Thursday, January 23, 2014

Marianne: Skincare talk, Part One (potions)

Okay, let's talk skin care! In this post I mentioned that I've been waging war on my skin with some good results, and you guys seemed interested in hearing more. I have a lot to say so I'm breaking things up into two posts, one talking about the various products I'm using, and one talking about spa procedures I'm trying. First up, the POTIONS.

I'm at the age where I am not afraid to spend a little money on skin care. My skin is sensitive, prone to breakouts, and I have fine lines and sun damage (thanks to being on the sailing team in college). In the past when winter gets harsh I have shelled out for Bobbi Brown Extra Repair Moisturizing Balm.


Now, this is a wonderful moisturizer, rich and lasting and it feels so luxurious. And while it made my skin feel soft, it didn't improve the texture and my breakouts were just as bad. I was also using it on my under eye area and that area was getting crepey and dry looking. And so, on my last visit to the spa (more on that later), I decided to take the plunge and try a fancy eye cream. Enter the Obagi Elastiderm Eye Complex Cream.


Expensive? YES. Painfully so. However, you get an entire ounce, which is pretty good for eye cream, and I use the tiniest amount. I imagine it will last me at least 3 months if not longer. More importantly, this stuff works? My whole eye area seems plumper and younger looking, and my concealer doesn't crease as badly now. I also use the Obagi Elastiderm Serum (because it came for free with the cream) and I don't know if it does anything but it feels cool and refreshing going on and why not slather yourself in serums like Martha Stewart?

Along with the crazy expensive eye goop I'm probably using a crazy expensive face moisturizer, right? NOPE. My current favorite is the St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Facial Moisturizer, which will cost you a whopping $4.99 for a HUGE tub.


I love this stuff. I really slap it on my face, neck, and chest. Sometimes I let it soak in and put on another coat. It's unscented, doesn't make me break out, and my skin is moisturized. Boom.

Along with all of this I've been religiously using my Clarisonic with Cerave cleanser. Before using the Clarisonic I wash with Clinique Acne Solutions Cleansing Foam to get the makeup off (this keeps my brush a lot cleaner). I got a huge sample of this from Sephora with my VIB points and I like it a lot more than I thought I would, it's not too drying and does a good job of removing makeup.


So that's part one, the various tools and potions that I've been using that have been making a noticeable difference in how my skin looks. But part two is where I bring out the big guns. I got a chemical peel and I'm going to tell you allllll about it.

2 comments:

  1. Thanks for the info! I'm currently looking for a new eye cream. I bought an expensive one recently but it irritated my eyes. How did you pick one? Is there a better way than just trial and error?

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    1. My eyes are really sensitive too. I just went on the recommendation of my technician, who works under a dermatologist.

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