At home facial.

I felt like my skin was craving some serious TLC and since I'm going to be flying this weekend half-way across Canada, I felt an all out at home facial was much needed. I googled the steps of an at home facial and found most sites to say the steps are 

1. remove makeup 

2. cleanse 

3. steam 

4. exfoliate 

5. clay mask 

6. toner 

7. sheet mask 

8. treatment 

9. eye cream 

10. moisturize 

I put on The Handmaid's Tale and turned my bathroom into my own little spa. The results are indisputable. If you're interested in my at home facial process and the products I used, carry on reading!

This is what my starting point looked like. My skin had a massive breakout after a weekend away involving far too many vodka & ginger ales. My skin always breaks out when I consume sugar. I was feeling like my skin was really red, spotty, and dull so I wanted to take the time to care for it and infuse some life back into it. 

To remove my makeup I used the Garnier Micellar water. I love this version of the water as it removes waterproof makeup but is also suited for sensitive skin. I use this product on a muslin cloth from The Body Shop. 

To cleanse my skin I used the Bioré deep pore charcoal cleanser. I love that this cleanser pulls all the little spots of dirt and impurities out of my skin. It's like a gunk magnet! To use this cleanser I lather it into damp skin and rinse it off with water - nice and simple. 

I don't have a fancy steamer or anything but boiling water in a pot over the stove always does the trick. I would do two minutes over the pot with a towel over my head keeping my face about six inches away to avoid burns. I did this three times, giving my skin a couple minutes break in-between. After this step I used a clean konjac sponge to exfoliate. 

This L'Oreal clay mask is composed of three types of clay and eucalyptus. It's designed to be purifying and mattifying. I applied this with my fingers and let it sit on my skin for fifteen minutes then rinsed it off with warm water. 

After removing the clay mask I used The Body Shop moisturizing toner on a cotton pad. 

I chose the super hydrating and anti-fatigue sheet mask by Garnier because it's exactly the issues I wanted to combat. This mask works extremely well and smells amazing. I put the sheet mask on my face and sat with it for fifteen minutes before peeling it off and working the excess product into my skin. 

For treatment, I used The Body Shop tea tree oil. I applied this basically to my entire face, only avoiding my eye area. 

I used the L'Oreal eye defense eye cream under my eyes and under my brow bone. I love that this eye cream prevents aging and contains caffeine, making the eyes look more awake. 

Ignore the eye cream in this picture because I haven't used that in ages. But for the last step of my at home facial, I moisturized with (of course) my Clinique dramatically different moisturizing gel. I've been using this moisturizer for probably three straight years, but recently I've been thinking of trying something new. Just have to wait until I've used it all up!

Before

After

The results of the at home facial are indisputable. My skin looks glowing, radiant, and most importantly it looks healthy. I'm so happy with the outcome of my first at home facial experience. I'm excited to make this ritual a weekly thing!

Have you ever done an at home facial? Let me know the products you use! 

Thanks for reading,

40 Beauty Questions! | Tag

Skin Care

How many times do you wash your face daily?

Two- once in the morning and once at night!

What skin type do you have?

It's typically normal, oily in the summer and is constantly dehydrated.

What is your current facial wash?

Clinique bar soap in extra mild.

Do you exfoliate?

I do!

What brand do you use?

I use a Konjac sponge- highly recommend it for sensitive skin sisters like myself.

What moisturizer do you use?

Clinique Dramatically Different moisturizing gel.

Do you have freckles?

I do!

Do you use eye cream?

I don't! Been looking into it though.

Do you or did you have acne prone skin?

Unfortunately I do.

Did you ever have to use Pro-Activ?

I did back in high school, I DON'T recommend it.

Make-Up

What foundation do you use?

NYX stay matte but not flat powder foundation.

How about concealer?

Rimmel Wake Me Up.

Do you know your undertone colour?

I do, I tend to have more pink undertones.

What do you think of fake eyelashes?

I don't personally wear them, but I love the way they look! One day maybe I'll master them haha.

Did you know that you're supposed to change your mascara every three months?

I did know this! Do I do it? Probably not.

What brand of mascara do you use?

My trusty Covergirl lashblast!

Sephora or Mac?

Sephora!

Do you have a Mac pro-card?

Nope.

What makeup tools do you use in makeup application?

Mainly just brushes and fingers.

Do you use a makeup base/primer for the eyes?

Nope.

For the face?

Nope.

What is your favourite eyeshadow (colour or shade)?

The bronze shimmer shade in the Smashbox Full Exposure palette. 

Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?

Liquid.

How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?

Never haha, I don't use a pencil.

What do you think of pigment eyeshadows?

I don't personally use them so I can't say.

Do you use mineral makeup?

I don't.

What is your favourite lipstick?

I don't wear anything on my lips but chapstick...whoops haha.

How about lip gloss?

^ See previous answer. ^

What is your favourite blush to use?

Revlon in the colour Ooh! Baby pink.

Do you buy your makeup on ebay?

No haha.

Do you like drugstore makeup?

LOVE!

Do you go to CCOs?

Going to say no since I don't even know that that is haha.

Did you ever consider taking makeup classes?

I was thinking for quite some time that I wanted to be an aesthetician actually!

Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?

I can be haha.

Name a makeup crime that you hate?

 I think probably just when people have a foundation line around the edge of their face.

Do you like colourful shades of makeup or neutral shades?

I'm for sure a neutrals girl.

Which celebrity always has great makeup?

Emma Watson, Lily Collins, and Kristen Stewart.

If you could leave the house using just ONE makeup item, what would you use?

Mascara!

Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?

Yes, I do that quite often actually.

Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?

Of course I think I look better with makeup on, but I'm still confident in my naked skin.

In your opinion what is the BEST makeup line?

Hands down Revlon.

What do you think of makeup?
I think it's a wonderful way of expressing yourself. I think everyone should be allowed to wear makeup if they want to without judgement. I also think there's no such thing as 'too much' or 'not enough'- wear what you want and rock it!

If you're reading this, I tag YOU! If you do this tag let me know so I can check it out!

Thanks for reading & check back again to see what KatieDidd, xo

Make Me Up Monday | June 22, 2015

Skin Care Tips

I am a firm believer in really taking care of my skin. I would prefer to invest my time and money in my skin care as opposed to makeup products because in my mind I'd prefer to have a face that I don't feel the need to slap heavy makeup on everyday. The tips I have acquired are not my own. I am not a skin care professional by any means, I'm not even close. This list is a compilation from dermatologists, estheticians, and other women I have in my life who are very knowledgeable. I felt passing on the helpful information I have received would be a good idea as I know how lost I am when it comes to skin care and I also know that not everyone has the resources to seek professional opinions.

1. Drink Water: I thought I may as well start off with this one and get it out of the way. I know everyone says this, but it's because it really does work! 

2. Eat Good Foods: Your skin needs vitamins, minerals and antioxidants. Eat whole grains, fresh fruit and veg, and avoid heavily processed foods or any foods high in unhealthy fats.

3. Date Your Products: This reason behind this tip is now that people are switching toward more natural ingredient based products, they do expire. Writing the date on each new product (skin care and makeup) can help to make sure you're not putting anything on your face that's out of date (this can also help you see how much time you're really getting out of your product).

4. Find The Right Products: Whether you get a professional skin care consultation or take a quiz online or watch a YouTube video that explains skin mapping, knowing your skin type is very important. I was using products for extremely dry skin because my face always felt tight, when I began breaking out I went to a professional who told me that my skin is actually combination-oily and that it felt tight because it was dehydrated. Knowing your skin and getting the right products is so important!

5. Moisturize: No matter what skin type you have always moisturize! From the driest of dry to the oiliest of skins, moisturizer is an absolute necessity. Having oily skin, I tend to go for gel moisturizers instead of lotions. A tip I was given to help combat my dehydration issue was to mix a little bit of warm water into my moisturizer before applying it to my face and then to massage my moisturizer all the way in. The reason to massage moisturizer in instead of lightly applying it to the skin is that a lot of moisturizers are water based and so will evaporate off the skin into the air which will draw out any moisture in your skin!

6. Keep Everything Clean: By this I mean everything! I wash my pillow case, my face cloths and towels, and my brushes weekly. Dirt and dust builds up on these items and then gets distributed onto the skin causing clogged pores. Also try not to touch your face without freshly washed hands as you don't want to add dirt and bacteria to your pores.

7. Pamper Yourself: Try to have a day every week or so that's completely makeup free where you can take the time to use a face mask or a pore strip or an oil treatment (or all three!).

8. Have a Routine: Creating a skin care routine that is good for you is so important to give your skin some homeostasis. Your skin will thrive off of a routine.

9. Trust professionals: This is the big tip that really makes a difference! I think of estheticians as the GP of beauty. You see your GP for everything and usually they know what to do, if they don't they send you to someone who can help you out. That's how I see estheticians; they know makeup, skin care, waxing, massaging etc. Most of the time estheticians will know exactly what you need skin care wise and if they don't they always know the name of a good dermatologist!

10. Love Your Skin: Honestly, odds are none of us will ever be 100% completely confident with our skin. There's so much that we are convinced we should be insecure about- pigmentation, acne, large pores, wrinkles etc. To that I say screw it. Your skin is like the bark of a tree, it tells the entire story of where you've been. Your smile lines, your freckles, your scars, EVERYTHING about your skin is UNIQUE and BEAUTIFUL. Don't cover it up, learn to love your skin.

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn