Your Beauty Routine

[Cristina777]

La Roche Posay Anthelios Extreme fluide spf50+ was also a fail for me. I got a tan with this and I am also strict about sunscreen re-application. The Nivea body suncreen spf 30 outperformed this (I did not got a tan on my arms). I find LRP fluide spf 30 more effective in preventing a tan.
I was planning in getting the Garnier body sunscreen tomorrow, but after reading your post is not gonna happen.

It's sad that there's not a "perfect" sunscreen...I wanted something with at least 15% micronized and coated ZnO, light yellow colored (sunscreens that are this colour don't seem to leave any cast on me), no-irritating alcohols, no strong fragrances, that look natural on the skin and do not make me oily, that I could re-apply at least once without looking obvious...but saddly such thing does not seem to exist.

 

[The_Ida]

The Anthelios 50+ keeps my freckles away, I have no complaints whatsoever. OK so I don't tan a lot and I use another 10 hour waterproof SPF for the beach anyway...so I wouldn't know how effective it is against harsh sunlight anyway.

 

[Cristina777]

The_Ida, my skin tans very fast. 20 minutes walking around town in the summer without sunscreen is enough to get ugly t-shirts marks that take way too long to disappear (I don't do this for years). Last year, I only began to gain colour when I changed to LRP spf50+ (I was using Avene before). I don't really spend much time outdoors...especially when the temperature is higher than 25ºC. I am a weird Portuguese that HATES hot sun and loves being indoors more than I should.

 

[rayoflight]

Yea, I don't burn either, at least I can't recall any sunburn episodes in the last 20 years, but I catch color very easily. The Anthelios & Ambre Solaire disaster was a major setback, but I've since seen some of the absorption curves for their sunscreens in magazines or online and the end part is like 2/3 lower than any zinc sunscreen would have, they have immense absorption/reflection power in the UVB range and it's mostly due to titanium and octocrylene, but the end part is essentially just avobenzone. Burn protection = good; tan/aging protection = mediocre. They probably were state of art when they came out in the mid-90s, but sunscreen science has moved on and they aren't desirable any more. It takes a lot of digging, but Mexoryls themselves don't cover much of the UVA-I spectrum, altho L'Oreal says in their brochures they do. Mexoryl SX pretty much stops having useful protection at 360 nm and XL at 365 nm, somewhat similar to titanium. They also supposedly stabilize Avobeznone, but that doesn't appear to be in any superior to any other sunscreen with octocrylene who also does same and apparently that's not enough.
Which brings me to Nivea (and pretty much all other non-L'Oreal owned EU, AUS and JP company), they use Tinosorb hybrid filters in their EU versions and Tinosorb S protects effectively up to ~380 nm, Tinosorb M ~ 390 (from memory, critical wavelength for it - 388 nm) which is same or even a bit better than zinc oxide. Best thing, it's not absorbed by skin and does not degradation in UV light, so as long it's not washed or rubbed off - it's there and it works. So if there is methylene bis-benzotriazolyl tetramethylbutylphenol in the ingredients along with other filters then for me that's a green light. Never had even the slightest pigment with even the cheapest Rossmann sunscreen which is like 5 EUR or so, but has Tinosorbs.

And so it doesn't look like I poo poo only L'Oreal owned filter systems, I despise Neutrogena sun stuff as well, last time I tried that it gave me a nasty skin reaction. Total fail. No idea whether their mysterious Heliplex works in sun or not.

For me - zinc oxide for everyday use, indoors, low sun conditions and the EU/JP filter cocktail for sunny winter days, rare beach outings and such.

I'd kill for a beautiful finish 15-20% encapsulated zinc oxide sunscreen, Z-Cote zinc from Basf preferably, with a nice mix of transparent and bulk iron oxides thrown in, all laced with ectoin, silymarin and astaxanthin et al. for antioxidant protection, but so far I haven't seen such thing. Natural companies seem lack the resources and science (and motivation) to make that, large companies don't seem like zinc because it's expensive and cuts their profit, and EU is being difficult with zinc in general.
Till then I must find a more productive hobbies other than writing long posts about my sunscreen longings.

 

[tifa]

HAHAH funny

I wonder why people put so much chemicals in their face and body?
I believe in healthy lifestyle, drinking lot´s of water and
good moisturizer.
And if I use some products they have to be ecological and no animal tested.
Something that have to be tested with animals cannot be good...
And some products like exfoliatons is easy to make by yourself

I have noticed that my skin is in better shape now when I just wash it with water and then put moisturizer than when I used tons of products.
But I guess that do not work with all people...
We get sh*t in our body & skin from outside and it feels disgusting, I do not wanna put more chemicals in my body.

I don't approve of animal testing and I try to avoid products that do but what you do does not work for everyone. I know if I just washed my face and put on moisturiser my skin would not look as nice as it does now that I use a few products. I do try to keep it very simple with a good cleanser and moisturiser, a SPF and exfoliator. The occasional mask also works well. Bio-oil is an excellent product for me.

'Ecological' is just a buzz word in beauty, as people think that 'natural' equals good. It is a lot more complex than that and just because something is a natural product does not mean it's good for me, or that the chemical is bad for me.

 

[tifa]

Face:
1.Cleanser: Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish or Origins Gentle Cleansing Oil
2.Toner/Lotion: Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic
3.Moisturizer: Lancome Hydra Zen
4. Facial Mask: Not using one at the moment as I broke out with my last one Avene Soothing Moisture Mask
5. Exfoliator: Dermalogica Daily Exfoliator

Body:
6. Shower gel/ soap: Bliss Orange and White Pepper
7. Body lotions/creams: Bliss Orange and White Pepper Body Butter or Khiels Creme De Corps
8. Body exfoliator: Liz Earle Energizing Body Scrub or Soap & Glory breakfast Scrub
9. Lip balm: Korres Lip Butter, Blistex, whatevers handy really!
10. Perfume: Gucci Guilty or Chanel Chance.

 

[pavonine]

Crikey! Do people seriously devote so much time to a beauty routine? Mine lasts for about 3 mins. The only thing I ever do is cleanse my face, slap on sunscreen, use vaseline on my lips and an under eye cream before I go to sleep. I don't - and never have, ever - used any sort of make-up whatsoever. I do use body creams, though, as they smell good.

Face

1. Cleanser - Neutrogena
2. Toner/lotion -
3. Cream/moisturizer - Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection
4. Facial mask -
5. Exfoliator -
6. Make-up remover I don't wear any make-up


Body

6. Shower gels/Soaps The Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel
7. Body lotions/creams The Body Shop Almond/Moroccan Rose/Vitamin E Body Butter
8. Anticellulite/firming treatment if you use any -
9. Body Exfoliator - Satsuma Body Polish
10. Hand/foot cream

11. Lip balm or Lip treatment - Vaseline before I go to sleep
12. Perfume Too many to name, but I rarely, if ever, wear them.

Hair

13. Shampoo/conditioner - Dove
14. Mask or other treatments -

Make-up

15. Foundation -
16. Powder -
17. Blush -
18. Mascara -
19. Lipstick/lipgloss -
20. Eyeshadow -
21. Eyeliner -

 

[goregeous]

I recently overhauled my skincare routine to keep it really simple since my dermatologist gave me retin a, and that seems to be making my face sooooo much happier, it's pretty much cleared of all the blemishes and redness!
Cleanser: Dermalogica special cleansing gel
moisturizer day: mario badescu aloe lotion + sunscreen
moisturizer night: mario badescu seaweed night cream + retin-a on my t-zone.
every once in a while I'll throw korres wild rose mask on for 10 minutes to give my skin a little boost.
Other than that I use jack black lip balm.

As far as makeup I'll just wear Tarte tinted moisturizer, Laura geller brow marker, a lip/cheek stain(either benetint, or stila convertible colour) and some mascara.

​

 

[Party_Vixen]

Face
1. Cleanser: Cetaphil gentle skin cleanser
2. Toner: Not using one at the moment but I do want to try Thayers
3. Cream/moisturizer: Aveeno ultra-calming moisturizer
4. Facial mask: in search of a good one
5. Exfoliator: St. Ives apricot scrub
6. Make-up remover: Ponds cold cream for face and Balea for eyes

Body
6. Shower gels/soaps: whatever is on sale
7. Body lotions/creams: The Body Shop coconut body butter
8. Anticellulite/firming treatment if you use any: n/a
9. Body exfoliator: n/a
10. Hand/foot cream: n/a
11. Lip balm or lip treatment: Aloette platinum lip treatment
12. Perfume: Dolce & Gabbana the one / Dior miss cherie

Hair
13. Shampoo/conditioner: currently using L'Oreal everpure (not a fan)
14. Mask or other treatments: Ojon intensive hydrating hair mask

Make-up
15. Foundation: Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer
16. Concealer: Lancome effacernes / LM secret concealer
17. Powder: Bare Minerals matte foundation
18. Bronzer: Guerlain sheer bronzing powder
19. Blush:too many to list but current favourite is Nars mati hari
20. Mascara: CoverGirl lashblast volume mascara
21. Lipstick/lipgloss: Fresh sugar rose tinted lipbalm
22. Eyeshadow: Lancome mannequin / Nars ashes to ashes
23. Eyeliner: Lancome black kohl for upper lid / MAC teddy for bottom

 

[sylvie]

Face
1. Cleanser: REN Mayblossom T-zone Control Cleansing Gel
2. Toner: La Roche Posay Effaclar
3. Cream/moisturizer: Bioeffect Serum & REN Radiance Perfecting Serum
4. Facial mask: REN Radiance Renewal Mask
5. Exfoliator: Dermalogica Microfoliant
6. Make-up remover: Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil & Bioderma

Body
7. Shower gels/soaps: The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Shower Gel
8. Body lotions/creams: Weleda Pomegranate Body Oil and Nip+Fab Leg Fix
9. Anticellulite/firming treatment if you use any: Nip+Fab Bust Fix
10. Body exfoliator: The Body Shop Sweet Lemon Body Scrub
11. Hand/foot cream: Jurlique Rose Hand Cream
12. Lip balm or lip treatment: Chanel Hydramax Lip Care & Lucas Papaw Oilment
13. Perfume: Maison Francis Kurkdjian Aqua Universalis, Guerlain Idylle & Stella by Stella McCartney

Hair
14. Shampoo/conditioner: Pantene Ice Shine Shampoo & Shiseido Tsubaki Conditioner
15. Mask or other treatments: Shiseido Tsubaki Treatment

Make-up
16. Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua
17. Concealer: MUFE Full Cover and HD Concealers
18. Powder: MAC Prep + Prime Powder
19. Bronzer: Chanel Soleil de Tan
20. Blush: Chanel Brompton Road & Tom Ford in Flush
21. Mascara: Max Factor Masterpiece Max
22. Lipstick/lipgloss: Favourite right now is Dior Addict in Diorkiss
23. Eyeshadow: Chanel Prelude & Tom Ford Titanium Smoke
24. Eyeliner: Bobbi Brown Gel Liner
25. Highlighter: Chanel Ombre Tissees Beiges

 

[kp1234]

Face:
1. Cleanser: Neostrata Oil Free gel cleanser
2. Exfoliate: mix brown sugar with organic honey
3. Toner: Organic witch hazel
4. Moisturize: Neutrogena Ultra-Sheer SPF 30 suncreen (day)
Dan Kern AHA+ Glycolic acid lotion (night)

Makeup:
1. Foundation: MAC Pro-longwear NC42
2. Concealer: MAC Select Coverup NC42
3. Powder: MUF HD loose powder
4. Blush: Everyday Minerals
5. Eyes: Alima minerals

 

[ediesedgwick]

oo, fun thread. here's mine:

Face
Cleanser: Shisiedo Pureness Deep Cleansing Foam (loooove this!)
Toner: Shisiedo Pureness Anti-Shine Lotion
Cream/moisturizer: Shiseido Pureness Moisturizing Gel-Cream (great consistency)
Exfoliator: I have a sample of Murad's Gaga for Glow Clean Scene, which smells really good, that I got from Sephora. If I ever invest in an exfoliator this would be it, but I don't use it regularly.
Make-up remover: Face wash and I think Neutrogena Eye Makeup remover

Body
Shower gels/soaps: Dial or Dove soap
Lip balm or lip treatment: Burt's Bees, but basically any one would do I guess
Perfume: Marc Jacobs, also looking to buy Chloe EDP, but it's not in the budget as of right now.. haha

Hair
Shampoo/conditioner: John Freida Brilliant Brunette

Make-up
Foundation/Concealer: La Prairie Skin Caviar SPF 15 in Porcelain Blush
Lipstick/lipgloss: MAC creme cup
Eyeliner: Rimmel black kohl liner on top & bottom

 

[Style Souk]

I've recently added four new products to my routine and they have been really, really wonderful:

Face
Pai Camellia and Rose Cleanser - love, and now couldn't be without this!
Elemis Tri-Enzyme Resurfacing Facial Wash

Make-up
Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser
3 Custom Color Clarifying Pencil

 

[MulletProof]

Some crazy routines over here!
I'm the same as iluvjeisa, I have fairly good skin and always get complimented on it, whenever I try to cleanse it with anything that's not water and dove soap, I suffer the consequences in no time. Maybe I just haven't find the right product but I'm in no rush. I will sometimes apply aloe vera or rosehip oil, especially if I've been around smokers, but my favorite trick is without a doubt, going for a long, 6am run, my face feels like baby skin for the rest of the day.

Body
Shower gels/soaps: Bath & Body Works dark kiss.
Body lotions/creams: Vaseline cocoa butter lotion
Hand/foot cream: Bath & Body Works shea it isn't so butter foot cream + dark kiss lotion
Lip balm or lip treatment: Vaseline.
Perfume: Mostly Kyoto by Comme des Garçons, sometimes I use Theorema by Fendi or Chloé eau de parfum, depends on my mood or time of the day/year.

Hair
Shampoo/conditioner: John Masters zinc and sage shampoo w/ conditioner.
Mask or other treatments: Kerastase resistance ciment thermique.

Face
Foundation: MAC face and body foundation.
Blush: Chanel irréelle blush.
Mascara: drugstore mascara.
Lipstick/lipgloss: Labello fruity shine.
Makeup remover: Garnier.

 

[hellimaria]

Mullet, how do you get up that early to jogging ?!

I use organic jojoba and coconut oils for face and body.
Recently I bought Kevin Murphy shampoo, I try to find products that are sulphate and paraben free like this one.
I don't wear make up but if I did I would use RMS beauty products.

 

[unspoiledbird]

Dang, Mullet! That's some admirable perseverance you have to go out into the early morn and do what for me is the equivalent of medieval torture: jogging

I also have relatively good skin ("Indian skin", as my mom likes to call it ) but lately I've been prone to breakouts and whatnot and it's driving me nuts! It might have to do with my recent switch to mostly "natural" products: I've become addicted to sites like iherb and often check the composition of products to make sure I'm not infusing my skin with chemicals. Sadly, I think my skin was probably more comfortable with synthetics than it is with all-natural products

On the plus side, I've pretty much quit makeup altogether! Except for some tinted lip balm and occasional pressed powder to lightly conceal recent acne scars cry, I'm mostly makeup-free these days and I've come to enjoy experimenting with it only for special occasions

Anyway...

Face
1. Cleanser - Desert Essence Thoroughly Clean Face Wash
2. Cream/moisturizer - Desert Essence Daily Essential Facial Moisturizer
3. Facial mask - Occasionally a green clay mask or more recently Queen Helene's mint julep mask
4. Exfoliator - Baking soda
5. Make-up remover - Diadermine eye-makeup remover


Body
6. Shower gels/Soaps- Palmolive Tahiti shower gel
7. Body lotions/creams- Lovea Organic shea butter lotion and Badger Company Creamy Cocoa Everyday Moisturizer
8. Lip balm or Lip treatment - Alba Botanics TerraTints in Blaze or Bloom (daytime) and Badger Company Pink Grapefruit lip balm (nighttime)

Hair
9. Shampoo/conditioner - Aubrey Organics Camomille Luxurious Volumizing Shampoo/Conditioner, alternated with Aubrey Organics GBP Balancing Shampoo/Conditioner
10. Mask or other treatments - Lovea Organics Shea Butter mask or a good old avocado/olive oil/honey mask

Make-up
Bah, I basically use whatever tinted lip balm/lipstick I have as blush and even eyeshadow Generally I'll go for whatever supermarket brand has the exact shade I'm looking for. Not always an easy find!

11. Powder - Bourjois Detox Organic Perfecting Powder
12. Eyeliner - Reserve Naturelle Waterproof Eyeliner

 

[MulletProof]

Honestly girls, I have no idea what gets me out of bed, I was always so lazy and not at all what you call an 'early bird'!.. I realised that the hours I have HUGE issues with are 6-8 am, I'm dead at those hours and if I get up, I'll feel nauseous or just incredibly grumpy throughout the day. Waking up at 5-ish is like having someone scream "FIRE!", it's quick and you have no idea what the hell's going on but you're up, almost by somnambulism or tachycardia .. I wash face/brush teeth, change fast, grab a towel, bottle of water and I'm off, I seriously start noticing where I am and exactly what I'm doing more than half an hour into workout.

I say buy fun workout clothes, set an unexpected/fun playlist in your wakeup alarm, have it all ready just so you're not tempted to find clothes to wear back in the sheets and voilà. It's not even about how amazing you feel physically, it changes your outlook on the rest of your day, partly for the rush but it's also that tiny sense of accomplishment that makes for a good day starter.

 

[hellimaria]

so, can I even use my northern residence as an excuse for my lazyness ?
or do you go out to run whatever the weather is, rain or shine ?

 

[MulletProof]

I'm not sure, helli, because then I'd have to put out my desert card .
I mostly run in the gym though, unless the weather is really lovely, I love doing it outdoors but I seem to get tired in half the time I can endure on the treadmill. I'm thinking something similar happens in other types of extreme temperatures? (besides the impossibility of running through the snow ). But, see, I think heat for a prolonged period of time tends to make people quite bitchy and occasionally aggressive, probably in the same way prolonged darkness sometimes generates gloomy thoughts?, battling either is inviting enough for me and exercise does that quite a bit.

 

[La bordélique]

I say buy fun workout clothes, set an unexpected/fun playlist in your wakeup alarm, have it all ready just so you're not tempted to find clothes to wear back in the sheets and voilà. It's not even about how amazing you feel physically, it changes your outlook on the rest of your day, partly for the rush but it's also that tiny sense of accomplishment that makes for a good day starter.

That is such a good idea. Makes me wonder why I did not think of it sooner. I'm going to try that tomorrow (today is too soon, I have to catch some sleep as it is already past 3 am )!

These days, I'm not really adventurous with my beauty routine... skincare-wise, I think I've found the products that were made for me and I'm going to stick with them for a really long time.

As for makeup, I try to be as minimal as possible. The products I've listed are those I use the most, but not daily. Sometimes I'll just use a bit of foundation and replace it with my concealer because I'm that lazy. Most days I go without eyeshadow, blush and lipstick/lipgloss.

Face
1. Cleanser: Kiehl's Rare Earth Deep Pore Daily Cleanser
2. Toner: Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Refining Tonic
3. Cream/moisturizer: Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Minimizing Lotion or Weleda Baby Calendula Face Cream (day) and Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (night)
4. Facial mask: Kiehl's Rare Earth Pore Cleansing Masque
5. Mist: Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe, Herbs & Rosewater
6. Make-up remover: Bioderma Sensibio H2O

Body
7. Shower gels/soaps: Philosophy The Gingerbread House or Hermès Eau de Merveille
8. Body lotions/creams: Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Body Cream in Japanese Cherry Blossom
9. Hand cream: Kibio Crème Intemporelle Mains / Kiehl's Ultimate Strength Hand Salve (on the go)
10. Lip balm or lip treatment: Blistex Complete Moisture (day) and Nuxe Rêve de Miel (night)
11. Perfume: Balenciaga Paris

Hair
12. Shampoo/conditioner: Matrix Biolage Smooth Thérapie Line

Make-up
13. Foundation: Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum
14. Concealer: Garnier 2-in-1 Anti-Dark Circle Eye Roller
15. Powder: Maybelline Dream Matte Powder
16. Blush: NARS The Multiple in Orgasm
17. Mascara: Fairy Drops Scandal Queen
18. Lipstick/Lipgloss: Revlon Lipstick in Demure or Kiehl's Lipgloss in Pink Rider
19. Eyeshadow: NARS Charade Duo Eyeshadow
20. Eyeliner: NARS Black Moon