What's in my Makeup Bag/Beauty Haul series: Lotions and Primers

 This is the second addition to my What's in my Makeup Bag Series/Beauty Haul, and in this post I'm going to talk about facial moisturizers and makeup primers.   My previous morning routine for face care consisted of putting on a facial moisturizer then proceeding with my day.  Since I've been dabbling in the world of cosmetics, I've come across some products that I've decided to implement into my daily routine.  I'd also like to point out I consider my face to consist of combination type skin.  My forehead has a tendency to get oily, I notice this mainly when I work long hospital shifts.  By the end of twelve hours, my forehead often has a glistening shine that will leave oily residue on my hand if touched.  My cheeks are typically very dry and consist of areas that resembled small abrasions and sun spots.  This is the reason I began my quest for makeup products.  The early years of daily beach naps of sun worshiping circa 2005 have left their permanent marks on my face.  A memento I'd like not to display for all those to see, especially since age spots have never been in style and I no longer reside within close proximity to the sunny beaches I'd grown up on.  So through many nights of research combined with trial and error, I have found some products that I am quite pleased with.

Getting Started....
I start my day with a face wash- I hate to admit this but my previous face wash was a daily exfoliate.  Every day for several years (let's estimate and say five), I would wash my face every morning with St. Ive's Apricot Scrub.  I don't know why I never questioned my actions on this.  I don't think the fact I was using a harsh cleanser on my face every day was even a thought in my mind.  I do believe this may be the reason for the tiny abrasion like areas on my cheeks.  Depending on the cleanser- daily exfoliation can be done.  As long as your cleanser does not feel like you're rubbing sand paper all over your face.  Why I did this to my skin for long, I don't know.  The truth of the matter was, I didn't know any better.  Lesson learned.  It is recommended to exfoliate once or twice weekly.  I've since decided I've done more than my fair share over the course of five years, therefore I've omitted this practice all together.  I now use Cetaphil daily facial cleanser.  I can't remember exactly where I learned about this product but a part of me thinks I actually got the idea from watching Kendra on E! as the camera got a glimpse of her bathroom counter in one of the episodes.  For some reason I remember thinking since she uses it, it must be good.

Skin Rev-er Upper
Now with my freshly cleansed face, I apply my Bare Minerals bareVitamins Skin Rev-er Upper.  This amazing little product has been a miracle worker for my skin.  Recently because of medication issues, I have experienced unsightly blemishes.  After a week of using this product my skin has cleared up and looks amazing.  I was actually considering trying ProActive until I used this product.  According to the product website, the 2.3 ounce bottle of Skin Rev-er Upper is designed to refresh your complexion with the added benefits of botanicals and glycolic and salicylic acids to prepare skin for flawless foundation application.  Skin Rev-er Upper is formulated for all skin types and without fragrances.  The product comes in a bottle with a pump top and retails for $21.00 USD.  I purchased mine with a Bare Minerals Foundation kit- which I will go into more detail in an upcoming blog post. 


Lotions
I generally choose one of two facial moisturizers.  Selection one is my indoor days pick.  It's the Cetaphil Moisturizering Cream.  This moisturizer can be thick.  I usually take a small pea sized amount on the back of my hand and work it into all the areas of my face except my forehead.  Since my forehead has a tendency to make KFC look like a dry desert, I opt for no additional moisture in that area. The second option for facial moisturizer is my Eucerin Daily Protection SPF 30 Moisturizing Face Lotion. I love this product.  This is the only product with SPF that I have been able to apply to my face without it burning.  This product is gentle, non-greasy, non-fragrant, and formulated for sensitive skin.  This product is light and has smooth application.  Because of the light consistency of this product, I actually will apply this to my forehead area as well.   After some research due to writing this blog post, I discovered Cetaphil has a line of facial moisturizers with SPF.  A new product now available is their Dermacontrol Oil Control Moisturizer SPF 30.  This product claims to hydrate, control acne prone skin, and create a matte finish.  In the makeup world, I have learned one key word that goes along with my oil prone forehead and that is "matte" or "mattifying".  Anything that is designed to reduce oil is essential to controlling my unsightly end of the work day skin.  I have decided to add this product to my shopping list and will update with a review in a later post. 


Face Primers
After I've applied my moisturizer, I prep for my foundation with a facial primer.  I have two primers Rimmel London Fix & Perfect Foundation Primer and Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. Currently, as I'm writing this blog post, I have only used the Rimmel London's primer.  I figured it works well for my skin, therefore why ruin a good thing? One of the added bonuses to the primer is it reduces pores in conjunction with creating a smooth finish for long lasting foundation wear.  I have heard good things about Smashbox, however I have also heard some people have broken out from the primer.  I've decided to hold off on trying the primer until absolutely necessary or I get bored and decide to give it a go.  I'm sure I'll keep everyone updated on my results and thoughts about the product. 

The Night Time Miracle Product
I've decided to add this product as my night time facial moisturizer.  For the past month, I've been using all natural Coconut Oil as a nightly face cream.  Coconut oil has an enormous amount of known skin and hair benefits.  I have been using Coconut oil on my face as a makeup remover and night time moisturizer, deep conditioning for my hair, and as a nail conditioner.  I initially purchased this product about six months ago to use as a shaving lotion.  After regular post shaving application, I decided to start using the product for it's natural properties to benefit all areas of my skin.  I'm uncertain what product has led to my clearer skin or maybe it's a combination of both the Skin Rev-er Upper and the Coconut Oil but I have noticed an overall improved complexion in the past month since implementing a new skin care regimen. 

 This concludes my lotions and primers blog post.  I hope it was informative and useful for those interested or on a quest for learning about different types of products. I look forward to adding more posts in this series about my makeup collection as well as learning from my readers what products are preferred.  Please feel free to leave me a comment with your favorite products or any questions you may have.  Thanks for reading!

In this series I will introduce what products are in my makeup bag and my personal reviews.  All the products listed have been purchased on my own.  I am not affiliated with any of the companies, all reviews are my personal opinion of my experiences with the products.  Stay tuned for my next article of What's in my Makeup Bag/Beauty Haul series: Concealers and Foundation.