Trying and testing beauty items is a relatively new thing for me. Two years ago my skin routine included dove soap and cetaphil moisturizer but after turning 30, having two kids, and very little sleep, my skin requires a little more love. One of my favourite things to do is visit Sephora and grab free samples of everything from setting spray to perfume (just ask anyone for a sample of what you’re interested in)! Their loyalty program is also amazing where you build points and cash them in when you make a purchase, (see above YSL primer). After a couple months of testing out products this way I have collected some of my favourites to share with you!

One of my goals is to incorporate more organic and/or cleaner items into my regime and it’s been quite the challenge! I do have some success stories below! I feature Schmidt’s Natural Deoderant and Indie Lee Squalane Facial Oil which I enjoy. If you have any great organic skin care products you love please comment below!

Schmidt’s Natural Deoderant 

If you’re a Portlandia fan you’ll know of a skit on natural deoderant with the joke being that it just doesn’t work. My favourite part is the instructions with, “so you just want to go, 1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8 (swipes under your arm)… when it’s gone, then you’re done!” It’s hilarious and speaks to the difficulty in finding a natural deoderant that fights odour. But folks, I’ve found it! I have been using Schmidt’s Natural Deoderant for almost two months and through workouts at the gym I am still smelling like Lavender & Sage… or Cedarwood & Jumiper depending on which one I wear. The only complaint I have is that the claim of it keeping you dry doesn’t work when you’re doing an intense workout but it definitely still keeps any odour away.

GlamGlow Glowstarter Mega Illuminating Moisturizer in Sun Glow

This moisturizer is an essential for me. If I have 5 minutes to run out the door I use this, tinted cc cream with spf, blush, and mascara. I have fair skin and I don’t like to tan so putting this under my makeup adds a healthy glow to my look. This comes in three different tints: Pearl Glow, Nude Glow, and Sun Glow which ranges from light to dark depending on the look you are going for. I love the Sun Glow for the summer and I’ve read reviews where some people just throw this on with some sunscreen and that’s their summer look! If you’re looking for a healthy glow sans sun you’ll love this!

Boscia Charcoal MakeUp Melter cleansing oil-balm

I’ve tried a few different types of makeup removers and this one is my favourite! Like I mentioned before I had a really simple skin “routine” if you can call it that, so I’m used to a short time spent on my skin. I tried wipes and micellar water with cotton balls and I just found it took so long to take my makeup off that I sometimes resorted to soap to get the job done quickly The process of this remover is similar to soap where you rub it on your face and rinse. Precisely, you rub the balm on your face and it feels like a thick lip/hair balm, add some warm water to turn it into a milky texture, then rinse. It claims to double as a cleanser which moisturizes and it does just that. Easy peasy and perfect for me.

Indie Lee Squalane Facial oil 

I kept hearing people using oil on their face and I was still on the mindset from about 10 years ago that this was the worst thing you could do for your skin. I even believe that the brand, Oil of Olay dropped the “Oil” out of their name and became plain, “Olay” for this reason. But I am hear to tell you that I love oil! This is made of pure Squalane oil so it’s a natural and clean product. Apparently oil is used as the last step in a routine as it locks in everything used before it. Therefore it can be combined with a cream or moisturizer to lock in moisture.

YSL Touche Eclat Blur Primer

This is a sample I got with my loyalty points! I’m so impressed with the size of it (___ ML). It is an illuminating primer and contains some shimmer in it. What I love is the difference it made with my makeup. If you’re unfamiliar with primer, it is a base for your makeup to help it last longer and helps your makeup spread more evenly. After I use this primer I only need one pump of my tinted cc cream. I don’t see the illuminating effects of it but I see the difference in the longevity of my makeup.

Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder

I’m not big on loose powder because the idea of dropping it everywhere scares me so much, especially when it’s a higher-end brand (I have the visual of all my money going into the trash). I read good things about this product after searching for something that would help brighten my tired skin and eyes. This powder is amazing over concealer because it doesn’t cake and even though it seems like a small amount (4.2g) it’s lasted me 5 months! The biggest difference I’ve seen between inexpensive and higher end products is how long the product lasts.

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