Daily Beauty Routine

I don't know about you, but some of my favorite posts to read are beauty posts. I'm always curious to see what products women use in their daily routines, what are their favorite make-up items, and what they simply cannot live without. 

I got to think about my own daily routine, and realized that I actually have a pretty rigorous beauty routine that I haven't changed much over the years. 

First, let's begin with my face/skin. I have combination to oily skin, and it get's worse in the Georgia Summer heat. I swear by exfoliating scrubs, masks, and toners to try and tame the oil as much as possible. 

Everyday, mornings and evenings, I use the Clinique "3-Step Skin Type 3." I wash my face with the Liquid Facial Soap for oily skin, and usually use warm to cold water. I have noticed a difference in the oil since I've switched to cold water; and my skin is firmer. 

 Three days a week, I use St. Ives "Invigorating Apricot Scrub" to remove excess dirt/oil on my skin. I usually do it at night so that my skin has all night to heal from the harsher scrub beads. 

I usually proceed to the Clarifying Lotion (which should be used lightly, or else it will try out your skin); followed by the "Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel" - again for oily skin. I have used the 3-Step for 6 years, and to this day, no other products have made my skin as healthy as Clinique does. 

Of course, I developed quite the infatuation with Clinique products. About two years ago, I was introduced to another product I now can't live without. It is the "All About Eyes" Clinique eye cream. This cream is made to reduce puffiness, and dark circles - and guess what? It WORKS. I absolutely adore this little cream. 

There are many morning where I look at myself and wonder if I even went to sleep because my eyes are so puffy. I put a small amount of the cream after the 3-Step routine, and I'm good to go. Oh, and it works great as a prep before your concealer. 

Another Clinique product I have come to like is their "Youth Surge" night cream. OK, I know you're going to think I'm a little ahead of the game, but I have this theory that if I start using wrinkle cream at a young age, I will preserve my skin longer. I actually started using this cream when I turned 25. I felt like it was a good age, and kind of went along with my quarter-life crisis. Needless to say, I can't live without my night cream anymore. 

 

 And you know what? It works too. I have seen a few fine lines disappear over the last year, and my skin is a lot firmer.  OK OK, I know that I'm only 26, but still - This night cream honestly is great, and I strongly recommend it.

Make-Up 

When it comes to make-up, I'm not the adventurous kind at all. I like to have good and reliable products, but I also like to feel like my make-up looks as natural as possible. 

I was never a big fan of foundation, and for the longest time I simply did not wear it. I would put on my moisturizer, some blush, and I was good to go. Of course, as I got older, I couldn't really get with just blush anymore. 

 So, as the Sephora lover that I am, I felt like it was time to try something new, and just like that, I fell in love. I had heard about Bare Minerals in college, and I remember thinking, "wow, this sounds like a lot of work just to put on make-up."Which is why I was hesitant when the Sephora lady suggested I try the Bare Minerals Starter's Kit. 

I remember going home, watching the instructions on the DVD, and thinking..."what did I get myself into?!?" I did try to replicate what the lady did on the video, and when I got done, I seriously thought "WOW." I  mean, my skin looked beautiful, and it didn't feel like I had any make-up on! I was immediately hooked. 

I use the Bare Minerals Matte Foundation for medium skin tone, followed by the "Warmth" aka blush/bronzer, and finish with the Mineral Vail as a "sealer." My skin looks great, and it never looks like I have much make-up on. 

As far as my eyes are concerned, I'm pretty basic: black mascara, dark brown eyeliner, and some shade of brown/taupe eye shadows. No matter how tired I am, I would NEVER leave my house without eyeliner on. I feel completely naked without it! 

I use Make-Up Forever's "Smoky Lash" mascara, and  yes, it costs $22.00 which is outrageous, but the result is SO worth it. Two coats, and I have the prettiest eyelashes. It lasts a long time, and I have yet to find a better one - so for now, I'm sticking to this little miracle. 

For my eye-liner, I use Revlon's "ColorStay" eyeliner in dark brown. It's waterproof, and I barely have to re-apply it throughout the day. It's fairly cheap, and seeing how quick I go through my eye liners, I definitely cannot afford to buy a $14-18 eyeliner every month.

  

As for eye shadows, I don't have any that I use in particular. I really like the ULTA brand shadows, and I always do the "buy 1 get 1 free" deal, and get different shades of browns. 

What do you think?! Too much for a daily routine? Hmmm I'd like to think that every girl/women enjoys taking care of themselves. 

What about you? What is your daily routine? Any particular products you can't live without? 

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!