Updated Skin Care Routine

My last skincare routine post was EXTREMELY popular on my blog but that post is from way back in December 2015. I decided to post an update as some of my products have changed.

For reference I have extremely dry skin all year round.

First thing in the morning I wash my face. I use the Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Cleanser with my Clarisonic Plus. I love using my Clarisonic with any cleaner as I feel it does a better job than just using my hands.

This isn't my favorite cleaner and I am on the hunt for something I like better - but in the mean time I'm just trying to use up this product.

Then I follow up right away with my moisturizers. First I start with my eye cream which is the Shiseido WrinkleResist 24 Eye Cream, this is still an amazing eye cream. It is very thick and creamy, it tends to smooth out my under eye area and hydrate it very well. Next step is new - I've been using the Sephora CC Eye Cream + Concealer. This has a slight tint to it and will cover up any under eye bags I have going on. I find that using these two products together means I have to use less makeup as there is less to cover up.

Finally I use the Clinique Moisture Surge Intense Skin Fortifying Hydrator. If you have extremely dry skin you need this in your life. This is an instant drink of water for my face and it leaves my skin feeling velvety smooth and soft. I find that since using this product I use less primer and less foundation because everything just smoothly glides over my face.

I start by using my same cleaner with my Clarisonic Plus.

At night I am still using the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil and I follow that up with the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil. My skin loves oils at the end of the day and when I wake up in the morning my face feels amazing.

I use the same Shiseido eye cream and I use a lash enhancer serum by NeoStrada. This is a product I use off and on again but it really does improve the strength of my lashes.

Finally some bonus products - typically I use these 2-3 times a week. Eye masks have become a huge part of my life. As I'm beginning to age I'm finding my eye area isn't the same. I've been loving the Sephora brand eye masks and specifically the Rose, Pearl and Orchid are my favorite.

For the actual mask I've been using the Sephora Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying, this is great if I have any texture or blemishes on my face. It gets rid of them instantly but does dry out my skin so I do have to moisturize immediately afterwards.

For a moisture mask I've been loving the Joise Maran Whipped Mud Mask. This is infused with Argan oil and feels amazing on my dry skin. Highly recommend if you face needs and extra hydrating boost.

Let me know if you use any of these products in the comment below. If you think there are any other skincare products I need to try out for my dry skin leave you recommendation in the comments below.

Product Empties February 2017

TreSemme Keratin Smooth Heat Protection Shine Spray - I am a stickler when it comes to heat protection sprays. My hair is color treated and very brittle so I always make sure to use a heat spray when using hot tools. This is a great drugstore option, it left my hair feel soft and smooth. I wont be repurchasing another one at this time as I probably have five other open bottles of different types of heat spray on to go at the moment but it is defiantly on my repurchase list for the future.

Ion Weekly Blonde-Boosting Treatment - This is an unnecessary product. I thought this would act like a toner to help with my blonde hair in between color treatments but to be honest it did nothing. I couldn't tell a difference in my hair when I was using it, just get yourself a good purple shampoo and skip this.

Sephora Instant Nail Polish Remover For Glitter - This stuff is amazing. Its a fast way to remove nail polish and it gets EVERYTHING off! Even polish that is darker and hard to remove, this will get it off no problem. It lasted a really long time and is very inexpensive. I've already repurchased another one.

GHD Heat Protect Spray - Another heat protector, this one smells amazing! But honestly it was very expensive and works just as good as cheaper heat sprays you can get at the drugstore so I wouldn't repurchase this again.

Prada Candy - This is my new signature scent! Highly recommend going into a store and trying it first, also I would get a sample to take home. In the store this has a different smell and I liked it more once I got home and had worn the scent for a few hours. It's very sweet and the smell lasts a long time.

Sephora Instant Moisturizer - If you are looking for some affordable skincare I've had a lot of luck with the Sephora brand. This is almost drugstore price but honestly I don't like any skincare products that I've tried at the drugstore. This was a great moisturizer for dry skin, it sits very well under makeup and I highly recommend trying this out.

Shiseido WrinkleResist 24 Eye Cream - This is my go to eye cream, I think I've gone through about three pots. I have very dark circles with very fine lines under my eyes. This helps cover and hydrate my under eye area. It preps it for makeup and I think it has improved my under eye area.

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo - This used to be my go to dry shampoo but now I've found another that I love even better. This will leave a bit of a white cast in your hair so if you have dark roots like me you do have to be careful. This will leave your hair feeling clean and refreshed.

Josie Maran Whipped Mud Mask - These are amazing and if you haven't tried them yet you NEED to try them. My favorite scents are the Vanilla Apricot and Cucumber Aloe....but lets face it all the scents are amazing! These will leave your skin feeling hydrated and refreshed. I love to use these with an eye mask on a relaxing pamper night.

Caudalie Beauty Elixir - A staple for anyone with dry skin. This face mist is amazing and just gives you a refreshed feeling to dry skin. I will use this several different ways and it is always a must have in my makeup collection.

December Empties 2016

I've been using up a lot of products recently and it's finally time to toss a few.

Amika Un.Done Texture Spray - I just bought a small size of this texture spray to try out and I'm very happy I did because it just wasn't for me. I'm still searching for that perfect texture spray but this didn't work well with my hair, this one really didn't give me enough texture I was looking for.

Shiseido Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam - This is a face wash I've been using for a long time but it's time for a change. This face wash does an amazing job cleansing but it left my face feeling stripped of it's moisture. I'm on the hunt for a new one that gives me a clean feeling but doesn't strip my skin.

Adidas Absorbent-Deo - I'm pretty sure this has been in some past product empties because it is till amazing...there is honestly no better deodorant out there.

Wella Leave in Conditioning Spray - Great product, crappy packaging. I loved this product for when I got out of the shower. I have very long hair that tends to get tangled so a leave in conditioner is a  must for me when I get out of the shower. This is defiantly one of my top favorites but the packaging leaked and it wasted so much product. This has to be stored up right which doesn't work in my bathroom so I wont be repurchasing this again...unless the packaging changes.

Arbonne Makeup Primer - A great makeup primer, this provides a great first layer before foundation and will help your makeup last longer throughout the day. Highly recommend for all skin types.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer - Still my must have concealer, this stays on all day and provides amazing coverage. I've already repurchased a new one.

Benefit Gimme Brow - This is by far my favorite brow gel, it glues your brows into place and locks them in all day. I've already repurchased a new one, my only complaint would be this doesn't last long but I guess most brow gels typically don't last very long.

Josie Maran Whippped Mud Mask (Sweet Basil Mint/Sweet Citrus/ Lavender Citrus) - These are amazing mud masks! Highly recommend! Most mud masks feel my skin a little dry after I take them off and I feel like I have to moisture immediately after...not these ones. My skin feels hydrated and glowy after a treatment. I love these masks and I still have a few more to use up but I will definitely be repurchasing these after I run out.

Dior Pore Minimizer Primer - I didn't like this primer at all and it's not actually empty but the pump broke so I can't get anymore product out. This didn't minimize my pores, it didn't even extend the life on my makeup. The only thing I think this primer did do is make my makeup look cakey.

Ion Cool Blonde Shampoo - I love this purple shampoo, by far I think it's my most favorite I've come across. This really helps to ton my hair between colors and it leaves my hair with an icy blonde look. Love and I'm defiantly repurchasing.

That's it for my product empties! Let me know in the comments below if you have tried out any of these products and what your thoughts are.

Thanks for stopping by!

What's In My Shower? | Shower Products

I always love reading other beauty blogs and finding out what's in other people's shower. I find that I get to discover and learn about so many products that people use everyday, it's helped me discover some holy grail products. As you can see I like to keep several different products in my shower - I really like to mix things up so I have options for shampoos, masks, ect. My hair is always changing and sometimes my needs when I shower differ day to day.

Starting with shampoos, I like to keep three on hand. First is my purple shampoo Ion Cool Blonde, this is a great shampoo and it helps tone my blonde hair when I see it going a little brassy. This isn't something that I use everyday because I don't want my hair to get discolored but I use it about 2-3 times a week. Next is the Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Shampoo, this is a great shampoo for moisturizing my dry hair. My hair has always been dry but since going blonde I feel like I've stripped the moisture right out of it. This helps replenish my hair and it really feels soft after I use this. Finally I have the Avalon Organics Clarifying Shampoo, this is a great clarifying shampoo. Whenever I feel my hair has a lot of build up I love to use this shampoo, it gives some shine back to my hair and makes it feel very clean.

I've only got two conditioners in my shower, the first is the Moroccanoil Moisture Repair Conditioner, this is something I use when I want my hair to be extra soft and moisturized. The other conditioner I have if the AG Sterling Silver Conditioner, I don't keep the actual bottle in my shower because I got the jumbo bottle so I refill a travel size bottle and keep that in my shower instead. This is an ok purple conditioner and I only use it when I use my purple shampoo. I really want to switch to the Ion Cool Blonde conditioner but every time I try to buy it, it's always sold out. I'm really hoping to get my hands on it soon but for now the AG is an ok product.

I love a good hair mask, right now I'm in between three great ones. First is another Ion product, it's the Ion Cool Blonde Weekly-Blonde Boosting Treatment. I use this mask once a week and its to help neutralize any brassiness I have in my blonde hair. Then I have the Wella Enrich, this is a moisturizing treatment for fine hair, this makes my hair feel silky soft. I try to use this once a week to give my hair an extra boost of moisture. Finally I have the Moroccanoil Intense Hydrating Mask, this is a mask I use when my hair feels damaged and is in need of some restoring. This mask is for deep hydration and conditioning.

For my face I keep my Shiseido Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam and Clarisonic Plus. I love my Clarisonic, this is by far the best skincare purchase I have ever made. I do like the Shiseido cleanser but I think it works a little too well. By that I mean my skin is squeaky clean after I wash it to the point where it feels a little dried out. I hate wasting product so I'll be finishing off this tube but I'm researching new cleansers to try that are a bit more moisturizing and wont dry out my skin.

Finally for my body I have the Dove Gentle Exfoliating Beauty Bar, I like to use bars instead of liquid soap - I don't know why it's just personal preference. This bar is great because it exfoliates and leaves me with a moisturized cleaned feeling - highly recommended if you are not satisfied with liquid body washers....trust me I've tried so many and nothing compares to this bar. Finally is the Calgon Ageless Bath Softening Body Oil, in addition to switching up my body wash to a bar I've also been using body oil instead of body lotion. I spray this on when I'm still in the shower and then I pat dry with a towel. My skin has been loving the oil more than any lotion I've ever tried! For anyone with dry skin I highly recommend trying this trick out.

That's it for whats in my shower! Share in the comments below what are some must haves in your shower. 

Product Empties March 2016 | Skincare Empties

 My trash is getting full!!! Time to bust out another products empties. I noticed that a lot of my product empties was skincare this past month...which means it's been a very expensive month of repurchasing new skincare items. I feel like the old I get the more and more I want to invest in my skin and keep it healthy and glowing.

Fist up is a shampoo from Sephora, this is the Texas Tea shampoo and conditioner. This is advertised as a voluminous product but I found it really weighted down my hair. As you can see I didn't even use the product up fully, there is still a little left in the bottom. I couldn't wait to get rid of this shampoo and move onto something new.

Next up is a drugstore body oil, this one is Neutrogena Body Oil. I really enjoy putting body oils in my bath and this is one that I've gone through many, many bottles of. It has a great smell and the price is very reasonable. Right now I haven't repurchased another one because I'm using up my Palmer's Moisturizing Body Oil.

This is by far my favorite eye cream I've tried so far. This is the Shiseido Wrinkle Resist 24, it is a pretty thick cream but it's gotten rid of all my fine lines and wrinkles I was starting to get under my eyes. I use this twice a day and in pretty generous portions. It's on the pricey side but definitely worth the money. I've already repurchased another one.

Before I discovered the Shiseido eye cream I was using the Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream. This is also a good eye cream but it is a little more light weight. Great if you're in your early 20's. I haven't repurchased this product since discovering the Shiseido eye cream.

Another Shiseido product, this is the Shiseido Wrinkle Resist 24 Night Cream. This is a very moisturizing night cream and I've gone through 2 of these. However, I wont be repurchasing this because I've been testing out some new night oils that I like a lot better for my dry skin.

Speaking of oils, this is the CoverFX Customer Infusion Drops. This is a great face oil to either mix into your moisturizing or foundation. I typically like to add this to my moisturizer during the day when my skin is feeling extra dry. It's a great oil and I will have one in my daily routine I'm trying to use up.

It's been a long time since I've had Estee Lauder skincare products in my routine. When I started to invest into my skincare everything used to be Estee Lauder. Then I branched out and found that there were other amazing products beside Estee Lauder and I really haven't gone back to this brand. I deiced to give one of their eye makeup removers a shot but to be honest I was really disappointed with it. First off this doesn't remove mascara very well and I found it didn't last very long. I have since moved onto something else.

This product has shown up in several empties posts. This is my favorite deodorant and I've been wearing it for years. I work out A LOT so having a good deodorant is very important to me. I can't even count how may of these I've gone through. I've already repurchased a replacement.

On a whim I decided to try some Sephora skincare products. Sephora skincare products are very reasonably priced and surprising work great! I switched my day time moisturizer to the Sephora Instant Moisturizer and I honestly don't want to try anything else. This is great for really dry skin and makeup goes over top of this moisturizing effortlessly. I've already bought a replacement for my skincare routine.

Another Sephora skincare product and another love of mine. This is the Sephora Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying, I use this either as a spot treatment or as a full on mask.  This product isn't acually empty there is still some left but it's dried up so I've bought a new one to replace it. This mask is so affordable and I've had it almost a year! Great value for your dollar and works amazing. My skin has been so clear since I gave up using drugstore masks and switched to this one.

You may have seen this product in a previous empties post as well. This is the Neostrata Lash Enhancer Serum, another great product but very expensive. This makes your lashes look thicker and longer but it's also a product you have to continually use or you'll loose the thickness and volume.

Finally I used up all my Shiseido Wrinkle Resist 24 Eye Masks. This is the very first eye mask I've ever tried and loved them! You get 12 eye masks in this set which I though was very reasonable and I've already repurchased another pack. I found that this really moisturized and smoothed out my under eyes. I typically use them when I'm doing a face mask so about once a week I would use these. 

That's it for my empties. What products did you use up this month?

January Favorites 2016 | Ms Pam Blam

First month of the year is OVER!! Which means I get to post another monthly favorites....I think by far these are my favorite blog posts to write. I had so much fun running around my house and collecting items that I have been loving for January 2016.

Fist off I have to give a shout out to Makeup Geek. I ordered these brushes are the end of December (along with some more eye shadows of course!). I've never tired any Makeup Geek tools before so I was interested in seeing what these brushes were like. I'M IN LOVE! They are so soft and densely packed. They blend makeup easily and effortlessly. Right now in my day to day rotation I'm using (start from top to bottom)
-Face buffer brush - I use this for my blush (which is also makeup geek)
-Angled stippling brush - I use this for my contour
-Cheek highlighter brush - I use this to set my concealer with powder
-Soft dome brush - I use this to put eye shadow in my crease and blend it out

I highly recommending giving Makeup Geek brushes a try, they have many more available on their website and I'll definitely be ordering more for myself!

Next up is a product I've had since October and I just don't know how I lived without it. This is the Clarisonic Plus, I use this once a day (typically at the end of the day) to cleanse my face. It cleans so well and my skin texture has been amazing since I've started using this.

Another skincare product, which was mentioned in my current skincare routine. This is the Luna night oil, I've been using it about twice a week and it just adds a boost to my night time routine.

This is my only hair favorite for the month, the Living Proof dry shampoo and Pureology dry conditioner. This is the perfect pair for second or even third day hair. Since I've been lightening my hair I've been trying to wash it less. My hair is sooo damaged and I just took 3 inches off! I've been trying to only wash my hair 2-3 times a week. These two products defiantly make that possible by extending my styles.

I've just recently been getting into eye masks and so far this is my favorite. This is the Shiseido WrinkleResist 24, I use this about once a week with my skincare. Its really smoothed and brightened up my under eyes. I was getting fine lines and little bumps under my eyes, my solution was just to cover them up with concealer (which really isn't a solution). I wanted something that would make the fine lines and bumps to go away permanently so I didn't have to use so much concealer everyday. After about 4 uses I started to see this product work!! So if you decide to try this give is some time...you wont see any miracles after the first use.

This is a product that has been mentioned a few times on my blog, the Beauty Blender!! I have two on the go right now, they are amazing. I use them for my foundation and concealer. This just gives you the prefect airbrushed finish. I was using it to set my loose powder but I've switched to a pressed powder so now I use a brush.

Last off is my fitness favorite for the month...and of course it's 21 Day Fix! I love this program. It is easy to follow the workout schedule, the workouts are only 30 min so they are prefect to fit into your day. Right now I'm training for a marathon, you can check out my week 1 update, as mentioned in my blog post I'm using a combination of 21 Day fix, interval running and long slow distance running to train. This program has been perfect for me, not only have I lost weight with this program but I it has helped with my leg strength!

What were your monthly favorites? Please share in comments below.

Current Skin Care Routine

 Welcome back to my blog!!!

Today I'll be sharing my current skincare routine. Normally these products are scattered all over my house and I had to round them all up to get pictures....I learned today that I use A LOT of skin care products. But I must say my skin is in AMAZING condition.

I have extremely dry skin all year round. If you also have dry skin I would recommend checking some of these out.

Here we go - lets walk through what I do everyday for my skin care routine.

 First off in the morning I wash my face. I use the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Extra Creamy Cleansing Foam. This is a great cleanser, it gets my skin clean without drying it out. I follow up with the Caudalie Moisturizing Toner. 

 Then I move onto moisturizing. Right now I'm using the Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream. There is nothing special about this cream and honestly I'm just trying to use up the rest so I can move onto something different. I don't find this does anything and it's not really that moisturizing if you have dry skin. Next I mix the Sephora Instant Moisturizer & Cover Fx Custom Infusion drops - hydration. This is an amazing combination! My skin LOVES oil so much, this hydrates my skin really well. I let it sit and soak in for about 10min before I start putting on any makeup....especially because I'm using oil I want to make sure it's absorbed before I start my foundation routine. 

I was really shocked at how much I loved the Sephora product - normally I stick to well known name brands. This is probably one of the more affordable products I use in my skincare routine so I will defiantly be keeping it in the mix. 

 At the end of the day I take off all my makeup and then cleanse my skin. I use the same products as the morning expect I use the Shisedo cleaner with my clarisonic for an extra clean to make sure all my makeup is off my face.

Then I use a VERY expensive product - I really didn't want to like this product because it was so expensive but it has been amazing for my skin. It's the Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil. My skin really loves this stuff....again it's another oil and my skin really loves oil. I let this sit for about 10min before putting my Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Night Cream along with the Shiseido Benefiance WrinkleResist24 Intensive Eye Contour Cream and that's it!!

These are just some extra products, I defiantly don't use these everyday only 2-3 times a week. Let's face it most of use are busy and just don't always have time for extra treatments. But when I do this is what I use, first off is the Caudalie Moisturizing Mask. I wish I could use this everyday because my skin LOVES it. This puts a lot of moisture back into my skin, now that we're going into the winter season I'll probably use this 3 times a week. Another mask I have is the Sephora Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying - this is a great & affordable mask. I only use this for blemishes, it really clears anything up instantly! Last I have the Caudalie Deep Cleansing Exfoliator, this is something I use in the shower whenever I was to give my face a quick scrub. It's not too harsh of an exfoliator but it gets the job done!

The great thing about all these products is even though most of them are very pricey they have all lasted me a long time & they all work amazing for my skin. So in my opinion I think it's worth the price point!

Let me know if you've used any of these products in the comments below. I would love to hear what you thought about them. 

Thanks for stopping by & I hope you have a fantastic week ahead! 

 

Blogtober Day 5 | September 2015 Favorites

Makeup Geek eye shadows: I've heard of Makeup Geek for a long time but this is my first time buying from them. Now I have to ask myself...why have I waited so long? These eye shadows are amazing. Its really hard when you can't actually go into a store to test the quality and color before purchasing but I looked up swatches and did my research before buying-so far I've been very happy with my color selection. The top rows are regular eye shadows and the bottom row are the new duochrome shadows. I pretty much use this palette for my everyday makeup. I have had so much fun playing and putting together different looks. If you want to see a more in-depth blog post on these shadows make sure you are following me....I have a blogtober post coming up later this month on this palette. 

Estee Lauder New Dimension Shape+Fill Expert Serum: Just recently I switched to this serum and I'm loving it. I haven't been using it long enough to tell if it's been making a difference but it's suppose to help shape your cheeks and jawline. I really need so help with my jaw line. My jaw is EXTREMELY round and I have to do a lot of contouring everyday to make it look more sharp. Hopefully this will help me with that. 

Cover FX Custom Infusion Drops: I still love my custom cover drops so when I saw these infusion drops I knew I had to try them. I got the hydration and radiance drops. I use the hydration drops with my moisturizer and the radiance with my foundation. I love them both and if you have dry skin you will too. If you are more on the normal or oily side I would definitely stay away from these. 

Shiseido Wrinkle Resist 24 Eye cream: I've been using this as my night eye cream for about a month...wow what a difference. I'm not that old yet but I've really struggled with my under eye area. I've started to get fine lines and bumps - nothing so far has been helping. Since I've started using this cream I've noticed that my fine lines are actually diminishing! 

Sephora Mud Mask Purifying & Mattifying: Unfortunately for me I'm allergy to the GlamGlow masks. An employee at Sephora recommended this one to me and I'm very happy she did. I used about once a week and it really purifies and deep cleans my skin. This make is also great if you want to do a spot treatment....it gets rid of my spots instantly! I don't like using my hands to apply this so I use a Real Techniques Essential Foundation Brush. Plus the price point on this you just can't beat. This is mask is $24 and the GlamGlow is $76. 

What were your favorite products from September?