Worth It: What I Use on My Face

While a lot of this video resonated with me (like my insane jealousy that she's still allowed to eat gouda..."you look like bad news, I gotta have you"), my favorite part is where she says "I've got wrinkles and acne at the same time, it's miserable." (Not magical, just miserable.)  More worried about the acne than the wrinkles at this point.  So my magical unicorn aesthetician recommended a Skinceuticals protocol (with a few other additions)..  This stuff ain't cheap but it has slowly, surely, been improving my skin.

Skinceuticals LHA Cleansing Gel: I can feel this stuff vacuuming out my pores.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant:  MAGIC.  This stuff is super gentle, which is good because my face wash also has exfoliant properties.  This just sort of gently whisks away dry skin, feels really nice on  (not scratchy, pretty smooth), and my skin feels so smooth and soft after I use it.

Skinceuticals LHA Priming Toner: Any vacuuming left to do, this does it.  I don't use it every day or all over my face.  Usually just a couple times a week on my nose and chin to de-grossify it.

Skinceuticals Daily Pore Minimizing Moisture: I use this during the day, before makeup (unless I'm only wearing tinted moisturizer, then I skip it).

Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defense: This is the real rock star.  I have a sneaking suspicion that I could cut out most of the rest of this routine and this would still set me right.  I wear it at night, only on my chin and neck. (Yes, neck.  It's age defense too!)

Lumene Vitamin C+ Bright Skin Radiance Nectar: I wear this on the rest of my face (non-chin parts) at night, to counteract the drying effect of the face wash and toner.


Frankly, I also think cutting way back on dairy consumption has been helpful, AND after this weekend (we're hosting a party on Sunday for my debaters), my husband and I are going back on South Beach, which means way more lean protein and veggies and cutting out starches and sugars, which will likely help too.  The only thing that's been suggested that I just can't do is cut out caffeine.  You can pry my coffee mug from my cold, dead hands, but honestly I'd prefer to be buried with it just in case I need it in the afterlife.

Oh, one more product review: Revlon Lip Butter.

You should buy this stuff 'cause it's amazing.  Vibrant, shiny, sorta-sheer-but-not-TOO-sheer color, feels like nothing on, cheap enough that I don't feel bad just tossing it in the makeup bag in my purse and putting it on when my fancier lipstick wears off (usually by the end of my morning commute--seriously, I only really put it on at home so I look human in the pictures I take for the blog; if not for y'all I'd be applying it 30 seconds before walking into the classroom).  Also, it makes my lips feel soft and amazing.  I bought it in Strawberry Shortcake (above, which reads as a baby pink);

Raspberry Pie (pretty, sheer, wearable fuschia):

And Juicy Papaya (light coral-peach, Amazon is charging like $13 for this one so get it at Target for $6):

THE BEST.  I would not lie to you about this.