Hey ladies! Today I’m introducing a new feature on the blog – The About Face series. It is, as the name suggests, all about your face. It will be a monthly post featuring products and regimens I have tested and have found beneficial in combating some of our biggest skin concerns, and some of the latest makeup trends.What better time to start this series than right now. Winter is coming! (I just like saying that.)
During the colder months, my skin tends to become less hydrated and looks dull. I was at my wits end so I set out on a mission to find a way to hydrate my skin without it looking like an oil reservoir because the skin on my face tends to be a little oily.After doing some intensive research I came up with a winter hydration regimen that helps me keep that summer glow throughout the colder months for combination/oily skin.
The Cleanser – Josie Maran Cleansing Oil
Cleansing Oils. We’ve all heard about them. About two months ago I decided to give it a try. I bought the Josie Maran Skincare Ritual Set which included a travel size cleansing oil. My initial review of this product was that the cleansing oil was a little heavy and hard to spread even when mixed with water and I found that after using the cleanser my face still felt really oily like and the healthy glow that I was looking for wasn’t there. I thought about returning the entire set, but I have a hard time returning skincare items and I’m so happy that I didn’t. The thing about skincare items is knowing when to use them. About a week ago, when the temperatures dropped in NYC I noticed that my regular cleanser made my skin feel unusually tight and I even started to encounter some dry patches. Clearly, my skin was dehydrated. So I modified my diet to include drinking more water and I decided to give the cleansing oil another try. Because I found that the first time that I used this cleanser it was extremely thick, I decided to use less of it and use more water to give it a little more slip when applied to my face. Lo and behold – that really made the difference. To really get it into my pores, I used this along with my Clarisonic Mia face brush (if you don’t own a Clarisonic and are serious about your face, you need to get one as soon as possible). The Clarisonic really helped get the cleanser into my skin and made rinsing really easy. My face truly felt cleansed and I was ready to move to the next step. Click here to purchase the product.
The Toner – Shiseido IBUKI Softening Concentrate
For the entire Summer and Fall, I swore by Mario Badescu’s Glycolic Acid Toner. It has been my go to toner. It leaves my skin feeling extremely clean and really helps with fading blemishes and and helped with tightening my pores. While pore tightening is a good thing during the warmer months, it actually isn’t a great thing during the colder months it doesn’t allow your skin’s natural oils come through which can help combat dryness. During the summer, I received the Shiseido IBUKI Ready, Set, IBUKI Starter Kit to review. The set included a cream cleanser, skin softening concentrate (toner) and a moisturizer. To be honest, I just shelved it. Although Shiseido is a great brand, I used to be of the opinion that it didn’t really satisfy my needs. Before deciding to use the toner, I read up on the technology and the claimed to address these three skin concerns:
- PhytoResist Complex: Supports skin’s natural resistance to external stressors.
- Hydro-Concentrated Formula: Promotes deep penetration and retention of moisture to soften skin.
- Microscopic Emollients: Maintain moisture and soften dry skin.
You can opt to buy the two week starter kit by clicking here (I have not used the other products) or you could purchase the Skin Softening Concentrate on it’s own by clicking here.
Bi-weekly Hydration Maintenance – Glamglow THIRSTYMUD™ Hydrating Treatment
It’s important to always have a weekly or bi-weekly intensive treatment included in skincare regimen. I’ve recently added Glamglow THIRSTYMUD™ Hydrating Treatment to my regimen. I’m a HUGE fan of all Glamgldw products but this one is my favorite. What makes this product unique is it’s versatility. It can be used as a daytime or nighttime treatment and can even be mixed with your favorite liquid foundation (please note that if you use it with your liquid foundation and have oily skin, use a very small amount to avoid excessive shine.) Click here to purchase the product.
Moisturize – Clinique Even Better Skin Tone Correcting Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20
The final step of your daytime skin regimen is to moisturize. You’ve probably heard this a million times, but it is important to either use a moisturizer with SPF or a separate SPF product in conjunction with your daily moisturizer. When it comes to the level of SPF that should be used, I prefer SPF 30, but during the colder months SPF 20 will work just as good. The Even Better line from Clinique is by far one of the best lines for combination/oily skin. It is a lightweight moisturizer that also has SPF. Here are the benefits that this moisturizer provides:
From Sephora:
What it is:
A brightening, exfoliating, and clarifying hydrator.
What it is formulated to do:
Imagine erasing past damage to create a more even skintone while protecting skin from future darkening with high-level UVA/UVB defense. Now discover the reality: this skincare essential delivers soothing moisture as specialized ingredients break apart surface darkening and exfoliate it away, revealing luminous results. Click here to purchase the product.
The Results – Clear, Hydrated Skin
Featured in This Post
