skincare favorites

Dior Capture Totale Multi-Perfection . Arcona Cranberry Gommage . iS Clinical Active Serum . Aveda Botanical Kinetics Skin Firming and Toning Agent . Bliss Multi-‘face’-eted all-in-one anti-aging clay mask . First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream . 

I’ve been going through some new favorite products in my beauty drawer so I wanted to share some of the ones I’ve really enjoyed using. I’ve included two products on here that I didn’t use a year and a half ago, but are now a part of my daily routine. Can you guess which ones? I’ll just tell ya..toner and serum! Do you use either? Or both? While I’ve always washed my face every morning and night {thanks Mommy for the good habit!}, I’ve always been very basic with the products I use. Cleanser + Moisturizer with SPF = Done! Part of the reason I didn’t use many products was because I was on acne medications prescribed by my doctor, so they didn’t allow for any additional treatments. Now that I have the acne somewhat under control, I’ve started trying new products and serum was one of the first that I heard raves about. I’ve been using this iS CLINICAL ACTIVE SERUM and I really like it. It goes on easily and I apply it right after washing and toning my face. Toner is a product my mom always swears by, and whether you dab it with a cotton ball, or spray it on, it’s helpful in restoring your skin’s PH balance after washing and cleansing. My mom introduced me to this AVEDA BOTANICAL KINETICS TONING AGENT that actually comes in a spray bottle which is great for even distribution. I’ve been using it for years now and it’s a step I try not to forget. 

A few times a week I’ll use an exfoliant, and this ARCONA GOMMAGE is so great. I’m a huge fan of Arcona’s products in general and almost included their White Tea Cleanser {I used it all last year and I think I need to get it again}. This Gommage smells like cranberries and I always look forward to using it {kinda lame when you read it, but when you use it you’ll know what I mean..swear}. I gently rub the gommage onto my skin and then wash it off with cool water. My face immediately feels so much smoother, and the antioxidant properties of the cranberries is great for anti-aging. Since my skin gets dry during the winter I need to exfoliate..desperately! And I also need a great skin cream, so this FIRST AID BEAUTY ULTRA REPAIR CREAM always does the trick. It’s seriously the best! When it’s super dry in the winter, my skin is like the parched desert..cracked and raw. The best thing to do is chug lots of water during the day and also use a super hydrating and nourishing face cream, like this one. Another thing I do to help combat the dry skin, and also just improve its overall appearance, is to apply a mask once a week, or once every other week. {I usually try and fail miserably at getting Matthew to join me! haha!} This BLISS MULTI-‘FACE’-ETED CLAY MASK is great because it doesn’t dry out my already dry skin. It retains a lot of moisture so that I can wear it and still do things like talk on the phone, or eat dessert. Picture me in my pajamas with a mask on, eating chocolate chip cookies, while watching Revenge and Scandal. That’s a pretty exciting night and I feel oh so glamorous in a mask, even if it does freak Matthew out a bit! 

This DIOR CAPTURE TOTALE CREAM product is one that I got as a sample a few months ago. I started using it and preferred it almost immediately to the other eye creams I had been using. The cream feels silky soft, and I honestly think I would have the biggest bags under my eyes right now if it wasn’t for this product. The holidays are so stressful but this cream just gets me. It has my back, or should I say it holds my bags?! haha oh the jokes! I squeezed every last bit out of this tube, though, and I’m looking forward to getting it again.

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Have you tried and liked any new products lately? If you have any recommendations for how to get rid of redness caused from old pimples let me know! I was breaking out a few weeks ago and even though the zits are gone I still have these annoying red marks that I have to cover up with foundation. every.single.morning. Any advice you have would be so appreciated!!