ThtGrlRachael

Alright everyone,

It has been quite a while since I last posted so I thought it was about time that I began blogging again now that I am finished with school!

So, without further ado, here is my summer skincare routine for face and body!

For my face I start with LUSH's Ultrabland cleanser. This is a very rich and creamy balm cleanser that I massage into my face and remove with a warm, wet washcloth (flannel). If I have been wearing makeup or SPF during the day I will wash twice -- once to remove makeup and SPF, once to cleanse the skin -- a la Caroline Hirons. I love this cleanser because it is great for more sensitive skin, and my dry skin loves not feeling tight and irritated afterwards (which happens with soap based cleansers for me). Every ingredient in this cleanser is amazing for sensitive skin including rose and honey. Don't be worried though, as long as this cleanser is removed properly it is completely suitable for any skin type!

After a cleanse I follow up with some moisturizer. I know some of you are sitting there asking yourselves "wait, where is the toner?" To be honest, I don't usually use a toner just because I like to keep things simple. Occasionally I will find a toner that I love, but for right now I am not using any. As for moisturizer, I am currently loving LUSH's Imperialis. It is suitable for every skin type and has wonderful soothing properties for skin. All of the flower extracts in this moisturizer help to calm and balance the skin while olive oil, shea butter and cocoa butter moisturize. The smell is also not too strong or perfume-y as it does not contain fragrance.

Left: Ulrabland, Right: Imperialis

You can tell that these are truly being loved!

Next up is some body care. Again I like to keep things simple so I usually just stick to one cleanser and one moisturizer until I run out or find something that I like better.

First we have Deep Steep's Body Wash in Brown Sugar/Vanilla. I picked up this body wash in my local Whole Foods because I had recently got a sunburn and wanted a more soothing body wash that would help speed up the healing for my burn. This body wash turned out to be perfect as Aloe Vera Leaf Juice was the first ingredient! Other than Aloe, this body wash contains shea butter and cocoa butter, perfect for my dry, sunburned skin!

Continuing on the Sunburn theme, I originally went into whole foods to find some Aloe Vera for my sunburn. Because I was only a little pink instead of bright red, I wanted to use a lotion that would actually absorb into my skin instead of sit on top of my skin and dry and look flaky and gross (I'm lookin' at you, 100% Aloe Vera Gel). Jason's soothing 84% Aloe Vera Hand and Body Lotion was just the thing I needed. The smell of this lotion is wonderful, just a hint of something refreshing. And the texture is thick, yet light because the lotion has a high content of Aloe. This lotion helped my sunburn to heal in just two days! As an extra bonus it is paraben, SLS, petrolatum, , artificial color, and phthalate free.

SUNSCREEN TALK TIME! I try to wear sunscreen whenever I am going to be outside for long periods of time (more than 15-30 minutes). I have already had to have pre-cancerous moles removed so I am VERY aware of how important it is to use sunscreen and not get sunburned or even very tanned. The day that I got a sunburn I forgot to put on sunscreen because I was leading a group on a trip and had so many other things to do that the three bottles of SPF 30 and 50 that I brought with me were left unused.

In the summer I still like to be tanned, though. I know some people don't agree with self tanning, but if using self-tanner whenever I feel like a want a glow means that I won't go out and sit in the sun for hours then, for me, it is worth it.

I have tried a couple of different fake tanners but all of them either had a terrible smell or were not dark enough for my skin (note: I have pale skin that tans easily in the sun, but for some reason it is very difficult for self tanners to make my skin tan). I had tried the St. Tropez Bronzing mousse before, but it simply was not dark enough (a one shade darker change is not worth the almost $50 for me). This summer I decided to give the St. Tropez Dark Bronzing Mousse a go. Well, the lady at Sephora gave me a concerned look and said "have you used this before, because, you know, it's really meant for darker skin tones?" I simply explained to her the fact that I had used the regular bronzing mousse before and it just wasn't enough color...etc. She nodded and said she wanted to see it when it had developed.

Smell: This Dark Bronzing Mousse smelled lovely. For once my room didn't stink after applying self tanner. Unfortunately, you do still get a self tanner smell after a couple of hours, but this is just due to the fact that it is developing.

Application: Smooth application with a tanning mitt (definitely use one!) The mousse does dry quickly so you have to work in small sections.

Color: Some people complain that when applying the mousse they look green, but I thought that I just looked bronzed. After letting the mousse develop over night, I rinsed and looked like a had a nice, rich tan. I would say that I don't even need two coats of this self-tanner to reach my desired color. The woman at Sephora was excited to see that I hadn't turned green or orange or super dark brown.

Overall, this self tanner was the best I have used so far. It took me a while to purchase just because it is rather expensive, but you really are paying for the high quality in this one!

So, that is my summer skincare routine! All of the products mentioned in the post are linked within the post. I use these products every day (with the exception of the tanner which I use once a week) and truly love them for summer time. I find that scaling back on product use is usually my summer habit because I don't need as much moisture and intensive care as I do in the winter.

As always, thank you for reading. Please leave any questions or comments you have below. If you would like to see a self-tanning routine video leave me a note in the comments!

I am the only one who loves to watch YouTube videos and beauty gurus rant and rave about their September "Hits and Misses" or products that they "couldn't live without"?

Yea, didn't think so.

In this modern age it is so easy for ourselves to get caught up in the day-to-day ritual of buying and spending. We see so many people online and on T.V. and in magazines that love to live in excess.

I guess my eternal question is, "is this wrong?" I really do enjoy learning about the latest and greatest cosmetics, or the new color trends for the season, but when is enough enough?

Speaking to a co-worker today, I mentioned that I wanted to buy some new soap (context, I work at Lush Cosmetics). She was busy but interested and asked me which one I would likely buy. None. Why? There is a large It's Raining Men sitting in my shower right now, and not even half of it is used.

For me, the answer is to remember to be humble, even in spending and owning. No, I don't need fifteen different soaps, but one nice one would be great. Should I really get another eye shadow palette? Probably not because chances are the one that you have now will serve you just fine.

Point is:
Assess wants and needs, we all understand that you and I could live without that concealer or mascara or those new Winter boots. If those material items bring happiness (such as in the case of a make-up artist, or using fashion as a creative outlet) fine, but when relying on those products too much, one may find themselves sucked into that dressed-up world of television and glossy covers.

What do you think?