Healthy Skincare (my daily routine) + Pics from our Montana Vacay

It hasn't been until the last 2-3 years I have really started taking skincare seriously. My mom always told me I needed to earlier but I didn't think it was a big deal. I was the naive girl that always went to tanning beds, never wore SPF, and was to lazy to wash her face at night. Now as I get closer to 30 and the wrinkles are starting to show (grrr), I am playing make up trying to preserve and take care of my skin. Through trial and error. These have become my favorites. 

1. Cleanse: 

Philosophy Purity / Arcona Brightening Scrub / Clarisonic 

I wash my face daily with a little Philosophy soap and a wash cloth. About every other day I use the Clarisonic to do a deep clean. I was using it daily for awhile but I found it made my skin a little dry so I switched to every other day. If you have never tried the Clarisonic you will be amazed. The first time you use it is my favorite, your skin is like five times softer, your make up goes on better, and over time you see a difference in your pores. There is also a more budget friendly version by Revlon. I have had both. They both work great, I do like the Clarisonic a little better, the brush is a little more powerful and larger, but they both do the trick. 

Once a week I do an exfoliating scrub for a deep clean. I really like the Arcona line because all of their products are natural. The grit on this exfoliater has enough to deep clean but it's not to harsh on the face. 

*Tip: Always wash your hands before you clean your face, and use a fresh wash cloth. Your face is only as clean as the hands that wash it, and towel that dries it :)

2. Tone:

Shiseido Cotton Wipes / Clinique Toner / Sephora Eye Makeup Remover

After I cleanse, I remove any excess makeup that didn't come off in the rinse. If I could rave about any product it would be the Shiseido wipes. I used to use the cheap round cotton pads from Walmart and Target and they were great, but once you try these you will never go back. It is a completely different level of softness. I have got all my friends hooked. (Tip: They sell out pretty quick in stores, so you may want to order online)

Toner is really important because it removes any excess residue left from cleansing, and helps restore the natural pH level in your skin. Clinique's toner also acts as a moisturizer. This has been a staple I have used for years. If I'm too lazy to do a full wash I just use a little toner and eye makeup remover. 

3. Bronze & Moisturize:

Clarins Self Tanning / Arcona Magic Ice / Smashbox BB Cream

One of my best friends introduced me to the Clarins Self Tanner. It has become a life saver. Generally I tan pretty easy. I'm Colombian so color is in my blood, but for some reason my face always had the hardest time getting tan. I'm embarrassed to say it now, but I used to lather on the dark tanning oils, and tanning bed lotions doing everything I could to get color on my face (not smart!) I love this face tanner because it doesn't make you orange and it lasts a long time. I have had my first bottle for almost a year. I apply it about every other day before I apply my makeup. 

A lot of people apply a moisturizer after they cleanse and tone. My skin gets a little too oily if I do a moisturizer and makeup, so in the morning when I'm getting ready for the day I use BB cream as my moisturizer and foundation. It has all the hydration and SPF you need blended into one. At night I use Arcona's Magic Ice as a hydrator. If you aren't ready to invest in the individual bottles, Arcona has a great starter kit (scrub, magic ice, toner, etc) with a step by step daily breakdown. This is what I used to get started when I first tried their products.  

I am still on the hunt for a good eye cream. I have tried a couple different ones and nothing has really jumped out at me and worked great. If you have any tips on your favorite eye serums or wrinkle creams I would love to hear! What are your favorite beauty products? I always love trying new ones!

FOURTH OF JULY AT FLATHEAD

I apologize I was kind of MIA last week with the blog. We went up to Montana to spend the Fourth of July with my family at our cabin. Flathead lake is hands down one of my favorite places. Partially because I have so many childhood memories there, but overall it is just gorgeous. It's so fun taking the kids to places that were so special to you as a child and seeing them create their own new memories. I had little to no service up there so here are a few snap shots from our trip.

Also I had quite a few of you asking about this tee Baseball Tee  and these Metallic Sandals from my Instagram pic, so here are the links. The tee is now on sale with an extra 30% off, such a good deal! (CODE: MWDEAL) I think I am going to get another color :) Hope you all had a great Fourth of July!