IT'S GLOW TIME!

HELLO BEAUTIES! I'M SUPER EXCITED TO TALK TO YOU GUYS ABOUT A TOPIC I FEEL VERY PASSIONATE ABOUT. CLEAR, RADIANT SKIN! HOW TO GET IT-AND HOW TO KEEP IT! THROUGHOUT THIS POST I'LL BE SHARING MY TOP 10 FAVORITE SKINCARE PRODUCTS THAT I BELIEVE CAN HELP GET YOU ON THE RIGHT TRACK TO HAVING THE SKIN YOU DESERVE! 
*TIP*: BECOME A CREATURE OF HABIT! ARE YOU COMMITTED? YOU NEED TO BE. DAILY CONSISTENCY IS THE ONLY WAY YOU'RE GOING TO SEE THE FULL BENEFIT OF THE PRODUCTS YOU'VE INVESTED IN! WITH SOME PRODUCTS YOU'LL SEE IMMEDIATE RESULTS, BUT OTHERS CAN TAKE UP TO 60 DAYS TO SEE A FULL TURNAROUND. SO LET'S TALK REGIMEN. DO YOU HAVE ONE? IF NOT, YOU WILL AFTER READING THIS POST! BELOW IS A DETAILED, STEP BY STEP DESCRIPTION OF MY DAILY ROUTINE. AFTER READING IT BACK TO MYSELF, I REALIZED IT SOUNDS PRETTY HIGH MAINTENANCE. HOWEVER, I PROMISE YOU THE ENTIRE PROCESS  FROM START TO FINISH TAKES ME NO LONGER THAN 5 MINUTES. 

STEP #1: I HAVE A STRICT 2X2 RULE WHEN IT COMES TO MY CLEANSING ROUTINE. I DOUBLE CLEANSE MY SKIN, TWICE A DAY. THAT'S RIGHT, NOT ONCE- BUT TWICE. WHY? THE FIRST TIME AROUND I'M REMOVING THE OBVIOUS. MAKEUP,DIRT, AND OIL. FOR THIS I USE THE GLYMED MEGA PURIFYING CLEANSER. IT'S SPECIFICALLY DESIGNED TO REMOVE STUBBORN COSMETICS, WITHOUT DRYING OUT MY SKIN. 

THE SECOND WASH IS NECESSARY TO BREAK DOWN ANY LINGERING BACTERIA THAT'S ON STANDBY, JUST WAITING TO CLOG MY PORES AND RUIN MY DAY. I PREFER GLYMED GENTLE FACE WASH, BECAUSE IT CONTAINS 10% GLYCOLIC ACID TO HELP KEEP MY BREAKOUTS AT A MINIMUM. FOR BOTH WASHES, I RECOMMEND JUST USING YOUR FINGERTIPS. WASHCLOTHS AND OTHER DEVICES CAN TRAP AND SPREAD BACTERIA. 

STEP #2: FOLLOWING MY MORNING CLEANSING ROUTINE, I USE THE STRAWBERRY RHUBARB DERMAFOLIANT . THIS PRODUCT IS GENTLE ENOUGH FOR ME TO USE EVERYDAY, BUT STRONG ENOUGH WHERE I TRULY NOTICE A DIFFERENCE AFTER EACH USE. MY PORES GET CLOGGED REALLY EASILY, SO MANUAL EXFOLIATION IS ULTRA-IMPORTANT. THE EXFOLIANT DRIVES IN DEEP AND REMOVES DEAD SKIN CELLS BEFORE THEY CLOG MY PORES. TO ME, IT MAKES MORE SENSE TO DO THIS STEP IN THE MORNING BECAUSE IT'S ALSO TIGHTENING AND BRIGHTENING MY SKIN, AND LEAVING ME WITH AN EVEN TEXTURE TO RECEIVE AN EVEN APPLICATION OF MY MAKEUP. 

 STEP #3: MY FACE IS NOW PREPPED AND READY TO RECEIVE THE GOODS THAT A TONER HAS TO OFFER! SOME PEOPLE VIEW THIS STEP AS OPTIONAL, BUT NOT ME. WHY WOULD I MISS OUT ON THE OPPORTUNITY TO TO RECEIVE AN EXTRA BOOST OF HYDRATION? I WOULDN'T. STONE CROP HYDRATING MIST IS IDEAL FOR MY FAIR SKIN BECAUSE IT HELPS LIGHTEN UP OLD PIGMENTATION CAUSED FROM PREVIOUS ACNE OR SUN DAMAGE. IT ALSO REMOVES ANY LINGERING SURFACE IMPURITIES THAT KEEP MY SKIN FROM LOOKING AS FRESH AS POSSIBLE.

STEP #4: TREAT YOURSELF TO A MASQUE. THIS IS WHERE THE REAL MAGIC HAPPENS. I'M TALKING INSTANT RESULTS! ON AVERAGE, I APPLY A FACIAL MASQUE 1-2 TIMES A WEEK. SOMETIMES MORE OFTEN IF MY SKIN IS GIVING ME TROUBLE. IT'S CRUCIAL TO MASQUE WHEN YOU REALLY HAVE THE TIME TO LET IT SOAK IN. (10-60 MIN). I ROTATE BETWEEN THESE 3, DEPENDING ON WHAT MY SKIN'S NEEDS ARE AT THAT MOMENT. MY FAVORITES ARE THE CLEAR SKIN PROBIOTIC MASQUE, 8 GREENS PHOTO MASQUE (HOT), AND THE HUNGARIAN HERBAL MUD TREATMENT. 

STEP #5: NEXT UP IS A FACIAL SERUM OR OIL. I KNOW WHAT YOUR THINKING. YOU WANT ME TO PUT OIL ON MY ACNE PRONE SKIN? NOT A CHANCE. I GET IT, BECAUSE I THOUGHT THE EXACT SAME THING. START SMALL. THE TRUTH IS, MANY OILS CAN ACTUALLY HELP YOU REGULATE OIL PRODUCTION. THE TRICK IS UNDERSTANDING THAT NOT ALL OILS ARE CREATED EQUAL, SO IT'S VERY IMPORTANT TO RESEARCH WHICH ONE WILL BE MOST FITTING FOR YOUR SKIN TYPE. START OUT BY TRYING TRY 1-2 DROPS. IT'S CRUCIAL THAT YOU APPLY THIS AND LET IT SOAK IN FOR 5 MINUTES BEFORE APPLYING YOUR MOISTURIZER. MY TWO FAVORITES ARE THE STONE CROP SERUM, AND FACIAL RECOVERY OIL. THEY BOTH FIRM AND TIGHTEN SKIN, MOISTURIZE IN A CELLULAR LEVEL, AND ARE PACKED FULL OF ANTIOXIDANTS. I WANT MY SKIN TO STAY LOOKING YOUNG FOR AS LONG AS POSSIBLE, AND THIS IS MY TICKET.

STEP #6: DURING THE COLD, DRY, WINTER MONTHS I LIKE TO FINISH OFF MY SKIN REGIME WITH A LIGHTWEIGHT MOISTURIZER. IT'S IMPORTANT FOR THE OBVIOUS REASONS-HYDRATION, SPF,(AHEM, WRINKLE REDUCTION ANYONE?) BUT ABOVE ALL I MOISTURIZE BECAUSE OF THE IMMEDIATE EFFECTS I RECEIVE. I LOVE THAT GLOWY, DEWY EFFECT IT GIVES MY SKIN.  

WELL, THERE YOU HAVE IT! I TRULY BELIEVE WITH MY ENTIRE HEART AND SOUL THAT HAVING BEAUTIFUL SKIN IS THE MOST IMPORTANT KEY TO FEELING LIKE YOUR BEST, MOST GORGEOUS SELF ON A DAILY BASIS! EVERY CENT I'VE EVER INVESTED IN PRODUCT HAS BEEN SO WORTH IT, BECAUSE AS CHEESY AS IT MAY SOUND, YOU CAN'T PUT A PRICE ON ANYTHING THAT'S GOING TO INCREASE YOUR SELF ESTEEM!
 THE BEAUTY DESTINATION  IS MY FAVORITE ONLINE SKINCARE RETAILER, NOT ONLY BECAUSE THEY CARRY THE FULL LINE OF EMINENCE PRODUCTS FOR ME TO CHOOSE FROM, ( I WANT TO KNOW ALL MY OPTIONS, YA KNOW? ;) BUT BECAUSE OF THE PASSION & KNOWLEDGE THEY OFFER ON EACH AND EVERY PRODUCT.  THEY'RE COMMITTED TO HELPING RAISE AWARENESS TO ANYONE IN SEARCH OF BEAUTIFUL SKIN! NEED PROOF? THEY'RE OFFERING ALL OF MY READERS A 20% DISCOUNT ON ALL ORDERS PLACED BEFORE FEB 1ST, 2015! JUST ENTER THE CODE "GLOWTIME" AT CHECKOUT! 

PHOTOGRAPHY BY THE LOVELY SHANNON ELIZABETH.