Winter Skin Care

Let's talk about skin care for these cold winter months!! I don't know about you guys, but my combination skin turns beyond dry once the cold comes and sucks out the life out of it. We all know how terrible dry skin looks under makeup if you're not using the proper products. No one wants to go through their day with flaky/scaly looking skin. That's just not the look we're going for...ever. SO, this calls for using the maximum hydration possible so I break out my gentle skin products for Winter.

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Firstly, in order to properly take care of our skin, we need to take off all the makeup that's clearly clogging our pores. To do so, I use the Clinique Take The Day Off Balm. I purchase this from Ulta, but you can find this many places like Macy's, Sephora, Nordstrom, Ulta, etc. This is more of a "high-end" product, so you won't be able to find it at the drugstores unfortunately. That is because this product costs $29, which is rarely a price you see at the drugstore for a single product. I FELL IN LOVE WITH STUFF! I remember the first day I bought it; I was so intrigued because when you open it up, it's a solid product (no liquid). My first thought was "how do this work?" Basically, I just take a small scoop of it with my finger and when you rub it together, it becomes a waxy, yet smooth thick liquid--just like any old cleanser. When you're done rubbing it all over, just rinse it off. Although this product does say that it gently cleanses, my routine doesn't stop here, of course.

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After taking off my makeup, I'll usually go in with an exfoliator, depending on the day. I never use an exfoliator multiple days in a row. Maybe once or twice a week. If I feel like my skin is very sensitive, but I still want to give my skin a smooth surface to put makeup on, I'll use my PoreDermabrasion pore perfecting exfoliator by dr. brant. This bottle is $58 and only comes with 2 oz. That's not a lot of product for that high of a price, but I do have to say that the micro-beads in the product are so small and fine, which makes this exfoliator makes gentler than others in the market. On days I know my skin just needs a deep cleanse, I'll go in with my Promise Organic Nourishing Coconut Milk Daily Facial Scrub. This exfoliator is a little more rough than the one by dr. brandt. While searching for this product online to put into this blog, I found out that this product is sold at CVS. I've just been purchasing mine online, but it's great to know that it's available in-store for $9.99. The other exfoliator I use is one that I strictly use only in the morning, not only because of it's name, which is the Clean & Clear Morning Burst Facial Scrub. This is also a more gentle exfoliator, that may sound naive and cliche, but it honestly does give me that freshness I need right when I wake up in the morning. I bought mine at Walmart, but it's also available at other drugstores like Target for $5.49. Great product for a cheap price. Now, FINALLY, after taking off my makeup and using an exfoliator, I can get to the real cleansing of my skin. I love using my Garnier Skin Active Gentle Sulfate-Free Cleanser during this time of the year. You can find this product at most drugstores like Ulta, Target or Walmart. It retails between $8.99-12.99 depending on which store you purchase it from. It's a super gentle cleanser that has never irritated my skin in any way. I will use my current cleanser with my Ultimate Skin Spa System from Vanity Planet, which now is available in pink and purple. Sadly, those weren't around yet when I bought mine. It costs $129.99, but Vanity Planet usually always has huge sales so you can get it for about $39.99, which is such a great steal.

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Once I'm done cleansing and rinsing off my face, I will go in with a combination of serums, oils, and/or lotions. It usually depends on the day and how my skin is feeling. If I decide to, I will first go in with my oils, so one of my most loved oils is the Maracuja Oil by Tarte. This oil is great at adding that little bit of extra hydration I need without feeling greasy. It's not always a needed step, but my skin just soaks it up. You can find it at Ulta, Sephora or at tarte.com. Depending on the size bottle you purchase, it's either $16 or $48. I love to combine this oil with my Drink of H2O by Tarte. This gel moistuizer is literally everything you need in terms of hydration. This is probably one of the best lotions I've ever used for my face. This costs $39, but the gel part of the formula gives you this cold, cooling sensation when you put it on which in my opinion, makes it worth every penny. I usually only use this concoction at night before bed.

Before putting on my makeup, I will use the E.L.F. Daily Hydration Moisturizer, which you can find at Walmart for just $9.35. Sometimes, my skin gets weird and certain moisturizers burn my skin (mind you, on a normal day, they usually don't burn), but this E.L.F one usually is my go-to, that I know won't burn no matter what. The last product I want to share is one of my favorites in the summer actually, but I use it year-round. It's the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater. I get mine from Ulta for $7. Yes $7!!!! In the summer, I'll usually spray this on my face when I go to the tennis courts or something and it's unbearably hot out. It just gives that burst of coolness that makes the heat disappear for a few minutes. It's also marvelous for dry skin. If my skin is really dry and all the dewy makeup in the world can't seem to fix it, I spray a couple sprays of this stuff on my skin, and it doesn't look cakey at all. It's practically magic and that's basically everything I use to get through these cold and drying winter months.

#Winter #Makeup