Stealthy Skincare

Mom's mentions

I have been having the worst time with my skin lately: sun spots, wrinkles, breakouts and redness. I've been examining all my skincare products to make sure that each is contributing in a positive way and not causing any of the irritation and aging effects I've been having.

The first in line for review, is my sunscreen, since it's a daily necessity and is an enormous cause of frustration for me. Living at a mile above sea level has its problems: dryness and sun exposure at a new level. This year, I've tried at least 6 sunscreens on my face (I kid you not) and each has had its plus and minuses. The biggest plus I'm looking for is whether or not the sunscreen is effective. The biggest drawback I'd like to avoid is causing breakouts. 

I was recently sent a sample of Oclipse® Smart Tone SPF 50, sold by ZO Skin Health, and am truly impressed. 

What I like about Oclipse:

• Customizable color beads with broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection to match any skin tone
• Provides additional protection against HEV light (cell damaging high energy light)
• Anti-redness properties
• Moisturizing
• Vitamin C to prevent sunspots
• Exclusive 12-hour time release antioxidant complex guards against photo-damage

While not a foundation, it does smooth out my skintone and blends into my skin with no telltale lines. It's light and sheer, but provides a small amount of coverage, which I love. I'm able to skip Vitamin C, coverup, and powder! 

My only complaint is the price at $70.00. I'm interested to see how long my sample lasts and if it's a good while to make the high price tag justifiable, I will be restocking my Oclipse and discarding the rest of. It's that impressive.

What sunscreens are you using on your face? I'd love to hear.

Micellar Water: lazily clean

Mom's mentions

I'm not lazy when it comes to working out, getting work done, or powering through a Netflix series, but I'm incredibly lazy in my skincare routine. If it's not easy, it's not happening. In the past, I usually went to bed with my makeup on. But I've found a miracle, a remedy for both my laziness and my skincare issues: Micellar Water. It deserves all the one-swipe hype it's been getting. 

Simple | Yon Ka | Lotus Aroma  | Vichy | La Roche-Posay

Micellar Water is the coconut oil of face cleansing since it does more than you ever think it could:

• it take off makeup
• it tones
• it hydrates
• it clears pores
• it doesn't need to be rinsed off

I just take a cotton ball, rub my Micellar Water over my face and I'm done cleansing.  This simple addition to my beauty routine has changed my skincare for the better. Now that I've found a simple way to cleanse, I'm even moisturizing. Unsurprisingly, I have less breakouts, and I'm noticing my skin is brighter and clearer. Simple, fast and effective, I think I've found my beauty bff in Micellar Water.

XO ~Kim

to shave, or not to shave

A few days ago, Man Repeller posted about waxing (like removing body hair kinda waxing) on her blog. At first, I thought it was weird and something that shouldn’t be shared with thousands of people on the internet. And then I stepped back and thought about it. Why can’t it be shared? Every single human has hair on their body, and most women remove most of their hair. Do we do it for ourselves, for significant others, for our friends? Who knows, well we each personally know, because we each have our own preference. Which is kind of cool to think about. 

via

There are the girls who shave everything, every where, everyday. 

There are the girls who shave most places, occasionally.  

There are the girls who shave some places, for special occasions. 

There are the girls who don’t shave at all, unapologetically. 

I’m more the first named category. I was the girl in third grade who was made fun of by the boys for having hairy legs. In fact, I think I had more hair on my legs at the time than they did. I should’ve probably responded with a, “well you’re a boy, why don’t you have hair on your legs.” But I was confused and insecure so I started shaving when I was in fourth grade. Ever since then, I’ve been a nightly shaver. I’ve lost the insecurity aspect of hairy legs, but I’ve become accustomed to the smooth leg kinda life. 

There’s definitely not anything wrong with having hairy legs, or unshaved legs (however you want to phrase it). I guess what I’m trying to say is that I think it’s interesting how each person has their own preference, and there’s nothing wrong with each preference. You do you, you know? 

So now that my shaving cycle has been released upon the internet, feel free to share your thoughts on shaving. I’d love to hear the reasoning behind it as well! 

xox
Chloe