Saturday, July 26, 2014

SKINCARE | My Summer Routine!


Hello fun people!  Happy Saturday! 

Today I'm sharing my summer skincare routine with you all.  This routine has been working really well for my combination oily skin amidst the crushing summer heat and humidity here in the ATL.  I mean seriously, what does 88% humidity at 9 p.m. even MEAN?  How is that even possible in a non-tropical locale?  On to the product cornucopia!  
A.M. ROUTINE //
CLEANSE: Olay Fresh Effects {Shine, Shine Go Away} Shine Minimizing Cleanser.  The kaolin clay in this puppy keeps my oily skin in check!  This product has been a game changer for me in the mornings.  My skin feels squeaky clean.  I think it might be too squeaky for people with dry skin, but for combination/oily?  You will loves.
MOISTURIZE: NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer.  The coverage I get from this is fan-tas-tic, it's beautifully hydrating, and it contains SPF 30.  My moisturizer, foundation, and SPF are done in one step!  <insert goal hands emoji> ;)  Original review here.
SET: LUSH Tea Tree Water Toner Water.  Toner??  AFTER makeup?  YAS!  After I finish applying makeup, I mist a few pumps of this genius little product onto my face.  It acts as a setting spray that locks down my look and keeps oil at bay for the entire rest of the day.  Shout out to Corinne at Necessary Nothings for introducing me to this amazing toner by way of this awesome post, and extra grande shouts to my mom for finding said post when I was in the throes of Monsters of Rock-style acne!  This toner's been a huge help at reducing breakouts.  I got the idea to try it as a setting spray one night when I was using it after cleansing and noticed how oil seemed to evaporate from the surface of my skin.  I am very happy to report it works AMAZINGLY well as a setting spray for oily skin!

P.M. ROUTINE //
CLEANSE: Lumene Radiant Touch Refreshing Foam Cleanser with Arctic Cloudberry. LOVE LOVE LOVE this cleanser!  It's gentle on the skin yet powerful at removing all traces of makeup and dirt and has a beautiful light citrus scent. 
SPOT TREATMENT: Formula 10.0.6 Overnight Success Overnight Spot Minimizing Patches.  These things have been heaven-sent.  If you have breakouts, you should get a box of these, STAT.  If I see a tell-tale red bump rising up like an acne phoenix of doom, I place one of these clear patches onto the spot and let it work it's tea tree and grape seed extract magic overnight.  The blemish is greatly reduced the next day and is typically completely gone after 2 nights.  That is a small miracle for anyone with spots that take weeks to fade, sometimes even months.  They go on completely clear and are virtually undetectable; I've actually worn them out on a late-night CVS run!  A tip: apply them to freshly cleansed skin (before moisturizer) so they stick and stay put all night.  
SERUM: Avene Thermal Spring Water Soothing Serum. This delightful serum absorbs effortlessly into skin and leaves it feeling incredibly plump and hydrating.   
MOISTURIZE: Tatcha Supple Moisture Rich Silk Creme.  I won this adorable little pot from a giveaway I entered on The Beauty Look Book!  Thank you so much to Tatcha, and to Sabrina for hosting it!  The Supple Moisture Rich Silk Creme sinks in within minutes and gives the combination part of my skin (it can get painfully dry in places) the moisture it needs without overwhelming the oily part with too rich of a formula.  I tap in a little extra around my eyes because really, why not?  A girl can use all the help she can get!
LIPS: Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask.  Glory be to Jaa from Hello Jaa for bringing this product into my sights!  It is HG material to the moon and back.  It's thick and silky and transforms the lips overnight.  My lips have never felt better in the morning and they're prepped for whatever lipstick or gloss I want to wear the next day.  I've yet to have a single Napoleon Dynamite "...but my lips hurt real bad!" moment since this lip mask entered my routine.  They've also repackaged it in a plastic tube after public outcry over reports the metal packaging leaked and oozed.  I personally have had no issues with the metal packaging...except for that one time I opened it on a plane and the air pressure caused it to evacuate it's tube at an alarming rate!  However, that would have happened with anything tube-ular, so I don't hold Bite responsible.  That was all me!  As a bonus, since I had gobs of escaped product to use and only two lips, I found out it works amazingly well as a face, hand, and elbow hydrator!

What are some of your summer skin superheroes?  Does your routine change much from season to season?  

25 comments :

  1. Ahh lucky you for winning the Tatcha giveaway! I've been wanting to try the brand for so long, but it's not that accessible out of the US ;) I really need to put the BITE lip mask on my wish list. Seems like everybody loves it!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wow yeah okay, toner after make-up, that IS new! But sounds like it works for you! And lucky you for winning the Tatcha giveaway, oh my! Sounds like something my super fussy identity-confused skin could use.

    ReplyDelete
  3. I want that lip mask! I just keep hearing good stuff about it, so off to order for sure now! And lucky you for winning some Tatcha-that stuff everyone seems to rave about so it must be good!

    ReplyDelete
  4. LOVE that tea tree toner! It's so soothing (refreshing, too!) for my dryness. I actually don't own it but EVERY time I go into Lush I allow myself a spritz and I'm just continually falling in love with it. I don't know why I haven't bought it yet... *slaps forehead* That sounds like a great finishing touch for makeup. Thank you for the idea, I am going to have to try that now!!


    I also need that lip mask. Every trip to Sephora I pass Bite and hold myself back like a dog chocking on it's own collar....


    About the NARS I have a Q for you; I love that you've been a fan for a year (clicked your review post, July 2013???!! WHOA) and I'm a fan of NARS, hoping I'd love this. What's better (in your most expert moisturizer opinion!) for my dry skin; the NARS or the Lumene CC your mentioned just recently? I'm thinking about investing real soon, and I'm at a cross roads! HELP TINTED MOISTURIZER GURU!


    Much Love,
    -Stepanka

    ReplyDelete
  5. I most deff need to try the Tea Tree water ASAP! Sounds amazing! Thanks for sharing this wonderful little beauty secret with us!
    www.thesaltlifewife.blogspot.com

    ReplyDelete
  6. I know! I couldn't believe it when i got the email from Tatcha saying I was one of the winners! I also got a sample of the body butter and OMG...I am in love. And yes, lady, the Bite mask is AMAZING. The best thing for anyone who needs overnight lip repair!

    ReplyDelete
  7. It really does, Melissa! I hope other people with oily skin have success with it b/c it's really made my summer a lot better! LOL at "super fussy identity-confused skin"! I hear you there! :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. YAY! The Bite Agave Lip Mask is incredible. No matter how torn up or chapped your lips are, they will be perfect the next morning. It's incredible! If I go to bed and it's not on my bedside table, I will get up to go get out 9usually out of my purse) - it's that good! I can't wait to hear what you think! And I know! I was so excited to try Tatcha! Those people know exquisite packaging! The Indigo Body Butter sample I got is divine, and obviously I'm pretty taken with this moisturizer!

    ReplyDelete
  9. LOL! I love the idea of you misting on the go in Lush! My breakouts have been much much better since I starting mixing the toner into my routine, so I highly recommend you get a bottle sometime. I love that the smaller bottle is under $10 bucks! and yes, you DO need that lip mask! I bet it would be amazing for you during the New England winters!

    As far as which TM I think you should try? While I ADORE Lumene's CC Cream, I don't think Light is going to be light enough for you. And since it's drugstore, you cannot swatch it before you buy it. I find the NARS TM to have a much better shade range (they have 4 light options!) and I think you'd love the hydration it gives! Definitely swatch it the next time you're in Sephora! Phyrra did a great comparison post (with swatches!) of the 2 lightest shades here: http://www.phyrra.net/2013/04/nars-pure-radiant-tinted-moisturizer-spf-30-terre-neuve-finland-review.html i think Terre-Neuve is your shade, peanut! :D



    Much love,
    K / BBBF

    ReplyDelete
  10. Hey Julie! Oh yes ma'am, I think it would be great for summer days on the pier! It's hard to find anything that stands up to Florida heat/sun/humidity! :)

    ReplyDelete
  11. Thank you mucho for your advice BBBF! Yes, I am the 10-15 MAC range, haha! I will go look at Phyrra's post right now, and will go for the NARS swatch next time in Sephora!!


    LOVE AND PINEAPPLES
    -Stepanka

    ReplyDelete
  12. Yay! Thanks for the shout out, Kristen! <3 Judging from the pic, it looks like you have been really loving your Agave Lip Mask! ;D

    Congrats on winning the Tatcha sample! I'm really intrigued about the brand and want to try a few things from them, this silk creme included. Do you find it heavy on the skin, Kristen?

    ReplyDelete
  13. I love the dish you are displaying all of your products on!! Super cute. And can we talk about your jello/blush tagline that I just now noticed - hi-lar-ious!!!

    ReplyDelete
  14. I'm glad I live in a tropical country because I don't have to worry about changing my skincare due to the weather. I mean, I do wish there are different seasons due to different reasons, but for skincare alone, I feel blessed. LOL!

    ReplyDelete
  15. Okay, I think I need the spot minimizing patches...ASAP! They sound like magic!
    xo

    ReplyDelete
  16. Hi Kristen! Somehow, I missed your post from this weekend in my feed until now :(. Anyway, this is such a lovely post! I've never tried the Olay cleanser, and never even knew about the Lush Toner Water!! Those sound amazing for oily skin! I will have to check those out.


    My skin freaked out recently as I overloaded it with too many new products and processes (overdid the Clarisonic and prescription acne medications to try to compensate for the rash of new zits from trying a new foundation!). So, now I'm just trying to be extra gentle to it, so Cerave Moisturizing Cream has been my go-to (amazingly enough, it doesn't make me any more oily or shiny!). I also am still in love with my NARS TM -- I've used it ever since it came out in early 2012 and it's still my go-to! (Your review of that is so spot-on, by the way!).

    ReplyDelete
  17. oooh, I really want to try the tea tree toner as a setting spray now!

    ReplyDelete
  18. I love the LUSH mist that I tried in the past...it wasn't the Tea Tree one, but I wanna try this now! And that lip balm :) I need to get serious about skin care...thanks Kristen!

    ReplyDelete
  19. That lip balm seriously made me question what I thought was a good night balm in the past! It is amazing, and a tiny bit goes a long way. The Tea Tree mist was my first one from Lush and it's definitely a love!

    ReplyDelete
  20. It is so wonderful, Gaelle! I've always been too oily to wear "illuminating" powders and creams, but with a spritz of the Tea Tree toner, everything stays put perfectly! Truly miraculous! :)

    ReplyDelete
  21. Thank you, Carolyn! Both the Olay cleanser and Lush toner have made my summer so much easier skincare-wise! I would recommend them to anyone with oily skin. I'm so sorry your skin flipped out after using some new products - acne medications can be especially rough! I'll never forget when I was using Retin-A. My skin hurt, was so red, and constantly peeled. I know it works wonders for some people but I couldn't make it work for me! CeraVe is awesome. I love their moisturizers and the hydrating cleanser! And I'm returning the high five on the Bite Agave Lip Mask! I'm so thankful Jaa reviewed it because it's an HG product for me!

    ReplyDelete
  22. Hi Lily! :D Yes, ma'am - the spot minimizing patches are DREAMY!

    ReplyDelete
  23. True - it's pretty much the same routine year-round for you! That is a nice little bonus! :D

    ReplyDelete
  24. Thanks, Jenny Sue! It's the Lenox Chirp dish from Macy's! We got it for a wedding gift and I love it! And lol - thanks for the tagline gigglers! :D

    ReplyDelete
  25. I have been! Thank you for reviewing it - I'm honestly not sure if I would have tried it had I not read your review! I would have been missing out on my favorite lip product of all-time!


    And thank you! I couldn't believe I won the TATCHA sample! I do not find it heavy on the skin at all, but VERY hydrating. My skin feels plumped up by the hydration boost, but not oily at all. It's a sensation I haven't experienced very often! Definitely a winner!

    ReplyDelete

I love your comments! Thank you for leaving me a little note!