I mentioned in my review post here that I use a fairly expensive eye cream. When it comes to skincare, it's really easy to fall into a trap of thinking that you need to spend a fortune to keep your skin looking nice. However, I don't think that's the case at all - I think there are times you can spend some cash, and times when you can save. My general rule of thumb is this: if it just gets washed down the drain - think face wash, scrubs, body wash, etc. - save your dough and get it from the drugstore. If it stays on your skin for a good amount of time - creams, lotions, serums, etc. - that's where you're going to want to spend some money. Fancy ingredients only really work if they're in contact with your skin for a good amount of time, so to me they're kind of a waste in soap products that stay on for maybe a minute and are then gone. Here below are the products I swear by!
When to Save
Face Wash: At night when I wash my face, I use the Aveeno Ultra-Calming foaming cleanser (or a sample I've gotten from a subscription box). It's gentle, it doesn't dry me out, and it gets everything off, even eye makeup. ($5.69)
Exfoliator: Once a week or so, I use an exfoliant - I really like the St. Ives Green Tea Scrub. It's not as harsh as the original one, with the apricot, plus it has a hit of salicylic acid in it. My T-zone gets pretty oily still, and I can get the occasional hormonal breakout, so I like to keep things in check. Also, do not believe all this rubbish about the St. Ives tearing your face - first off, micro tearing is something that people purposefully pay a lot of money for in fancy spas, and secondly, how hard are you scrubbing your face?? Just use about a nickel-sized dollop, and gently rub it into your skin for about a minute or so, then rinse. The point is to scrub away already dead skin, not make your alive skin bleed. ($3.64)
Body Wash: As long as it doesn't dry me out, I don't really care what body wash I use, so I choose by smell. Olay's Champagne Mango and White Ginger smells really fresh and happy. ($4.99)
Shave Cream: Years ago, I used to host those sex toy parties - like Passion Parties, etc. Are those things even still around, now that everyone uses Facebook? Who knows. At any rate, the company I worked for used to sell a shaving cream - called, unsurprisingly, 'Coochy Cream' - that was meant for your bikini line. The point of it was, instead of being a foam, it was super thick and creamy, like conditioner. It did a much better job of softening hair, making it easier to shave, and softening the skin below it so you weren't left with a rash or razor burn. Thankfully, nowadays you can avoid awkward moments in your shower and just get EOS's shave cream. It's the same idea - nice and thick and creamy, and makes shaving your pits or bikini line so much easier. ($3.42)
Razor: And speaking of razors - I tried Harry's razors after Target got them and I'm hooked. Not only are they miles better than Venus and all those others, they're cheaper. Try them! (Razor, $9.99; 4ct refill $7.99)
Day Moisturizer: This is the one exception I buy at the drugstore. I don't necessarily need my daytime moisturizer to work miracles on my skin - I'd rather that happen overnight, with my night creams. All I need my day cream to do is moisturize my skin, have an SPF, and sit well under makeup. Garnier's fairly new Clearly Brighter Daily Moisturizer ticks all those boxes. It's more expensive than most of this list, but cheaper than high end. ($14.99)
Not Pictured: I also use Simple's Face Wipes ($6.99 twin pack) to take off my makeup, and Neosporin's Overnight Renewal Therapy lip balm ($5.49) literally changed my life. I slather it all over my lips every night before bed, and I rarely deal with super chapped lips, unless it's bone-dry-middle-of-winter. (All items can be found at Target with the exception of the Neosporin lip balm, which I get at Walgreen's)
When to Splurge
Face Oil: I jumped on the face oil craze a few years ago, when I got a sample of this Mitchell and Peach Fine Radiance Oil. It made my skin feel so nice, and did wonders for the look and feel of it. You can only order it online from England, which makes it a bit pricey, but I think it's absolutely worth it. I also enjoyed Tarte's Maracuja Oil; both were very similar in terms of how they work. I prefer the Mitchell and Peach one though, just because it's more natural - they grow all the components themselves on a huge farm - and full of antioxidants and vitamins. I use this as my serum step. (Mitchell and Peach: $38.34 + shipping; Tarte: $48)
Eye Cream: I started trying different eye creams when I noticed my crow's feet were becoming more like crow's legs. Every cream started out okay, and then a week or two in, they began irritating my skin so bad I would wake up to one eye being super swollen and crepe-y looking, like I got socked in the eye and then burnt. I must have tried at least half a dozen ones, even the super creamy one from L'Oreal meant for older (than me) people, and nothing worked. Then I got a sample of the Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm in a Sephora Play! box. I decided to try it, not expecting any miracles whatsoever. Well, friends, a miracle is what I got. Not only does it not irritate my skin in any way, it actually does what it's supposed to - it plumps the skin, decreases dark circles, and decreases fine lines. I lovingly and sparingly used the sample until it was nearly gone, and wailed to Mark about what should I do, it's the only one that works and it's SO expensive. Even he had noticed a significant change in my undereye area, which sealed the deal. I was able to find a pot on Amazon for less, but I'd gladly pay the $68.
Night Cream: I said in my last post that this First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream is my second choice - I much prefer Ole Henriksen's Nurture Me - but I still have half of this left, so. While I have oily/combo skin, I also live in a state that gets very very dry in the winter, and I've also noticed that as I'm getting older, my skin is starting to dry out more. Which means I greatly enjoy a thick, plumptious cream to slather on at night. Oily skinned friends: while it may seem crazy to put oil or thick creams on your skin, think again! A lot of times, super oily skin is actually thirsty skin; it's been so starved of moisture that it freaks out and starts pumping out the sebum at an increased rate to compensate. Add in a nice oil or a night cream, and you might find your skin actually starts to calm down. (FAB: $30; Nurture Me: $40)
Body Cream: I actually get this Seaweed Bath Co. lotion at Target, but at $12.99 vs like $4 for the cheap stuff, it's a tad more expensive. Think of it as "luxury drugstore". This is a recent addition to Target, and it's amazing. Super thick, sinks in nice without feeling heavy or greasy, moisturizes well, and smells divine. It's also far more natural than some of the other mass-produced lotions.
Lip Scrub: The Pixi Nourishing Lip Polish is also from Target, but again, Pixi is kind of a more luxury upgrade from, say, E.L.F. This lip scrub is fantastic - the granules are super fine, so it doesn't feel harsh, but you can still feel it working. The tip of the tube also has little nodules on it, which help exfoliate. Apricot oil, grapefruit oil, and shea butter all help your lips feel like a newborn baby, rather than dried up and irritated. ($12)
Various Samples: The Clinique Pep Start Hydroblur Moisturizer, Peter Thomas Roth Water Drench Moisturizer, and Origins GinZing eye cream are all samples I've gotten in Sephora's Play! box, plus the deluxe sample of Ole Henriksen's Invigorating Night Transformation Gel I got as part of the rewards set. I'm still playing around with them,but as far as I can tell all are decent products, and examples of other high end products that might work for you! (Clinique: $29.50; PTR: $52; Origins: $30; Ole: $48) All items, except where noted, can be found at Sephora.