jackie 0. monroe: Mac Cosmetics

Violet Smoke & Fringe

Dry Skincare Series - Facial Moisturizers

Besides oil I do use face lotion or cream preferably with an SPF in the morning. If my skin is very dry then I will put argan oil on first and follow with one of these lotions before my makeup. It helps keep my skin comfortable and fresh throughout the day.

Neutrogena Healthy Skin Radiance Cream SPF 15 - This is a really great moisturizer. I see a difference in my skin tone and a definite radiance when I use this regularly. I can tell the difference within a few days. It is light but makes my skin feel nice. You could use this year round if you are looking for a light moisture lotion.

Neutrogena Visibly Even Daily Moisturizer, SPF 30 - This is great for summertime I would say. It is lighter a light fluid like texture. I like that it evens my skin tone, especially when used with the Visibly Even facial cleanser.

Jergens Glow Face Daily Moisturizer Sunscreen SPF 20 - I use this all year on and off. I like to give my face some color throughout the seasons to look healthy. This isn't something I would pick up on my dryer days but for the average day, yes.

MAC Cosmetics Strobe Cream - Mac did a great thing coming out with this. It gives your skin an irridescent quality and wakes everything up. This cream is not sparkly... think pearl.

Josie Maran Argan Glow Whipped Gradual Tanning Lotion - I can't find this anywhere right now but I had to share it anyway. I have a backup thank god. This stuff is so awesome! It gives nice color on my fair skin gradually and doesn't smell funky like some self tanners. It does have radiance or fine glimmer to it. If you put this on your face it will sparkle. I know not everyone likes that but if you use a powder or foundation (or bb cream) on top you can't tell. I love that it has argan oil included in its ingredients plus it is gentle enough for your entire body including your face. It is vanilla scented and I'm obsessed with it. Keep your eyes open for when this (hopefully) comes back! It is thick enough for comfort but not overbearing or greasy with or without makeup on top. One of the best things about this too is it has a pump! Yay!

xoxo

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, by Jackie Hosking

beauty

Dry Skincare Series - Exfoliating

This is going to be a series of entries all dedicated to dry skin. I find a lot of the people on the web who write beauty blogs have oily skin. I have dry skin myself and I am always on the lookout for tips and product reviews or suggestions. So I thought this is a good opportunity to share some of my finds along the way with you guys, so here is goes...

My skin does change very slightly during the change of the seasons but I am definitely classified as dry. The only thing that might change is that in the summer I don't get that tight feeling after washing my face or don't have to wear as thick of a moisturizer at night.

One thing I always try to recommend when people ask me about skincare is exfoliating. It is my top trick for making sure my skin is looking good and not flaky. For those of you who do not know, exfoliating is taking a facial scrub or even a clean damp washcloth and basically massaging your face with it. The "roughness" of the products takes off the dead skin cells that tend to stay on the outer layer of your skin. Those dead skin cells can lead to dry patches, breakouts, and dullness. So again, exfoliating is your #1 friend!

I recommend exfoliating at least 2 times a week depending on what you use and how your skin is. I don't recommend exfoliating more than once a day though. It can irritate the skin too much leading to redness and itching.

Do not scrub your eye area! This skin is thinner than the rest of your face and very delicate. Treat this area with respect and you will see respect back. The more you rub your eyes the more wrinkles you will have later on.

Another tip for exfoliating is to moisturize very well afterwords. I tend to exfoliate in the shower in the morning so I just use my daytime moisturizer or argan oil before my makeup depending on how my skin is that morning. Every once in a while though I will deeply exfoliate at night before bed and put on a nice thick moisturizer before I go to sleep. This makes your skin so soft and silky the next day it is lovely.

There are other loofahs and such you can also use on your face but do be careful as these can collect bacteria over time and that can just clog your pores.

A few of my favorite exfoliants:

St. Ives Apricot Facial Scrub - a classic in my book and always in my shower... It is rough enough that you could use it all over your body but also gentle enough where you could use it on your face a couple times a week. This stuff is a great deal for the price!

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant - You could use this daily which is one of the things I like about it. It is so gentle. Once I rinse this off my skin it feels like a baby's bottom.

Mac Volcanic Ash Exfoliator - This is pretty abrasive but the Mac girl that recommended it to me said it doesn't make the tiny tears in your skin like some harsher exfoliants can do. It is black but don't be scared as it all washes away and leaves the skin glowing! They made this part of the permanent skincare line but for a while it was very hard to find due to its popularity and being limited edition. It also leaves behind a nice fresh scent. This is a once a week type of exfoliator when not using any other products for exfoliating.

Clarisonic - This is a spinning brush tool that you can use with your daily cleanser. I would recommend using this as often as needed but not more than once a day for dry skin. It really is a nice tool to have. The Clarisonic brand has different heads for their brushes depending on what kind of cleaning you are looking for or your skin type. It is also supposed to make your skin absorb serums and moisturizers better than it did before. There are many brands (even drugstore brands) that carry very similar brushes to this. I have heard good things about them but I personally have not tried any out. Olay has one I've heard is really great and retails at just $25 instead of a whopping $125 for the Clarisonic. You can find it here: Olay Pro-X