My Favorite Beauty Products!

Today I want to talk about something kind of vain, it isn't deep or spiritual or anything like that. I want to talk about my favorite beauty products! I'm 25 now, and I have been basically acne free for a year now--it disapeared last October, for no apparent reason, I'm not asking why, I'm just eternally grateful it did! Being in my mid-20s now, my skin is changing....here's what I currently use to keep it beautiful, clean and clear! (Most of the time!)

*First off, drink A LOT of water! If you don't, your skin WILL show it! People who don't drink enough water tend to age faster, sad, but true.

*I DON'T smoke! I am AROUND it (I live in Vegas), but I've never ever lit one up myself.

*Yes, I use sunscreen, but I also go one day a week when I don't wear it! I allow my skin to soak up the Vitamin D and other lovely effects of the sunshine--it's not all bad. I just don't sit and sunbathe and if I know I'm going to be out for a prolonged period of time, of course, I slather on the sunscreen! (And wear it on my face & neck everyday!)

*Now, for the ACTUAL PRODUCTS:

**Olay Regenerist Serum: Original & Fragrance Free. I have sensitive, acne-prone skin. Just because my acne went away (miraculously) doesn't mean it isn't still acne prone. I try and use fragrance free products, or naturally fragranced ones! I've used Regenergist Serum now for just over 2 years, and honestly, it keeps my skin clearer than any anti-acne product I've ever tried! If I don't use it for a few days, my skin shows the difference. This Serum is AMAZING and it's an absolute MUST HAVE in my skin care routine/wardrobe!

*Avalon Organics Vitamin C, Oil Free Supercharged Moisturizer: Oil free, lightly fragranced with orange extract and chamomille, and PARABEN FREE! I love, love,, love this stuff! It's expensive for me, at $28 a jar, but it lasts me about 6 months--so it's worth it! That's like 6.4 cents a day! Plus, it's all natural, loaded with anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals and all around goodness! It moisturizes my skin effectively, softly and beautifully, without being greasy or oily! It's hands down my favorite night time moisturizer!

*Burt's Bees Naturally Ageless Eye Cream: I've heard that Eye Cream is the best thing to start using in your 20s. So I did. I like that it too is all natural and paraben free. I use enough parabens and crap in my Olay products, but they work, so I'm not giving them up. Still, I like to offset my carbon (skincare) footprint a bit by using equal parts natural/paraben free prodcuts with sound scientific ones. This eye cream is very moisturizing, non-greasy and has pomegranite extract in it. I can't say it's effective at getting RID of fine lines, but it certainly peps my eyes up, and makes them look soft and supple and hydrayted!

*Origins Super Charged (Daytime) Moisturizer SPF 15....I really, really love this moisturizer. It too smells like Oranges and it's very light and dries to a matte finish! I prefer this daytime moisturizer over the Olay one I'm currently using; however, sometimes, this Origins product does break my skin out. So I use it mostly in the summertime, when I need my skin to be more matte looking. It has SPF 15 in it for the daytime, so that's what's really important! And at $32 or $38 a bottle, that doesn't last 6 months, this is quite an expensive product for me. But I do like it and I would reccomend it for sensitive/oily skin!

*Olay Total Effects 7 Sign Fighting SPF 15 Moisturizer: the daytime moisturizer I'm currently using. It is heavier, and greasier, than Origins, and has a sunscreen scent that I'm not crazy about. But, it DOES moisturize my skin very well, HAS improved the tone and texture of my skin and of course, provides me the SPF coverage we all need. So, although there are things I don't like about this product, I'd have to say there are more things about that I do. I've only been using it about a month, so we'll see in about 3 months how it really works out for me! Stay tuned!

*Olay Regenerist Daily Scrub: This stuff is AWESOME! It's lightly scented, smells great and gentle exfoliates my skin! It has Salic Acid in it which helps prevent (and fight) acne and was rated the #1 Cleaanser in America by Woman's Day Magazine! I've never been one to follow trends, but I've been using this cleanser for over two years and I absolutely love it! I've got my mom using it, and my mother-in-law uses it too! So if a woman in her 20s, and women in their 50s, can use it, and we all get great results--it has to be a pretty great cleanser!

*Alba Papaya Enzyme Mask: my FAVORITE new beauty product! This stuff is truly remarkable! It smells like fresh pineapple and papaya and is a lovely tropical get away for the spirit! I put a thin layer (it only takes a bit) all over my face after I've cleansed it, leave it on for 5--10 minutes and rinse it off with warm water! AMAZING! My skin just positively GLOWS and radiates health and softness! Plus, it clears up any breakouts that might want to appear! I would sell this stuff door to door! It rocks!

*BE Bare Minerals: I've used this makeup for 7 years this month, tried other things and always come back to it. It covers beautifully, has a natural SPF 15 in it and looks gorgeous on the skin! You've probably tried it by now, if you haven't, you should. My mother who never wore make up in her life, sincerely, loves this stuff now! It is expensive, but a large jar of it lasts me around 9 months, so it's worth it! It's all natural, non-greasy and dreamy! I think the Bismuth oxide in it makes me break out sometimes, but I still love it! I ditest being without it and I love, love, love this stuff!

*Wet N' Wild Mineral Makeup: back in May, before my short jaunt to Reno, I was broke and needed some new make up. So I went to Walgreen's and found the Wet N' Wild console and went, well, WILD! Wet N' Wild was really the first make up I ever wore, or bought for myself, and they still make great products for dirt cheap! I was hesitant about trying their mineral make up (as I'm a BE/Mineral Make up Snob!), but I was pleasantly surprised! This stuff is great, it covers amazingly well, keeps my skin more matte than BE and makes me look flawless! BE makes me look flawless too, but with W/W, it doesn't take as much. A couple of swipes and I'm done! This little jar of W/W was originally on sale for $5.99, and it's worth every penny. However, I got it that day for half off, so I only paid $2.99--can you say STEAL of the decade! If and when I run out BE now, I happily consult my W/W Mineral Makeup! It's just great!

That's all for now....I think great beauty products are definitely a path of trial and error. Your skin changes, your hormones change, your life and daily stressors change too! So your products may need to change as well. But, overall, I'm very, very happy with the Skincare Routine I use today. It works! I feel clean, clear and beautiful most everyday, and best of all, my skin is truly beautiful now!

Thank you Lord, for these great products, NO ACNE, really, really thank You So much for that one! And for creating me to recognize my inner beauty--products or not!

In Light N' Love,
-Sarah Liz :)