Current Skincare Favorites
I've been going a little skincare crazy lately to say the least. This is mostly due to the face that over the past two to three months I've been experiencing the worst bout of breakouts since I was a teenager. I slowly began introducing these new products into my routine and they've all been working wonders for me.
Since my recent ankle injury, I've been spending a lot of time on the couch watching and reading about all things k-beauty and am slowly building up a wishlist of products I want to try. If you have any k-beauty [skincare] recommendations, I'd love to hear them!
I'm always writing, even if it's not on here, so if you want more skincare content, be sure to check out my articles over on The Pretty Pimple! Recent topics have included layering skincare, acne scars vs. hyperpigmentation and glycolic acid.
Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate*: I've been using this for almost a month now as a treatment for a few lines and wrinkles I've developed over the years, but since I'm only 23 I don't feel like it's super necessary to use this all over. I can see this being even more beneficial if you have more aged skin with multiple wrinkles or fine lines in different spots, because it feels amazing on the skin and can definitely be used as a full-face serum. It packs a punch with hyaluronic acid (one of my favorite ingredients) to plump and hydrate, and 12.5% vitamin C to brighten. You might notice a slight tingling sensation like I did, but that just means it's working!
Soprano Labs Replenishing Beauty Elixir: I was immediately drawn to the minimalist packaging and ingredient list while on a day trip to Santa Barbara and knew when I saw the price tag, I had to take it home. If there are days where I'm feeling super dry, I'll reach for this facial oil. Made with a beautiful blend of pomegranate oil, passion fruit seed oil and chamomile oil, just to name a few, this is super hydrating without leaving you looking or feeling too heavy.
Glossier Solution: Glossier's latest product launch is Solution, a 10% chemical exfoliator with a blend of AHAs, BHAs and PHAs. I've been far more interested in using chemical exfoliators than physical exfoliators lately, because they do SUCH a better job of sloughing off dead skin, but leave you far brighter and less irritated than traditional exfoliators. I've been using this every night for the past two-ish weeks and am already hooked! I can definitely see results with a decrease in new breakouts around my chin and jawline where I have been experiencing a weird flare-up lately. This is gentle but effective thanks to the highly concentrated blend of acids, and I love the easy push top packaging. Make sure to use sunscreen if you're using this in the morning because chemical acid exfoliators increase your sensitivity to the sun!
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask: After one use of this mask, I was hooked. From the texture, to the scent, to the results, there's so much I could rave about. Watermelon is packed with anti-oxidants that soothe your skin and leave you glowing when you wake up in the morning! Alternatively, this can be used as a wash-off mask for a quick boost of dewiness and hydration that will leave you fresh and glowing without going to bed.
First Aid Beauty Hello FAB Ginger & Turmeric Vitamin C Jelly Mask*: Another newly released product, this mask is the perfect wake up call in the morning for brightening your skin. Something I recently learned (through watching hours of k-beauty videos) is that it's not beneficial for your mask to dry on your skin (clay masks are the biggest culprit), that just means all the moisture from your skin is gone! This mask doesn't dry completely and still has a jelly consistency even after 10-15 minutes and leaves my skin tone more even and feeling much better.
Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer: I was so excited for the launch of this product, because I had already totally fallen for their sleeping mask and knew if this was anything like it, I'd be hooked too! I was right, this moisturizer is amazing and a definite staple in my routine now. It provides just the right amount of hydration and doesn't leave me looking or feeling too heavy, and works beautifully under makeup.
Shiseido Essential Energy Moisturizing Gel Cream*: This is another moisturizer I've been a big fan of lately! Shiseido is such a sentimental brand for me because growing up it was what my mom would use and the scent was almost instantly nostalgic for me. I love that this is a gel consistency because it's not too heavy and layers well on top of my other skincare and under makeup. Key ingredients include citrus unshiu peel extract to hydrate from within and ashitaba to prevent further damage. ReNeura Technology™ regenerates your skin by detecting and transmitting exactly what you need to achieve the ultimate hydration. Pretty cool, huh?
* Indicates product was sent to me for consideration by a brand. This in no way influences my decision to discuss them with my readers and I have not been compensated to share these here.