Lovin’ Lately

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Anyone else from Northern Jersey over here?

Is this weather driving your skin crazy? Because that’s the case for me.

One day I’m forced to wear 20 layers of clothing and the next, it’s 60 degrees outside.

I was SO excited when we actually got some snow over the holiday break (it literally started snowing Christmas Eve, the moment my parents arrived at our house for Christmas Eve dinner, it was kind of magical). Once my doctor told me that snowboarding is out of the question, at least this season, I was a bit less excited…

But hey, at least I can spend those snowy days in my bathroom, listening to an audiobook and indulging in a 10-step skincare routine.

Not too much makeup in this month’s Lovin’ Lately, I’m afraid, as I’m trying very hard not to talk about the same products over and over again (but seriously, the Dior Airflash foundation I mentioned in my Best of Beauty post, is the one makeup product I cannot stop reaching for).

I guess the only makeup product, although not really, is Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment in Rosé. Lately, it’s been my go-to lip product for those minimal-makeup days. It’s hydrating and adds just a hint of color that lasts all day.

A few weeks ago, I received yet another complimentary VoxBox from Influenster (yay!) containing the new Banana Bright Eye Crème from Ole Henriksen*, and I have to say I’m kind of in love. Those of you who’ve been reading my beauty posts for a while, know that I have THE WORST luck when it comes to eye creams. Most of them just irritate my eyes, burn and make my eyes water. This one is one of those products that play nice with that sensitive area. It’s gentle, it plays well with concealer, it’s hydrating and brightens that under-eye area very nicely. It doesn’t give any dramatic results in brightening the skin, but it does make it feel hydrated and smooth, which is what I always look for in an eye cream. My only wish is that it didn’t come in a jar- but again, that’s my wish for all skincare products.

Erno Laszlo White Marble Bright Face Mask*– this is probably one of my favorite peel-off masks I’ve ever used. I remember when first trying peel-off masks many, MANY years ago, they sort of felt like a… giant pore-strip for your face… They were SUPER painful to remove, as in, they would literally pull my facial hair out. Upon peeling off this mask, however, the skin feels and looks amazing. It feels just like a treatment you’d get at a fancy spa. In order to use the mask, you have to mix two products- a powder and a gel/liquid- and then apply it on your face, wait 20 minutes and peel it off. A box comes with 4 treatments (meaning 4 packets of powder of 4 packets of gel, to be mixed together). Once you mix the two, you have to apply it to skin immediately, as it dries very quickly.

You can easily stretch these into 8 treatments, which is something I wish I realized when I first used this mask. I mixed the entire packet of both the powder and the gel together, and once I applied a very generous amount of the product on my face, I was left with enough product to use for another treatment. Problem is, once you mix the two, the mask dries quick and unless you apply it to your skin, it becomes useless. But hey, you live and learn; you just have to make sure not to let the product dry once you open it. Point is, this mask is pretty amazing, immediately upon peeling off the mask, my skin looks brighter and feels SO smooth and soft. The “I-can’t-stop-touching-my-face (but you know, don’t)” kind of smooth. It doesn’t burn, tingle and it doesn’t leave the skin feeling dry or tight- just feeling calm, fresh, hydrated and bright. It also removes VERY easily, which is nice… and a bit rare when it comes to peel-off masks.

IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Redness Skin Relief Treatment*– yes, yes I know I said that I do not want to repeat myself. I know that I just talked about this moisturizer in my previous beauty posts, but I just can’t help it. I love it. I would only recommend this for those with dry skin, as it can leave you with a bit of glow, but boy oh boy does it help soothe the skin. Whenever my skin feels tight, dry or irritated lately, this is the first product I reach for. It not only helps with redness, but it moisturizes very well and absorbs quickly. Again, wish it came in packaging other than a jar, but still, love it.

Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask– I couldn’t decide whether or not to feature this lip mask in this post. On the one hand, I really love it, but on the other, I’m not sure if it’s worth the price. I guess if you can afford to spend 20 bucks on a lip mask then you’d like it. I love the fact that it is not sticky, gooey, and you definitely get A LOT of product for the price, since you really just need a tiny dab. When it comes to hydrating and getting rid of any dry bits and soothing chapped lips- it gets the job done nicely.

Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 8% AHA Exfoliant + Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Liquid Lotion– both were gifted to me first and I later repurchased them. No surprise here. One, I love my acids, and two, I love PC products- mainly because they are effective, fragrance-free, they don’t irritate my skin, and always come in amazing packaging. I think they will also always have a very special in my heart, as they were the first brand I’ve ever worked with professionally, as a blogger.

Yes, some of their products are a bit overpriced, in my opinion (like the HA serum) but, nonetheless, even those products are fantastic. The 8% AHA Lotion is great for fighting discoloration, aging skin, dullness, uneven skin tone, yet it’s gentle enough for a daily use. The same goes for the 2% BHA Liquid Lotion; which, is basically an amazing toner, great for acne-prone skin. I remember when as a teen, I used to use these alcohol-filled toners that would burn the shit out of my skin- well, this is a complete opposite. One, it doesn’t tingle, burn, or irritate, and two, it actually gets the job done by unclogging the pores and clearing up your skin.

I’m now back to using acids, as I noticed that my post-Accutane bright, clear skin is no longer so bright and clear, unless I stick to being very strict with my skincare routine. Thankfully, I haven’t had a breakout since finishing my treatment, but my skin does tend to look a bit dull, whenever I get too lazy with my routine.

Well… yes. I’m now so used to having clear skin, for the first time in my adult life, that whenever I see ANY signs of congestion or a possible breakout, I freak out. Which is also the reason why I overdid it with Retin-A micro a few weeks back. Even though I know very well that applying more product won’t bring better results, I just sort of… well, applied way too much than I should have.

The result?

Red, peeling, irritated, burning skin. Enter Patchology’s Restoring Night CloudMasque*. I’ve been a huge fan of Patchology’s sheet masks and hydrogels, as you guys probably know. This was their first cream product I’ve ever used- well… I’m pretty sure it’s their only cream product. Let’s just say that this overnight mask healed my irritated, dry-patch covered skin, after two uses. I now use it to buff my nightly Tazorac application, whenever I need extra hydration (other days I just reach for my trusty Cetaphil cream).

And what have you been lovin’ lately?

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