My Nighttime Skincare Routine.

This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you click through some of the links in this post.

I have always been really really ridiculously bad at sticking to a skincare routine. I am totally the girl that goes to sleep with her makeup on, because in the back of my mind I think, “Well, it’s non-toxic makeup so how bad can it be if I just lay down for a minute…?” And that used to happen 3+ times per week. I know - BAD GIRL. But I have been on a skincare journey and last summer I started getting serious about my skincare routine. This routine has really become something that I look forward to at the end of the day, and feels like so much more than just washing my face. These 5 minutes that I spend helps me unwind, feels like a bit of self-care (ha because IT IS), and I genuinely know that my skin has drastically improved. So here’s the routine!

---

1. Cleanse.
I squeeze a dime-sized amount of DoTERRA Facial Cleanser to my Clarisonic Mia 1 and do a 60-second scrub in a circular motion. It feels like a face massage and it’s so unbelievably relaxing.

2. Remove eye makeup.
I apply a few drops of Plant Apothecary Reset Organic Makeup Remover on a cotton pad and gently remove my eye makeup. It’s hard to find a clean eye makeup remover and this one performs! I love it.

3. Tone.
I do a quick swipe of this DoTERRA Pore-Reducing Toner with a cotton ball and then let my skin dry.

4. Serum + Face Massage.
This is the step that feels the most indulgent. I apply about 2-3 drops of this Yarrow/Pom blend and rub it in. Then I use this Rose Quartz Facial Roller and spend about 60 seconds massaging the serum into my skin. I use upward strokes and it feels SO. GOOD. I honestly credit my skin’s completely changed texture to this oil blend - it is so good it’s almost scary. I am OBSESSED. This blend of yarrow essential oil with cold-pressed pomegranate oil activates protective skin proteins that enable collagen production. AKA my secret skin weapon. Seriously.

5. Moisturize.
After the serum is roller in, I apply a dollop of DoTERRA Anti-Aging Moisturizer to seal in the moisture and give my skin a final drink of goodness. This moisturizer smells reeeeally good too.

5. Eye Cream, too.
Finally, I apply a tiny bit of DoTERRA Anti-Aging Eye Cream around my eyes. I use 1/2 of a pump of this stuff for both eyes because seriously - a little goes so far!

There you have it! The routine that I’ve been rocking lately and I am loving it. There is something truly therapeutic about taking these few minutes for myself at the end of the day. All of these products are all SO clean and good for my skin, which matters so much to me. Our skin is the largest organ in the body, and it soaks up everything we put on it. These products are free of phthalates, fragrances and chemicals that are loaded into so many other skincare products. So I feel good about them and they feel good about me, too! Also, you can shop all the DoTERRA products for 25% off here!

I posted an IGTV episode sharing this routine, you can see it here.

Do yourself a favor and put together a little nighttime routine for you skin - you will feel so relaxed and love the results, too! xx

---

My Date Night (GREEN) Makeup Routine.

Valentines week is upon us! I'm by NO MEANS any kind of makeup expert, but since I've been experimenting with so many new natural beauty products, I thought I would share my little date night makeup routine! As you know, I've been on a mission to swap all my conventional makeup with cleaner, greener products. I have loved discovering so many GOOD for you brands of makeup - especially since I don't feel like I'm sacrificing performance for better ingredients.

Okay, let's get into this date night makeup deal.

I start with a clean face. I've been toying around with different moisturizers and face oils, but mostly, I just make sure my skin is hydrated and not too flaky/dry before applying foundation.

Skin.
First up, I apply Beautycounter Tint Skin in "Sand". This is a good option for those of you who like to use BB or CC creams in lieu of thicker foundation. I love using this every day, but on date night, I put on 2 layers for a bit more coverage. I love that this formula is buildable - WIN.

Then I apply W3LL People Bio-Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light" under my eyes, around my nose, on my dark spots and on my eye lids. It helps conceal and brighten my skin. And believe me, these eyes could use some brightening magic.

Eyes.
Next up, I focus on my eyes. First I fill in my brows with Plume Brow Pomade in "Chesnut Decadence". I LOVE this pomade because it fills in my sparse brow spots, helps define and also stimulates growth in the areas that I apply it - such a multi-tasking product!

I don't usually wear eye shadow, but on date night I usually get really wild and throw some color on my lids. SO CRAZY. My sister got me this beautiful Lily Lolo Laid Bare eye palette and the shade I'm wearing in these photos is "Shy Away" - also, I just put it on my lids and blend it a little bit into the crease of my eye. But not too much. Because too much shadow makes me look like I have the plague.

Then I line my eyes with W3LL People Hypnotist liner in "Black" - thicker along the top lash line and smudged underneath my lashes. With the tiniest hint of a wing. P.S. - I'm really pretty terrible at liquid liner and it's one of the things I want to attempt to get good at in 2018. Recommendations are welcome!!

The latest mascara I've been testing is Hynt Beauty Nocturne Mascara in "Black", which is what I applied here. (More of my mascara reviews here).

Cheeks.
Cheek color is very important for yellow skinned humans like myself. I have found so much love in the ILIA multisticks, and I'm wearing the shade "A Fine Romance" here. I apply it just under my cheekbones, where you would normally contour. Hahahah I thought I could get away with saying "where you normally contour" as if that's a normal thing. I NEVER CONTOUR. But I aspire to. But I aspire to sleep in later more than I aspire to learn how to contour. So yeah.

Then I dust on just a tiny bit of The Honest Company Luminizing Powder in the shade "Dusk Reflection" around the edges of my face - in a sweeping motion from my forehead down to my chin. Suddenly it looks like the sun came out in my bathroom ;)

Then I like to add a bit of RMS Beauty Living Luminizer highlighter, because it makes me feel like some kind of moonlit mermaid. I put it ever so slightly on the tops of my cheekbones, on the ridge of my nose and on the cupid's bow of my upper lip. It just adds a hint of magical-ness.

Lips.
Lastly, I apply the ILIA multistick in "A Fine Romance" again, this time to my lips! This is such a rosy delicious color and I love the pop of watermelon-y pink, especially in the winter when I feel kind of drab. This color makes me feel confident!

Then I finish by dusting my face with the W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder to set everything and keep my makeup from sliding around.

There you have it! This is my date night go-to look and the products that I've been playing around with lately.

Why Date Nights MATTER.
One of our New Years resolutions for the year is to be really consistent with weekly date nights. That doesn't always look like getting dressed up and going out - often times it just means setting aside our to-do lists and settling in for an evening of spending time together. We forgo checking our phones and getting on our laptops and instead spend time eating dinner, watching a movie and TALKING.

Truthfully, lately we have been in a really busy stage of life - he's traveling and commuting with his job and I have taken on this new venture with DoTERRA along with my freelance writing and this blog! (!), so doing anything outside of raising our kids takes some serious intention. Planning. And commitment. Taking time to date is SO special and necessary to remaining connected, and I'm grateful that Stevie is as committed to our date nights as I am. Just tonight he came to me about our upcoming Valentines date (which I planned this year!), to confirm our plans. It means so much that he cares to make us a priority, even after 10 years of marriage and two kids! Whew. Our life is busy but I seriously wouldn't trade this life of mine for anything or anyone else's life.

I hope this little makeup chat is helpful to you as you investigate natural beauty options and plan ahead for a romantic date night! I hope everyone has the happiest Valentines Day, whether you're spending it with your significant other or your girls or your mom!! P.S. - My mom and I have some wicked good V-Day plans. Just sayin. xx

Green Beauty Trials: Blush & Highlighter.

I'm continuing the non-toxic beauty trials! I have been so surprised at how many wonderful products I've discovered since deciding to go green with my beauty routine. I assumed this would be an expensive and unsatisfying process, but surprisingly, it's been the opposite! So many online natural beauty retailers offer affordable sample packs which makes it easier to try out products and shades before committing. And the industry has come such a long way because there are so many high-performing products that truly rival all the conventional ones from my old makeup bag. In fact, I think it's time to toss out my old stuff - this green beauty thing isn't just a fad for me.

I am still in the process of trying out a few other blush options, but I'm not in any rush because I love what I'm sharing here today!

Blush:
ILIA Multistick
in "A Fine Romance" and "At Last"
If I could pick my favorite green makeup discovery since embarking upon this journey, this would be the one. I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. I have used it every single day since I got it (especially in the "At Last" shade) and I will keep doing so! I've always thought multisticks couldn't possibly work really well for more than one thing, but this one proved me wrong - it actually performs so well! The cheek tint goes on really creamy and has buildable color, so if you want just a hint of color or more of a pop, you can use this stick to achieve both! And I love the color on my lips - "At Last" looks like a naturally pretty everyday color while "A Fine Romance" has that rosy, french-girl-just-rolled-out-of-bed look to it. I love both shades and have been wearing them everyday for over two months now. Using this stick on my cheeks and lips makes me look and feel put-together in under 60 seconds, which is all I get for beauty on some days (#momlife).

Highlighter:
Galaxy Milk Illuminate Beauty Oil
I haven't ventured much into the world of illuminators (I have a healthy fear of the whole contouring practice), so this one was a step outside of my normal zone. My sister was wearing it and it looked so so pretty on her, so I had to give it a try. First of all, it smells like a heaven of vanilla. SO good. And second, you don't need a lot to achieve a shimmery, kissed-by-starlight effect. This is really fun if you're going out at night or want to look extra dewy, but it's not a daily must-have (for me). Also, I purchased the sample size of this and it was plenty! If you decide to purchase, definitely purchase this size! This would also look really pretty if you were wearing a tank top and applied some to your shoulders and decolletage. 

RMS Beauty Living Luminizer
This product has so much hype about it so I thought I should give this one a try, too. I applied it to the tops of my cheekbones and it gives an even, pearly sheen. It really brightens my face and has more of a foundation texture, so it glides on in a creamy way. I like how it brightens the area beneath my eyes just enough to make me look awake but not so much that I look like a teenybopper going to a Backstreet Boys concert (although man, those were THE DAYS.)

I still want to try out a few Kjaer Weis lip and cheek tints, because this brand is known for the vibrant pigments (and fancy packaging!) I also want to try a few more multisticks, like this one from RMS, this one from W3LL PEOPLE and this one from Vapour, because they are all highly rated. Multisticks offer such a value - and they free up a lot of space in my makeup bag :)

Any other natural, non-toxic cosmetics or brands that you think I should look into? I'd love to hear your recommendations!

P.S. - My picks for the best non-toxic mascara and foundation + concealer :)

Green Beauty Trials: Foundation.

Foundation - it's pretty much the foundation of the face. Ha, see what I did there? Okay, I tried a bunch of clean foundations in order to find the best one for my needs, but I also kept all of you in mind while I was trying the different products. I wanted to be able to share all my findings with you! So in continuing with this green beauty series, here are my picks (and experience) with finding a foundation that works for me.

In terms of what I was looking for - I wanted a foundation that was lightweight enough where it didn't feel like foundation, but with enough coverage to hide my blemishes and scars. I have used mineral powder makeup for years, but lately have been drawn to the ease of beauty balms and color corrective creams. So I focused on sampling foundations that were much like that - a lightweight, moisturizing liquid that dried to a matte finish.

Foundation:
1.) Lily Lolo BB Cream in "Light"
I liked this BB Cream, but didn't fall head over heels with it in terms of treating it as a foundation. It provides a light amount of coverage, kind of like a sheer tint. This is the kind of thing I would put on if I were going to spend the day at the beach, but it's not something I would want for everyday because it didn't provide enough coverage. I have some sun spots and acne scars, and this didn't do anything to hide those. However, if you have really clear skin, this would be a great option for you, because it is a really lightweight option and made with extremely clean, non-toxic ingredients.

2.) Beautycounter Skin Tint in "Honey" & "Sand"
I didn't want to like Beautycounter. I really didn't. But this skin tint is so darn good. I loved both shades - "Honey" being perfect for when I have a little bit of a tan and "Sand" being more of my natural skin color. After sampling both for about a week I purchased the "Sand" shade and have been wearing it ever since. I love this skin tint because it goes on really light, like a BB cream, but it has build-able coverage - I apply a little extra in some areas and it covers my imperfections, while other areas could still have just a very light amount on and it all blends together perfectly. Love this product. A lot. Many thanks to Hannah Tanner for sending me these samples!

3.) Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream with SPF 30
I needed to know about the hype of Josh Rosebrook products, so I was excited to try this particular day cream. While I liked the build-able nature of the Beautycounter skin tint, this one was also really compelling because it's sheer and almost gleaming. I wouldn't want that kind of glow everyday because the texture is a little bit like sunscreen, but it really did make my skin extra glowy and felt very fresh. This would be another great lightweight option for spring or summer.

4.) Alima Pure Liquid Silk Foundation in "Echo"
This foundation was a close second for me, and in fact, I will probably purchase this in the future when I need something with heavier coverage. This feels more like a traditional liquid foundation, providing a full face of coverage. It goes on light and creamy and immediately sets into a matte-like finish. I wouldn't want to wear this everyday, just out of a personal preference, because I like wearing something that doesn't feel like heavy makeup. However, like I said, I will probably purchase this for days when I need more coverage, like if I'm filming or photographing something special.

BONUS FIND: Concealer + Setting Powder
I'm including my picks for concealer and setting powder in this post because I only tried one of each and immediately fell in love with both - there was no need to keep trying a bunch of other products! I love when that happens. I've been super impressed with most of the W3LL People cosmetics, and I must not be alone - so many websites are out of stock of these items. Thankfully, The Detox Market seems to keep them in stock so I haven't had any trouble there. And here's a public service announcement - select Target stores carry W3LL People, so you could check out some of the line there! Sadly, my Target does not, and most of the items aren't available to order online, but if you're one of the lucky ones who have them in your local Target, then you can check it out in person! Otherwise, I would happily encourage you to sample these products before purchasing them full-price - The Detox Market offers a sample program where you can try 4 products for $7.99 - one of the best deals I've seen, in terms of sampling luxury, high-end natural products! Okay, PSA over.

W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light"
This concealer is the bomb. It actually covers my acne scars (of which I have many) and has a brightening affect. I put this under my eyes to cover the dark circles and it acts as a non-shimmery highlighter, brightening up the tired areas under my eyes. I love this stuff.

W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder
I've been using the Bare Minerals Tinted Powder for years, and I was happy to learn on the Think Dirty app that it is actually a pretty clean powder. However, I wanted to find something that was even a bit cleaner, in terms of ingredients, and I only had to try this setting powder by W3LL People to find exactly what I was looking for. Once I am completely finished putting on my makeup, I apply this powder all over my face as the last step.

My Recommendation:
I love the Beautycounter Skin Tint in "Sand" for my everyday look. I pair it with the W3LL People Bio Correct Multi-Action Concealer in "Light" to cover my skin imperfections and use the W3LL People Realist Invisible Setting Powder to finish my makeup and keep everything in place for the day. However, I would happily recommend the Alima Pure Liquid Silk Foundation if you're looking for something with a heavier coverage and super matte finish. And if you're looking for something extremely light with a bit of tint and a glowy finish, then the Josh Rosebrook Tinted Nutrient Day Cream is the right pick for you.

Any green beauty foundations that you have tried and loved? If so, I would love to hear from you!

P.S. - Feel free to take a peek at my natural mascara picks and the reason why I decided to go green with my beauty routine.