what's your beauty routine? pt. 1

i love learning about what other ladies do for their beauty routines.

everyone always has neat little tricks and products

they've discovered along the way and i thought i would share what i do for myself.

my own personal rituals are relatively simple and quick.

my teen years were really rough on my skin.

while my friends sometimes battled a pimple or two,

i experienced painful cysts for years all over my face that didn't really subside until my 20's.

{when i became a vegetarian and stopped using harsh cleansers.}

it's actually a blessing that i don't still have serious scarring.

now i'm ritualistic with my skin care . . . and i've tried a LOT of products,

both pricey and bargain drugstore buys.

and since i also happen to be very allergic to lots of materials that make me

swell up like a duck-billed platypus, everything i use is extremely gentle

to the most very sensitive skin.

cetaphil is by far the best cleanser i've tried and i don't think i'll ever try another again.

it takes off my makeup and cleans my skin thoroughly without

over-drying or irritating. my skin has never felt so balanced.

my mom turned my sister and me on to aquaphor years ago and we all use it religiously

on our lips and rough skin spots {say goodbye to winter-damaged hands}.

it also is the best nightly eye cream i've ever tried . . .

just a few dabs in the outer corners of my eyes and lids and i look

freshly moisturized every single morning.

being acne-prone, i definitely need to help my skin with exfoliation,

but not so much that i overstimulate and get too oily.

clinique's 7-day scrub cream, used just one night a week and followed by my regular cleanse, has significantly reduced my visible pores

and has kept my breakouts to virtually non-exsistant.

i also firmly believe in using an SPF every day, without fail.

purpose with SPF 15 or 30 is just fantastic . . . it doesn't clog my pores at all

and leaves my fair skin super soft and safe from the sun!

pond's dry skin cream is a wonder night time moisturizer.

it's cheap cheap and full of super moisturizing ingredients that leave my skin

all dewy and still not clogged full of goop.

my skin is still young, so i don't use any anti-aging products.

but i imagine {sigh} i'll have to throw those into the mix at some point down the road.

over the years, i've swapped out a lot of cosmetic products.

these are two i've remained faithful to for longer than i can remember.

stila's all over shimmer liquid is the most amazing product-

just a dab on my cheekbones, bridge of my nose and cupid's bow.

opi got a date to-knight is the prettiest pink polish- ever.

reminds me of ballerinas.

i'm a sucker for pretty packaging and i just adore sweet scents

but i spent years looking for a perfume that i felt was "me."

miss dior cherie l'eau was my perfect discovery; it's light and pretty,

fresh and floral all at the same time.

i always feel like a parisian girl when i wear it and mr. wonderful loves it too.

~~~

tomorrow i'll show you what products are in my

current "fad" rotation and i'll share a few sites that are my go-to's

for cosmetic advice and product reviews.

and now it's your turn.

what are your favorite routines and go-to products?