wake up call

On a regular basis, I'm asked what products I use. Sometimes people ask me because they're complimenting me. Sometimes they genuinely want to know so that I can recommend something from my routine. And sometimes I think they want to know so that they can test me. Maybe they're testing me because they know I'm an Esthetician or because I have a beauty blog, or because they know I have a terrible memory and can't remember the products I use on my face every. day. It's pathetic, really.

Anyway, here's my routine for the fall/winter/early spring seasons (I'll post my p.m. routine tomorrow). As the weather warms up, some of these products will change.

1. First Aid Beauty Cleanser is my go-to cleanser when I need to use something quick and gentle. Sometimes my face is extra sensitive (maybe from a peel or too much retinol) and this cleanser will clean my skin without drying it or adding to any irritation.

2. I alternate between the First Aid Beauty Cleanser and this one. The Ole Henriksen African Red Tea Cleanser feels like you are washing your face with a cloud. It's a creamy foam that is heaven sent for combo/dry skin...it also doesn't hurt that the soft citrus scent gently wakes me up.

3. Kate Somerville ExfoliKate is a facial in a tube. It contains enzymes, an AHA peel and also granules so it's a triple exfoliator that packs a major punch. My skin is super soft every time I use this.

4. I don't know how I've lived without Dr. Brandt Needles No More. It's a targeted serum that's only applied to the areas where Botox would go (which is only the forehead and outer crow's feet) and a dual peptide delivery system relaxes the muscle contraction and mimics the results of Botox, but without the needle. There are immediate and cumulative results and I'm just over the moon about it.

5. Shiseido Ultimune Concentrate is a pre-treatment serum that is full of antioxidant protection to keep my skin on the D-E-F-E-N-S-E all. day. long.

6. Fresh Black Tea Eye Concentrate is a lovely, hydrating (albeit rich) eye cream that moisturizes my dry eye area. It also doesn't hurt that it's loaded with anti-aging benefits.

7. I've expressed the benefits of using a hyaluronic acid serum before and Perricone MD Hyalo Plasma is the one I use to keep myself from slathering my dehydrated skin with gross stuff, like Vaseline.

8. Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Cream has a cream-gel texture that sinks in and feels great. I only wish it had an SPF, but at least I get that from my tinted moisturizer.

Ok, so what are the products you use in the morning? Do you use as many products as this?

toolin' around

Do you use a cleansing device to wash your face? I've praised the results of the Clarisonic brush before, but now that they have a new model out it seems that the market is flooded with other brands trying to elbow their way in.

Why use a cleansing tool, and not just your hands? For starters, they're going to clean your face waaaaaay better than your fingers ever could. So, once your skin is deeply cleansed every product (like a serum/moisturizer) that you put on will absorb deeper because there's no dirt, oil and residual makeup blocking the product.

Here's a quick breakdown of the 3 most popular cleansing tools, and why I rated them as such:

GOOD:
The Clinique Sonic System Purifying Cleansing Brush is perfect for anyone who claims to have sensitive skin and needs something gentle. It also happens to be the cheapest (coming in at $90). Using sonic movement, the white bristles on the brush head are gentle and meant for the cheeks, while the green tip is ideal for the t-zone where a deeper cleanse may be necessary. Comes with a stand that dries and charges the device.

BETTER: 
The Foreo LUNA Mini (pronounced FOR-AY-O) is the most unique because it's made up of tiny anti-bacterial silicone nubs that pulsate and gently massage the skin. It's probably the most gentle of the three devices (and moderately priced at $139), and ideal for anyone who used a cleansing device with a brush and found the bristles just too strong. Use it for 1 minute, 2x a day and be amazed at how rarely you have to charge it. This is also great for anyone who travels a lot because it's compact and you don't need any other attachments. It also comes in a multitude of fun colors.

BEST:
The Clarisonic Smart Profile, Face and Body Sonic Cleansing is where I'd personally put my money because it's intuitive and truly smart. It has 4 speeds, will clean 11x better than hands alone, comes with a face and body brush head attachment and the brush heads contain tiny microchips that communicate with the tool. For example, if you're using the device in "smart mode" the brush head will adjust the speed automatically based on where you move it on your face. So if you are using it on your cheeks, it will be more gentle than say your forehead. The tool will also let you know when you need to replace the brush heads, so you don't have to mark the calendar when you bought your last one (as if anyone does that anyway!). Really every skin type can benefit from this one, and the fact that you can use it on your body is also a BIG bonus. The only two downsides are the price: $265 (why do I always like the expensive stuff?!) and they only have one color- white. I'm sure that will change soon though since Clarisonic offers a variety of colors for their other models.


As with any of these devices, they're only meant to be used with a cleanser, so no exfoliation with these (they could be too abrasive with a scrub and cause irritation). Oh, and the two-step cleansing is still crucial with (or without) any of these devices.

Would you consider buying a cleansing tool, or do you already own one?

drink it up

1. Ren Instant Firming Beauty Shot 2. Dermadoctor Wrinkle Revenge Serum  3. Clarins Hydra Quench Bi-Serum 4. Perricone MD Hyalo Plasma   5. Peter Thomas Roth Viz 1000 Serum 

Taking care of your skin couldn't come at a better time. Most of the country is swept up in Arctic temps, which will leave your skin chapped, red, and dehydrated. Maybe you live in Arizona and are dealing with dry, desert landscapes that equally create Arctic-like havoc on your skin. Or maybe you have oily skin, which breaks out really easily, so the idea of a heavy moisturizer has you terrified. Regardless of your environment, or fears, most of us need more water in our diet, and coincidentally on our face.

That's where Hyaluronic Acid comes in. It sounds scary and potentially dangerous but it's quite the opposite. Hyaluronic Acid (aka Sodium Hyaluronate) is naturally occurring in our skin and plumps up the cells with water-like moisture leaving your skin lubricated, soft and fine lines filled in a bit (if you want a lot of filling, then you get this filler which is primarily made up of Hyaluronic Acid).

The five serums that are featured all contain high amounts of Hyaluronic Acid. A cosmetic chemist once told me that Hyaluronic Acid is a very expensive ingredient, so if you see it high on the ingredient list then that probably explains why you have sticker shock. I have personally tried 4 out of the 5 serums and can tell you that they were like a drink of water for my skin, without feeling greasy (my favorite one is the Perricone Hyalo Plasma though. It has a cushion-y texture that my skin loved and needed). Just apply the serums to clean, dry skin; let it absorb and then follow with your moisturizer (or if you're oily skin, then that is your moisturizer!).

Has your skin changed with the season too? Have you needed to change your skincare routine because of it? I'd love to hear what you're using!

Lay it on thick

I don't know about you, but the minute the weather got cold, my skin drastically changed. I became instantly dry, red, flakey and sometimes itchy- not a glamorous combo. I've pretty much changed my entire skincare routine to incorporate more moisture (more on that later) and I've found a hydrating face mask is an extra boost of much-needed moisture to sooth and moisturize my skin. I've personally used all of the above masks, with the exception of the H2O+ mask (I used to work for them, like a million years ago, and their products are wonderful and I'm sure this is no different).  

1. GlamGlow ThirstyMud Hydrating Treatment is a cream-gel consistency and stays on the skin for 15-20 minutes. There's a slight cooling sensation and it leaves the skin plump and malleable. I pretty much love everything this company comes out with.


2. Sephora Collection Rose Face Mask is a gauze-like sheet mask that drapes over your face for 10+ minutes. One of the best parts of this mask is that there's no rinsing required when the mask is done- just rub in any extra serum and your skin will be super soft.


3. ~H2O+ Aqualibrium Hydrating Marine Moisture Mask uses a blend of marine botanicals to moisturize the skin, but the fact that it's oil-free will appeal to even acne skin folks who are experiencing surface dehydration but don't want to risk a breakout.


4. Fresh Rose Face Mask leaves your skin glowing, dewey and chunky. Wait, what? Ok, the mask is chunky, not your actual face. Fresh uses real rose hips and petals that are suspended in a gel, so when you apply it to your face, it's like your smearing a crushed rose all over it. It's pretty amazing.


5. Korres Nectarine Velvet Moisturizing Mask really lives up to its name. My skin actually did feel velvety soft after applying this! It's a cream mask that you slather on a thick application, and 15 minutes later most of the mask had absorbed into my skin (always a good sign).


What about your skin, does it change with the seasons? Any hydrating masks you've used and loved?

the doctah is in

I know, I had just posted my love for the Peter Thomas Roth CC cream, but then Dr. Perricone came out with his No Makeup Makeup line and I'm pretty much obsessed with it.

First of all, there are a ton of anti-aging ingredient's built into each and every product (no surprise there since he is the anti-aging guru) and a physical SPF 15- 30 in almost all the products (not in the mascara though, obviously). My favorite so far is the No Foundation Foundation Serum.

There are four reasons why I'm in love with this product: 

1. The super lightweight texture is almost watery and runny- it's very thin and meant to feel like you have absolutely no makeup on. 

2. Neuropeptides, Vitamin C Ester, Alpha Lipoic Acid and a mineral SPF 30- this ingredient list reads like a powerful resurfacing/anti-aging treatment, not like a makeup. 

3. It's mixable. What I mean by mixable is you could add this to your existing foundation to boost the anti-aging and SPF factor, or you can add it to your moisturizer to create your very own tinted moisturizer (my only issue with the No Foundation Serum is that it comes in one color: medium. Being a fair-skinned girl, I can't wear this on it's own, so I have to mix it with my moisturizer in order for it to match my skin. I don't mind though. It saves me another step!). 

4. The lightweight texture will provide a light coverage, and it's buildable to a medium coverage without sacrificing that nothingness feel. Because that's the whole point of this makeup line: to make your skin look fantastic, while providing amazing anti-aging benefits, protecting it and making it look like your own skin, and not makeup!

A few other products I'm crazy about are the No Blush Blush and the No Lipstick Lipstick:

I'm not normally a liquid/creamy blush kinda girl, but this is (again) a thin, watery texture and the color is a beautiful peachy pink. I've seen it look different on so many skin tones and it's really gorgeous. Just apply a few dots on the apples of the cheeks and blend out with your fingers. You can add more if you want, and even add a few dots to your lips to give them some more color. And there's that physical SPF 30 again, with also some skin firming DMAE as a bonus!

As we age, we lose pigment in our lips and this is evident within my family- my mom and one of my sisters have barely any color in their lips, so they're always looking for a good lip product. The No Lipstick Lipstick looks like your natural lip color, just enhanced one or two shades. And since it contains Sodium Hyaluronate (plumps and hydrates), Vitamin E, Neuropeptides and the physical SPF 30, it's a perfect lip balm to wear everyday, or as your primer before your favorite lipstick is applied. 

Have you tried any of the products from this line yet?

* Dr. Perricone has no idea who I am (wish he did!) so there was no compensation or reimbursement for this post, I'm just a big fan. 

the bulk of the matter: beauty products

As I mentioned in buying bulkie baking products, sometimes it's not always worth buying the larger size if that means it'll go bad before you get a chance to use it up.

In regards to beauty products, I was pleasantly surprised that brands were mostly packaging facial beauty products in a multi-pack (the exception being the jumbo-sized body washes and shampoo's). Growing up in a large family, dominated by females, my mom bought a lot of these products to avoid running out.

If there's a certain shampoo or conditioner that you love and will use, then it's worth buying the huge size. The golden rule for buying any jumbo-sized product is this: Only buy brands that you already use and like- this is not the time to experiment because if you hate it you're stuck with like 66 oz. of it. Also, only purchase jars that are 2 oz. or under. Any time you have a jar that you're dipping your fingers in day-in-and-day-out is inviting a myriad of bacteria to take up residence. So, the less time you have the product, the more effective it will be.

sunscreens in a value-pack mean instant savings and more sun protection- this is a Summer stock-up item!

Sunscreen can be expensive, especially if you follow the rules and reapply often. It's wonderful that you can buy mulit-packs of sunscreen but there's a word of caution: only buy what you know you'll use up. Sunscreen has only a year-long shelf-life before it's not effective and if it's the end of the Summer and you're about to buy 4 more bottles with Fall fast approaching, I'd reconsider. Stock up at the beginning of the Summer, and then when the season is waning, buy individual bottles to avoid throwing away any extra's.

Do you purchase any bulk beauty products? How long has it taken you to finish something?

BB vs. CC... what's with all the letter creams? How to figure out which one is for you.

Tinted Moisturizers are a thing of the past, or so it seems. They’ve pretty much been replaced with either a BB or CC cream (I say pretty much because you can still find some tinted moisturizers, but they’re harder to find!).

For lack of a better term, I’m going to refer to them as “letter creams”. These letter creams are amped-up tinted moisturizers. The letter creams still contain the tint + moisture but now they add a sunscreen and some extra skincare benefits. Depending on the cream, it could consist of anti-aging peptides or antioxidants or blemish reducing formulations.

BB creams (aka Beauty Balms or even Blemish Balms) originated in Asia where they were meant to be one product that does-it-all; treats, moisturizes, protects and covers. America caught on to this and companies ran with the idea. It’s become a free-for-all between brands re-defining what they think a letter cream is or does. Then CC cream was invented and is becoming just as popular as the BB. CC creams, aka Color Correcting Cream, are supposed to have more treatment benefits to correct pigmentation issues (think dark spots due to sun damage or acne staining) and they typically have more coverage than a BB cream- in some cases feeling more like a foundation.

This is where it gets tricky: every brand has their own interpretation of what a BB or CC cream is so they can often be dramatically different. For example, the Urban Decay Naked Skin BB is more of a treatment primer- so it goes on over a moisturizer and under a foundation. Basically this is the new marketing ploy and every company is getting in on the letter trend (even hair brands are getting in on it).

For the most part, you would apply these letter creams as you would your tinted moisturizer, maybe with your fingers or a foundation brush, and then continue with the rest of your routine. Ideally these are supposed to eliminate you from too many steps and make your life easier. But here are the cold, hard facts: There is no such thing as a miracle in a bottle. If you're not happy with your skin, chances are, you're going to need more than 1 product to fix that. So, if you've got acne, you still need an acne spot treatment, acne-fighting cleanser, oil-free moisturizer, gentle exfoliator, deep cleansing mask and an oil-free BB cream. And that doesn't even include makeup! Same goes for dry skin- you will still need to apply a moisturizer underneath the letter cream because it may not be hydrating enough on its own, especially in the winter months.
(more after the jump)

acne spot treatments

Zit. Pimple. Blemish. Acne. No one wants them, and if you’ve got one you certainly don’t want to be reminded of it. It's along the same lines of someone saying "you look tired"... these passive aggressive comments just aren't needed.

Practically every skincare company makes a spot treatment for people with either full-blown-all-over-the-face whiteheads (aka pustules), blackheads, acne for aging skin, acne for teens, hormonal acne, stress acne, etc. Each spot treatment has a different ingredient and it can be confusing trying to figure out which ingredient will work for you and why.

Even if you only get an occasional breakout, you should own a spot treatment. Think of it as having band-aids. No one wants to go to the drugstore while they’re bleeding to buy band-aids. Just like no one wants to go to the store with a mountainous pimple on their face trying to buy a spot treatment. ‘Cause let me tell you, if it’s already the size of Kilimanjaro, you’ve got a lot of damage control.

I’m going to break down some of the most popular acne-fighting ingredients in spot treatments and show you a few products that might be just right for you.