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In a few months I am turning 30 and, well, pardon my french, but sh*t just got real. I was editing some outfit post the other day and all I could see was my thirsty skin and beginning ages of wrinkles. It also did not help that I participated in How-Old.net  that has been going around on social media. Lets just say I immediately googled botox after it gave me the guesstimated age. So now I am in a state of emergency–I need to save me youthful face!
I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was on a hunt for a new moisturizer. I am still looking and have been testing a few products and so far I like Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Repair Cream and Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cream. For an over night cream I LOVE First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Hydra-Firm Sleeping Cream. It deeply moisturizes and works to remove dead cells while you sleep. I wake up and my skin feels great! The hunt for healthy skin, however, is not over and has now expanded. I quickly learned that I need a village of products to help me out—whatever happen to just splashing water on my face and out I go? Anyway, I have been hearing great things about Blue Mercury’s personal line M-61 and was mostly curious about the Power Glow Peel to use for days when I need a quick touch up. Well the people at Blue Mercury are the MOST WONDERFUL people on the planet earth! I sent a quick inquiry to their headquarters asking about the peel and no later than a week I got a  surprise care package of a variety of goodies! They just gained a loyal customer! I have been testing all the products and so far am in love with M-61 Fast Blast. On dry, clean skin, massage the cream and leave on to dry for two minutes, then rinse. It really has made a difference in my complexion and my skin feels amazing. I will definitely be ordering this when my sample runs out!Now that I am a on my way to becoming a skincare guru, I wanted to share my finds, favorites, and wants,  with you!

 
 
Cleansers
 
 
 Finding a cleanser was like finding a needle in a haystack, almost impossible. I have spent many moons and dollar bills on finding the right cleanser. I have irritated my face to dry, discomfort and break outs, and I have over soothed my skin to feel oily and dirty. After hearing about Origins Checks and Balances, I had nothing else to loose but try. I got a sample from the Origins store in New York, went home, tried it, and never looked back. I have combination skin and this is the ONLY cleanser that has worked. I do not feel dry or oily, I feel clean and healthy. It has helped lessen my breakouts and has balanced my skin. I have tried a few different cleansers if I get them as a sample, but nothing comes close to this product.
Exfoliator
 
 
 A few years ago in my Birchbox I received a sample of Vasanti Brighten Up and fell in love with it. No other exfoliators will ever do! It has worked wonders on my acne scars and sunspots. After I cleanse my face I pat it dry to make sure my skin is cleaned from the cleanser cream, then splash a little water on my face to make it damp and apply the exfoliator. I leave it on for 3-5 minutes as instructed so it can absorbed and break down the dead skin cells. It feels rough on your skin, but as a person who has sensitive skin I can attest that it does not leave your face feeling irritated or red.
Another great exfoliator that I like is Origins Modern Friction Dermabrasion. I use this every once in a while to give my face a break from the Vasanti. This is applied on dry skin and when I was going through the worse of my breakouts, I wasn’t too keen on it. Now that my face has cleared up (halleluah! and thank you to my gluten allergy), it does not irritate my skin at all.
 
 
Lips
 
 
I am ADDITECD to chapstick– I seriously will be in a bad mood and can’t function if my lips are the slightest chapped.  My father jokes and says that I eat chapstick for breakfast because I go through them so quickly. What can I say, a girl’s gotta do what a girl’s gotta do. I am careful what type of chapstick I use because certain products make the area around my lips breakout. That being said my favorite product is EOS–like everyone else it seems. I like that it is organic and moisturizes my lips without making it greasy.  At night I use M-61 Supersoothe E Pomegranate Lip Balm. It is a little too liquidy for the day, but at night I apply it on because vitamin E, shea butter, and seaweed are ingredients that helps repair your lips. I also really like Fresh Sugar Lip Polish as a lip exfoliator, and it actually taste like sugar.
Eye Cream
This I need a little more research and testing to do. I like to use Origins No Puffery Cooling Roll On for days when I get barely any sleep and my eyes resembles a raccoon. For everyday use I use Simple Eye Roll-On Revitalizing. It helps to brighten my eyes and reduces the appearance of puffiness.
Now that I have covered my puffy eye problem, I need to conquer the beginning stages of crows feet.  I have heard great things about SK-II Facial Treatment Essence-Eye, but it is a little on the pricy side so I hope it is completely worth it. Before I take the plunge into the unaffordable, I want to try Kiehl’s  Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado.  Avocado is so good for your skin, so I can almost bet that this will worth wonders for the eyes. I got a sample of Fresh Black Tea Age-Delay Eye Cream and LOVE it so far! It reduces the appearance of dark circles and puffiness, also improves moisture and the elasticity. The skin around your eyes are very thin and dark circles happen through lack of blood flow,  so anything that helps firm and reduce the appearance of dark circles works for me!
Serums and Toners
I am clueless when it comes to this category. When I was looking for moisturizers the lady at Sephora suggested I try Ole Henriksen serum (the number one re-purchased serum at Sephora) to help my acne scars and sun spots, brighten my face and boost my collagen. It has Vitamin C and green tea, which are both amazing for your face so I figured I had nothing to loose but to try. I have to say I really am glad I did! I even bought a bottle after my sample ran out. I have seen my spots start to fade and my face looks healthier! I haven’tbeen around the block with serums, but honesty, I do not think I will try another one for a while as I am loving this one!
As for toners, again, I really do not think I would adventure out to seek a toner for myself. I received this toner by Darphin in my Bluemercury care package and have used it a few times and like it so far.  A toner helps clean the rest of your makeup off your face and tightens your pores. I have read that you do not need to add a toner into your routine, it is not necessary, so I do not use it constantly. I also have a thing where I am not too keen on puting too much on my face and my serum balances and tightens my pores, which is what a toner would do.
What products do you swear by? Any recommendations are welcomes!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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