Strip it Off | Sunday Night: Skin Care

I'm a firm believer in the common thought of a pretty face starts with a flawless base. Some people consider their base to be foundation. I like to think it starts even before then with the skin. 

My skin has been a source of trouble for me since about the tenth grade. Acne is something I really struggle with! It's been a challenge to find a skin care routine that works for me.

I used to think my skin was dry because it would feel tight and it would flake off. However, after having a skin consultation I found that my skin is actually slightly on the oily side but quite dehydrated. My main problem is that my skin is very sensitive.

As far as treating my acne, I've learned that my skin responds better to salicylic acid as opposed to benzoyl peroxide. I only use one product that contains salicylic acid and I only use it twice a week.

Sunday night I like to treat my skin to a face mask and really cleanse well. Enjoy my Sunday night strip down (makeup strip down that is!)

As far as my skin care goes, these are the products I use. 

Step one is to take my makeup off using the Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Milk. This is a really hydrating product and does an amazing job at removing all my makeup- including waterproof mascara!

It takes very little rubbing and makes my skin feel so clean!

After massaging the Cleaning Milk into my skin, I wipe it off with a warm, wet flannel from the Body Shop.

After my makeup is off, Sunday night is face mask night! I've been really enjoying using the Garnier Pure 3 in 1 as a mask once a week.

I apply this mask only in my T-zone, leaving my cheeks bare. I let it dry on my skin for about 2 minutes before rinsing the mask off with warm water. 

The final cleansing step is the Clinique Bar Soap in Extra Mild. This leaves my skin feeling super clean, but not dried out. 

I rub it into my damp skin, all over my face, until it becomes a rich and creamy lather.

I then rinse my skin with warm water until all the soap has been washed away. I follow up with the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel moisturizer in generous amounts, concentrating the moisturizer under my eyes and on my cheeks. 

I love this gentle, yet effective skin care routine! My skin has never been so clear and healthy. 

I hope you enjoyed reading through my Sunday night skin care routine. Let me know what products you love for your skin!

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

Make Me Up Monday| May 4, 2015

Pamper Evening

I think every girl deserves a good pamper evening once a week or so. It's a nice time to relax, unwind, and treat your skin the way it deserves to be treated. I usually do my pamper evenings on Monday nights as that's a night when my entire family is always out of the home for a couple hours. Being in a quiet, empty house really helps me to relax.

My pamper evenings usually start with a walk around the neighbourhood. Walking is one of my favourite ways to stay fit and evening walks this time of year are the perfect weather -a brisk cool May evening- for a nice relaxing walk. When I get back from my walk I will start to run a bath. While that's running I will remove my makeup using my everyday sort of products.

For my bath I use the Bath Retreat White Lotus and Green Tea bath salts. These bath salts claim to "restore a sense of balance in your world with calming scents of white lotus and green tea". They are "enriched with vitamins A and E" and will "leave your skin feeling cleansed and refreshed". I would say this is a completely accurate description of the product. They smell amazing and instantly calm me down, as well as leave my skin feeling like that of a baby!

While my bath is running I like to use Biore deep cleansing pore strips on my nose and chin as I'm quite prone to black heads in those areas. It is a little painful taking these off once they've dried, but it's totally worth it looking down at the strip and seeing all the little dots of dirt that was stuck in your skin! I also really enjoy the almost tingly clean feeling I have after using these.

Before I get into the bath, I like to apply a homemade exfoliating face mask to my face, neck and chest. To make this I use 2 tablespoons of baking soda, 2 tablespoons of ground oats and enough milk to make it into a paste. I leave this mask on for about 10-15 minutes while I'm sitting in the bath. I put this on my face like a normal face mask but to remove it, instead of rinsing it off right away, I will use my fingers to massage it into my skin first. Oatmeal is great for refining pores, and baking soda is amazing for exfoliating away dead skin cells and soothing skin. 

After applying my face mask I will apply a hair mask. This is my all time favourite hair mask I've ever tried. It really does work in just two minutes (I usually leave it on for the entirety of my bath though so it does wonders). It has just a regular conditioner smell which isn't my favourite, but I can get by it for how well this product works. I think it really hydrates my hair well and also repairs it as I do use heat styling.

With my hair mask and face mask both on and my hot bath with my gorgeous smelling bath salts ready, I hop in and submerge myself to my neck in the warm water. While I'm in the bath I usually read whatever book it is that I'm reading at the time. I also always have a glass of ice water on the edge of the tub to sip on (you could totally replace my water for wine if you choose ha ha). 

I wash off my face mask into the bath about 15 minutes in as the ingredients are good for the skin all over the body, not just the face. I usually soak in the bath for another 15 or so minutes until I finally let the water out. I then quickly rinse out my hair mask and rinse off my body in the shower. When I get out and dry off I apply my face moisturizer and my eye cream, then I apply my body moisturizer. 

To finish the evening off I wrap my hair up in a towel to dry, put on some comfy pajamas and slippers, and have a nice little snack (usually a cookie or cupcake -it's a pamper night, may as well go all out right? Ha ha). 

I hope you enjoyed my pamper evening essentials and routine. If there are any products you think I should try do let me know in the comments!

Thanks for reading, xo, Katelyn.