Skin Care

Toner Collections Should Be a Thing | A Quick and Easy Meal | Midi Skirts!

March 24th, 2021 by Karen 16 Comments

I suppose one could collect stamps or coins or Fabergé eggs or Banksy paintings…but why, when you could just collect toners?! HA HA HA!

Remember all the toner commercials in the ’90s and how you always had to apply toners with a cotton ball? I used to do that, but now? Forget about it. I pour a little in my palms and press and rub the liquid right into my skin. I think the liquid absorbs quicker that way and, bonus, I don’t feel like I’m wasting any of the product on the cotton ball!

There are currently five toners gracing my bathroom shelf. They’re mostly for exfoliation because I’m forever dealing with hyperpigmentation and acne, so I rotate among them, depending on how my skin’s doing. I usually apply them in the morning right after washing my face and before any serums. Sometimes, I’ll use just one; other days, I’ll layer two.

Lately, my skin’s been in the mood for extra moisture, so I’ve been using Fresh Black Tea Kombucha Facial Treatment Essence or Paula’s Choice BHA. Sometimes both.

I’ve also been using and liking REN Ready Steady Glow AHA Tonic, which is a triple threat with three exfoliating ingredients — willow bark, lactic acid and azelaic acid. Side note: DUDE, azelaic acid! If you’re not on that train yet, get on it already.

Occasionally, I’ll dip into the Niacinamide Brightening Toner by Good Molecules (niacinamide, vitamin C, arbutin and licorice root extract) or Kate Somerville Liquid Exfolikate (glycolic, malic, and lactic acids), if I’m craving something different.

On a side note, you know what I miss? Clinique’s old-school BHA toner, Mild Clarifying Lotion. They reformulated it a while back, and it just isn’t the same now. I should’ve stockpiled the O.G. version while I could… Le sigh! #BeautyRegrets

Are toners a “thing” for you too? Maybe we can start a toner enthusiasts club, ha ha ha! ?

A quick-and-easy meal

Not related to toner at all, but this is my new favorite quick meal: a rice and edamame bowl. (Yes, you gotta have it in a bowl!)

I usually add a few shakes of Nori Komi Furikake Japanese Multi-Purpose Seasoning, but Coywolf prefers it plain.

edamame rice no furikake — Connor likes hers plain.

edamame rice furikake — I like mine with furikake (seaweed).

Speaking of TJs, you can get this meal in your belly in less than five minutes with a couple of Trader Joe’s-assisted shortcuts! First, we usually have leftover white rice in a tupperware in the fridge, but when we don’t, I reach for the microwavable white rice from the TJ’s frozen food section, which takes all but three minutes to make. Trader Joe’s also has shelled, salted edamame in the freezer section too. Just defrost in the microwave.

I think this could also be delish with a sunny-side-up egg on top, but I haven’t tried it yet.

Midi skirts!

I’m still slowly but surely chipping away at the wardrobe checklist recommendations (I’m on a mission to look and feel put-together) I found about a month ago and wanted to tell you about these pull-on midi skirts from Gap.

Both the black and white skirt have pockets (SAY WHAT!) and come in regular, tall and petite lengths.

FYI, it looks like they’re still on sale, in case you’re interested (I’m totally my mother’s daughter and hate to pay full price).

I haven’t seen either of these skirts in person yet, and I can see how they could potentially be 1) super cute and casual, or 2) make me look like I’m in a cult…so we shall see! I suppose that’s a major downside to not visiting a fitting room in months.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It’s a CeraVe Jamboree! CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream Releases Moisturizing Ingredients All Night Long

January 28th, 2021 by Karen 5 Comments

This month I’m highlighting skin care products from CeraVe, a most-excellent drugstore brand. It’s a CeraVe jamboree! This week’s allstar is a notable night cream for all skin types — CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream.

Why does this night cream not come in a big ol’ vat…? Because it should! Yes, the dainty jar is convenient and cute. Also, yes, technically, one only needs to use a little (just a few tiny dots), but a supersized, super-fantastic jar if this hella hydrating, no-frills night cream needs to happen!

To the gals and guys who love rich bedtime moisturizers, CeraVe Skin Renewing Night Cream could be a game-changer.

Made for all skin types, this fragrance-free, time-released face cream parses out intensely moisturizing ingredients throughout the night, so, as you sleep, your skin constantly receives a steady stream of moisture via CeraVe’s signature essential ceramides, hyaluronic acid and niacinamide (among other ingredients).

Benefits

Helps soften and renew the look of tired skin overnight

Provides intense hydration

MVE Technology: This patented delivery system continually releases moisturizing ingredients for all night hydration

Biomimetic peptides: Improve the appearance of tired-looking skin

Ceramides: Help restore and maintain the skin’s natural barrier

Hyaluronic acid: Helps retain the skin’s natural moisture

Niacinamide: Helps calm the skin

Non-comedogenic and fragrance-free

Developed with dermatologists

— cerave.com

It’s a trite term, but I have “combo skin,” meaning in my case that I have an oily forehead, dry cheeks, and my face is acne-prone allllll over. I use a retinol, a BHA and benzoyl peroxide daily, and I think that one of the reasons I can tolerate all of that exfoliation is because I use CeraVe Night Cream every night.

Right after I get out of the shower, when my skin is still damp, I dab a few dots on my forehead, cheeks, chin and neck, and gently massage it in. Then I leave it to fully absorb while I put Connor to bed and prep for the next morning. Then, right before ~~I pass out~~ I go to bed, I apply a thin layer of retinol.

This stuff isn’t greasy (a.k.a. no sticky neck), it layers well underneath the retinol I’m currently using, and, most importantly, it’s rich enough to keep the painful peeling and dryness at bay. I probably wouldn’t be able to keep going with all of the acids, retinol and exfoliating products if I weren’t using this. To be blunt, it makes a big difference.

It’s definitely on the pricey side for drugstore skin care (about $20 for a 1.7-oz. jar, depending on where you get it), but a little goes a long way. Right now it’s $18.49 at Ulta, and they’re currently doing a buy one, get one for 50% off online, so if you’re curious, that might be the way to go.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

It’s a CeraVe Jamboree! CeraVe Healing Ointment Soothes Dry, Cracked Skin

January 14th, 2021 by Karen 6 Comments

This month I’m highlighting skin care products from CeraVe, a most-excellent drugstore brand. It’s a CeraVe jamboree! This week’s allstar is a bomb balm for soothing cracked, dry skin — CeraVe Healing Ointment.

When I put this on, my skin goes ahhhh!

If your skin ever gets so dry that it cracks and stings — which is what happens to me on the corners of my lips and around my nostrils on occasion — this balm is the product you never knew you needed.

(I just smothered a thick layer on my lips, and now all is right with the world…)

CeraVe Healing Ointment is a thick, non-greasy unscented balm made to soothe, moisturize and relieve chapped, chafed or cracked skin. It contains hyaluronic acid and CeraVe’s signature ceramides for hydration, along with petrolatum, an occlusive ingredient that locks in moisture.

You may have heard about petrolatum — which is regularly found in lotions and creams because of its ability to seal in moisture — as it’s been negatively viewed in some skin care circles, but according to some dermatologists, the bad rap is unwarranted. This post by Byrdie on petrolatum does a great job of breaking it down if you want to know more.

This particular product works for me, and my skin loves it, especially now that 1) it’s winter, and 2) I’ve been riding the retinol train every night. C’mon ride the train…the retinol train. WOO WOO!

Sorry, random ’90s dance flashback moment! (You know you love that song though.)

Benefits

Made to protect, soothe and moisturize skin

Suitable for dry, cracked and chafed skin

Fragrance-free and lanolin-free

Ceramides: Help restore and maintain skin’s natural barrier

Hyaluronic acid: Helps retain skin’s natural moisture

Non-comedogenic, preservative-free and dye-free

Accepted by the National Eczema Association

— cerave.com

I apply it on dry, cracked spots throughout the day whenever I need it, and all over different parts of my body as needed — lips, heels, on minor paper cuts (why do I get so many?), cuticles and all over my hands. The moment I rub it in, my skin physically feels better. The stinging stops, as does any itching or tightness. In a day or so, things are back to normal again.

Want more CeraVe?

CeraVe Hydrating Facial Cleanser Handles Dry Skin Like a Champ

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for Your Body and Face: Highly Recommended for All My Alligator People!

LOVE THIS SO MUCH! I keep a mini tube in my little black backpack, a tube on my nightstand (I like to slather it on before bed) and a tube on my desk because that’s when I usually look down at my hands on the keyboard and realize — HOLY CRAP — that those paws need some moisture ASAP.

Yes, you can type right after you apply it because it really isn’t greasy at all!

A 3-oz. tube is $9.99, and you can find it at drugstores, Target and Ulta. By the way, Ulta still has buy one, get one for 40% off on their website, so if you like a deal, there ya go.

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

P.S. Happy National Dress Up Your Pet Day! Rosie wanted to wear her favorite calculator collar today.

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream for Your Body and Face: Highly Recommended for All My Alligator People!

December 31st, 2020 by Karen 9 Comments

OK, so the packaging for CeraVe Moisturizing Cream ($18.99 for a 16-oz. jar) is a bit…clinical, and it isn’t particularly schemxy, which is why, if you aren’t in the know, you might end up passing it by, but let me tell you…this jar is a gem! It’s a drugstore miracle for My Fellow Alligator People because it’s so, so moisturizing.

My skin gets dry and itchy this time of year, and this actually keeps my face and body completely moisturized. I can’t even count how many jars I’ve finished. It’s so good! — even arguably the best moisturizer I’ve ever found for super dry-skinned peeps.

The formula is chock-full of hydrating ceramides and hyaluronic acids — ingredients thirsty skin loves — but I think most of the heavy lifting is based on how the ingredients are delivered. The fine folks at CeraVe found a way to time release the moisturizing power slowly over the course of 24 hours, so your skin is constantly receiving hydration all day (and night) long.

Developed with dermatologists, Moisturizing Cream for Normal to Dry Skin has a unique formula that provides 24-hour hydration and helps restore the protective skin barrier with three essential ceramides (1,3,6-II). The formula also contains hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s natural moisture.

With ceramides 1, 3 and 6-II

Hyaluronic acid to help retain skin’s moisture

Non-comedogenic

Fragrance-free, non-irritating formula

–ulta.com

cerave moisturizing cream ingredients — What’s inside

The thick, rich cream melts right into my skin the moment it hits it. Plus, it’s unscented, so my current favorite fragrance, Lancôme Idole, remains front and center stage.

I use CeraVe Moisturizing Cream on my knees, elbows, shins, feet, hands and cuticles… Heck, even my friend Jane over at Daly Beauty swears by it as a face moisturizer. I usually get the jar that comes with a pump, but it’s also available with a regular ol’ screw top.

Oh, and if you like to save money (um, who doesn’t?), CeraVe has a coupon right now for $4 off any of their products.

So, yeah, this stuff kicks dry scaly skin’s boo-tay! I have to warn you, though — it just might be a CeraVe gateway product. The Moisturizing Cream opened the doorway for me to several other CeraVe loves, including the Hydrating Facial Cleanser, Renewing SA Cleanser, Skin Renewing Night Cream and Healing Ointment. Half my bathroom is now filled with CeraVe, and I’m not mad about it.

Happy New Year’s Eve!

Our plans tonight involve chillin’ at home, watching movies and eating bread! Yup, I made a brioche in my new bread maker yesterday, and it turned out pretty good — soft and a little sweet, with a slightly yeast-y tang.

It’s delicious!

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Budget Anti-Aging Skin Care Haul: Retinol Cream, Vitamin C Serum and Niacinamide Night Cream (Each $30 or Less!)

November 18th, 2020 by Karen 11 Comments

neutrogena vichy 1 — A little TLC from Target

If you need me, you can find me buried under all the things I unintentionally bought at Target while under pandemic duress. ?

DUUUUUUDE. It recently occurred to me that there is much room for improvement in my skin care routine. With everything going on right now (it looks like Marin County is going under lockdown again, and very soon), it’s been a struggle to do the things that were once second nature, like maintaining a consistent skin care routine. I’ve been doing the very minimum it takes for me to function lately — moisturizing face wash, zit cream, moisturizer, sunscreen on most days (when I can remember it).

Anyway, I looked in the mirror last weekend at my bare face ~~and said to myself, “OH MY GOD, WHAT THE HELL IS HAPPENING”~~ and thought to myself, “Hmm… I could do a better job of proactively using anti-aging products every day.”

So, after watching these these very detailed skin care videos by a couple of different dermatologists on YouTube, I couldn’t resist grabbing some things on my weekly trip to Tar-ghay.

Go in depth on retinal with Dr. Dray.

Dr. Maren Locke walks you through the drugstore products she recommends to her dermatology patients.

Vichy Vitamin C serum

Both the derms in the videos had high praise for the Vichy vitamin C serum ($28.50), and so I’m super excited about it. I used the famous Skinceuticals CE Ferulic for a short time a few years ago and had great results with it evening out pigmentation, but I couldn’t deal with the price tag — $166 for one ounce! — so I’ve been looking for a replacement ever since.

vichy liftactiv — Gimme all the vitamin C.

This one by Vichy isn’t exactly budget; a small 0.33-oz. bottle is $28.50, which works out to $85 an ounce, but that’s easier for me to stomach. Both the Skinceuticals and the Vichy serums contain 15% vitamin C, and both are also owned by the same parent company, L’Oréal (which often means the brands share similar technology and resources), so I’m hoping the Vichy serum works well.
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Q & A: What Do You Look for in a Sunscreen?

November 12th, 2020 by Karen 19 Comments

Admittedly, I’m asking this Q & A today partly because I need the reminder to wear sunscreen during the cold months! ?

So, here’s what I look for in a sunscreen…

That it absorbs quickly, because I don’t want to sit there rubbing sunscreen into my face for 10 years.
Leaves behind absolutely no white cast!
Doesn’t give me breakouts.
It’s at least moderately moisturizing.
Layers well with other skin care products and makeup.
It has a matte or demi-matte finish (no shimmer, please).
Feels lightweight on my skin.
It comes in a tube or a pump, because I don’t like dipping my fingers into a jar.

Right now my favorite sunscreen is Elta MD UV Clear, because it’s all that and a bag of chips! I’ve been wearing it for about a year now and have yet to stray. I do wish it was less than $29…but it works so well that I’m mostly OK with the price.

How about you? What do you look for in a sunscreen?

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

Product Spotlight: It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare

October 13th, 2020 by Karen 17 Comments

it cosmetics your skin but better foundation skin care 1 — Well this is a gem!

This is GREAT stuff! I haven’t been this excited about a base product in eons. If you’re into a natural matte look and want a foundation that covers juuust enough, It Cosmetics Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare is so on the money.

OK, I get it. Everyone’s masked up, we’re in a pandemic, hardly anyone’s been wanting to wear makeup, myself included, but I’ve been falling back into my face painting groove lately, and part of the reason is because of this new foundation from It Cosmetics.

It handles basically every lighting and photography situation I’ve throw it. It makes my skin look dayum good, if I do say so myself, AND IT FEELS LIKE NOTHING ON MY FACE!

Here’s Tan Warm 42.5 in natural daytime light, without any powder or primer, with a 10-minute makeup look. The eyeshadow is the Urban Decay Born to Run Palette; the blush is Charlotte Tilbury Ecstasy; and the lipstick is NUDESTIX Mystic, in case you’re wondering.

Your Skin But Better Foundation + Skincare is a medium-coverage liquid foundation with a very natural looking matte finish. If you want enough coverage to even out areas of pigmentation and redness, along with some minor pore blurring, but you don’t need to hide everything and the kitchen sink, it’s perfect.

Lazy ladies who still lurve wearing makeup now, this one’s for you, because there’s no trickery required to get it to look nice. I do one pump, and then use my fingers to rub and work it in. Then I quickly blend with a skunk brush, and that’s it. You don’t need a primer underneath it or a powder to set it, either. Use it all by itself, and it stays put all day long (yup, even with a mask on).

For reference, I have combo skin. It’s dry on my cheeks and around my mouth, and oily on my forehead and my nose, and this foundation handles all of the various areas well.

I think it also looks good where I have “experience lines.”

it cosmetics your skin but better foundation skin care natural light blues — Here it is in indoor natural light.

it cosmetics your skin but better foundation skin care natural light green look — Here’s the foundation in outdoor natural light.

I will say that if you’re extremely oily, you’ll probably want to set it with a light dusting of powder. I wouldn’t go too heavy with it though because this foundation’s ability to look like real skin is its superpower, and using a whole mess of powder will just undermine that magic anyway.

Also, it’s super lightweight, which I probably should’ve said right at the beginning, LOL! The formula is on the thinner side, much like Dior Nudeskin Air, so it’s featherweight and feels like nothing, which is actually the reason I started wearing it. After months of barely wearing any base, I have absolutely no tolerance for face products that feel heavy, and this one feels like nothing at all.

It’s available now at Ulta in 40 colors (hello, Fenty effect) for $39.50 each for a 1-oz. glass bottle with a pump. Oh, and speaking of colors, I wear it in Tan Warm 42.5 (but will switch to Tan Warm 41 once my toasty summer tan disappears in month or two), and this is the first time I’ve ever been able to wear an It Cosmetics foundation without having to mix it with something else. Seems like they FINALLY figured out that not every “tan” or “medium” shade has to have a sh*t-ton of peach undertones, and both Tan Warm 42.5 and 41 are pretty good matches for warm skin with yellow undertones.
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Checking In: A CRAZY Orange Sky, Maine Coon Cats and Kitten Fur Perfume

September 10th, 2020 by Karen 15 Comments

orange sky september 2020 — Welcome to the next level of Jumanji!

You guys. When I said that every day lately has been like a new level of Jumanji, I was not kidding. When I woke up yesterday morning, the sky was a terrifying shade of orange.

Yeah, and it was SO DARK outside that the street lights, which are light activated, stayed on till 10, despite the fact that sunrise allegedly occured at 6:40(!).

It was dark. I’m talking pitch black until almost 8, and then it only got dusky dark after that.

There are still a bunch of wildfires in California right now, and the sky over the Bay Area is currently this shade of orangey red.

Oh, yeah, and ash is also falling from the sky like post-apocalyptic snow… It’s all over the cars.

Next stop: vampires! ?‍♀️

Is this freaking me out? Totally. Because, of course, being the science fiction enthusiast that I am, I’m thinking, “This is how all post-apocalyptic novels start.” The sun goes away. Then all the plants die, and shortly thereafter, everything goes to sh*t. This is the beginning of the vampire uprising. By the end of next week, we’ll all be bloodsuckers. (See: 30 Days of Night. See also: the Van Helsing TV series.)

I really want to be wrong on this theory, and yes, I know I probably am, HAHAHA! Let’s face it, I do have a penchant for the dramatic. ? But, just in case we are on the verge of a vampiric uprising, we had a good run. It’s been a thrill.

Yeah…as if it hasn’t already been said enough, 2020 has been so freaking cray!

Agro exfoliation

Looking at the glass as half full in all this, I’m grateful that my house is currently — knock on wood — intact, and that I have a roof over my head. I’m also thankful that I still feel like laughing at myself (can’t take this for granted, for real). Also glad to have the mental space to contemplate not-so-serious things, like starting a skincare program for dealing with dark spots right MEOW, instead of waiting for the first rains like I had originally planned (because, seriously, I don’t even know when we’re going to see a sunny day again.)

So, yeah, I had this whole plan for aggressive exfoliation and was going to start with some products I’ve been wanting to try that target discoloration and uneven skin tone.

The first: Blue Algae Vitamin C Dark Spot Correcting Peel by Algenist. It’s pricey at $85, but it’s supposed to be good at resurfacing and exfoliating skin to reveal a smoother and more even-toned complexion. I dunno why, but I have this vision of it peeling away all the layers of dead skin on my face to reveal smooth skin on the face of a very crabby, cranky baby. LOL!

(I. WISH.)

I also have the Discoloration Correcting Serum from Good Molecules on deck. They’re kind of like The Ordinary because they have no-frills, stripped-down packaging, and everything is very affordable. This serum is $12, and the primary active ingredient is niacinamide.

Because kittehs make everything better

Since I’ve been low-key anxious over the past few days, I’ve been doing things to sooth the savage beast, and one of these things I’ve been doing lately is watching videos of a Maine Coon cat exploring the wilderness.

The channel is called The Explorer Cat, and it stars a very fluffy, round-faced Main Coon kitty with white, orange and black fur. I really love the video of kitty testing the waters and swimming! Yes, this cat swims. Kind of amazing.

Highly recommended if you need to calm-the-eff down!

Purr-fume!

On that cat-related note, out of sheer curiosity, I had to smell this perfume after reading about it a few weeks ago: Demeter Fragrance Library Kitten Fur.

Of course, the million-dollar question is, “Does it actually smell like a kitten’s fur?” Well, I can tell you what my tubby Tabby’s fur smelled like — like a yeasty rustic bread loaf! — and this perfume smells nothing like that. Rosie’s fur smells like Temptations, and the last real, live kittens I actually smelled, Rosie’s babies, smelled like cat food, laundry and litter, HAHAHA!
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