As summer is drawing to a close I thought I would take a look back at my essentials this summer. I will do this in a series of posts starting with face. My skin kind of freaked out halfway though the summer so I've changed all my skincare, which I will include. Now that my skin in cleared up, I've been going with the lightest coverage possible.
Cleanser- Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Face Wash ($47 here) I was introduced to this brand while on a cruise and I have completely fallen in love with the line. It is on the pricer side, but it is worth every single penny in my eyes. This is what changed my skin for the better.
Makeup Remover- Neutrogena Makeup Removing Wipes ($7.49 at most drugstores) I pick these up in bulk when they go on sale, which is fairly often. I've tried wipes from almost every brand, luxury to drugstore, and these are my go to. They leave a little bit of a film, but I wash after I use them anyways so it's not a problem. There are three varieties- original, night calming and hydrating, and I prefer the original and night calming over the hydrating, only because the hydrating can sting if I've been out in the sun at all.
Astringent- Clean and Clear Deep Cleaning Astringent ($3.83 at drugstores) while most people shy away from astringents due to the tendency of alcohol to both sting and dry, I find that this one does neither. I use this after the makeup removing wipes and find it extremely refreshing. I also use a quick swipe before I put moisturizer on in the morning.
Serum- Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Serum ($176 here) I was going to pick this up on the cruise when my best friend informed me that he has a couple of brand new bottles lying around our apartment. As far as I'm concerned, this has caused a completely 180 with my skin. I use two pumps about 30 minutes before bed and when I wake up in the morning. After I let in soak in (which really doesn't take long at all) I apply my moisturizers followed by makeup.
Day Cream- Elemis Pro Collagen Marine Cream (usually $210 for 100mL on sale for $185 here) this cream feels extremely light weight once on my skin but leaves me with amazingly hydrated skin and provides a great base for light summer makeup. The only downside I have found to this is that I have to wait at least 15 minutes before I can apply it on top of the serum, otherwise it balls up and makes my makeup look splotchy.
Night Cream- Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Night Cream ($148 here)- I have no complaints with this one. It is fantastic, makes my skin feel great and has definitely smoothed a couple of my premature fine lines. This one doesn't ball up when applied directly after the serum, but I do suggest allowing at least a little time.
Spot Treatment- Clean and Clear Persa Gel 10 ($5.99 at drugstores) I pick mine up when I'm at Target and its usually on sale. I've been using this for as long as I can remember and it is definitely my favorite of the spot treatments I've found. It dries up pimples overnight and decreases redness dramatically.
That's it for skin care. I'll be posting a couple on summer makeup in the coming days.
