In many of my previous blog posts, I discuss my love of skin care products. The skin is the largest organ in the body and I think it deserves the best treatment. I'm very lucky to not have any serious skin issues, but it doesn't mean that I don't need to take care of my skin. So, I thought that I would share my favourite products with you all!
The first product is the Mango Exfoliating Sugar Body Scrub. This product is from The Body Shop and usually retails at 22$, but is on sale online at www.thebodyshop.com for $11. I love The Body Shop products because they pride themselves on being cruelty-free and I think that is so important when purchasing beauty products. I keep the body scrub in the shower to use at the end of my shower routine. Honestly, I don't use it on my whole body because my shower gel already has exfoliating properties, but I use this scrub specifically for my hands and feet. The sugar really helps to buff away dead skin. I have very dry skin on my hands because I am constantly washing/sanitizing them for work and during the winter it's even worse. I actually get brown spots on my hands from build-up of dry skin, but, since using this product, that issue has been minimized. I have to say that it is also important to moisturize your hands. You should be using a HAND moisturizer ... no matter what your boyfriend says - you need keep all of your lotions because body lotion is not the same as hand lotion. I don't have a hand moisturizer on this list, but I use a very basic one. It's especially important to moisturize after using this scrub on your hands and feet, so that you are protecting your new layer of skin that has now become exposed. It's a multi-step process!
The next product is the Vitamin C Glow Boosting Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Face Scrub (*gasps for air*) ... it's a lengthy title, but this face scrub is absolutely one of my favourite products. It's from The Body Shop and usually retails for $23, but it's on sale on their website right now for $17.25! It's a great product; especially when you need a little burst of Vitamin C to wake you up on those dark winter mornings. The scrub makes you feel like you're washing the nightly oils away and prepping your skin for the day ahead. It contains Amazonian camu camu berry, which is known to have one of the highest contents of Vitamin C. The Vitamin C helps to protect your skin against the harsh winter environments and promotes collagen production. The instructions on the back, say that you should only use this product twice a week ... I don't really follow that, but I recommend not going too crazy with the scrubbing if you're going to use it daily. My skin goals in the mornings are to appear awake and refreshed; and this product is a great way get those results!
So this next product isn't a part of my daily routine, but it's definitely a product I like to treat myself with on a bi-weekly basis. Everyone is aware of my love of face masks...if not, then you should know that I love face masks. The Tea Tree Oil Skin Clearing Clay Face Mask started my love journey with face masks. Usual price is $19, but it's on sale for $14.25. I've used tea tree oil since I was a teenager. It is great for blemishes and areas of redness. So, when I saw this mask at The Body Shop (I swear this isn't an ad for The Body Shop) I just had to try it and I love it! This is my #1 favourite product. It's great to use periodically for a deeper cleanse. The mask is great to reduce overall redness, it evens skin, and reduces the appearance of scars. Just over a year ago, I was attacked by my curling iron ... it went straight for the throat ... and I was left with a nasty burn that left an upsetting scar. When I use this clay mask, I always make sure to apply it to my neck, as well as my face. The skin on your neck is frequently forgotten, but it's such an important area to take care of. Since using this mask, my scar has considerably faded. I love this face mask because it always leaves my skin feeling extremely refreshed!
Well, we might as well finish The Body Shop ad (not an ad). The final product from The Body Shop is the Matte Lip Liquid Lipstick in shade Mauritius Dahlia 017. Regularly $15, but online sale for only $11.25. This liquid lipstick is available in 12 shades and is long-lasting. I looked long and hard for a deeper red lipstick, but I couldn't find one in the shade that I liked until I stumbled upon this matte lipstick. As you can tell, I most likely have a Body Shop shopping problem because whenever I go in ... I come out poorer, but more beautiful! I wasn't expecting to buy makeup on that day, but when I saw this shade, I had to have it! The lipstick goes on evenly and smoothly; and doesn't leave your lips with that awful sticky sensation.
This next product is not from The Body Shop, but from another store I love called Yves Rocher. This product is the Hydra Vegetal Intense Hydrating Mask. I usually use this mask after the Tea Tree Oil Clay Face Mask to moisturize my skin. I'll also use it if I feel like my skin is extra dry that day and I need to give it a boost of moisture. This product is usually $19, but you can get it online at www.yvesrocher.ca for $13 right now! All of these sales makes me wonder why I don't buy all of my products online! The mask leaves your skin moist and plump so that you can tackle your day looking like your best self! You use a dab of the gel to cover your face and after a few minutes, you wipe off any excess. You're face ends up looking rejuvenated! And who doesn't want that?!
I got these two products at different times, but they have quickly become a crucial part of my morning skin care routine. The Juice Beauty Smoothing Eye Concentrate I received from my Summer FabFitFun box and it retails for $29. While the Crusader Eye Serum Complex was actually from a subscription box called The Gentlemen's Box that Blake used to receive. He never used it when he first received it, but now that I've begun using it he always tries to steal it from me. After I wash my face, before I moisturize, I use the eye serum complex under my eyes to reduce dark circles. The serum is infused with Vitamin C (I love my Vit-C) and antioxidants to help get rid of those dark circles from many nights of being on-call. As well, it helps to revitalize your skin and reduce fine lines. You can get the serum online at crusader-grooming.com for $32.99; I'm not sure if that's USD or CAD. Anyways, you use the roller by rolling the serum twice under your eyes, leaving it for a minute, then dabbing in the residual. Afterwards, I moisturize my face and then use the smoothing eye concentrate to brighten under and around my eyes. It's all about the illusion of being awake at 7 a.m. when you'd rather be in bed.
So, this final product isn't a beauty product, but I use it as part of my overall self-care regime. It's the Toasted Marshmellow Charmed Aroma Soy Wax Candle. This is my first Charmed Aroma product and so far I like it. The candle has three-wicks and is part of the necklace collection. I haven't burned enough of the candle to get the necklace yet, but it's exciting to know that there's a prize at the bottom of the cereal box! The toasted marshmellow scent is like a warm hug. It smells great! I'm not one to burn candles just for the sake of it like Blake, but I enjoy lighting them while I soak in the bath. I'm a big bath lover! Nothing is better than soaking in a warm bath whether alone or with a partner. It's so relaxing and this candle adds to the ambiance. With three wicks, it produces quite a bit of light and can fill the room with the scent. I know Charmed Aroma has many different products that you can buy for a variety of prices, so I would recommend checking them out! They are also great to give as gifts ... which is how I got mine!
This brings us to the end of my Winter Beauty Favourites post. I hope you enjoyed reading about the products that I use. If you enjoyed this, let me know and maybe I'll do another post in the Spring! I encourage you all to try them out for yourself, but understand that everybody's skin is different. So, try out products that work for you and, if they don't, discontinue and try something new! As long as our skin is happy, that's one less thing that we have to worry about!