My Complete Skin Care Routine & Skin Care Products I love

I was asked on my Formspring page today if I had a skincare post and I realized that I do have a "how I got clear-er skin post" but I don't actually have a post outlining my daily and weekly skincare routine, so it's about time I do one!

I will divide this into sections to make it easier to follow:

Cleansers:

Morning and night, I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Purifying Foaming Gel and Neutrogena Acne Stress Control Power Foam Wash mixed together. I have NO idea why I started mixing them or if it's better than not mixing them, but one day, I mixed them and convinced myself it was necessary.  So yeah, I'm odd like that.

The other La Roche Posay product is a scrub called Physiological Ultra-Fine Scrub for Sensitive Skin.  I only use this occasionally, maybe a couple of times a month as an exfoliator.  I like it---the beads are really teeny and it's not irritating to the skin but still gets the job done.

Treatments:

I use these Philosophy Microdelivery Mini Peel Pads about 5 nights a week.  After I cleanse my skin, I use half a pad (I cut them in half) on my forehead, cheeks and nose.  I tend to stay away from my chin with some products because my chin/jaw area was my problem area when I had really awful acne so I'm still very much in preventative mode for that area.

The Ole Henriksen Ultimate Lift Eye Gel is my HG eye cream and I use it every night before bed. I ONLY use this at night because that's how it's meant to be used. It's too sticky for daytime.  I love how it keeps eyes smooth and the skin in that area firm.

I know God loves us because he created this amazing mask.  The Proactiv Refining Mask is truly God's gift to anyone with breakout-prone skin.  I use this EVERY night preventatively, and yes, my husband sees me with white dots all over my face.Very sexy.  Anything for clear skin though, right?  Basically, I put a dot of this mask anywhere I feel a pimple might pop up or sometimes I just dot it somewhere randomly, because I'm paranoid. Bless this mask.

And now, another product from the heavens. This La Roche Posay Targeted Breakout Corrector (which you can't get on LRP's U.S. website anymore but you can get it on Amazon--thank God!) is truly an HG product for me and has been for many many years. My dermatologist recommended it when I was in the depths of acne despair and I still use it to this day preventatively. Okay, so maybe I used that word a lot. I basically use a dot or two of this stuff every night, on my chin area, layered UNDER the Proactiv mask (this is key.) I kind of just put it on any vulnerable areas that have been know to have satanic-style breakouts in the past (can you tell I'm still emotionally scarred by it all?)

I still use my Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment on occasion and keep it on my nightstand.  I still love it and it's ultra-moisturizing.  I tend to use it on nights I forget to put my Ole Henriksen eye cream on or just when I feel like a change.

Masks:

The Origins Clear Improvement active charcoal mask is pretty awesome.  I like to use this once a month or so.  It just smooths out my skin, soaks up oil and overall is lovely. Sorry it's so dirty. Clearly, I use it.

The Boscia Luminizing Black Mask is a lovely mask as well. More than anything though, it's fun.  Is it worth it to pay $34.00 for fun? I don't know, but for me, I guess it was.  I use this about once or twice a month and you basically apply a very thick coat of it all over your face and then when it dries you get to peel it off and it's awesome (and maybe it sort of hurts like a tiny little bit...it's good pain, though.)

side note:  Okay...I'm coming to the conclusion that my husband has indeed seen my face in many, many forms of insanity.  My favorite thing is to put these dark masks on and "surprise" him when he walks into the bathroom. LOL.  He doesn't scary very easily. He just tells me I look like an alien. I made him try the Origins mask one day. Shhhh! Don't tell!

Moisturizer:

A kind reader pointed out that I had forgotten to include my moisturizer when I originally posted this, so here it is. I use Neutrogena Sensitive Skin Moisturizer. I've been using it for years and absolutely love it.  It's light, it absorbs well, doesn't clog pores or smell weird. I really recommend this product.

Miscellaneous:

I use Target brand eye makeup remover and love it. That is all. It had me at hello. 

"OMG Veronika, you weirdo, why are you posting your birth control pills on your blog?"  Yep, I'm asking myself that question too.  Here's the thing. Without these magical pink pills (YAZ, to be exact) I'm not sure what my skin would look like, and I'm incredibly afraid to find out. I do really think that for me, birth control makes a huge difference in how my skin looks.  There are a few FDA approve BCPs for acne treatment, and YAZ is one of em'.

Another La Roche favorite. This sunscreen not only has awesome SPF 60 protection (I only use this on my face) but it also has an incredible mattifying effect on the skin and actually makes makeup stay on LIKE WHOA!  I'm not sure how it does what it does, but I'm willing to shell out the $30 or so dollars for this greatness in sun protection. It's called Anthelios suncreen. It's a fluid sunscreen so you just need a tiny bit to spread on your entire face. So good. Can't rave enough about it!

Lastly, here's the stuff I keep in my nightstand drawer. For lips and hands. Nuff' said!

I hope this was helpful and sorry it took me so long to do this post! If you have any questions, please ask in the comments below or on formspring!

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- I totally forgot to throw my Calrisonic Face Brush into the equation.  I'd say I use it two times a week, MAX (I have the Calrisonic Mia, in pink, of course).  I use it when I have 1) dry patches, 2) unevenness or 3) before applying self tanner to the face. 

Sudsing Up: All About My Hair-Washing Routine

I get a lot of questions about my hair, and specifically "how the heck do you you days and days without washing it?"

It took me awhile to get my hair to the point it is now, where I don't have to wash it more than a couple of times a week. It's a process and I'm not saying this method will work for everyone, but it works for me.

First a little hair history: I've pretty much always had longer hair.  Sure, I've cut it a few times (I had boy hair when I was 3 when my family escaped communism, but that's another story) and the haircut of 7th grade that we won't mention...but other than that I had long hair for most of my life.  My hair didn't get to the thickness it is now until high school though. I always had baby fine hair up until that point.  Now, my hair is naturally wavy (but not in a good way) and it's thin but I have a ton of it.

My hair. Thin, but lots of it!

So since I had long hair that I styled regularly, I realized that not only did I not enjoy spending time styling it everyday or every other day but that it was damaging my hair a lot to constantly blow dry and flat iron it.  My hairdressers always suggested washing it less, so I gave it go and have never looked back.

So, here's the breakdown of my weekly routine and some tips and tricks I've learned over time.

1. Give your hair some time
It takes time for your hair to adjust its own oil production.  People who wash their hair daily might find this part particularly difficult.  When people wash daily, they often complain that they HAVE TO wash their hair daily because "it gets so greasy" if they don't. Just like skin, if you over-dry your hair, it's going to overproduce oil.  So you have to train your hair to produce less oil, by letting it get oily. I know that sounds completely counter-intuitive, but after two weeks or so, your scalp should regulate and produce a normal amount of oil. 

2. Start slow

If you're a daily washer, start by washing every other day.  If you're an every other day washer, switch to washing ever third day.

3.  Embrace baby powder (or dry shampoo)
Are your roots getting oily?  Sprinkle baby powder (my preference) or dry shampoo onto your roots for lift and volume between washings.

4.  Use Mousse
Okay, I cannot emphasize this enough. When we were in Paris, I didn't bring mousse and was forced to do an entire blowout without it.  Well, combine the lack of mousse with wearing hats all day and my hair was as flat as a board and got greasy the next day. THE NEXT DAY. This is unheard of for me. I didn't even know what to do with myself.  Here's the secret.  Volumizing mousse gives your hair body and lift at the roots---thus, your roots aren't plastered to your scalp all day, allowing them the breathe and stay lifted.  So mousse helps blowouts last longer. Because I said so. My favorite is Redken Guts 10.

5.  Create a washing schedule
I know this sounds crazy, but for a Type-A like myself, a washing schedule is just another normal occurrence. I wash my hair Monday morning and Thursday morning each week.  Which means I go 3 days without washing from Mon-Thurs. morning and 4 days without washing from Thurs. morning to Monday morning.  So basically, since I usually don't do anything exciting on Sundays, I leave my hair one extra day and just let it be.  This is a picture of my hair on the 4th day. Not bad, huh?

5.  Alternate styles
Obviously, you have to re-style your hair somewhat if you want it to look decent between washings. It's not like a magical fairy fixes your hair while you sleep.  So what I do is this:

Washing day:  Wash and blow dry hair with round brush and set in various size velcro roller (see my entire hair routine, here).  This is truly the key to creating a style that lasts between washings.  It infuses volume into the hair and creates a nice shape that you can work with throughout the days you don't wash.

Second day hair:  Lately, I've been curling my second day hair in sections.  Once you've curled it in sections (I use a Hot Tools curling iron) flip your head upside-down and shake it out with your fingers to create pretty waves.  If you need a little baby powder, use some, but not too much on the second day. Option two is to reset just the top/front pieces of your hair into velcro rollers (blast each section with heat from your hairdryer for a few seconds first) and then use a flat iron to touch up any other pieces in your hair.

Third day hair:  On the third day (which would be a Wednesday or Saturday for me) I either re-curl it (this time in larger sections than I do on second day hair) or if I've left if straight on the second day, I'd touch up with a flat iron.  The third day is where you might choose to add more baby powder or dry shampoo. Bumble & Bumble makes dry shampoos great for darker or red hair.

Fourth day hair: (If you make it this long) make sure your fourth day is a day you don't care about or don't need to be anywhere important (for me, this is Sundays when I'm usually cleaning the house and relaxing).  I usually just add baby powder and brush it out a bit and let it do whatever it's doing.

BUT.......

"What if my hair is super short or super fine?"
Like I said, this method doesn't work for everyone.  It's trial and error. If you hair is very short or very fine, I imagine it doesn't take long to wash and style it, so it's not as much of an effort and inconvenience as us longer-haired gals, which means it's probably not even worth it to try this method.

BUT.......

"What if I work out? How can I not wash my hair then?"
This is a question I get a lot.  I work out and I don't wash my hair after my workout.  Sure, I sweat, but not massively. My hair is never more than ever so slightly damp at the sides and front roots of my hair.  I wouldn't even classify it as wet.   When I get home from a particularly sweaty workout, I immediately put my hair down and blast it with low heat from my hairdryer (focusing on the roots). Then, I use a claw clip to keep the front part out of my face and to sort of "pouff" it up so it retains volume.  I happen to be lucky and my hair doesn't get drenched when I work out...but if yours does, another option would be to either just rinse your hair or use conditioner only when you wash it after a workout.  Obviously the best choice is not to wash it, but if that's simply not an option for you, then wash away!

Also---another option is to plan your vigorous cardio sessions around your hair washing schedule.  Once again, totally Type-A, but as Tim Gunn says "make it work!"  So making this method work for you as as simple as scheduling intense sweat-inducing cardio workouts on the nights you're washing your hair the next morning.  So let's say you're washing your hair Thursday morning---do crazy, sweaty cardio on Wednesday night.

BUT.......

"Isn't it gross not to wash your hair daily?"
Nope.  Everyone's scalp produces natural oils that are good for your hair.  Unless you've been somewhere stinky or dunked your head into a fish tank, you should be OK without washing your hair for a few days.  I also change my pillowcase nightly.  This is something you should do if you don't wash daily---your hair products can rub off on your pillowcase, and you don't want to be putting your facial skin on that every night to avoid clogging pores. 

BUT.......

"I just can't bring myself to do it"
That's OK. Like I said, it's not for everyone.

I hope this answers everyone's questions about my hair washing routine!  If you have any additional questions, I'm happy to answer them in the comments below. 

xoxo,

Veronika.

Requested: Lash Routine & OOTD: Black, White & Gold. Plus: I Quit the Gym

I've been getting a lot of requests to post about my lash routine so I am going to do it in this post! Thank-you to everyone who requested this post.

Here are a few images of my finished lash look:

I like really thick, soft, feathery looking lashes.  I notice a lot of women have sort of a clumped-together look and I'm not sure if it depends on technique or how your lashes are naturally, but this is never a good look:

OK, so maybe that picture is a bit dramatic, but you know what I mean! To achieve full and long lashes without the spidery look, here's what I do:

1.  Make sure your lashes are completely dry before you apply any eye makeup

2.  I apply my MAC studio fix powder over my eyelids before putting any eye makeup on. I am not sure if that makes a difference or not with my lashes, but I wanted to add that step in because I just swipe a tiny bit of powder over my lids along with the rest of my face so it's all even.

3.  Buy a Shu Uemura eyelash curler- it's the best I've used.  You want to heat your eyelash curler for a few seconds with a hairdryer. I always wrap my hand around it after I blast it with hot air to make sure it's not too hot to apply to the delicate eye skin. You want it hot enough to make the lashes hold curl but no so hot that it burns your skin (obviously). I can usually tell that it's the right temperature when it feels really warm in my hand (not hot).  TIP: if you do heat it and it's too hot, keep your hand around it for a few extra seconds to transfer some of the heat.
 
4.  Curl lashes from the base using the lash curler. Go over the lashes again (but be gentle) if they aren't curled enough. I truly believe the curl is the key to achieving pretty lashes.  You can press firmly with the lash curler- just make sure you don't pinch the skin around your eye.  Be careful! Practice makes perfect.

5.  Apply your eyeliner and/or eyeshadow if applicable.

6.  Apply mascara to top and bottom lashes. I like to start with my top lashes and use the mascara brush from the base of the lashes working upwards. I typically just do one swipe, sometimes two. I don't re-dip it for the second coat though, I just use whatever is already on the brush.

7.  I ONLY use waterproof mascara for many reasons:  it stays put in the Texas heat, I like the way the formula feels better and it dries faster.  I use eye makeup remover (the Up& Up) brand from Target to remove my eye makeup and it works perfectly.  I refuse to use regular mascara. Many non-waterproof formulas are too "wet" and ruin the curl in your lashes. They also rub off and don't last as long, I just really don't see the point of using them if you need your makeup to last all day.

My favorite mascaras are (in no particular order):

1.  DiorShow
2. L'Oreal Volume Collagen
3. CoverGirl Lash Blast

These formulas have never let me down. I also like to use DiorShow Iconic on my lower lashes only. L'Oreal Voluminous deserves honorable mention too, but ever since the Volume Collage came out, I reach for that way more.

I hope this helps!  Like I said, everyone's lashes are different, but this is what works for me.

Here's what I wore today (sorry if I look tired, these were taken after work!)

Top- Target
Skirt- Target
Belt- J. Crew
Shoes- Michael Kors
Cardigan- White House, Black Market

Speaking of my MK heels- they died on me today. The zipper thing ripped off from the side and now I can't wear them. I have to take them to the shoe doctor. I always wore these heels to events where I had to stand a lot because they are so comfortable, so I know I got great use out of them.

*sadface*

Have you ever had to have shoes repaired? I wonder how much it costs?

xoxo,

Veronika.

PS- I am off to Pilates again tonight!  Oh and I quit the gym today!  I finally decided to officially end my membership after having it on freeze for the past 6 months. I much prefer taking classes and working with a trainer. That's just what works for me.

My experience reminded me of when Chandler and Ross tried to quit the gym on "Friends."  The lady kept trying to give me free personal training sessions if I kept my membership.  I told her I knew she "had to do this as part of her job" and I was very nice about it of course, but I made it pretty clear I wasn't going to be convinced and my mind was made up!  She just kept going on and on about personal training and I told her I had a trainer at another gym (which is true).  I think she gave up after that. 

I always try to be overly nice when I'm on the phone with customer service because I know it's not their fault I'm not satisfied with the product or experience.  Plus, they've probably talked to a few angry people that day already and I don't want to be one of the ones that they tell their husband or wife about when they get home from work. 

Just thought I'd share this little tidbit- BE STRONG if you want to quit the gym! Quitting doesn't mean giving up on your fitness, it means getting fit in a way that works for you- and for some people, that isn't the gym.