I have always thought I was pretty low maintenance (though I suspect a certain man in my life may disagree) and after looking at and photographing my products, I guess I may be somewhere in between high and low. I think since I save so much money on clothes and shoes, I definitely feel justified in splurging on nice products and cosmetics. At least the ones that matter. I feel like my system is very paired down and simple, but I don't have anyone's to compare it with! Below is a list of the products I use almost daily and the way I use them. Its a bit crazy how they add up!
1.
Skin: Every other day, before I take a shower I use a natural bristle dry brush to brush my whole body starting at my heart and working to my fingers and toes. (
EDIT: I got the brush at Whole Foods, but I have seen them in a few natural food stores. It was inexpensive, maybe $8. I am sure Body Shop has similar things as well. Here is a link to the one I think I have) I brush my legs and bootie harder than the rest of me. It hurts a little at first, but it exfoliates really well and promotes good circulation (I noticed an improvement in skin elasticity and cellulite when I started this brushing. Trust me its worth it). I have come to relish my brushing. I wash with whatever soap is in the shower (Dove usually) and shave no matter what, every other day. Then I pat dry. I immediately slather my whole body generously with Cetaphil lotion (at any store but I get the economy pack at Costco when I go since I use so much.) If I would like a boost for my tan (which is mostly from the sun left over from Honduras, Coachella and the park) I use either Nivea Sun Kissed Firming Moisturizer for a gradual warmth, or the Neutrogena Sun Fresh tanning lotion (more noticeable but a bit starchy smelling) I have not used these products for a while but they are both nicer than others I have tried. My skin does tan in the sun very easily and holds the color well though. Just in case you are ready to lecture, I always wear 15spf if I am going to be outside.
2.
Face: After I got back from Honduras, my skin was a little sun damaged and I noticed more lines around my eyes, so right off the plane I hit Sephora and with the help of a great sales woman, discovered this Philosophy skin line. I use the Microdelivery cleanser each night to exfoliate off dead skin cells, then generously apply the Eye Hope. I let that soak in for 2 minutes then apply the Hope in a Jar to my whole face, neck, chest and hands. In the morning I use any random gentle liquid cleanser on my Clearsonic and repeat the last two steps. I have noticed a DRAMATIC difference in my lines (nearly invisible), my tone and my texture.
3.
Makeup: Once my Moisturizer sinks in (3 mins or so) I spray my face lightly with Dior Air Flash foundation in Sand (Sephora) and brush it in with a foundation brush. It has great coverage but is SUPER light weight. Then I put a bit of Cargo Bronzer on my nose and cheeks for a touch of sun and buff over that with Benefit's Throb powder. My lip color is either one of two Maybelline Colorstay lip colors. I don't use the provided gloss, just let it be matte. Finally I lightly apply Benefit eyeshadow in Busy Signal with a small brush and swipe just the top lashes with Lancome Defincils Mascara. I sometimes use a liquid liner to make a cat eye instead of the more subtle smudged brown eyeshadow.
4.
Hair: I have not committed to a proper shampoo and conditioner yet. I tried the "Her Cut" line and was not impressed. I like Biolage though. For dry shampoos I like the Oscar Blandi Pronto a whole lot, but for darker hair the T3 360 refresh spray dry shampoo in Dark Tone is really great. I have been using the Orlando Pita dry conditoner as well, and have been addicted to Bumble and Bumble Styling cream for a while. The boar bristle brush I got is the Sephora brand and my hair drier (which yes has tape holding the filter on it since I dropped it) is this little T3 Bespoke travel drier. Its light weight and works great.
5.
Fragrance: The only perfume or fragrance I wear of any kind is Prada Milano. I usually will just add the lotion to my Cetaphil in the morning to give me a more subtle smell, but if I go out or want to feel really pretty I will spray the perfume once on my chest. Not really that important, but I thought I may as well include it since it is a part of my routine. You will probably never smell me but I am very sensitive to smells and gather a lot of information about my environment and people I meet by how they smell. I think fragrance says a lot about a person. (my husband usually says that I smell like food or something edible though so go figure.)
All right! So thats what I do. I guess the biggie is just the very regular scrubbing, shaving and moisturizing. My last bit of news, I opened a
Twitter account, but seriously just so that I can let any interested parties know when I list things on my Etsy (
which I did do yesterday!!!) If you want to follow me you can, but I really won't be tweeting about anything but my shop! My user name is Secondskinstyle just like my blog address. I don't have a gadget yet but I am working on figuring all that out. I feel a little ridiculous about this whole thing though. We will see how it goes!
Shirt: thrifted vintage
Pants: thrifted vintage
Shoes, belt, hat, necklaces: thirfted vintage
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