Hi everyone! If you guys are following me on Instagram, you’d know I am in New York for the holidays. I was quite looking forward to my vacation, since this past year has been very difficult on the personal front. I was ready to explore the city the moment I landed 7 days ago but jet lag hit me like a train and I have no idea where and how the week just slipped away! I was running on 1-2 hours of sleep though I would spend all night tossing and turning. I don’t know how frequent fliers do it! My brother has joined me from Dallas couple of days so now we’re enjoying the city together. There’s so much to see! Its been very cold (it was – 2 deg.C yesterday!) and supposed to get colder this week (not looking forward to that bit at all!).
Because of the stark contrast in the weather, my skin threw a fit the day I landed. I’ve never experienced dryness like this, not just on my face but on the body as well! One of the first things I had to do was hit the drugstore and stock up – lots of oil, lots of moisturizer and body lotion. I’ve figured out a good skin care routine by now though and my skin has *touchwood* been feeling amazing! Just like you need layers of clothing to beat the cold, you need layering in the winter to keep your skin moist, fresh and radiant looking! I was carrying some Innisfree minis with me from the pomegranate range (with worked very well actually – essence, lotion, cream and eye serum) but they lasted me just 3-4 days about. Which was my plan anyway because I planned to shop for beauty products here.
Step 1 : I start with a combination of gentle cleansers. Because I wear makeup everyday, cleansing is very important so most days I do a 2-step regime. I picked up the Neutrogena Ultra Light Cleansing Oil from Rite-Aid. Its a medium-weight oil i.e its not as light as dry oils but its not super viscous either. It doesn’t emulsify a ton to be honest but cleanses nicely enough while giving such more needed slip to my skin. I’m following this up with the L’Oreal Revitalift Bright Reveal Cleanser which has bit of scrubby particles, glycolic acid and produces mild lather – it gets the oil/makeup residue right off without drying the skin.
Step 2 : I know the cleansers are working right because my skin doesn’t feel dry/stretchy after cleansing. For step 2, I’ll add a few spritzes of a face mist, carried the Innisfee Aloe Soothing Mist from India which seems to function alright as a basic hydrating mist.
Step 3 : I then take some Innisfree Pomegranate Eye Serum and apply it generously around the eyes. Its lightweight enough that it doesn’t leave any greasy after-feel. It won’t last more than 2-3 days I think so I need to go pick something from the drugstore or Sephora soon.
Step 4 : For the face, I’m using the CeraVe Skin Renewing Cream Serum, a rich emollient serum that leaves a nice silky moist feel on my skin. I think it is one of the products responsible for how well my skin has been feeling. It contains a hint of retinol and ceramide complex. Retinol can easily dry the skin but I’m using plenty of oil on the skin so thankfully no flaking. I think this is a really nice anti-ageing serum from the drugstore that’s not too bad on the pocket. On alternate days, I’ve started using Sunday Riley Good Genes which is a lactic acid exfoliating overnight treatment. Already loving it so much! Sunday Riley was one of the brands I really wanted to try out. Will definitely look for more of their products at Sephora and do more detailed reviews.
Step 5 : I’m still making moisturizer cocktails since I have a little bit of Innisfree Pomegranate lotion and I received a sample of the Själ Cela Intuitif Light Cellular Renewal Crème, which to be honest, blew me away! SO.MUCH.MOISTURE! Själ was a brand I had never heard to before but I was looking at Sunday Riley LUNA at SpaceNK and they didn’t have Luna. The lady suggested the Saphir Concentrate by Själ and the ingredient looked promising so I ended up buying it. The cellular renewal creme was a free sample. I want to go pick up the full size of it, but the brand is so crazy expensive :'(
Step 6 : By this step, my skin is feeling quite nice and hydrated but nothing like a light veil of oil to finish it off. I use a few drops of the Själ Saphir Concentrate Anti-Ageing Facial Oil, and press it onto my skin gently instead of massaging it. It smells really nice and leaves my skin very nourished and radiant. I’m all set for either bed time or makeup at this point. The only thing missing in my routine is SPF, I’m only relying on makeup for that which isn’t the best thing to be honest. I need to go pick a sunscreen but since its dead winter here right now, it doesn’t feel urgent!
So that is my current skin care routine here in New York! Let me know if you would like me to do a similar blog post for makeup and body care!