Since the age of nineteen I have been taking care of my skin, wanting to keep it as healthy as I can afford! Over the years, I have purchased and tried many products that did not work for me, but I have also found products I now cannot live without. The beauty in the vast amount of available skin care products is that there is a product for every skin type and need . . . but the pain is that it sometimes takes years of searching for that exact product that works for you!
SKIN
I have combination skin, both dry and oily. I get the hormonal acne each month and especially in the early stages of my pregnancies. I have a numerous amount of pores. Because of these traits, I have spent the most time looking for products to help with how my skin feels AND looks. The following are the products that I have found work best for me.
My everyday skin products:
face moisturizer – I am extremely picky with my moisturizers. I used to enjoy a much more affordable brand, but have realized spending the extra money on a daily moisturizer is a must. For the past year, I have been using the Peter Thomas Roth Cloud Cream and will forever be obsessed with it. I love how little of the product is needed to cover the entire face and neck and how hydrated my skin feels. I recently received the Watermelon Pink Juice Moisturizer as a sample and I LOVE it too! Just like the PTR Cloud Cream, it leaves my skin feeling extremely hydrated and smooth AND it smells absolutely amazing. I would recommend both equally for their effectiveness, but even more so, the Watermelon Pink Juice Moisturizer for its smell!
serum – After testing out a couple of other serums, the Water Drench Hyaluronic Cloud Serum is my favorite so far! Honestly, I have enjoyed every Peter Thomas Roth product I have used so far!
microderm face wash – I use a microderm face wash at least twice a week, and have enjoyed the Philosophy Microdelivery Exfoliating Facial wash and Mary Kay Microdermabrasion set the best!
clarisonic – When pregnant with Miller, I had problems with acne. I went to a Sephora and practically begged for any product that would “cure” my acne. The stylists were firm in their words: no matter the cost of a cleanser, they would not give me the results that a Clarisonic would. That year, Brian gifted me one for Christmas and it has been a game changer! I use a variety of cleansers on a weekly basis knowing it is the Clarisonic that helps fight off unwanted acne! My face feels most clean when I use this!
body lotion – Out of all the inexpensive and expensive lotions I have tried, the Aveeno lotion for sensitive skin is by the far the best body lotion I have used. I apply this lotion to my entire body after every shower!
acne spot treatment – I found a travel size combo pack of this product by Philosophy which included a face wash, acne spot treatment pads, and this acne spot treatment. This product helps to dry up and/or diminish my acne overnight!
self tanner – Last year, I finally gave in to my fear of orange skin and purchased a self tanner! The Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops is the only self tanner I have used, but I have no need to try another! I love how the intensity of your self tan is decided by how many drops you add to your daily moisturizer or lotion. I personally add three drops to my moisturizer two times a week and add this product to my body lotion in the summer! There are light, medium, and dark shades.
lip balm – I promise you, this lip balm by Fresh is worth the $26. No other chapstick or lip moisturizing product compares. I keep this one by my nightstand, one on our main floor, and I keep this coconut one in my purse! The only other lip product you will find in my purse is NYX Butter Gloss. I absolutely love this gloss because it is not sticky and feels absolutely amazing on the lips. My personal favorite colors are Creme Brûlée and Tiramisu.
deodorant – I share the deodorant I use only because those who follow on me on Instagram know I had been on a year-long hunt for a deodorant. I have tried over eight brands this year alone. With sensitive skin and allergies, I begged for recommendations! This deodorant is the ONLY one I can use without my skin burning, turning a shade darker in skin tone, or itching. The best thing about this particular brand is also the cost! It is currently $1.83 at Walmart!
HAIR
While I have spent a lot of time and effort on my skin, I am just now trying to do more than air dry my hair. I have never been good at caring for my hair, styling it, or finding ways to prevent how greasy it can get. Thankfully, within the last year, I have discovered some products that work well for my hair. These are the products I now use on a daily or weekly basis!
dry shampoo – If I had to choose only one hair product to share with you all, it would be the Living Proof dry shampoo. I live in this product because of its ability to leave my hair feeling and looking clean after two to three days of no shampooing! This is the product that works best for my hair but because of its cost, I do use this one by Dove when I cannot get the Living Proof brand on sale. I usually purchase it when it is 30-50% off on their site.
hair spray – It took me fifteen years to find a hair spray that I truly love. And this one by Kenra is it! My dear friend Brittany who is a stylist recommended it as it is the only hair spray she uses on her and her clients! It is the only spray that leaves my hair still feeling silky, holds my curl all day long, and smells good!
blow dry spray – My friend Brittany also introduced me to this product by Kenra. I love it for its ability to cut drying time in half and help reduce frizz! Brittany also gifted me Aquage uplifting foam and Powder Play Lite by Big Sexy Hair which I now use on the days I really want to work at having nice looking curls haha!
hair ties – Once my sister introduced me to these spiral hair ties, I immediately threw out all of the elastic ties I owned. I now only use these to hold my hair up. They do not give me headaches and they prevent creases!
hair finishing stick – A blogger recently posted about how often she used this, and I gave in and tried it! Prior to using this to tame my postpartum regrowth, I used clear eyebrow gel . . . which did not work near as well as this finishing stick! It has helped tame my baby hairs and increase my confidence!
To celebrate finally finding products that work great for my skin and hair, I wanted to gift you with some of these items! I will be gifting four items and my current favorite necklace to five of you (one item each)! Head on over to my Instagram, purelypowers, and let me know which item you’d to have yourself!
love always, Kylie
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