Fresh Skin for the Win
Happy Thursday everyone!!! So, I thought it was the last day of summer, and I dressed super summery and breezy, BUT it turns out tomorrow is the last day of summer. Whoops! Happy (second to) last day of summer! I don’t know about you, but I’m pretty happy about it because that means fall is coming, and fall is my faveee season. The clothes are amazing, and the colors outside are warm and wonderful (not that I even get to see them living in NYC). I may be the only one, but when the season changes, so does my skin. During the summer, my skin tends to get super oily, and my pores get clogged, but during the winter, my skin dries out and constantly feels like I have a fresh face lift. This year, I’m getting ahead of the game and making sure my skin care routine is ready for whatever the weather throws at me.
Until last week, I used the same daily moisturizer for almost 10 years!!! That’s a superrr long time, but when I find a product that I love, I really go all in. Talk about brand loyalty, huh? Well, last week, I found out that the moisturizer was discontinued. NOOOOO!!! I was so mad, and upset, and angry, and ready to punch the Sephora salesperson that told me. I immediately rushed onto Amazon to see if I could find it. I found it alright, and instead of being its regular $30, it was $65! That’s insane, and for a bottle that will be gone in about a month and a half, it’s totally not worth it. So, I wiped my tears away (not really), lifted my chin and got to researching. The reason why I loved my old moisturizer was because it was oil free and had SPF in it. It was light and airy, and didn’t make my face feel gooey. It was perfect. To me, it’s super important for my skin products to have SPF. I know I’m really never in direct sunlight (except for when I eat lunch outside), but I absolutely do NOT want wrinkles any time soon. I take my skin seriously, and I’m really trying to maintain this baby butt skin for as long as possible. So, the potential candidates had a lotttt to live up to.
I found countless moisturizers with SPF but weren’t oil free, and I found a million more that were oil free, but didn’t have any SPF. Is it really so hard for a product to contain BOTH?! Tell me skincare companies; let me know. I honestly had no idea what new moisturizer to pick, until I got caught up talking to a beauty consultant at Saks. She told me that most people that use oil free moisturizers don’t realize that they actually need oil, that their skin is dying for it. I always thought to stay away from oil, just like you stay away from greasy foods, but I guess I was wrong (for like the first time ever...jk). She pointed out that the tiny bumps under my eyes are actually because my under-eye skin is dry, and that’s my body’s way of letting me know. I had noticed the bumps (they kind of look like tiny scales) before, but never knew why I had them. She suggested that I start using a moisturizer with oil, and maybe even an eye serum. I know, I know. You’re probably thinking she said that because she just wanted to make more commission, but I didn’t buy anything from Saks. She knew that my plan was to head on over to Sephora, so I did, and I kept her advice in mind.
I scanned the shelves until this bright orange Origins tube caught my eye. I recognized it from the night before when I was doing my research. I dabbed a little on the back of my hand and massaged it into my skin to test out the consistency. I noticed that it was light, smooth, and had an amazing fresh ginger smell. So far, so good. Even though it wasn’t oil free, it had SPF 40 and tinting properties which is ahhhmazing because I get superrr pasty and pale in the winter. One time in high school, a girl in my class actually told me, “you pull off pale,” and I didn’t know whether to take it as an insult or a compliment. Either way, I’m just trying to avoid the pale factor altogether. Just for comparison, I grabbed a similar moisturizer and tested it as well. I immediately got a whiff of what smelled like glue, and I don’t know about you, but I am NOT putting anything that even slightly resembles glue on my face. No, thank you. That one was out.
Looking back at the Origins’ shelf, I saw a little pot of eye serum. Perfect! Double whammy. I grabbed both and headed toward the checkout line. That’s where it got messy. I got caught in that stupid land of the minis and started sinking fast. Tucked away in one of the corner bins, I saw an assortment of colorful face masks. I hadn’t tried a mask in at least 6 years, and was feeling like maybe it was time to try again, ya know, since I’m in this new skincare routine kick. I grabbed the Green Clay Mask and actually made it to the register. I was super excited to try out my new goodies.
It has now been 4 days since I bought my new products, and I must say, I am reallllly liking them so far. I think I could get used to the fact that they’re not oil free. In a weird way, my skin has been less oily throughout the day since I started using them. As soon as I get out of the shower, I massage a little bit of the eye serum underneath my eyes and on my eyelids. You can immediately tell a difference. My eyes look much brighter, and my skin is smoother. Then, I squeeze about a pea sized amount of the moisturizer into my hands and rub it all over my face until it’s spread evenly. Because of the oil, I let it sit for a few minutes to give it a chance to soak in before applying any makeup, or even touching my face. Once the shine goes away, you’re good to go. I also love that both Origins products are infused with ginger! They smell great, and it creates a tingling sensation that wakes you up, perfect for early mornings!
My new products ft. my roommate's plants
If you didn’t catch my ridiculously long Instagram story last night (sorry), you missed seeing me try a face mask for the first time in foreverrrrr. I tried the Green Clay Mask from Sephora just for funsies, and now I think I’m going to try to do a mask at least once a week, so I guess you could say it went well. For the first time ever, I successfully used a mask without my skin getting irritated and red. In fact, it left my skin really shiny and smooth.I can still feel the softness today! Sephora has this same mask in a bunch of different colors with different purposes. They’re easy to put on, and only $8. Not to mention, I maybe used 1/4th of the package to do my mask last night. That’s a lot of bang for your buck! I highly suggest making your way to Sephora to get one of your own. For now, here’s a pic of me looking like a green monster.
I loved the mask so much that I want to share it with you! The first 5 people that leave a comment below will get a free Sephora Face Mask sent to them!!!
Anyway, enjoy the rest of your (not) last day of summer!
xoxo,
Zoey Leigh