My Favorite Beauty Finds: Part 2
Perfect skin has always been a bit elusive for me. Well that’s not totally true. In my early teens I had flawless skin that I totally took for granted. Then I hit about 18 and was riddled with the most persistent, ugly, cystic acne imaginable. I was totally mortified by it, but unable to clear it up no matter how many facials, tonics, ointments or creams I tried. Finally, at my wits end I succumbed to my dermatologist’s pressure to try the much debated Accutane. It did clear my acne up in about a month but left me with a pretty sensitive stomach and highly sensitive skin. I still suffer from the occasional hormonal breakout even now, and on top of the indignity of zits at 38, I’m also dealing with wrinkles. So now I need products that combat both, which seems wholly unfair to me but as the saying goes, the weather may be fair, but life never is.
Along with wrinkles and zits I’m also dealing with red sensitive skin, an often blotchy complexion and hyper pigmentation (yayyy pregnancy hormones!) That’s a whole lot of issues to deal with but deal with I must. Over the last few years I’ve managed to find a handful of amazing products that address all my skin care needs with a few of them even managing to address several issues in one bottle. I love nothing more than an effective multitasking, overachieving product that really works! I mean who doesn’t right? My goal is to try to achieve the glowing, flawless complexion of my youth with as few products and in as little time as possible. Lofty goal I know, but I have to admit, these days I’m a lot closer to that clear skinned 14 year old of my past, just with a few added wrinkles thrown in for character!
Morning Routine
I discovered Eminence Organic Skin Care about five years ago and totally irrevocably fell in love with the line. I went a little crazy and started buying far more than I really needed just so I could try out all the amazing products. I even put together skin care packages for my sister, mother and aunt. I’ve calmed down a bit since then and now, only buy what I truly need. It’s hard, but I’m really trying to practice some self control! Not to mention that the line isn’t cheap, but it is well worth it since the products really do what they advertise. Not only do the products work but they smell like heaven. Everything is organic and made from…well I’ll let them speak for themselves! Due to my overly complicated visage I use a few different products to address all my needs and no, not everything is from the Eminence line, but if I had to live on Eminence alone, I happily could! So without further ado here is a list of my favorites and how I use them.
Clear Skin Probiotic Cleanser. I start using this about five days before my period to ward off any major hormonal breakouts. I’ll also use it every other day in the shower if my skin is looking a bit congested and clogged. With wet hands I rub it onto my dry face and leave it on for the length of my shower. It smells so delicious and has this wonderful tingly cooling effect. Plus it actually works!
Firm Skin Acai Cleanser. This ones for the ol’ wrinkles and I use it every morning if I’m not dealing with any zits. This one smells like you could eat it and I’ve noticed that the bit of crepey skin on my cheeks has greatly diminished.
After Cleansing I use Heritage Store or Mario Badescu rosewater spray. I clearly love beautifully scented products! This also helps put some moisture back into my skin.
Bright Skin Licorice Root Booster. This ones for the hyper pigmentation, that lovely discoloring of your skin that happens during pregnancy and never goes away. Unless you find a kick ass product that actually helps to diminish it! It doesn’t just work on the hyper pigmentation it also helps to reduce my blotchy uneven skin tone. It’s one of those amazing over achieving products I was talking about! I put a few drops on my palm and rub it into my skin while it’s still damp from the rosewater spray.
Bamboo Firming Fluid. Another one for the sagging, wrinkling skin. This all sounds so sexy doesn’t it! I also add a few drops of Monk Oil to the fluid. I started using it because I love the way it smells, surprise surprise, and I would dab a bit on my neck before meditation or prayers. For some reason I thought to add a couple drops to the firming fluid and it added just enough moisture to give my skin a gorgeous dewy glow without being too oily.
Another dew enhancing oil I love is Go Be You Skin Serum. If I’m running crazy behind and don’t have time for the whole regime I’ll just wash my face and throw this on while my skin is still damp. It’s also amazing when you’re traveling on planes and feeling like all the moisture has been sucked out of your skin.
Bearberry Eye Repair cream. I love this light yet effective eye cream. It’s not too greasy so I don’t have to deal with smudged glasses or blurry vision all day like I’ve had to with other denser eye creams in the past. It also happens to be the perfect foundation for under eye concealer. Helping it to glide on effortlessly and stay hydrated and smooth all day. I use this morning and night.
Bright Skin Moisturizer. This is the last thing I put on my face in the morning. It has the one two punch of diminishing my uneven skin tone and protecting my skin from the sun. It’s green color also really helps tone down the redness in my skin and is a great base for makeup.
Nighttime Routine
If I haven’t put any makeup on during the day I’ll often skip this routine and just let the morning products keep on doing their thing. I find them that effective and hard working which is wonderful when you’re dying to just lay your head on your pillow and hit the lights vs delaying sleepy time even 10 more minutes to wash your face. However, if I did put makeup on I force myself, no matter how tired I am, to wash it off. When I was 16 or so a beautiful woman from my church talked to a group of us young girls about how to properly care for our skin. She warned us to never, ever go to sleep with makeup on, promising that for every time we did we’d be aging our skin three whole years. I’m not sure I really believe that, but it’s stuck in my head and I’ve never failed to clean it off before hitting the hay. I guess I’m not really willing to test her theory!
Bye Bye Makeup. This is the absolute best makeup remover I have found. Before I discovered it I’d wash my face at least twice and still end up with residual makeup on the cotton pad I used to apply toner. It drove me completely crazy that I couldn’t manage to get it all off. This incredible product has saved me precious minutes and feels amazing on my skin. I let it sit while I brush my teeth to get the added moisturizing benefits of the skin softening serum concentrate. This is another one of my favorite over achieving products!
Thayers Alcohol-free Rose Petal Witch Hazel. Next I apply this lovely, sweet smelling and refreshing toner with a cotton pad. It helps to not only sooth my sensitive skin but adds moisture back in after washing.
Citrus and Kale Potent C+E Serum. This is another multi tasking product that helps plump, sooth redness, increase collagen production and protect from free radicals. I put a few drops in my palm and apply to my face while it’s still damp from the toner.
Lavender Age Corrective Night Concentrate. This is often the last thing I put on my face at night unless I’m feeling extra dry and tight. This concentrate not only smooths and soothes it smells like heaven and puts me right in the mood for sleep.
Bright Skin Overnight Correcting Cream. If, like I said I’m feeling extra dry, I will add a dollop of this amazing cream over the night concentrate. It does just what it says it will and because I’ve found it so effective I feel like I don’t have to use it every night as I did when I first got it. My discolored and blotchy complexion has become amazingly even toned and clear!
I realize this feels nothing like a streamlined paired down skin care routine, but trust me it is! It sounds like a ton of products, but if you break it down I’m only applying three products for the morning routine and two, unless I need more moisture, for the night time routine. Spritzing my face with toner takes less time then it did to write this sentence, so I don’t count it! Now, for my favorite skin care treatments, masks and peels stay tuned for a post all about them! XOXO, KT
21 Comments
beautiful skin !! thanks for all the information
November 10, 2017 at 12:28 pmhow is your dog?
Chau
Thank you for taking the time to not only share the products you use share the links for us to get them as well. You have beautiful skin and perhaps I’ll be able to help with mine are using some of these products as well.
November 10, 2017 at 1:41 pmHave you tried Senegence products? They’re all natural and the Oily to Acne line is really helping with my stress breakouts. Smells amazing too
November 10, 2017 at 2:26 pmI can relate to your skin problems!! It was as if I wrote this myself!! Lol!! I’m still working on my skin care routine!!! Work in progress!! I enjoy reading your blog so much!! I love getting that email in the morning and sitting with my coffee and reading while my kiddos eat their breakfasts!! Keep them coming!!
November 10, 2017 at 2:59 pmLove this skin routine! I️ may just try it!
November 11, 2017 at 12:05 amThx Katherine…….taking time to let us learn and see what keeps you looking so beautiful……but you are beautiful anyways inside and out…….God Bless and Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours!!!!
November 11, 2017 at 12:16 amDearest Katherine,
November 11, 2017 at 12:51 amThank you again for sharing these personal favorites! I’ve said this before and would like to emphasize again, I feel like I am conversing with my best friend when I read your blog ( and I need it so badly as all my best friends are spread around the world)!
Indeed, some of the products you use are a bit pricey ( I shall try them when I have a bigger pocket), however, I found a few affordable ones that I am going to try myself! Excited to try the rose water spray and antipigmentation serum as I am pregnant at the moment and would like to prevent any blemishes.
From my personal favorites, I found that retinol facial serums are extremely helpful and natural oil mixtures, such as the basic Bio oil found in any drug store, provide tremendous hydration overnight:)
Looking forward to your facial masks other beauty secrets blog!
Love,
Syuzanna
I have always loved your work as an actress (Killers has to be one of my favorites!) Now I am loving your work on thoseheavenlydays.com. Thanks so much for sharing!
November 11, 2017 at 9:06 pmThanks for the suggestions! I’m going to try out the rosewater, the witch hazel toner, and the citrus and kale serum for redness!
November 12, 2017 at 5:46 amYay! I always get excited when celebs discover Eminence Organic skincare. I’m a Esthetician and we carry two other skincare lines, but Eminence facials always gives our guest the best results.
I personally have used the like for 10 years! A lot of people don’t believe I’m 37.
My favorites are : Clear skin probiotic cleanser
Strawberry dermafoliant, Lime Stimulating treatment, Firm skin açaí serum, and lotus overnight detox treatment.
Stay Beautiful Kathryn,
Danielle Pastell
November 15, 2017 at 2:26 amOooh. I might have to look into some of these. My skin has gone though some kind of crisis in the last year (coincidence that i just turned 40? Perhaps…) and I’ve basically become allergic to most of the skincare items I’ve used for years. Seriously, red, itchy patches on top of wrinkles and pimples. Fun times, I’m telling you. I’m still trying to figure out what exactly is bothering me, but am hopeful to find things that will work. I will never have a peaches and cream complexion because i have a lot of freckles, but its so nice when your skin feels (and looks) good. Thanks for the inspiration!
November 16, 2017 at 10:43 pmHi Katherine, Thanks for sharing your favourite eminence products. I absolutely love the strawberry rhubarb serum and the new stonecrop products. You look absolutely amazing!
November 16, 2017 at 11:18 pmCan’t wait to share these products with my daughters!
November 18, 2017 at 3:26 pmAs always love your writings also loved the Q & A yesterday with Josh!
Have an amazing Thanksgiving ☆☆☆
Tricia
Hello kath,
I’m so sorry about your dog please take all the time and keep us updated!! I love my cat romeo to death and I’ll do anything for him.. I was wondering when you come back to blogging if you can do beauty empties.. basically collect for 1 -2months all the beauty and toilet tries containers your finish so you can show us.. you can google beauty empties so you can have a better idea of it works!!.. saludos from South Florida scarleth H
December 5, 2017 at 2:24 amI want to try this line! Katie, there’s a line of products sounds promising and I’m looking forward to try the cleanser! I use a line which is quite similar to Eminence, but way cheaper is called “Andalou Naturals” You can get it on their website, amazon or whole foods, although I started seeingg some products on walgreens too. They even have this starter kits for only $14.00 dollars! Well, thanks for your tips and advice!
December 10, 2017 at 5:05 pmIve now gone back to using tea tree oil in my daily routine in thirties…. I used it as a teen for breakouts.. It’s really working… I noticed when I took a little trip and forgot it at home… I could really see a difference… So now got clearer skin and never go away without it
December 24, 2017 at 5:16 amHi Katherine! Have you heard about The Ordinary company, from Canada? I am following Wayne Goss (make-up artist) on Youtube and he has been recommending them like crazy (not paid to) and it’s like a world wide craze now. I’ve just tested their foundation and I’m in awe , today my first order of skin care products just arrived, was curious if you’ve heard about them:) Have a great day, love your blog and FB page! Hugs, Anca
January 24, 2018 at 1:38 pmI was like Wow she still gets monthly zits too. Lol At 43 soon to be 44 in feb and i still get them too. Your face looks flawless even with no makeup on. True beauty all around .
January 27, 2018 at 1:18 amMilk for skin beauty: Milk is the lone food, which is considered as a complete diet because of the presence of abundant nutrients. Milk is also quite useful for glowing face and beauty. Rub cream or milk on the dark parts of the face, leave it for few minutes and wash the same with fresh water. It will be helpful in enhancing of your beauty. Naked and thriving products for skincare also do wonders.
May 3, 2018 at 9:38 amYou should do a “favorite drugstore make up items” post. I’d be interested in knowing your opinion!
July 2, 2018 at 5:50 pmHello from Alaska!
July 30, 2018 at 5:43 pmI started using this line two months ago and so far i’ve been enjoying it, especially the eye care products. thank you for your review!