acne – okay andie

Quite awhile ago I shared with you my daily skincare routine, but since that time I have really done a lot of searching and product testing and have now found what I really think is my go-to routine. I thought it only made sense to give you an update, show you all the products I’m loving of late and hopefully be able to show you some products that maybe you’ve never heard of, or have been wondering about.

I guess I should give you a lil update on what my skin has been like to start with. It seems my chin has been having a breakout for what feels like months now. I’ve never had the most blemish-free skin, but lately it feels like a lot more than usual. I have not been able to pinpoint why, but I added some products into my routine that help with blemishes (or acne rather). The zits I seem to get are almost cystic (in my opinion) and last for weeks on end, so some of these products have been a real help with reducing redness, pain and size of those little demons.

MORNING
1. In the morning I like to give my skin a good wash and hydrate as much as possible. I have fairly dry skin and even more so in the winter, so Mario Badescu’s Cleansing Milk with Carnation and Rice Oil is a true god-send when my skin is being a flakey monster.
2. After cleansing, I use Wildcraft Care Bergamost and Rose Toner to tighten up my skin while leaving it with a cool, refreshing feeling. I like that this toner is in a spray bottle – the application is much easier and I don’t have to worry about having cotton balls on hand (although I always do so what am I saying).3. The moisturizer I have been using is by an Australian natural skincare brand called Sukin. I had never even heard of this brand before, but I quickly became a fan after using the Facial Moisturizer only a few times. The moisturizer is lightweight, but deeply penetrating and boasts an infusion of aloe vera, rose hip oil, avocado and sesame seed oil. Needless to say, it smells great, but it is also an awesome product for us dry skinned folk who do not want a thick moisturizer coating our face every morning (not good for the zitties, you know that I mean)
2. I have shared Kiehl’s Creamy Avocado Eye Treatment before, but it has remained a staple in my skincare routine for a long while now. To be honest, I don’t actually have dry under-eyes, but I do have some puffyness in the morning and I find the cooling sensation of the cream helps to wake my eyes up, which I feel both mentally and physically. It’s on the pricier side considering how small the tub is, but to be honest, a little goes a long way with this guy.

EVENING
1. Here is where I start talking about combating those god-awful blemishes. I have been using Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash with grapefruit for a ridiculous amount of years. It feels like the only product that has ever kept those blemish demons at bay. I wash my face with this every evening and it leaves my skin feeling refreshed, totally makeup free and I know it’s working it’s zit fighting magic at the same time. I know not every product works for everyone, but if you have blemish prone skin, I suggest trying this gal.
2. Simple’s Micellar Water is a newer product for me, but an instant favourite. I poor a bit of it onto some cotton balls and wipe all over my face, which removes any remaining makeup and leaves the skin hydrated. I much prefer this product to remove eye makeup than a designated eye-makeup remover – I find it doesn’t leave that odd oily feeling or make my eyes feel cloudy for a few minutes after.3. Clearasil Deep Pore Cleasing Pads is my true savior when my skin is at it’s worst. This product is not for those who really dislike a burning/tingly sensation on the skin. For me, I kind of like it because I feel as though it’s doing it’s job, but it is definitely not for everyone. However, in it’s defense, it noticeably reduces the redness and size of my zits over night, quite literally.
4. To finish off my night-time routine and give my skin an extra bit of love after all that acne treatment business, I use a combination of Notre Dame Apothecary Balancing Facial Serum and Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. Originally I had just been using the NDA serum, but I got a tester of the Kiehl’s oil and thought why not put them together. Both these products leave my skin feeling nourished and hydrated for ultimate smooth skin dreaminess in the morning. The Kiehl’s recovery replenishes the skin, while I find the NDA oil helps reduce any redness and combats my zitty friends.

I hope some of you found this helpful. Let me know if you use any of these products and tell me about your favs!

*find more beauty posts here

1. Acne blouse, sweater & blue jeans …. 2. Madewell bag, necklace & mini wedges

We’ve made it to the middle of another endless March – when Winter promises to make everyone lose their minds. This time of year always makes me extra dramatic, and on my two-block-trek -through -blowing-snow to a bus stop, I start to imagine myself as a Willa Cather character – plowing a field by hand, in the middle of Winter, in the Midwest, at the turn of the century – and it toughens me up a little. The best I can do to stay positive at this time of year, is to tell myself “it could be worse”, and then compare myself to a character in a book – like the one I recently finished: Ann-Marie Macdonald’s “Fall on your Knees”, which I mostly liked because of Frances, the sassy middle child who reminds me of pre-code film, impish female leads and Marlene Dietrich.

But, I digress. None of these books have much of anything to do with this post, unless maybe I subconsciously created outfits that the sisters in Fall on Your Knees would wear if they were modern day girls (but I doubt it). These are just a few transitional outfits I would wear, if my mornings could be spent pretending I was in a Nancy Mitford novel instead of dark depressing ones (even though they’re my favorite ones to read).

Here’s hoping you have nicer weather than here, wherever you are!