Getting ready and un-ready are two sacred rituals I perform daily. Ever since the mid-aughts, when I cultivated a beauty arsenal of cetaphil cleanser, juice bar body spray, and strawberry lip smackers lip gloss, I’ve been deeply regimented. I meditate through this vanity and always found this process appeasing. My mother was the opposite – a young mom of two who had the beauty routine of a groupie – but she wore this discontinued matte chanel foundation and shiny brown lip gloss. To me, these products were the pinnacle of beauty, luxury, and glamour. My nene always had red acrylic nails and wore mac candy yum yum atop her purple lip liner. These two icons taught me beauty and hygiene through the opposite effect. Mom was too little, grandma was too much. I’ve finally reached the zenith of products through years of dedicated curating, after racking up a few too many Sephora VIB points. I tend to collect more products than I’ll ever use, but that’s because I’m a true hobbyist. My point of measure for determining the best is knowing I’ll repurchase and go back to a product, regardless of cheating on it with it’s inferior.
SKIN:
I’ve struggled with acne since high school, and over the past ten years, have educated myself on the skin-gut connection – even though it’s only recently that I’ve done it right. I’m just as diligent about whatI put in my body as what I put on it. I went from using the PTR max complexion pads to Dermalogica’s cleansing oil, to now exclusively alternating between Rejuvi’s k cleanser and the Nano Cyclic cleansing bar after I remove my makeup with good ol’ Bioderma. Rejuvi is ultra gentle, with a few very effective ingredients. The pink circular soap bar is an intense treatment cleanser that uses micro silver particle (10 nano metres) that sink into pores (200-250 nano metres) to really clean them out. Oh, silver is antiseptic, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial, btw.
In the pm I follow up with Rejuvi’s bioflavanoid serum or Paula’s Choice azeleic acid booster depending on what my skin needs. If I’ve got major pimples, Renee Rouleau’s anti bump solution literally obliterates my skin deep cysts. In the mornings I always go in with The Ordinary’s marine hylauronic acid serum and Rejuvi’s skin healing gel. Top it off with Renee Rouleau’s spf and voila.
MAKEUP:
I like my makeup how I like my money, fast and easy. For everyday, I go in with a thin layer of Purlisse bb cream and set it with a quick dusting of It Cosmetic’s Celebration Foundation for a medium coverage, barely-there finish. These two products and my lash curler are all I use before work. For actual makeup moments, I prime with The Ordinary’s Reservatrol and use use Oxygenetix’s foundation (fucking amaze) and Glossier’s Stretch Concealer (the goat). I love the natural yet done look these give me. I’ll blend Nudestix sunset strip or bareback on my cheeks and lips for some diffused colour, they’re the best cream blush I ever tried. If I want an added glow, it’s always been all about Glossier’s Haloscope in quartz. Set with the same It Cosmetics powder. Go.
BODY:
I’m a minimalist when it comes to hair and body. Any body wash and lotion by Andalou Organics cuts it, but if I need something more moisturizing, Eucerin complete care is my boo. I’m seriously coveting the Necessaire line in sandalwood, like everyone else that’s not an insta-muse. Perfume has been Glossier You ever since it launched, and always will be. For hair, I trust Joico and Bumble and Bumble to preserve my colour-treated tresses.
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