put this on your face: S/S22
influencer voice: a lot of you have been asking about my skincare routiiineeee
as evidenced by the chalk-yellow dust that has fallen on alabama, SPRING IS HERE! despite allergies (and weekly tornado watches š„“), i am still thrilled by every new bloom and ray of sunshine. another sign of changing seasons is the shift happening in my medicine cabinet; the heavy creams and occlusives that i relied on all winter suddenly feel like too much. slugging is unbearable. the infamous alabama humidity is back and iām ready to use it to my benefit! below iām sharing my spring/summer routine, along with an assortment of products that i am excited about and/or generally love.
morning routine
cleanse: i typically donāt do a āfull cleanseā in the mornings. i will splash my face with cold water like iām in a neutrogena commercial, followed by a swipe of micellar water to gently remove product from the night before without stripping my skin of moisture.
if you havenāt gotten reusable cotton rounds yet, let me gently push you in that direction! i bought a 20-pack on jeff bezosā website a couple years ago and theyāre 1) still kicking and 2) way better than disposables. obviously theyāre better for the environment, but theyāre also cost-efficient and provide gentle exfoliation. (added bonus: no cotton-ball cringies! iykyk)
consistent through both am & pm routines are toner/essence, serum, and moisturizer:
toner: iāve been a fan of WLDKAT for a while now, and now their products are available at target! this ginger & kombucha tonic is refreshing and leaves my skin bouncy & firm. (also highly recommend their saffron glow serumā¦the glow is REAL and itās SPECTACULAR)
serum: i purchased this paulaās choice serum to help heal my sensitized skin after a maskne flare-up, and have kept it in my routine because i love it so much. the texture is a dream, it feels soothing, and is a wonderful boost of hydration. $38 is a bit pricier than the serums iāve used in the past, but a rough estimation from my purchase history shows that it lasts me ~2 months!
moisturizer: i have re-purchased this moisturizer for years now, and have no intention of straying from it! it is simple, effective, and safe for sensitive skin. the end!
SPF: you need it. even if your makeup has SPF. (we rarely use enough product for it to be as effective as it claims.) putting effort into caring for your skin and then not wearing spf is kind of a āone step forward, two steps backā situation. the way that i tricked myself into wearing it every day was to find a product that i actually looked forward to putting on. the colorescience mineral sunscreen is just that; it works well with my skin, plays well with makeup, and has a gorgeous dewy finish. itās on the pricey end, so i plan on trying a few of @charlotteparlerās cheaper faves to supplement!
evening routine
cleanse: this can take a few paths: double cleanse: if i wear spf and/or makeup. oil cleanser only: if i am feeling dry. (the inkey list balm is fabulous and CHEAP!!!) fresh soy cleanser only: all the other times, usually when iām washing my face in the shower. (do not @ me about washing your face in the shower, i will not listen.)
exfoliate: this stuff has changed my skin. after seeing KJH use it and envying her skin, i finally caved and bought a miniā¦then quickly ran through that and ordered the full size. my skin loves the lactic acid; itās effective but non-irritating, and leaves my skin feeling fresh and bright without drying it out. iām on a hiatus with retinoids at the moment, but i find regular use of this also improves my fine lines, and a lot quicker!
toner/serum/moisturizer same as above
overnight mask: i have important wisdom (not my own) to bestow with this one: hyaluronic acid molecules can absorb up to 1000x their own weight in water. BUT!!! if the air has less water content than your skin, this effect will backfire and suck moisture OUT of your skin. the two fixes for this are: use an occlusive such as oil or vaseline when the air is dry, orrrrr use it when it is HUMID AF! remember what i said about making it work for us? thatās why i only use this in humid weather; put this on when itās raining and youāll wake as a plump little dewbaby.
goodie bag
d-bronzi is glorious bronzy goodness. if i donāt want to do āreal makeupā, i will pop this on the high points of my face & add a little blush for the perfect sunkissed look. a little goes a long way!
tower28 beachplease in power hour and golden hour are two of my favorite summer blushes. (swatches in the middle) power hour is another go-to for sunkissed cheeks; iāve even been known to put a little on my nose & temples to add to the effect! golden hour is a juicy, bright orange, but with enough depth to not make you look like that guy that used to be president.
OK - iām going out on a limb because i havenāt actually tried this trinny london lip2cheek, but i am desperately on a search for a dupe of the rudely discontinued supergoop lip & cheek treat. it was the PERFECT cherry red, with a dewy, juicy finish. will report back.
picked up these pimple patches at walmart for a handsome $5 (it was a smaller pack) and have been really impressed! it was my first time trying the āinvisibleā patches - they are thinner on the edges, and matte, so unless youāre right up in someoneās face, theyāre unnoticeable! (the HanHoo brand patches @ walmart are also fantastic and cheap.)
the FAB KP bump eraser body scrub is a game. changer. i feel weird about recommending this to people because the LAST thing i want to do is make anyone self-conscious about their body. have i EVER cared that another person has KP? no. have i cared deeply about the way MY arms and legs look and worried about other people noticing? YES. (isnāt that the way it always goes?) anyway - this shit is IT!!! yes, regular use has improved the KP on my arms, but thatās not all! i love to use this before shaving my legs in order to achieve the full dolphin-smooth effect, in between shaving to keep those wretched back-of-thigh ingrowns at bay, and as an all-over exfoliant before self-tanning!
i have been using new wash for a little over a year and idk how i havenāt been proselytizing about it all this time. it is a one-step hair wash/conditioner - no, not at all like the Suave 2-in-1 that your college boyfriend used. their website explains the how & why, but it is inspired by the CurlyGirl method of no-shampoo/co-washing, with more cleansing power. my hair is healthier, my color lasts longer, my natural wave is more cooperativeā¦need i go on? they have two other versions: RICH for hair that needs more moisture, and DEEP for hair that needs a more powerful cleanser. i use the original and only feel the need for a clarifying shampoo once every couple of months, if that! (p.s. their little scalp scrubber is a game changer.)
forever your slug -
jess
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p.s. probably quitting my job soon, the affiliate links are really paying out: