Updated Morning Skincare Routine – February 2017

I like to change up my skincare routine pretty often to suit my skin’s needs. I’ve found my skin changes every so often, especially because here in SoCal we’ve had some really varied weather lately. We’ll have days where it’s sunny and low 70s and then the next day be cold and pouring rain. What the hell? I adapt. Here is what has been working for me lately. You’ll see a lot of “or this”, because I don’t use the same things every day.

WAKEY WAKEY…LET’S DO THIS!

I start my morning cleansing with either Murad Essential-C Cleanser* or Foaming Pumpkin Cleanser* by Alana Mitchell. Both cleansers smell amazing (Murad smells like citrus, and the pumpkin cleanser smells like a pumpkin spice latte even though it has no added fragrance, which is incredible), which really helps me wake up. Both cleansers are formulated to brighten and even out the complexion, though they have very different ingredients. They’re both gentle and pleasant to use. In the mornings I often use my Foreo Luna* cleansing device. I have the version for normal to sensitive skin, which provides very gentle sonic cleansing. To be quite honest, I have been slacking on the Luna lately. But that’s just pure laziness. ;)

Depending on if I’ve done my cleansing in the shower that morning (I sometimes shower at night vs. in the morning), I may opt for an extra step. When I shower, my skin gets really sensitive to the heat and sometimes ends up looking red and blotchy. If this is the case, I give myself a good dousing with Mario Badescu’s Aloe Rosewater facial spray*. It calms my skin right down and smells so elegant. The facial spray has a chance to soak in and do its magic while I brush my teeth and towel off, etc. so by the time I’m ready to do the rest of my skincare I’m looking much less blotchy. Pro Tip: That facial spray is also FANTASTIC if you have a sunburn on an area that is otherwise prohibitive to treat, like your scalp.

Next up, toner. I have raved previously about the Pixi Glow Tonic, which is an extremely gentle (but potent at 5%) glycolic toner jam packed full of other delicious ingredients like aloe and ginseng. Since I’m very fair, I love anything that is formulated for evening out my skin tone. I feel like every little mark or blemish is that much more noticeable when you’re casper white like me.

After my acid toning step comes serum. I jumped on the Drunk Elephant bandwagon and splurged on their C-Firma vitamin C serum, and you know what? I am not in love with it. I know vitamin C serums aren’t supposed to smell good, but guys it smells baaaaaad. Like really bad. I’m doing my best to work through it, but it’s the type of product that you only need to use every few days. On the days I’m not using the C-Firma, I’ve been really enjoying the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines serum*. I turned 30 last August and gosh darnit those smile lines actually starting to bug me, so it’s time to do something about them. I’ve been using the It Cosmetics serum for about a month as a preventative measure. So far, so good. It’s very hydrating and seems to plump the area up at least.

Sometime around this time is when I put on my eye cream. I have a few that I love, but lately I’ve been really liking the It Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye* eye cream. This claims to smooth, brighten, and depuff. It definitely hydrates and depuffs my eye area. I have been using it about a month and have barely made a dent in it because a little goes a long way. As far as brightening goes, I don’t have a ton of darkness around my eyes so I haven’t noticed a big difference or anything at this point. But I do know the cream doesn’t break me out or anything, and it seems good so far.

At this point it’s time to get my moisturizer on so I can start the fun part (makeup!!!!). I’ve been working from a deluxe sample of Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Perfecting Moisturizer lately, and really liking it. It’s a pretty expensive product, so I am glad to have a sample to try. So far I like it a lot. It sinks in quickly and I’ve noticed slightly less redness. Other moisturizers I’ve used in the morning and enjoyed recently are the Caudalie Vinosource Moisturizing Sorbet, Proactiv Green Tea Moisturizer*, and Garnier SkinActive Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream (for Dry Skin).

Once the moisturizer sinks in it’s time to paint my face and gooooo! :)

Note: Products marked with * were sent for promotional consideration. I was under no obligation to mention these products, but I happen to quite like them! 

Best Beauty Gifts for Mother’s Day

Okay so Mother’s Day is not quite a week away. Do you have a present yet? I’ll admit it – I don’t! It’s kind of one of those things that I remember only when I run in to the grocery store and see a big sign in the floral department reminding me. So since I’m a last minute shopper, and you might be too, here are my picks from the beauty world for mama. Also, as an added bonus, all of these things are available in an actual store. Because you might not want to wait for something to get shipped. We’re such slackers.

For The Techy Mama foreoheroIf your mama loves a nifty gadget, run– don’t walk (wait, who ever walks anywhere?) to your nearest Sephora and grab her a Foreo Luna. Okay come on you knew that was coming if you’ve read this blog before. I love the damn thing. It’s a gazillion times better than the Clarisonic because it’s way more sanitary and way more gentle. There’s also no add-on cost since you do not need to go out and buy brush heads. However, the initial up-front cost is $199. Ain’t your mama worth it?

Conair-Infiniti-Pro

 

Another great gift idea for your techy mama at a more affordable price point is the Conair Infiniti Pro hair dryer (available for around $30 at Ulta). This dryer comes with 2 different concentrator attachments, include a cold shot, and packs quite a punch in the power department. Not wild about the orange color? Ulta also carries a cobalt blue version, and a limited edition pink (may not be available everywhere).

For Mama Who Loves a Classic chanelIf your mom is a classic beauty who loves timeless, fail-safe beauty items, you can’t go wrong with Chanel. Head on over to your local Nordstrom and hit up your Chanel counter! The Chanel Le Brilliant Glossimer Duo is a perfect gift. It includes 2 Glossimers (the most luxurious lip gloss there is!) in Crushed Cherry and Wild Rose, along with a lip liner in Nude and a sharpener. They all come in a cute little zipper bag emblazoned with Chanel Beaute. The whole set runs you $64.00.

For Mama Who Loves Manisnail-polish-resort-2014-collection-mini-cube-4x-5ml-p8585-35047_image

Got a manicure-loving mama? Nail kits are the way to go. Ulta has the Essie Resort cube. It’ll run you $17.00 for 4 pretty minis. While you’re there, pick her up a bottle of Zoya Remove+. She’ll thank you later.

For The Girly Girl Mama

lavieIf mom loves all things pink and girly and feminine, she’ll love Lancome’s La Vie Est Belle. It’s a new version of an old favorite, and it’s divine. Depending on the size bottle you get, it runs $58 to $98 at Ulta (and lots of other places).

All that said, mom, if you’re reading this — none of these are your present!!! I’m saving another idea as a surprise. ;)

Foreo Luna Now At Sephora

lunaface

Great news! The FOREO Luna, aka my favorite skin care gadget evar, is now available at Sephora! Let’s quickly re-hash why I’m ALL about the Luna!

* No replacement brush heads (what you pay is what you pay – no added cost built in!)

*All silicone – fully rinseable – goes in the shower with you!

* Easier to keep CLEAN because there are no nooks and crevices (under the brush head of a Clarisonic = HORROR SHOW)

* Also works as anti-aging device (massage in serums with it for extra ‘wow factor’ from your serums, too)

* REALLY gentle, even for sensitive skin. (I use the delicate brush head on Clarisonic and Sensitive/Normal for Luna

* Holds a charge FOR-EV-ER. (seriously, I have had mine for MONTHS and I haven’t even charged it yet since the initial charge)

So yeah, the Luna is pretty much the most awesomest (yes, that’s a word now… bwahahaha) skin care thingy ever. And it’s at Sephora now! Which means you can earn BI points on your purchase, buy it during F&F to save $$, and if you aren’t as head over heels in love with it as I am, Sephora’s return policy is the greatest.

Anyone going to be trying out the Luna now that they’re at mama Sephora?! This thing has been life-saving/game-changing for me. When I went to BeWell Expo in October I had someone look at my skin under a microscope (which was definitely as daunting as it sounds), and she said my pores are TOTALLY clear. I owe it to this!! I was given an A+ in skin and it’s totes because of my little Luna.

My New Favorite Skincare Gadget

lunaface

Let me introduce you to my skin’s new BFF – the Luna by Foreo. Like any good geek, I appreciate a gadget. I have tried a bunch. I own a Clarisonic, I at one point had a Neutrogena Wave… you get where I’m going. So when I heard from Foreo asking me if I wanted to try the Luna, I said SURE! It sounded really cool.

 

And you know what? It IS really cool. The Luna emits what are called T-Sonic™ pulsations, which is short for transdermal sonic pulsations. It feels like a very gentle vibration. Where other skincare devices have brush heads, the Luna has silicone “touch points” (which I refer to as “nubbins”, lol). They look like this:

nubbins

Now, I have the Normal/Sensitive Skin Luna. There is also an Ultra Sensitive and a Combination Skin version that have different configurations of nubbins:

LINEUP_IMAGECombo, Normal/Sensitive, Ultra Sensitive

If you’re thinking this whole idea of silicone nubbins looks kinda familiar, it’s sort of like you took one of these:

P262041_hero^^ Generic Cheapo Silicone Cleansing Pad ^^

And gave it magical powers. And I say magical powers because I love my Luna. Now, I’d be ignoring a great big pink elephant in the room if I didn’t somewhat compare it to my Clarisonic, because I know that’s what you all want to know. It has some major advantages. First and foremost, it’s way easier to CLEAN.

palm

As you can see, the Luna is all one compact, palm-sized piece. There’s no brush attachments, which means there’s no “parts” for water to seep in under and get gross. Take the head off your Clarisonic and really look down into the brush itself. It’s a pain in the ass to clean! The Luna can be fully submerged and washes clean very easily.

The second major advantage also has to do with the lack of brush attachments. No replacement costs. Clarisonic brush heads run you about $25 a pop.

But this isn’t just an alternative to a Clarisonic brush and I don’t want you to think of it that way. The Luna is its own thing. In addition to providing a very thorough, gentle clean, it also serves another purpose…

massageythingy

This is the Luna’s anti-aging side. In just 2 minutes or so, placing the Luna with the ridged side on certain points of the face (it comes with a little guide), this gadget gives you a tension-releasing massage to your face, stimulating your skin and helping to reduce wrinkles. It promises skin to look fuller and more youthful. Now, I’m not quite 27 so I don’t really worry about my skin looking youthful, but I do know it does something. I had a horrible headache, and could feel the tension in my forehead and temples. I used this little guy on those areas and I did notice improvement, so it DOES work for relieving tension. I don’t know enough about the science of wrinkles to really say whether or not it can do the other things it claims, and I don’t have much in the way of wrinkles to test that on. The benefits of facial massage are well-documented though, and that’s essentially what this does.

What I have noticed since I started using the Luna (and I’ve been using mine for a few weeks now – I really wanted to test it out!) is remarkably softer skin almost immediately. I also notice better absorption of my other skin care products, resulting in overall more balanced skin because it’s absorbing my moisturizer and toner etc. better than before.

As you all know I just went to Vegas, which involved staying up really late, wearing full face of makeup every day, being around lots of pollutants, eating slightly less than stellar health food (*lol*) and of course, lots of adult beverages. I’ve been really stressed lately aside from the blogging world, too. On top of all that, it was TOTM, which could have been the recipe for utter skin disaster. Even without all the other stuff going on, TOTM usually means at least one gnarly chin zit, right?

Nope! Nary a zit in sight. I even received heaps of compliments for my skin while I was in Vegas. (THANK YOU btw!!!) And absolutely no irritation whatsoever. Even when I use the delicate brush head on a Clarisonic, my skin is at least pink afterwards. I don’t have any irritation at ALL after using the Luna.

yayskin

This bare-faced picture was taken actually after a full day of running around doing errands etc. I washed my face this morning but haven’t washed it again tonight. My skin’s not perfect – but I am pretty darn happy with it, freckles and all. I have noticed improvement in the scarring on my chin, too, which is always awesome.

Now for the one downside to the Luna – cost. These high tech skin gadgets don’t come cheap. The Luna will run you $199. For a slightly cheaper option there is the Luna Mini at $139, which does have some differences (no variable speeds, slightly shorter battery life though both last hundreds of uses before needing a recharge). The Mini comes in cooler colors (aw shucks!), but if you can afford it either one would be a great investment in your skin. I think that whatever you can afford to spend on your skin care, spend it. I have regretted spending money on a makeup item but I have never regretted dropping cash on high quality skin care products that work well for me.

Before you get all huffy about the fact that this was a press sample item, I paid for my Clarisonic and the subsequent brush heads all myself and even though I like the Luna better for my face I still have/love/use Clarisonic for my body with the body brush head – so I’m not kidding when I say I believe in investing in skin care when you can afford it. 

If you’re interested in learning more about Foreo & the Luna (and even the Luna For Men!) check out their website: www.foreo.com. If I wasn’t clear, I love this thing and I love what it does for my skin! ;)