The face of two fifteen year olds

 I have had basically the same beauty regimen for most of my life.

 I never really thought much about it. 

I would buy new shades of eye shadow or lip stick and replace powders as they ran out, but that was really the extent of it. 

However in the last year or so, I started really taking a look at my skin care and the products that I put on my face and reevaluating.

Which I wish someone would have told me to do sooner.

Duh. My skin today needs different products than it did 10- 15 years ago when I started doing anything besides using Noxzema out of the blue jar!

(Then she got killed of on 90210 and I had to stop using it)

I am starting to show my age and when my skin is dry, my foundation seems to find it's way down into the cracks and brings out the wrinkles a little more. 

I feel like I am finally at a good place with my skin care though, as far as maintaining healthy clear skin.

 I use a plethora ( yes, plethora) of different products and rotate through them during the week. 

Using just one thing either dries my skin out or makes it break out. 

I found the perfect combination... finally.

Let me tell you though, this strategy had never occurred to me before this last year.

All my life, I used one thing and when it didn't work, I moved on to the next. 

It was so black and white and it never worked in my favor.

Then it kind of clicked and I realized I could actually do whatever I wanted!

Hi, It's my face.

 So , I started livin' life on the edge and now I am really happy with my skin. 

Which is huge!

 It's right up there with being happy with my weight. 

Which I think will never happen, but hey, you win some, you lose some.

As far as makeup goes, I look back at photos from my early 20's and wonder what I was thinking. 

Not just about choices in boyfriends I met off Myspace, but how I applied makeup.

I remember at the time the photos were taken thinking  I was doing a good job, but I always felt disappointed and confused later on because my makeup was no where up to the par of some other girls.

A lot of the time I looked like I had no makeup on, when I spent so much time putting it on! 

Or my face just looked greasy and washed out.

Case in Point:

Me at 20.

Doesn't look awful but also doesn't look like I did much either.

Or me at 22.

I guarantee I spent time on my makeup for this party, yet it looks like I have nothing on!

Side note: Rindi, your hair.....

(And yes, I know makeup is suppose to " enhance your beauty and not necessarily look like you are wearing makeup, but that isn't what I am getting at. )

Given, 10 years ago, there wasn't photo ready HD makeup and all that. 

At least not mainstream, that my 21 year old self knew about.

 There weren't make up Vloggers or you tube tutorials to learn from. 

And on the West coast, Ulta was not a household name.

 I was also living on a smaller budget, so even if all those goodies HAD existed, I probably wouldn't have been buying them. 

I splurged on some Urban Decay shadows but the rest was all Drug Store stuff. 

Which brings me to my next point. 

You get what you pay for. 

Yes, there are some dupes out there and you can get a decent product for a fraction of the cost.

 But, I have found from trial and error, makeup and skin care is worth paying a little extra for. 

It's on your face all day , every day.

 Like a good bra. 

You need to invest. 

For example, Beauty Blenders.

At 20.00 a pop, I can see why you would want to get a knock off for 5.00 bucks.

I mean, it's just a sponge right?!

 No.

 If you used the 20.00 real deal, you would understand and never look back.  

Right now the products that I am loving for keeping my skin clear and clean are:

Clean & Clear Essentials foaming cleanser - Cheap stuff! Both work great when accompanied by my...

Clarisonic Brush - I have used the Avon, Mary Kay, Neutrogena knock offs, even a buff puff. They don't come close to what the Clarisonic does for me. Yes, it was $$$ but I purchased mine at Nordstrom so I felt confident that I could return it if I hated it or it destroyed my skin. The Clarisonic allows me to use pretty much any face wash I want and it works great. There isn't a need for an expensive cleanser when I am using it along with the brush. 

Proactive Plus + ( for adults)- For me, I think it works even better than the regular formula worked on me when I was younger.  I use just steps 2 &3. Apply every other night after washing my face.

Coconut oil- As a moisturizer and sometimes I wash my face with it. That's right, WASH. Weird right? Cuz it's oil. I slather it on and sit for a few minutes with a hot wash cloth on my face and let all the pores open and then wipe it off with the cloth when I am done. It's an amazing make up remover and I have super oily skin and it still works wonders. I can't do this every day though or my pores start to get clogged up. When I alternate with  clarisonic & proactive though, I get great results. It's a nice break from my cleansers for my skin. I also use coconut oil under my eyes if my make up is looking dry and on my neck to help prevent wrinkles and dry skin...which causes more wrinkles. Coconut oil is also an anti-inflammatory and antioxidant! Both great for your skin and bags under your eyes!

Coconut water Toner- I use this multiple times throughout the day. It has, among other things, antibacterial properties and I think this is one of the products that has made the biggest difference in my skin. I use it before applying my lotion. I also use it to set my make up and get rid of the powdery look. As well as to refresh my skin in the middle of the day and rejuvenate. ( Found at PCC)

Olay oil free lotion- I have been using this all my life and its great, I tried the extra SPF one and hated it. I looked white and cakey in flash photos even with make up on over it. I like the plain original formula. I use it every morning after washing and toning my face but before pore vanish and primers.

 DDF Oil Free Hydrator - At night I use this as a heavier moisturizer( Also has SPF 45, that I don't need when I am sleeping. Oh well) The Moisturizing Dew is great too.

Kate Somerville EradiKate- for spot treating. If I do have something pop up, I throw a dot of this stuff on it. The key ingredient is sulfur. It smells, but it dries blemishes up like nobody's business.

Alba Deep Sea Mud Mask- I use this about once a week at night. It draws out impurities and makes my skin feel super fresh and smooth. Followed by toner and lotion

Michael Todd  Pumpkin Moisturizing mask- I use this once a week also just to pump up the volume on my skin and keep it lush! 

My make up routine has changed a lot too. 

I used to wear cover girl  foundations, mousse creams and full coverage powders.

All applied with the sponge that came with them or my fingers.

Yuck.

( Also, you would be shocked how much better your makeup goes on with a clean brush! Wash your brushes!)

Now I can't go with out a Pore Vanisher

Followed by a Face Primer- Smashbox or Makeup Forever 

With just these 2 products on, my skin already looks 10x better than it does without.
You can tell that a good base has been created for my makeup to go on top of. 

Foundation applied by my Beauty Blender 

(ps: I clean my blender with Dr. Bronners Castile Soap and it works amazingly!)

Finished with powder, blush and highlighter.
(All applied with the correct & quality brushes)
As well as filled in brows with Bullet Proof  for the cleanest look.
All set with my toner spray.

I would just like to add, I am no makeup guru or professional at makeup application.
So don't hate.
I just wanted to share the new things I discovered that have made a difference in my life!

Maybe it's time to take a look at your routine.
Are you in a rut?

Are you wondering why your make up doesn't look as good as that other girls does?
Maybe it's not that you don't have the skills to apply it right, it's that you are just using the wrong things entirely!
It's time for a change!