Good morning you bad betches and happy Tuesday! I’m sharing my FULL morning and night skincare routines today! Grab a diet coke and some popcorn because this post is longgggg.
I just recently developed a skincare routine… at 26 years old. Growing up I never had blemishes or any skin issues so I just always thought, “only people with acne need a skincare routine, right?” Wrong. I also used to never wear sunscreen (like ever at all) and I would sleep in my makeup every night. I’m sorry if you just had a heart attack. Then, on the morning of my 25th birthday, I woke up with all of these fine lines! (Jk they didn’t all appear at once, but you know what I mean!) And there folks, was my quarter-century-life-crisis…
So I spent the past year researching skin types, beauty products, what causes fine lines, what will irritate my face, and what will actually work for me. Let me tell ya, it took a longgg time to figure out the products and routine that worked for me. Beauty is not one-size-fits-all, you know.
There are 4 skin types: Normal, Oily, Dry, and Combination skin. I have Combination skin, meaning that my face is a little oily in my “T zone” but dry or normal everywhere else. So I had to look for products that weren’t super oily, or else I would look like I just dipped my face in olive oil. But I also had to look for products that wouldn’t dry my skin out because my face would get extra dry and I would get these flaky, dry patches. No Bueno!
List of My Products & Their Price:
1. Bio Oil – I use this after I get out of the shower, for my stretch marks: boobs, upper thighs, inside of thighs, bum cheeks. I just put a little in my hand and massage in circular motions. ($27)
2. Tend Skin Solution – I also use this after the shower to prevent razor burn and ingrown hairs. I put a few drops of this onto a cotton ball and apply to my bikini line/good girl area. I tried Brazilian waxing and it left me with the WORST, most PAINFUL ingrown hairs (you can read my Brazilian Wax Review post here). But this product really helps! ($19)
3. TULA Purifying Face Cleanser – I use this product with my Clarisonic Mia 2 cleansing brush either while I’m in the shower or in the morning if I didn’t shower. This facial cleanser is very gentle and doesn’t dry out my skin or leave me with blemishes, which most other cleansers do because they are too harsh on my skin. ($28) (Mia $99)
4. TULA Pro-Glycolic 10% pH Resurfacing Gel – this is what I use as my toner. I always use this after I wash my face or use a makeup removal wipe to help re-balance my skin and replenish the important acids that the cleaners just removed. ($34)
5. Tarte Pout Prep Lip Exfoliant – y’all, I have the most chapped lips in the whole world. They are constantly cracking and bleeding and it’s so embarrassing. I scrub the crap out of my lips with this stuff to get them all nice and smooth and then I use chapstick during the day or this lip mask at night (linked below) to keep them not-chapped! ($16)
6. It Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream Moisturizer – this stuff if the bomb dot com. I use this at night because it’s so thick but I always wake up with the softest, glowing skin in the mornings! ($31)
7. TULA Hydrating Day & Night Cream – I use this moisturizer in the mornings because it is not oily at all!! And that’s why I love it… I don’t feel like a giant grease monster during the day after putting this on! This was kind of a splurge product and that’s why I only use it in the morning and not at night like the name suggests. But it has gone a long way! ($98)
8. TULA Multi-Spectrum Eye Renewal Serum – I also use this in the mornings because of the stainless steel applicator tip. It’s so cold under my eyes and will instantly get rid of puffiness and make me look like I just had a blissful 9 hours of sleep. Also, one pump is more than enough for both eyes. I usually do a tiny pump for each eye. ($58)
9. TULA Revitalizing Eye Cream – I use this eye cream at night under and around my eyes to help with the fine lines. And trust me, a little goes a long way!! This cream is very thick so just a tiny tiny sprinkle is enough for each eye! ($52)
10. NeuLash Lash Enhancing Serum – omg this stuff is amazing. I tried eyelash extensions and they left my eyelids looking like sh*t y’all!! My eyelashes were tiny little nubs, it was awful! But I started using NeuLash every night and they grew back SO quickly and even longer than before! I wish I had taken a before picture… But you’ll just have to trust me, this stuff saved my life! ($150)
11. Go Smile On The Go Teeth Whitening Pen – I like to put this on in the mornings after I brush my teeth and let it sit while I put on my makeup. You have to let it sit for at least 20 minutes so usually I’ll get ready while I let mine sit! ($19)
12. Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask – this is the lip mask I use at night after I exfoliate. This is definitely in my top 3 beauty must-haves because it works wonders. I apply this at night after I exfoliate my lips and sleep in it all night. ($26)
13. Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Skin Exfoliant – I do not use this product every day, only 2 times a week. And I use it right after I wash my face with the TULA purifying cleanser. This will exfoliate all of the dead skin off of your face and leave your face feeling brand new, ready to take on the world. It also helps with fine lines also! I gently apply this to my face using my hands. ($44)
14. Baebody Eye Gel – I actually use this in several different places, not just my eyes. This product has some crazy-good reviews and before/after photos on Amazon! I use this under and around my eyes, on my forehead, on my neck and decollete, on my chest, and on my cleavage (I had a breast augmentation so the skin was really stretched out on my boobs!). This stuff is also really light and greasy! ($24)
15. Julep Boost Your Radiance Reparative Rosehip Seed Facial Oil – I know, that is a mouthful. But it works great! My skin absolutely glows after using this and my skin has drastically changed since I started using it. My skintone is much brighter and more even-toned. I use 2 drops of this in the mornings before my moisturizer to avoid looking oily! ($36)
16. Loving Tan 2 HR Express Self Tanning Mousse (Dark) – this is by far the best self tanner that I’ve used. I apply this with, an applicator mitt, on Tuesdays and Sundays and it gets me so dark y’all!! And it doesn’t leave my skin looking orangey or red (I’m part Native American so my skin always has a red-tint to it anyways). ($40)
17. Clinique Moisture Surge 72 Hour Auto-Replenishing Hydrator – I actually picked this up during Ulta’s Holiday sale so it was only $9.50 for the 1oz. I use this moisturizer only twice a week and at night because they are not joking around about the “moisture surge” aspect. This is great for helping hydrate your skin and helping with fine lines, but I would be careful if you do have oily skin because it might make you feel “greasy”. ($19)
When it comes to skincare routines, it’s important to cover all of your skin’s needs in order to stay healthy and hydrated:
- Cleanser to remove the dirt and grime
- Exfoliator to remove the dead skin and open up your pores
- Toner to rebalance your skins’ acids and keep it healthy/functioning
- Serum to penetrate your skin with antioxidants
- Moisturizer to help hydrate your skin and lock in moisture
Here are what my Morning and Evening Skincare Routines consist of:
Morning Skincare Routine:
- TULA Purifying Cleanser & Clarisonic Mia 2 to wash face
- Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion to exfoliate face (only 2x per week)
- TULA Pro-Glycolic Toner to replace acids and balance pH after cleansing/exfoliating
- TULA Eye Renewal Serum under eyes
- Julep Rosehip Seed Serum to add antioxidants
- Baebody Eye gel in all “problem areas”
- TULA Hydrating Cream to moisturize face
- Go Smile teeth whitening pen while I put on makeup
Evening Skincare Routine:
- Loving Tan Self Tanner on Tuesdays & Sundays (needs two hours to sit)
- Bio Oil on stretch marks
- Tend Skin solution for ingrown hairs (after I shower/shave)
- TULA Pro-Glycolic Toner (after I washed my face in the shower or used a makeup remover wipe to remove leftover makeup)
- Tarte Pout Prep to exfoliate lips
- TULA Eye Cream under and around eyes
- It Cosmetics Moisturizer or Clinique Moisture Surge
- NeuLash on top of lashes and on the waterline ender the top lashes
- Bite lip mask
And there it is. My very first skincare routine! My skin has really improved since starting this routine. These products have helped decrease the appearance of fine lines, even out my skin tone, make my skin look more radiant, decrease dark spots and redness, minimize my pores, and keep my skin hydrated!
Above is a before and after! Those photos were taken a month apart. You can see that the dark circles under my eyes are less dark, my lips are less chapped, my pores are smaller, the fine line in the corner of my mouth in the before pic is completely gone, under my eyes are less puffy, and my overall complexion is much brighter and more even-toned!!! I’d say those are some pretty awesome results after only a month!
If you do not already have a skincare routine or you are not happy with your current skincare routine and product lineup, I would highly suggest checking out the products above and seeing what works for you and what doesn’t. You can also look up the reviews and see what other people have to say about these products as well!
Happy self-caring babes and remember to invest in yourself!
