May 2018 Skincare Favorites
Hello everybody, and happy first day of June! I've been wanting to write about the topic of SKINCARE for a while because it has literally become my new obsession as of lately, but I never found the time to shoot all of my skincare products until recently! In this new "Skincare Favorites" blog post series that I've decided to add to Missmisschelle, I plan to share all of the skincare products that I currently use or have recently tried out and will only share my HONEST opinions about each one! If I love a product, you'll definitely understand why after you've tried it for yourself. On the other hand, if a product didn't resonate well with me, I'll also explain what I didn't like about it OR I'll leave it out of this post altogether, heh. Now, let's get on to my top skincare favorites of May!
Cleansers
Cleansing Brush:
Out of all of the months of having a strict skincare routine, I have NEVER incorporated a cleansing brush into my morning or evening routine until just recently. Ever since I added Michael Todd Beauty's SoniClear Petite in the color "English Garden" to my cleansing step, I have been nothing but a happy camper! With cleansing brushes, they really help dig deeply into the skin to eliminate surface dirt and impurities that may reside on your face.
Shop:
SoniClear Petite Antimicrobial Sonic Skin Cleaning Brush
Precleanse:
Never have I took "double cleansing" seriously until I visited the Dermalogica Headquarters for one of their amazing Friday Facials. Throughout my facial, my professional skincare therapist showed and educated me on the various products that she applied to my face. The very first product she used during my facial was the Dermalogica Precleanse, which is an oil-based cleanser that is combined with lukewarm water to remove your makeup. I absolutely LOVE using oil-based products to remove makeup because I personally feel like they do a much better job than your average drugstore makeup solutions or makeup removing wipes. If you're looking for a holy grail product that eliminates a full cake of makeup, the Dermalogica Precleanse is a product that you NEED to add to your evening skincare routine. On days that I wear no makeup, I skip the precleanse step!
Cleanser:
Wait, I thought we already talked about a cleanser. Nope! That was the precleanse - aka a cleanser before your cleanser. LOL Michelle, how much more confusing can you be right now?! Well, my friends said that I can confuse them pretty easily so...yeah, I can be pretty confusing LOL. But, let me break it down for ya. A cleanser is used as a secondary cleaning precaution to further remove any dirt or impurities from the surface of your skin. Our faces are exposed to a bunch of bacteria and pollution throughout the day, so it never hurts to double cleanse (aka use a precleanse and then a cleanser right after)! For cleansers, I switch between the Instytutum Cleansing Milk and the Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel. While the Cleansing Milk is a very gentle substance perfect for my sensitive skin, I love how the Special Cleansing Gel creates huge foam bubbles upon use with my cleansing brush - just something about seeing bubbles makes me feel EXTRA clean! I apply either cleanser to my Michael Todd Beauty SoniClear Petite cleansing brush and voila, I have a cleaner face!
Shop:
Instytutum Cleansing Milk
Dermalogica Special Cleansing Gel
Exfoliators, Toners, Pore Refiners, & Acne Creams
Exfoliator:
An exfoliator serves as an effective way to remove the dead skin cells off of your. After using an exfoliator, you are left with baby butt soft skin. However, I would only recommend using an exfoliator a few times per week, or even less if you have sensitive skin - you want to exfoliate your skin, but you don't want to irritate it! Two exfoliators I currently use include the Instytutum Triple Effect Peel and Burke Williams H2V Buff Refinining Exfoliant. While I switch off between either product 1-2 times per week, they both leave a different, yet refreshing feeling on my face after the application process. While the Triple Effect Peel gets the job done and I feel perfectly exfoliated, the Buff Exfoliator gives me a tingly feeling that leaves my face feeling very refreshed after washing it off in the shower - plus it smells amazing. The results when I use either product? Super soft skin and a happy Michelle.
Shop:
Instytutum Triple Effect Peel
Burke Williams H2V Buff Refining Exfoliant
Toner:
Tone, tone, and tone! In the past, I was so clueless as to what a toner did until I discovered the meaning for myself in a random month's issue of Cosmopolitan magazine. In the article, it explained the steps of a standard skincare process perfectly and I loved the article so much that I ended up sharing a photo of the article on my Instastories. Within 24 hours, someone DM'd me and ended up thanking me for teaching me what a toner does! LOL girl, don't thank me, thank Cosmopolitan! ;) Anyways, a toner is used to restore the pH balance of your skin and has the consistency of water. Whenever I apply my BABOR Rose Toning Essence every night, I literally feel like I'm slapping water upon my face but girl, the contents are so much more powerful than water. With toner, I apply a couple pumps into my hand, rub it on my palm for some added warmth, then pat gently around my entire face to allow the substance to absorb. Once it's dry, I move on to a serum!
Pore Refiner:
For weeks now, I've been using the Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner. It has a matte finish that leaves your skin feeling soft and firm and creates a great base for the remaining application process for the rest of my evening skincare routine products.
Shop:
Bioderma Sebium Pore Refiner
Acne Cream:
After my Dermalogica facial, I was gifted all of the products that they used throughout my facial, including the Dermalogica Breakout Control. I use this acne cream after my toner, but before my serum.
A tip for those who are new to skincare routines - if you ever forget what order to apply your creams and serums, you want to apply your skincare products from the lightest consistency to the most dense.
Serums
Serums are essential for an effective skincare routine, as these are the products that help the absorption process of the ingredients and nutrients from skincare products that will be applied after the serum. The consistency of a serum is thick, and it feels a bit like wet glue, without the stickiness. Sorry that I don't have a better way to explain the consistency, heh. Regardless, I love using the Instytutum Serum or Instytutum Oyster Renewal Serum because it leaves a very dewy glow on my face before I proceed with the rest of my skincare routine. After applying these specific serums to my face, I can safely say that I can never live without a serum in my life again.
Shop:
Instytutum Serum
Oils
So, oils are a relatively new step that I incorporated recently into my skincare routine. Relatively new meaning like 1-2 weeks ago, heh. As much as I heard that oils were amazing for the skin (thanks to Chriselle Lim and Ellenor from SpreadFashion), I just never hopped on the oil bandwagon because I didn't really know which one to get for myself. Luckily for me, Pixi sent me a surprise package in the mail one day and lo' and behold, this mystery gift included a Jasmine Oil Blend. SCORE! As soon as I applied this product to my face, I couldn't stop touching my face - really! You know how people pet dogs and they can't stop? I was doing the same thing to my face, LOL! Call me weird all you want, but the softening effects of this oil were MINDBLOWING. Also, you have to get used to the fact that oils sit on your face for quite a while, so I allow this to absorb a bit longer before applying my other skincare products (10-30 minutes).
Moisturizers
When it comes to moisturizers, I've been using the Instytutum Lifting Cream for months now. And when I say months, I'm on my second container of Lifting Cream - now you can just imagine how big this product is to last me several months! What I look for in a moisturizer includes hydrating properties, texture, scent, and how it makes my skin feel afterwards. And just as I predicted, my face feels so much more moist, soft, and hydrated after applying this baby on to my skin.
Eye Creams
Last but not least, we have the eye cream step! Although I use the Instytutum Eye Cream pretty much every night, sometimes I swap out for the Pixi Beauty 24K Eye Elixir once in a while if I want a different eyelifting experience. While the Eye Cream gets the job done and combats dark circles and puffiness under my eyes, I really enjoy the cold touch of the metal rod from the 24K Eye Elixir. Also with the Eye Elixir, you can store it in the fridge before use for that EXTRA wake-up call! Additionally, the Eye Elixir is very convenient and tiny to store in your bag or during travels so I love bringing this baby along on my trips!
Sunblock & Vitamin C
For this specific section of skincare products, I utilize sunblock and Vitamin C products only in the morning and throughout the day. Although I've only gotten into skincare just a couple months back, it's never too late to start - especially when it comes to protecting your skin with the SPF. This has never been stressed enough, but SPF is vital towards protecting your skin against harmful UV rays. By starting early and taking the necessary precautions to protect your skin daily, you will notice a HUGE effect later on when you get older - in fact, your skin will look a lot more youthful, supple, and healthy than those who didn't bother to apply the proper skincare or SPF protection when younger. When it comes to sunblock, I've used the CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30 for years now and it was highly recommended by my dermatologist. What I love about this particular sunblock is the fact that it simultaneously acts like a moisturizer and sunblock - love, love, love! Honestly, I hated applying sunblock in the past due to the fact that it felt so chalky or sticky, but this facial moisturizing lotion is truly a skincare blessing in disguise. I would highly recommend using this product on the daily before you head out of the house for the day. Additionally, before I apply my makeup, I like to add in the COOLA Daydream Mineral Primer SPF 30 for a protective base to apply my makeup on and for added SPF protection. Literally, I got this primer in January and I'm already half way done! Lastly, I've recently added the application of Vitamin C to my skin thanks to SpreadFashion's helpful skincare advice and I love using Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate. This Vitamin C product contains hyaluronic acid, which is why I always feel a slight tingle upon application, but my skin has never felt more tightened and firm! Additionally, this concentrate is great for eliminating fine lines and wrinkles so I'm happy that I am able to implement a few anti-aging skincare steps while in my mid-20's! Also, I'm running out of this product too so I better restock soon, heh.
Shop:
CeraVe Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30
COOLA Daydream Mineral Primer SPF 30
Kiehl's Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate
And that's all I have to share with you guys today in my May 2018 Skincare Favorites! Do you have any favorite skincare products that you rave about to friends or family? Let me know in the comments section below - let's chat!
Much Love,
