Stuff I Suddenly Can't Live Without: The Clear Skin Edition

I used to have terrible skin and spent years trying to cover it with layers of concealer, foundation and (sometimes chalky) face powder, with varying degrees of success. Now that my skin looks clear and healthy (Still have to pinch myself if people compliment or tell me I have nice skin. Who? Me?), I've become certifiably obsessed with keeping it that way.

Maybe you feel the same or you just love buying and trying different skincare? (Don't be ashamed! People have called me a skincare junkie more than once.) Either way, here are three things I've tried recently and added into my regular skincare rotation because they're frakin awesome: 

1. Ole Henriksen Grease Relief Cleansing Cloths, $15

Originally bought these as part of a boxed set of skincare samples from Sephora. Not gonna lie - it was definitely an impulse buy. I set everything aside and didn't give it too much thought until one night I was in a rush and needed a quick way to take off my makeup. I used to use a white cotton facecloth (If you want to sound British, call it a flannel.)  and hot water, but that only turned my face beet red and left me with blackheads on my nose and the surrounding area. These Ole Henrikson cloths are textured and they exfoliate - all without turning my face bright red. Always a plus. They also keep blackheads at bey and get all my makeup off without leaving my skin dried out.*

*One of the worst things you can do to oily skin, btw, is washing it with a cleanser that strips it. Your skin will only work 2 or 3x as hard to replace those oils. #DontDoIt

2. Tatcha Polished Classic Rice Enzyme Powder, $65

Been dying to try anything from Tatcha after seeing it featured in some of my favorite mags (Maybe Jean Godfrey June's monthly column in Lucky?). Also, a few of my friends who, like me, are preoccupied with skincare, makeup and Sephora have gushed about it. I mean Asian skincare lines are a serious trend right now (This one's made in Japan.) and a lot of the promo material for Tatcha talks about Geishas and how they cared for their skin. True Story: Despite my Irish-English (and ruddy) ancestry, I've always aspired to have the perfect porcelain skin of a Geisha. 

Now, I first stumbled on the Blotting Papers, a must buy if you have oily or combination skin, at my local neighborhood Sephora about a month ago. (Have a packet with you at all times because #OilyTZonesSuck and are not glam.) When I went back a week or two later, they had a few more products, including this exfoliator/cleanser, so I scooped it up.

My friend Tracey told me to make sure to mix this powder with plenty of water before applying it, which I did and it worked beautifully. Tatcha recommends using this daily, but I only use it a few times a week. Highly recommend if, like me, you don't see a dermo regularly or you aren't a fan of facials (Full Disclosure: Since my nose job last Spring, I have put any and all professional facials on hold indefinitely. I don't want anyone poking at my new nose. It's too soon.), use this 1-2 times a week to keep your skin looking glow-y good. 

3. Amore Pacific Moisture Bound Refreshing Hydra Gel

This year, my skin has transitioned and become more combination than oily. (It only took twenty years.) Now, I would've been way happier about this if I had a go-to moisturizer for the formerly greasy now dry parts of my face. Sadly, I did not.

All the oil free moisturizers I had tried previously didn't work. What they did do was flake off and make it impossible to put on any foundation or concealer and have it look the remotest bit natural. So, if you're searched high and low for an oil free moisturizer that does what it says it will do, this Hydra Gel is for you. It's pricey ($100) but phenomenal. And you don't need a lot, so a jar will last for many months. (It's also one of the first Korean brands to crack the luxury beauty market in the U.S. Again, Asian beauty products are HUGE right now.)

I usually apply in the morning, 10-15 minutes after I've washed my face. (A dermo once told me to always wait 15 minutes after washing my face before applying anything else or risk it not being absorbed properly.) Et Viola! No more dry patches or weird cake-y spots. 

Ciao for Now,  

Patty J

Photo Credits: All images courtesy of Google.