Easy & Effective Skincare Routine + Giveaway Winner!

Hi guys! I hope you're all surviving this blast of terrible weather. So recently I've been focusing a lot on my skin care and really paying attention to how my skin responds to certain things. There comes a point where you have to cut it out with the cheap exfoliants and astringents and actually care for your delicate skin! I've always had terrible acne, redness, random dullness and dry patches, and dark under eyes. Even though my mom has always had nice skin, I was somehow cursed with terribly feisty skin. So obviously I'm one of those people who have tried everything under the sun. Throughout high school I went through multiple lines of different brands of skin care. It was always the same result. They would seem to work amazingly after 1-2 weeks of use but after that my skin would be back to it's multitude of issues and I'd have to start the search over. SO frustrating. 

However, a few months ago I started a new skin care line (again...) and it's STILL working. I'm using Artistry Hydra-V for combination skin (because I have literally every skin issue you could imagine) and it claimed to restore your skin's natural hydration with Norwegian Fjord water, Hawaiian acai, and Himalayan pink rock minerals. Let me tell you, my skin literally feels amazing. I genuinely believe it does exactly what it advertises to. It took about a week and a half of use morning and evening, but my complexion has evened, I haven't had acne problems since I began it, and I don't have random dry patches or oily spots. I'm so happy with this system!

My skin routine is super simple:

Skin Prep: In the evening I begin with wiping my skin down with these charcoal wipes. The "Yes to" brand is kind of my default brand. If I run out of something and don't have the time to research what I should try next, I resort to them and I'm rarely disappointed. I won't lie, their face wipes are decent, but I've tried better and I've tried worse. 

Cleaning: I always flush my face with warm water before beginning because I was once told that warm water does a better job of cleaning your skin than cold....could be total myth but either way it's what I do and it's a nice wake up call in the morning. So you first use the foaming cleanser to remove excess oils, dirt, and makeup. 

Toning: After cleansing, you put a few drops (literally- a few drops. you need way less than you'd think) of toner on a cotton ball and apply that to your whole face and neck if you prefer. The toner conditions, softens, and gets your skin ready to absorb all the goodness of the next step!

Hydrating: The last step (and my favorite) is the nourishing gel cream. Finishing off your morning and evening skin care routine with this cream feels SO refreshing. I feel like everyone wants that super luxurious feeling of a high-end skin care routine in the evening, and this cream provides that. As "extra" as that sounds. It's fantastic. 

There's only ever one more step to my routine, and it only happens on days that I'm sure I won't be going anywhere or putting makeup on. I use Mario Badescu's Caviar Day Cream after allowing Artistry's nourishing gel cream to set for a short while. So while Artistry's gel cream hydrates, refreshes, and helps balance oils, Mario Badescu's day cream softens skin and improves your skin's "elastin", which is what allows your skin to remain youthful. It's especially helpful around this time when the weather is terribly cold and your skin might be struggling. 

I'm super satisfied with my current skin care regimen. However, I love the extras, too. I'm currently on the hunt for a few nice skin masks and peels. Face masks and peels are perfect for relaxing evenings after your skin care routine. There are masks and peels for restoring brightness, reducing redness, heavy-duty pore cleaning, and pretty much anything you can imagine. Even if you have your skincare routine down well, everyone can benefit from a good mask a few times per week. I'm also searching for a good under-eye cream! Like I said, I've fixed most of my face (lol) but my under eyes could use some work. If I end up finding an under-eye treatment that I think is as rave worthy as these products, I'll be sure to send a quick update. I for sure want to test out these Peter Thomas Roth eye patches so if any of you have used them let me know what you thought!!

Lastly, congratulations to the winner of Chanel polish no. 528, @brooklyncarter_!!! Check your e-mail to receive your gift 

As always, thanks for reading this post and happy Thursday!!

  

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