Happy Friday friends! I am so ready for the weekend! I definitely have my work cut out for me; and I'm looking forward to a completely cleared weekend schedule so I can get things crossed off my list over here. My bookcase project is turning into quite the time-sucking, energy-draining project. I thought I was going to be able to scoot by with just two coats of paint, but nope I was wrong. They're going to need 3 COATS! So don't mind me, I'll just be over here painting until the cows come home. But it'll be nice to have that project done before Thanksgiving, especially since my dining table is currently covered in books and accessories.
But enough with the whining about painting built-in bookcases #firstworldproblems, let's switch gears for a bit and have a little girl talk today. Let's chat about skincare products. I love learning about new products from my girlfriends, so I thought I'd share some of my favorites and then in the comments section down below I'd love for you to share yours! It'll be kind of like show and tell, but for grown-ups and with more telling than showing……or something like that.
But first, let's have a little heart-to-heart about……..wrinkles. Ladies, wrinkles are NOT a symptom of a disease called aging, no matter how hard the 114 billion dollar skincare industry pushes you to believe otherwise. Your lines tell your story. Whoever came up with the "anti-aging" marketing strategy needs to be smacked. Why are we as a society anti aging? We should be anti making billions of dollars from bullying women into thinking that only youthfulness is beautiful. I could stay on that soapbox forever, but instead I'll segue into talking about the products I love and use daily by leaving you with three names: Annette Bening, Meryl Streep, Diane Keaton. Drops the mic.
Picking it back up to chat about how I've fallen head over heels in love with the Acure Organics line of skincare products. And no, this is not sponsored, but I'd be thrilled to be their spokesperson. ;) Seeing as how your skin is the largest organ of your body I'm pretty passionate about staying away from chemically laden products. Acure uses only the purest, most effective fair trade, natural and organic ingredients available. And they don't cost a million dollars, and you can buy them at Whole Foods, Target and of course, Amazon. I've mentioned their argan oil on the blog before. It's still my absolute favorite skincare product! It's the one product I rave and rave about to all my gal pals. It's basically a big hug in liquid form for your skin. Seriously. Try it. You'll want to make out with it.
Here's my AM and PM routine:
AM:
I use the brightening facial scrub, then pat dry with a towel and spritz on the toner. (I only use the scrub 3 to 4 days a week. You don't want to over exfoliate and irritate the skin. Scrubs are not really made to be used daily unless your skin is super oily. On the days I don't use the scrub, I wash with luke warm water only - no cleanser or anything, just plain water - and then spritz on the toner. Then I use 1 to 2 pumps of argan oil (a little goes a long way) mixed with frankincense essential oil (I prefer Young Living. You can sign up here if you want. Frankincense is great for the skin! ). The argan oil does not leave your skin feeling oily at all, so long as you're exfoliating your skin regulary it will sink right into your skin instantly leaving your skin feeling fantastic. That's all I do in the morning. It takes maybe 5 minutes. I'm all about a low maintenance routine in the morning. I then jump right into my makeup routine.
PM:
My pm routine is slightly longer because I think skincare and self care go hand in hand. And I think every woman deserves to pamper themselves and their skin for a few minutes every day. For me that pampering happens while my kids are taking their nightly showers. I pop into my own bathroom and start my nighttime skincare routine. I start by washing my makeup off with the cleansing gel and that little pink silicone facial scrubber you can see on the right in the photo above. This cleansing gel is great as it completely removes my makeup, even eye makeup, without making my skin feel super dried out afterward. The little pink silicone scrubber is really gentle and just helps to lather the cleansing gel and leaves my skin feeling super soft and smooth. I've learned from a past life of working in skincare that exfoliation is absolutely key in getting the most out of your products. People tend to focus on finding a really good moisturizer, but your moisturizer can't do its job without good exfoliation. After I wash I follow up with the toner. Then I mix 1 to 2 pumps of argan oil with 2 drops of frankincense and 2 drops of lavender essential oil (because it soothes the skin) and massage that into my skin (don't forget your necks- your necks need love too!). Frankincense and lavender are both known for being wonderful for the skin, and they make my nighttime ritual feel like a spa treatment. I follow that up with the night cream, and then end my routine by using the line eraser around my eyes and on my smile lines. Lines look their best when they are well moisturized. They don't need to be erased, they just need some tender loving care. ;) I'm also addicted to my Eos lip balm.
The Vitamin E oil I use occasionally when my skin is feeling really dry. Like if I've been doing a lot of traveling (airplane travel sucks the moisture out of your skin big time) or during the winter months when my skin is need of a moisture boost. The oil itself is a little sticky to the touch when you first apply it, but by morning you wake up with totally refreshed and well nourished skin. It's good stuff y'all!
I recently celebrated my 37th birthday. I wouldn't trade being 37 for all the unwrinkled skin on Earth. I hope to see 37 more birthdays and to pick up a few more story lines along the way.
So that's what I'm stocking my bathroom cabinet with these days. What are you lovely ladies using?
*affiliate links used
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