Beauty / Skincare Favorites

Today I'm going to share a few of my favorite beauty products.

Olay Regenerist Microdermabrasion & Peel Kit

 This stuff is seriously kickass. It is basically the best peeling I've ever found, and I'm a person who likes (needs?) to peel about 1 a week to unclog pores and make my skin smooth, which this does. I'm not kidding, run your hands over your face after using this and you will be amazed. It consists of two parts: first there's the standard peeling, which is in the flat tub (left). It's this orange goo-ey stuff and the peeling crystals are grainy, which is actually good because it works better than peelings that are all fine. So you put that on your face and you "scrub" (more let gently rub) for a few minutes. Then comes a chemical peeling, which is a clear, liquidy gel (bottle on the right) and is applied directly onto the crystals, and tada! Now the grainy crystals are gone, the orangeness is gone, and instead you have this white foam. It's actually kind of creepy. Then you (gently!) do those same circular movements and wash it off ... and then you're amazed.
Clear skin, glowing skin, smooth skin ... try it! You have to try it! It's magic!!!

La Roche Posay Effaclar

 I have always had crappy skin (click here to read my review of Duac Acne Gel) and Effaclar really helped fix that. I use the wash (pictured), which does dry my skin out a little, but that's okay because I follow it up with Effaclar H anyway, which is a soothing lotion. I have to use that stuff because the aforementioned Duac Acne Gel dries out my skin so much it should be illegal, but I put up with it because Duac works. But that's not the point. The point is that Effaclar K is also very good for those with milder imperfections. I used that for awhile and was happy with the result, but let's face it, my skin isn't that great and after awhile I went to a dermatologist - who, by the way, was very happy with my use of Effaclar. She actually said she recommends that product to other people. So! What can go wrong now?

L'Oreal Bare Naturale Mineral Powder

 Now, this stuff also exists in pressed-powder form, but I like it loose like in the picture. It's just a lightweight powder that has the advantage of looking like it's not there and at the same time evening out your skin tone a little. The art lies in picking the right shade(s). If your powder is too dark or light, it will be visible. I bought a little set with two shades that both match me, one that's darker for summer and a lighter one for winter. Then I have this lighter powder labeled "Finish", but I just use it to highlight a little, in a super-subtle way. There's also this shimmer in there, but I rarely use that.
Okay. Nobody cares. But still, I like this powder because it's light, invisible, and somewhat functional for the fact that it's a powder. A good pick for those of us who aren't about to spread liquid or cream foundation on their poor skin every day but still want to look good.