Hello friends! Welcome and thanks for joining me for another blog post. Or I as I like to call it, “Keeping Up with my Shenanigans”. (You either laughed hard at that or you didn’t and I really hope it's the former).
Today I want to talk about one of my favourite things to discuss which is skincare and beauty. Since I already made two very extensive posts about my favourite beauty products which you can read here and here, I wanted to dedicate today to skincare.
I recently got on a skincare kick because I cut down the amount of times a week I wear makeup. I used to be really insecure and could not leave my house without a full face of makeup. But recently, I started going to work and school with no makeup at all! It probably doesn’t sound like much, but it took me a long time to build up the confidence to just embrace my dark circles and red patches and wear them proudly in public.
Instead, I’ve been focusing on taking care of my skin and letting it breathe as often as possible. I’ve invested more money into skincare products and have experimented with a lot of new items. (I like to call this “research” instead of “excessive and unnecessary spending habits.”)
Everything on this list are items that I use either daily or weekly. They are really affordable and are best suited for dry skin, but also great for normal or combination skin.
a. Neutrogena Face Wash - $9.97
I discovered this face wash about six months ago when I was on the search for an affordable but gentle cleanser for my dry and irritated skin. Since it’s called “ultra-gentle”, I decided to put it to the test. I am currently on my third bottle and I keep one on my sink and one in my shower at all times because I love it so much. It truly is “ultra-gentle” on my dry skin. The thing I like about it is that it foams up really well. I use it on my Clarisonic (which I totally would have included because I swear by it but it’s not so budget friendly). It foams extremely well so I feel like I’m getting a deep clean and honestly, I have nothing bad to say about it. Neutrogena actually makes really good facial cleaners like this one too so I trust them. If you’re looking for a new face wash, try this one (but maybe wait until it goes on sale for $7.99).
b. Ponds Dry Skin Cream - $6.97
I think everyone and their mother has tried Ponds by now but I was one of the few who only discovered it in the last year. Every time I mention to a friend that I use it, they say they’ve used it for years! It’s amazing for dry skin and keeps me moisturized for hours. It’s also really good under makeup too. The only con I would say is that since I slather it on because I’m so dry, it does make me look really greasy. I usually solve that problem but dabbing a tissue on my forehead and cheeks which are areas I don’t need the extra moisture. And if I don’t dab it well enough, it will give my foundation a dewy look which some people like, but I don't. But it keeps my dry patches moisturized which is more important to me. I’m on my second tub which I scored for $3.99 at the Real Canadian Superstore and I really recommend this as a daily moisturizer because it’s great.
c. Eucerin Replenishing Face Cream - $14.67
This moisturizer used to be my go-to. I say used to because when I discovered Ponds, I stopped using Eucerin since it’s about three times more expensive. I recently picked up another tube because I missed it and I know once the weather starts warming up, the greasiness of Ponds is going to annoy me. I don’t know if I got a bad tube or if they changed the formula, but I’m a little upset at how this batch applies. I’m wearing it as I write this post and it feels very thick and a little sticky on my skin. It also doesn’t sink in as well as it used to, so when I slathered my face with it this morning, I had to really rub it in until it absorbed. It used to just sink it on its own. So those are the cons and they’re only apparent with this new tube. But I will say that no matter how much I apply, I never look greasy like I do with Ponds and it keeps my face moisturized all day. Eucerin makes really amazing products for dry skin so this is their specialty. It’s also absolutely amazing under makeup. Honestly, if it wasn’t $15 a tube, I would probably use it daily but right now I designate it as my night out or long day skin cream because it really is a dependable product.
I recently realized that since I have such dry skin all over my body, my under eyes are soooo dry as well too. It’s really apparent when I wear under eye concealer and set it with powder. I have crow's feet and lines (which came from years of squinting before I got contacts and is super lame considering I’m only in my early twenties). Since Botox isn’t an option for me because $$$, I’m just relying on good under eye creams to help. This cream comes from Neutrogena’s new Hydro Boost line and all of the products are made with hyaluronic acid which locks in moisture. I must say it is one of the best eye creams I’ve found for dryness. I’m extremely picky and I have sensitive under eyes that burn from a lot of products but this one doesn’t irritate me at all and is generally really good. It was a little more money than I wanted to spend on a drugstore product but so far it’s lasted a long time. I’m wearing this right now and it feels amazing, doesn’t look greasy, sinks in immediately, and is invisible. I’ve had some eye creams that leave gold or red residue which is super annoying but this is amazing to wear on days that I don’t use make up and want my eyes to be moisturized. As for dark circles and wrinkles, it does a pretty good job but I don’t think any product will get rid of those for me. I do recommend grabbing this next time it goes on sale.
e. Thayer's Rose Petal Witch Hazel Toner - $12.99 to $17.99
I feel like most people either love or hate witch hazel. I am one of the few who absolutely loves it. I’m on my fourth or fifth bottle and I plan on repurchasing forever. I discovered this a couple of years ago when I was in need of a toner to keep my hormonal acne under control but I knew that most toners dry out my skin more than it can handle. Witch hazel is magical because not only does it help with acne but it also has anti-redness properties so it keeps my dry patches under control. Most nights, I can put on a layer of this toner and no face cream and my dry skin feels totally fine! I’d say this is good for absolutely any skin type and probably works even better under a layer of moisturizing cream (I say probably because I’m too lazy to add on more than one layer of product at night so I've never tried it). I usually find a bottle of this at Marshalls for $9.99 which is a really good price compared to the one I linked to.
f. The Ordinary Squalene Oil - $7.90
So if we’re talking affordable products, then this brand is the queen of budget skincare. The Ordinary is an amazing brand that offers full size bottles of serums and moisturizers for usually less than $10. This oil is literally $7.90 and that just blows me away. Squalene is a really great moisturizing oil for dry skin and it was recommended by a beauty vlogger who had similar skin issues to me. The brand she recommended was pricey but when I saw that this existed for a fraction of the cost, I just had to try it. I'm now on my second bottle and I plan on repurchasing it forever. It’s moisturizing enough for the night but sometimes when I wake up, my dry patches are scaly so it doesn’t last as long as other high-end serums. But it does the job as a basic face oil and I really like it. And for the price, I don’t mind slathering my face in it because it’s so cheap. Bonus fun fact: squalene is produced naturally in both sharks’ livers and in women’s vaginas (what a gross word) and acts as a natural lubricant. But rest assured that this product is made entirely from plants.
g. Freeman Avocado and Oatmeal Facial Clay Mask - $4.97
Freeman masks are the epitome of an amazing mask at a budget price. I mean $4.97 for a tube that lasts months and months is amazing. So far, I have tried the Dead Sea Minerals and Avocado and Oatmeal and I’ve loved both of them. The Dead Sea Minerals is a little bit drying but great for acne prone skin. The Avocado and Oatmeal is awesome for both acne and dryness and it feels amazing on my skin. I would recommend this as a basic brand for face masks since they haven’t let me down and I'm excited to try more of them.
This is another product that I'm sure everyone has heard about by now, but I still need to mention it. To be honest, I'm not even sure who Mario Badescu is but I really really like him and his products. This face spray is amazing and I use it almost every day because it feels so good on my dry skin. I’ve tried both the rosewater and cucumber scents and even though I'm a huge rose lover, I actually prefer the cucumber one a bit more. I use this spray in two ways: when I don’t wear makeup, I spritz it on my skin to wake it up a bit and add an extra layer of moisture, and when I do wear makeup, I spray it on as a refresher halfway through the day. It’s amazing for both situations. The price is pretty good but even the small bottle lasts me for months so it’s totally worth a try. I’d also say this is probably good for every single skin type, even oily. It’s very good.
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So there you go. A few more products to add to your skincare inventory that hold a big place in my heart.
Thanks for reading and see you next post!
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