Spring Beauty

I always get so impatient when it comes to winter-spring transition. Usually, we jump right into summer, but this year, Mother Nature has outdone herself. I already had the AC running in the house mid-February, while last night I actually put on the fireplace…

SPRING BEAUTY: BODY LOVE

This constant back and forth doesn’t always play nice with my skin. Sometimes it’s the simplest of products that do the trick- as you already know I can’t live without my Salux Cloth (because loofahs and sponges are heaven for bacteria and they don’t always get to dry completely between uses in the moist bathroom environment-yuck) I still love to use a nice body scrub once a week. My favorite is the Palermo Coffee Scrub– while amazing, it’s pricey and can get pretty messy, like all coffee scrubs. Right now I’m loving Dove’s Exfoliating Body Polish. It gets the job done and OMG does it smell amazing- my favorite is the Macadamia and Rice Milk. I always follow with Amlactin– if you get razor bumps, dark spots under your arms, ingrown hair or extremely dry skin, this body lotion will help transform your skin.

The truth is, I could probably talk about body lotions all day long. Philosophy’s Amazing Grace is one of my favorite scents (although I feel like it sadly did change over the last couple of years or so, why try to fix something if it ain’t broke?! argh!) from them and I love the Luminous Body Cream. It’s a bit more rich and hydrating than the Firming Body Emulsion, plus it adds a little sparkle to your skin which makes me excited about warmer weather and wearing dresses. Looks like I’m going to have to wait a bit longer for that though.

SPRING BEAUTY: SKIN RENEWING

Sunday Riley’s Good Genes is my favorite product to use both in fall and spring, which is when I like to reach for more acids. It helps with that post-winter dullness, discoloration, small spots, and the best part is that you really get quick results.

Paula’s Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid is one of those products I can’t go without. My skin loves salicylic acid and this liquid is so incredibly gentle and back when I struggled with acne, it was one of the first products I’d reach for whenever I felt a breakout coming. Another amazing BHA product that you can also use in places like your bikini line or underarms if you tend to get ingrown hairs, is Stridex– I mean, the leg-shaving season is back so…

Also, still loving TO’s 30% AHA + 2% BHA Peel Solution. I’ve used it several more times since I mentioned it in this post, and I love the results I’ve been getting in terms of my skin’s tone and texture. I probably wouldn’t recommend it to those who aren’t well used to and/or familiar with using acids on their skin though, because it can get intense.

SPRING BEAUTY: QUICK PICK-ME-UP

Whenever I feel like my skin doesn’t know what it wants (sort of like when you open the fridge wanting to grab a snack, but you’re not sure what you really want to snack on- everyone does that, right?) I pick up Dr. Jart’s Dermaclear Trans-Foam Clay Mask. It’s great because you can just put it on right after you take a shower, leave it on for 3 minutes while you rub that body lotion in, and then wash it off as it transforms into a creamy cleanser. Love that this is gentle and leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean, without overdrying it. I’ve tried all three of these and haven’t really noticed a difference between them- they all work nicely.

Two quick pick-me-up products from the makeup department: Dior’s Airflash Foundation and Glossier’s Generation G sheer lippie in Zip. I know I can’t seem to shut up about the Airflash foundation since I started using it, but it’s really that amazing and works so nicely with my skin at the moment (I wouldn’t dare try it back when my skin was still very oily). Whenever I don’t feel like doing my makeup, I’m short on time but still want to have some kind of coverage and need a little pick-me-up, I use this foundation and pair it up with Zip. Zip is such a pretty red without being intimidating at all. It’s on the sheer side, lasts all day, doesn’t dry out my lips and the color is just perfect for spring- it just seems like one of those reds that is universally flattering. Now, if only the weather cooperated…