skincare faves

Full disclosure:  I have generally clear skin.  Lately I've been having breakouts more often, but even that is not nearly as bad as most people experience day-to-day.  Over the years I've been curating products for my medicine cabinet (it's a drawer) because I get a kick out of having amazing things, really.  

Lush Ultrabland, Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel, Cleanse by Lauren Napier, Caudalie Micellar Cleansing Water

CLEANSING: 

1.  Lush Ultrabland Facial Cleanser :  I love this stuff at the end of the day because it peels off ALL the makeup on my skin without too much pull or work.

2.  CLEANSE by Lauren Napier:  CLEANSE is so awesome.  I bought a 50-pack on a whim because I follow the owner/creator, Lauren Napier, on social media. I used them up and every time that I went to grab a new pack of wipes for my gym bag I'd never buy because I knew that none of them would be as nice to use as these. Since CLEANSE wipes are already individually packaged, I use when I'm tired or after a workout and on the go.  The oils are so delicious smelling and gently lift dirt and makeup as thoroughly as a full cleanser would except it's in a little packet. Yay!

3.  Caudalie Micellar Cleansing Water:  I think it's the grape water that makes this stuff SO hydrating.  At this point it's obvious that I really like getting makeup off of my skin.  Actually maybe too much... But I like it!  This was once called a cleansing water before micellar got popular and the company changed the name.

4.  Dickinson's O.G. Witch Hazel:  I use this when I have a breakout coming along and also to get rid of the excess oil from all that I'm adding to my skin to cleanse since I don't typically use a soap to do so.  The toner is so light and refreshing without hitting the pockets too hard.  Find it at your nearest drugstore!

Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment, Lush Celestial, Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

MOISTURIZING:

1.  Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treatment:  I picked this up once I realized that life was actually becoming more like what people had been telling me to expect as I age.  Simply put the general census is that things are *ahem* "different".  I had taken way too long of a break off of using an eye cream and wanted to be sure to find something lacking the average amount of additives/chemicals that would still have results.  Initially I was using too much of this stuff so I had a little breakout but I saw the coolest video on facial massaging and eye creams, lightened the amount I was using, and haven't had problems since.

2. Lush Celestial Facial Moisturizer:  I have generally dry skin but wanted a lighter moisturizer and settled on this one since it's for sensitive skin but deposits a shit ton of moisture on the skin.

3.  Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate:  This is my secret sauce and something I only use in the nighttime.  IDK what this stuff is about, but it works.  My skin always feels replenished after only using a few drops.

Patchology Smartmud, Boscia Sake Brightening Hyroggel Eye Masks, m-61 PowerGlow Peel

TREATMENTS:

1.  Boscia Sake Brightening Hydrogel Eye Masks:  I use this once a week simply because i do wear an under-eye concealer daily and I know that constant coverage on my pores can tire out the skin down there (or at least my brain tells me so).  I'll pop these on while I'm getting ready and, like all sheet masks, I just dab in the excess and keep on, keepin' on. 

2.  Patchology SMARTMUD:  I'm always posting about these things.  I like having the sensation of pulling out impurities every couple of weeks.  Just like the eye masks, this is my way of saying, "Hey skin, I still love you!  I'll take care of you as long as you take care of me."

3.  M-61 PowerGlow Peel:  Every couple of months, I'll take 1-2 weeks to do these peels 3X's a week.  They're so gentle and easy to use for an at-home treatment  to keep things fresh.

Since I'm experiencing these breakouts across my forehead, I am going to look in to what I can be using during these dark days and until further notice.  Hope this was as enjoyable for you as it was fun for me to prepare!  Here's to our skin!

xo,

Melissa

September Faves

September was a fun month.  I got to visit a new city, cheered on my boyfriend in his first triathlon, and took on some fun projects at work.  I personally am obsessed with YouTube videos by beauty gurus who display their monthly faves.  I am going to start doing them here every month to highlight the beauty products and other things, that just light my life up for the month.  Since this is my first, I wanted to keep it simple and boiled down to the brand new items that really blew me away.  

1. Curate Snacks' Curate Bars:

My favorite of three that I tried is the Salted Decadence, hence, it's not in the photo--because I ate them all.  I walked in to work one day and grabbed one as a snack and fell in love immediately.  Salted Decadence has: hemp seed, marcona almonds, dark chocolate, California sea salt, almond butter, and quinoa (among other ingredients).  These are available at Target, Walmart, and amazon.com

2.  Black Opal's Deluxe Finishing Powder:

So, I like to keep things simple when it comes to my beauty regimen.  I love how much work women put in to their makeup, but it just does not work for my lifestyle.  For a while, I've been wanting to try a translucent powder and was concerned about there being a lot of ash being left behind after removing.  When I was in Pittsburgh, I realized that I accidentally left my NARS concealer at home, ran to Rite Aid, and stumbled upon this while I scanned the selection for darker skin tones.  I like it a lot and am going to purchase a new face brush soon so I can leave my bronzer brush for bronzers only.

3.  L.A. Girl's HD Pro Concealer Corrector:

Just like I mentioned above, I have a deep appreciation for women who do a whole face beat down to get the look they love.  I tried a Smashbox corrector a while ago and it really wasn't user friendly for me.  On that same concealer hunt in Pittsburgh, I wandered in to a beauty supply story and was finally able to get my hands on lots of shades of L.A. Girl concealers, including this one.  I love that there's a brush attached to the tube and suggest that you have your Beauty Blender dampened and ready to go because, unlike a NARS concealer, I don't think that the heat from the face helps to prep the color.  Instead, it seems to dry faster and be more challenging to spead the longer you wait.

4.  Patchology's Smartmud No Mess Mud Masque:

You guys.  I have a favorite makeup and skincare shop here in Chicago called Blue Mercury.  It's my luxury Walgreen's and I get all of my goodies there to try or refill.  One evening I had to run down to grab my favorite makeup remover miceller water, I spotted this mud sheet mask and threw it on the counter.  I have done mud masks before, but it was such a task (seriously, the beauty routine simplicity story is a running theme here).  To have the mix prepared and easy to use on a sheet mask is everything.  And my skin felt and looked so energized after!  I am going to do them 1-2 times a month to keep my skin cleared up from all the makeup and handling it experiences day-to-day.

5.  Benefit Cosmetics' Goof Proof Brow Pencil:

Surprise!  I was looking for an easy way to fill my brows pre- and post-sweat for my makeup kit.  I was carrying around my Browzings and a brush and a.) it was stressful worrying about misplacing my brush, b.) it was kinda gross to have my makeup brush in studio bathrooms (in my mind).  This guy deposits great color, is truly goof proof for a former tomboy like me, and travels well daily.  Mine is in shade 5.

Try these products out and let me know what you think!  See you with a fresh list for next month.

Melissa

Current Obsession

available on Net-a-porter.

so I am way more obsessed with my skincare as I inch closer and closer to my 30th birthday.  as an athlete it is always important to keep your skin clean and the process simple.  other choices I've made equal more cleansing and more makeup daily.  so basically, ya girl needs a clean glow from my products before a beat and before bed.

CLEANSE by Lauren Napier stood out to me for three reasons: 

1.  it's owned by a woman (the business is her namesake). 

2.  the product is made with amazing ingredients.

3.  I found her Instagram feed to reflect what I value most: glow, natural beauty, women entrepreneurs, and being happy.

it took me a while to finally make the purchase (I had similar products that I wanted to use up before buying) and now that I finally have, I know that I will only use these facial cleansing wipes going forward.  the reasons are simple: the product will never dry out--thanks to packaging, it works well, and anybody who knows me knows that I LOVE lining the pockets of small business owners when I can.

the best way to buy these li'l guys is via net-a-porter.com and follow sis on the web at @laurennapier.