All September long to early October, we had an unusually late final surge of summer, but suddenly this month, Fall, that dreadful cold, the emergence of dry skin and the cooler weather hit me like a ton of bricks. These transitional months have me appreciating the skincare products in my routine because of my increasing needs in said routine and this month was the perfect exempli. And they just so happen to all be Paula’s Choice because the brand is precisely that impressive and all of my most recent additions have been from them. My other favourites that veered from the realm of skincare were themed around looking polished with minimal effort, especially whilst being ill, and hiding how crappy I was feeling.
Paula’s Choice Resist Intensive Repair Cream ($32 US): At first I was concerned that I was actually breaking out from this highly emollient cream, as I was plagued with those weird bumpy breakouts around my lower cheeks and chin, but I can happily report that its not the case. It does have a thicker more emollient texture but I love using this rich cream at nighttime because it actually soothes my skin from all the irritation and dehydration from the day without leaving an unpleasant feeling. The combination of lower-dose retinol, sodium hyaluronate, niacinamide, miscellaneous plant oils and emollients must really agree with my sensitive skin has managed to heal dry patches overnight, leaving my skin radiant and plumped in the morning. It works fantastically as an eye cream, too.
Paula’s Choice Skin Recovery Lotion SPF 30 ($28 US): It was not until my skin became so intensely dehydrated and sensitive that I fully appreciated the beauty of this almost impossibly hydrating lotion moisturizer with potent mineral protection. It only has the slightest white tinge that fades quickly but more than that it neither irritates my skin or dries it out, while still protecting from sun damage, and the minor issues I was having with the overly emollient texture during warmer weather have vanished as my skin has drifted back to the dry to very dry end of the spectrum. | review
Paula’s Choice Clear Acne 2% BHA Body Spray ($24 US): Funnily, I bought this lightweight but nourishing 2% salicylic acid chemical exfoliation mainly for use on the body to deal with breakouts but it’s been on the face that I’ve fallen for this product for. I was always sure that I was more of an AHA girl, suffering with drier skin and experiencing more impressive brightening benefits with exfoliants of that variety but adding the anti-inflammatory and pore-declogging product every day or two has improved my skin in terms of irritation and those stubborn bumps that I get. I will say, though, that bringing this high strength salicylic acid into my routine did cause some purging at first but it did go away after a week or two – this purging was part of why I thought the nighttime moisturizer might have been breaking me out.
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Champagne Pop ($46): Even when I could hardly be bothered with the full-on face of makeup, I’ve been happily applying a generous amount of the peachy gold highlighter to the cheekbones because the visible shimmer somehow fills the void in my soul and makes me look instantly more alive. In my laziness, I’ve discovered that it also makes a gorgeous eyeshadow, especially when paired with winged liner. It’s not that amazing highlighter that will instantly flatter anyone, though, despite what many claim.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade in Medium Brown ($23): There’s no way around it – brows make the biggest difference in terms of looking pulled together with minimal effort and now that my pot of the gel brow product has dried out somewhat and has become much easier to apply without looking like you’ve painted your brows on with permanent marker, I’ve been relying on the ashy shade to add shape to my arches and fill in sparse spots without regrets. I’ve never heard anyone mention this in relation to the product before, but like mascara, it does get better with time.
L’Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Intenza Mascara ($9-11): In October I added this new mascara to the rotation and even before the formula dried out significantly, I was a big fan of the dramatic volumizing effect that it provided along with moderate separation and length – and its only gotten better. In fact, I’ve gotten numerous compliments on my lashes and I have to agree that it creates loads of drama without looking clumpy – and it does not feel heavy or require effort in the least.
beautylit& ramblings 