This post has been updated now that I live in Florida & wear sunscreen every day
This idea for a post was spawned when I listed a lot of this info at the bottom of another post all about our home & personal care products (it was a giant rundown we shared in 2017) but since people were having trouble finding this info buried at the bottom (and I had to keep adding updates as I changed something) this post was born.
Hair/Shower Stuff
This is my current favorite shampoo and conditioner, and I also use this AMAZING curl cream, which I apply when my hair is wet right out of the shower (long story short, I realized my hair is actually curly and not just frizzy like I thought – this stuff is great for thick hair whether it’s straight or curly – it tames the frizz and leaves my hair soft & less insane looking). As for the bod, I use this giant body wash (lasts for months and months) and conditioner as shave gel. #rebel
I also love this Burt’s Bees deep pore scrub that gently exfoliates (it has those little beads in it) and leaves my skin feeling soft. I use it 1-2 times a week in the shower on my face, just to gently slough off dead skin. Occasionally I’ll also use coconut oil straight from the jar as a deep hair conditioner / mask (you have to wash it out thoroughly with shampoo after you apply it, or your hair will be greasy the next day, but it’s great for softening & detangling).
My Makeup
So this is all of the makeup I own. No basket in the bathroom. No clear plastic drawer system. No caboodles (although I totally had one as a kid and LOVED THAT THING). If you see us at a speaking event, this is all I have on my face (and if you see me at Target, I usually have nothing but lip balm and maybe some salad in my teeth). The bronzer is awesome. I apply that with a big makeup brush and occasionally I use this concealer under my eyes if I need it – but I’m pretty lazy about that.
Next I swipe this Nars Orgasm powder, which does magical things, under my cheekbones and I swipe this highlighter stick (which I am obsessed with) above my cheekbones and under my eyebrows and kinda… rub it in? Next, I put some brown eyeshadow on my lids (the darkest color in the four-pack) and on my eyebrows (sounds weird, but it subtly darkens them just a little). Then I use the lightest color from that eyeshadow kit under my eyebrows sort of on top of the highlighter.
Next I curl my lashes and apply black eyeliner, which I’m legitimately terrible at doing (I have a steady hand for cutting in a wall, but the most unsteady hand for drawing on my eyes) and then I add some mascara. Note: this mascara blows every other mascara I’ve ever tried out of the water (and I stop strangers on the street to tell them about it). Truly. It is a miracle and people ask if I’m wearing fake lashes or using some sort of growth serum and all it is is this cheap grocery store mascara! CAN YOU TELL
Last step is always some of this Boy Brow stuff, which is somehow both extremely natural looking yet it makes a huge difference. It’s my favorite beauty find of the year for sure, and many many days a year I just wear this with lip balm and maybe a dash of mascara and I feel so much more polished than I did without it. I can’t explain it, you just have to try it (I get the brown color).
Oh and as for what lip balm – always Burt’s Bees! Nothing on my lips but that ever ever ever. I have a giant joker mouth with even the slightest color on my lips, to the point where blog readers see me in magazine shoots when a make-up person put lipstick on me and say WHYYY DID THEY MAKE YOUR MOUTH LOOK SO CRAZY?! Oh and my favorite tweezers and nail clippers are in the pouch too, in case I need to do some grooming with those.
Face Stuff / Skin Routine
Here’s where I’m gonna get a little unexpected for a second (some people think it’s downright weird). I don’t buy toner or makeup remover or eye cream or face lotion or cleansing potions for acne or stuff like that. That’s right, I DO NOT USE FACE WASH. And I’m not a doctor or a dermatologist so this is just what works for me (my derm knows what I do and her response was “your skin looks happy” so I’ll take it).
Here’s what I do: I buy these three totally natural products that basically do it all for me: Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (it has to be Braggs! It’s the best/purest/most concentrated!), Dr. Bronner’s Organic Coconut Oil (don’t use cheap/unpure coconut oil either or it can clog pores and generally be bad for your skin – make sure it’s pure/organic and from a good brand you trust like Dr Bronner’s), and Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel Facial Mist Toner. (I recently added this third thing and it’s so good along with the other two in the photo below – I just mist it over my face after the other two). I use coconut oil so much I leave it out on the kitchen counter so I removed the label to make the jar prettier.
I already mentioned coconut oil as being an awesome deep conditioner for your hair – and it’s also really amazing for skin – it can double as a body lotion, face lotion, makeup remover, you name it. I generally like to rub a small amount on my face before bed (warning: if you rub too much on in the morning you can look a little shiny – and too much can make your hairline grease too – the key is a light dab here and there).
I put it on maybe 30 minutes before bed and I just apply a small amount. It doesn’t stain my pillowcase and it soaks in like any moisturizer would. I have sensitive skin, but I never break out from it (since coconut oil is naturally antibacterial, I have a theory that it cuts down on blackheads and breakouts, both of which I’ve had as an adult when using other products on my face).
Also, a word on wrinkles: when we share photos like this picture or the one below, people ask if I don’t age…
I definitely do have wrinkles, but I have noticed in the last year or so of using coconut oil every night before bed that my skin feels more hydrated and plumper if that makes sense – so it’s less dry and therefore my crinkly eyes and forehead don’t show up as clearly. So yes: coconut oil is my skin secret. I’m basically that dad from My Big Fat Greek Wedding and his Windex, except I walk around wielding a big jug of coconut oil.
My Nightly Skin Routine
So as I mentioned above, at night it’s just a light coating of Dr. Bronner’s Organic Coconut Oil (I swear by that brand because it’s so organic/pure) that I rub into my face just like you’d apply any moisturizer. That’s it. It even takes off makeup if you rub it on like a cold cream and then wipe it off with a warm damp washcloth after applying it (the warm wet washcloth does most of the work, so don’t overdo the coconut oil – just a dab). All the grime and makeup comes off.
Even Gisele (the runway model) talks about how she uses coconut oil to take off her makeup. It’s GOOD. And it’s simple and so cheap. After wiping with the washcloth to take your makeup off, just dab a bit more coconut oil on if you feel dry after that, but not too much. When I don’t wear makeup I skip the washcloth wipe-down and just rub it on like night cream.
Update as of 2022: now that I’m over 40 and have moved to Florida (that’s an updated pic below), where I also use sunscreen every morning, I’ve also added this retinol and this lactic acid treatment to my night routine. So it’s coconut oil if I’m feeling dry or to remove makeup and then I follow with this, and then this. That’s it. Still don’t clean my face with any cleanser or scrub or anything. Ever. (Makes me break out).
If you feel like coconut oil isn’t fully getting your makeup off, my daughter uses these makeup wipes that are super gentle and loves them. In a pinch I’ll use them to get some gunk off my face and they never irritate my skin, which I appreciate.
My Daily Morning Routine
In the morning, as a toner/skin cleanser I wipe my face down with a light swipe of watered down Bragg’s Organic Apple Cider Vinegar (remember it has to be Bragg’s with “the mother” in it). Water it down about halfway – so it’s 50% water and 50% ACV (I premix about 2 weeks worth and store mine in a small lidded tupperware container that you’d use to transport salad dressing). I just dip a cotton ball in that little tupperware jar every morning and wipe it all over my face as I’m pouring my tea.
I actually keep cotton balls and ACV in the cabinet with my mugs since I do it at the same time (you don’t need to refrigerate it). You’re going for a light coat, which shouldn’t have any smell when it dries. If it does, water it down more and use way less. Don’t douse your face like a salad. A little goes a long way, and it seems to also help with avoiding breakouts, reducing blackheads a ton, and just generally clarifying my skin.
Once my face dries (maybe 10 minutes later) I mist some Thayers Cucumber Witch Hazel Facial Mist Toner all over my face. It smells heavenly, and has definitely helped with adult acne (I recently traveled without it and got a zit the day I didn’t have it! Got back home and put it back on my face and my zit disappeared!). It has over 4,000+ five star reviews (it’s a cult favorite on Amazon, which is why I tried it) and it’s under $9 for a big 12 oz bottle. Can’t say enough good things about this stuff.
I’ve also added this Vitamin C serum to my morning routine. Just a quick rub of it all over my face. Lately I have been using this jade roller to help it absorb, because it feels so good and cool on my skin in the morning – and apparently it has a ton of benefits. I also dab this Caffeine solution around my eyes to make puffiness go down. It’s amazing and the $6.70 price tag can’t be beat!
Next I use a thin layer of my favorite sunscreen (I love that it’s not greasy and dries matte, and doesn’t break me out). I’ve tried a ton of sunscreens since moving to FL and it’s hands down the best one for me. And as a last morning step lately I love adding this hydrating stick. It just adds great all-day moisture to dehydrated spots and plumps wrinkles and gives me such a nice little healthy dewy glow (but nothing sparkly, which I appreciate).
Once A Week Stuff I Love
Once a week I’ve been microneedling in the evening with this and love it so far. It’s supposed to make your skin firmer, even out skin tone, help with fine lines and imperfections, and generally made tiny tiny damage to your skin which then regenerates stronger and better if that makes sense (most important thing to me = it doesn’t hurt – feels kind of like scrubbing my face with exfoliating beads). Make sure to clean it well after each use (I spray mine with alcohol in a tiny spray bottle and let it air dry). I keep meaning to research some sort of serum to use afterward (this one and this one look good), but as of now… I’m just using coconut oil. Who is surprised? Anyone? Bueller?
On a completely different day I also shave my face once a week with this awesome thing! That sounds weird but it sloughs off dead skin and makes my face feel baby smooth (and gets rid of my peach fuzz – cause I’m Italian ;)
I also do this face mask once a week (usually about 3 days after
How To Use Apple Cider Vinegar To Remove A Skin Tag
Yes, you read that right. We need to circle back to the apple cider vinegar for a second, because a cotton ball soaked in not-watered-down ACV that’s held on a skin tag for a few minutes for a few days in a row can literally make it FALL OFF. It’s nuts. I know that’s gross, but it’s also kind of a miracle. I did one next to my eye that bugged me so much and three days later it was GONEZO. See ya later, taggy. (*flashes peace sign at skin tag*).
One warning would be that you don’t want to burn your skin, and everyone has a different reaction to any number of products (natural or otherwise), so feel free to test that your skin is ok with ACV first (getting a bit of redness after it is totally normal for me – it goes away after 10-15 mins) and you can also water it down for the first few times if it feels like it’s burning too much. I’ve personally had luck with this method multiple times (in my case I don’t water it down & just hold it on the skin tag for a few minutes for like 3-5 days in a row until it falls off).
Still have questions? Wanna see my face in action after I microneedle or watch me jade roll away my bags? Just watch this series of IG stories for lots of extra info. And if you’re looking for other general favorites of mine (like fav cleaning stuff, clothes, tools, beach gear, smart tech, etc – this page has you covered).
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