Until sitting down to write this, I didn’t realize how many products I use. I hoard products like a materialistic gopher preparing for a beauty pageant.
I have naturally curly/wavy hair and combination skin, and my biggest hair/skin issues are breakage, blackheads and an oily T-zone. I’m also a bottle blonde. My natural hair color is an ashy brown that sprouts brassy gold “highlights” toward the ends. It is not the best.
Away we go…
6:45am
Since it’s a day I’m washing/drying my hair, I have to get up extra early (I wash my hair about once a week). The amount of sleep I’ve lost in my life thanks to the fucking patriarchy…
I use Maui Moisture Anti-Breakage Agave Shampoo because I tried it in Hawaii and loved it, and Aveda Dry Remedy Moisturizing Conditioner. I have coarse, frizzy, wavy hair, and live in a literal Swamp, so the theme of the hair portion of my product diary is “FRIZZ!!!!!!” (said with jazz hands). I wash my body with The Body Shop’s Wild Argan Oil Shower Gel; the scent is subtle and exotic, and smells like how I wish all desserts tasted. I wash my face with Sunday Riley’s Ceramic Slip Clay Cleanser. It smells like tree bark and a bouquet of weird herbs fucked and had an expensive baby, but I put up with the smell because it has visibly shrunk my Grand Canyon sized pores without leaving my face dry, which is why I now believe that miracles can and do happen. Once a week (today) I follow this up with Dermalogica’s Daily Microfoliant, a product I’ve been using consistently for 10 years and is thus the longest, most successful relationship of my life.
Post-shower, I lotion up with Philosophy's Amazing Grace Firming Body Emulsion. Truth be told I bought this so I could get the free Philosophy gift at Macy’s a couple months ago. It smells ok and I’m not sure what it’s actually doing for me, but I like products with fancy words and would probably rub a mixture of pop rocks and meth on my face if you referred to it as a “skin candy emulsion.”
As for my face post-shower, I start with Sunday Riley Good Genes Serum. If you are going to splurge on one skincare item in your life, make it this one. If we were in the Game of Thrones universe, I would be Lady Jayne of House Sunday Riley. It makes your skin supple, smooth and more youthful looking, using what I can only assume is witchcraft. MANON, THESE ARE MY GIFTS. For moisturizer, I use GlamGlow Volcasmic Matte Glow Moisturizer. I use this in the morning because it’s light, mattifying, and works great as a stand-in for primer. I finish up with Eminence Lavender Under-Eye Cream. The lady at the day spa who zaps my vag hair off is also an aesthetician and recommended it; I have no idea if it’s working yet.
After towel drying my hair, I use Pureology Perfect for Platinum Miracle Filler Leave-In Treatment. It makes my blonde look more vibrant/less brassy. (It also smells so amazing that one time a guy in the security line at the airport sniffed my hair and said “Wow not to be weird but your hair smells so good.” CONGRATULATIONS GUY YOU WERE WEIRD ANYWAY.) I then slather on a generous amount of Aveda’s Smooth Infusion Style Prep Smoother. It’s probably the best product I’ve found for helping me get rid of frizz when I blow dry. After I blow dry and run a curling wand through my hair, I use Redken Frizz Dismiss Instant Deflate to get rid of the post-blow dry frizz and add shine. I finish it all off with Dry Bar Moneymaker Flexible Hold Hair Spray This is admittedly a lot of hair work, but I only have to do it once every. 8 days or so (sometimes I can even stretch it longer), so I don’t mind.
7:45am: Makeup Time
-I mix Nars Velvet Matte Skin Tint with L’Oreal BB cream, rub it all over my face with my hands, then blend with a foundation brush. This is my Summer routine; I use foundation in Winter.
-I do my brows with Anastasia Brow Wiz. My brows are the only thing about my body I love unconditionally, so I’m very particular about what goes on them, and I swear by this product. Anastasia should hire me as a product ambassador because I would sacrifice my body for Brow Wiz.
-I use the Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette - Petite to do a basic “everyday eye.” Honestly I don’t know if these palettes are that good or I’ve just been brainwashed into thinking they are, but they’ve been my staples for years and I am set in my ways.
-I line my eyes with KatVonD tattoo eyeliner. I’m pretty sure homegirl is an anti-vaxxer but she knows how to create and market a fantastic eyeliner so we might all get measles but at least we’ll have killer cat eyes.
-For blush/highlighter, I use the Nars Bord de Plage Highlighting and Bronzing Palette. I use the bronzer under my cheekbones, and the two lightest colors for highlighter. This palette is a limited edition; I bought it at the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale last year in Vancouver, which is the worst fucking sentence ever written by a person. I will cry when I run out of it, which is the second worst sentence ever written by a person.
-I throw on Lancome Grandiose Wide Angle Effect Mascara. I bought this initially because I was obsessed with the tube design, it is exquisite and I am easily distracted by pretty, vapid things, which explains all of my choices in men. It turns out the mascara is excellent and gives you that false eyelashes look without being too over the top.
-My go-to every day lipstick is Tarte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit, which is a Sephora Exclusive. It is the perfect color and stays on well.
-I finish it off with Urban Decay All-Nighter Makeup Setting Spray.
2:00pm: I throw on some powder since I’m getting a little oily. I recently started using NYX Stay Matte powder. It gives light coverage and helps with shine, and the Nude Beige is the perfect color for my skin.
6:00pm: About to head to my 6:45pm hot yoga class. Because I sweat so much in the heated studio and I don’t like makeup pouring into my eyes while I’m huffing and puffing my way through arm balances, I remove my makeup using Neutrogena Makeup Remover Cleansing Towelettes. I dab on some GlamGlow moisturizer because I don’t like my face feeling dry.
8:15pm: Post-yoga shower. I wash my face again with my Sunday Riley cleanser. I then moisturize with Sunday Riley’s C.E.O C + E antiOXIDANT Protect + Repair Moisturizer (christ why are these names so long?) It is a little heavier than other moisturizers, and it doesn’t absorb very quickly, which is why in the Summer I only use it at night. A little goes a long way, which is great because this shit is not cheap. I feel like my lips are constantly chapped, and the most reliable product I’ve found for dealing with it is Smith’s Rosebud Salve, which I slather on like I will be sent to a deserted island never to have access to lip balm again.
11:30pm: I’ve been dicking around on the internet, eaten dinner, and watched a bunch of Brooklyn 99 episodes and am finally about to get in bed. I put on Sunday Riley’s Luna Sleeping Night Oil, which I’ve only been using about three weeks but really love. It’s an alarming shade of blue in the bottle but rubs in clear and absorbs pretty quickly, though I usually put it on when I have a couple things left to do for the night, so I can give it time before putting my face on my pillow. I’ve noticed that I wake up in the morning with smooth, moisturized, and evenly-toned skin. Another Sunday Riley product that I think is worth the money, especially since a little goes a long way.
Another day, another insane amount of time spent beautifying myself for the patriarchy.
