I am still using her products exclusively and my skin has never been better. I cannot say enough good things about her products! :)
Wednesday, April 29, 2015
Paula's Choice discount code!
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Products I am loving!!
I have this in Persian Sunset. I also want Sparkling Sands but I went to two different Targets and they were both sold out!!
I love the glowy dewy look and this product helps me to achieve it! I love to use this on my cheekbones, on my cupid's bow, under my eyebrows, down my nose, on my chin....
I have a bunch of different highlighting products but I wanted something more convenient than a powder or a liquid and I did a lot of research online to find something that would be long lasting. Makeupalley reviewers and Paula didn't steer me wrong here!!
I have this in all three colors and I love them all!! This gives me that lit-from-within natural looking glow that I love!
This is a very sexy in a Victoria's-Secret-model-kind-of-way pink and it hydrates my lips better than most lip balms!
Superstar ingredients are:
Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Vegetable Oil, Caprylic Triglyceride, Euphorbia Cerifera (Candelilla) Wax, Beeswax, Paraffin, Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter Extract, Microcrystalline
(reads like a lip balm but the color payoff is great!)
This is my go-to everyday pink and I have even been wearing it instead of my usual bright red at night. Natural pink colors like this, especially ones that hydrate and plump lips, give a nice youthful look that goes along well with the whole dewy glowy thang.
I love this product as an eyeliner! I tried it on my brows but I think I was too heavy-handed and they were a bit out of my comfort zone. This gives the most natural smudgy look as an eyeliner, I absolutely love it! It's the same look that can be achieved with an angled brush using eyeshadow as liner, except this is so much easier!
Best eyeshadow palette EVER!!!! I got this free with my $65 purchase in December. I would gladly pay the $40 for this if I ever lost it. This is everything I ever wanted in an eyeshadow palette. It's love.
There are so many more products I love and so little time, sigh.
I've also been loving Paula's tinted moisturizer and her limited edition bronzer as well as CoverGirl's Exact Eyelights black gold mascara for hazel eyes, NYC Cityproof 24 hour waterproof eyeshadow chubby stick (in Rockefeller Center Snowflakes for the inner corner of my eyes!) and Maybelline's Dream Lumi pen which I use in Nude for my browbone and any dark circles under my eyes.
There's lots more but that's all I have time for for now! :)
Monday, February 9, 2015
Battle of the Balms! (along with tangents on skin irritants and sunscreens...)
I have been on a search for the perfect moisturizing lip balm.
I want something that I can buy 10 sticks of and keep everywhere so my lips are always hydrated- one in the car, one at the computer desk, one in my work purse, my everyday purse, in my makeup bag, gym bag, etc etc.
I am not including lip glosses, wet shine stains, tinted lip butters etc etc in this comparison as it would get too lengthy- that's a whole other post (or 2 or 3) for another day- although I will say that I do love the Revlon Lip Butters- I keep Candy Apple in my gym bag!
My perfect lip balm cannot contain chemical sunscreen as I am allergic. Unfortunately it seems they always want to use Octinoxate aka ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate as SPF in lip balms! I have always just avoided any lip balm with SPF but I very recently discovered that there ARE lip balms that contain natural mineral sunscreen!- I have included a list at the end of this post.
WARNING: Tangent on skin irritants up ahead!
I also do not want irritants such as menthol or peppermint in my lip balm as any substance which acts as an irritant also contributes to the breakdown of collagen according to Paula. That tingly sensation that Carmex gives your lips is not a good thing! Same goes for many of the lip plumping potions out there- these are short-term "solutions" that create long-term problems.
Other common irritants found in lip balms include: eucalyptus, camphor, cinnamon, citrus oils, clove, fragrance, lavender, etc.
I was so disappointed when I first learned that lavender, peppermint, etc should be avoided in products I put on my skin because they smell so nice and I don't have any noticeable reaction to them :(
But here is what Paula has to say about it:
"You might be thinking, well my skin doesn't look irritated or inflamed so the fragrance must not be a problem. In reality, skin on the surface often keeps the fact that it's being irritated a secret with no reaction at all. Below the surface, irritating ingredients can cause collagen to breakdown, get in the way of skin's ability to fight environmental damage, and hamper skin's ability to heal. All of this can be taking place in the lower layers of skin without any obvious signs on the surface! The irritant reaction you don't see or feel is nonetheless hurting your skin's ability to reduce wrinkles, firm skin, or look younger!"
Okay, I am sold. No lavender, peppermint, citrus oil, fragrance etc for me. As good as they smell I don't want to do ANYthing that is going to screw around with my collagen production! By the way, irritants also make oily skin and breakouts worse...More on that HERE.
Ok, back on track now!...
I really dislike sweet flavored lip balms or heavily scented products. If there's going to be a scent I prefer something along the lines of coconut or vanilla. Hopefully it's an all-natural scent.
Then there's texture! I don't like so much slip that I feel the product is rubbing off after one sip of a drink. At the same time I don't like a heavy waxy feel that doesn't ever seem to absorb into my lips. Gooey is not good either- I'm not a fan of lip balm in a tube. Speaking of packaging, jars are a pain in the butt too, I want a stick! I will compromise on packaging for the perfect formula though.
My perfect lip balm must also be gluten-free since I have celiac disease. So no wheat germ oil, etc!
To summarize, my perfect lip balm has:
* No chemical sunscreen
* No irritants, including menthol, peppermint, camphor, citrus oils, etc
* No sweet flavoring, non-offensive scent
* Texture that is just right
* Preferably stick packaging
* Gluten-free formula
Some balms that didn't make it to the final round include:
Chapstick- it has that waxy texture that never feels as if it's really moisturizing my lips, just coating them. The ingredient list isn't all that pretty either- contains chemical sunscreen, fragrance and other irritants.
Blistex- between the chemical sunscreen, unimpressive ingredient list and inclusion of irritants in their products I gave this brand a pass.
Carmex- So sad that there is camphor in all of their lip products, as their original formula does not contain chemical sunscreen and feels very moisturizing on the lips. But then there's that jar or squeeze-tube packaging to contend with- the original formula without SPF doesn't come in stick form. Oh well...I do love their hand cream!
Vaseline lip products- seem to be pretty much petroleum jelly packaged for lips and I just don't like the super-transferable texture or the way it never seems to absorb into the lips.
Paula's Choice Lip and Body Treatment Balm- Has received rave reviews on her website, Makeupalley, etc but too bad for me it contains wheat germ oil :(
The following look very promising but I haven't tried them yet:
Eucerin Aquaphor Lip Repair
***UPDATE: I tried this and I love it!! Tied for first place! I Now have four tubes of this stashed around the house/purse/car!!!
***UPDATE: I tried this and I love it!! Tied for first place! I Now have four tubes of this stashed around the house/purse/car!!!
Contains: Octyldodecanol, C18-38 alkyl hydroxystearoyl stearate, castor seed oil, caprylic/capric triglyceride, glycerin, bis-diglyceryl polyacyladipate-2, panthenol, water, polyglyceryl-3 diisostearate, shea butter, hydrogenated castor oil, tocopheryl acetate, bisabolol, sodium ascorbyl phosphate, lecithin, tocopherol, ascorbyl palmitate, beeswax, C20-40 alkyl stearate, magnesium stearate, magnesium sulfate, glyceryl stearate, glyceryl oleate, citric acid.
76% of Makeupalley reviewers said they would buy this again!
** UPDATE: I tried this. Decent product, reminds me of the Kiss My Honey lip balms I reviewed below. Nothing wowed me though and I probably won't repurchase.
Contains: Beeswax, Jojoba oil, Sesame Seed Oil, Sunflower Seed Oil, Olive Oil, Shea Butter, Natural Flavor, Cocoa Butter, Natural Vitamin E.
71% of Makeupalley reviewers said they would buy this again!
And now we have the NINE (SPF-free) BATTLE OF THE BALM CONTENDERS!!
These are listed from lowest to highest rating:
These are listed from lowest to highest rating:
I bought a few sticks of Maybelline Baby Lips about two years ago. More specifically, the Electro Lip Balm in "Pink Shock" and "Strike a Rose'. I love the name of the product and the idea of having lips as soft as a baby's. Two thumbs up to Maybelline's marketing team!
(These are tinted so minimally that to me they are in the category of plain old lip balms which is why I am reviewing them here.)
I really dislike the texture of this product- it is super slippery and doesn't seem to stay on more than 10 minutes. It doesn't make my lips feel hydrated. This product also contains the following known irritants: fragrance, limonene, benzyl alcohol, eugenol, geraniol, linalool.
Full ingredients (what a chemical concoction!):
Octyldodecanol, Polybutene, Petrolatum, Isopropyl Myristate, Polyethylene, Ozokerite, Diisostearyl Malate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Candelilla Cera (Candelilla Wax), VP/Hexadecene Copolymer, Fragrance, Calcium Aluminum Borosilicate, Flavor (Aroma), Limonene, Pentaerythrityl Tetra-Di-T-Butyl Hydroxyhydrocinnamate, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Alumina, Silica, Benzyl Alcohol, Mel (Honey), Centella Asiatica Extract, Linalool, Benzyl Benzoate, Tin Oxide, Citral, Eugenol, Geraniol, May Contain (+/-): Titanium Dioxide (CI 77891), Red 28 Lake (CI 45410), Iron Oxides (CI 77491, CI 77492, CI 77499), Red 22 Lake (CI 45380), Mica, Red 7 (CI 15850), Yellow 6 Lake (CI 15985), Yellow 5 Lake (CI 19140), Blue 1 Lake (CI 42090)
This product is nowhere near a close contender for my perfect lip balm (it's actually dead last as a lip balm), but I will say that it is excellent as a lipstick remover!!! It easily removes even longwear lipstick like Loreal's Infallible or Cover Girl Outlast. It works better than mineral oil, Vaseline or makeup remover at removing lip products. I have no idea why that is, but I keep it around for that specific purpose. I will not repurchase when I run out due to the high inclusion of irritating ingredients.
Okay, I will admit I only bought these because they were scented like Skittles. That's a long story! Anyway, as I should have expected, these have a thick waxy texture that never seems to absorb into the lips or truly moisturize- very similar to Chapstick. They also contain artificial fragrance and flavoring as well as wheat germ oil. Some flavors contain chemical sunscreen. No go.
Full ingredients:
Petrolatum, Paraffin, Mineral (Paraffinum Liquidum) Oil, Ethylhexyl Dimethyl Paba (Raspberry and Berry Punch Only), Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate (Raspberry and Berry Punch Only), Dicaprylyl Maleate, Flavor/Aroma, Isopropyl Palmitate, Silica (Except Mango Peach and Original Strawberry), Stearyl Palmitate, Sodium Saccharin, Mica, Hydrogenated Polyisobutene, Palmitic Acid, Methylparaben, Polyester-3. may Contain (+/-): Blue 1 Lake (Ci 42090), Yellow 5 Lake (Ci 19140), Titanium Dioxide (Ci 77891), Carmine (Ci 75470), Red 6 Lake (Ci 15850), Iron Oxides (Ci 77491, 77492, 77499), Red 30 Lake (Ci 73360), Red 27 Lake (Ci 45410), Red 7 Lake (Ci 15850), Red 28 (Ci 45410).
Okay, I know exactly what you're thinking- Lemon and lavender? Didn't we just establish that those are irritants?
Yes, we did but I bought these before I knew that! I happen to really enjoy the scent of lemon and lavender together,. Unfortunately this product smells and tastes just like soap to me! Aside from the irritating essential oils this product actually has a fantastic ingredient list:
Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cupuacu Butter, Olive Oil, Lavender, and Lemon Oils, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E) , Propolis Extract, Honey,Natural Honey Flavor, Monk Fruit Extract.
Between the soapy taste and the inclusion of irritants this one receives a one-way ticket to my cosmetics graveyard, BUT I am very tempted to try their honey lip balm!! It contains: Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Shea Butter, Cupuacu Butter, Olive Oil, Tocopherol (Natural Vitamin E), Propolis Extract, Honey, Natural Honey Flavor,Monk Fruit Extract.
**UPDATE: I tried the Honey lip balm and I love it!! Highly recommend!
Once again, a lip balm that has multiple irritating ingredients, although you'd never know it by wearing it. This one actually feels pretty decent and I wouldn't hesitate to try their Vanilla Bean lip balm or their Honey Lip Balm. Their other formulas all seem to contain either citrus oils, fragrance, limonone or some other irritant. As decent as this one wears, my winner far surpasses it!
**UPDATE: I picked up the vanilla and honey flavors and I love them!!!!! Their tinted lip balms also rock!!
Oh yes, a chocolate lip balm- yum!! This organic lip balm is naturally flavored with 100% chocolate flavor oil. Ingredients are: Organic beeswax pellets, organic coconut oil, organic unrefined shea butter, grapefruit seed extract, vitamin E, organic sweet almond oil and chocolate oil.
I am not sure if grapefruit seed extract is considered an irritant. Probably. But that's not why I didn't choose this lip balm as my favorite. I just don't love the texture. It's a little too waxy and I don't feel like it ever totally sinks in and moisturizes on more than a superficial level. Overall this is not a terrible product, but it's definitely not "The One".
I don't love the packaging, but this is a very good lip balm that doesn't contain irritants and feels nice and moisturizing on the lips. No bells and whistles, just a good basic balm. I give this fourth runner up!
Ingredients:
Petrolatum, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea) Butter, Ricinus Communis (Castor) Seed Oil, Prunus Amygdalus Dulcis (Sweet Almond) Oil, Water, Glycerin, Glyceryl Glucoside, BHT, Titanium Dioxide.
Okay- so have you ever read the packaging on one of Dr. Bronner's castille liquid soaps?!!! It is CRAZINESS, lol! I mean, sheer insanity! I did a little research and found that Dr. Bronner actually escaped from an insane asylum right before starting his line of Magic Soaps and other products. More on that here and here!
Luckily, he doesn't spew all the craziness on his lip balm tubes- probably just not enough room on there.
This is actually a decent product. Ingredients are as follows:
Organic Avocado Oil,
Organic Jojoba Seed Oil,
Organic Beeswax,
Organic Cannabis Sativa (Hemp) Seed Oil,
Tocopherol
I love the exclusion of irritants and the use of all natural ingredients, including hemp oil. This feels great on and is a very close runner-up to my winner. The other Dr. Bronner's lip balms do contain irritants but this "Naked" formula is hands down a winner!!!
This new formula in the striped egg feels nicer to me than the old formula.
Super impressive ingredient list is:
Olive oil, Beeswax, Coconut Oil, Jojoba Oil, Natural Flavor, Shea Butter, Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Sodium Isostearoyl Lactylate, Water, Sodium Hyaluronate, Stevia Extract, Tocopherol, Ascorbyl Palmitate
I love the inclusion of sodium hyaluronate which boosts skin's moisture content, helps prevent moisture loss and reduces inflammation! There are no irritating ingredients in this product, the scent is very subtle and yummy and it feels wonderful on the lips! This is a very close second to my lip balm battle winner!!!
Not all EOS lip balms are created equal. Some of them contain chemical sunscreen or irritants such as limonene, linalool, etc, but the coconut milk formula is a winner!!!
AND THE WINNER OF THE BATTLE OF THE BALMS GOES TO:
Lypsyl is Sweden's #1 selling lip balm and I can see why!
Some of their formulas do contain chemical sunscreen or irritants but this honey chamomile formula is THE BOMB BALM!
Some of their formulas do contain chemical sunscreen or irritants but this honey chamomile formula is THE BOMB BALM!
Ingredients: Mineral Oil , Petrolatum , Paraffin , Hydrogenated Coconut Oil , Ceresin , Beeswax , Flavor , Butyrospermum Parkii Fruit (Shea Butter) , Sambucus Nigra Fruit Extract (Elderberry) , Honey Extract , Chamomilla Recutita Flower Extract , Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Oil , Tocopheryl Acetate , Retinyl Palmitate , Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Extract , Cocos Nucifera Oil , Bixa Orellana Seed Extract
This feels amazing on my lips! Feels like it is soaking in and actually moisturizing!!! It has a subtle honey-like scent that I love, the packaging is adorable and it is only $2.99 at Walgreens! I plan on picking up a new tube on every visit and keeping them everywhere!!!
Now back to my sunscreen tangent...
As I mentioned above, while I was creating this blog post I did a Google search of "mineral SPF lip balm" and discovered that there ARE well-formulated lip balms with non-chemical mineral sunscreen out there- yay!!
These are the most promising ones I found. I will have to pick up a few of these and decide on a favorite before summer gets here. The ingredients look great, but of course texture and aesthetics must be evaluated! :)
CoTZ Natural Mineral Complex Lip Balm SPF 45
**UPDATE: Tried this, I don't like the beige color on my lips. Nice formula though.
**UPDATE: Tried this, I don't like the beige color on my lips. Nice formula though.
Contains 4% titanium dioxide and 5.5% zinc oxide in a base of:
Alumina,
Aluminum Hydroxide, Aluminum Stearate, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate,
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-15/15 Butyl Ether
Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol Dicaprylate-Caprate, Ethylhexyl
Palmitate, Flavor, Helianthus Annuus (Sunflower) Seed Wax, Hexyldecanol,
Hexyldecyl Laurate, Iron Oxide, Lecithin, Ozokerite, PEG-8, Polyglyceryl-3
Diisostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Stearic Acid, Tocopherol, Tocopheryl
Acetate, Zingiber Officinale (Ginger) Root Oil
Some of these ingredients look questionable but never fear, I looked them all up in Paula's Cosmetic Ingredient Dictionary and they are all good :) The only small exception is the ginger oil, but there is very little of it in the product so we'll let that slide! This product has an impressively high SPF!
This product received a 5 star rating out of 29 Dermstore reviews.
Amazon reviewers gave it a solid 4 stars.
There were only a small handful of Makeupalley reviews. Some complained that the product was too slick in texture, but most reviewers appreciated the slight tan tint that prevents this product from leaving a whitish cast on the lips. Worth a try!
Tizo Solar Protection Formula Liptect SPF 45
Active ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 4%, Zinc Oxide 5.5%
Inactive ingredients: Alumina,
Aluminum Hydroxide, Aluminum Stearate, Ascorbic Acid, Ascorbyl Palmitate,
C12-15 Alkyl Benzoate, Cetearyl Isononanoate, Cetyl PEG/PPG-15/15 Butyl Ether
Dimethicone, Citric Acid, Dipropylene Glycol Dicaprylate-Caprate, Ethylhexyl
Palmitate, Flavor, Sunflower Seed Wax, Hexyldecanol,
Hexyldecyl Laurate, Iron Oxide (CI 77491), Lecithin, Ozokerite, PEG-8,
Polyglyceryl-3 Diisostearate, Polyhydroxystearic Acid, Stearic Acid,
Tocopherol, Tocopheryl Acetate, Zingiber Offinale (Ginger) Root Oil
All excellent except for the tiny inclusion of ginger oil. Since it's the last ingredient I'll overlook it. This product has good reviews and supposedly has a bronze tint that masks the whitish cast mineral sunscreens can leave.
Hmmm, this product has exactly the same ingredients as the above CoTZ lip balm!!!! Interesting...
Burnout Zinc Oxide SPF 32 Natural Coconut Lip Balm
**UPDATE: Tried this, LOVE it! No white cast, moisturizing... just great! I got the mango formula as I read on Makeupalley that it is smoother to apply than the coconut. I will be getting more of this for summer!!
**UPDATE: Tried this, LOVE it! No white cast, moisturizing... just great! I got the mango formula as I read on Makeupalley that it is smoother to apply than the coconut. I will be getting more of this for summer!!
Active Ingredient: Zinc Oxide 18.6%. Other Ingredients: Safflower Seed Oil, Caprylic/Capric Triglyceride, Beeswax, Shea Butter, Virgin Hemp Seed Oil, Natural Coconut Flavor, Jojoba) Seed Oil, Carnauba Wax.
Looks great!
Out of 9 Makeupalley reviews 100% said they would repurchase.
Contains:
Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide (8%), Zinc Oxide (2.5%)
Inactive Ingredients: Organic Sunflower Seed Oil, Organic Beeswax, Organic Castor Seed Oil, Organic Cocoa Seed Butter, Organic Avocado Oil, Organic Aloe Vera Oil, Vitamin E, Argan Oil, Organic Calendula Extract
Calendula is a potential irritant but it is last on the ingredients list so there probably isn't much of it in here. Overall these ingredients are excellent!!!
I'm unfortunately not having any luck finding reviews on this product and it is pricey.
Close but not quite:
As far as ingredients this one looks like a real winner!!
Contains 8% zinc oxide in a base of organic extra virgin olive oil, organic beeswax, organic cocoa butter, organic shea butter, and vitamin E.
Sadly, out of 17 Makeupalley reviewers only 41% said they would repurchase. Most complaints stemmed from the obvious white tint this leaves on the lips. Might be worth a shot paired with lipstick!
organic sunflower seed oil, organic coconut oil and organic castor seed oil infused with fruit essences of mango & passion fruit, organic beeswax, candelia wax, organic aloe juice, honey, vitamin E, mica and iron oxides.
A higher SPF would be nice, but this ingredient list looks excellent! Unfortunately, out of 34 reviews on Makeupalley, only 38% say they would buy this again. This biggest complaint is that this product is not very moisturizing. Oh well.
Super impressive ingredients are:
Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Safflower Oil, Coconut Oil, Aloe Vera Leaf Juice, Shea Butter, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Beeswax, and Mango Seed Butter.
This product only received 3.5 out of 5 stars by Drugstore.com reviewers, the main complaint being the white pasty appearance of the product after application. Maybe worth a try paired with lipstick!
Yes To Carrots Sweet Fig Lip Butter with SPF 15
and
Yes to Carrots Pomegranate Lip Butter with SPF 15
Each of these contain the irritant limonene, although since it is the last ingredient there may only be an insignificant amount. Many reviewers complained that it left their lips white.
**UPDATE: I picked this up on sale at Target in the Pomegranate flavor and it did indeed leave a white cast on my lips but paired with my natural lip color it turned into a kind of retro whitish pink. It felt nice on and might be worth a shot layered over a deeply colored lip stain!
Yes To Carrots Sweet Fig Lip Butter with SPF 15
and
Yes to Carrots Pomegranate Lip Butter with SPF 15
Each of these contain the irritant limonene, although since it is the last ingredient there may only be an insignificant amount. Many reviewers complained that it left their lips white.
**UPDATE: I picked this up on sale at Target in the Pomegranate flavor and it did indeed leave a white cast on my lips but paired with my natural lip color it turned into a kind of retro whitish pink. It felt nice on and might be worth a shot layered over a deeply colored lip stain!
Not bad, but does contain irritants peppermint oil and limonene. The tint in this may help prevent the whitish cast that mineral sunblock can leave.
Overall not bad but ridiculously pricey at $15 and contains irritating lemon peel oil.
Suggested retail price is $25 and this product contains a high inclusion of irritating spearmint oil.
Some very nice ingredients including zinc oxide mineral SPF, but also contains irritating orange peel wax and tangerine oil.
Ok, that's all for now!! :)
Friday, January 30, 2015
Paula's Choice products I am currently using
There are two choices for a skin care regimen on Paula's site- "Keep it Simple" or "Supercharge it"
HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN!:
AM:
Cleanse with: Resist Perfectly Balanced Cleanser
Tone with: Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner
Exfoliate with: Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment with 2% BHA
OF COURSE I chose to supercharge it :)
Steps are:
AM and PM:
1) Cleanse
2) Toner
3) *Exfoliant
4) *Treatment
5) Moisturizer (w/ SPF in AM)
*Treatments and exfoliants can be used am and/or pm
I'm gonna break this post down by what I do for each step and probably go off on tangents here and there...
Step 1 Cleanse:
I am currently going through all of my Paula's Choice samples before I decide which full sized cleanser to use. I also have a bottle of Moisturizing face wash by Simple Skincare that I need to use up before I order.
Simple Skincare is the best line of drugstore skincare products in my opinion. (Paula's Choice is my #1, but in a pinch I wouldn't hesitate to use Simple Skincare's products. They are waaaay better than Neutrogena, Pond's, Olay, etc etc) Oh- and I almost forgot Cerave!! Their products are amazing as well!!! Top notch, even Paula highly recommends!
Simple Skincare products are hypoallergenic, fragrance-free, mild and well-formulated with skin-loving ingredients. For example, the moisturizing face wash has vitamin e, panthenol and bisabolol to calm and soothe the skin.
As a side-note to my side-note (I warned you about tangents), Simple Skincare just came out with a micellar no-rinse facial wash (these have been very popular in Europe for some time but are just starting to gain popularity in the US.) I recently got some at CVS where they are having a buy 1 get 1 50% off sale and I love it!!! I will be replacing my facial cleansing wipes with this product.
As far as Paula's Choice cleansers, I really enjoyed both of the Resist cleansers. The Resist Hydrating Cleanser removed all of my makeup and left my face feeling soft and hydrated without feeling greasy at all. This would be a nice cleanser for winter, or year-round for washing my face in the morning since I remove all of my makeup at night and don't need a harsh AM cleanser.
The Resist Perfectly Balanced Cleanser leaves my skin feeling more squeaky-clean. This line was formulated to help fight wrinkles + acne. This is perfect for summer, after a heavy session at the gym, a day of wearing lots of makeup, etc. This is going to be my go-to, as I can always add back moisture later on and I like to start my regimen with a really clean face.
I liked the other cleansers I sampled just fine, but these two are my favorites.
Step 2 Toner:
When we think of toner we usually think of harsh alcohol-based astringent liquids that we used to use as teenagers to fight acne and dry the heck out of our skin. Paula's Choice toners are NOT formulated like that! They are formulated to replenish the skin's surface layer after washing, leave skin smoother, soothe redness and replace moisture.
Once again, I am partial to the two Resist products. Probably because Resist products are formulated to combat signs of aging and the Resist Perfectly Balanced/Weightless products combat aging AND acne. Brilliant!
Original Resist products are more moisturizing while Resist Perfectly Balanced or Weightless products seem to be lighter and less likely to clog pores in people sensitive to heavy moisturizers.
I think both product lines are great, since sometimes I feel like I need more moisture (especially in wintertime or for my PM regime) and sometimes I want cleaner skin that is more lightly moisturized (summer, going to the gym, etc)
The Resist Replenishing Toner feels amazing on my skin after I wash my face! It moisturizes and makes it feel smooth as silk. There are so many amazing ingredients in it I don't have room to post all the details here because this post would be way too long for anyone to want to read. I'm talking licorice extract to brighten dark spots, vitamin C, evening primrose oil, vitamin e, ferulic acid, hyaluronic acid, etc etc! Click on the link for full ingredients.
The Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner is the one I ended up ordering a full sized bottle of. I love the high inclusion of niacinamide in it which helps reduce redness. This is not as moisturizing as the Resist Replenishing Toner but I am going to slather on moisturizer shortly after anyways so that's okay.
I also ordered a full-sized bottle of the Hydralight Toner because it is nice and light and I wanted to use it as a facial spray as well as a makeup setting spray. Sadly, it is too thick to spray through an atomizer :( So I will use it as a summer facial toner. For the record, the Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing toner DOES spray through an atomizer.
Step 3 Exfoliant:
I decided to go with a BHA exfoliant since I have some clogged pores I would like to clear up.
I ordered a full sized bottle of the Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment with 2% BHA which is working out well for me so far.
If I didn't have clogged pores and just wanted to smooth and refine my skin, the Resist Daily Smoothing Treatment 5% AHA is great! I love the creamy texture and the slight tan tint it has!!
I also ordered the full size Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% AHA that I use every Thursday evening. When I wake up Friday morning my skin is soooo smooth!!!
Using this once a week this stuff is going to last forever!!!
The Exfoliation step can be done both AM and PM or just once a day. Of course I have been exfoliating twice a day and my skin is fine with it.
Step 4 Treatment:
I decided to really go all out in the treatment department. I get a little gung-ho when I put my mind to something and I have put my mind to making my skin look great and repairing the sun damage from all of that stupid tanning I did!
I decided to go all out with retinol, multiple antioxidants and an extra heaping dose of Vitamin C.
I decided to go all out with retinol, multiple antioxidants and an extra heaping dose of Vitamin C.
I went with the Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment which is Paula's strongest retinol product. I am using this mixed with some jojoba oil in my PM routine only, after my BHA exfoliant and before my antioxidant serum and so far my skin is fine with this combination.
Paula's Resist Moisture Renewal Oil Booster could be used instead of jojoba oil, but I already had jojoba oil in the house and it's the first ingredient in the Moisture Boost. Paula recommends mixing the retinol with a bit of oil to reduce the chance of skin irritation. This is working great for me. (Jojoba oil does NOT clog pores or make skin oily. That's another post for another day!)
For a smaller dose of retinol in my AM routine I'll use either the:
Skin Recovery Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (.01% retinol) This serum contains plant oils and is good for dry to very dry skin.
Or the:
Skin Balancing Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (.03% retinol) According to the website, this has the lightest texture of all of Paula's serums and a weightless finish.
Oooor The:
Resist Intensive Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum (.1%). This has a tenth of the amount of retinol that I am using at night but still a significant amount. Might be overkill if I am using the 1% at night. This is for all skin types.
I am waiting for my samples of these products to arrive before I pick one. I want to make sure the texture of the product I go with works well under makeup. All of Paula's serums (except the water-based Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Serum) contain silicones and also make great primers under foundation!
For antioxidants I got the Resist C15 Superbooster + Resist Super Antioxidant Serum Power Couple!
The ingredients these products contain have unbiased scientific studies (which Paula cites) showing that they stimulate collagen production, repair visible signs of aging, smooth, brighten and firm skin. #Winning!
Paula's Resist Moisture Renewal Oil Booster could be used instead of jojoba oil, but I already had jojoba oil in the house and it's the first ingredient in the Moisture Boost. Paula recommends mixing the retinol with a bit of oil to reduce the chance of skin irritation. This is working great for me. (Jojoba oil does NOT clog pores or make skin oily. That's another post for another day!)
For a smaller dose of retinol in my AM routine I'll use either the:
Skin Recovery Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (.01% retinol) This serum contains plant oils and is good for dry to very dry skin.
Or the:
Skin Balancing Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (.03% retinol) According to the website, this has the lightest texture of all of Paula's serums and a weightless finish.
Oooor The:
Resist Intensive Wrinkle Repair Retinol Serum (.1%). This has a tenth of the amount of retinol that I am using at night but still a significant amount. Might be overkill if I am using the 1% at night. This is for all skin types.
I am waiting for my samples of these products to arrive before I pick one. I want to make sure the texture of the product I go with works well under makeup. All of Paula's serums (except the water-based Resist Ultra-Light Super Antioxidant Serum) contain silicones and also make great primers under foundation!
This article has very helpful info on how much retinol is right for each individual, how much retinol is in each of Paula's products, and how to include both retinol and AHA or BHA exfoliants in a skincare regimen.
For antioxidants I got the Resist C15 Superbooster + Resist Super Antioxidant Serum Power Couple!
The ingredients these products contain have unbiased scientific studies (which Paula cites) showing that they stimulate collagen production, repair visible signs of aging, smooth, brighten and firm skin. #Winning!
Step 5 Moisturizer/sunscreen:
Oh Moisturizers, I am a sucker for moisturizers.
Simple Skincare makes some great moisturizers if you want to pick something up from the drugstore. So does Cerave! Cerave's PM facial moisturizer has niacinamide, ceramides and hyaluronic acid in a hypoallergenic formula that even Paula raves about. Cerave also makes fabulous mineral-based sunscreen, gentle cleansers, etc.
BUT, as great as Cerave is, Paula makes even better products. I keep Cerave and Simple Skincare around as my backup in case I run out of Paula's Choice before I have time to order or if I want to slather on extra moisturizer during the day.
I also like to use the less expensive and more widely available drugstore moisturizers to make tinted moisturizer by mixing in some Clinique non-streak facial bronzer. (This stuff gets amazing reviews on Makeupalley and by Paula's Beautypedia team as well. Nevermind that it says it's for men, I haven't grown a beard yet from using it!) Speaking of bronzer gel, you can also mix a bit into your mineral sunscreen to prevent that whitish cast (I got that tip from Paula's site).
For an AM moisturizer with SPF:
I bought a full size tube of the Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30- this light moisturizer contains a slight tint to counteract the whitish cast from the mineral sunscreen! This one will be my summer go-to for sure.
For winter I will go with either the Resist Cellular Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 25
or the Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizer Lotion SPF 30. (need to use up a few more samples before I can decide!
I bought a full size tube of the Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30- this light moisturizer contains a slight tint to counteract the whitish cast from the mineral sunscreen! This one will be my summer go-to for sure.
For winter I will go with either the Resist Cellular Defense Daily Moisturizer SPF 25
or the Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizer Lotion SPF 30. (need to use up a few more samples before I can decide!
None of these contain potentially irritating chemical sunscreens like Ocinoxate, Avobenzene, Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate, etc etc. I am definitely allergic to chemical sunscreen and I am so grateful to find good mineral-based sunscreen moisturizers like this to choose from.
I could also use a light moisturizer that doesn't contain sunscreen like the
I could also use a light moisturizer that doesn't contain sunscreen like the
Resist Anti-Aging Clear Skin Hydrator
and then go over that with the
Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 30- I love this stuff!!!
It's like a BB cream and gives me perfect light-medium natural looking coverage and matches my skin tone perfectly. It was really helpful to me that I could buy a sample of every color for just $2.50 so I could choose the perfect shade rather than just taking a wild guess.
Oh, decisions, decisions!! 6 weeks of winter to go, I'll get this figured out! :)
and then go over that with the
Barely There Sheer Matte Tint SPF 30- I love this stuff!!!
It's like a BB cream and gives me perfect light-medium natural looking coverage and matches my skin tone perfectly. It was really helpful to me that I could buy a sample of every color for just $2.50 so I could choose the perfect shade rather than just taking a wild guess.
Oh, decisions, decisions!! 6 weeks of winter to go, I'll get this figured out! :)
PM Moisturizers:
The two moisturizers that I love that also contain retinol (.01%) are the
Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol (identical formula to the PC4Men Night Time Repair)
and the
Resist Intensive Repair Cream.
I can't decide which of these I like best...Or how to best incorporate them with my 1% retinol so that I don't overload my skin to the point of irritation.
Resist Barrier Repair Moisturizer with Retinol (identical formula to the PC4Men Night Time Repair)
and the
Resist Intensive Repair Cream.
I can't decide which of these I like best...Or how to best incorporate them with my 1% retinol so that I don't overload my skin to the point of irritation.
For a PM moisturizer without retinol the Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturizer won the sample competition (I have tried samples of all of Paula's moisturizers!) and I bought a full sized tube.
HERE'S THE BREAKDOWN!:
AM:
Cleanse with: Resist Perfectly Balanced Cleanser
Tone with: Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner
Exfoliate with: Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment with 2% BHA
Antioxidant treatment with just a bit of retinol:
Skin Recovery Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (for dry skin)
OR Skin Balancing Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (weightless)
Vitamin C treatment: Resist C15 Super Booster
Moisturizer with sunscreen:
Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 (weightless)
OR Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizer Lotion SPF 30 (for dry skin)
PM:
Cleanse with: Resist Perfectly Balanced Cleanser
Tone with: Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner
Exfoliate with: Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment with 2% BHA
Super-strength retinol treatment: Clinical 1% Retinol Treatment in a few drops of jojoba oil
Vitamin C treatment: Resist C15 Super Booster
Antioxidant serum: Resist Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum
PM Moisturizer without retinol: Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturizer
Whew!
Skin Recovery Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (for dry skin)
OR Skin Balancing Antioxidant Serum with Retinol (weightless)
Vitamin C treatment: Resist C15 Super Booster
Moisturizer with sunscreen:
Resist Super-Light Wrinkle Defense SPF 30 (weightless)
OR Skin Recovery Daily Moisturizer Lotion SPF 30 (for dry skin)
PM:
Cleanse with: Resist Perfectly Balanced Cleanser
Tone with: Resist Weightless Advanced Repairing Toner
Exfoliate with: Resist Daily Pore-Refining Treatment with 2% BHA
*Or once a week: Resist Weekly Resurfacing Treatment with 10% AHA
Vitamin C treatment: Resist C15 Super Booster
Antioxidant serum: Resist Super Antioxidant Concentrate Serum
PM Moisturizer without retinol: Skin Recovery Replenishing Moisturizer
Whew!
Paula's recommended "Supercharge it" skincare routine is very similar to the Korean skincare routine I am hearing about on popular beauty blogs and from YouTube gurus- except the Korean routine goes up to 10 steps, including cleansing with oil before cleansing with cleanser, and a three step moisturizing process. Yikes! I think the Supercharged routine is plenty! I'm getting tired just thinking about it.
That's all for now!! :)
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