My Skincare Necessities

Today I'm going to share my current skincare must haves. Some of these I've discussed on the blog before, but this is a bit more of a simple line-up, and it is definitely more focused on caring for your skin rather than make-up removal skincare. I've always had dry, sensitive skin for as long as I can remember and it can be difficult to find products that don't irritate my skin or leave it oily. Over the years I've found a handful of products that both me and my skin love. Here are five items I couldn't live without.

1. Aveeno Anti-Itch Cream - This guy is a life saver. Sometime my skin has a bad reaction to make-up or it just gets irritated and this stuff calms down the redness and irritation. It also helps me out with any allergy flare-ups. It's not an item I use everyday but it helps to have it on hand. Just the other day I had an allergy-related hives breakout and this stuff saved the day.

2. St. Ive's Timeless Skin Moisturizer - This is my favorite moisturizer. I've spoken about it here before, and tried numerous other moisturizers but I always come back to this product. I love the formula and it's light clean scent. This tub also lasts forever, not like with some pricier products.

3. Nature's Way Coconut Oil - At this point I'm sure you've heard about all the stuff coconut oil is good for, but in case you live under a rock I'll recap... This stuff is a multi-tasker like no other. It can be used as a lotion, a deep conditioner, for oil pulling, make-up removal, skin brightening ect. It has also hundreds of other uses outside of your beauty regimen... if you haven't jumped on this bandwagon yet - get to it.

4. Original Chapstick - I'm a fan of lip balm in general but sometimes it's nice to have something basic and non-scented like original chapstick, although I love anything Burt's Bees.

5. Queen Helene Mint Julep Masque - This is another product I've mentioned prior to today but again, after trying a few other masques I always found myself coming back to this one. It's not drying like a lot of other mask products can be. It leaves your skin feeling smooth and fresh after you use it. Again, it's not something I use daily but if my skin is dull and needs some extra love it's the first product I grab. 

 What are your skincare must haves?

-Reagan

Aveeno Positively Radiant

I have talked a little bit in the past about a few of products in my skincare routine both here and here but I have been wanting to simplify a little bit and have always been a fan of Aveeno so I picked up the Brightening Cleanser and also the Moisturizer from their Positively Radiant Line. I had use a few of their product before and I'm a fan of the scent which is noticeable but not overly fragrant. I like the formula of both of these products and they both seem to agree with my super picky skin so I'm sold.

I actually prefer this moisturizer over my old favorite St. Ive's moisturizer because it doesn't leave the same wet feeling after applying it. There is little to no waiting for it to absorb into your skin so you can apply make up immediately after moisturizing. I also love that it has an SPF in it.

I think I would definitely try other products from their Positively Radiant line so if you've tried any of them let me know, I'd love to hear your thoughts :)

-Reagan

Summer Skin Picks

 Every new season of the year I try to alter my regular make-up routine a bit to adjust for new weather and seasonal styles. For summer this means finding make-up that will work for your everyday summertime activities, but also give your skin that sun-kissed summer look.

I wanted to share a few of the products in my summer rotation this year that have quickly become favorites.

 I use the Garnier BB Cream for Sensitive Skin, I find it less oily then the regular BB cream, and I love this product for summer because it has an SPF in it as well. I usually use this instead of foundation because it is more lightweight but still offers a little coverage. I use the Maybelline Fit me! foundation stick for areas that need a little more coverage. This stuff is great, not too oily and blends really well. I use the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer's Brightener as a highlighter & for under my eyes. I LOVE this concealer. I've had problems with other concealers being super oily and sinking into areas around my eyes, this concealer doesn't do that & is perfect for hiding dark circles. I get the best results if I tap the concealer instead of rubbing it in and then dust it with powder to really set it. The next two products are really for that summery glow. They are NYC bronzer in Sunny and Wet n' Wild Fergie Shimmer Pallette in Rose Champagne Glow. I love the NYC bronzer, it's been a summer favorite for years. It's the perfect color that doesn't show up orange and blends well. I also love that it's matte so when I'm in a pinch it works well as eyeshadow or even a brow filler. The Wet n' Wild Fergie Shimmer pallette is a shimmery highlighter. This isn't something I would wear everyday but it's perfect for adding a little more glow to your skin when you want a little something extra. This stuff also works well as a good brow highlighter if you're into product multitaskers :)

Of all of the products if you only get two run and get the concealer and bronzer and thank me later ;)

What are your must have summer make-up products?

-Reagan

Skin Care Favorites Pt.2

 I've been wanting to do another post about skincare for some time because I'm always on the hunt for the perfect product to transform my skin. A girl can dream right? I still haven't found a miracle product but I've found a few new products that have made a huge difference in my skin. As I've mentioned before my skin tends to be on the dry side, and recently I've recognized that it also tends to be a bit sensitive. I don't have zits or pimples often so my main focus is on blackheads and minimizing the look of pores without drying out or irritating my skin. 

First up is the Garnier BB Cream for combination skin in light-medium. I used to use the BB cream for regular skin but found the formula for the combination skin suits my sensitive skin a bit better. I find that it's much less oily. 

 Next is the Clearasil Superfruit face wash, this one smells so so good and leaves your skin feeling clean and fresh. This one is a favorite for the morning time because the scent is just so refreshing!

 The next product is Garnier nourishing Cleansing Oil for dry skin.  This product is unlike any skin product I've tried before. You apply it to your dry face with dry hands, and then rinse with water to remove the oil. This is definitely a new favorite that I'll be repurchasing. Because the product is an oil cleanser it leaves your skin super soft and not dried out at all. I also love it's scent.

 The final skin product is the Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser. This product leaves your skin with a deep clean feeling, and also leaves your skin super soft :) This item is my favorite of this group for targeting blackheads and pores.

I usually use the BB cream with make-up, or just on it's own without make-up. I love that it has an spf. The Clearasil is a product that I use every other day because I've found that everyday use dries out my sensitive skin. The Garnier Cleansing Oil is a product I can use everyday, my skin loves this stuff. The Neutrogena Wave Power Cleanser it another item I use every other day or a couple times a week if my skin is looking dull or in need of a deep clean. 

So there you have it, four more of my skin care favorites. Have you tried any of these product before?

-Reagan

Skin Care Favorites

So it's been a few months since I've shared any beauty product favorites. This time around I've decided to share just a few of my skincare favorites. I don't like to have too many steps involved in my routine because the more things I add in the less likely I am to do them all. Plus it keeps the cost of my skincare system down, and my skin hasn't seemed to suffer at all. That's your classic win-win, right? 

 I've used A LOT of different cleansers and scrubs over the years and this is my favorite cleanser that also exfoliates. I have naturally dry skin and most cleansers dry it out even worse. Neutrogena's Pore Refining Exfoliating Cleanser has tiny exfoliate beads that really work deep into your skin, without that feeling that you're rubbing sand all over your face. It doesn't really have much of a scent to it and most of all, it doesn't completely dry out my face. I do like to switch things up but this will definitely be something I repurchase in the future.

 Queen Helene's Mint Julep Masque is a recent drugstore find. This isn't something that I use daily, more like once a week. As you can see on the packaging, it, "helps dry up acne pimples, rinse away blackheads & shrink enlarged pores". I don't generally experience acne problems, only the occasional zit here or there so I can't attest to it's effectiveness to fighting acne. I can, however, confirm that this is a great product to have on hand if you're trying to keep blackheads under control and also minimize the look of pores. It also smells and feels really refreshing.

 

 This is the last step in my skincare routine. St. Ive's Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer is my favorite moisturizer by far. As I said, I have naturally dry skin so I have tried a LOT of moisturizers and few have been able to impress me. This moisturizer is really rich and creamy and it actually quenches my dry skin. Plus it also fights the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles, which to me is just an added perk. This is another inexpensive drugstore product that is well worth the price. 

And that's it. Pretty simple skincare routine, but it works for me. I like to try new items and change up my routine every now and then, so any recommendations are definitely welcome. I'd love to hear about some of your favorite skincare products as well!

Have you tried any of these products before? 

-Reagan

 

Fall 2013 Face Makeup Favorites

A week ago I had some fun sharing my favorite eye make up products for Fall 2013. Today I wanted to come back and share some of my favorite products to use for my overall face. My face make up can vary from day to day but there are a few products that I always come back to. Some days even when I don't feel like going all out with make up I still do a little to my face. It's amazing what some concealer or blush can do to give your skin a little extra glow.

The first part of my skin routine is to use Garnier's BB Cream in Light/Medium. This product is something I used all throughout summer as well as it moisturizes and gives your skin a slightly dewy glow. This item is also great for the days you don't want to wear make up because it also has spf 15 for some skin protection. Sometimes I wear this by itself when I feel like being makeup free but still need a little coverage. I have seen that there is an anti-aging formula and oil-free versions on the market that I'm interested in trying.

The next part of my routine is to conceal. I use concealer under my eyes in a triangle formation and blend unto my cheekbones. I don't have terrible bags but this step really brightens up my skin and highlights my cheekbones as well. The concealer I've been using regularly is Revlon's Photoready Concealer. I like the formula as it is easy to blend and has good coverage as well.

After I apply my concealer the next item I use is foundation. I try to only use it in problem areas and blend with my concealer to give my skin a more natural finish and not look like I've painted on my face. The foundation I've been using lately is Revlon Nearly Nude foundation. This foundation is a sheer coverage foundation and I love that it really does give my skin a natural finish. I loved this foundation during summer but may decide to switch to something with heavier coverage in for winter.

Most days I set my make up with my Covergirl Fresh Complexion pressed powder. This gives my skin a nice matte finish and keeps my foundation and concealer in place. This is pretty much the only powder I bother with. I'm not a huge powder fan as most of them seem to sit on the skin and emphasize wrinkles, I don't notice that effect with this powder, so I'm pretty happy spending my money on it.

I usually finish off my skin make up routine with Covergirl Blush. My favorite shade is Rose Silk but I own several different shades of their blush that I swap in and out of my makeup bag regularly. Covergirl is my go to line for blush hands down. The Rose Silk shade is a nice pink-peach color that looks fresh against my skin. It's been in my make up bag for years.

 The first picture shows me with just face makeup (as described above) with my eyebrows shaped with Rimmel eyebrow pencil and Milani Brow Fix Brow Kit.  The second image is me with full makeup using products described here. I am also wearing one of my favorite lipsticks by Revlon, Primrose.

I'd like to come back and do more posts about some of my favorite makeup items, so if there's anything you're curious about feel free to ask!

What are some of your face make up products you just can't live without? 

-Reagan