Spring Skincare Favorites

Admittedly, this post was originally titled Winter Skincare Favorites, but it’s taken me a while to get around to posting everything. However, with Sephora’s 20% off sale going on now, this post is better timed for your wallet, so you’re welcome. I’m now at the ripe old age of my mid-30s where all my friends and I swap skincare tips. As someone who used to fly over 100 flights a year for work, my skin was always the first thing that showed my travel stress – either with breakouts or being super dry or when I was working in Florida, super oily. If I have to really credit anyone for my skincare it’s the team at Christine’s Day Spa and Electrolysis that I’ve been going to since college. If you ever want a facial where you walk out absolutely glowing and refreshed, I cannot recommend Christine’s more (especially my favorite, Nancy!). In between facials (or when I wasn’t living in Boston for a few years) I have tried out so many different skincare products. This list is my tried and true year-round products that are especially perfect now that we are in spring and I don’t need heavy overnight moisturizers to fight the brutal Boston winters. I’ve tried to link anything that you can buy from Sephora directly there, so make sure to order up while the big sale is going on. 

  • Peace Out Puffy Under Eye Patches: ($25) Similar to the Patchology ones listed below, these are a regular part of my weekly morning routine. I keep them in the fridge, or pop them in the freezer for 5 minutes before use. They do wonders for keeping the under eye area refreshed and not reflecting how truly tired I might typically feel. There are six pairs in a box which keeps the price point pretty reasonable comparably. 

 

  • Drunk Elephant Lala Retro™ Whipped Moisturizer: ($60) I’m a big fan of everything Drunk Elephant (except for the price point). Quality over quantity though. Drunk Elephant products are all clean and 100 percent free of essential oils, silicones, and fragrance. So yes, they are more expensive, but it’s better for your skin for sure. The container has a cool pump feature to dispense the lotion so you don’t overuse it because it gives you plenty in one pump, so it lasts longer. My only beef is that you cannot tell when you are getting low on product, until there’s the last sad pump and then you’re stranded. Luckily they are opening a Sephora directly across the street from my apartment so goodbye paycheck, but hello fresh skin forever. 

 

  • Origins GinZing™ Refreshing Eye Cream to Brighten and Depuff: ($32) If you had a poster of Jonathan Taylor Thomas in your bedroom, it’s time for eye cream. I am a big fan of free samples from Sephora and ended up loving this Origins eye cream as my favorite lightweight option for either daytime or overnight. I like to keep this in the fridge if I am using it in the morning just as a little extra refreshing feel when applying. It’s not super pricey, it smells good, and I’d like to think I look less tired than I really am. 

 

  • OLE HENRIKSEN Transforming Walnut Scrub: ($28) Albeit pricey, this is my favorite exfoliator for my face. I used to rub my skin raw in high school when St. Ives was popular, but I use this Ole Henriksen walnut scrub sparingly maybe twice a week and am much more gentle with my application. It definitely leaves my skin feeling really clean and refreshed without being red or blotchy. Because of the price point I tend to use a lot less as well which I think is probably best for my skin anyway. 

 

  • OLEHENRIKSEN FIND YOUR BALANCE™ OIL CONTROL CLEANSER: ($26) I think I’ve tried at least 100 face washes over the years and this is my favorite every-day cleanser. A little goes a long way, it does a great job removing makeup and leaves your skin feeling really refreshed afterward without any soapy residue. 

 

  • Jack Black Intense Therapy Lip Balm SPF 25: ($8)  This is the best lip balm you will ever buy at the best price point. It comes in five scents, with natural mint being my go-to. It goes on very light, and is a super hydrating non-greasy balm. I’m pretty sure it was meant for dudes, but whatever. It also has SPF in it which makes it great year round. 

 

  • GM Collins Hydramucine Optimal Gel: ($50) I just added this to my skincare routine last weekend after a facial at Christine’s. I was looking for a hydrating, non-greasy daytime moisturizer that was lighter than my winter one, and less expensive than my Drunk Elephant addiction. I bought this directly from Christine’s so have found varying prices for it online but $45 seemed to be the best deal on the Amazon link provided above. It’s perfect for under makeup. Super light, not greasy at all. Cannot highly recommend this more. 

 

  • PCA Skin Active Broad Spectrum SPF 45: Water Resistant: ($36) My facialist recommended this last year when I was looking for a non-greasy sunscreen that didn’t clog my pores. I tried SuperGoop which went on light but ended up leaving me with a lot of breakouts, no bueno. This goes on super light just like a face lotion and with SPG 45 did a great job preventing any sunburn. 

 

  • MARIO BADESCU Drying Lotion: ($17) This is THE BEST overnight cure for drying up a blemish like a magician. Its not something you can wear incognito during the day since it looks like calamine lotion, but it truly works wonders. You just apply it with a Q-Tip and it tingles for a second, but then you wake up looking fresh to death and not like a 14 year old boy. For new blemishes I put it on proactively at the first signs and often it prevents anything form forming. For my worst blemish it usually just takes two overnights of this to go away nearly completely. 

 

  • Kiehls Creme de Corps Body Lotion: ($30) I became addicted to this body lotion when I briefly had a very overpriced gym membership at Equinox. I am pretty sure I justified the expensive membership by slathering as much of this all over my body post-workout as I could. It’s a little heavy for the summer, but really helps to keep my skin hydrated in the non-summer months. 

 

  • M-61 vitablast c™ hand cream: ($18) I finally ran through my multi-year supply of Crabtree & Evelyn hand lotion and was looking for a lightweight hand cream in the winter that wouldn’t grease up my laptop keyboard either. I also hate wearing gloves/mittens which means my hands get particularly chapped in the winter, but this hand cream was a lifesaver. It goes on super light, is not scented, and the smaller size was easy to keep in my bag for traveling. 

 

  • PATCHOLOGY flashpatch eye revive: ($15) I keep a box of these in my fridge at all times. They have become part of my morning routine probably 2x a week when I need a little extra help looking not-so-tired, especially near the end of a week or after a night out. There is a Blue Mercury next to my apartment which makes it a great on-the-go purchase when I don’t want to wait for online orders to ship. They say to leave them on for 5 minutes but I typically leave them on for 20-30 while I am getting ready and then rub in the extra lotion before putting makeup on. 

 

  • M-61 powerglow® peel: ($30) These pre-soaked towelettes were recommended to me one day this winter when I went into Blue Mercury looking like a hot mess. A combo of some new meds and my first winter back in Boston in a few years left me in need of some serious help. These peel towelettes don’t hurt at all, they tingle a little bit upon application, and you wake up feeling like you got a chemical peel (in a good way). Not to be a cheap-o but I like to cut these in half and save the other half for a second use to get the most bang for my buck. These are especially great for travel since again you can throw these in your bag and not worry about TSA liquid restrictions. 

 

  • Bliss Hangover Fix Holographic Foil Sheet Mask: ($4) If there is one thing I love more than tissue face masks, it’s Facetiming my parents while I do them. Sheet masks became my go-to face mask when I was traveling because I did not have to worry about TSA rules (homegirl never checks a bag). Recently my CVS started carrying Bliss products, and combined with my affinity for extreme couponing, I have been stocking up on Bliss products. This is THE BEST SHEET MASK you will ever buy. I actually removed all other sheet masks from this gift guide because I am such a fan of the hangover fix mask. It’s the most hydrating sheet mask I’ve ever used, at the most affordable price. I put my ExtraBucks to good use and have been stocking up on these FO FREE.