There are few things in life worth the investment:
- Good men
- Good shoes
- Good coffee
- Good skincare
I’ve always believed in investing in your skin. I mean…it’s your skin. You get one of it. It’s your largest organ. It’s with you for YOUR ENTIRE LIFE. It’s something worth researching + experimenting with to find an assortment of products + ingredients that work for YOUR skin type. I’m *stoked* for today’s post for quite a few reasons. 1.) One of the things I’ve gotten told/asked the most in the past few months is “OH MY GOSH YOU’RE GLOWING!” or “How are you glowing so much???” And 2.) it’s in partnership with my friends at Olay, whom I just lovelovelove. Maybe you’ve picked up on this by now, but I’m *also* big on mixing “highs” + “lows” – that is, mixing splurge-worthy products with more affordable counterparts. My skincare routine is really reflective of that mindset, too, in that on any given day, I’m using a new drugstore favorite alongside a pricier bee venom product or more luxurious serum. My mantra is that it’s worth finding the ingredients + products that work best with YOUR skin – and if it means spending a bit more to get one thing while spending less on something else, so be it! P.S. I list all products with links to pick ’em up all below, but know that you can grab all Olay products that you need at CVS!
SO, let’s talk about that glow, baby, glow…
Obviously, I’m pregnant.
But I can confidently say that I don’t think it’s as much of the fact that I’m pregnant as it is my newly revamped skincare routine(s) for the season. After all…pregnancy typically wreaks havoc on yo’ hormones, and your face can get the short end of the stick every single day. Once I started experiencing more intense hormonal breakouts pretty early on in my pregnancy, I got REAL serious REAL quick about finding products + making routines that catered to my changing skin-scape without using ingredients that would be potentially harmful to baby (so, bye bye salycylic acid). AND AND AND, I’m SO happy to say that this has been the first month in awhile that I’ve been more confident not wearing makeup, because I’ve had LESS random breakouts/redness and just feel generally more ~even~. #BlessUp
This is basically a 28-Day challenge; about a month’s worth of time using consistently the same group of products, instead of swapping things in/out to test others. For anything in a more either/or category, I mention that for y’all – but the rest is the same ol’ same ol’!
MORNING GLOW SKINCARE ROUTINE:
I start every morning one of two ways.
Either I’m in the shower, using my on my Dew Puff (seriously, stock up in your Amazon cart STAT), or I do a light cleanser using micellar water on a cotton pad, followed by my . FYI, my Tula code for y’all is still solid – use code COMINGUPROSES , and get free shipping over $50!
Next up, serum – and I’ve been into Vitamin C serums lately for brightening + extra vitamins! I’ve been using from Drunk Elephant.
It’s *crucial* to then be including SPF in your skincare routine – especially to start every single day. It should just become force of habit! Which I was SO bad at in the past, admittedly…but am hella good at now thankyoukindly. 😉 I’ve been using the (say that ten times fast…). It claims to:
- Replenish moisture
- Even skin tone
- Enhance brightness
- Visibly smooth fine lines/wrinkles
- Minimize the appearance of pores
- Restore firmness
- Visibly reduce dark spots
Phew.
It’s also loaded with vitamins C, E, B3, + B5 to help the skin’s natural self-renewal process. FUN FACT: One dose of this stuff has as much B3 as 50 cups of kale. 50 CUPS OF KALE, YO. IDK about you, but I for one would much prefer putting kale on my face versus in my stomach. 😉 It’s *also* got Vitamin E + green tea extract as antioxidants against free radical damage (cos ain’t nobody got time). Since starting using it, I think my skin has just been brighter + bouncier…and more moisturized since I was previously not great about using moisturizer every morning, AND healthier overall since I was also previously not great about using SPF. So there’s that.
After that, I do a tiiiiiiiiny bit o’ eye gel before transitioning to makeup application. The is the epitome of the saying “a little bit goes a long way,” since you really just need the *smallest* dot on your fingertip to do the trick! This stuff has got pro-vitamin B5 + witch hazel to help soothe + regenerate your undereye (which has some of the most delicate skin!), as well as hyaluronic acid (one of my fave skincare ingredients!) + cucumber extract for hydration.
PRODUCTS MENTIONED/USED:
NIGHTTIME GLOW SKINCARE ROUTINE:
First up, get off the day’s face. 😉 I alternate makeup removers since I’m always testing new ones and/or using based on the degree of makeup I was wearing on any given day (I used a different makeup remover for a light-to-no makeup day as compared to a full face glam from shooting, etc!). But one no-fail option is ! They’re basically the Swiss Army Knife in your cleansing kit, since they remove makeup, cleanse, exfoliate, AND hydrate…with no residue left behind. #what. TBH, I prefer saving + hoarding mine for travel since they’re the absolute BEST thing on the planet to travel with, given that they are (and stay) totally dry until you wet ’em! They come in this easy pack, and they’re ready-to-go the second you run them under the sink.
My nighttime cleanser is also dependent on the degree of the day’s face! I’m typically using my (code ERICA20 will get you 20% off a FOREO device, cos their team knows how much I lovelovelove ’em!) or for a deeper cleanse (although the FOREO is a bit more gentle/less abrasive than the Clarisonic). If it’s a light day, my will do yet again. Otherwise, lately I’ve been using with their for a more thorough, comprehensive cleanse slash exfoliation.
Next up, some glycolic acid, which I loveloveLOVE in my skincare. Glycolic acid is an Alpha Hydroxy Acid, which basically acts as a light chemical exfoliant to increase/encourage your skin cell turnover rate. Aaaaaand that helps with everything from eliminating acne flare-ups to lessening wrinkles/fine line, to reducing hyperpigmentation and just having a brighter, glowier complexion! So here, I’m using either , OR . I prefer Tula’s gel, but Pixi’s pads are great on-the-go or in a pinch.
After acid, I’m onto serum! Serum is another something that I experiment with pretty liberally, but this month I’ve been alternating mainly between and . Toldja I’ve got a thing for glycolic acid. 😉 Both pricier serums, but unique in the ingredient department.
Then, moisturize. Regardless of your skin type, keeping it hydrated is KEY. You’ve heard me say a thousand and one times that I’ve got oily skin – still gotta intentionally moisturize daily! Your oily skin could be BECAUSE of (or worse because of) not having hydrated enough skin, so oil is produced to basically over-compensate for a lack of moisture. But…grease ain’t the kinda moisture we like around here. 😉 So, hydrate peeps! I’ve been using for something lighter, and Venofye’s Queen Bee Overnight Therapy (See my full Venofye product line review here!) for a heavier hydration.
Last, back at it again with !
PRODUCTS MENTIONED/USED:
- +
- OR
- OR
- OR Venofye’s Queen Bee Overnight Therapy
Have you picked up any of these Olay goodies yet? Are any of my glow-ready skincare favorites already in your skincare routine?
Let me know in a comment below, wouldja? AND, any mamas and/or fellow preggers chicas in da house – what skincare products were your must during + post-partum?
*Thanks to Olay, a brand I lovelovelove, for sponsoring this post. As always, all opinions + thoughts presented are entirely my own. Thank YOU for supporting the brands that support Coming Up Roses!
