Happy New Year, friends!! This year, you’ll find me knee-deep in marathon training for TWO marathons which I kicked off back in early December. I’m not sure how I’ll be able to get all my runs in while running after a toddler, but here’s to trying! 🥂
Last month, I really focused on keeping my breakouts to the bare minimum especially now that I’ll be sweating a lot more. And, making those little self-care rituals feel more luxurious.
Here are my essentials for the month:
HAIR: Aveda’s Smooth Infusion Style-Prep Smoother was an unexpected surprise. I’ve been using it as a base to give my curls an extra boost of moisture during this chilly season and found that it helped make my hair appear less frizzy.
FACE / SKINCARE: As usual, we got more heavy hitters in this section.
Skinfix, not sure why everyone sleeps on this brand, has this amazing eye cream that depuffs and brightens. What’s even more amazing is how upfront they are with their clinical actives and studies. Definitely give this brand a look - they are sold almost everywhere!
For my acne friends, La Roche-Posay has an adapalene gel that is now available over the counter! It’s called Effaclar and it’s a retinoid that helps speed up cell turnover and unclog pores.
For moisturizers, give this one from The Ordinary a try and this one from Nuria is made specifically for nights and has an amazing texture.
After trying, Supergoop!’s Glow sunscreen and loving it, I decided to try their clear version called Unseen Sunscreen. The formula is weightless, colorless, and oil-free that leaves behind a nice velvety finish on skin. It also layered very nicely under makeup.
Indie Lee is a recurring favorite of mine. This time I want to highlight their Clearing Mask. I use it after my runs, or any intense workout, to really deep clean my pores and rehydrate my skin.
Our winter feels more brutal than last year’s, so I wanted to give a special shoutout to Glossier’s Moisturizing Moon Mask - our skin is going to need a weekly (maybe biweekly) re-up of hydration to make it in one piece this spring.
FACE / MAKEUP: Last year, I decided to dive back into my stash of foundation and CC creams and will continue the tradition this year to cull through my collection. One of the standouts was the Juice Beauty Stem Cellular CC Cream. The glowy formula blends so nicely and can build from light to medium coverage.
For my eyebrows, I decided to try out Colourpop’s $8 Brow Gel, and you guys - the price for the formula is unreal. It has a flexible, lightweight hold and never flakes. Will definitely buy this again.
I feel like we’ve all heard about Kosas amazing undereye concealer. Their Revealer Concealer first appeared on my FYP early last summer and has been a staple in almost everyone’s makeup routine for good reason. The concealer does not cake or crease - instead, it brightens and leaves a dewy finish.
BODY: It’s become a tradition to stock up on Glossier goods during their Cyber Week sales. I want to highlight their Body Hero Dry-Touch Oil Mist. Not only does it feel so luxurious, it’s one of the few body oils that are truly mess-free and the scent is intoxicating. On super chilly (dry) days, I like to layer this over a body balm to lock in moisture.
SHOP MY ESSENTIALS:
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