from l to r: beautyblender, embryolisse lait-creme concentre, tretinoin cream .05% (generic retin-a) bioderma sensibo. in background: silk pillow

Today I’m sharing my top 5 ride-or-die skin-related beauty products. Read on to get the low-down on each.

1. Beautyblender: If you are a blog reader, there’s a 99.9% chance you’ve heard of a beautyblender. But, I just couldn’t bring myself to leave it off this list. I dampen this with water, squeeze the excess and then used it to blend in my cream makeups by bouncing it up and down over my face. It’s pretty much fail-safe and I love my Real Techniques version just as much as the original (and for 1/4 of the price!)

2. Embryolisse Lait-Creme Concentre: I have Sahara-dry skin and using my #3 fave, Tretinoin, does not help matters. I use this cream on my face BEFORE applying my tretinoin cream and it’s made a huge difference in the suppleness of my skin. So far this moisturizer has done the best job of allowing the cream to be effective and keeping my skin hydrated.

3.Tretinoin .05%: I could devote a whole post to Tretinoin (generic Retin-A), because I think it’s something beauty bloggers tend to skim over in favor of flashier serums and creams. Last year my skin broke out all over in cystic acne, the painful kind that sits underneath the skin. I think this was largely due to going off birth control so I set up a dermatologist appointment to get things under control. I go to the dermatologist twice a year for skin cancer checks, but this was the first time I went for an acne-related issue. My derm prescribed birth control, tretinoin .05% (there are varying degrees of strength based on percentage) and a prescription strength benzoyl peroxide cream. I no longer use the benzoyl, but the tretinoin is a trusty part of my beauty routine. I’ll be real with you–the first few months on it are no fun and I felt like a molting snake as my skin became red and peeled (but I should note, this process was not painful! Just annoying and not cute). Now, over a year after beginning to use it, I feel like some fine lines are reduced and the overall texture of my skin just looks and feels better than when I began using the product. Even better, when I do get the occasional monthly spot, it clears up in no time. I usually use a pea-sized amount of this product every other day or every 3rd day and never before a day where I know I’ll be out in the sun a ton. This product makes you more sensitive to sun exposure, so as always, it’s important to apply sunscreen.

4. Bioderma Sensibio H2O: Another cult classic, but I really haven’t found another micellar water I love as much as the original. I love the pump container and use exfoliating cotton pads to clean off my make-up before doing a more extensive cleanse with CeraVe hydrating cleanser and my Clarisonic Mia 2. I usually then go back again with more Bioderma to really make sure everything is removed, (I then follow up with the Embyrolisse). I just find this remover really effective and non-irritating. The simplicity of the French bottle also looks pretty perched on my sink.

5. Silk Pillowcase: I know this sounds like some Mariah-Carey-level diva crap, but a silk pillow case really is a game changer. It just feels so nice on your skin and I never get those face pillow creases, which I’m super prone to because I sleep on my stomach. It really is luxurious and I just bought one and kept my other pillow cases the plain old cotton kind to save some $$$. The one linked is the exact one I have (and is actually the black background of the picture with my products) and I think this one is a good value and I have no complaints.

I’m a beauty product junkie, so expect some more posts like these in the future!

Curiously yours,

bailey evin

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