My top five beauty tips are pretty simple.... I've always loved trying different beauty products but you don't have to spend an arm and a leg for the latest and greatest trend. The thing is, as I'm getting older, it comes down to a few simple tricks and if you practice them consistently... you'll look younger, longer. It's never too soon to start a healthy skin beauty regimen. Here's mine...
1. Never go to bed without washing your face. Ever. I have always washed my face before bed. It's a good habit of mine since I was very young. I just feel gross going to bed with makeup on. It is so much healthier for your skin. You don't have to spend a lot of money here. It also preps for #2... My favorite splurge in this category: Caudalie Foaming Face Wash. My favorite drug store pick: Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Oil Free Acne Wash (I don't have acne, but I love this stuff.) As long as it works well to gently remove makeup and doesn't burn my eyes, that's all I need. I do like to wash my eye makeup off this way, in one step...I don't use a separate remover.
2. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize. I say this three times, because it should be done in three steps. Moisturizing goes for your entire body...but especially your face. I moisturize morning and night and am very diligent about it. In the morning I just splash water on my face. I don't wash it again. As you age, it's not good to wash too much... you're not a teenager anymore;) I put eye cream on by dabbing it under and around my eyes with my ring fingers. One of my favorites that I keep going back to is Fresh Black Tea Age Delay Eye Concentrate. It's a splurge, but feels amazing. The container lasts me a long time. I don't have a favorite drug store brand in this category, but if I was going to get one, I'd choose Boots No.7 Protect & Perfect Eye Cream. I love their other products, so I bet it's as good. Next is a face serum. My go-to is Boots No.7 Protect & Perfect Serum, which has a light, creamy consistency. Another one I get once in a while is Truth Serum Collagen Booster by Ole Henriksen, which is a clear, gel-like serum that brightens the skin. It smells like oranges. This one's good if you've had a lot of sun exposure. If it's morning, I proceed to #4. If it's night time, I put on a heavier night cream next. My absolute favorite night cream is Algenist Genius Anti-Aging Cream. A little pricey but I absolutely love it. Again, it's a huge container, so it will last me a long time, especially wearing it once daily. Again, Boots No.7 is a great drug store choice. Whatever you choose, look at your ingredients and pick one without parabens. As long as it has healthy ingredients....just moisturize (eye), moisturize (serum), moisturize (cream).
-Boots No.7 is a wonderful, inexpensive beauty line that can be found at Target and Ulta Stores. It's usually in the $20 range but Ulta usually has great coupons!
3. Exfoliate. I only do this when I feel like I need it. I remember the days in high school when I used to love that "Apricot Scrub" that would just scratch the heck out of my face! Those days of damaging scrubbing are over. I have a Clarisonic brush that I use every so often but have heard mixed reviews on whether it's good for your skin. I must say... I have a new favorite product and it lands in this category. It's Dr. Gross Alpha Beta Peel in Extra Strength. It's a two step process that uses pre-soaked pads. You apply the first step, wait 2 minutes, then apply the 2nd step. That's it. It leaves your skin so beautiful and glowing, stripping away all the dead skin cells. Absolutely no redness or irritation, just beautiful skin. I do this about once a week, or as needed. It's safe enough to use daily if you want. I'm so happy I found this;) I'm adding one of these in my Giveaway going on right now!! (See Giveaway on my main menu to see how you can enter...ends 4/18/15!)
4. Wear protection. I'm talking about sunscreen here. I've tried a lot of sunscreens, BB's, etc and I'm picky in this category. It has to be just the right consistency. I've found one I love that is my go-to on a daily basis. My favorite non-tinted day cream is Boots No.7 Protect & Perfect Day Cream SPF 15. It's wonderful and I feel protected from sun exposure on a daily basis.
5. Smile. This is the best one...and so simple. :) When you put a smile on your face you're immediately ten times more beautiful. Don't get botox, it's just weird. My opinion. Don't be afraid of a few smile lines here and there. Take good care of your skin, be happy...and age gracefully.
A couple of extra products that I keep around for 'every once in a while'... Josie Maran Face Oil for that once a year dry skin that needs extra help. I also love Cindy Crawford's Meaningful Beauty Glowing Serum. It really does make your skin beautiful...I can see why she calls it the model's secret;)
That's my beauty regimen. I do that every. single. day. I'd love to hear your favorite beauty tips! Or... if you didn't have one before reading this, maybe this will inspire you to get one! It's never too late to develop a healthy skin routine!
Here's to aging gracefully.
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