you enjoyed it and will share some of your skincare tips! =)

~Vida