But now? I'm talking about beauty. This is part one of a two-part series. Today, I'll talk about my daytime products. Part 2 will be about my night-time skincare routine.
So, I took turning 30 really hard. I still can't even believe that I'm 31--I even forgot the other day that I'm actually 31, and that realization made me sad. I don't feel that old, at all.. unless perhaps I'm anywhere near teenage girls. Then I feel like a grumpy grandma. I don't feel like I look 30, nor do I actually want to look like I'm in my 30's. I want people to think that I'm mid 20's, I guess.. 25 doesn't sound nearly as old as 31! I had a makeup lady tell me that I look like I'm 19, but I talk like I'm much older. It was the best compliment I've had a in a while (although a guy at work asked me if I'd lost weight recently--I haven't).
Anyways, due to this desire to appear younger than I am, I've had to invest some money in skincare products. I don't expect miracles here, just some good quality products. My skin has changed a little bit since I've gotten older. I used to be able to get away with just some light powder (I used MAC's Studio Fix powder) and some concealer. Now, with my combination skin (my cheeks get SUPER dry in the winter, so a powder would just cling to my dry spots, and my forehead gets oily during the day), I need heavier coverage like a liquid foundation (I use MAC's Matchmaster in 1.5, which is lightweight and a perfect color match for me) and a heavy duty exfoliator and moisturizer. I was a big Kiehl's fan in college, as my motto was, I don't care about products for my body, but my face deserves much better. However, after we got married and budget constraints came into play, I settled for more economical Aveeno products, feeling like it didn't make much of a difference. It didn't use to make a difference what products I used, but now it does.
Let me preface this by saying that a little over a year ago, I did NOT take good care of my skin. I left my makeup on every night (gasp, I know), and I used a gentle cleanser and lotion every morning. That's it, yet still, I never broke out. But, after I had an aesthetician tell me that I had dry skin over a year ago, I decided to invest in a better exfoliator, which has become extremely necessary with my dry winter skin.
So, here are the products I use on a daily basis:
Cleansing:
I find that it's not too drying, but leaves my skin feeling clean. I also throw in First Aid Beauty's Skin Rescue Cleanser with Red Clay in the rotation. I received a sample of this from Sephora, and it's ok too. I should also mention that I use a little silicone cleansing pad from Sephora to scrub my face with cleanser and exfoliator in the shower. Since I started using it, I NEVER get pimples (not that I ever got many anyways).
Exfoliating:
I'd been using Kiehl's Clearly Corrective Skin Brightening Exfoliator every other day, with fairly good results, until I got the following product as a sample from Birchbox. It is now my Holy Grail facial exfoliator!
Vasanti Brighten Up! - Enzymatic Face Rejuvenator
I use this every other day for my dry skin, and it has helped the dry patches disappear.
Toning:
This has been a neglected step in my routine, but I recently started using this product:
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Toner
I literally just started using this, so I'm undecided on if this will be a necessary step in my skincare routine.
Moisturizing:
I've been trying to find the best heavy duty moisturizer for my dry cheeks.. I've used FRESH's Lotus Youth Face Cream for the past 7-9 months, but haven't found it to be spectacular or anything. I used a sample of Shiseido's Bio-Performance Advanced Super Revitalizing Cream, and I actually liked it, but it's a bit too expensive for me to purchase. I'm now trying this one out:
Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cream
I actually really like this so far. It moisturizes without being too greasy, and it has helped my dry patches go away.
Eye Cream:
I've been using bareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream for the past 7-9 months, and it's just so-so. I don't see much of a difference, but I'm still going to finish it anyways. Now, I'm trying out this one:
Kiehl's Creamy Eye Treament with Avocado
So, I'm just using this one sporadically until I run out of my old one, but I love it so far. Way more moisturizing than my old one.
Summary:
With this treatment so far, the dryness on my cheeks is under much better control, although it may be related to my night-time routine as well. I'm really loving my Kiehl's products again! My skin looks hydrated, I'm trying to prevent wrinkles and other signs of aging, and preventing pimples like a pro. Stay tuned for my next part.
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