Morning friends! Even though we had a snow day on Tuesday, I feel like this week has been taking forever!

Maybe it's just being 30, but my skin feels particularly under the weather this winter. I love winter so much, every bit of it, but my skin does an about face halfway through the year - from oily to dry and dull. Every year I'm left scratching my head as to the best products to use, and I feel like this year I have finally figured out a good formula. Here's my daily run down of products (quick disclaimer: I use only cruelty free products, which are more and more easy to find. I highly recommend making the switch!):

MORNING:

1. Gentle Cleanser - I have loved Mario Badescu products for years, and if I need a good scrub, I use this. Otherwise, lately I have been stealing Raven's fash wash, which gets my skin super clean without completely stripping it of its oils. Once a week, I use my Clarisonicto slough off dead skin. It's a miracle product.

2. Anti-Aging Serum - My skin has completely changed since I bought Tata Harper's serum this fall. My skin feels springy and more smooth. It's pricy but it truly works.

3. Eye Cream - I recently just purchased Tata Harper's eye cream and have completely fallen in love. My eyes are so puffy in the morning, and this magical cream sucks out the puff almost instantly.

4. Moisturizer - I love a tinted moisturizer for a more even complexion (and SPF!) but find that it's not enough in the winter for my scaly skin. I've been mixing tinted and regular moisturizer everyday with exciting results.

5. Foundation - You all know my love for tarte products. This is the best foundation I have ever used. Creamy as the day is long! Tip: I tried their BB cream foundation and found that it didn't quite absorb into my skin all the way / wasn't anything special. Stick with tarte's regular foundation, and make sure to invest in a good foundation brush!

I follow these steps with bronzer and the rest of my makeup...which is another post!

Night -

1. Cleansing Cloths - No, I don't wash my face at night. I know, I'm gross, etc, etc, I just don't. I did, however, finally invest in an amazing cleansing cloth that removes my makeup, (thanks for the rec, Cup of Jo!) smells amazing and is cruelty free! After I exhaust one of the wipes, I quickly rinse my face and follow steps 2, 3, and 4 from above. Night night!

Thoughts? Any products I should try? I'm looking to invest in a silky night cream - recs appreciated!

xoxo,

Affiliate links are used in this post, though I truly use each and every one of the aforementioned products. Your support is greatly appreciated.

Good morning, friends! If you follow me on Instagram (and if you don't...why not?), you know I frequently do small posts about my favorite products. I love trying new products (I'm a huge Birchbox fan!) and I wanted to do an all encompassing post here. Behold, my beauty roundup!

So, I like to think I'm a low maintenance gal, but looking at that spread...I know I'm not. However, I do like to keep it simple, and here's what I do...

In the Shower:

I don't wash my hair much, but Amika Color Pherfection Shampoo is my go to when I do. I've been using it since last fall, and I can't get enough. Like I mentioned here, I think the key to making your color stick around is not washing your hair much, but I love the way this shampoo smells, and it's made in the USA without any scary ingredients! I'm a recent convert of the Clarisonic, and I'm completely hooked. It gets every last speck of dirt, makeup, and oil out of your skin. I highly recommend it, you can usually find it for much cheaper on Gilt, Ruelala, or Hautelook. I've also started using Frank coffee scrub twice a week; it's an all natural scrub that not only exfoliates, but reduces cellulite and clears away acne. I've used it three times and I can absolutely attest to its magical powers. My skin is definitely more smooth and the pesky/gross breakouts I get from working out are gone.

In front of the mirror:

I've been using S.W. Basics' oil makeup remover for a while now; it doubles as a light moisturizer and the company is BK based! If you don't like oil based products, this might not be for you; it's definitely oily (but I love it!). Coola is the best all natural sunscreen; this product also acts as a tinted bb cream, meaning it reduces the appearance of pores. It would be especially great to use on vacation when you might not feel like wearing any makeup. Speaking of, my absolute favorite makeup companies are Josie Maran and tarte. Tarte has the best amazonian clay bronzer with no sheen to it, so you simply get a clean bronzed look. I put this on over foundation, though you don't really need to. I use Josie Maran's nude eye makeup palette for plenty of simple, neutral shimmer. And tarte's lights, camera, flashes is the best mascara I've ever used, period. I've tried every mascara out there (from Maybelline to Benefit) and I can honestly say this product stands on its own. I use Chantecaille's gel eye liner when I want dramatic eyes - I'll be doing a fool proof cat eye tutorial soon!

Underarm:

It makes total sense that I would have a category just for my pits. My underarms sweat a lot, and I love DermaDoctor's MEDeTATE wipes. If I have something serious coming up (an interview, an important night out), these are the best for making sure my sweat stays in control. I searched for a while for a deodorant that's cruelty free and actually works, and LaVanilla is the best I have found thus far. It's all natural, which usually means it does nothing, but this scent (I use lavender) smells great and it has only failed on me in the sweatiest of circumstances.

There you have it! I'd love to hear your thoughts - what are your favorite products?

image is my own. all products mentioned in this post are cruelty free with the exception of DermaDoctor MEDeTATE wipes.

winter skin beauty roundup

products i love