beauty basics no. 1

INTRO + CLEANSING/ MOISTURIZING

Hey there all you Lovelies!

  Last year I had the opportunity to regularly guest post on another blog, and I put together a little series I called "Beauty Basics".  I only ended up doing a total of three, because I was so busy with my own blog, but I felt then (and still do) it was some of my best stuff! The blog I guest posted on is no longer around so I thought why not transfer the first three posts back here, and continue with the series? I've gotten so many requests for information like this so I hope you all really enjoy and learn from it! Of course I have tweaked them a little and updated some of the info.

First, for those of you who don't know my blog all too well, a little info about me:

You may be wondering what I know about beauty, am I an esthetician or a make-up artist? No, I am just your girlfriend who you can trust to have tried every product out there (or at least be able to quote you the reviews of those I haven't gotten to yet). Need more of a qualification? I am a member of Beautylish, International Fashion and Beauty Bloggers Organization, an official Bloom.com Beauty Ambassador, have my own YouTube channel, am a Mark representative, and regularly review drugstore beauty products with my lovely blogger friend Charlotte. 

Each Beauty Basics post will focus on one step in your beauty routine. We will talk cleansers, primers, shadows, serums, hairsprays, night creams, brushes, and more. While it is very appealing to jump right into the first beauty basics post with the fun stuff, MAKE-UP, we cant get ahead of ourselves. We have to start at the core, cleansing and moisturizing. 

So without further ado let us begin!

From personal experience I have had a hard time with my skin. I suffered from acne in high-school, and even still now. While it has cleared up dramatically it is still something I have to take into consideration when choosing a product. The slightest little ingredient will make my overly sensitive skin go into full on freak out mode. There are definitely some really great products out there that your skin might benefit from that I can't recommend simply because they are too harsh for me. So we will focus on what works for me, and you can chose to adapt it from there.

Cleansing: This is a MAJOR step in your routine. Even if you have flawless skin this should be something you are doing twice daily. This will effect how your skin ages. 

I have tried numerous cleansers out there. Everything from drugstore, department store, to prescription. There are a few things I have found to do wonders for my skin. The Clarisonic MIA, is the best thing you could ever do for your skin. I know it has a steep price tag, but if you are anything like me, you would pay $119 three times over to have clear skin. It is definitely an investment BUT you can use it for 90 DAYS and return it if you decide it wasn't worth it. So what do you have to lose? When I FINALLY gave in and bought mine I used it for a mere WEEK before knowing it would change the way I took care of skin for the rest of my life (and I even have my boyfriend hooked too). 

I use the MIA in conjunction with 2 cleansers; Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser and Simple Refreshing Facial Wash Gel. I have used Cetaphil for years and found it to be the only thing I can use daily to clean my skin and be gentle on it. I was sold on Simple once it launched here in the US and love this cleanser so much. It's a little stronger than the Cetaphil but not overly harsh. I switch between the two about every other day, or depending on how my skin is feeling.  

(p.s. if your skin is very tight after cleansing, it was too harsh of a cleanser).

TIP: What is important for me and my skin is that both of these products are super sensitive, hypo-allergenic, and non-comedognic. If you have skin issues always look for products like this. 

Of course there are nights when we stumble in at 1AM and the LAST thing we want to do is take off our make-up and splash water on our face. If you happen upon one of these nights at least do a quick swipe with one of these towelettes; Olay Wet Cleansing Cloths (my favorite) or Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes.

Moisturizing: As if I even need to mention how crucial this step is. Every magazine you have read in the past 5 years has been screaming this at us. Don't forget to use one with SPF. If it doesn't have SPF do not even consider it. I love some color as much as the next girl, but I mean it. No SPF, no BUY!

When you cleanse your skin you lose a lot of moisture (a lot), so it is crucial to have your moisturizer right there as soon as you step out of the shower. For my daily moisturizer I rotate between 2, depending on what my skin is telling me (yes it does talk, you have to listen!). Either Mark's For Goodness Face (SPF 30) or Simple's Vital Vitamin Day Cream (SPF 15). Both are extremely gentle on my skin and protect it from the sun. There are some days when my skin is saying it just CAN'T take anything on it at all, on those days I spritz it with my beloved Mac Fix+,  a sweet little water spray packed with vitamins (or some of my Skin Savior balm, mentioned below). I use this all the time, and especially when my skin is being ultra sensitive. Although it should not be substituted for a moisturizer.

At night I also use 2 cremes; Loreal Revitalift to combat the fine lines and wrinkles and One Love Organics Skin Savior Balm. I tried many before settling on these two winners. Even Olay made my skin have a fit. You may be thinking, but she's is in her early 20's why is she using anti-wrinkle creams? Didn't you know that in your early 20's is the most crucial time to start using these type of cremes, especially around the eye area. One Love Organics is a brand most of you have probably never heard of, and it comes with a larger price tag but I promise, you can not go wrong with this line. The Skin Savior, is exactly that (yes a SAVIOR OF SKIN) and totally de-stresses my skin. I use the Skin Savior first then the Loreal.

That is all for now in our first Beauty Basics, and I hope you lovelies learned a lot!

 I am ALWAYS open for questions so just tweet me, Facebook me, comment below, email me, or whatever! If I don't get back to you within a few days, don't be afraid to ask again (sometimes things slip through the cracks). Or if you want me to focus on something special during this series, let me know that too.

Next Beauty Basics we are going to focus on Acne and few extra steps in your routine for this of you (and me) who struggle with breakout issues.

**By no means, is the advice and suggestions I give here to be taken as solid fact. These are my own personal opinions. I would NEVER recommend a product to you that I haven't tried and loved myself.**