The Secret's Out: Peach & Lily Does Sheet Masks!

November 09, 2016 in Skincare

Exciting news! Peach and Lily has come out with their own line of sheet masks, and they launch today! Peach and Lily is one of my most favorite websites to shop from, and it's the one place I turn to any time I need a K-beauty fix. When the authority on K-beauty comes out with sheet masks, you know they're going to be good.

There's three masks in the line to cover any skin concern. They're specially formulated with no artificial fragrances and no alcohol, so they're only filled with good-for-the-skin ingredients. They're made with a beautiful silky material, so they don't feel "slimy" whatsoever, like some sheet masks can. All three masks seem to hold so much more serum/essence than other masks I've tried - they feel so much more effective. They also take much longer to dry out than other sheet masks, so you can leave them on longer and get all the more goodness delivered to your skin. And when you remove the sheet, there's so much product left to rub into the skin! I'm really impressed.

Good Skin Day (drench + nourish) | This one is perfect for when your skin's feeling a little lackluster. It's incredibly cooling (much more so than the other two), so it feels ultra refreshing. It calms down redness and leaves my skin with such a lovely glow when I peel it away. Good Skin Day, indeed.

Reset Button (soothe + restore) | This is what my skin needs just about every day of my life. It's perfect for stressed, irritated skin after a long week or a late night. This one basically eliminates all redness and minimizes the appearance of any blemishes. If you're prone to angry-looking skin like me, especially in the colder months as the heating gets cranked up, you need this one.

Chubby Cheeks (lift + plump) | Just like the name says, this one plumps up the skin and gives it a nice lift. My skin instantly felt firmer, and some small dehydration lines around my eyes and on my forehead had disappeared. This one is meant to show lasting results with consistent use, so I'm already considering buying in bulk. It just left my skin looking and feeling so bouncy - seriously like Glossier's Super Bounce Serum on steroids.

I'm so excited for this launch, and I hope you are too! Peach and Lily kindly sent these masks for me to try, but all opinions are of course my own - I'm a bit of a sheet mask hoarder so I wouldn't steer you wrong.

What mask are you most excited about?

The Evening Skincare Routine

November 08, 2016 in Skincare

I'm pretty sure I haven't written a skincare routine post on the blog for over two years. Usually I'm such a floozy with the products I use and have such a hard time sticking to a routine - trying out new products and new combinations is just too exciting to resist. Lately though, I've gotten into a groove with my evening skincare routine that I'm really loving. I'm still working on the morning routine, but one's a start, right?

If I'm wearing makeup, I'll start by removing it with the Banila Co. Clean It Zero and a wet washcloth. I typically move on to a new cleansing balm once one runs out, but I'm thinking I might repurchase this one - I really love how light it feels on the skin, but it really gets down and washes away every scrap of makeup. It doesn't sting my eyes and even removes waterproof eye makeup with no tugging. And it smells really nice, too. After my makeup is removed I'll go in and actually cleanse my skin with the Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. This stuff is my holy grail, as much as I don't like using that phrase. I use it without fail every single night. It feels so cushiony and lovely on the skin, leaving it feeling so fresh and clean without being left stripped or tight. In fact, my skin feels even softer after using it.

If my skin is feeling a little spotty or agitated, I'll massage in a few drops of Glossier Super Pure.* I'm still loving all three of The Supers and slotting them into my routines whenever needed. The Super Pure serum is great for calming down irritated skin and minimizing blemishes. I always notice I wake up with much less redness, and any swelling on pimples has gone down after I use this at night. After the Super Pure/as my serum step I've been using the Perricone MD Cold Plasma Face Treatment.* I only use this during the week as Brett doesn't come near me if he can smell it on my skin, but even so it works wonders for my skin. It leaves my skin impossibly smooth, plump, and hydrated, pores are tightened and redness is reduced. It's quite the wonder product. I've also been using the Cold Plasma Eye* as my eye cream of choice - it does the same for the eye area that the face treatment does for the rest of the skin. It drastically reduces the puffiness I normally wake up with, and I've noticed my concealer goes on so much more evenly and doesn't crease when I'm consistently using the eye cream at night. You can get 20% off Perricone MD when you use KelseyDPMD at checkout until 11/22 (not an affiliate code)!

Now that the weather is cooling down, my skin's been loving having an extra nourishing duo of both facial oil and moisturizer. Lately the ones I've been using are both from Drunk Elephant - the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil and the Lala Retro Whipped Cream. I pat in the oil first, allow some time for it to sink in, and then add the cream on top. My skin drinks up this combination all night long, and I wake up with glowing, nourished skin. This is quite a pricy duo, but they're worth every penny for what they're doing for my skin.

What products do you reach for in your nighttime routine?

*Some products mentioned have been sent to me for consideration, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.

New In: Complex Beauty

November 04, 2016

One of my favorite things to do after a long day is just unwind with a face mask or two. Face masks to me are what a glass of wine or long bubble bath are to others - they're just the ultimate relaxation tool. When Complex Beauty, a new beauty brand, contacted me asking if I'd like to try their about-to-be-released masks as a set of minis, I was so happy and took the opportunity. Their six masks cover just about any skin concern, from dehydration, to dullness, to breakouts.

Complex Beauty's ethos really speaks to me - their aim is to make people look good so they can then feel good and go on and spread that greatness and positivity throughout the world. They believe that skincare is important but should be fun and stress-free. I'm in. Now, a rundown of the masks.

ROSE GLOW | glycolic mask | I had to start with one of my favorites of the bunch. When I read the name of this one, I instantly knew it would be perfect for me. It's a jelly-like mask that smells like the most beautiful fresh roses. The glycolic acid works to exfoliate and brighten the skin, while rosewater hydrates and refreshes the skin. My skin feels oh-so-smooth after washing this one off.

OCEAN POTION | mineral mask | This one is ideal for stressed skin, which is basically my skin's eternal state. This is a super hydrating and nourishing mask that will work to calm everything down. It's a creamy paste that spreads over the skin smoothly and easily. This one contains many awesome ingredients for healing the skin, such as aloe, spirulina, safflower seed oil, coconut oil, kelp, Irish moss, and their Ocean Mineral Complex, a blend of 92 ocean minerals that work to replenish and protect the skin,

THIRST QUENCHER | hydra mask | This is the sort of mask I always need in my life. My skin is constantly feeling dry, tight, and overheated after my long commute home, so this cooling gel-like mask is a welcome addition to my skincare stash. This really plumps up and hydrates my skin - I've also used it in the morning when I have time and it helps my makeup go on so much more smoothly. It contains aloe, hyaluronic acid, rosehip seed oil, jojoba oil, Vitamin B5, and amino acids to penetrate deep into the skin and really hydrate and nourish it.

BABY FACE | purity mask | This is the one to break out if you're breaking out. It contains activated charcoal to pull impurities out of the skin, but it also has hydrating and antioxidant-rich ingredients like aloe, jojoba oil, hyaluronic acid, rooibos leaf extract, and Vitamin E to nourish the skin and keep it from drying out. I've got this one slathered on as I'm writing this post, as a matter of fact, and it's lovely.

SMOOTH OPERATOR | antioxidant mask | This mask works to minimize and repair damage caused to the skin by free radicals. Fun Fact: free radical reactions were my favorite to learn about in my Organic Chemistry classes because I liked drawing the mechanism of the chain reactions caused by unpaired electrons. Geek moment over, this mask feels super nice and replenishing on the skin. It's the heaviest hitter in terms of ingredients, so I'll list a few key ones: glycolic acid, squalene, lactic acid, cranberry fibers, organic blueberries, sweet almond oil, organic licorice, red wine polyphenols, hyaluronic acid, CoQ 10, and phospholipids. If you don't know what your skin needs but you want to do a mask, do this one, and you'll basically have all of your bases covered. I love what a workhorse this little guy is.

THE GODMOTHER | enzyme mask | Anyone looking for a dupe for the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask? Because it's here. This mask uses pumpkin enzymes and glycolic acid to slough away dead skin, leaving your skin softer, brighter, and smoother. It also has hydrating ingredients like Vitamin E and Meadowfoam seed oil to keep the skin nourished as it works. This one is a little strong, so be wary if you've got sensitive skin!

I tried to keep these reviews quite concise, but if you're interested in hearing more about the ingredients of a particular mask please do let me know in the comments and I'd be happy to go into more detail! I've been loving trying out these masks for any skin concern that pops up, and I've even been multimasking with them, too.

Complex Beauty launches this month with these six masks as well as a face mist and lip mask (that I'm definitely going to be getting my hands on!). You can sign up to be notified of their launch on their website. And in the meantime, you can follow them on Instagram - I love how they curate their feed!

What mask are you most excited about?

*Complex Beauty kindly sent me these masks to review, but all opinions are my own. Please see my disclaimer for more information.