Welcome back to Beauty Booty, a great place to take advantage of all the money I’ve spent on grooming products in the past ten years!
Today, let’s talk about the skin. It’s your largest organ and keeps you from looking like a pile of innards, so it’s a pretty big deal. I love skin care almost as much as teeth whitening!
My facial skin is most likely characterized as “normal.” It gets a little drier in the winter and oilier in the summer, but for the most part, it’s pretty normal. The skin on my body is dry. So a lot of these products go with those types of skin; I’m afraid I don’t have too much experience with breakouts or fine lines.
First, it’s pretty hard to have good skin without a healthy diet. When I was a protein-deprived vegetarian, my skin was a horrible color. If I don’t eat enough fat consistently, my skin gets dry. And if I eat too much sugar or refined carbs, it leads to clogged pores. When I drink too much…oy vey. My skin is at its best and brightest when I eat berries, healthy oils, and get a lot of exercise.
Well, you might as well start in the shower. A good body wash goes a long way. I love Dove body wash, and I like the Target knock-off even more–I think it smells great. If you have dry skin, try to look for creamy body washes; if you have oily skin, try shower gels or bar soap (totally underrated in my opinion, and very inexpensive). This winter I got really into Philosophy 3-in-1 Red Velvet Cake…yum! You can also use a shower gel with salicylic acid (Neutrogena’s is boss) on bacne-prone areas.
Exfoliation is very important to keeping your skin looking fresh and youthful. It whisks away dead skin cells and speeds cell turnover. I exfoliate in the shower every other day to keep my skin from getting scaly. Right now I am into the exfoliating gloves, which you can get for under $5 at most drugstores. I also like using St. Ives Apricot Scrub (a classic) on my whole body. I also use the St. Ives on my face every other day. You really shouldn’t exfoliate your face every day–it can aggravate your pores and lead to breakouts.
My trick to really supple skin is one I picked up from Ms. Halle Berry. I read a few years ago that she always uses body oil as soon as she gets out of the shower, before her skin dries. This seals in the moisture right away. (You have to do a very light once-over with your towel, or the oil just slides off the water.) Wait five to ten minutes, and then put on your body lotion or body cream. At the drugstore, you can find Neutrogena Body Oil; Sabon NYC also makes a very luxurious one that is definitely worth the shipping and handling if you’re not in the city. Sabon is so decadent and pampering, and they just started carrying organics!
I also started using Nivea Body Oil this year and really liked it. The drugstore versions don’t have a scent though, so they are a better pick if you have a scented lotion you really love. I have the Sabon oil n vanilla patchouli lavender, and it’s more for before bed or a romantic date (and we all know I have a lot of those). Its smells gorgeous, it’s just very heady, and needs to be used with a mild or unscented lotion.
I’m not loyal to any particular lotion. I use Bath & Body Works or Jergens quite a bit. I’m a big fan of cocoa butter though. It’s awesome for making skin soft and minimizing scars and stretch marks, which weight loss and gain can contribute to. It smells kind of strong, so use it alone at night.
A lot of people have the condition where you get little reddish bumps on the back of your arms — I am one of those people! It’s called keratosis and it’s a very common dermatological condition, caused by dead skin clogging up hair follicles (lovely, right?). I don’t think it’s clogged pores–I know it’s just God trying to ruin my quest for totally perfect skin. I’ve talked to a few doctors about it. There’s no cure, but you can treat it with a few different creams. I’ve found that AmLactin works best, applied twice a day. It’s got heavy duty chemical sloughers to unplug pores. If you have this condition, it can be tempting to scrub at the bumps, but that can aggravate them, so try a cream first, and maybe gently exfoliate once every few days.
OK so now that your body is soft and fluffy, let’s talk about your face!
First, you have to wash your face and take off your makeup every night. Not doing that is a mortal sin in my book. I lived with so many girls who didn’t do this, and they had chronic eye infections, not to mention they looked like shit every morning. (Sorry, but it’s true.) On my 21st birthday, I was a hot mess, but all I know is I asked for makeup remover wipes and a trash can before passing out. I removed my makeup, threw up for the fourth time, and went to sleep. Makeup remover wipes are a great way to deal if you’re lazy about taking off your makeup! I love the ones from London’s Boots, available at Target. They also remind me of studying abroad in the UK. Oil of Olay and the Target brand work well too! I used to use them every night but I quit to be less wasteful. But they’re really nice to have on hand, and they are good for a pre- or post-workout wipe down if you’re prone to breakouts.
When it comes to choosing a face wash, let your skin type be your guide. Cetaphil is the gold standard of face wash and works for most people with normal or dry skin. Also give a cleansing oil a chance! It sounds counter-intuitive, but it’s great for dissolving makeup and leaving skin very soft. I swear Nivea just came out with one, but I can’t seem to find it online.
Don’t go overboard trying to deep clean your skin, because that can produce more oil. Oily skin does well with foam or gel cleanser, and can usually benefit from a toner afterward. It’s totally OK to mix and match product lines, but if you find a system that works for you like Proactiv or Clinique (I used their 3-step system for years and I do believe it’s wonderful), go for it!
You really should only wash your face at night. (In the morning, just rinse with water.) Follow up with a light serum, or, if you have drier skin, a lotion or night cream. I also use an eye cream, which is richer and more concentrated. Eye skin is very delicate, so apply gently!
After your morning rinse-off, pat face dry with a baby washcloth (a beauty secret I discovered when my brother was a baby), or simply don’t and let it air dry (I’ve heard this is the secret to gorgeous skin when you’re older). Apply SPF or moisturizer with SPF to dry skin.
A lot of girls in their twenties are thinking about anti-aging products. Save. Your. Money. You’re not aging. Cut it out. Buy sunscreen. Shut up. The sun ages you. “Anti aging” should equal “anti sun.” SPF, kthxbye.
Moving on…this is where your routine may branch off a bit. It depends how high-maintenance you are, or where you’re heading that day. If you don’t wear makeup, you might stop right here.
If you want to look glowy and nice for daytime, I’d suggest using Bare Minerals next. I love this line. It was my 2008 New Year’s resolution to try these products, and I’m a believer! I recommend going to a store that carries them (like Sephora) to be sure you get the right shade, and buying the starter kit. It comes with a DVD that shows you how to apply. Swirl (a lot, get it nice and warm), tap, brush on. You’ll think, “Oh this looks fine,” look down to put the jar back in your make up bag and then look up and say, “Well, hello, gorgeous!” It’s pretty phenomenal. This makeup is incredibly light and doesn’t feel like anything on. It’s like you, but just a little…prettier! It’s so, so good for sensitive or acne-prone skin. Bare Minerals also includes a bronzer step (just called “Warm,” which I love) that I use in the winter and early spring. I’m not too experienced with bronzer beyond that.
Bare Minerals does make concealer, but I have dark circles, so I prefer to use a cream concealer. I used Merle Norman for years and years, and then one day tried Benefit (because, oh, hey, they finally started making colors for brown people) and I love it! I apply the concealer before the Bare Minerals.
That’s a great basic day routine, but if you’re going out and need to sex it up a notch, it’s a whole new ball game.
To get a perfect surface, start with a primer. Smashbox is the original, and I’ve tried a few others — this stuff is the deal, and it’s worth the money. You don’t need much, just a pea sized amount to lightly coat your face and make it silky smooth. Wait about ten minutes, and then apply foundation.
A lot of girls shy away from foundation because it can be perceived as mask-like. The key is to finding a great formula. I swear by Makeup Forever HD foundation. First, this comes in a TON of shades. You really, really have to have an expert help you pick it out–there are way too many shades to do it yourself. But having so many to choose from, from Nicole Kidman to Naomi Campbell, means it’s very accessible to all skin colors and tones. It’s created for HDTV which shows every flaw; this means it’s pretty much flawless. My number one goal in terms of personal grooming is flawless skin, sooo…trust me.
Apply it using a damp sponge. The Beauty Blender is the gold-standard but Sonia Kashuk makes one for Target that does the job quite well for half the price. Wet it, squeeze out the water, put a minimal amount of foundation on, and blend evenly on your face and under your jaw and chin.
I read somewhere that to get a really dewy complexion you shouldn’t put foundation on your cheeks. Interesting and worth a try! Regardless, apply blush next. I, like millions of women, use Nars Orgasm blush every day. Apply with a big fluffly brush to the apples of your cheeks. Make your O face. Sexy sexy! It gives you a healthy glow. I also love gel and liquid blush when I want to look a little more flushed. Victoria’s Secret has a stick blush that always makes me look (and feel) like I’ve been doing something naughty–in a good way. It’s not on the Web site but it should be at the store; check during Semi-Annual Sale in January and stock up!
At this point, finish with a microfiber powder to set everything — either Bare Minerals or this Makeup Forever one. That’s going to take your look from gorgeous to flawless.
If I really want to look my best, I’ll dab a tiny amount of highlighter on my upper cheeks and near my undereyes. Use a light hand — this can easily go awry. Don’t rub it in; just pat it gently for a really glowing effect. This Smashbox one works well, but I think a drugstore variety would do the trick just fine.
OK I know that was a long description, but in actuality, it does not take me an hour to get ready every day. And also, lest you think I have hundreds of dollars to spend on skin care, keep in mind that a lot of this stuff I got free through work or samples because I shop at Sephora a lot.
Maintaining good skin through a healthy diet and a good cleansing ritual means the things you put on your face every day will look better. And experimenting with new things and not getting stuck in a rut may lead to your finding that perfect product!
Feel free to share your skin care secrets in the comments below! I love hearing everything you’ve tried, from old wives’ tales to hot new products!!
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