C-THRU MY EYES

I LOVE facials – but they get a little pricey for me… not an option right now! However, there is an amazing alternative and that is a…

DO IT YOURSELF FACIAL!

I love DIY facials because they’re so simple, but really make a difference. I like to do do my facials whenever I have the chance, maybe every other weekend – never more than once a week so your skin does not get irritated. The best time is to do it at night so you can sleep with no makeup & let your face rest. You will wake up with glowing skin – it makes a huge difference, I promise!

Step 1: Use an exfoliating wash like the Queen Helene All Natural Cocoa Butter of Honey & Oats Scrub. I also like exfoliating scrubs from Neutrogena. Wet your skin with a little water then take a good amount of whichever exfoliator you choose & work it in a circular motion all over your face for about a minute. This is one of the most important steps because you get all of the dead skin off & allow the other products to soak into your skin.

Step 2: After you wash off the exfoliator, bring a pot of water to a boil on the stove, take it off of the stove, set it in the sink & lean over so the steam hits your face. Put a towel over your head to trap the steam inside of the towel. If it is too hot, wait a few minutes & try again – it shouldn’t be uncomfortable, but should feel hot and steamy like a sauna – this step helps you sweat out toxins in your skin & clear your pores. Do this for about 7 minutes.

Step 3: Skip this step if you can, but if you can’t resist the urge to pop any pimples – this is the step to do it. Just be careful!

Step 4: Wipe your face off with a washcloth & apply a mask. I love this Decleor MasqueI got a few years ago from a spa in Maine I used to go to. It’s a little pricey, but I loved it. My favorite mask is the Olay Clay Mask. Spread a thick layer all over your face. Most masks say leave it on 5-10 minutes, but it doesn’t hurt if you leave it on an extra 10 minutes. Put on some relaxing music n just lay in your bed with your mask on.

Step 5: Wash off the mask with warm water, making sure to remove all traces.

Step 6: Wash your face with a gentle cleanser to get any remnants of the mask off.

Step 7: Put on a very thick layer of moisturizer/face lotion on – I love Mary Kay Velocity Face Moisturizer or try Neutrogena Healthy Skin Night Moisturize – I say a thick layer because your face just went through a lot so this will be sure to restore any moisture that was lost during the process.

Now sleep tight! It helps if you have a fresh pillow case – you might as well go all the way.

I hope some of you try this & can tell a difference in your skin – you really should be able to!

A lot of people have oily skin or combination skin (which is a combo of oily and dry skin – the worst!)…I’m one of those combination skin people, but I’ve learned ways to deal with it & make it work!!

DON’T SKIP MOISTURIZER

Moisturizer is so important even for oily skin. If a person w/oily skin skips moisturizer their skin will produce MORE oil to make up for that!! If you feel super oily with a moisturizer put it on at night – an oil free one – & skip it in the morning.

OIL BLOTTING SHEETS

These are ingenious. I love oil blotting sheets… you can carry them around in your bag & blot your face wherever your a little oily – & the oil’s gone! Love them…there’s a variety of blotting sheets below.

1. MAC Blot Film – $12.50

2. Neutrogena Shine Control Blotting Sheets $6.99

3. Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets – $5.49

I have tried all of the mascaras below – & all of them I have liked, but two I have LOVED!

In MY EYES, one place where it’s OK to skimp as far as price goes is MASCARA!!  I think drugstore store mascara works just about as well as any other I’ve tried. You may disagree, but from all the mascara I’ve bought, I am as happy spending $8 verse spending $30.

1. Covergirl Lash Blast price varies  ($7.79) – I love this mascara, I have it right now. It just gives overall clean lashes…no clumps and such.This brush is kinda of big so getting bottom lashes & inner lashes is a little tough, but doable.

2. MAC Plush Lash $13 – This is my least favorite of the three mascaras. I find that MAC mascara clumps a lot – sorry to those MAC mascara lovers, only my opinion! I don’t use MAC mascara often…I do use their eyelashes which I’ll have a post about later

3. Dior Iconic Mascara $27 – I LOVE this mascara for dramatic lashes. I have it right now & I layer & layer…sometimes it gets a little thick & to be honest takes a ton of work to get off even though it’s not waterproof. Nevertheless it’s a great mascara for dramatic lashes..& a small enough brush to get in all the corners.

*I don’t use waterproof mascara unless I know I’ll be in water – I find it’s really hard to get off even with makeup remover

*Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover is my all time favorite makeup remover…leaves a little oily residue (just like most makeup removers- I just use some water to wipe it off).  I use it with cotton balls or squares – you can get it at most drugstores.

**I am going to continue to post products that are priced low, medium & high. Often times with makeup people opt for cheap product which in some cases is okay, others it’s better to invest**