Mask 101
My absolute favorite part of skincare are masks. I seriously cannot get enough of them. Technology and science evolve quite quickly & with them so do skincare products, for this reason skincare can get a little overwhelming, everyone is always talking about "the next best thing" & I can see how it can be a little difficult to start a proper regimen on your own following solely the advice of someone on the internet.
My advice would be to understand your skin, don't buy something just because you've heard rave reviews about it. DO YOUR RESEARCH! Educate yourself. Know your skin type and the issues you want to solve on your skin & go from there. The skin on your face is not something you want to mess with. I wish I would've followed this advice years ago prior to giving myself contact dermatitis and slight eczema. Luckily, I have completely reversed these skin issues and I'm pretty happy with the skin on my face today.
I think I have narrowed my skincare down to a relatively minimal, yet effective routine. You can see my skincare video HERE. After using tons and tons of unnecessary skincare products I came to the realization that the simpler your routine the better, at least for my very dry, very sensitive skin.
With that said, I don't believe that there is a single mask out there that does it all and takes care of every single problem you may be having with your skin. This is why even though I try to keep my skincare minimal I always have several masks that I use on rotation depending on what my skin needs at the moment & today I'll be sharing these bad boys with you!
1. Caudalie Instant Detox Mask
- Immediately minimizes the appearance of my pores
- Doesn't dry out my skin
- Really does detox my clogged pores & evens texture
This one is a new favorite and I am so pleasantly surprised every time I use this mask and look at my skin the next day. I noticed that the pores on my cheeks were becoming a little larger and I really wanted to try something that targeted that specific problem. Coincidently, this was part of my Sephora free point perk and after using it one time I knew I had to purchase it. It REALLY does minimize my pores and make my skin look very uniform. I also use this when my skin is congested and it works wonders on my texture. It doesn't dry out or irritate my skin in any way, my skin loves this stuff.. I'm obsessed.
- Peel off mask
- Excellent for fine lines
- Firms my skin and evens my texture
One of my favorites!... I'm sure you've probably heard three million and two people talk about this mask already but it's for a very good reason... It does wonders for the firmness & suppleness of your skin. I have laugh lines that can look pretty bad if my skin lacks suppleness & this just does such a great job at plumping my skin. It also helps my texture... most of these masks help with my texture. Overall, it just makes my skin look very even and cohesive.
3. Odacite Synergie Perfecting Beauty Masque
- Detoxes
- Removes dead skin
- Brightens and evens skin tone
- Firms
This is kind of your one-stop-shop if you want a mask that does a little bit of everything, besides hydration of course. However, even though it doesn't supply hydration it does not irritate or further dry out my skin.
4. Jack Black Deep Dive Glycolic Cleanser
- Detoxes, firms, reduces appearance of pores
- Can be used as a mask or cleanser
- Doesn't dry out my already dry skin
- Vegan & fragrance free
EXCELLENT for when your skin is congested and you just need to bring everything to the surface. This can also be used as a cleanser but I have only used it as a mask, and again, even though it is a detox mask it does not dry out my skin, nor does it irritate my skin.
5. Origins Retexturing Mask with Rose Clay
- Removes layer of dead skin including dry patches
- Reveals skins radiance
- Evens texture
This little guy is going to be in my mask collection for many, many years to come because it's one of those masks that you notice a major difference in your skin right away. This mask dries like a regular mud mask but you're left with a sandy texture which exfoliates your skin when you're rinsing it off.
Whenever I touch my face and feel dry patches I use this mask and it takes care of everything. I do not have acne prone skin and I rarely get hormonal acne BUT I do get really annoying texture on my forehead, my jawline & chin. My skin gets clogged and I get little bumps that are nearly impossible to get rid of. This mask does a really good job at clearing that stubborn texture.
- Supposedly great for acne
- Vegan, cruelty free & organic
- Evens out skin tone
Whenever I feel as though my skin is looking a little uneven, blotchy or dull, I pop this mask on and it does the trick. It also moisturizes and brightens my face. Many people who suffer from acne claim that it is excellent for clearing their skin.
7. Murad Rapid Age Spot Lightening Serum
Technically, this isn't really considered a mask but I wanted to include it because I use it as a spot treatment overnight. Whenever I get a blemish I am almost always left with a dark spot and this serum seriously does what it claims to do. I place a little bit of it onto the spot that needs to be lightened with a Q-tip and the next day the spot is much lighter, it usually takes a couple of tries to completely lighten the spot if it's very dark but it still works great none-the-less.
- Takes care of dryness
- Soothes redness
- Minimizes pores
This mask really tones and soothes my skin. It also works really well for minimizing my pores and introducing moisture and suppleness back into my skin when it is feeling dehydrated... which is the majority of the time.
Friday Five
In an attempt to blog more often I've decided to incorporate a series on my blog called the Friday Five. In this series I'll mention five random things which could range from things I'm loving lately to something that happened during the week.
I love reading these types of posts on peoples blogs so I decided to start my own.
1. Was recently sent these headphones from Sudio Sweden & I can't get enough of them. They are so convenient and pretty! I use the beats wireless headphones at the gym which usually stay in my gym bag & I was really looking for cuter ones to keep in my purse or to use for editing & these work so well, plus they are so darn good looking.
SudioSweden was nice enough to offer my followers/subscribers a coupon code for 15% off, any of their products. Just enter "gemary" at checkout & you're good to go!
2. On the hunt for some budget friendly woven wood shades like these for my whole house, I'll probably end up doing the kitchen first & then the rest of the house because, well, ... I'm not made out of money. I've gotten one quote so far from a local company which was ridiculously expensive so I think our best option is to order them online and install them ourselves. Wish me luck!
3. Finally stained the kitchen shelves last week! Woohoooo! I can't wait to finish and be able to show you guys the full kitchen reveal! The before and afters are pretty crazy & I can't believe I came up with the entire design myself *pats own back*... with a little help from Pinterest of course.
4. Throw pillows are going to be the death of me. I'm practicing some hard core self-control by not filling my entire couch up with throw pillows in one shot. I promised myself I would only buy one every 3 to 4 weeks and I'm sticking to it. When you purchase a new house it's so difficult to stop yourself from buying everything you can get your hands on all at once. You have to learn how to manage the crap out of every cent to your name and that means not buying 15 damn pillows for your damn couch, YOU DON'T NEED IT! (do you?)
Here is the first little guy I bought for my accent chair. I'm obsessed with the whole African mud-cloth trend at the moment. I've decided to splurge on pillow covers as opposed to committing to pillows that cannot be changed.
5. I'm pretty good at taking care of my skin, I follow a skincare regimen every single day & I have, without fail, for many years... but when it comes to my hands, I just can't be bothered. The back of our hands are one of the most age-determining features of our body & yet we fail to nourish them as often as we do other parts of our skin. Why? They deserve some TLC too! I received this cream recently & I love it so much.
Part of the reason I am so careless when it comes to my hands is because I hate the feeling of lotion on my hands. This cream doesn't leave any weird sticky or slimy residue! I use this stuff everywhere, I keep it in my purse and even apply it to my legs because 9 times out of 10 I forget to put lotion on my legs prior to leaving the house.
Great Brush For Sensitive Skin
Since I have such sensitive skin I am always extremely careful with anything that I put on my face & I sincerely think that the less you use on your face (if you're sensitive) the better.
I won't go too in-depth on my skincare routine because I made an entire video on it which you can find HERE but I will say that I have used a face brush, or some kind of cleansing device, for as long as I can remember.
The first brush that I ever used was a little silicone bristle brush that would come attached to a Loreal face wash that I use to use way back in the day... I'm not even sure why I stopped using that little thing because it did such a good job at cleaning my skin... Oh, now I remember, it was because the Clarisonic came out and it was raved about all over youtube.
I bought the Clarisonic because back then my skin was a bit different than it is now, I could of probably used gasoline to clean my face back then and it wouldn't have irritated me. I had fairly normal skin, it wasn't sensitive to anything and it was no where near as dry as it is now (the good ol' days.)
I regret using the Clarisonic because I'm pretty sure that it made my skin take a turn for the worse, I also use to use tons of unnecessary products on my skin which definitely contributed to the fact. I know that this brush works for a lot of people and I'm not bashing it, I just think it was way to abrasive for my skin and after experimenting with the same kind of bristle brush recently I actually think I'm allergic to that kind of brush.
After I grew tired of using the Clarisonic and heard so many great reviews about the Foreo Luna I decided to purchase it and I fell in love once I tried it. I cannot say that it's the only thing that brought my skin back to normal because I've changed my routine drastically but I know for a fact it has definitely improved my skin.
If you have sensitive skin I 100% recommend that you stick to a brush or device that has silicone bristles, not only are they much more sanitary than regular bristle brushes but they are much, MUCH more gentle on the skin while still being effective.
With all of this said, I still recommend the Foreo and think it's an amazing brush but the price is a bit high and I have found another brush that works just the same, if not (dare I say) BETTER for a lot less.
Vanity Planet Reached out to me about a month and a half ago to try out their "Ultimate Skin Spa" I was very skeptical and kind of afraid to try it since it resembled the Clarisonic a little bit. I wasn't expecting much from the regular bristle brushes but I was curious about the silicone brush it came with, I wanted to see if it was comparable to my Foreo.
After a month and a half of using it everyday I honestly think it works the same as my Foreo, I actually prefer it a little more because the bristles are a tiny bit longer, thus, they are more flexible than the ones on the Foreo and can really get into every crevasse of your face. Also, the brush head spins so it basically does all of the work for you.
I tried the other brushes that came with the set and woke up the next say with a bit of a rash on my face... so I am convinced it's just me that is allergic to those types of brushes for some reason.
HOWEVER, since the silicone brush is so good I decided I wanted to talk about the product either way because even though I didn't like the other two brushes that came in the set, the entire set is still LESS THAN a quarter of the price of the Foreo Luna if you use my discount code & I genuinely think the silicone brush in this set is VERY comparable to the Foreo.
Use my code ‘gemary’ for 70% OFF! Or just click HERE & discount is already applied.
Glossier
This brand represents everything I believe in when it comes to beauty... less is more. Prior to discovering Glossier I use to have a ridiculous skincare routine. I was using products that were too abrasive on my very dry, very sensitive skin. I use to have slight eczema, a lot of redness and texture and ever since I simplified my skincare and beauty regimen my skin changed for the better.
I have a skincare routine which you can find HERE where I go in depth on all of the products I use during the day and at night & while it may still seem like a lot to some, it's nothing compared to what it use to be.
I use the milky jelly cleanser religiously now (more than I did when I made that video) and it's just one of those reliable cleansers that you put on when your skin has been freaking out & you know that this is what will bring it back to normal, it really does condition my skin & make it look and feel so healthy and plump.
I've also tried their haloscopes (video where I use them HERE) and lip balm which I absolutely love as well.
I am happy to say I am now a rep for Glossier, there's nothing better than representing a company that you truly, 100% believe in... I would never represent a brand if I felt otherwise but you know what I mean! It's just so much easier to talk about products that you've tried for extended periods of time & continuously genuinely love.
Shop with me HERE! & receive 20% off your first order plus free shipping on orders over $30.