My Skincare Routine — Nighttime Edition

Hello everyone! I've got the second half of my skincare routine for you, so let's jump right into it!

First, I remove all of my makeup, I just use the generic Wal-mart brand oil free eye makeup remover and baby wipes to remove as much as I can.

Then I wash my face in lukewarm water with the Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover and my Dew Puff. I really like this cleanser. It leaves my skin feeling very fresh and clean and is safe for use on the eye area (I wear waterproof mascara, so I always have to wash around my eyes). While it's not as 'natural' as some brands, it is still very gentle and does a good job at getting my makeup off.

 After I rinse and dry my face (I leave it a bit damp) I put some of the Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel Pore Perfecting Toner on a cotton pad and wipe it all over my face. The purpose of a toner is to rebalance your skin after washing and to help remove any residue that may be left behind (traces of makeup or face wash). This toner also contains witch hazel, which is a powerhouse for your skin. It refines your pores, removes and controls oil, soothes irritation, and locks in moisture. After I let the toner dry I apply my Yes To Blueberries Face Oil (I talked about that in my daytime skincare post).

 Once the face oil absorbs I use the Yes To Carrots Fragrance Free Intense Hydration Night Cream all over my face and neck. Night creams are much thicker and richer than regular moisturizers. The carrots in this cream are rich in Beta-Carotene. Beta-Carotene is an antioxidant that helps protect skin from free radicals. It also contains vitamin E, which heals and hydrates the skin.

After the night cream I apply the Yes To Blueberries Eye Treatment (again, last skincare post), some Vaseline to my lips, and hit the sack.



What are your favorite nighttime skincare products? Let me know in the comments!

xx,
Caitlin.

Magical Face Sponges — The Dew Puff

Hello everyone! Remember in my first skincare post the mysterious Dew Puff I briefly mentioned? Well now I'll tell you all about it!

Essentially, the Dew Puff is a sponge you use on your face. You can use it alone or with a cleanser (I use a cleanser) and it's supposed to do wonderful things for your skin. The Dew Puff is made from 100% plant matter, specifically the konjac root. Konjac root is known to break down dirt and increase circulation, and has been used in Asian beauty routines for hundreds of years. The sponges gently exfoliate without over drying, balance the pH of your skin, and brighten and even your skin tone.

I bought the Original Dew Puff (since it was my first time trying it) and there are two more types, an Asian clay infused sponge and a charcoal infused sponge.

As you can see, the sponge looks really rough. And it is. At least until you put water on it. Once you get it wet it gets very soft, pliable, and translucent. The layer of water also helps the sponge to hydroplane over your skin while cleaning it. It is incredibly gentle, and they even say you can use it on babies (babies need to be clean too, I guess).

They recommend to get the sponge really wet, squeeze out the water (don't twist the sponge), apply a cleanser (if you'd like, which I do), and wash your face. I prefer to apply the cleanser directly to my face and work it in a bit before I go in with the sponge. After you've washed your face, rinse out the sponge thoroughly, squeeze out the water, hang it up somewhere (there's a nifty string attached, I keep mine in the shower on my shower caddy), and let it dry until your next use. It dries back to its hard state, which is great because it cuts down on any bacteria living in there.

You can use this sponge twice a day for three months before you need to replace it, which I think is a great deal, seeing as how it's only $7. I intend to try the the other types of sponges once this one's three months is up. Overall, I LOVE this sponge. It exfoliates just enough but doesn't dry my skin out, my complexion has improved tremendously (I'm sure this is also in part to the other new products I've been using), and it makes my face feel really clean. I highly recommend this sponge, and I'm sure you'll love it too!

xx,
Caitlin.

MANICure Monday — Sweet Tooth

Hello everyone! I've got a quick MANICure Monday post for you. I wanted something really quick and easy this week, so I used Sally Hansen Sugar Coat in Cherry Drop.

As you can see it's a bright orange red with some texture to it. This is a perfect polish for when you're in a hurry and don't have the time to sit still while waiting on your polish to dry. Even if you nudge it a little bit, it's textured already so it blends right in.

What are your favorite quick polishes?

xx,
Caitlin.

MANICure Monday — Like, Totally Radical

Hello everyone! I know I've been MIA for these past couple Mondays, but now I'm back! This week I've got a nail look that accidentally reminded me of the 80s. Like, a lot. Maybe I'm crazy, but I was definitely feeling some 80s vibes after painting them.

Do you see it? Am I crazy? Anyways, I used Sinful Colors in Aubergine and Maybelline Color Show Street Art in Nighttime Noise. I had no idea what an aubergine was, but apparently it's an eggplant. This shade isn't quite a deep enough purple to be named after eggplant, at least for me. But hey, I'm not the nail polish naming police.

I've had this Maybelline polish for a LONG time (since this summer) and have never used it. I wasn't sure what polish to pair it with, and I finally just decided to go for it. I really, really like the results. I think it gives a graffiti-ish effect (hence the name Street Art, I suppose). I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this polish now that I've actually given it a try.

Did I convince you this looks like the 80s? Let me know in the comments!

xx,
Caitlin.

My Skincare Routine — Daytime Edition

Hello everyone! I've got an updated skincare routine to tell you about.

I recently purchased a TON of new products from Yes To. I have completely switched gears from my last skincare post and introduced a lot of new different kinds of products. So, in order to keep this from being incredibly long, I'm splitting it up into daytime and nighttime. Today, you get daytime.

In my old skincare routine, I was using products containing a LOT of chemicals, which I didn't really enjoy too much. My skin just wasn't looking how I wanted it to, so I decided to make a change. Yes To is a natural skincare and beauty brand that uses different fruits and vegetables in their products, and tries to keep any chemicals down as low as they can. I've always seen their products in stores, but never made a purchase. That is, until now. I ordered all of these products online, and shipping was fairly quick. I believe I ordered and received everything within a week, I'll link all the products so you can see prices. Now let's get started on the products!

When I wake up in the morning, I use the Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Acne Control Gel Cleanser to wash my face (I also use a fancy face sponge called a Dew Puff – but that will be a separate post!). Tomatoes are great for your skin. They contain Lycopene, an antioxidant with anti-inflammatory properties that helps protect skin from environmental agents that can clog your pores, leading to breakouts. The acids in tomatoes also help control sebum (the oil in your skin) so you don't overproduce and have super oily skin. This cleanser also contains salicylic acid, to give a boost to the acne fighting properties.

I don't have a ton of trouble with acne, though I do get the occasional breakout. I get very oily in my t-zone, so I thought this could help. So far, I do think it's helping. My face feels fresh after I use it, yet it doesn't feel dry, like most oil controlling cleansers tend to make my skin feel.

After my face is clean, I apply the Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Face & Neck Oil. You may be wondering why I'm applying oil all over my face if my t-zone gets oily, and the answer is simple: even if you have oily skin, you still need to moisturize it (and no, not just moisturizer). Think of it as hydrating your skin as opposed to simply moisturizing it.

This oil acts as an anti-aging treatment (it's all about prevention, if you stop the aging before it occurs, you won't be taking steps backwards). I apply three drops to my fingers and work it around my entire face. It has really hydrated my skin and I like this product A LOT. It doesn't leave a greasy residue whatsoever.

 After the oil has absorbed into my skin, I apply a small amount of the Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Daily Repair Treatment. I only use this if I'm having some problem areas on my skin. It helps to control acne and clear blemishes as well as diminish redness.

It's not as potent as a spot treatment, but for minor issues it works pretty well.

 After the treatment, I apply the Yes To Tomatoes Clear Skin Daily Balancing Moisturizer. What may surprise you is that moisturizer doesn't moisturize (wait, what?). Moisturizer acts as a sealant, helping to keep the moisture that is already in your skin actually in your skin (this is why you need something to hydrate your skin, like the oil). This moisturizer gives you all the benefits of the tomato again, including acne and oil control. It's pretty heavy on the scent, which I'm not a huge fan of. But I've gotten used to it.

It doesn't make my skin feel greasy, and it's a pretty light formula. I like this A LOT more than the Simple moisturizer.

The final step is applying an eye treatment. I'm using the Yes To Blueberries Age Refresh Eye Firming Treatment. I suffer from fine lines under my eyes, and have been trying to diminish them so my under eye concealer doesn't crease so badly.

This treatment is very hydrating, and I do think I've seen some progress. Wrinkle treatment is a gradual process, so I won't see huge results for awhile, if it does in fact give me results.








Well, that's it. I guess I should make a note that if it's a Sunday I use the St. Ives apricot scrub as a deep exfoliant. I'm sure for a lot of people this will be way too many products, but I like this system. The key to makeup that looks good is good skin, and that's what I'm trying to achieve. I'll get the nighttime routine up here soon (there are some repeat products, but only two new ones) and also the review of the Dew Puff.

If you made it this far, high five!

xx,
Caitlin.