I want to start this out with a confession – at 24, I caved and got Botox. Just a quick and easy 15 units to fix up my elevens, and let me tell you, I get why people are addicted to it. My skin looks like a porcelain china doll, yet still dewey and glowey.
(if you’re in the DFW area, hit up @drdemetri on IG for all your pretty work.)
But let’s be honest. Botox isn’t the only thing that has been a game-changer for my skin lately. A few new products have been added to my skincare routine in the past couple months that I swear are basically like over-the-counter plastic surgery.
- Let’s start with the OROGOLD cosmetics exfoliate. Out of the products I’m mentioning in the post, this I’ve had the longest – yet there are still so many uses in that little bottle, I can’t believe it. At $88 for 1.76 oz. of products, it ain’t cheap. But I SWEAR by this stuff. The idea is that gold is much finer of an exfoliate than your typical beads, sugar or salt scrubs, so it’s able to really lift the dirt from your pores without causing damage, leaving you with baby soft, smooth skin. And the proof is in the pudding (is that a real thing?) When you rub a dime size pump of the product on your face, you will literally SEE the black and brown and nasties from your skin form little balls that you rinse away with a splash of water. Because it’s such a deep exfoliate (and expensive af) I only use it once a week. Even so, the residue on my skin is getting much less black and gross over time – which I would assume mean the product is doing its job extremely effectively.
- Next up, we have Dr. Dennis Gross Glow Pads. This is a spin-off of his Alpha-Beta chemical peel pads (which are supposed to be bomb dot com) but with facial tanning properties added to it. I don’t think it’s as strong of a peel as the OG product, but I personally don’t feel the need to peel that often as acne isn’t a big concern of mine, rather hydration, moisturizer and, hello – glow. They sell this in gradual and intense glow. I have the intense glow and it’s V effective. It’s so easy too! About once a week, or before an event or shoot, I thoroughly rub my face with a towel in circular motions, making sure I go over every nook and cranny (i am killing it with the old people’s sayings rn) as well as down my neck. I always do this at night and the next morning my face is seriously a full shade tanner. But not an unnatural looking tan at all. And your girl is pale, so that’s easy to do. It lasts a while, and even longer if you do it two days in a row. Will definitely be looking into more of Dr. Gross’s products in the future.
- Jart will be the third doctor mentioned on here. These titles should be enough credibility of their greatness without me ranting and raving about them – but I’m going to do it anyways. I’ve used a couple of products from this brand, including the facemasks (saving for another post – stay tuned) and have yielded amazing results from everything. But my current obsession is the Dr. Jart premium BB cream. If you’re still using foundation and don’t even know about BB or CC cream, GET OUT FROM UNDER YOUR ROCK. This alternative to stuffy, smothering foundation is life-changing. Not only does it have 45 SPF (literally never going back) it’s hydrating, reduces pore size, protects against other environmental damages, all while evening out skin tone and hiding blemishes. I won’t lie – it’s not a full coverage situation, so if you struggle with acne you might not love it. But the great thing about this product is it does work on your face all day long instead of a foundation that’s not breathable and is suffocating your pores, causing even more breakouts. It might be worth rocking some pimples to clear up your skin in the end.
- Lastly, can’t forget about Merle Norman. My mom, future sister-in-law and I went to the studio in my hometown over Christmas and got all the works Merle has to offer, steam facial and all. It’s pretty obvi I’m into skin hydration more than anything, so when we applied the Energizing Concentrate serum, a bottle of it naturally made its way home with me. When it comes to hydrating serums, she takes the cake. The formula is lightweight, goes on silky smooth and leaves your skin glistening. And a little goes a long way – I’ve barely made a dent in my 1 oz. bottle in over two months.
OK so I know none of these would probably be categorized as “affordable,” but if you spend a little extra money taking care of your skin, you won’t have to spend as much money on make-up! (far reach?) And they will last you quite a while, so it’s worth the investment. I would say I’ll do a post on less-expensive products, but I threw them all away. (lol, jk, maybe one day.)
-xoLK-
LAUREN KEUNING 