Since we're friends, I'm going to let you in on the reason I switched to clean beauty and skincare products. It had nothing to do with toxins, or wanting to be better to my body. It was for one reason and one reason only...one day, my skin decided that every single time I wore makeup, it was going to reward me with a breakout. Didn't matter if I washed my face. Didn't matter if I bought expensive makeup. If I wore it for more than a few minutes, I was guaranteed to wake up with a breakout that wasn't there the day before. ANNOYING.
Last year during Beautycounter's friends and family sale, I reached out to basically a stranger on instagram and told her everything I was currently using and told her I loved how my makeup made me look but I was sick of my skin acting like I was a freshman in high school. She gave me recommendations based on the products I used and the rest is freakin' history. Since I've been using them for a year (I'm busy, OKAY) I thought it was finally time to answer the "what kind of makeup do you use" questions. These are affiliate links, because obviously.
M A K E - U P :
Touchup skin concealer pen. Under my eyes (because, #Jack) and on any blemishes. I used NARS concealer before and I like this one just as much.
Dew skin. If you know me at all, you know I just want to look like I'm glowing all the time. The fact this had "dewy glow" in the description had me SOLD. If I could only wear one makeup product forever, this would be it. This is more of a BB cream, but I use it as foundation because I love how light and glow it is.
If I want more coverage, I mix it half and half with tint skin. I was using Becca Aqua Luminous foundation before I switched, and this is comparable to that.
This bronzer. I have been using this bronzer for an actual YEAR and it's not even halfway gone. It's the best bronzer I've ever used. A little goes the longest way and it never looks orange. I also use it on the outside corners of my eyes instead of eyeshadow, (because a makeup artist told me that's what Victoria's Secret models do to make their eyes pop, but that's neither here nor there).
This highlighter. Again with the dewy skin. I'm obsessed with this. Swipe it on my cheek bones, under my eyebrow, and my temples. If I'm feeling fancy, I'll take a small eyeshadow brush and put it in the inner corners of my eye. GLOW BABY, GLOW.
This blush. Look, I have no idea what possessed me to buy a cream blush last year. I'd never used a cream one before. In my head, it would give me a more dewy finish. Turns out, I was right and I'm obsessed.
This lip sheer. My favorite nude lip when I want something but don't want to go full on glossy. It's so pretty, goes with everything, and smells like vanilla.
S K I N C A R E
Daily:
This Cleanser. Use if: You want an acne fighting cleanser that doesn't strip your skin of all moisture.
This toner. Use if: You want to shrink your pores.
This acne treatment. Use if: You have breakouts
This moisturizer or this serum. The moisturizer adapts to your skin level, so it's good for everyone. Use the serum if: Your skin is thirsty, you want to get rid of some lines, you want to firm stuff up.
This eye cream. Use if: You have eyes. But for real. De-puffing, de-wrinkling magic.
Every few days:
This resurfacing peel. Hands down, the best skincare product I've ever used. It's the most expensive face product I own, but it's worth every penny. And it lasts f o r e v e r. You put it on before bed and wake up looking like you got a facial. PURE. MAGIC. It gets rid of fine lines and dark spots, minimizes pores, does your taxes AND the grocery shopping.
Once or twice a week:
This face mask. I am a face mask junkie. I'm telling you, this is the best one I've ever used. If you have blackheads that try to ruin your life (me), this is the move.
As needed:
This spot treatment. If there's something popping up on my face, this gets rid of it super fast.
This week, the whole website is 15% off. That's the sale that made me try this stuff last year, and I've continued to use all of it. So it seemed like the perfect time to share! If your skin is breaking out even though you take good care of it, you might be like me and need to give clean beauty a try. Happy Tuesday! xo
Replacing a meal with a smoothie. || And NOT a diet, low fat smoothie. A gooood smoothie, full of lots of good for you things. I recently discovered blender bombs from Hushup + Hustle and they have changed my life (dramatic?). I could never just have a smoothie for a meal before, but now I can. I look forward to them. I have a smoothie as my first meal of the day and start the day off with a bunch of fruits and veggies. It feels so good!
Dry brushing my skin. || I read about this on The Skinny Confidential so obviously I had to try it. Um, I'm obsessed. I know it supposedly has a lot of good benefits like improving circulation and removing toxins, but all that aside, it feels so good. My skin has never felt so smooth. I do it before I shower and lotion up after. It's the best.
Side note: After I read about it I went to Ulta and the dry brush they had was $29.99 and that seemed crazy to me. Then I went to target after and got this exact one for freaking $4.99, and it works great.
Slowing the heck down. || I'm really learning that productivity + hecticness do not have to go hand in hand. That it's fully possible to hustle for your goals and take deep breaths and breaks. That being successful does not have to mean working yourself into a stressed out frenzy every single day.
I've been consciously slowing down. Taking ten minutes to drink my coffee without my phone in hand. Noticing when work is about to overwhelm me and closing the computer for just a minute. Little things like that really add up!
Going on walks not for exercise. || Of course, it's physical activity, so it's exercise. But I've been taking more walks just for the sake of going on a walk. Not to run a certain amount, or not to go a certain distance, or not to get my heart rate to a certain number. But just walks to get fresh air and clear my head. It's been so good.
Listening to audible while I do things like clean. || I love a good playlist, but while I'm doing mindless things like folding laundry or doing dishes, why not get a few chapters of a book in? Times where I can sit and read are few and far between lately, so this has been great! Plus, it motivates me to keep going with whatever I'm doing.
Drinking black coffee (with cinnamon). || I love coffee (and, alas, coffee creamer) more than anyone I know. I also drink a looootttttt of coffee. So, without meaning to, I was drinking tons and tons (and tons and tons) of sugar first thing in the morning, and I felt like crap. I went cold turkey about two months ago and just started drinking my coffee with cinnamon. I feel so. much. better. If I want a cup with my beloved flavored creamer, I just have one in the afternoon. Self-control is a thing that works, who knew?
Got any new good-for-you-habits of your own? Let's hear 'em!
