Everyday Skin Care Routine

February 2, 2019.Reading time 12 minutes.

Hey everyone, welcome to February! This would have been posted earlier but I have been doing Professional Development for the transfer of my teaching license all day. To be honest I wasn’t even sure what post I was going to put up today because my original idea required actual planning and to be honest, I forgot.

So I figured, what was something that I do pretty regularly that I can share. The first thought that popped into my head was, skin care. I have been really trying to take better care of my skin in 2019 and that includes a routine that I did every once in a while last year but am now trying to do it every day twice a day because skin is important.

Now I am going to be focusing on my facial skin care routine that I do every day. Now I will also include some special occasion skin care when it comes to my face as well.

I need to disclose that I have normal to dry skin but also an oily T-zone so the products that work for me may not work for you depending on your skin type or skin issues, I have really sensitive skin that is prone to acne so the products that I use I have curated to my skin and its issues. Also because of my skin issues I do have to use more high end skin care products, it’s expensive and I wish it wasn’t but for the benefits I have seen with my skin right now they outweigh the monetary cost of the products that I have found work for my skin.

Morning:

So morning routine first, most of my steps are similar when it comes to cleansing and moisturizing but there is always a chance for an anomaly in my routine.

I have a Luna Fofo which I love and use again at least once a day if not twice. I usually take the time to use it to measure the moisture level of my skin, I need to try and really figure out how to make sure my moisture level is good because most days it really low. I try to get enough water and keep my skin moisturized but there is probably more that I need to do when it comes to keeping my skin’s moisture up.

After I have checked that and it has updated my skin routine from the app to the Fofo I use the Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Cloud Cream Cleanser, it is a 4oz. size and I got mine at Ulta for about $30 with tax. I only started using this specific product about a week ago because I was using the Soap and Glory facial wash but it was becoming just too harsh for my skin when using it twice a day every day. This cleanser so far actually isn’t as abrasive as some of the cleansers I have used in the past and so far, I love it. I still us my Soap and Glory face wash in the shower but for my every day routine I have recently switched to this and so far so good.

After I get everything rinsed off my face it’s time to moisturizer, I do not use toner, because every toner I have ever tried hurts my skin, the last time I used a toner was probably 2004. I should more than likely try again with the knowledge that I have now but I am still a little leery from past experiences. I also don’t really use serum, don’t get me wrong I have used serum in the past but it just made my face too oily so I am still on the hunt for a good serum that won’t make my pores clogged and my skin unmanageable.

Now my moisturizer routine is pretty straight forward, I use the Mary Kay Timewise Eye Cream, why? Because my mom got it and her eyes are a lot more sensitive than mine are to products and she couldn’t use it so she gave it to me. I use it every day now and I really like it. Granted it is the first ever eye cream I have used but I like it so far. The eye cream retails for $36 but I don’t know if when I run out I will purchase it for myself or I will try and find another brand that I like more.

I use two different lotions, one in the morning and one at night. My morning lotion is the Murad Oil-Control Mattifier and it is really thick so you have to use more than you think. Well I do, you may not have to. It lays down a pretty good base for makeup as well as just feels really good on the skin. It retails for $40 on their website, Ulta, and Sephora (I got mine at Sephora.)

Let me get this out of the way right here, I am trying to get better at moisturizing everything and I have been pretty successful so far this year, for body skin care I moisturize with The Body Shop’s Raspberry Body Butter and I love it. It leaves my skin feeling moisturized for days and it smells amazing.

Night:

My night routine is pretty much the same, though I add Micellar cleansing water to the mix because I am usually taking my makeup off before I do anything else.

So I do that, wash my face, put on the eye cream, and then finally the only real change to my moisturizing routine is I switch out the Oil Control Mattifier for the Murad Skin-Perfecting Lotion, it was one of my favorites last year and soon enough I am going to have to buy another one. This like the Mattifier retails for $40 on the Murad website, Ulta, and Sephora.

There is a good chance in the coming months that I will add more steps to my routine but for now that is what I do every day and I have seen a change in my skin since I started taking better care of it and making sure that I am doing more to protect it.

Special Occasion Skin care:

I normally don’t do peels of any sort because they make my skin burn, I found that the Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel however does not have that adverse effect, I have only used it a few times but I really like it. Granted my face is a little red afterward but my face is always red, MJ has rosacea so it’s a daily battle.

I also am a fan of sheet masks; I don’t do them as often as I would like even though I have about 20 of them. I have done one in 2019 and I have plans to do another one tonight right after I post this and have a nice evening of self-care because I did PD all day. Face masks are great they have some really great benefits. I have so many Tony Moly sheet masks and I love them, I have gotten so many in my ipsy bags that I need to start doing them more often and maybe I will find a new favorite brand, who knows.

Just in case you didn’t believe me about the sheet volume of my face mask selection.

If you have skin like mine, any tips on products to try out? Do you have a routine that you swear by?

See everyone on Tuesday with another post,

-MJ

Summer fabfitfun Unboxing

July 14, 2018.Reading time 8 minutes.

I was actually really excited to get this box because I was so pleased with my Spring box, I feel like I waited for this box for almost two months. Each box has options and I did actually choose one of the items in my summer box because I wanted a specific item choice. I am not going to tell you the retail value of my box but I really like having full sized products when it comes to beauty and lifestyle boxes. Reason being, you get a longer trial period when you have a full sized product.

What was in my box:

Summer & Rose Beach Towel: This was the item I actually chose, I needed a beach towel and I love pineapples because they just scream summer to me. It’s soft and a very large towel. I have already shoved in my beach bag that is in the back of my car at all times. (There are no beaches near me, just creeks but calling it a creek bag is weird when it comes to a Lilly Pulitzer beach bag.)

Tarte Tarteist Pro Glow Highlight and Contour Palette: This was the one that I really wanted between the Tarte choice items that were included in the package. (it was either this or the Pro to go palette with liquid liner.) So bad at highlight and contour but I am now amassing highlight and contour products because I want to try them without having this fear of the “clown” contour elements of the past. I am on board for the more natural contour trend that is happening right now.

ELEMIS Papaya Enzyme Peel: Okay so I have a confession to make, I have never done a peel in my life that has not left my skin irritated and burning, I have very sensitive skin so I am hesitant to even try this product. I am however hopeful for a better result with this because it is not only dermatologically tested but it is also a cream exfoliator so it may have less of a detrimental effect on my skin. The jury is still out but after I try it out maybe I’ll give it a review.

Minor History Post Script Wallet: It’s real cute, I saw it and instantly thought of how nice it would be to slip into a beach bag or just in your pocket if you don’t want to take an entire purse with you when you are going out to an event or a bar with friends. I am one of those people who carries around a backpack with about five items in it. I carry a large bag because you never know who is going to say, “Can you hold onto this?” and you just have to roll with it and add another pound to your already heavy backpack. I am a fan of the wallet though and cannot wait to use it.

Jaboneria Marianella Hawaiian Black Lava Body Caviar: That just sounds luxurious doesn’t it? Body caviarthat’s great to be honest. It has charcoal in it and that is such a trendy thing right now because of the benefits of charcoal and your skin. I must say I am excited to try it out and it smells different, it’s not a bad different I am just not sure how to quantify its smell. It smells like tea and honey which are ingredients as well as coffee and aloe vera, it makes for an interesting scent combination.

FOREO Luna fofo: This product was teased on the fabfitfun Instagram account and it is a smart facial cleanser, I still haven’t downloaded the app yet or for that matter used it, I really should because it seems like a really good idea because it allows you to connect via Bluetooth to the app and get all sorts of coaching on your skin and your girl really needs to do better with her moisturizing and skin care routine. It came in a variety of colors I got the fofo in Pearl Pink. Maybe this is just a good excuse for me to get better at my routine and how I view my skin, I am hopeful that it works as well as it promises. I downloaded the app and followed the directions, I must say after my first time using the cleanser my skin feels nice, I would like to give it some more time to really see if it’s just a placebo effect or actually helping me keep my skin moisturized and young.

COOLA Face Sport SPF 50 White Tea Moisturizer: So like I have said a million times, I have sensitive skin and my face is sensitive to just about everything so during the summer I bathe in sunscreen so having a facial sunscreen that not only smells good, doesn’t feel heavy, and is SPF 50 is a God send for the preservation of my skin.

Pier 1 imports Marble Ring Dish: This is just a cute little marble dish for rings or other jewelry, right now mine is sitting on my bar cart as if it is a decoration or a place to put spoons. I love little décor pieces that can be multifunctional but also very nicely designed and aesthetically pleasing to the eyes.

Overall my impression of the box as with the spring box blew my mind, I have been thinking about starting to subscribe to this box for well over a year now and I finally did it. There is no part of me that regrets this purchase, I love the quality and the items that I receive in these boxes and I am looking forward to the next autumn box.

Did you get different items or the same? How do you feel about them?

-MJ

Wait It's MJ

Tag: elemis