Is it just me or am I the only one who’s skin drastically changes depending on the season and the weather!?!? This winter could not come to an end soon enough for my skin … I am SO happy to see the sun shining and the cherry blossoms on the trees. Spring and summer skin is on the horizon and it’s my absolute favourite skin season! As most of you know I’ve had a hankering for beauty products since I was a little girl. I love walking up and down the aisles and just looking at what’s new out there, popping the tops off and smelling the scents, looking at the beautiful packaging that’s out there … and more importantly seeing the SCIENCE that goes behind some of the products.
I had the intention of creating my own little “beauty regime” when selecting products from Sephora Canada. I made sure to include a step by step guide so that it’s as easy as possible for you to follow along and maybe pick up a new product depending on what you’re looking for. I started by searching for all cruelty-free products and for products that aren’t sold in China … the back story here for those who may not know … I’m still learning about animal testing and while it’s illegal to test on animals in Canada, if the company SELLS their products in China they legally HAVE to test on animals in China, there’s so much information out there and SO many different opinions … so needless to say I’m still learning and doing the best that I can with what I know!
Anyways … back to the products! Once I got my MASSIVE list of cruelty-free products (way to go Sephora Canada!) I narrowed it down from there … I slimmed the results down even more by looking specifically for products that are natural and would exfoliate, hydrate and plump my skin! I ended up picking out the products that were best sellers in the hydrating department … BRING on that Spring skin!! LOL! Also, most of the products I picked out are food based … they have ingredients such as rice enzymes, coconut water, and sake … mmmm … sounds like a fancy dinner!! LOL!! Some are also organic and some have a charitable component! HECK YA!!
Alright, so you’re probably sitting there thinking, Ok Jill, get to the point, what products did you choose?! Lol!! So let’s dig into that now and walk through the steps together ….
1. Cleanser: We all know that the first step in ANY skin care routine is your cleanser … you gotta get rid of that makeup at the end of the day, I picked out the boscia sake makeup remover and cleanser! It’s great for all skin types and is free of parabens, sulfates, and phthalates PLUS this particular cleanser doesn’t require water so it’s perfect for when you’re on the go!
2. Exfoliator: Ever since I can remember I have ALWAYS loved a good exfoliation. There are SO many different exfoliators out there from glycolic peels, to retinol, but I’ve always loved a good scrub exfoliation for a few reasons. Mainly for how it makes my skin feel, so clean, fresh, and “baby butt” soft (not in a weird way) … LOL!! I went for the Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Power by Tatcha, its name gives it away but its main ingredient is RICE enzymes! It’s a powder that’s activated by water for a gentle scrub! I should also add here that the scrub only needs to be used once MAYBE twice a week, it’s not a daily thing.
3. Serum: Once you exfoliate it’s always a good idea to rehydrate your skin with some good serum so it doesn’t totally dry out on you … nobody likes dry skin and our goal with this regime is to plump and hydrate our skin so serum is pretty crucial in this process. The serum I decided to try is First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Hydrating Serum, it’s a gel serum and it’s awesome! You only need a little bit because it spreads so well over your skin, it’s basically like a big glass of water for your face! Lol. The trick to using this stuff is to make sure you let it completely soak in and DRY before adding your moisturizer on top.
4. Moisturizer: OMG … I honestly wish I could let you all smell the moisturizer I picked out … apparently, Sephora has trouble keeping this specific moisturizer in stock and I can see why … this stuff smells like a damn creamsicle, I catch myself just sniffing it from time to time, I just want to eat it! LOL!! I actually look forward to moisturizing my face with this cream, not only does it smell like a treat but my skin feels so FREAKIN soft when I use it! I guess I should let you in on what moisturizer it is hey?! Lol!! It’s the Nurture Me Moisturizing Creme by Olehenriksen!
5. Primer: Primer is great for prepping your skin before applying your makeup to extend the wear of the makeup and to give your skin a dewy look! I tried out the Replenishing Face Primer by Two Faced! For those of you who aren’t used to following a skin care routine, this regime may seem a little long … so if you wanted to skip something I would suggest you could get away without using the primer. Personally, I would keep it as I loved Too Faced products because they don’t test on animals and this particular product is made with coconut water and smells sooooo yummy! At this point, your face should now smell like a coconut creamsicle … LOL!! I’m not even kidding …
6. Mist: Have I ever told you just how much I love mists?? Lol. Seriously … I have about 7 different mists that all have different scents, my favourites are rose, lavender, and orange mists! This Rosewater Balancing Mist by Jurlique smells soooo good! I love starting and ending by beauty regime with a mist and if I start feeling sluggish midday I give myself a little mist, it’s like an instant pick-me-up! Want to know a mist hack?? Some people keep their mists in their fridge for a cool, refreshing mist … just picture how that would feel on a hot summer day?!
7. Mask: One of my favourite things to do is have a relaxing night in (which typically includes a bottle of vino) and tossing a mask on … it’s like a mini spa day in the comfort of your own home! Lol!! I gave Tatcha’s Luminous Deep Hydrating Mask, I will warn you that these are on the pricier side (around $30 per mask … gulp) but I was so curious to try them based on the reviews and the ingredients and I was pleasantly surprised (and relieved lol) at just how amazing this mask made my skin feel!! My skin felt so soft and totally hydrated and this feeling actually lasted a good 24 hours!
photo credit
Alrighty, so that wraps up my personalized beauty regime and I’m so happy with all of the products I selected. A+ in my books for hydration!! I should also add here too that it’s not all about the products that you use when it comes to dewy, soft, dehydrated skin either …. hydration and the proper amount of sleep are both SO CRUCIAL when it comes to the health of your skin, I can’t stress that enough. Make sure to hydrate, infuse your water too if you like switching it up … add some coconut water for example …. or some sake …. lol … just kidding!! Plus, make SURE you’re getting 6-8 hours of sleep if you can!!
Have you tried any of the products I mentioned above? If so, how did you like them?? Make sure to comment below!!
xo
Jilly
Thank you Sephora Canada for sponsoring this post. All comments and opinions are my own.
I used the rose water it is a great product
Too Faced Hangover primer is my jam, it helps prolong the wear of my makeup while keep dry patches at bay. Plus that coconut scent!! 🙂
Hi Jillian! I’m using the exfoliant you mentioned right now and I love it!! I’ve also used the masks and they are great too. Which reminds me I think I’m due for one of those babies this weekend. My daughter works for Sephora Toronto. Man, they give their employees bag fulls of amazing stuff a couple times a month. New Tom Ford lipstick!!! Packaging alone on those lipsticks are gorgeous. When she gets skin care she gives me all the “old lady” creams lol I’m 42! Thanks kid I’ll take it. Happy hydrating!!
The Nurture Me Moisturizer is the best! I just recently picked this up from Sephora also and the smell as you mention is absolutely delectable. The smell actually helps wake me up in the morning. It’s super refreshing. Not to mention the pink packaging is also super cute in its simplicity. I’ve recently started using the Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil and I absolutely love it, I have super sensitive skin and it’s been amazing. If you like the other Tatcha products you should try this out! I’ve been thinking of trying out Tatcha’s exfoliator and after your review I think I definitely will. Thanks for the great product review Jillian!
Jillian, would you share your list of animal-friendly products that you’ve researched, that don’t sell in China? I didn’t know this, and I’m an animal rights advocate too. Plus, I trust your good heart.
I love the Too Faced Hangover RX too! It’s such clever packaging! so freaking convenient!
– Claudia
Great selection! And I love your pink glasses too. So cheerful!
Awwww thank you so much, Jen! I love love love those glasses as well! xoxo
Love your opinion (and Kaitlyn’s) about how frequently to change the brand and type of product you use. New products are always coming on the market and I can’t seem to keep up! How long do you need to use a product to see its affects? Do you have tried and true that you always use or do you like to introduce new products to your skin frequently such as the ones you feature here? Thanks so much and Happy Easter with your adorable little bunny!
I can’t seem to find the deluxe edition in the rosewater balancing mist on Sephora’s website? (just the regular mist) Also wanted to tell you how much time you just saved me in figuring out this awesome skincare regime for me!! (it will cost me though lol)
I can’t find the deluxe edition of the rose water either :/
i love that you’re getting into cruelty free products!! i’ve recently started this journey with health, beauty and cleaning products, (and am trying to have more of a plant based diet – largely inspired by you!), and it has been quite a challenge. unfortunately along the way i did find out that boscia is not truly cruelty free (as they are looking to expand to china), but i will definitely have to look into some of the other products you recommended! <3
Where are your awesome pink glasses from? LOVE!!!!!
They are from Coastal.com http://rstyle.me/n/crum2tzb96 XO
What is your current skin care routine? A lot of these products appear to be discontinued.