Still Got Winter Skin Woes? Here's How to Get Skin Like Cotton Candy

Acne comes from so many different reasons. But generally there are a few tricks that really help to prevent and treat them. SALICYLIC ACID: PAULA'S CHOICE - Skin Perfecting 2% BHA (Salicylic Acid) Liquid Exfoliator Known for: combating whiteheads & blackheads by penetrating into the pores of the skin and unclogging them This exfoliating toner is amazing at preventing future breakouts because it’s so effective at unclogging pores and keeping them clear. My blackheads have also diminished so much since using this toner and I definitely can’t turn back. It’s quite strong so even I don’t use it every day and night. I’ll take it out only when I feel like my skin is getting congested (around 1-2x a week). AZELAIC ACID: PAULA'S CHOICE - 10% Azelaic Acid Booster Known for: gently exfoliating the surface and refining texture of the skin This is a great booster to mix in with moisturizer whenever I feel like my skin is breaking out a lot and very congested. It’s not super strong especially mixed into the last step of my skincare routine but definitely helps to smooth texture. RETINOL: SKINCEUTICALS - RETINOL 0.5 Retinol night cream Known for: speeding up our skin’s natural cell turnover to reveal newer and clearer skin I’ve used a retinol for more than a year now and I’ve seen the biggest improvement in my skin regarding breakouts and texture. I use it as the last step of my skincare routine every other day now and it’s just a great way to keep my skin healthy over the longterm. NIACINAMIDE: THE inkey LIST - Niacinamide Known for: helping to control oil production by renewing and restoring the surface of the skin against moisture loss Especially with living in a humid climate currently, my skin has been freaking out a lot. But this serum helps so much with promoting my skin to be balanced and self-regulating. My T-zone doesn’t get as oily but doesn’t feel dry either! SUNSCREEN: SKINCEUTICALS - Physical Fusion Uv Defense SPF 50 Okay sunscreen doesn’t DIRECTLY correlate with breakouts, although, there are definitely some that can cause breakouts for some people, mainly physical ones (so find one that doesn’t break you out)! This sunscreen doesn’t break me out and in fact helps with my skin durinf breakouts so much because it protects my skin from hyperpigmentation! The scarring that comes after a breakout can be just as annoying as the breakout itself but sunscreen helps so much to speed up the recovering and healing process! Do you have more tips for preventing breakouts to share?

It makes perfect sense for @laneigeca Sleeping Mask to have lavender infused into the formula. Lavender is a calming ingredient, the essential oil has been known to help with stress and sleep when diffused in the air or sprayed in a room. Having it in a night cream to help calm and soothe the skin, but the light scent could also help with sleep as we use it before bed 🌙 The texture of this sleeping mask is a really light gel-like texture, with almost a watery flow. I use this once a week as a night cream and I’ve never felt so hydrated. Another lavender product I’m loving is @niu.body lavender toning mist which I spray on at night, and at to my custom masks for a soothing effect. The lavender scent doesnt slap you in the face, its actually nice and light and refreshing. . As always, you can save 20% off @niu.body with my code Leena20

Some acne honesty: Although these worked really well for me, they might not work for everyone. Your skin is unique and might react better to different products. It can be a really frustrating process, I totally get it! What worked for me was finding someone online who had a similar skin type and similar story when it came to acne. Just always remember to take it easy on yourself. Acne is normal and it doesn’t make you any less beautiful. My current skin situation: I currently have combination, acne prone skin. I had very clear skin for most of my life until I went off birth control over a year ago now. I tried almost everything to try and get rid of my acne, but it took months to find a solution. It was just earlier this year that I finally found a couple products that helped keep acne at bay! I barely gets zits anymore (bless) but when I do, it can be very discouraging. My skin scars very very easily and it takes at least a month to get rid of the scars left over from the acne. SO anytime I see a zit pop up, I reach for these two products which help me 1) get rid of that zit quickly and 2) minimize the potential for future acne scars. How I use these together: Benzagel - Acne Gel 5% (face wash version) I usually use this just at night time because I just do a water cleanse in the morning. But when I get a pimple, during the morning I’ll cover the zit with the face wash for about a minute then wash that off. Then I’ll proceed with the rest of my routine, but I’ll avoid using any vitamin c / spf on the pimple. And then this where I’ll add the.... COSRX - Cosrx Acne Pimple Master Patch When I have a zit I will wear one of these during the day and a new one at night. It’s a grossly satisfying product because once you take them off, you can see the amount of oils that it has pulled from the skin / zit (you’ll see a white blob on the patch). The effects: After just 24 hours, the zit will almost fully disappear when I use the two of these together. The spot will be so much smaller than it is when I let the acne heal itself and the scarring is minimal, if noticeable at all. Which is amazing considering my normal pimples almost always scar (even if I DONT pop them). The best part: You can get both of these products for less than $10 CAD!

COLOURPOP - Lux Velvet Liquid Lipstick Collection I currently own the colors Puddin’ (burnt red orange) and Room Service (warm terra-cotta) and I’m loving them both as wearable everyday lip colors for warm undertones! The formula is mousse-y which I love, is not drying, feels like I’m wearing a balm when I press my lips together but doesn’t not transfer. The formula doesn’t last forever like a traditional liquid lip but stays on longer than other velvet lip formulas I’ve used. I am able to add many layers without any problems at all! COLOURPOP - Ultra Blotted Lip I’ve heard great things about the blotted lip and the formula indeed creates an “ombré” look on the lip. The formula dries much quicker than the LUX and does not transfer. Unlike the Velvet LUX, it’s not as comfortable rubbing my lips together. I do love the color I got (sleepy eyes), as it is one of the few rose nudes that work well on my warm undertone! However, I am not loving the fact that if I add two layers for a bolder look, the formula will pill on top of each other and looks streaky. I’d say the blotted lip is more of a lip stain, serving as a one layer wonder. Cheers to 💄

My skin type is combo oily that can lean more dry during the weather changes or just randomly. My skin concerns are acne, oiliness throughout the day and also dehydration. I’ve ranked the face washes I currently have open right now based on how they worked for me personally (starting from favorite). My favorite out of this bunch is the philosophy - Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Mask because can see a difference when I use the mask, but it’s nothing major especially for the price tag. . philosophy - Purity Made Simple Pore Extractor Mask Key Ingredients: Salicylic Acid (for acne and blackhead removal) and White Clay (removes dead and dry skin cells). Texture/Consistency: Cream with granules Scent: None Price: $18 for 1 oz / 30 mL (mini size) OR $35 for 2.5 oz / 75 mL Experience: I haven’t noticed much, if any, difference in my pores honestly. I do notice that my skin looks more radiant and glows after removing this mask because the abundant amount of granules give a nice exfoliation. Repurchase/Recommend: It’s nice, but nothing special and don’t think it’s worth the high price tag because it’s not on the face long. I’d rather put that money towards an actual exfoliator than a mask. . e.l.f. - Hydrating Bubble Mask Key Ingredients: Glycerin (for hydration and protection) Texture/Consistency: Gel that turns into bubbles Scent: Soapy Price: $14 for 1.69 oz / 50 g Experience: The sensation of the gel turning into bubbles tickles and can easily get out of control and get into your eyelashes. I don’t notice any difference in the hydration of my skin. It is easy to wash off, but the packaging is finicky and randomly decides to stop dispensing product and you have to keep pressing down until more comes out. It also requires quite a bit of product to fully coat the face so not sure how long it will last for. Repurchase/Recommend: No I didn’t notice any difference and the packaging is difficult. . FREEMAN - Matcha Ice Cream Melting Sugar Face Mask Key Ingredients: Matcha extract (helps clear pores) Texture/Consistency: Thick gel with gummy flakes Scent: Sweet Price: $3.99 for 1.18 fl oz / 3-4 uses Experience: This mask is so thick and difficult to remove off the face! It made me ever want to use it. I also didn’t notice any sort of difference after using this mask. The style packaging is really nice and convenient and you can definitely get more uses than the recommended. It also claims that the flakes dissolve, but they never did for me. Repurchase/Recommend: No, too difficult to remove and didn’t see any results.