How I Maintain My Glow

When I arrive home from work, after kissing my husband and pups, I almost immediately head to the bathroom to remove my makeup (my favorite wipes are e.l.f.'s Makeup Remover Cleansing Wipes). I wear makeup everyday that I'm expected to look polished and presentable (aka most days) and on my days off and Sunday I always opt to go makeup free if possible. For me, going without makeup requires that I keep my skin in tip top condition, which requires a regular commitment to skincare and beauty products that keep me glowing.

Over the past few years, I've begun to really shift my focus from covering up acne and imperfections towards protecting and embracing the skin that I'm in. I now wear SPF 30 moisturizer every day, take off my makeup daily (I am absolutely religious about this step in my process), use a face mask and scrub 1-2 times weekly, and apply facial and eye oils nightly before bed (another one I'm religious about).

My husband, and previous travel companions can attest to how serious I am about staying hydrated and keeping my skin alight. I'm prone to fleeting fits of obsession, but taking care of my skin has become a consistent obsession of mine and sharing my routine has become a fun project for me, I'll tell anyone who will listen.

Keep reading for my skincare and lifestyle picks that keep me feeling beautiful and healthy, while maintaining my inner glow!

Promise Organic Nourishing Coconut Milk Facial Cleanser 

The foundation of my beauty routine is a stand-by facial wash, and I am still using this one by Promise Organic. [read more here] 

Once my current face wash runs out, I'm going to give Glossier's Milky Jelly cleanser a try, I'm very intrigued! 

Resurfacing Mask, Mega Greens Galaxy Pack, Moisturizing Moon Mask 

I love to indulge in a face mask 1-2 times per week. I've been alternating between Tata Harper's Resurfacing Mask and Glossier's Mega Greens Galaxy Pack and Moisturizing Moon Mask. 

[read more here]

Glossier Balm Dotcom, Hana Eye Oil, Aura Cacia Nighttime Baobab Oil

My nighttime routine ALWAYS consists of a couple drops of this Hana Eye Oil followed by 4 pumps of my absolute favorite Aura Cacia facial oil Last but not least, I add a liberal squeeze of Glossier's Balm Dotcom to my lips!

Caru Neroli + Immortelle Facial Toner, Vichy Eau Thermale, Lush Tea Tree Water

As someone who suffers from eczema, I am very serious about moisturizing. At times, my face feels dry after washing and/or removing my makeup and toners have become my answer to that. I love Lush's Tea Tree Water for when my skin is breaking out or feeling a bit clogged. Caru's Neroli + Immortelle toner is perfect for after working out, in the morning, and in the warmer months. I also love Vichy's Eau Thermale spray for freshening up, especially when flying. 

B12 Gummies

In addition to caring for my skin on the outside, I take a few steps to enhance my inner glow. Everyday I take a (gummy) multi vitamin as well as (a gummy) B12. ( I love gummy candies and taking gummy vites ensures that I actually do so.)

Aside from my gummy vites, I often make a body scrub from almond oil and granulated sugar (1 part oil to 2 parts sugar). 

Another favorite routine of mine is dry brushing. You can read more about it here. 

S'well Water Bottle 

What I'm about to say is not revolutionary. When I'm on my game and drinking tons of water, my skin is 100 times clearer and more radiant. I try to drink 3-4 liters of seltzer a day, if I'm home all day, it's usually more. I'm not a huge fan of flat water, so I use my SodaStream to make seltzer from filtered water and I tell myself that it's better than nothing! 

Lush Cosmetics

We've all heard about how amazing and good for you Lush body products are (my faves are here, here, and here) but did you know that Lush now offers hand mixed color cosmetics? Neither did I. The other night my best friend and I wandered into the new Lush store in the GSP mall and I was blown away. Not only is the new store gorgeous (think reclaimed woods and chalkboard displays), but there were several new products that I knew nothing about.

I like to consider myself pretty up on what's happening in the beauty world and I was surprised that Lush pulled a Beyonce on me and launched a cosmetics collection. Naturally, I was drawn towards the uber colorful display and immediately started chatting with a sales associate about the collection. I sat down for a "color reading" and wound up with a bright purple lipgloss (Drive) which I absolutely love!

A color reading consists of the sales associate spinning this lazy susan of color chips, you close your eyes and pick the first 3 colors that you see. I chose In Charge, Feeling Secure, and Drive. The first color is meant to represent a strength of yours (true), the second is meant to represent a weakness of yours (false), and the third is meant to represent a quality you wish to enhance or cultivate more of (semi-true). At first, I thought that all three colors were eyeliners (the wheel is a mix of eye liners, lip glosses, and cream eye shadows). I was all set to purchase Drive, because I thought it could be a really cool eyeliner if used responsibly and upon learning that it was a lipgloss, Alyssa (aforementioned best friend) and I agreed that it was a must-have. 

Even if you think all the color theory is nonsense, it's fun to go in and spin the wheel and grab a couple colors that you may not have previously picked up! 

In addition to the lipgloss, I came home with a Mint Juleps lip scrub. I've been wanting a lip scrub and knowing that everything at Lush is cruelty-free made it an even easier decision to grab one right before checking out! 

It's a very wearable purple when worn with a bit of lip balm!