Beauty Week...

I decided to have a week of beauty!  It's what I do and what I know and I love educating the customers I turn into clients and I would love to share with y'all as well!  Today we'll start with the first part of any beauty routine...

Skin Care routines don't have to be time consuming or expensive...that's what's great about them...you can completely tailor it to your lifestyle and your needs.  Here are some basic tips and my fave products!

Removing your make up is key at night.  Make up clogs your pores and seals all that dirt and oil accumulating throughout the day...onto your face.  Gross.  I recommend a good eye make up remover and some kind of make up removing product.

Lancome's Bi-Facil is my personal favorite eye make up remover.  It takes all your eye make up off with one swipe.  LOVE.  It's a little pricey though so if you're saving pennies check at your local drugstore for a dual action or oil based eye make up remover (you're cleansing afterward so don't worry about the oil clogging your pores)

I LOVE the I Love Blueberries cleansing cloths.  So quick and easy.  Just swipe all over face PLUS they are 99% all natural (with yummy apple, lemon, and blueberries cleansing your skin), paraban free, and they smell awesome!  PLUS they are biodegradable (yay Earth!)  But wait there's MORE...only $7.99 at Target!!!

You don't always have to have a different skin care routine for both day and night....I do because I still have some on/off struggles with acne.  Acne cleansers tend to be tougher on skin so if you can I recommend only using them in the day and using some good (oil free) hydration at night.  DEFINITELY recommend a good night cream...your skin loses 96% of it's moisture at night so it's important to take extra good care of it while you sleep because that's also when it's doing all it's rejuvenating. I also do recommend some kind of toner because it will clean your pores and rebalance the PH levels in the skin to help it glow.

My personal faves: 

AM: Kate Somerville Detox Daily Cleanser, Clarifying Treatment Toner, and Oil Free Moisturizer

PM: Lancome Mousse Radiance Cleanser, Tonique Doceur Toner, and Bienfait Aqua Vital Moisturizer

*Also an important note PLEASE WEAR SUNSCREEN.  Your skin absorbs much more sun than you even know and trust me...I have seen the damage that sun can do to the skin.  To save you money when you're older trying to repair your skin....just take care of it now!  I recommend a sun screen that has zinc vs. titanium dioxide (yuck so bad for you!) Zinc is a natural sun protection PLUS it helps prevent those sun spots created by birth control YAY!

Serums can get tricky (and expensive)  I recommend picking one really good serum that is going to benefit you the most.  My faves...

Lancome Bright Expert: For uneven skin tone, dark spots, acne scarring.  I SWEAR by this serum.  Literally  has changed my life.  My skin has never looked more even than it has since I have started using this.  LOVE.

Clinique Pore Refining Serum: Reduces the appearance of pores 62% in 2 weeks.  LOVE.

Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair: Repairs damage done to the skin from free radicals, pollution, and UV rays.

Lancome Genefique: Gives visibly younger looking skin in 7 days.  Helps restore youthful bounce, helps with tone and texture. 

Lancome Visionnaire: Corrects wrinkles, pores, and uneven skin tone.  Amazing product.

Eyes often get forgotten but because the skin around the eyes is so thin and so prone to wrinkles...it needs some extra love.  I've had a really hard time finding an eye product that works for me because I have EXTREMELY sensitive eyes....I finally discovered "Yes To Blueberries" Eye Firming Treatment.  It's 95% natural and helps with fine lines plus firming and it doesn't make my eyes react at all!  And super affordable.  Highly recommend.

If you're like me and still struggle with any kind of acne or occasional breakouts, it's important to treat them fast (please please please don't pick or pop guys...)  

I LOVE Clinique's On The Spot treatment (super quick!) and for a more affordable choice I love "Yes to Tomatoes" spot treatment.  Proactiv makes a great refining mask that you can just put on top of a blemish before bed and when you wake up...it's virtually gone.

The BEST thing you can do for your skin is keep it hydrated and that starts from the inside out.  Your skin is the largest organ of our bodies.  It breathes and it NEEDS hydration.  So drink your water and your body and skin will thank you!

Tired skin is dull and lifeless.  Get as much sleep as you can (I know if you're a new mom or have kids...this is not easy!).  The more sleep the better your skin will look and you will feel.

This is not a game of one of these things is not like the other....

A couple bonus items...

Clarisonic- The most amazing cleansing tool of all time.  Removes 6x's more dirt and oil than washing manually.  Improves skin's texture and tone.  Helps reduce acne problems and helps reduce redness.  An investment well worth it.

Apple Cider Vinegar - One of the best things for your body.  Downing a tablespoon a day does so much good for your body especially helps improve skin and clears up acne!  It's totally disgusting but just take it quick!  Best part is....it's only a few dollars!

That's all for my skin care tips!  Tomorrow we'll move on to....

FOUNDATION/FACE MAKE UP

Until then...what are some of your fave skin care products?