What's in my vanity - the beauty products I swear by
As I age, one thing becomes more and more clear to me; the world of cosmetics and skincare products have cost me a fortune and left me more confused than ever. Like…one day exfoliating is good and the other day its not, and then it’s good, but only if you do it every third day - Use this retinol, but not that retinol… Good grief! So I have gotten extremely minimalist with my skincare routine. I like to think it coordinates with this Edwardian themed room and I am using products women may have used 100 years ago LOL. I’m keeping it simple and going back to basics.
secretary desk
So I thought I would share what I am using! Some of these things are just a few ingredients you can whip up at home. I am not selling anything and these are not sponsored/gifted items - the opinions are purely my own.
secretary desk makeup vanity
Cleansing
I mostly wash my face with warm water to preserve my natural oils, but when I need to remove make-up or some serious dirt from being outside, I use this. If I have time, I’ll wash with pure honey, allowing it to sit on my face for a few minutes first. It cuts through the grime, without disrupting the moisture barrier.
Face Moisturizer
I recently learned how drying coconut oil can be for the skin, and how seed oils can accelerate the aging process, due to their high amounts of polyunsaturated fats (which oxidize when exposed to sun and damage cells -yikes!). So I’ve been using grass fed tallow balm. Just a little on the back of my finger nail is all it takes to moisturize my whole face. It feels great on and I don’t have that dry, cracked feeling an hour later like I have had in the past with other moisturizers. This really adds a fat barrier over the skin that keeps it protected.
In the Winter, the heat in the house can be so drying, so I like to keep rose water nearbyfor a quick spritz of moisture whenever I’m feeling parched.
I like to use this Rose beauty balm on my lips and under eyes. It smells heavenly.
rose beauty balm
Scent
For perfume, I make a blend using essential oils. I like to call it 2021’s version of CK1. Strong enough for a man, but made for a woman. Or something like that. LOL.
essential oil perfume recipe
It’s a woodsy meets floral scent that’s hard to identify as perfume or cologne; It’s just pleasant and I always feel a little extra special when wearing it (even if I’ve done nothing else to enhance my look). I use it on my pulse points so it emanates throughout the day.
In a roller ball filled with carrier oil, add 10 drops each of:
geranium rose
vetiver
cedar-wood
patchouli
bergamot
I like to use clean, pure essential oils. There are a number of great brands out there. Try to go organic if you can. I like this brand
essential oil perfume roller ball recipe
Body Moisturizer
For body moisturizer, I melt raw, unrefined shea butter with about a tablespoon of cold pressed, single origin extra virgin olive oil. The olive oil is a great anti-oxidant, and makes my skin feel so smooth. This also makes the shea butter easier to spread after it hardens.
homemade body butter recipe
While it’s melted, on your stove, you can add an essential oil if you want it to smell. Or I’ll sometimes use this one with passion fruit which I also like. Pour into a glass container and it will harden. The result ends up being a wet-sandy texture that melts immediately onto the skin.
homemade body butter recipe
And there you have it! I don’t claim to have all the answers, but it feels so good to keep things this simple in my routine. I especially love that I am not wasting money on tons of products I don’t need!
What has worked for you? I'd love to hear your favorite skincare routines in the comments!