Summer Night-time Skincare Routine

It's been a while since I've posted on my skincare routine. I'd like to describe me skin as indecisive. It used to be so consistent... sigh. Since I stopped BCP and went on thyroid meds, my skin has gotten a lot more oily in my t- zone. I actually use blotting papers sometimes when I'm not lazy, and until this year, I've never had to use them!

After pulling my hair into a scary-looking ponytail and putting on a hair band of some sort, I use my first cleanser. Yes I have two. One for my chin (the evil area) and the other for the rest of my face. I rub Glamglow Supercleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser on my dry chin, then add a bit of water and massage. Then I wet my face and put Jouviance Cleansing Gel on the rest of my face. I use my Forea Luna Mini to do the hard scrubby work. I find the Glamglow too drying for my cheeks and since it's so expensive, I'd rather use it on just the bit that really needs it!

To remove eye and brow make-up, I use Bioderma Sensibio Micellar Solution on a Quo cotton pad. This works AMAZING and a bottle lasts about six months. Sometimes I actually do the eye makeup removal first, before I wash. Depends on the day.

I gently pat my face dry with a towel and apply my current eye cream Avene Physiolift Eyes with
my ring finger (it's the one that uses the least pressure). Then I use a serum (lately it's been The Body Shop Drops of Youth). I let that sink in for a minute and then apply my moisturizer - Olay Total Effects  or Ole Henricksen Pure Youth Truth Activating Oil. If I need a bit of a glow (I'm so pale), I mix in two or three drops of Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster which is a fabulous facial sunless tanner. It never streaks and can be added to whatever your current moisturizer is.

If I'm being totally honest, I have noticed my skin changing over the past year - the effects of gravity and being a side sleeper. I'm trying hard to sleep on my side for at least part of the night. I also have some uneven tone on my chin from prior breakouts. I've been considering trying microdermabrasion or even IPL. 

My skin care routine will always be in flux as I'm a total product junkie. I'm trying to get better at actually finishing a product before I go out and replace it. I get so bored with the same thing that I have to be obsessed with something before I'd buy it again. I always want to change it up.

I didn't mention any treatments or masks because I think I'll do a separate post on those later for you. I've been loving sheet masks lately!

XOXO
Glitterary Girl

Wedding Wednesday: Daytime Skin Care Routine

I like to think I generally take good care of my skin. I've been wearing SPF every day for over ten years, I've been using night cream and eye cream faithfully since my late 20's, and I never EVER sleep with makeup on.

With the wedding a few months away, I questioned whether I had to make any big changes to my routine. After some careful thought, I decided to invest in a few more products and actually use them rather than spend a lot of money on facials. I LOVE facials, but wedding prep s expensive enough and where I don't have any major skin issues, I need spend my dollars on something else.

My daytime routine is more simple than my nighttime routine.

1) After working out (which I will share the details of in another wedding prep post) I wash my face in the shower with The Body Shop Nutriganics Foaming Face Wash. 

2) Once I'm out of the shower and dried off, I immediately apply The Body Shop Nutriganics Drops of Youth. I've been using this product for almost a month now and it is ahhhh-mazing. It gives my skin a glow that nothing else does. I can tell if I forget to use it (which doesn't happen often) and it does wonders to reduce the little lines on the sides of my eyes.  A little goes a long way - I only use a drop or two.

3) I'm not too picky with that I use for SPF. I've tried a few from The Body Shop, but I'm not a huge fan of their SPF 30 product. In the winter, I use SPF 15, but in the summer I always wear SPF 30. Right now I'm using Olay Complete.

4) The last thing I use before make-up (which in the summer is often just concealer and BB cream as far as face products go) is my Vitamin C Skin Boost. from The Body Shop. It makes my skin really soft and acts as a primer. Plus, it smells like oranges which is a great scent to energize you for the day!

I am by no means an expert on skincare, but this routine has been working for me! I'm going to be diligent with it all the way up to the wedding. I have a Love Your Body membership from The Body Shop, which always saves me 10%, and I also only buy my products when they have 50% off skin care (which happens about once a month). I don't have to restock often as it takes me at least three months to get through the products. I just keep a mental note of what I'm getting low on, and when a sale pops up, I buy.

Did you do anything special for your skin before you wedding?

XOXO
Gltterary Girl

New and Old

Confession.

A lot of clothes I wear are not new. Shhhhh...

Photo by Amanda Brownhill Photograpy

Details

Top: Random find in NYC (2008)

Jeans: American Eagle Outfitters (2010)

Boots: Call it Spring ( maybe 2010...)

Wristlet: Coach (2011)

Bracelet: Random find in St. John's

Necklace: Forever 21 (2011)

Sometimes I feel pressure to always have new stuff. I also have pressure to make a mortgage payment and buy groceries, thus, new stuff can't always happen to the extent I'd like it to. 

Today was one of those days when I felt I needed a treat (or four) so I bought a pair of teal tights at Joe Fresh ($1.94), some Olay face serum  (clearance $13.00), a Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Rendezvous ($8.49), and a hair donut ($3.99). I WILL master the sock bun (a year too late...) 

Soon I'll do a product post on things I've tried and liked so far this year. I can't wait to try the lip stain!

XOXO

Glitterary Girl