Philosophy: Purity made simple

I've been using this facial cleanser for a couple of weeks now and I think I am ready to share my thoughts on this product. It's starts off kind of like thick milk (I know it sounds strange, but that's how it looks like to me) So I spread emulsion all over my face and then add warm water. This cleanser doesn't really foams too much, which is different for  me, since I'm used to foaming cleansers, but it does works wonders! It dissolves makeup very quickly and my skin is super clean every time I use it, almost squeaky clean. My skin does feel little tight afterwords but not over dried.  Now for downside... Scent... I don't mind it at all, it's very hmmm grassy and essential oil like and I can see how it will turn off lots of people.  I personally would have preferred to smell more of a clean (soapy) scent, but hey, I don't mind having "aromatherapy" moment while washing my face :-) 

Estee Lauder cleansers

So I am very particular about washing my face, I just can't stand going to bed with traces of makeup. There are only a few things I'm looking for in a good cleanser. 

1) Has to be in a foam form, there's just something about foam that I personally prefer, it just feels like it gets in every pore and gets the dirt out. 

2) it can't be too harsh. Even tho' I have a combination skin, some cleansers tend to overdry my face and therefore my skin starts producing more oils to compensate for loss and instead of looking matte I end up looking oily 24/7. 

3) Pleasant scent. 

For a last few years I've been sticking to 2 face cleansers by Estee Lauder. 

Soft Clean Moisture Rich Cleanser is year around my  favorite cleanser. It is designed for  dry skin types, but quite honestly I found to be very nice for combination skin. It has a nice texture, starts as a cream and goes to foam when you add water to it and does not leave any residue like some face washes for dry skin.  It's very gentle, not drying my skin out at all and removes my makeup easily.

Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleanser is another favorite of mine for summer time. It's more suitable for combination/oily skin and I personally love it for hot months. Texture is very similar to one above. It gives you that "squeaky clean" feel without drying your skin out. 

Do you have your favorite face wash? 

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil

Hot, hot, hot. One word for this recent weather. I've been using sunblock like crazy, trying to protect my skin from the damaging rays of the sun but here I ran into a little issue. Do you ever feel like your regular cleanser just doesn't do the job of dissolving your stubborn waterproof sunblock completely? Well I know I do, but recently I discovered something pretty amazing to help me clean my skin. Shu Uemura High Performance Balancing Oil Fresh (pink color). I've heard of these oils before but I thought to myself "why in the world I would put even more oil on my face"? But since I am pretty much a sucker for skin care products I wanted to try it anyway and see why people are raving about it. If you wear waterproof makeup, sunblock, long wearing foundation - you absolutely have to try this product.

I got the pink color one and it is lightweight cleansing oil suited for someone with oily and combination skin. The way I personally use it maybe is different from how you would use it but here it goes. I take one or two pumps of this oil and apply it on my dry skin. Really working it with my fingers I dissolve my makeup and only then do I add a little bit of water to it and the oil starts to emulsify  and became more like a milky texture. I work it through my entire face and then splash it with warm water. You might be happy with just doing this and may skip the next step but I like to use a little bit of my regular foam cleanser after my cleansing oil, just to make sure all traces of makeup are gone and my skin is squeaky clean. Yes, it is a two-step cleansing process but I do feel the difference in my skin and I know for sure that all that dirt and sunscreen from the long day is gone from every pore and my skin can breath at night. 

Shiseido:Ultimate Sun Protection Cream For Face SPF55

I've been using a Retinol treatment lately and I was looking for a good sunblock for my face that 1) offered high UVA/UVB protection 2) Didn't make me look like a ghost and 3) was mattifying for  my combination skin

So I gave a Shiseido a try and I am glad I did. This cream is seems to be the best of what I've tried (and I did try a lot throughout last 5 years) It gives me everything I wanted and then some. High SPF? Check. Pasty? No, not really. Matte skin? Check!  I am serious when I say that this cream is like a mattifier and primer in one. It's super water resistant and lasts all day on my face without separating or getting greasy. It does go on a little white but I noticed that after 5 minutes my skin looks normal again, the cream absorbs quickly. Now for the cons: it's pricey yes, thats why I purchased a travel version first and some people with drier skin types might not find it moisturizing enough so I would recommend to use light moisturizer under. Other than that I think this is my "must-have" product and I will re-purchase. 

Rosebud Salve

Happy Friday girls!  Do you have any plans for this weekend? So today I want to share with you my favorite lip balm ever! I am pretty sure ya'll heard about it already, it's famous Rosebud Salve. I have it in original formula and strawberry edition. This great product has been around since 1895 and continues to be "a must." Not only is it a great product for your chapped lips, it also works wonders as a moisturizer for your dry elbows, lipstick base, eyeshadow base and highlighter. Texture is very pleasant, not sticky at all, smells delicious and lasts on your lips for a very long time. Give it a try and I am sure it will become your favorite product as well. 

Have a wonderful weekend dolls and I'll talk to you on Monday