My Morning Skincare Routine

For the past few weeks I have really fallen back in love with reading other beauty blogs and watching their review videos. I used to spend hours discovering fun new blogs to check up on but somehow I got too busy to keep up with all of them. Lately, I have been reading and watching a TON of morning and evening skincare routines and I thought I would join in on the fun! More so too because my routine has been very consistent lately. I have found one that works well for me and I have seen very minimal breakouts because of it. Keep in mind that I do have combination/normal skin, my T-zone gets super oily as the day progresses but other than that it stays pretty normal. With the exception of weather changes (I tend to get a little dry in the winter)but for the most part it's consistent.

MOTD On The Go: A Quick, Natural Face

This morning I really didn't feel like putting on a full face, mainly because it was about 85 degrees outside in Southern California, it was my day off and because I didn't have the patience. For this process I have a few go to items that give me a natural look so I grabbed a few of those and got my makeup done in around 15 Minutes.

Summer to Fall Foundation

I've mentioned on more than one occasion that I'm into dewy finish foundation. With it being so hot this summer I stuck with a lighter foundation like MAC Studio Sculpt and Lancome Tient Idole, but there were times when I also needed full coverage. A while back I purchased my shade NC25 in MAC's full coverage foundation and sent me NW25. I don't have much if any warmth in my undertone so I scooped out half the pot and put the foundation in my kit but I still had half the container left. I tried the NW25 just to test and the red was definitely a little noticeable so I toned it down by mixing it together with Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 120 and created the perfect Summer to Fall transitioning foundation. The full coverage foundation handles all the blemish problems you may be having and adding the Fit Me foundation gives the dewy look, the more you add the more dewy the texture. I only did a couple dabs because I don't like to wear powder lately. I just want to pat translucent powder on my oily areas and call it a day. I apply my foundation with a Beauty Blender and found this is the easiest way to blend the two textures together without a problem. One is a cream and one is a liquid so it takes a little bit of work to make your face look flawless but it will happen. I love this new routine because you can add or subtract the two textures to get the perfect look. Ill be sticking with this well into the fall months.

Updated Hair Routine

I don't know if it's the weather, I don't know if it was the products I was using, but lately my hair has been extremely dry. I was going back and forth with a Dove conditioner and sulfate free Trader Joe's shampoo and that routine just was not working for me, my hair literally felt like straw. I made a trip to a local salon/beauty supply store and picked up a Shampoo/Conditioner combo by Joico that was on sale for $20.00. It's not like me to purchase a product without checking out reviews or trying it first but it was on a whim and I assumed Joico was a product I could trust. Turns out I was wrong about this and this shampoo/conditioner seemed to make my dry hair problems even worse. There was too much artificially lilac scent added to it and it was doing nothing for my dryness. Shortly after this I saw that Walgreens had a sale on Organix Conditioners for buy one get one free. I've heard good things about them so I went a little crazy and bought 4. I've used the conditioner a few times and I feel like it helped but I just didn't have my shampoo game right yet. Then I took my trip to Portland...

Review: The Clean Dirt by May Lindstrom Skin

In honor of Therapeutic Thursday, last week I decided to do something I never do...take a bath. Now I realize this may not sound like such a big deal to most of you, I see so many Instagram pics of ladies with their thighs covered in bubbles soaking their bodies relaxing in a tub. Though the idea has seemed appealing to me as an adult I just have never taken the time for one, or I should say I've never taken the time for myself. So last week I drew the water, lit 3 of my favorite candles (Garden Bouquet by Bath and Body Works), set my Spotify radio to 'Yoga,' poured some lavender bath soap and turned off the lights. It was amazing, it was just what I needed, and it was all inspired by the product I'm about to review, The Clean Dirt by May Lindstrom Skin.

My New Face Routine

I've been experiencing breakouts more lately and I'm pretty sure I can attribute that to me changing my birth control, because for the most part I have clear skin. But I do wear a fair amount of makeup so it's important to me that my skin is nice and clean before I go to sleep. For a while I had been searching for a cleanser that makes my skin feel clean, but also not too dried out. My skin type is Dry-Normal and I typically have no problem finding a cleanser that takes the makeup off, but most of them strip away my natural oils and leave my skin feeling even more dry and tight. And as of now the products I'm using do not do that...

Cleanser- Kampuku Beauty Bar
I discovered this cleanser when I was trolling thru some makeup up artist's Instagram and she promoted it as a great cleanser that does not over-dry the skin, and I can say that thia is a perfect description! This bar takes all of my makeup off with no problem and even before I apply my moisturizer my skin feels soft and clean. It doesn't have a scent so if you're sensitive to that, this is a perfect solution. It works well for all skin types and you only need to lather it up a little bit to get enough soup to take off a days worth of makeup. Definitely worth the buy. I purchased it at Sprouts market, it's an organic product so it might be sold in similar stores, or you can always get it on Amazon.

Price: $ 11.00
Rating: 9/10

Exfoliating: Beyond Belief ABH Pore Refining Blemish Scrub

I've been using this scrub for a while and I really do feel like it is clearing my skin. The scrubbing beads are super tiny so they're not too abrassive for daily use. But I find myself only using it about every 3 days or so. I'd say the only thing I don't like about it is that it has a really weird smell. Very similar to black licorice, which I don't like at all. But other than that, it does the trick and it a great buy. I bought mine at Sally's Beauty Supply.

Price: $6.59

Rating: 8.5/10



Toning- Oil of Olay Toner w/ Witchhazel

I don't use toner on my skin everyday, just on the days that I feel I need a bit more deep cleansing. And I want my skin to have that fresh feeling. I purchased this toner a while ago, and I like it. It doesn't dry out my skin and witchhazel has so many amazing effects on the skin such as clearing blemishes, soothing rashes, dry skin, and sun burns. Because of this I would also suggest buying straight witch hazel, which can also be purchased at sprouts for about $5.00.

Oil of Olay: $4.00

Rating: 7/10

Moisturizer: Neutragena Oil- Free Moisturizer

I LOVE this moisturizer! I was struggling for a while to find something with the perfect balance of being heavy enough to heal dry skin and light enough to wear under makeup and this is the perfect solution. The only down side is if you get it in your eyes, you're gonna be in some pain so just avoid that. Other than that, it's great

Price: $9.99

Rating: 9/10