Pura Organics | Rejuvenating Cleanser & Firming Night Moisturizer

There is no denying how much I love trying out new skincare products. I'm always excited to discover new products and brands because like so many others; I feel like I'm chasing the perfect even complexion. Nothing feels better than having bright, clear, and firm skin. It's a confidence I never realized until I found it. Over the years my complexion makeup preferences have gone from heavy and matte to light and natural. Actually, my complexion is probably the ONLY natural looking aspect of my makeup preferences (okay my complexion and my brows).

Paula's Choice Skincare | RESIST Omega+ Complex Serum

The deeper I get into my mid-twenties the more OBSESSED I get with skincare and as far as obsessions go I feel like this is a pretty good one since it's pretty important if I do say so myself. Good skincare leads to good skin which leads to flawless makeup application (it always comes full circle.) 

BANISH Skincare | My First Microneedling Experience & Kit Review

Taking care of my skin is one of my favorite things to do next to makeup. As I've said before healthy skin is the basis of good makeup. When skin is irritated makeup can feel like it isn't shining to its full potential and I've felt that on more than one occasion. In the past there have been times where my skin has made me feel self-conscious and embarrassed. I've gone through lots of trial and error and have worked quite hard to get my skin looking as clear as possible. I'm pretty proud of how far I've come from way back in the day when I would only use makeup wipes to clean my face - gross, I know. 

Autumn Skincare Edit: Bright Hydrated Skin

As the days get shorter and cooler my skin tends to start lacking. It doesn't look as bright and makeup begins to not quite lay the same way. As Autumn kicks into gear so do my seasonal allergies. A chapped red and unfortunately flakey nose is no stranger around these parts. Although I keep my oily/combination skin type all year round that doesn't mean I still don't have to fight skin dullness and dehydration that comes with the fast approaching cooler weather. Fortunately, I don't have to change up my whole routine. I just add a few little pick me up products to perk up my skin and give it a boost of hydration and glow. 

Beauty Stones Green Tea Facial Mask | Review

Sometimes a simple sheet mask is all you need to give yourself a little pick me up. Wearing makeup all the time can leave my skin tired and irritated so on my days off I've been reaching for face masks to give my skin a little tender love and care. There is nothing better than sitting back with a face mask while I do a hair treatment and watch some Netflix.

A Formula 10.0.6 Skincare Routine | Review

The past few weeks I've been doing a strictly Formula 10.0.6 skincare routine. I've got a bundle of products that are perfect for my combo/oily skin and I've really been putting them to the test. For whatever reason the Spring is the season where I never fail to break out so if products can keep me clear during this hard season of my life they get my lifelong seal of approval. 

Tea Talk Tuesday | Post #50

Happy Tuesday, Everyone! It's officially the second day of Spring and here in Maryland it's still way too cold for my liking. Last night it was switching between freezing rain and snow - there's nothing spring about that what-so-ever. I'm just ready for the warm weather. The only thing I'm not excited for is this weird thing my skin does when my allergies start to kick in... that weird thing is called breaking out unmercifully bad. Any other time of the year I can typically keep my skin in check but for the past two years my skin freaks out at the first taste of Spring and pollen. This year I'm taking preemptive measures and really taking care of my skin and making sure my pores are super clean. 

Neocell Beauty Infusion | Review

I don't think I can reiterate enough how important it is to take care of your skin inside and out. As much as I love makeup and rubbing it all over my face I know that if my skin underneath all of that makeup isn't nice I'm not going to be happy with the way my makeup looks. I'll notice it doesn't sit right, that it's just sitting in lines, or that it's just kind of off because the canvas that is my face wasn't really doing too hot at the time. It's frustrating when it happens and as someone who has to really try to keep their skin clear, treating my skin right has become one of my life mottos. 

Dr. Dennis Gross Ferulic + Retinol Wrinkle Recovery Peel

I have a true love for anything that contains retinol. It's my favorite skincare product/ingredient for retexturizing my skin which, my face has been in desperate need of lately because I keep sucking down sodas more often than I would like to admit. Retinol products are typically marketed towards helping to treat fine lines and wrinkles BUT, it's actually great for any type of texture including acne. Who can say no to anti-aging and acne treatment all in one. 
Peels and exfoliators are my favorite skincare products next to masks because they give me those instant results I so desperately crave as well as some amazing long term results as well. I've recently added the Dr. Dennis Gross Wrinkle Recovery Peel to my weekly skincare regimen and I've been loving the results. 

Neocell Hydra+ H.A. Serum | Review

Recently since there has been an influx of super cold weather here in Maryland my skin has been super dehydrated and dry. This isn't something I typically have to deal with but lately it has been a total nightmare especially since I've been sick for almost a week now. My t-zone has been oily but, my skin still has felt tight and chapped to the point that my chin actually hurts to the touch. This means I've had to change up my skincare routine a bit just to get comfortable in my own skin again. 

NeoCell Derma Matrix Collagen Skin Complex | Review

I've been having such a good time with NeoCell products lately. As I mentioned the other day I've been taking the NeoCell Glow Matrix to give my skin a boost of hydration. All the hydration my skin can get is more than welcome during these cold dry winters. With that being said I've been pairing my Glow Matrix with the Derma Matrix Skin Complex to add to my recent skin supplement obsession.

Friday Favorites | Current Favorite Skincare Products

Since January is national skincare month I thought I would start this year's favorites out with talking about some of my current favorite skincare products. Ya know, I just thought it would be the proper thing to do. Skincare is the basis of good makeup and sometimes I don't think it gets enough recognition from people because not everyone finds it to be all that exciting. I find that to be a ridiculous thing to believe though because I think nice skin is very very exciting. 

NeoCell Glow Matrix Advanced Skin Hydrator | Review

Ever since I tried out the NeoCell Biotin Chews and had such a good 
experience with them I knew I had to give a go at some of their other products. Like I said before, I'm all about vitamins and supplements because what you put into your body has an effect on your body, your appearance, and how you feel all around. I try to do what I can to treat my body right so it shows in my skin. Skin is important and has a huge effect on many people's self-esteem, myself included, so I always make sure I'm helping it along anyway I can. 

Ren Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask | Glowing Skin in 10 Minutes

I seriously love exfoliators- chemical exfoliators, physical exfoliators, peels, exfoliating masks, basically the whole nine yards. Okay, I seriously love a lot of things but exfoliators and masks are my two favorite things about skincare. They both have instant gratification that gives the perfect skin pick me up. Skincare is something that takes time to get results so anything that gives an instant boost is pretty bomb in my book.  

A New Way to Use Cleansing Oil | Boscia Makeup Breakup

When it comes to skincare I feel like I'm willing to try just about anything if I think it's going to help my skin look amazing. I'll typically take any good recommendation and at least give it a try once or twice... Well for the most part. Some of those strange at home remedies creep me out. I don't think you will ever see me rubbing mayo on my face or anything like that (yuck!) 

Friday Favorites | A New Way to Use My Fereo

For those of you who may or may not know, I used to use my Foreo to wash my face everyday. It worked decently well for me; my skin looked much brighter from the vibrations of the device helping to circulate blood flow in my face. I was pretty happy with it but, I was recently gifted a Clarisonic so I switched over for a deeper clean. I still kind of wanted a use for my Fereo and one of my brand reps at work turned me onto a fabulous idea.

Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel Pads | My Skincare Holy Grail

If I had a dollar for every time someone recommended I try the Dr. Dennis Gross Extra Strength Alpha Beta Peel Pads I would be able to buy myself a life time supply. I've created myself quite the skincare routine this past year but, I'm always up for some tweaks to the regiment since I know there are tons of products out there to try that might turn out to be the end all be all. This is definitely one of those times. 

Peter Thomas Roth Max Complexion Pads | Review

Throughout the past year skincare has become really important to me. This has meant trying out a ton of different products and finding out what works and what doesn't for my skin. Just like in makeup (and even more so in skincare) different products work differently for different people so there has been a lot of trial and error in finding what I really like. I always look for advice and read on up on products before trying them out to weed through the duds but I never really know for sure until I try them for myself. I am absolutely in love with my Dr. Dennis Gross Acne Pads but, since my skin has cleared up I wanted something a little less harsh just to maintain my results and clear up any little spots or blackheads that may periodically pop up. 

Friday Favorites | The Two Minute Facial

As we all know I have been doing quite a bit of whining about my skin lately. For whatever reason lately it's just been an uphill battle trying to get it to behave like it used to *cries while reminiscing on the good ol' skin days.* I've been ready to try anything and everything at this point. Anyway, I stumbled across this Kate Somerville ExfoliKate exfoliating treatment that I had picked up over the Christmas season and never got around to using. I've heard a lot of good things so I figured I would give it a whirl.

The Test Run | Boscia Detoxifying Black Cleanser and Revitalizing Black Hydration Gel

I know in my Tea Talk Tuesday #15 post I said that I didn't want to change up my skincare routine too much since my skin was already acting all sorts of wonky but, not too soon after I realized as much as I love my Glamglow SuperCleanse it really wasn't working the way it used to anymore. My pores were still clogged and the little bumps on my face were getting worse (they aren't like typical acne spots they are more like clogged pores.) I needed some sort of change before I drove myself crazy.