I thought this week I would talk about some products that I have been loving. It's a mix of old and new favorites. I've been anxiously awaiting the arrival of fall and now that it's here I'm changing some things up in my routine. The weather has been pretty crazy here lately between heavy rain and smoke filled skies, so I've been opting for moisturized skin with really minimal makeup on the days I'm wearing it. These products have definitely been a part of that transition.
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| Nivea In-Shower Body Lotion |
I have to give a shout out to Nivea's In-Shower Body Lotion. This stuff is AMAZING. Not only is my face dry, but my body is as well. I have eczema that usually starts acting up when I don't keep my skin well moisturized. For the longest time, I've been doing the whole routine of slathering lotion over my body once I get out of the shower. Most days it's fine, but when it's the middle of winter and my heater isn't pumping into my bedroom fast enough it can be miserable standing there putting cold lotion on! I've tried body conditioners from LUSH which I really like, but they are on the spendy side so I never used them daily. When I saw this I had to try it. The ability to moisturize my skin in a nice warm shower is not something that I take for granted. I originally tried the Cocoa Butter version of this, but soon after picked up this Almond Oil version. I have to say that I really prefer the Almond Oil. The smell doesn't compete with perfume as much and it seems a bit more moisturizing. I've usually found it for around $6 or under, and to me that is a small price to pay for the sheer convenience of this product. I only wish they made a travel sized version!
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| Kiehl's Iris Extract Activating Treatment Essence |
This is a product that I've had since about Christmas time. I'd been trying new things the past few months and kind of forgot about it until recently. My skin was freaking out (I think I over exfoliated and compromised my moisture barrier), so I opted to cut everything from my skincare routine besides this and moisturizer until things balanced out again. First of all, this product is an insane value compared to most things from Kiehls. You get 6.8oz of product for $45. I've had this bottle since Christmas and it's still over halfway full. Most importantly, it delivers results. I use it as sort of a toner before everything else- serums, moisturizers, and oils. To me when I use it I feel that the products that I layer on top of it are able to soak in easier. Right on the bottle it promises "smoother, radiant skin." I'll buy it. In the morning after I use it my skin generally looks clear, even toned, and radiant. It's an interesting texture, it basically feels like water. At first I wasn't sure how to apply but now I just shake about 3 drops into the palm of my hand, rub my palms together, then gentle press it into my skin.
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| Schmidt's Natural Deodorant |
I have a confession and you might judge me for it. I don't wear deodorant on a daily basis. Maybe it's the proximity to Portland, but more realistically it's just the fact that unless it's hot or I'm performing some kind of physical activity, I just don't have very active sweat glands. Trust me, I've asked my husband if I'm smelly and he wouldn't think twice about telling me to swipe on some pit-stick. I've also always been creeped out by ingredients in deodorant like aluminum, and never liked the idea of antiperspirant (my body needs to sweat for a reason). I ran across this at Target and was intrigued. It boasts that it is aluminum free, which was a huge check for me. I was skeptical though- could this more natural alternative hold up to the chemical laden stuff I'd been using? The answer is yes. I've used this on a day to day basis as well as when I've been really active, such as running, and in both scenarios it works. Wetness is minimized and odor is not an issue. The icing on the cake is that it's made by a local company, which is always nice. I really love the smell of this Lavender + Sage version, but it's not for everyone. At Target they didn't have a great scent selection but online I've seen lots of intriguing options- Coconut Pineapple and Cedarwood + Juniper are both on my list to try next!
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| NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer |
The NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer is another product that I've pulled from the archives recently. I had been experimenting a lot more than I usually do with bases the last few months. This summer was abnormally hot and I was wanting something more lightweight than what I had been using. I pulled this back out and fell in love all over again. The color match for me is really great, but I could see how the selection they offer could be lackluster for others. Right now I'm wearing the shade Finland, which is supposedly the lightest shade that they offer. I could definitely see the shade selection being problematic for those with very fair or very dark skin. One of the biggest pros with this product for me is that it contains SPF. I typically wear physical sunscreen under it anyway, but I'm always down for an extra layer of sun protection. I'm also really into the coverage that this offers. I start out with a light layer dabbed onto the middle of my face and blend it out with my fingers. My cheeks are really red so sometimes I'll dab a bit more there for extra coverage. It's light enough to look fairly natural, but also evens things out nicely to start building your base. It's pretty foolproof, you'd have to really pack on a lot to make it cakey.
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| Lancome Le Duo Contouring and Highlighting Stick |
I'm not going to lie, I only tried this after all of the hype around Kim Kardashian West's contour sticks. I'd heard great things about the contour sticks from my friend Amber, who I trust very much, as well as a ton of people online. When they first restocked I was planning on ordering them, but then saw someone (I think it was Tati from Glam Life Guru on YouTube) mention how little product is actually in the tube. I did some more research and came across the Lancome Le Duo Contouring and Highlighting Stick, which comes with a lot more product for a slightly lower price. I picked it up in the shade Ivoire, which works perfectly. The contour side is the perfect tone of cool brown to create a nice sculpted contour. It's a nice way to throw on a quick natural contour. I swipe a bit in the hollow of my cheeks, blend it out with a small stipple brush, and voila, I have some fake bone structure!
What about you guys? Does your routine pretty much stay the same throughout the seasons or do you change things up with the weather?
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