Evening Winter Skin Care Routine

Hello lovelies! I'm back today with a quick post to walk you through my current evening skin care routine. For reference, my skin type is combination. This means it is oily through the t-zone and normal to dry in the cheeks. My main concerns are clogged pores and dullness. So, I generally go for products that are acne-fighting as well as brightening.

1. Remove Makeup

The first step in my routine is to remove any trace of makeup. I have been using Target's Up & Up Brand Makeup Remover to remove my eye makeup for years. It's such an affordable little gem! For the rest of my face, I love Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes. They are gentle, effective, and smell lovely.

2. Cleanse

My current cleanser is Kate Somerville's Detox Daily Cleanser. I am honestly undecided on my feelings about this product. It contains beneficial ingredients such as Phytic and Glycolic acid that are supposed to help even skin tone and fade post-acne marks. This cleanser, along with the Kate Somerville moisturizer, has been doing a fabulous job of brightening my skin. However, I am not yet convinced that it is doing much compared to a normal cleanser to detox my pores and prevent or treat blemishes. The jury is out on this product until I can use it for a few more weeks. In conjunction with my Kate Somerville cleanser, I use my Clarisonic Mia each night to thoroughly cleanse my skin and remove every bit of the day's dirt and grime from my pores.

3. Tone

Yon-Ka Lotion for Normal to Oily Skin is my HG Toner. I have been using this product for years, and whenever I run out, I notice a dramatic difference in the condition of my skin. This toner has anti-inflammatory properties that calm my sensitive skin as well as natural botanicals such as rosemary that help stave off blemishes. It is also alcohol free and incredibly gentle on the skin. I can't imagine my skin care routine without this refreshing facial mist!

4. Moisturize

Kate Somerville Nourish Daily Moisturizer is a new favorite of mine (featured in my November favorites post!). It is a lightweight gel-cream that easily sinks into skin, yet still manages to adequately hydrate my combination skin overnight. I wake up each morning to calm, glowing skin. For my eyes, I am still using Origin's GinZing Eye Cream, another November favorite! 

Hope you enjoyed the post! I have been debating whether or not to upload my current morning skin care routine, so please let me know if you would like to see that as well.

Lots of Love,

Louise

Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream

 

Hello Lovelies! Today I want to talk to you about a miracle (at least for me) face product that I have been using for the past few weeks, Dr. Weil for Origins Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Face Cream. I originally heard about this cream from watching Tanya Burr, one of my favorite makeup artist and beauty gurus on Youtube. 

This face cream has been a god-send for my overly reactive skin.  I can't even recall how many skin care products, foundations, primers and even bronzers that I have had to return this past year because my skin developed a bad reaction or broke out from them. Using this product as my night cream has helped my skin feel more comfortable, balanced, and hydrated than I can remember it feeling in a long time. If you have sensitive or reactive skin, or if you are just looking for a wonderful night cream, Dr. Weil Mega-Mushroom Skin Relief Soothing Cream just might be the ideal addition to your skin care routine.

Caudalie, Lancome & Smashbox Cosmetics Haul

Hello Lovelies! Today I have a little haul to share with you! I went a bit skin care crazy last time I was in Sephora & picked up a few items from Caudalie. Caudalie is a French skin care brand that has recently become exceptionally popular in the beauty community. I have been especially interested in trying their products as I am particularly drawn to skin care lines that contain mainly natural or plant derived ingredients. I was incredibly lucky that at this time Sephora was offering a Caudalie sample set as their 500 point perk, so I have the opportunity to try out more of the line and see what suits my skin! I also found myself oohing and ahhing at the Smashbox Cosmetics stand & all of their beautiful new eye shadow trios and palettes. I ended up coming home with one of their gorgeous Photo Op Eyeshadow Trios and a coordinating Limitless Eyeliner Pencil. Lastly, I picked up some eye makeup remover, Lancome's famous Bi-Facil. Hope you enjoy!

My Everyday Skin Care Routine

Hello lovelies! Today I wanted to quickly take you through my every day skin care routine step by step. I have been using all of these products for the past few months, and in general am happy with the results I see in the appearance of my skin. I hope you enjoy!

Step 1: I wash my face with Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser. This cleanser is a holy- grail product for me. I have been using it & repurchasing it for the past year. It effectively, yet gently, cleans the skin & leaves it feeling comfortable (not at all stripped or tight).

Step 2: This step is optional for me. If my skin is feeling on the dry side, I will apply a thin layer of Clinique's Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel. If however, my skin feels comfortable or a bit oily that day, I will skip this step.

Step 3: Lastly, I try not to ever leave the house anymore without sunscreen. I am fair skinned, and have already begun to see the damage of previous sun exposure on my face. Currently, I am using Neutrogena UltraSheer Dry-Touch Sunblock. This sunblock feels relatively light- weight and non-greasy on the face. Although I am pleased with this product, I am curious to try more high-end sunscreens and see if I prefer any others.  

Step 1: I use Target's Up & Up Brand Eye Makeup Remover to remove my eye makeup. This is a fantastic eye makeup remover. It is non-irritating & easily gets rid of even waterproof makeup. Also, it is super affordable!

Step 2: I remove the rest of my face makeup using my Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes. I love these face wipes! They smell delicious, gently remove all my face makeup, and don't leave any sort of residue behind.

Step 1: I use my Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Cleanser again to fully cleanse my face.

Step 2: I apply Yon-Ka Phyto 58 Rejuvenation Treatment Cream.  This is an amazing night treatment cream (review here)! 

If I have any acne spots: I will apply Clinique Acne Solutions Clearing Moisturizer to any problem areas before my moisturizer. The benzoyl peroxide in this lightweight gel-cream helps to kill acne- causing bacteria. 

If my skin is feeling dry: I will apply Origins A Perfect World Antioxidant Moisturizer over my Yon-Ka Treatment Cream. I tend to do this nightly in the Winter months. 

At least 2x a week I exfoliate using Origins Modern Friction Scrub. This is another holy-grail product for me. I love that this scrub feels grainy &  like it is really sloughing all the dead skin cells off my face. However, unlike other grainy face scrubs, it is not at all harsh or irritating to the skin.

On alternating days, I will often use my Origins Brighter by Nature High- Potency Brightening Peel Pads. These glycolic acid pads are convenient to use & seem to help exfoliate the skin. I haven't yet noticed any improvement in the brightness of my skin though as a result of using these. I will most likely use them up & see if I notice any difference but I am undecided as to whether or not I will repurchase these. 

What are some of your everyday skin care must-haves? 

Thanks for reading!

Lots of Love,

Louise

Review: Yon-Ka Phyto 58 Rejuvenation Treatment Cream

Yon-Ka is a French skin care line, that although is very popular with celebrities such as Martha Stewart and Oprah, I do not believe is well known to the general public in the US. I was blessed to be introduced to the Yon-Ka skin care line when I was a teenager due to the fact that my mother owns a skin care practice and carried these products. I completely attribute never having major issues with acne in my adolescence to using Yon-Ka products.