Skin first. Makeup second. Smile always.

Bonjour, mes amis! Today I’m talking about my skin and what I do to keep it as smooth and glowing as possible. Skin is the largest organ of the human body and it’s one of the first things people see when they look at your face. I don’t know about you, but that seems pretty important to me.

Okay, I’m going to be real a second. (For just a millisecond, let my guard down and tell you how I feel a second. Where are my Hamilton fans?) I haven’t always taken the best care of my skin. Removing my makeup before bed wasn’t always a part of my nightly routine. I used whatever drugstore products I could get my hands on without regard for what it could do for - or to - my skin. Signs of this abuse showed on my skin in the form of acne. It wasn’t pretty.

My journey into the wonderland of skincare started when I was working as a cosmetics consultant in a department store. The women I worked with taught me about my skin type, what my skin needed to look and feel healthy, and the benefits of establishing a skincare routine. Their advice was priceless. Since I started building good skincare habits, the results have been amazing. Now that I’m a little older, sign of aging aren’t quite as noticeable. I’ve even had people accuse me of lying about my age.

Here is my laundry list of skincare essentials. I know it looks like a lot, but I don’t use everything on the list all at once or even every day. Please don’t think I’m saying that these are the only products you should use. Not at all. This is just what works best for my skin. Everyone’s skin is different and your laundry list is probably going to be different.

• Clarisonic Mia 2
• Simple Micellar Makeup Remover Wipes
• Simple Micellar Water
• Clinique 3-Step Skincare System - Liquid Facial Soap Mild, Clarifying Lotion 2, and Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel (or DDMG)
• Origins GinZing Collection - Refreshing Scrub Cleanser, Refreshing Eye Cream, Energy Boosting Moisturizer
• Origins No Puffery Cooling Roll-On For Puffy Eyes
• Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins
• Origins Modern Friction Nature's Gentle Dermabrasion
• Lush Cup O’ Coffee Face and Body Mask
• Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub
• Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask

        

Now let’s break down my routine and how I use these products.

A.M. Routine

• Cleanse
• Wet the Clarisonic brush head under lukewarm water.
• Use a pea-sized amount (about one pump) of Liquid Facial Soap Mild.
• Complete the Clarisonic two-minute cleansing cycle.
• Rinse with lukewarm water.
• Tone
• Moisten a cotton ball with Clarifying Lotion 2.
• Sweep the cotton ball over clean skin from the center of my forehead out, across my cheeks, and down my nose and chin.
• Moisturize
• Use one pump of DDMG and press it into my skin.
• Sweep No Puffery under my eyes.
• Pat a pea-size drop of GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream under my eyes and around my temples.

P.M. Routine

• Remove makeup
• Sweep a Simple wipe over my face to remove foundation, concealer, and blush.
• Moisten a cotton ball with Simple MIcellar Water to remove eyeshadow and mascara.
• Cleanse
• Wet the Clarisonic brush head under lukewarm water.
• Use a pea-sized amount of GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser.
• Complete the Clarisonic two-minute cleansing cycle.
• Rinse with lukewarm water.
• Moisturize
• Sweep No Puffery under my eyes two or three times.
• Pat a pea-size drop of GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream under my eyes and around my temples.
• Use a nickel-sized amount of GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturizer and pat it into my skin.
• Use a nickel-sized amount of High Potency Night-A-Mins and pat it into my skin, concentrating on my cheeks and neck.

The Extras

• Exfoliation
• Masks
• Lip Care

I give my skin some extra pampering as needed, usually once or twice a week. If I notice any patches of flaky skin, I use the Modern Friction exfoliator after I cleanse. When my skin is looking a little dull, I’ll slather on the Cup O’ Coffee mask and let it work its magic while I read a chapter of my latest book. The Mint Julips and Agave Lip Mask are my go-to treatment items when I’m planning on wearing matte lipstick.

That’s all for this episode, mes amis. Thanks so much for stopping by and sharing some beauty with the world. I’d love to hear what skincare products you’re loving and hating these days. Please leave your comments or questions below. I can’t wait to hear from you! Until next time...

Bisous!

Hillari

*Disclaimer: We are not professional skincare consultants. We highly encourage that you do your own research or consult a skincare professional if you have any specific questions about a product. We also do not make any money off these links / these are not affiliate links. We are making it easier for you, as the reader, to find the products we use. We just want to keep it 100% real with you.