Favorite skin care and makeup products

Quick unrelated note...girls' nursery/bedroom reveal coming soon! We're almost done with it, so I'll post pictures!

I've changed a lot of things with my makeup and skin care routine lately and have been extremely happy with the results. So much so that I often find myself saying "man, I LOVE this stuff" every morning. Literally. I'm not being asked or paid to promote these products. I just like to share about stuff that really excites me. So here's what I use for makeup and skin care:

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First up is my skin care regiman. I have oily and acne prone skin...but it's also extremely sensitive, so I have a really hard time finding something that doesn't give me a reaction or dry my skin out too much while still treating/preventing blemishes. I've used expensive products like DDF and Dermatoligca to less expensive like Aveeno and Alba Botanicals. All of them contain some sort of acne medication...either salicylic acid or benzoyl peroxide. And while those medications are in there to help clear and prevent breakouts and control oil production...they always leave my face feeling crazy dry and stretched out. And the topical pimple creams do help with red and swollen blemishes, but they also dry my face out something awful. The last product I tried actually gave me an allergic reaction that took a prescription strength hydrocortisone cream to clear up. So that's when I'd had enough of all the chemicals and medications and decided to try something more natural. Natralia is a homeopathic type acne system. It doesn't contain any harsh chemicals or medications, so it doesn't dry me out. And because it doesn't dry me out, I actually don't even need a face moisturizer anymore. And the acne rescue cream is awesome. I wasn't real convinced it would work or be effective but thought it was at least worth a try. And guess what? After about a month of use, my face is clearer than its ever been my entire life. And that's saying a lot right now considering pregnancy hormones turn me into a pizza face. I still get a couple pimples, but they never get all swollen and nasty and if I pop them (I know, shame on me), they're usually gone or almost gone the next day. My face is so clear I actually ran to the bank for some cash without a drop of makeup on! I hardly liked to let my hubby see me without makeup before just because I was so self conscious. I also haven't gotten a single one of those nasty, painful under the skin pimples that make your whole face hurt since I started using Natralia. Needless to say, I'm thrilled with my new skin care regimen! 

Moving onto makeup products...I mentioned in a post a few months ago that I switched to a brand called Jane Iredale. I felt the brand I was using before that had really messed up my skin and clogged my pores...causing even worse acne than usual. Jane Iredale is pricey, I will admit. More than I have ever spent on a makeup product...but it lasts forever and it does wonders for your skin. My best friend's mom (she's an esthetician and cosmetologist) recommended it to me. It's actually a medical makeup specially designed for people with serious skin issues to help restore and heal. But it's also totally natural and free of harsh chemicals, so it doesn't clog your pores or screw with your complexion. You can check out more about their products and ingredients on their website: www.janeiredale.com. 

Here are the products I use:

Liquid Minerals Foundation 

(bisque color because I'm as pale as they come)

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I use this as the first layer to help moisturizer my face and even out my skin tone. 

Amazing Base in Ivory

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This is a loose mineral powder type foundation. The Liquid Minerals helps give the Amazing Base something to cling to so it stays on my skin. I use a powder brush to apply a light layer all over my face (it helps absorb oil throughout the day and keeps me from getting too shiny). Then I go back with a concealer brush and apply the Amazing Base to trouble spots (blemishes and the exhausted mommy circles under my eyes). It does an awesome job as a concealer. I never have a need for anything additional. 

PurePressed Blush in Tawny

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I apply a little blush to the top of my cheek bones and the tip of my nose to keep me looking healthy. I'm naturally so pale that I can look a little sickly without some blush to add color. 

Balance Spray

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Two or three sprays of this to my face set the makeup so it stays on all day and also helps with oil production. Oh, and it smells amazing too. 

(If I decide to wear any eye shadow, I'll put this in BEFORE the balance spray and spritz afterward.)

Blinc Mascara in black

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I don't typically wear any eye makeup outside mascara unless it's a special occasion or date night because I have horrible allergies and get itchy eyes a lot...I usually end up wiping most of my eye makeup off by the end of the day anyway, so I just forego it. Anyway, this mascara is awesome. Because of my allergies and sensitive eyes, I almost always wear waterproof mascara or I have flakes and raccoon eyes by the end of the day. The problem I have with waterproof mascara is that it's a complete pain in the rear to take off. Even using special eye makeup remover designed for waterproof makeup doesn't always take it off completely...and I wake up in the morning with raccoon eyes. Blinc is water resistant and will not flake. But it also comes off SO easy. They have come up with a new technology (check out their website for more info) that actually forms water resistant tubes around your eyelashes instead of painting them. And at the end of the day, the only thing you need to take it off is a little warm water and some pressure from your fingertips...and the tubes pull right off your eyelashes! It's awesome! I actually really enjoy taking it off because it's so cool to watch. Haha! This mascara is wonderful for contact wearers and people with sensitive eyes. I find myself itching my eyes about half as much as I did before. 

Magic Mitt

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This isn't makeup. It's a makeup remover. And you don't need anything but warm water! It's this great little mitt that is designed to remove all your makeup (including eye makeup) without anything but water. Simply wet it with warm water, wring out the extra water, and wipe your makeup off (if one side gets too icky, turn it around and use the other side). When you're done, use a little hand soap to clean your makeup off the mitt, and hang it up to dry. That's it! Super easy, and it takes off make far better than anything else I've ever used (I used to use those Pond's moist towelettes specially designed to remove makeup and oil). 

There ya have it. My complete skin care and makeup regimen. 

A couple tips for good makeup application:

Wash your brushes regularly. I clean my liquid foundation brush daily so nothing clumps or builds up in it. I wash my other brushes (powder, concealer, blush) once every week. It's really important to clean your brushes at least weekly. It gives you the best makeup application because it keeps makeup from building up (like when you've gone so long without cleaning your blush brush that you don't even need to dust it across your blush compact to get the proper amount of your face...yuck, right?). And it also prevents bacteria from your face from getting into your makeup and being transferred back to your face...which keeps your makeup better longer and keeps your skin clearer. 

Make sure your foundation colors blend completely with your natural complexion. The best way to test it is to apply a little to your neck. If it blends and you cannot even tell where you've applied it, it's perfect. 

What are your favorite skin care and makeup products? Any must-haves?