For the past 2 weeks I had been testing out the Snoe S Skin cream and because I wanted to obtain pure results from the product alone i opted to use just that. Therefore whatever is written there showcases the unaided, pure effect of the cream itself.
Somewhere along the way as i was preparing myself for bed i had realized that because of said test i had completely neglected my original skincare routine and my other beloved products, especially my night regimen. Proof of this is my vanity which now only holds my s skin cream, oil blotting powder, lipsticks & makeup brushes. I stopped my s skin application midway only to realize it can't be undone, short of washing my face again which really isn't good cos my skin will dry out too much and i'm oily as it is. So I go through another night, my face unarmed and with limited powers to resurrect itself.
You see, the night regimen is the key here. After smiling this is the second most important tool of beauty. And now in this very long post I will document how I have perfected MY OWN night miracle and how you can too.
I used to think that simple was best. Cleanse - tone - moisturize. But with the number of products available in the market that serve different purposes and do different things, the simple is best rule may be a little outdated. Science has provided us with countless products to make our skin better. Even now, as I write this blog, more researches are being made to prove the efficacy of the new "wonder skincare product." There is no more excuse to not look your best. Budget-constraints aren't even forgivable because there is always a cheaper version to every product. Now this is not a discrimination to the people who find themselves too busy to "put on" a face. this is a challenge and encouragement to go out there and make yourself better. Living in the new era, we have the technology and necessary resource to make this possible. You just have to go out there, ask and get informed. We have to remember that people respect people who take care of themselves and the first thing that manifests this is how we look or rather how people see us.
Now I'm guessing you'll be off to buy the perfect shade of foundation and concealer and the perfect coral lipstick that will give an extra bounce to your step. Hold your horses, girl. There's something even more important than that.
The makeup we put on our face can do no good if you have to use a lot just to hide a whole lot of (insert something unsightly here). We all go through with the occasional pimple and trust me, I know. 2 years ago I was diagnosed with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Symptoms of which are, you guessed it, pimples and a whole lot of nasty things. Before that however, I had really great skin. I mean really great considering the fact that I was a bit mannish and paid not much mind to the latest skin care technology. I rarely put on makeup because I didn't see the need and because I wanted people to see I'd look great even without it. That was my main goal - to look great without makeup so concealers were very much alien to me and foundation was just an occasional friend.
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| blemish on cheek aside my skin looks pretty good here right? no makeup was used. |
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| no makeup used here either. seriously. unless you consider contacts makeup. |
The trick of that whole my-skin-looks-great phase is my before bed skin care routine. I hated wearing moisturizers during the day because my skin was oily and I felt that it just contributed to that. So my lack of care in the morning I would make up for at night.
Studies show our skin cells are renewed while we sleep. Some say 10pm-2am and others say 11pm-4am. What we should take from that is that every night we get a new layer of skin and so what's left for us to do is help our skin transform itself. How you go about the evening routine is very important. There are steps you must follow to ensure you get the most out of your skins nightly recharge. Always remember to go from thinnest to thickest. I'll explain further in a few.
Serums are the real girl's best friend. They are packed with minerals and vitamins your skin needs times 10 of regular moisturizers. Because these are meant to be used at night they contain no sunscreen which gives it a fluid consistency and gives more room for nutrients to be added in the product (more sunscreen = thicker consistency). The sole purpose of serums are to nourish and they come in very concentrated forms. This should be the first step for your night regimen because the thin consistency allows it to be absorbed easier while still giving your pores the freedom or space to accept other products. I have been using the Olay Regenerist Serum for a year now and I have been told my skin looks younger now than when I was actually young. One other serum that is noteworthy is the Pond's Gold Radiance Precious Youth Serum. You will find in other blogs that it brightens, not lightens, the face giving you a lit-from-within glow much like how gold looks.
Next step are eye creams. You are never too young for eye creams. Well maybe if you're 13 then you probably are. But for my 20 year old sisters out there this should be part of your routine. The eye area has the thinnest (favorite word for this post? I think so...) skin layer on your entire body. It is very sensitive and as we age this area loses collagen and elasticity fast. Save yourself the effort and cost of having to buy undereye concealers in the future. Take care of that area now! Some eye creams come in liquid form so they're not really eye creams but eye... Um... Liquids, I guess. You don't really need the fancy packaging with the metal ball rollers although it does help the product be absorbed easier and it massages the eye area gently. Depending on your concern you should look for eye creams with ingredients that target your specific need. Preparations with caffeine or aloe vera work well for puffiness. Retinol works best for anti-aging and fighting wrinkles. I will go into more detail on my next post but for now, read the label and try the product out. My mother and my boyfriend are currently testing out two different eye creams (1 budget, 1 a bit higher end). I will be posting reviews about those soon with my mother and boyfriend as guest bloggers. Stay tuned because I really wanna give you an idea of what you could try. I, on the other hand, have used the Garnier Eye Roll-On on and off for the past two years and I can say it has worked fairly well. I don't have the need to use undereye concealers on a daily basis even though my sleeping hours are only from 1am-5am. And no it's not genetics because my mother has eye bags and I don't... Yet (fingers crossed).
Other night creams are your last step. Depending on your need - whitening, brightening, anti-aging, etc. These products are a lot like your regular moisturizers that have a creamy to semi-solid consistency. If you have oily skin this is probably your chance to use a skin care product that is not oil free. I don't think you'll have to get up in the middle of the night just to blot your face. The minerals, vitamins and nutrients in other night creams are lesser than that of serums but still more compared to day moisturizers. Do not, I repeat, do not use night creams during the day (I just feel this has to be said). They provide no protection for the suns harmful rays and the whitening night creams may contain bleaching chemicals that will react to the sun and give you dark spots. Permanent dark spots! Personally, I use two kinds of night creams. One for whitening and one for anti-aging. Now don't go judging my whitening night cream and saying I should love my morena Filipina skin. I do. The whitening night cream is for my blemishes which is a sad after effect of the PCOS. I find that it lightens my blemishes, in the long run completely erasing them, without altering my skin color. The best product I use that serves this purpose is the Garnier Night Cream. Now I'm no KC Concepcion that's gone 2 shades lighter on the Garnier Skin shade scale but I promise you my blemishes fear this product. I used to have really dark brown spots on my chin area where my pimples occasionally hold a soirée. I decided to try this product with a good dose of sunscreen during the day and after 4 weeks the blemishes were completely gone. As for the anti-aging night cream I use the Olay Regenerist Firming Night Cream. I use this basically because it's what my mom buys and uses so I also get to use it for free (Bwahahaha!). But kidding aside I find that this product makes my chubby cheeks soft and supple. No signs of lines or uneven skin tone here. 7 signs of skin aging fought!
I know you're probably tired of reading but bear with me as I put this post to a close. The best thing you can do for yourself (and your makeup artist) is to care for your skin... Intimately and intensely. After diagnosed with PCOS I had to go the extra mile to keep my skin clear and healthy because I like looking good on no makeup days and so can you! I've only given you the basics of how to go about your night skin care routine. You have to do the rest. Go out there and find the product that works best for you and stick to it like a fat kid on a lollipop. I mean really stick to it and be determined to make yourself naturally beautiful!
I'll probably go to makeup artist hell for this but makeup can only do so much. There are great makeup products that give amazing results but once you take all that off you will be left with whatever your skin actually is and you don't wanna be shocked (in a bad way) when you take your makeup off, do you? I thought so... Like I always tell my mom - this is just makeup and your natural beauty is still the base for the makeup. We guarantee you will be beautiful but we, as makeup artists, cannot guarantee ultimate perfection. We are not God or Vicki Bello. We cannot do much with your skin if you don't help yourself. It's just makeup, not surgery.
Do you have a night skin care routine that you stick to? Care to share? Leave a comment cos maybe, just maybe, there's a girl out there dying to try that product out.
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