rosehip oil

Weekly Medley #64/65

In the last few weeks, the two most interesting things that have happened are my constant, steady blogging schedule that I’ve been pleased with and the gorgeous hot, summer weather that we have begun to experience. I accidentally managed to get a tan with only a few hours of hanging out outdoors (reading books and the like), injure myself simply by going out on my first sail of the year, watch ten entire seasons of Grey’s Anatomy and make even more progress on the scented candle burning front…

Recently Updated77While it’s not like I can say that I’ve been pumping out blog posts on a daily basis, I’ve been keeping with a consistent 3-4 posts per week – and that’s without feeling rather blah about the posts. Considering that I’ve actually been having more of a social life than per usual, I’m rather impressed about my consistency. Two posts that I’ve been proud of are my recent candles-only empties post, “Craziness; May Candle Empties”, and the long-in-progress “My Five Favourite Coral Blushes”.

Thankfully, I’ve managed to avoid spending money for the most part, however, I did succumb to the allure of spending money on two skincare products from my local natural store. First things first, I picked up the Aura Cacia Organic Rosehip Oil ($13), as I’m running out of my Caudalie facial oil. I was also intrigued by their selection of Andalou Naturals, a brand that I’ve wanted to try on account of being an affordable natural brand that does not rely on irritating extracts and ‘natural’ alcohol and could not resist picking up the Andalou Naturals Pumpkin Honey Glycolic Mask ($15). I’ve been trialing and enjoying these two products, along with testing my trio of products from Peter Thomas Roth that I will be ready to report on soon. I will say that although I do like the Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel, it is too irritating slash drying for my sensitive dehydrated skin – I’m currently suffering the consequences of overuse of the foaming cleanser.

I’ve gotten into that summer reading thing along with continuing my candle burning thing. There’s nothing like soaking up the sun with a nice book in your hand and as I’ve mentioned before, my candle burning addiction has continued. I’ve burned a good number of candles as of late and I’m now moving onto burning my remaining Bath & Body Works Flannel Mini Candle even though it’s definitely a cooler weather scent; I love it that much.

Any recent thoughts?
Maggie, x.

I Used Up Products #4

DSC_1358I’m still on that I-now-have-time-to-blog-relax-sleep-and-bathe high but I’m doubly as excited to be bringing you a long overdue empties post that includes what I think are more interesting products. Alas, there are still no makeup items to be found…

DSC_1361Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($10-12 CDN) | review

In short, I really enjoyed using and might have even loved this budget-friendly cleansing oil but the packaging has irritated me to no end, spilling and leaking everywhere, refusing to dispense the last of the product and the label easily rolling off. It’ s a good one, effective at removing makeup – but I’m sure there are slightly more hardcore ones to be found – and leaving the skin (and eyes) cleansed and nourished with no sign of irritation. I’m still on the hunt trying other cleansing oil options but I would recommend this one packaging aside and I might very well return to it.

By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($13/26 CDN)

Being interested in the benefits of oils, rosehip in particular, I picked this amber-tinged bottle up from Winners maybe a year ago and it has been well loved and easily worth the money. I was using it as a nighttime treatment or dry, irritated skin treatment but over the last few much I had switched up my routine and had been applying it as a serum for extra oomph – and I loved it like that. It definitely does what it claims to, deeply nourishing and soothing the skin with its dry oil texture and helping to brighten the skin and reduce hyperpigmentation over time. I would definitely repurchase but I may be receiving a different oil variation in a little less than two weeks, if you know what I’m getting at.

La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense ($29.99 CDN) | review

I picked this “localized redness intensive serum” back in the spring when I was hankering to introduce a daily serum into my routine and while there was nothing outwardly bad about the product in the slightest, I harbored lukewarm feelings towards it. I enjoyed that it was in stable packaging, was rather affordable and that it was fragrance free, but it fell short of the claims merely providing some extra hydration and a little bit of soothing action. I don’t plan on repurchasing but I wouldn’t completely count it out as my skin didn’t have any adverse reaction to it.

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Aveeno Eczema Care Body Wash ($13.99 CDN)

While this is one of the most dull-sounding products ever, this soap and fragrance free body wash has to be one of my holy-grail products as it soothes and does not irritate my quite severe eczema on my body and my general extremely sensitive skin. It’s rather nice for shaving too – and I will keep on purchasing this, obviously. I’d tell anyone with dry or sensitive skin to give this a go.

La Roche-Posay Lipikar Baume AP Lipid Replenishing Body Care ($29.99 CDN)

Yet again, this is quite a basic-sounding product but it’s equally as much of a live-saver because of – you guessed it – my extremely irritated skin that suffers from eczema. It’s formulated without alcohol, fragrance or any of that irritating stuff and does not only include soothing and hydrating ingredients to combat skin issues; there’s a heady quantity of niacinamide, a cell-communicating ingredient that aids in the repair of the skin barrier that can reduce itching in the future and present the condition from reforming. It’s not a miracle cure but it’s the best thing that I’ve tried. I will warn you, however, that because the cream is rich but lightweight and not a balm or butter texture, it does sting over really irritated areas which isn’t so much fun – however, that does provide an incentive not to scratch. If you suffer from dry skin and general itchiness, I would give this a go.

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L’Oreal Oleo-Therapy Oil-Infused Conditioner ($7.99 CDN)

It appears that I have forgotten to photograph this budget-friendly conditioner but I’m committed to including it anyway. It was a nice rich but not overly heavy conditioner that was impressively potent for a drugstore offering, formulated with oils and without silicones. However, it wasn’t mind blowingly amazing and I would purchase it again, but I might be tempted to try different variations from L’Oreal’s line first. My only hesitation is that the mineral-oil in the formula might be weighing my hair down slightly but overall, I find this to be comparable to these higher end oil-enriched conditioners.

Pureology Precious Oil Softening Hair Masque ($50-55 CDN)

Once again, product from the Pureology Hair Care range does not disappoint on either of the three fronts, the spa-esque fragrance one, the efficacy side or the concentration front. I have an inkling suspicion that its luxury ranges like this one that the L’Oreal Oleo-Therapy line was designed to emulate and while I can see the comparison, this luxurious masque delivers results that are worth the increased price tag. With using this 2/3 washes on my huge mass of long wavy curls, this lasted very close to a year which is rather legendary, detangled hair phenomenally and left my hair very nourished without being weighed down in the slightest. This is on the repurchase list, although I might try one from a different Pureology range because I’m curious. There’s also the fact that I’ve gotten more compliments about how I smell after using products from Pureology than I have wearing any fragrance. And it has a heady concentration of oils and does not contain silicones.

Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair ($40 CDN)

I actually finished up this heat-protectant come leave-in conditioner ages ago but I just spotted it in my emtpies bag and had to talk about it. My only qualm with the product is that it doesn’t have a super-rich texture and that its rather expensive for the limited amount of product that you get but I think it’s a phenomenal leave-in styler/treatment if you don’t want to weigh down your hair and you have hair that cannot tolerate a lot of conditioning products. I enjoyed the effect the protein had on my hair and that it was not loaded with a ton of fillers, particularly when I used it prior to blow drying and/or straightening my hair as it left that smooth but lightweight feel. I’m not sure if I would repurchase it based on the sheer quantity of hair that I have and the fact that it contains dimethicone near the end of the ingredient list.

Bumble and Bumble Texture Hair (Un) Dressing Creme ($17/32.75 CDN)

As I mentioned in Saturday’s wishlist post, I’ve recently finished up my two ounce bottle of this versatile texturizing cream-gel and am sad to see the tube end. I will be repurchasing this. Two things that are really great about this Bumble and Bumble gem is that its mega-concentrated and that it works well across different hair conditions. I like it on my wavy-curly hair as it enhances curl while adding volume, texture and grittiness to my hair which I definitely need on the first few days of a wash. I love it, I just wish there wasn’t any silicones in it at all, but at least they only occur at the halfway point of the ingredient list. I also enjoy that this has a great deal of hold, especially considering that it is a cream product.

DSC_1362Bath & Body Works Mini Candles in Pumpkin Caramel Latte, Wasabi Apple and Flannel ($3/12)

Given my candle-burning obsession that began at the end of the summer, you had to be expecting that some candle empties would be appearing soon. While I enjoyed all three candles, I can easily place the three candles in a hierarchical order in this manner. I liked the typical-caramel scented Pumpkin Caramel Latte candle but wouldn’t rush out to buy it again because I might be getting caramel’d out and the scent is potent enough on this mini candle that I would be hesitant to pick up the three-wick version. I really enjoyed the unique Wasabi Apple candle and will certainly pick up another if the scent returns – the fresh apple scent was mellowed down with a cut of wasabi and I liked how relaxing and refreshing it was. The Flannel candle was definitely my favourite and it might just be my favourite candle scent ever and I went to repurchase the larger size of this scent a while back and was heartbroken to learn that it was only available as part of the Fall line-up. It has that slightly masculine and spicy vibe that Mahogany Teakwood shares paired with more of a rich muskiness, a pinch of citrus and less woodiness. I will be snapping this candle up the next time I spot it, believe me.

 What products have you finished up as of late?
Maggie, x.

November 2014 Favourites

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For the first time ever – or more accurately since I’ve begun to blog – I was so very tempted to skip putting up a favourites post this last month. Why? You know that these are some of my favourite posts to write and read but in the last month things haven’t been exciting beauty-wise and I’ve been so stressed and laden-down with schoolwork that it’s ridiculous. Plus, there are certain moments that I would not particularly like to relive from within the last thirty days. Alas, I pulled through for you and maybe for my own sense of ego – as you can imagine, I can be rather hard on myself for my failures. Here we go.

Conair Shower Comb ($3-5 CDN)

Within last month’s craziness, I managed to pop into a drugstore and pick up this basic wide-tooth comb with detangling bits attached – like those on traditional brushes – for just a few dollars. Little did I know then that this was going to turn out to be the most effective detangling instrument that I’ve ever tried on my tanglier-than-tangly clump-prone mane.

DevaCare Arc AnGel ($26/54 CDN)

As a general rule, I had been putting more effort into my hair in November and I had been pleased with the results. This gel has been perfect, as I’m sure I’ve said before, not being drying or heavy or anything of that sort while being defining and potent enough that I haven’t ran through the bottle quickly – with my hair’s tendency to eat up product ridiculously.

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Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream ($20 CDN)

Over the last month or two, I’ve been experiencing tight, dry, itchy and flaky skin all over my body, as opposed to just in my usual eczema-prone areas and I’ve been enjoy using this rich hydrating cream pretty much everywhere except my legs. It smells zesty and lime like and in all honesty, it smells like a margarita in the best way possible while also being somewhat soothing and intensively hydrating on the skin, and not just pure irritating fragrance. Love.

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By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($13/26 CDN)

I’m someone who fortunately has been blessed (or cursed) with a body that can withstand serious stress, sleep deprivation and the like but the havoc that I wreck on my nervous system really comes out in my skin and not just all over my body. This paired with the fluctuating wintry weather that you’ve come to expect in Canada during November has kept my skin dehydrated and more than a little irritated in areas with the feeling of eczema patches coming on. In light of this, I’ve been using this repairing oil as a serum in the evenings and a good number of mornings to. I credit this along with constancy for the clarity of my skin during this current craziness.

L’Oreal Infallible Super-Slim 12Hr Liner ($8-9 CDN)

Makeup was not exactly gracing my face on my typical regular basis last month and when it was, there was not a whole lot going on and when I’m going for a more minimal makeup situation, intense black liner is key. I’ve been enjoying using this somewhat stiff (in a good way) and precise felt-tip liner for a little kitten flick on a very regular basis when I want to look put together quickly with minimal effort and time. I like it similar to the Lineur Intense but I’ve been enjoying its increased precision, while I admit that it doesn’t create as smooth and thin of a flick.

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30 CDN)

I’ve been using this creamy correcting concealer since the beginning of may and while it pains me to say this, it is worth the money and considering that I can see pan, I will have to repurchase it sooner than later. Last month’s trials in minimal makeup, minimal time and minimal sleep has taught me how great of a quick fix this salmon-hued cream concealer is. My only comment is that it has to set for a few minutes before powdering it or whatever because it tends to settle and crease in the first few minutes – but after its patted in, it never becomes a problem all day long.

What were you loving in November?
Maggie, x.

The Weekend Post | The Elusive Mellow Saturday

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While it’s true that my weekends are consistently low-key because I’m that kind of giiiirl but usually their underlying task or purpose is to help reduce the severe anxiety that I have over the million things that I have due, aid in the whole productive human being thing and coerce me out of bed into the morning into the world of actual responsibilities. I might just have to say since heading back to university in September, this is the first weekend that I’ve been able to dedicate to true relaxation – with a bit of organization and prep work on the side, I’ll admit – because there aren’t a million assignments, essays and exams looming on the near horizon that require a productive weekend. Here’s the lowdown:

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(1) Inspiration Collaging – Now I’ll be the first to admit that the whole prospect of having to be decisive with selecting pictures to get all arts and craftsy to collage with would give me heart palpitations if it were to have a deadline and was to be graded by someone else. However, with the freedom of setting up an inspiration board of sorts for myself has the opposite effect, a kind of calming one that doesn’t feel like a complete waste of time.

DSC_1232(2) Candle Burning – It’s safe for me to say that I’m more than a wee bit candle-obsessed at the moment and will use any means of justification found to burn them. But, I actually do think that they provide the perfect ambiance for those low key days. Today I burned the Bath & Body Works Spiced Apple Toddy 3-Wick Candle and it smells exactly as luscious as the name would suggest but the throw is so strong that I only like to light one wick at a time.

(3) Hair Pampering – Regardless of the length or state of the mop on top of your head is in, this time of year tends to wreck havoc on our hair and obviously this is the prime time to go in with a more intensive treatment. To be honest, I actually did this step last night but alas, I’m mentioning it here. I used the protein-rich L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Replenishing Mask that is the best deep treatment that I’ve tried that doesn’t cost an arm and a leg. To be fair, it’s one of my favourites regardless of price and it’s nice that it’s not silicone laden.

(4) Lazy Skin Pampering – Normally this is where a mask of the clay and/or exfoliation variety would be used and raved about but it’s been getting rather cold at the moment and my skin would be much better served with something to soothe and combat the dehydration rather than decongesting and quite honestly I cannot be bothered to go through the faff of applying a mask and then having to rinse it off after the appropriate time has passed. I just kept with the usual routine but subbed in my By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil in the serum stage, following in with my usual loved Caudalie Vinosource Riche. It’s soothing, intensely hydrating and helps with brightness and pigmented – what more could you want?

(5) Reading for Enjoyment – There are very few things in life that I love more than pouring through magazines and they have to include reading actual books for actual fun – this rarely happens considering that I have so much required school reading – and drinking lattes coming off of a night of sleep deprivation. In short, there’s nothing more relaxing than looking through a magazine without being in any sort of rush or curling up with a book and not even feeling guilty about it.

Any lazy day thoughts?
Maggie, x.

The Cold Edit

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Shortly after getting back into the swing of things and heading back to the university routine, I noticed that I was feeling irrationally exhausted and just kind of dazed; fast forward three days of yawning, laziness, fatigue and later on sneezing and congestion and I figured out that a cold was the culprit of things. Thinking back to it, I should have thought about things as soon as the chronic dehydration came in and many areas of my body began to instantly start peeling. Anyways, things are definitely changed up on the beauty front when you’re feeling as gross and groggy as I am and I thought I would chronicle them for you all. Am I the only one feeling under the weather?

I could have gone on for days in the skincare category and I’m not sure whether or not I’m exaggerating here but regardless, these two products that I limited myself to are essentials. I definitely add in my By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil when I feel any sort of illness coming on because it definitely delivers on the hydration and soothing front and my skin becomes dehydrated and irritated as soon as I’m hit with some sort of illness. Recently, I’ve tried out using the oil as a serum, prior to moisturizer and this really gives the skin an extra boost — and a much appreciated one at that. Being an oil, it also helps to combat the dull skin that becomes constant whenever I’m feeling like I am at the moment. I mention my problematically chapped lips frequently but they do get even worse with the dreaded cold and carrying around a balm that is both very nourishing and easy to apply out and about is essential; for me, the ideal choice is the Nuxe Reve de Miel Lip Moisturizing Stick, which is a lovely new addition to my whole skincare regime.

I’m going to be honest here and speak the truth that I’m less likely to get up early to brave the shower in the mornings quite as much as I should so a little bit of perfume to ensure things are smelling fresh and nice tends to be a welcome step. I’m definitely not typically a body spray girl but the Victoria’s Secret Pink Warm & Cozy Body Spray has blown me away as a warm vanilla-themed scent that instantly makes you smell nice and feel relaxed and cozy in the most low-key of ways. The next product could have been included in skincare because its sold as such but I don’t tend to count these spray cans of glorified water as skincare, however I love reaching for the Vichy Thermal Spa Water to help the makeup sit on my dull and dehydrated skin the most seamlessly — plus, the whole spritzing action feels pretty great, too!

Primer is not something that I can find myself reaching for daily because I can’t necessarily always view the step as worthwhile but on sick skin the Annabelle Colour Control Instant Perfecting Luminous Finish Base can make a big difference in the nicest of way; the hydrating opalescent liquid both delivers on the glow-giving front and helps the foundation to sit nicely over drier skin. In very much of a similar vein, the Bourjois 10-Hour Sleep Effect Foundation is a staple for me. The rather affordable foundation is quite possibly the foundation that makes my skin look the most luminous and it glides over dry patches the best out of any that I own. The Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque is something that I rely on regularly for camouflaging my dark circles without much effort but when I’m sick it’s doubly as important and when I experiment with anything else, it tends to be rather disastrous.

I’m a bronzer girl through and through but it’s dull days like these where it can make the most of a difference and as you might expect, the one I’ve been showing love is my favourite L’Oreal Glam Bronze Mono in Universal Sun. In the million times that I’ve mentioned this, I’ve repeated this fact constantly but the lovely deeper red-toned bronzer has the nicest texture and formula and it had to be said. There’s another cheek product that I’m afraid I must declare my love for again here because it just adds life back to the face with minimal effort involved and that product is the satiny Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow.

I’m also aware that an eyeliner is a weird choice here but being someone who doesn’t like their makeup without eyeliner being involved but cannot standwearing heavy or intense liner (and eye makeup in general) when I’m feeling as such — honestly, if it’s too much, I will start to feel drained when I look in the mirror and instantly remove my entire face. Anyway, this bronzy liner, the Marc Jacobs Beauty Hi(Liner) in Brown(Out) strikes the perfect balance of adding adequate definition while not being effortful or overly dramatic and it has the most magical formula to boot, gliding on and staying on like a dream. As nice and energizing that wearing some colour on your lips can be, I tend to favour something much lower maintenance but still flattering and brightening, so I tend to reach for the naturally rosy Annabelle Lip Liner in Demure and a neutral rosy lipstick to wear on top. I would be temped to forever go for my beloved MAC Patisserie, but I’ve found that colours that are a little deeper, in the rosy mauve family can be nice for a change when in those forgiving sheerer formulas like today’s pick, the L’Oreal Collection Privee Lipstick in Eva’s Nude.

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I thought it would be nice to provide links for these products below and a few of them are of the affiliate variety, as a disclaimer, except for the foundation and blush that I couldn’t locate online.

The Products

L’Oreal Collection Privee Colour Riche Lipstick in Eva’s Nude ($10.99) | Annabelle Lipliner in Demure ($5.95) | Marc Jacobs Beauty Highliner Gel Eye Crayon in Brown(Out) ($30) | Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light to Medium Bisque ($30) | Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Ethereal Glow ($41) | Annabelle Colour Control Luminous Finish Instant Perfecting Base ($16.95) | Vichy Thermal Spa Water ($11.95) | PINK Warm & Cozy Body Mist ($18) |  Nuxe Rêve de Miel® Lip Moisturizing Stick($7) | By Nature Organic Rosehip Oil ($22-26)

What beauty products do you reach for when you’re feeling under the weather?

Maggie, x.

 

 

 

Evening Skincare Routine

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Like loads of others, I’m sure, my evening skincare routine is a wee bit more intensive than my morning one and although I would describe myself as someone who is dedicated to their routine, although it tends to vary night to night throughoutthe week in terms of treatments – I’ll get onto this later.Because my eyes are so sensitive and dry, I always begin with two cotton pads soaked in the cult-favourite Bioderma Sensibio H20 Micellar Solution ($22) and hold them over my eyes for up to a minute to thoroughly remove mascara and other stubborn makeup although I’m sure others could get away using the cleansers to remove eye makeup as they are so gentle.

Not just because of the recent widespread belief in double-cleansing at nighttime, I’ve been dedicated to washing my face twice at night because I have the kind of skin that makeup clings to like nothing else in this world; I’m fortunate that I’m someone whose foundation stays on the skin for an amazing amount of time but this characteristic has made intensive but supremely-gentle cleansing essential to the whole skincare shebang. For the first cleanse, I alternate between the Garnier Clean + Nourishing Cleansing Oil ($9-12) and the Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Hot Cloth Cleanser ($12) as both textures of products nourish the skin while cleansing gently and removing makeup with ease. I might be tempted to say that the cleansing oil has slightly stronger makeup removing power as it can remove makeup completely and to be honest, I can be satisfied with a single thorough wash with this one (on a rare occasion when I’m feeling spectacularly lazy) but it is the messier option of the two and contains mineral oil – I know mineral oil is problematic to some but it isn’t for my fragile skin type. I make sure to always use a washcloth with the first cleanse to ensure that the makeup has been truly removed.

I have the kind of skin that holds onto foundation and the like in the same manner as glue I reckon and therefore even before all of that double cleansing hoopla took over, I was faithful to cleansing the face twice; unless I’m not wearing makeup (or sunscreen – naughty), I cleanse my skin the second-time with the basic fragrance-free non-foaming lightweight thin gel-cream Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Hydrating Cleanser ($11-12). This cleanser actually does remove makeup as well but I prefer to go in with a more nourishing oil-based cleanser beforehand and strikes me as the superior version of Cetaphil. 

Five (or six on occasion) times per week, I go for a product of the gentle chemical exfoliant variety. I’m still faithful to my long-time trio of gentle exfoliants of this variety – the BHA-based Clinique Mild Clarifying Solution ($16) and the slightly more concentrated Neutrogena 3-in-1 Hydrating Acne Treatment ($10-12) as well as my much-loved AHA-based Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Cream-Serum ($40) – but I’ve also recently brought the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads ($14/37) as my supply of the cream-serum is dwindling. Although it isn’t strictly a chemical exfoliant but rather a gentle alcohol-free retinoid and antibiotic gel that rapidly increases the cell-turnover, I figured I would include the expensive prescription-only topical called Bianca ($90) that I’ve added back into to my routine 2-3x a week at this stage. I will warn you, however, that these retinoid products are one of the very few products that cause purging in the skin initially before the improvement begins.

If I haven’t already applied a serum-textured product in the above stage (the Neutrogena, Indeed Labs or Bianca), I’ve been applying the lightweight La Roche-Posay Rosaliac AR Intense ($35) serum before moisturizing with the soothing Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Stress-Minimizing Daily Hydrator ($45) that am a huge fan of. A few times a week, when I’m not going for a chemical exfoliant or I’m opting for one of the serum-textured-variety, I go for the soothing and brightening Organic Rosehip Oil, applying it on top of everything in the case of the first scenario and applying it over the chemical exfoliant in the second, skipping the moisturizer altogether.

When I’m not entirely too lazy to remember, I slather my poor chapped lips with the lovely multipurpose La Roche-Posay Cicaplast Baume B5 ($16). 

This might seem rather exhaustive or unlike a routine at all but I promise that it is a constant routine that I follow and takes less than five minutes and it’s entirely worthwhile, for my skin at least.

Have you tried any of these products? What does your nighttime routine look like?

Maggie, x.

P.S. There will most likely be a weekly treatments post up in the near future…

 

My Skincare Saviors

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Tuesday’s post covered a description of my skin and what in my experience is essential for caring for the skin so I’ll spare you the long ramble; I already shared my general advice for skincare so I thought it was about time to discuss my specific hero skincare products. I’ve already said this last post but thanks to these products in particular, my skin is the clearest it has ever been in terms of texture and brightness and is the least red as well.

Clinique Mild Clarifying Lotion ($16)
I’m a wee bit passionate about the chemical exfoliants and this is why it is completely rational – for me – to include multiple products in this category here and to be honest, I was tempted to include one more but I tried my best to narrow it down… This offering remains one of my favourites and in constant although I haven’t mentioned it as much in light of my discovery of more intensive chemical exfoliants. This offering might look just like another clarifying lotion within the Clinique 3 Step System but unlike those belonging to the system, this one does not include any irritating alcohol or anything of the sort and is not the strongest BHA, as its only 0.5 % – because of this it is a gentle acidic toner for everyday use. It did not have crazy results overnight but after consistent use, it really has helped with the overall texture and clarity of my skin. It never irritates my extremely sensitive skin and if anything actually reduces irritation and inflammation.

Indeed Laboratories Pepta-Bright Intense Brightening Treatment ($40)
This is the other chemical exfoliant that I attribute to the improvement of my skin but this one contains AHA’s and is more concentrated, focusing intensively on brightness along with texture. Unlike the acidic toner, this one is more of a concentrated treatment so I tend to use it less often, say four times a week at night — while there aren’t instant results with this, this cream-serum over the span of a few months of continuous use radically improved the brightness, evenness and texture of my skin. The cream texture actually is impressively hydrating on its own — I tend to follow with something but I don’t have to, which is impressive and it doesn’t have irritating ingredients or fragrance within it. I adore this serum and I wrote much more on it here when I reviewed it.

Organic Rosehip Oil                                                                                                                                                                                                 While my product is produced by the brand By Nature, I don’t think that the brand is significant in any shape or form as it’s just a pure oil. This oil does what its hyped to do, nourishing and deeply hydrating the skin with its non-greasy dry oil texture, soothes and calms the skin while helping to fade hyperpigmentation and promoting overall clarity. Also, I find when I have a blemish coming up underneath the skin, if I apply this on the area, it not only goes away much sooner but it also doesn’t leave any angry marks or other sources of irritation — this sounds kind of strange but it is true. However, I should mention that the oil has sort of a brassy tinge so if you’re wearing it during the day you probably should be wearing something on top.

Kiehl’s Skin Rescuer Daily Hydrator ($45 CDN)                                                                                                                               While I’m not quite ready to classify this moisturizer as holy grail or anything of that declarative sort, I must admit that this rich moisturizing treatment that remains lightweight and at the same time contains skin-soothing ingredients such as squalane and chamomile is impressive. While doing the above things in a practical pump container with a sufficient amount of product, it protects the skin against the elements and can quickly get my skin out of that cycle of irritation, itchiness and flaking. And it’s fragrance-free which is a nice change of pace.

Neutrogena Ultra-Gentle Daily Cleanser ($10-12 CDN)                                                                                                                    To be honest, it was rather difficult to chose whether to include this cleanser or the extremely similar Neutrogena Extra Gentle Cleanser but ended up going for this offering because while it wasn’t quite as creamy and as hydrating, this gentle fragrance-free cleanser also has the ability to remove makeup completely. This cleanser never leaves my skin feeling stripped and is a lightweight creamy-gel kind of texture – similar to Cetaphil but notably superior in my opinion – and is the perfect cleanser to go in for the second cleanse at nighttime – or first for that matter – but it’s a great one for the mornings as it applies and rinses without the aid of a washcloth with ease.

Boots No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm ($11 CDN)                                                                                                                                 This appears to be another one of those products that I actually have evidence of my adoration of here in review form. To be honest, I’ve actually just finished this product – after using it daily for a good ten months – and have moved onto the very similar Hot Cloth Cleanser from the same line but regardless, this nourishing and creamy cleanser removes makeup like a dream and leaves the skin soothed but cleansed like no other. I wouldn’t actually describe it as a balm cleanser but rather as a rich cream; I’m not complaining though, here. I occasionally use it in the mornings as well but this is my go-to cleanser for the first cleanse at nighttime to remove the bulk of my makeup gently.

The Body Shop Aloe Protective Restoring Mask ($22 CDN)                                                                                                               When I discovered this product a few months back, it was a riskier purchase as I tend to be skeptical of stores like The Body Shop as they tend to overload their products with fragrance and call them skincare but as I stated in an earlier post here, I was pleasantly surprised. Not only is this moisturizing mask packed with the soothing and healing aloe, it doesn’t contain any sort of fragrance or irritating ingredients either. This might not be the most groundbreaking moisture mask in existence, simply loaded with calming aloe that truly nourishes the skin but it does what it sets out to, calming down the skin overnight, adding intensive hydration without feeling overly heavy on the skin. And the next day, you wake up with brighter more radiant skin. I’ll warn you, though, this is the first moisture mask that I’ve tried so I haven’t really got anything concrete to compare it to.

What are your top skincare saviors?

Maggie, x.