Early Summer 2014 - New Products

Through spring and early summer, I've been trying multiple new products.  A quick review of just a few:

Lush Shampoo Bar

My sister bought me one of these for my birthday, and I was really pleasantly surprised!  Lush's Shampoo Bars are preservative-free and environmentally friendly, with no harmful packaging (mine was a travel size so it came in the tin), and are made to last as long as three bottles of liquid shampoo.  They come in different formulas, but this "Squeaky Green" is made to deep cleanse scalp and hair.  It smells like tea tree oil and rosemary - very nice.  I'd definitely try the other versions of this - they make them for softening, oily hair, volume/shine, de-tangling, dandruff, thinning hair, etc.  $12

 Lancome's Rouge in Love Lipsticks

I don't wear many lipsticks - they generally feel too heavy on my lips. However, these new lip colors from Lancome are definitely cool.  They come in the very in-style bold shades, but they are a VERY lightweight matte finish, so they wear a bit more like a lip stain - and they are 6-hour wear! A light sweep of color gives me a good base shade for long wear, and I can pop a little gloss over it if I want more shine. They've been very popular at Macy's so far. $28.50

 Guerlain Lingerie De Peau - Invisible Skin Fusion Foundation

In my search for a light-weight foundation with a lovely finish, I found this on Sephora's website, with extremely high ratings. It has SPF 20, and is a light to medium coverage formula.  Goes on really smoothly.  The color is not a perfect match for me, but since I like the feel, I've been blending it with just a little foundation in another shade to add a bit of pink undertone.  Goes on well with a blending brush or a blending sponge.  At $61, it runs higher in price than some counter brands, but it's a little nicer, too.

Dirty Works Supreme Cream Body Butter

You all know about my love affair with body butters. I grabbed this one on the cheap at TJ Maxx - the brand is sold mostly overseas, but at $7, it seemed like a good buy.  It's more whipped-feeling than other body butters - more like a light cream.  It smells great (shea butter and sweet almond oil) and leaves the skin silky.  It's not a product I can grab at my local store, but I'd buy it again.  Plus...the retro packaging is a bit fun.

Murad T-Zone Pore Refining Serum

I've had this product for a couple of months and have been putting off blogging about it, because I simply can't tell if it's working or not.  I bought it at the recommendation of an aesthetician who gave me a facial.  I rarely break out, but occasionally get some trapped oil in the larger pores on my cheeks, or near my nose.  Even if they don't turn into actual breakouts, they annoy me. This serum is supposed to tighten pores, dissolve oil, and prevent excess oil production.  It doesn't smell bad, but doesn't smell good like some of my other serums.  I don't use it every night - maybe twice a week?  I will say I seem to have less trapped oil in pores, but I'm not sure if it's due to this serum.  It runs $42, and doesn't seem to hurt anything, but I'm just not certain what I can attribute to its use.

What about you, ladies?  Tried any new products this spring/summer?

My Ideal Skincare Routine?

Since I started working with Dior, lady friends have asked a multitude of good questions about skincare routines - what should they use, what's not worth the cost, what will give them the most bang for their buck?

I am not a professionally trained aesthetician, of course.  But I do have quite a lot of experience with products, and if I were to write out my ideal skincare regimen, it would look like this: 

1. Cleanser: a well-formulated cleanser is completely necessary for healthy skin. Soap will typically dry your face. Choose a cleanser that both removes makeup/oil/dirt, and also treats any skin issues you may have - i.e. a cleanser targeted for oily, dry, acne-prone, or sensitive skin. If you go with a higher-end cleanser, you may get more benefits with less irritation.  Cleansers now come in so many options - water-free lotions and oils, foaming, etc.

2. Toner: this is something a lot of people don't use, and while it's not 100% necessary if you have a really good cleanser, I still never go without it if possible.  A good toner will serve a few purposes, most notably cleaning off any impurities your cleanser missed, refining pores (making them smaller), and balancing your skin in terms of moisture/oil.  I notice a marked difference when I don't use toner (not a difference I like). If you cannot afford well-made toner, you can try witch hazel - it's around $4.00 at drugstores. Most toners come in large bottles and last absolute ages.  Worth the money, for sure.

3. Exfoliant: Like toner, you can get away without using an exfoliant, but your skin will be much better while using one. A lot of facial issues are caused by build up of dead skin cells, making your skin appear dull, broken out, etc. BUT - most drugstore brand exfoliants are simple scrubs, meaning they slough off dead skin by scraping it off the skin. Doing this from time to time won't kill you, and it's actually great for your body.  But the face is much more sensitive than skin on the rest of your body, and can be easily scraped and irritated by particle scrubs. The better route?  Enzyme exfoliants - they use enzymes to dissolve away dead skin, and usually have a tiny bit of grit to help move the skin quicker. These won't irritate sensitive skin nearly as much. The trick is doing your research to be sure you know how an exfoliator works - particles or enzyme.

4. Moisturizer: Like cleanser, this one is not optional! Even if you have oily skin! With a world full of pollutants, chemicals, cosmetics, and not-exactly-pure diets, your skin needs a protective moisture barrier to keep it replenished and healthy. Inexpensive moisturizers aren't always worth the few dollars they cost, because they appear to soothe your skin, but use cheaper ingredients that do not penetrate past your top layer of skin, or DO penetrate, but clog your pores. Like a cleanser, find a moisturizer that is made for your skin type.  One with SPF is even better, but that's something you can always add separately (just use a sunscreen formulated for face, not body). A good moisturizer will keep your skin feeling good for 12 hours, in my experience, but your face won't feel greasy.

5. Serum: Similar to toner, you can live without a serum, but I don't recommend it, unless your skin is awesomely perfect. Most of us have one or more things we'd like to correct with our skin (break outs, dullness, dryness, oil, dark spots, sun damage...the list goes on). Serums are one of the best ways to treat your skin. They are typically liquid-y and have more potent ingredients than other products, since their aim is treatment. Many serums are for healthy skin, but do a great job at protecting the skin from aging - and we should all start anti-aging products by age 25! Serums can be worn day and night, after cleansing. I swear by them, personally.

6. Eye Cream: A good eye cream has been necessary for me since I was in college.  I have allergies, plus genetic dark under-eye circles. The eye area is so delicate, and while your skin can be oily or dry, sometimes the skin around your eyes can be totally the opposite and typically requires special care. Eye creams are usually for extra hydration, bags and puffiness, circles, and brightening. I have yet to find a cheap one that works well, so I always invest in good stuff for eyes. 

7. Masks: These are something I love, but you don't have to use them. A serum treats skin issues on a daily basis, but a mask usually packs a good punch for occasional use. Like serums, they come for all sorts of purposes.  I appreciate the very potent ones (with glycolic acid or retinol), or a simple moisturizing/soothing/purifying mask.  I try to do one every weekend. Masks can be cheap and even homemade.

After the use of these products, you make your way into cosmetics, which I may do a separate post about, since that routine is important to a lot of us.  However, my disclaimer is always this: even though they can cost more, please, always invest in the above skin care products before worrying about cosmetics. If you keep your skin healthy, you won't need nearly as much makeup in the first place, and can often even go without any!  We routinely see beautiful women at Dior who have used the skincare line for years and wear almost zero makeup, and they always look much younger than they actually are.

What do you think, ladies?  Did I miss anything you can't live without?