It’s been awhile since I updated you one my daily skincare/makeup routine so I thought today’s Casual Friday post would be a great time to chat about that! You know when you’re an adult when your skincare regimen starts taking longer than your makeup routine, but here we are. Welcome to 34, Julia.
I didn’t talk about it much, but in Fall 2018 I was put on a new medication for my thyroid (I have Hashimoto’s and my doctor wanted to add Cytomel to my regimen) and I broke out like CRAZY. My skin was never so bad, but unfortunately, my thyroid numbers were never so good. So I stuck with it for a few months hoping it would even out, and my skin would adjust and it never did—my skin just kept getting worse. I finally begged my doctor to switch me to a different prescription (I’m on NP Thyroid now) in April of last year and I have spent the rest of the year trying to recover my skin. I feel like I am in a much much better place now. My skin feels happy (although there is still some redness and scarring I am treating) and I am a lot more confident.
SKINCARE
These products have really really turned my skin around.
1. The Face Illuminating Self-Tan Drops: $49 I started using these tanning drops a couple weeks ago after I got a 20% off coupon in the mail and was out of my usual tanning face mist. I use the medium/dark and this stuff is SO GOOD! It’s buildable but also lasts a long time and doesn’t rub off on sheets! I mix 3-4 drops in with my moisturizer (#6) and rub it all over my face and sometimes down my neck, too.
2. 2 HR Express Self Tanning Mousse: $39 This is what I use for the rest of my body. Definitely worth getting the mitt, too!
3. Kiehl’s Cannabis Sativa Seed Oil Herbal Concentrate Face Oil: $50 This was one product that I picked up when my face was still actively recovering from acne and it calmed my entire face down almost over night. Now I add it to my night routine during more hormonal times of month and I couldn’t love it more.
4. The Ordinary Mandelic Acid 10% + HA: $14 This is one product that I feel like everyone could benefit from, but especially those that suffer from any kind of acne. Mandelic Acid was recommended to me by my aesthetician to clear up redness, bumps, the works and this one is kind of holy grail. And what a great price! I live in a really dry climate, so I only use this at night.
5. Lip Sleeping Mask: $20 Slather this on every night and it keeps my lips plump and youthful!
6. Kiehl’s Super Multi-Corrective Cream: $65 I have tried so many moisturizers, but I always come back to this one. I use it morning and night!
7. Rejuvenating Eye Cream: $63 This is my first Beauty Counter purchase and I actually really like it. I use it morning and night.
8. FOREO LUNA mini 2 Facial Cleansing Brush: $119 I really credit this face brush for helping clear up my face fast! And keep it clear! My face has never felt cleaner or softer.
9. GlyMed Plus Gentle Facial Wash: $24 I get this from my aesthetician and I love how gentle it is, but it REALLY works. Wow! I use this at night on my cleansing brush. For so many years, I thought I had to exfoliate every day and I feel like I was just tearing apart my skin looking back.
10. GlyMed Plus Vitamin C Cleanser: $28 This is from the same line but a Vitamin C Cleanser and I use it in the morning. It really refreshes and wakes me up!
11. Garnier SkinActive Micellar Cleansing Water: $13 There’s nothing better for removing makeup at the end of the day. Comes off in nearly one swipe when I pair with with #14.
12. DrFormulas HairOmega: $24 This is a skin/hair/nails formula my doctor recommended for my skin…but get this, also my hair. haha. Thyroid disease, especially an autoimmune one like I have kills your hair. I take two of these a day. After 6 months of use, I ran out and just didn’t think about re-ordering and let’s just say it was traumatic how much hair I loss. I immediately ordered more and I haven’t lost more hair since I started taking it again. (Now I just have to wait for it all to grow back.)
13. Sweat Wristbands: $8 If you’re not wearing these on your wrists when you’re washing your face so no water runs down your arms and gets your sleeves wet–today is the first day of the rest of your life.
14. Norwex Tranquil Body Pack: $29 Just say no to makeup remover wipes! One pack of these will take off your makeup EASY, you CAN just use water but I like to use Micellar Water (#11) for even less tugging. And you can just wash and reuse! I love these so so much!
MAKEUP
As far as makeup, I love a more natural look. My tanning drops (above) go so far in helping me feel like I have a good glowy base. But these are my other every day go-tos.
1. RevitaLash Lash Serum: $98 I didn’t know where to put this–probable skincare. But regardless, I LOVE this lash serum. I put it on nightly after I wash my face and before my eye cream. Just one swipe on each upper lash line. I noticed results in 5 weeks and I would say by 8 weeks it was a big WHOA.
2. Superhero Elastic Stretch Volumizing Mascara: $24 Can’t quit, won’t quit.
3. Pomegranate Burt’s Bees Lip Balm (4 pack): $11 Lately, if I want a more natural looking lip–this every so slightly tinted chapstick basically enhances my natural lip color!
4. Red Dahlia Burt’s Bees Tinted Lip Balm (2 pack): $9 This is my go to when I want a little bit more color but it’s still really natural looking. Soooo chapstick or chapstick for me.
5. BAREPRO® 16-Hour Full Coverage Concealer: $24 I’ve recently switched to this concealer and I like it okay. My under-eye is basically where I carry all of my…baggage so having a good concealer that stays put is pretty great. I wear the fair light neutral color. I’m not sure under eyes is its best use, but I really love the formula!
6. Sun Bunny Natural Bronzer: $30 I have used this for years and I can’t imagine switching to anything else. I now use it as my blush/bronzer combo and the color is just so sunny and happy. LOVE IT.
7. Bare Minerals FAUX TAN Bronzer: $29 I originally got this FAUX TAN bronzer for contouring and it works well for that. For me, it’s a little dark for all over bronzer.
8. Foundation Brush 001:$7 I love this brush for blending my foundation.
9. Elf Complexion Brush: $6 This is the brush I use for my bronzer.
10. BarePro Performance Wear Liquid Foundation spf 20: $34 I switched to this foundation last year when I was actively trying to clear up my skin and I will never go back! I wear Pecan and the formula is amazing and the best part? It’s non-transferrable. Meaning, it’s not getting on my clothes or anyone else’s when I go in for a hug. I love love love this and couldn’t recommend it more.
11. Bare Minerals Lasting Line Eye liner: $17 Truthfully, I don’t always wear eyeliner. It just looks so harsh on me. But! I recently discovered a softer tone, like this brown one!, on the last line of my top lid just helps me look more awake. So if eyeliner just never looks right one you, maybe try brown!
12. IT Brow Power: $24 I don’t get my brows micro bladed (never have) but I do fill them in with this universal brow pencil. It’s like, if I only had 2 pieces of makeup to wear every day, it would be this and foundation. I love it that much.
13. Morphe Nude Palette: $12 A great neutral shadow palette if I’m feeling like extra credit!
Here’s a selfie we took a few weeks ago at an airport to kind of show you how it looks all together? I posted this one storied and got a ton of questions about my makeup so hopefully this all helps! (wearing the red dahlia chapstick here)
Would love to know if you have any can’t live without recs in the comments!!
Thanks for all the info. If you have time I would love to hear what you do with the sweatbands after use ?? Just leave them out on the counter all the time to dry ? Nothing makes me crazier then water down my arms (one of the main reasons I skip washing sometimes!) but I’m curious what you do with them after ! Thank you
Oh yeah, I just let them dry out.
Hi! The foundation brush link working. Would love to know what it is for $7!!! Thanks :)
Thanks for sharing. Anyway you can save these items that aren’t already saved elsewhere like maybe to your highlights? I find myself screenshoting (is that even a word?????) so much but then I run out of space on my phone ????. So many helpful items to try-just can’t do it all at once. Thx ????
I can appreciate your wanting to have a warmer complexion and choosing to go the self-tanner route to get there, but just wanted to put it out there that there is a lot of evidence that self-tanners causes changes at the cellular level, so it’s not really a great alternative to tanning.
You are a beauty. A little self-tanner is not gonna change that!
Thanks for sharing! I’ve recently developed stubborn hormonal acne, looking forward to trying the mandelic acid with the kiehls face oil to see if that helps!