Halfway through No Makeup Week, I realized that I'd been neglecting my skin, abusing fairly good raw materials and covering my tracks with spackle. So I stepped up the program, spending the three minutes I usually devote to makeup application to repairing the damage. It became a daily ritual that filled me with the self-righteousness of all those women I read about who never fall asleep in their makeup. And now that I am a perfect human being, I vill share my secrets vit you:
1. RoC Retinol Correxion Deep Wrinkle Night Cream - $19.99. This is the best non-prescription anti-wrinkle cream I've tried. I have no idea if it really works, but inside, I am wrinkle-free.
2. Neutrogena Rapid Clear Acne Eliminating Spot Gel - $6.99. I've tried the natural way (tea tree oil, etc) and find the results pretty lackluster. If I have a zit in the middle of my face, I go full-on Agent Orange.
3. St. Ives Apricot Blemish Control Scrub - $3.29. I've been using St. Ives products since I was a teenager and am trying this particular variety out. My old standard is the regular St. Ives apricot scrub (NOT the one label led "gentle"), which is utter perfection with just the right amount of scrubbiness.
4. Origins GinZing™ Refreshing eye cream to brighten and depuff - 29.50. Part of me thinks that eye creams are a bag of balls, but the other part of me likes the little light reflecting particles/laser light show that magically distracts people from my bags.
5. Caudalie Elixir Beauty Elixir - $16.00. Total Sephora impulse buy, but I keep it in my desk at work and when I'm feeling tired and crabby, I spray this toner/serum with essential oils directly on my face and it makes my world full of unicorns and rainbows. This is good shit. People also use it to "set their makeup", but I have yet to really understand what that means.
6. Caswell-Massey Sweet Almond Oil 6 fl oz $16.00. Peeps, you can buy sweet almond oil on the internet for much less than $16, but I'm a sucker for pretty packaging and like the fact that this brand has been around since 1752. I use this for everything - on my face in the winter (rub it in, let it sit for ten minutes, put a hot wash cloth on your face and let the steam do its crazy ju-ju), in my hair as a weekly deep conditioner (work through hair, cover head with plastic wrap/bag or a towel, blast with a blowdryer, let sit for 30 minutes when no one else is around to witness the absurdity, wash out), in the bath, or straight onto my body after a shower. Simple, natural, straightforward and amazingly effective for soft skin and hair.7. Ginger Essence™ Intensified fragrance spray - $41.00. This is the only perfume that keeps me coming back, and I assure you that I am a shameless perfume WHORE. The best part of this scent is that it works beautifully in all seasons - in the winter, it's warm and inviting; in summer, it's Cha-Cha DiGregorio at the school dance-off.
8. Vaseline Lip Therapy with Rose and Almond Oil - about $3.00. Why don't they sell this amazing lip balm in the States? Rose-scented vaseline with a pretty pink tint that you can use on your lips or as a highlighter on your cheeks. Thank God Elly brought me some after I discovered it in London, because I like it better than Class A drugs.
9. RapidLash - Eye Lash and Brow Renewal Serum $30.04. After rocking falsies at my wedding, my real eye lashes seemed so...unimpressive. I am slightly ashamed to admit that I bought this product on Amazon because it's likely to be a total sham and pretty much underscores how shallow I am, but the reviews were good, OK?
10. This space is reserved for cleanser, which I consider the biggest beauty scam on the planet - especially when it promises life-changing ingredients that stay on our faces for exactly 2.5 seconds before we wash them off into the sink. Why am I paying good money for this?
What do you use to take care of your face?
