The Beauty Products I Used in December
Dryness!!!
We did a fair amount of running around in Dec/end of November - Chicago for Thanksgiving, then Utah for skiing, then back and forth to LA, then Austin… Lots of time on airplanes, and lots of time in cold, dry climates (LA isn’t cold but it’s fucking DRY). I used moisturizing things this month…lots of them. Here were my favorites.
ONE OF MY TOP THREE PRODUCTS OF ALL TIME
I love this so much, and use it so much, sometimes I forget that it’s a beauty product. It’s by this brand VMV Hypoallergenics, every product is formulated to be free of any known allergens, and it’s technically a baby product. It’s this totally miraculous all-purpose balm, it has a very light, slick consistency, and is made with coconut oil to be moisturizing, antibacterial, and anti-fungal. I use it on my lips before bed, and then on cracked knuckles, hang nails, random little bumps and nicks and things like that. I also put it on my kids noses when they get raw from runny noses, etc, AND it’s currently discounted, which I desperately hope doesn’t mean they’re discontinuing it, because I’ve been using it since about 2010 when I was an assistant at Teen Vogue, and it’s certainly my most-used item. I just bought 5 of them. This would make an EXCELLENT little gifty for your friends.
Iris & Romeo Skin Cocoon
I got an early bottle of this, and I’ve been using it morning and night ever since. It’s great for protecting your skin’s natural barrier (keeping it hydrated and healthy) and also gives you a lovely dewyness. It is soooo good.
VINTNER’S DAUGHTER ACTIVE RENEWAL CLEANSER
This cleanser is relatively expensive, but it is SO GOOD. It’s very gently exfoliating, and contains some of the magic that makes the Vintner’s Daughter serum so good (and an absolute cult favorite).
THESE TWO SERUMS
I’ve also been using a blend of these two Beauty Pie serums day and night, and I can see a huge difference in how moisturized and even my skin looks. Niacinamide helps to brighten your skin but also make your pores look smaller, and the Hyaluronic Acid serum is an excellent hydrator - it also has ceramides, which can allegedly help prevent crepeyness. They don’t have a tacky finish when they dry, but they do give you a nice glow.
AN UN-TINTED SPF
For tinted SPF I’m very loyal to Iris & Romeo’s Weekend Skin, but I just came back from a ski trip and wanted something for my face without any tint - I used this one from One Skin all weekend and I LOVED it. It went on super light, didn’t pill, wasn’t oily, and there’s a whole science behind the brand’s formulation around skin repair, but if I were to try and replicate it I’d butcher it, so just watch this - it’s very compelling.
SPF LIP BALM
I once got a sunburn on my lips while skiing, which was AWFUL. I used this Supergoop SPF 30 balm on this trip, which is flavored with mint, so it doesn’t have the sunscreeny taste that most SPF balms have. My lips didn’t burn OR crack. A win.
THIS BLUSH
Ok ok, enough about skiing, but I really love the way you look when you first come back in, your cheeks are pink, you have goggle impressions around your eyes, you have hat hair…it’s just this insanely fresh and sexy look. I use this blush (in Citrine) on the tops of my cheeks, the bridge and tip of my nose, and the high points of my forehead to try and mimic it. It’s like an orangey tan - very après.
A TERRIFIC EXFOLIATOR
Rather than doing a mask before a big event, I’d recommend using one of these the night before. It’s a mega exfoliator, makes your pores look teeny tiny, and gives you a great glow. Over time, it can also help get rid of dark spots and hyperpigmentation.
AND THERE WE ARE!
Your friend,
Laurel