My daily skincare favorites can all be found at Target. It’s way easier to remember skincare products if I can just add them to a pick-up order!
You’re not going to find expensive face creams that need a mini fridge in the bathroom in my daily skincare routine list. The four to five products I use daily are all fairly routine and not overly pricey. Plus, our bathroom is way too small for its own fridge.
Morning
- Face wash: Cetaphil is my go-to face wash day and night. After I had my second son, my facial skin freaked out. It got all bumpy and a dermatologist recommended Cetaphil. I’ve deviated from that once – and my skin got weird again. There’s a bottle of this by my sink, one in the shower, and one in my pre-teen’s shower.
- Lotion: I stumbled on Derma E’s Anti-Wrinkle Renewal Cream because it was on sale. It’s a good all-around moisturizer that is gentle on my skin, isn’t too heavy, and wears well under foundation. I use it every morning. The container also lasts forever! It does not have sunscreen – I prefer that in my foundation.
- Scrub: Yes, the early 2000’s did call and they do want my facial scrub back! I use the Up and Up Apricot Facial Scrub, a knock-off of the St. Ives version. This stays in the shower and I do it a couple times a week because it feels good. I have no idea if it’s good for my skin.
Night
- Face wash: I wash my face with Cetaphil.
- Toner: Thayers Natural Remedies Witch Hazel Alcohol-Free Toner with Rose Petal is something I like to use at night after I wash my face (if I remember!). I like this because it feels and smells good. I recently stopped using it for a few months because I forgot to buy it and my skin did look a bit dull without it. So, it probably does have some benefits!
- Night Cream: As I crept closer to 40, the internet told me retinol is a good idea. I started using Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair Moisturizer with Retinol, the night version. It would probably “work” better in terms of wrinkle rduction if I also used the morning version but I just don’t want to.
Those five products are consistently in my daily routine. When it comes to makeup, that’s where I tend to splurge. Every time I want to get cheap, I end up buying three or four $7 items when I could have just bought the one I really like.
Makeup
- Foundation: Foundation is a really hard thing for me to find because I have freckles. Especially in the summer, the wrong foundation makes me look dusty. And, I don’t want to completely block my freckles with a high-coverage foundation. I also want my foundation to have sunscreen. I use IT Cosmetics CC+ Nude Glow Lightweight Foundation + Glow Serum with SPF 40. It wears well in the summer and winter, is enough coverage, I like the SPF 40, and I like how it feels on my skin. The only knock I have on it is that it doesn’t look as good after a full day of wear.
- Foundation Brush: This is an absolute must-have. Bobbi Brown’s Full Coverage Face Brush could probably make any foundation look amazing and you use less foundation with a brush, making your foundation last longer.
- Blush: Right now, I am using a Nars product that’s probably three years old. But, I got a sample of Milk’s Lip + Cheek Color and that’s my next purchase. No blush brush needed!
- Lips: This is on my “if it goes on sale, I’m buying it” list. Fresh’s Sugar Rose Tinted Lip Balm is awesome if you get the right color. The moisture is better than anything I’ve ever tried.
- Mascara: Benefit Cosmetics BADgal BANG! Volumizing Mascara is my favorite. It’s a splurge. But, when I get cheap and don’t buy it, I end up going back to it.
- Eye Shadow: Urban Decay’s Naked3 Mini Eyeshadow Palette is my go-to for eye shadow. It works for my hazel/green eyes and it does last a long time.
- Sunscreen: Sun Bum’s Face Lotion SPF 70 stays in my Kavu Paxton Pack all summer. It works well and can do double duty for arms and legs if we forget a larger bottle.
Bonus Recommendation: Kavu Paxton
A side note about the Kavu Paxton Pack – it’s amazing. It’s convenient, hands-free, has a pocket on the outside for my phone, a side pocket for my water bottle and it holds way more than it looks like it can. Along with my stuff, I’ve had to shove sweatshirts, a pair of shoes, or a baseball glove in it from time to time. Some of my friends prefer the Rope Bag or Sling because of the extra exterior pockets. For local shopping, they have them at Scheel’s.
