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Farmacy Cleansing Balm

If you follow me on instagram you know I have done a couple of posts around my skincare routine. One of my constants over the past year has been the Farmacy Cleansing Balm.

Historically I have used make-up remover wipes, which were my favorites especially if I didn’t want to clean my face. Then after learning they can be some of the most toxic things to use on your skin, I quickly changed over to oil cleansing. I actually really enjoyed oil cleansing. It was an easy way to remove all the dirt and make-up from the day and clean your face at the same time. You typically use a hot towel to remove the oil making it a “spa like” experience. If you know me, I’m here for a spa experience….ALWAYS.

Oil Cleansing also cleared up completely when I stopped using “face wash” and make-up remover wipes. When I talk about break-outs, my version would come and go, multiple at a time. A few weeks into oil cleansing that all went away. With that being said, I was hesitant to try new products knowing I had success with oil cleansing.

However, the only downside to oil cleansing is using hot towels to remove the oil with the make-up can be a chore if you are trying to be in and out of cleaning your face quickly. I came across the Farmacy Cleansing Balm so thought I would give it a shot since it seems to be in the middle of oil and a cleanser.

After almost a year of using it I am really happy with the product and the results, so I wanted to share what I have noticed.

Farmacy Cleansing Balm Benefits:

  1. It is a mix between an oil and a cleanser which makes it hydrating without the oily residue
  2. I don’t have to wash my face in the morning because it feels moisturized and clean from the night before
  3. It easily removes hard to get off make-up
  4. When you wash your face with the cleansing balm (oil removes oil) so it attaches to the dirt and washes off which in turn helps keep break-outs at a minimum.

They just came out with an apple version, and I am currently obsessed. I also have to say of a lot of the cleansers I have used the price point is also not bad. If you are on the fence, I would definitely give it a go.

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Perfume Preferences

I am a perfume lover, for sure. My perfume preferences are typically sweet, clean, and floral. I prefer a nice blend if that makes sense to keep the scent mild and fresh.

I try to cut down on fragrance as much as possible, because it’s obviously not great for us. Keeping that in mind my day to day go to is usually cleaner options like Vetiver, but if it’s a night out or a special occasion consider me sprayed with my favorite perfumes.

My Current Mask Situation

I wanted to share my current mask situation with you because anyone that knows me understands how seriously I take my bath and masking game. I usually take a bath and mask 1-3 nights a week. Being in a high pressure job, two kids, and you know, the everyday life crazies that get thrown at you can take a toll.

I am very in tune with what I need to keep my balance in check so that I can be the best version of myself and do all the things. Therefore I mask hard people. I have some really strong ones, and each one I like for different reasons so I wanted to walk you through each of them.

Mask Situation

Tata Harper Resurfacing Mask

This is the newest member of my squad. I always talk about her products because they are clean and so so good. I leave this one on overnight and wake up with a glowy look. It’s on the pricey side, but a little goes a long way.

Origins Retexturizing Mask with Pink Clay

If you get anything off of this post, get this one. I use this one once a week, and it is incredible. My skin feels revitalized, smoother, and softer after I use this one. It does a great job of evening out my skin tone, which I feel is important to do weekly to keep your skin in good shape and get rid of those dead skin cells.

Caudalie

I actually originally picked this up in a drug store in France on a trip because I forgot to bring a mask on one of our trips. This one is a great detox mask. I love this when I just want to feel like my skin is clean and fresh. It’s a great brand and become on of my go to’s.

Origins Clear Improvement Mask

I love this mask so much! It’s a great charcoal mask and I feel like everyone should have at least one of these in their rotation. If I’m going through a time with some mild breakouts I’ll grab this one and there is a noticeable difference the day after I use it.

Tatcha Lip Mask

I have seen a lot of people posting about this one lately, and for good reason. It’s the best lip mask I have been able to find. I slap this on before I go to bed and let it do it’s magic overnight. My lips get really dry so I do have to do this a couple of times a week.

Watermelon Sleep Mask

This is one that I typically use if I am just tired and know my skin needs a little love, but don’t feel like waiting around to wash everything off. It’s super hydrating and gives my skin a little boost.

I’m also including a facial steamer below, it’s great to help with clogged pores, and will open up your pores before applying the mask so you can really see more benefits from these products.

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Thanks for checking out my mask situation, and I hope this is helpful. Please drop a comment if there are any masks you love!

Morning Skincare Routine

I recently posted my morning skincare routine video on my instagram account @splashofchic. I’m including a lookbook with all of the relevant products. I would love for you to check them out and let me know how you like them!

Everyday Make-up: Shop the Post

Finding your go-to make-up products for your everyday look is essential. It will not only help you look your best, but will also help you get ready on time. Over time your comfort level with the product can also allow you to experiment more with contouring, shadow, and liner.

Finding products that make you look and feel your best takes time, but when you find products that fit your skin type and tone put them in your daily routine.

For example, I have my foundational products that I use daily and then the ones I cycle in and out. I always make sure to keep trying new products just in case something comes out I don’t want to miss.

Make-up is also completely a personal preference because it allows you to express yourself and your whole mood. It sounds silly, but just think about it. Do you accentuate your eye make-up when you go out at night? When you are feeling low key, do you just put on a tinted moisturizer vs. foundation? For work meetings do you like to keep it polished and professional with neutral tones?

These are all questions you should ask yourself when selecting your everyday make-up formula. What do you do the most, and that should help you decide what is most important to invest in.

Since good make-up is not cheap I have also included why I put them in my rotation. I also want you to keep in mind I am a Full Coverage type of girl. These types of products are important to me because of bad chicken pox scarring on my forehead, and are typically the products you will see me seek out the most.

Foundation Products

Make Up For Ever Foundation:

  • Full Coverage
  • Stays ALL DAY
  • Smooth Matte Finish

Charlotte Tilbury Flawless Filter

  • Awesome under eye concealer
  • Use it on chin as well

Make Up For Ever Powder:

  • Use this over my cream foundation
  • On lighter days I may wear this without the cream foundation underneath
  • Goes on smoothly, and has a great finish

Artis Make-up Brush

  • This is a total game changer, if you buy one thing, buy this brush!
  • Allows you to use less product
  • Smoothly applies the product evenly to your whole face
  • The size 8 is a great size to use for applying foundation and under eye

IT Cosmetics Powder Brush

  • Bristles are the perfect length to really grab the powder and ensure a smooth finish

Eyes

Too Faced Neutral Palette

  • Perfect Neutral Options
  • Strong Pigment
  • Stays all day

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

  • Great Neutral Options
  • Options for Nighttime
  • Stays all day
  • Love their shimmer pigment additions

Too Faced Mascara

  • Offers a lot of volume and length
  • Stays All Day

Too Faced Eye Liner

  • Thin brush
  • Liquid Liner
  • Easy to maneuver for a thing line or add depth

Anastasia Brow Pencil

  • If you know you know, GET THIS!
  • Angle Pencil allows you to fill in the brows easily
  • Colors to match are on point

Blush & Bronzer

Ilia Bronzer:

  • Cleaner Bronzer Option-Try to use clean products as much as possible and this is a great product

Nars Bronzer:

  • This has been my go-to for years
  • Great pigment and will stay all day

Ilia Blush

  • Cream Blush stick that is super convenient on the go
  • Cleaner

Tarte Blush

  • Awesome shade variety for the seasonal change
  • Stays put
  • Powder Option

Simple Ways to Practice Whole Body Self Care

My Self Care Go-To’s:

When someone asks me if I am practicing self care. My answer is always, absolutely! That question has always seemed to be asking, are you doing masks, getting massages, or getting my nails done, and self care is so much more than that.

That may or may not have been obvious to you, but I was definitely ignorant to the meaning behind the term. Self Care has been thrown around a lot in the last year with all of the mental health issues bubbling to the surface. If you are like me, this has caused me to take a harder look at the term to make sure I am the best version of myself.

With that in mind I decided I needed to take some time for “self care.” I purchased my normal masks, did my nails, started taking more baths with bubbles and did all of my normal things. 

I didn’t quite feel like that was enough even though it is definitely a part of the “self care” process. The fulfillment and restfulness I normally feel with those activities wasn’t there. Maybe because my new normal needed a different type of self care?

I started going through the motions with my best friend google. The question asked was, “what is self care and how do I get more of it?”. In the research I realized it’s not just physical, but also emotional, intellectual, and social. With this new realization, or A-Ha moment, it was obvious a couple of my buckets were not filled as high as they could or should be. There needed to be some time spent trying to feel more balanced in my new covid and family normal.

Some of the activities can overlap into other buckets, but here are some easy actions we can do to increase overall wellness with self care or self love.

Physical Self Care:

  • Commit to one form of moving my body daily 
  • Two snacks a day and make them either a fruit or a vegetable
  • Drink 16 oz. of water with each meal. 
  • Gardening

Emotional Self Care:

  • Make a list of things I need to accomplish on notes that I can check off daily to manage stress. 
  • Take a time-out bath 3 times a week. 

Intellectual Self Care:

  • Take a 5-10 minute break everyday to read at least on article on something of interest daily (For me this is magazines)
  • Take some time to get creative & write in a journal for 5 minutes

Social Self Care:

  • Once a month video chat or make plans with a friend. 
  • Talk to a friend on the phone at least once a week to catch-up. 
  • Plan a “date night” once a month. 

There is no need to do “all the things” above. I believe implementing one or two slowly and making them a part of your routine can make a big difference in your overall well being. Make sure you pick an area where you feel like “your bucket” may be low. 

Just like you can’t be all things to all people, you shouldn’t over extend yourself in self care either. That could very easily make the process stressful, and in the spirit of self care, completely defeat the purpose. 

I am still a huge believer in taking the baths, getting your nails and hair done, masking, and all the things that make me physically feel good about myself, but hopefully we can all agree the other areas need some love too. 

Skincare Routine

If you have heard that you should take care of your skin and develop a healthy Skincare Routine, that is correct! It isn’t unusual to know you are supposed to do something, but not really understand why you need to do it. Without understanding the why, how can you be motivated to make that extra step when you are tired and really don’t feel like washing your face at the end of the day?

Our skin is our body’s largest organ and is the first thing that everyone sees when they look at you. Recently there has been a lot of talk about getting that “glowy” look. I’m here to share, you can’t get the look without putting in the work. There are three reasons why developing a skincare routine is imperative to healthy glowing skin with fewer wrinkles.

  1. Removing dead skin cells
  2. Preventing build-up of dirt & oils  
  3. Treating & preventing wrinkles

Short term and long term results from a poor skin care routine should be enough to kick us into gear. There are so many products out there it can be confusing to understand what products we need for our skin type.

For me, I have combination skin, which is one of the most complicated, because you are all of the skin types in one! I will share what I have found to work the best for me, but if your skin airs on more of the oily or dry side you will most likely need a different skincare routine. For combination skin your regimen generally should include:

  1. Cleanser
  2. Exfoliator
  3. Serum
  4. Eye Serum
  5. Moisturizer
  6. SPF-ALWAYS

Over the years I have fine-tuned my routine to air more on the clean beauty side of things. This means that I try to use products that don’t have as many harsh chemicals. Here are my go to:

  1. Oil Cleanser: Currently using Green Clean
  2. I mask twice a week with more of an exfoliant than daily: I use Origin’s Original Skin Mask
  3. Tata Harper’s Resurfacing Serum
  4. Tata Harper’s Hydrant
  5. SPF: Goop

If you are unsure of your skin type you can always go into Sephora, Ulta or go talk to a local Aesthetician to get some insight on how to care for your skin.

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