Hello people! Have anything fun planned for this weekend? Not me…I’ll just be waking up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to head to the DMV to renew my license. Thrilling. Well, I’m going to try to make the most of it, I do love waking up early on the weekends to enjoy as much of the day as possible.

Okay, let’s talk skin care. I’ve finally come to accept that my acne is mostly hormonal, so at the end of the day no matter how amazing the products are that I use, they aren’t going to alter my hormones. Darn. With that being said, the products in this post are my favorites after years of trial and error. I purchase all my beauty products at Sephora apart from my Lush face lotion. Whenever I’m having a bad day I just stop in Sephora and am instantly in a better mood! Am I one of their biggest fans? Yes!

Below are the products that I use in my nightly routine, the exfoliating products I might not use every night, but they do make their appearances, which is why I’ve included them in this post.

• Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser • Of all the products in this post…buy this one!! I am obsessed with this cleanser. I’ve tried a lot of cleansers and this one is so gentle, but highly effective at balancing my skin and, well…cleaning it! I also use this cleanser as a mask and wow the results are so obvious. After I shower I’ll gently rub 1 pump into my skin and leave it on for 20 minutes or even overnight. Regardless of how long I keep it on my face has a much more even tone and beautiful glow afterwards. Isn’t that what we’re all looking for?

One of the newer brands that I am sweet on is boscia. I’ve tried a few of their products, but the Exfoliating Peel Gel and MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleaning Oil are the ones I can’t live without. Here’s why…

• Exfoliating Peel Gel • The first time I used this product I didn’t like it at all…that’s because I didn’t read the instructions/had no idea how to use it! I actually had a sample of this product, tossed it in the bottom of my beauty drawer and was like, oh well… then, a few months later I found myself at Sephora having terribly dry, peeling skin. The sales associate that helped me pointed me in the direction of this product, which she said is a lifesaver for dry/peeling skin. At this point I’d completely forgotten I even owned a sample of this boscia peel gel, so I tested it out in store, loved it and bought the full size version. Here’s how it works…

How to use:  Step 1: wash your face // Step 2: let your skin dry for 10-15 min (do not apply lotion or any other products!) // Step 3: pump dime size of peel gel onto palm of your hand, using fingertips rub the gel in a circular motion onto your face, it’s going to kind of clump up into small white balls an that’s okay, you’ll rinse it off. Especially focus on areas of skin that are dry/peeling. // Step 4: rinse off, pat skin dry, and apply other products (may I suggest the Lush Imperialis lotion?)

 

• MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil •  Have you struggled like me to find a product that effectively removes your makeup without being too harsh on your skin? For the longest time I wasn’t even using a make-up remover before washing my face (and that’s bad!), so I’m finally overjoyed to say I found the perfect product! I think it’s pretty self explanatory, but I just use one pump of this oil, gently massage into my skin, rinse, and then follow up with a cleanser.     • Lush Imperialis Lotion • Okay, honestly I avoided going into Lush for the longest time because the scent of the store is so strong. Just walking by can almost leave you with a headache; it’s not that the products smell badly, but their scents are just so overpowering. When I flew out to Colorado this summer I brought my boscia Green Tea Oil-free Moisturizer (which I love, it’s so light and refreshing), but I didn’t realize how much more dry my skin would be in Colorado’s climate, which lacks humidity. The first morning of my trip I was out exploring, stumbled upon a Lush Cosmetics and went in hoping they’d be able to help me. Needless to say it was a success! The employees were extremely helpful and knowledgable and were able to test several products on my skin to see which I would prefer. I ended up going with this Imperialis lotion; it has rose water in it which helps balancing your skin’s oils and the scent is so subtle. No headaches! I typically stay away from products with any scent, but I love how this lotion smells,  it’s really soothing.

• Josie Maran Argan Exfoliating Cleansing Powder • On top of using the Boscia exfoliating peel gel (see above), I also use this exfoliating cleansing powder by Josie Maran once or twice a week. Obviously I have problem skin so when my skin is acting up (which is always) I am reluctant to exfoliate and irritate my skin more. This powder is ground so fine that it is the best exfoliating experience I have found so far. Carefully pour a little onto the palm of your hand and add a few drops of warm water, then massage into your wet face.

What products are in your nightly routine? Are you a 1-2 product person or do you have a whole orchestra of products like me?