bride-to-be beauty timeline

With wedding season gearing up fast and furiously in addition to being surrounded by engaged people (including BOTH of my sisters), I have been asked quite a few times recently for skincare advice for bride-to-be’s! Even if you’re not engaged, it’s beneficial to have a timeline in mind when considering switching up your skincare routine or preparing for another event.

photo courtesy of my sister, Emily!

Pre-Wedding Beauty Timeline

8 months before

This is the time to address any skin concerns you may have, such as acne, hyperpigmentation, fine lines & wrinkles, large pores, etc. There are SO many resources online to help you identify your skin type and suggest a skincare routine! If necessary, visit a dermatologist to get more insight as to which products could benefit you.

A great start is: Cleansing your skin twice a day, using a serum or treatment targeted toward your area of concern once a day, and using at least one kind of moisturizer (morning and night).

*hint: retinol is GREAT at improving both acne and fine lines, and you can find it in many drugstore products! Just look for retinol on the label. An added perk is it makes your skin glow, however, you have to be extra careful in the sun and liberal with your usage of SPF if you decide to use retinol because it increases your skin’s sensitivity to the sun.

6 months before 

If you would like to improve your exercise and eating habits, start now! Exercise helps your skin glow and reduces stress, which helps with acne and fine lines. Eating good “skin” foods (usually high in good fats as well as lots of veggies and cutting back on sugar) will make your skin look radiant.

5 months before

Nail down the hair and makeup look you’re going for on your big day and hire someone to do your hair and/or makeup if you haven’t already. Pinterest away for inspiration!

3 months before

You should have started to see results from your new skincare and exercise/eating routine! This is a good time to start targeted treatments such as once weekly masks, wrinkle treatments, peels, and acne treatments. One of my go-to’s is anything with glycolic acid; I love a good peel. Now there are plenty of gentle, affordable products containing glycolic/alpha hydroxy acid available! One of my favorites is First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads.

1-2 months before

Do a hair and makeup trial run so you know exactly what you’ll look like on your wedding day! This is also a good time to test different self-tanners, nail polishes, etc.

2 weeks before

Refresh your hair cut and color! If you don’t do color, a clear glaze will make your hair shine without altering your current color. Start exfoliating a few times a week to maximize the “glow” you have been working on.

Try to avoid limit alcohol, sugar, and salt-rich foods at this point to avoid the negative consequences they reap on your skin (I know it’s hard!).

3 days before

Get a manicure and pedicure, a spray tan, wax, stay out of the sun, shape your brows, and get lots of beauty sleep.

If you don’t feel a need to change your current skincare routine, or don’t have much time before your wedding, hop in the timeline wherever you want! These are just my personal suggestions starting from ground zero.

Happy wedding season!

there's a new, cool kid on the block: glossier

I realize I am a little late when it comes to proclaiming my New Year's Resolutions, but I honestly didn't give it any thought until January 2. Oops. 

This year, I simply want to take better care of my skin. By washing my makeup off every day, moisturizing on a regular basis sticking to a solid skincare routine I think I'll look and feel a lot better. Also, let's be honest here, I received Glossier's Phase 1 set for Christmas from one of my sisters so it seemed like a good time to start being serious about skincare.

Hint: if you don't know, Glossier is Into The Gloss's spinoff beauty brand created by Emily Weiss (you might remember her as super-intern Emily on The Hills). It's pretty effing cool that a beauty brand was born out of a blog if you ask me, or Forbes.

I have only been using this set for a little over a week and I'm OBSESSED. I can seriously already tell a difference in my skin texture; it looks and feels more even and more glowy! I can't make this stuff up, people.

The tie for my favorite product is between the priming moisturizer and the moisture tint. I use this priming moisturizer every day on top of my favorite serum, and actually look forward to slathering the stuff on my face. The super creamy texture is great but even better is that it completely moisturizes my skin (read: no dry flakes) WITHOUT making my face oily which is truly miraculous. The "priming" aspect does seem to work as my face makeup doesn't slide around as much throughout the day. 

If velvety cream existed this would be it

On the other hand, the moisture tint is simply amazing. I was skeptical at first because it looks pretty unassuming out of the bottle since it's runny and only comes in three shades, but it's definitely a power product. The coverage is medium, it covers imperfections well (still need concealer for pesky blemishes and dark circles) but makes my skin g-l-o-w. Since it lets my freckles show through it looks like a "me but better" version of my face and I'm not sure I'll ever try another face makeup again.*

Looks like totally the wrong color, but is perfect blended in.

*if you're looking for heavier coverage that covers everything, this may not be for you.

The smoothing face mist is pretty awesome, I guess, but I have to admit I'm not much of a face mist person. I have heard of people using it to set their makeup or simply to feel more awake during the mid-day slump (ya hear me, 2 p.m.?!), but I haven't  decided when it will be my go-to. To be continued...

The balm dot com is pretty much the bomb dot comb, as to be expected with any petroleum-based product. You can use it literally anywhere; I use it on my lips, eczema patches on my elbows, under my nose, tops of cheekbones for a glow, etc. I compare this to Elizabeth Arden's infamous Eight Hour Cream; it's a product you never want to leave home without, even if it basically is just glorified vaseline in a tube.

The do-it-all product

The tote and padded plastic travel bags the came with the goods. Not pictured: the cute, quirky stickers included as well.

Who was I before Glossier?! These products have quickly become essentials and I don't think I can ever live a day without them again. Word on the street is that Glossier will be debuting more products, including makeup, this year and I can't wait to see what my new favorite beauty brand has in store!

adult acne

If you thought you would retire from acne around the same time you retired from being a teenager but are still dealing with it, join the club. It can be frustrating to deal with acne when you feel like you've finally grown up in most areas of your life but your skin is lagging behind. I had multiple people ask for this post so if you're struggling with this issue, you're definitely not alone! 

As someone who has struggled with acne on and off for years, I have tried countless acne remedies and treatments. I feel like I've finally found what works for me, but that's the catch: everyone's skin is different so everyone's solution is different. 

Personally, my best acne skincare routine is all about prevention instead of treatment. My acne tends to be more hormonal - a few under-the-skin cysts versus many little pimples. This means that drying acne treatments (i.e. products containing salycilic acid) don't do much for me and I'm better off keeping my skin clean and calm.

I didn't start this routine all at once, but gradually increased use of products so my skin didn't freak out and even now I only use my acne products sparingly. 

Every day I:

• Wash my face using an acne cleanser once a day at night. I just rinse my face with water in the mornings instead of using cleanser because I find my skin becomes dry if I wash too often.
• Moisturize with a gel-based moisturizer (any light moisturizer will do). A common mistake people with acne-prone skin make is not moisturizing because their skin is oily and they think moisturizer will make it worse, when actually, your skin will produce even more oil if it isn't moisturized because it's trying to make up for a lack of hydration. Don't believe me? Try using a moisturizing serum before joining the moisturizer club.
• Avoid touching my face or picking at possible zits. This never turns out well (it will most likely leave the area inflammed or even scarred). Just don't do it!

Two-three times a week I:

• Use a tea-tree toner post-cleansing and pre-moisturizing. Tea tree is a natural acne-fighting ingredient and makes your skin feel ah-mazing.
• Use a glycoloic-acid based treatment Glycolic acid speeds up your skin's cell turnover rate, decreasing the chance your pores will get clogged with oil and produce pimples. Exfoliating can be tricky with acne because sometimes the harshness can make a pimple problem worse instead of better, but glycolic acid gently and effectively exfoliates. 
• Go to sleep with a thin layer of retinol on my face. You can find tons of drugstore products containing retinol these days because its an ingredient found in a lot of anti-aging products. Retinol will definitely make your face worse instead of better initially, so if you're thinking about stealing your mom's wrinkle cream and giving it a try I recommend sticking to it for at least six weeks to see results. (Tip: also apply moisturizer or facial oil over it if your skin becomes dry)

As needed I:

• Use a spot treatment. If a zit pops up out of nowhere I'll dab a tiny bit of blemish-clearing gel on it. Look for spot treatments containing salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide.
• Take a prescription pill. I'm in the process of weaning myself off this right now, but it helped me tremendously when I was suffering from moderate acne.

A big part of preventing acne is lifestyle. I believe that drinking a ton of water and exercising regularly helps my skin more than anything else; just make sure you wash your face or use a face cleansing wipes post-workout so the sweat doesn't clog your pores. Also, I know that my cystic acne tends to flare up after consuming a lot of dairy due to the hormones in cow's milk, so I try to limit it as much as possible (except for cheese, duh). Not sure if cutting down on dairy could help you? Try eliminating it from your diet for a couple weeks and see if your skin improves at all.

Keep in mind that it is possible to overdo it. If you get a bad breakout, do not panic and slather every acne product you own on your face because you may do more harm than good. Be gentle with your skin and have patience! In the meantime you can try switching up your foundation/concealer to a higher coverage.

If you still feel like your acne is making you self-conscious I really recommend considering a dermatologist. I found a great skincare routine incorporating a prescription cream, pill and birth control when I was really struggling with my skin a couple years ago.

And the friend you have who never washes her face or even owns concealer? No, it's not fair, but move on! Stressing and being upset about your skin definitely doesn't help the issue.

I hope my skincare routine gave you some inspiration! What do you do to prevent or deal with breakouts?

summer skincare

Summer is a time filled with cold drinks, cookouts and zits. Between the killer trio of sunscreen, heat and sweat, breakouts are almost synonymous with summer - no matter who you are.

Since I'm not willing to give up pool days and can't control my body sweat, I've altered my skincare routine to ensure I'm not a greasy mess. 

the good summer trio

• Once a day (should be twice a day, but who's counting?) I use acne wash on my face and chest/back. While this would be a little harsh for my skin in cooler months, it's perfect for Summer because it has salicylic acid in it a.k.a. prevents breakouts. Psst - when washing your chest and back make sure to leave the cleanser on for a few minutes so it can get into your pores since the skin in these areas is thicker than the face.
• A few times a week I use Tea Tree Toner post face-washing and pre-moisturizing. Toner is an important step most people neglect in their skincare routines: it gets all the leftover grime and residue out of your pores that cleanser didn't grab. Tea tree is a natural acne fighter, but the best part is it makes your skin feel amazing.

• Lastly, I switch to a gel moisturizer during warmer months because my skin isn't as dry and doesn't need thick moisturizer combined with the North Carolina humidity. No thanks. It is still really important to use a light moisturizer in the Summer, even if you have oily skin, because it prevents your pores from over-producing oil (and preventing more pimples) - which is more prone to happen if you cleanse but don't moisturize. A gel moisturizer gives the perfect amount of moisture and makes for a great makeup base.

If you want to be super fancy and feel an amazing zingy-ness when you apply your skincare products, store them in the refrigerator. Not only does this prolong the product's life, but makes it feel super refreshing. Make room for actual groceries in there.

How do you change your skincare routine during Summer?

to clarisonic or not to clarisonic?

The Clarisonic Mia Cleansing Brush is the best thing to happen to skincare. There are countless anti-aging serums, moisturizing creams and acne treatments, but the Clarisonic is the single product that women of all ages and skin types can and should use.

Regardless of your skin concern and type, this brush deep cleans which, last time I checked, is not a bad thing for anyone to do - perfect skin or not. The brush is so easy to use: it automatically vibrates for 60 seconds while you gently move it around your face, but the effects are amazing. Not only does it deep clean your pores, it preps skin for whichever skin treatment you choose to apply next AND gives your face a natural glow.

image from sephora.com

Shoutout to my sister for getting this for me for Christmas - you go girl! I personally use it three nights a week (overuse can be irritating), with regular face wash or an exfoliator, in order to really clean all the gunk out of my pores then apply my favorite face mask, night cream or nothing at all. I have been using it for only two months and have noticed a huge difference in my skin! It's more clear and radiant, and makes me feel super fresh and clean.

Whether you have dry skin, oily skin, acne-prone skin, wrinkled skin, sun-damaged skin, or flawless skin you would benefit from this brush! It has become a staple in my skincare routine because it is so much more effective than washing your face with your hands, and makes whichever skincare you choose to apply after work magically.

It's an investment, but definitely one you won't regret! If you hear buzzing from the bathroom, you know where to find me.

mini me

Last week I impulsively placed an order at Sephora.com because I won a free, mini Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow. I've been wanting to try a new BB/CC cream lately, but haven't been able to decide on which one just from reading reviews. I'm also extremely indecisive so any type of "sampler" really appeals to me. 

already obsessed with this little box of happniess

I decided to get the BB Buzz because I didn't want to commit $50 to a BB cream I hadn't used multiple times before, and I love to sample products. This little box is perfect! First of all, I am obsessed with rose gold right so the rose gold packaging is awesome. Also, I like all the brands in the box but have never had anything from Dr. Jart + or boscia before, and have only tried a product or two from Tpo Faced, Stila and Smashbox. This BB box was only $25! If you do the math (I did) you get more ounces of product than one standard tube of BB cream (1 oz.) for half the price - great deal.

The BB creams in this box are like a "one-size fits all" so it's really only for gals with fair skin. I am going to try the boscia BB cream first because it seems to be the tannest one and I still have a faint tan leftover from Summer (tear). I'm really hoping I fall in love with at least one of these so I know which one to purchase in full-size when I'm out.

I redeemed my Sephora points to get a sample of Benefit Benetint, a classic I've always wanted to try, and also picked up three perfume samples. Everything I got is miniature and perfect for traveling!