the summer skincare routine

we are all in agreement that i try the products, report and then you trust me and decide to try for yourself, right? 

we all know that honesty is my only policy, correct?

ok. 

we also know that summer skin is not winter skin and if you aren't changing shit up your skin is gonna act cray, right?

alright....let's get on with it.

first of all let's recap the facts. i like it dewy but i don't want to put a trillion things on my face in summer so i don't. sunscreen you say? ok if i must but ima do it my way. 

i drink a ton of water. like 3 quarts a day. 

i measure this out in a glass measuring thing that equals 1 quart. i pour from it into a large drinking glass and basically take a sip/gulp every 15 minutes throughout the day to complete this (harder than it seems) task. if you aren't drinking your weight divided by 2 in ounces you aren't drinking enough. add more if you exercise and drink (ME). 

oh yeah...i exercise too. a lot. and i sweat. hard. these 2 things are pretty crucial to good skin. so let's just be honest...no amount of product is going to give you the skin you want unless you are addressing your skin from within. good food, exercise and water. stay on track. 

that said...i DO drink alcohol. and smoke an occasional cigarette or 5. 

not so great for skin. and yet, my skin is pretty good in spite of these facts. but i'm guessing it's a balance thing. plus live your life!

 

my basics are pretty simple:

cleanse / tone / mask / moisturize. 

i am in search of a new serum because i do love a serum. i'll keep you posted. 

i take off my make up at night with a cleansing balm. they really get in there and get everything off. plus they're very hydrating and plumping. my face feels clean but not stripped. 

i really like green clean by farmacy. it's organic and you don't need to use a cloth to remove it. though i do use one most of the time. depending on the level of make up i got going on. 

 

next i tone with thayer's rose petal witch hazel. it's alcohol free, smells amazing and i can get away without moisturizing my skin at night after use. in other words it's also very hydrating while still taking off any leftover residue from the cleansing balm. 

 

if my skin is feeling plump and hydrated i skip moisturizer at night. if i need a little extra love i will either sleep in a dab of this crazy expensive shit or moisturize with the best kept secret in the universe. or maybe it isn't. embryolisse lait creme concentrate. my god is this stuff awesome. it's the most dew-inducing moisturizer i've ever used. i apply my foundation almost immediately after so that the application is seamless and less foundation is actually needed. pro tip ladies. pro tip.

i also rub it all over my body after a shower. it's sublime. 

 

if it's morning i don't usually cleanse. almost never really. just use a hot, steamy cloth to refresh.

2-3 times a week i exfoliate with tata harper regenerating cleanser which is still gentle but completely changes the texture of my skin immediately. it's fantastic and one of the best exfoliators i've ever used. 

 

 for those days/nights when you need to have the best skin of your life enter my favorite mask maybe ever. tata harper resurfacing mask. it's best used with the regenerating cleanser. your skin will look incredible. it smells amazing and a little goes a long way. it's cooling and refreshing too. and plumping. and just plain awesome. i take my jade roller out of the freezer and really press it into my skin. 

 

when my skin seems congested i use this leland francis black rose bar. it has detoxifying charcoal plus essential oils to hydrate and soothe. i love it. 

 

your questions:

do you use an eye cream?

nope. the only one i use is for illuminating and extra moisture and it's this one. but i use it more in winter when i need it and only when my dark circles be poppin'. because it's got some diamond dust in it, so it's like a snapchat filter. but i don't use it at night. and i usually apply a thin layer OVER my foundation. (i don't use undereye concealer just really good foundation)

 

do you still use retin-a?

not currently. i think it messed with my period. as in made it stop. it could be that i'm just getting old but i was using it so much and out of the blue my period just stopped i did a little research and found that i wasn't the only one who claimed it made their period screwy. so i stopped. period came back. will i use it again? i may try a more natural version this winter. i'll keep you posted there as well. 

 

do you use sunscreen?

i confess not every day. i use it when i know i will be outside a lot. if i am like literally IN. THE. SUN.  i.e. beach, pool, lake etc...i will slather on some kind of nasa formulated shit made for albinos. otherwise it's spf 30 and its mixed in with my regular moisturizer. 

my foundation has spf as well. and my primer if i'm using it. so it's not like i'm devoid of any at all. 

golly. i think that might about cover it. 

 

any questions?