Masks and Treatments

Along with my regular skincare routine, I love incorporating masks and treatments into my regimen. I typically do a face mask at least once a week. These are some of my favourite face masks, whether it be for hydrating dry spots, dealing with hyper pigmentation and acne scars, or calming breakouts.

• Biore Deep Cleansing Pore Strips: These are a staple in my beauty regimen. I always have them on hand. There's something so satisfying about seeing all the gunk that has just come off of your face.. These are also great because they're available almost everywhere for very cheap!
• LUSH Fresh Face Masks: These are another staple. They all suit different skin types and conditions, so there's a different one for everyone. However, some of my favourites are: Brazened Honey, Cosmetic Warrior (smells disgusting but it works), Catastrophe Cosmetic and of course Cupcake. I store these in the freezer so they last even longer!
• Sephora Collection Face Mask: I love these paper masks, they're so fun to take selfies in! But like the LUSH ones, they also have different ones for different purpose. My favourites are: Green Tea, Pearl, and Rose.
• REN Glycol Lactic Radiance Renewal Mask: I love this mask because it makes my skin more radiant and clear. It's good for acne scarring and blemishes and evening skin tone.
• GLAMGLOW Youthmud Tinglexfoliant Treatment: This one is probably the most pricey on my list, but definitely worth it in my opinion. This is one of few products where I've noticed a difference immediately after using it. My skin feels fresher and newer and I will continue to repurchase but use sparingly!
• Josie Maran Argan Oil: I love this because it's so multifunctional. I'm sure you've heard many people preach their love for it, so I won't blab on too much and just say it's definitely a staple and I recommend everyone to own it.
• Origins Super Spot Remover: This treatment is all around the beauty community, and the name speaks for itself. If I see a spot, I put this treatment on it before bed and after my skincare routine, and it aids in drying out the spot. It is fairly drying, which is why I wouldn't recommend it daily, but it gets the trick done.

If you've tried any of these masks or treatments, or have any to recommend, send me an email (glalamorous@gmail.com), a tweet (@LBechkos17/@glalamorous) or a comment!

xLB

Skin Care Routine 2015

I have to say one of my obsessions this year has been skincare. I think that finding things that work is what has mainly fuelled this newfound obsession. On different days I do different things with my skincare, so I'll be sharing a basic schedule of that along with my current products and some favourite masks and treatments!

EVERYDAY BASICS

I like to start my skincare routine by taking my makeup off as soon as possible, whether it be mid afternoon, in the evening or at night before bed. 

I'm currently using the Almay Oil-Free Liquid Eye Makeup Remover. I wouldn't say it's a favourite or anything, but I just find it gets the job done at a great price. As for my face makeup, I use the Neutrogena Oil-Free Grapefruit Cleansing Wipes. I've repurchased this many times and will continue to do so. I love both of these products because they're easy, affordable drugstore products, which are always a day saver when it comes to essentials you use everyday and go through quite a bit of.

No matter what products I'm using, I always use my trusty Clarisonic. While it is a bit pricey I think it's a worthy investment. Since using it I've definitely noticed a difference in my skin and it always makes my face feel that much cleaner. It really helps take great products the extra mile.

SUNDAY & THURSDAY

Sunday (being the start of the week) and Thursday (the day after a night out with friends on Wednesday) are evenings when I need a more thorough cleaning. For that, I lean on the Murad Clarifying Cleanser. I'll never get over the feeling I had the first time using it, my face had never felt so clean! Everything felt so fresh and nice, but not in a dry or irritated way. Since this is a clarifying acne cleanser I don't like to use it everyday as I think for my skin its a tad harsh, but I love using it a few days a week to ensure there is no gunk hiding in my face. 

Following that, I use my trusty Lancome Tonique Radiance toner. I've been using it for years and I'm still in love with it. It's clarifying, exfoliating and it takes anything left behind along with it. It supports cell turnover which is very important to me and my stubborn acne scars. 

Finally, I finish with Philosophy's Hope in a Jar Night. I've actually yet to purchase this, I just continued to redeem it as a 100 point perk from Sephora for a few months. As soon as I'm out of my deluxe samples I'm definitely going to purchase. It's amazing in winter when my skin is all dry and gross, it just gives a nice fresh boost and it's extremely thick and hydrating.

MONDAY & WEDNESDAY & FRIDAY

This would be my standard "Everyday" skincare routine if someone were to ask me for just one everyday routine. For this, I use my beloved Michael Todd skincare products. I initially found out about this brand after receiving a product in an Ipsy bag, then I kind of forgot about it until I started to see it popping up all over the beauty community. After that, I ordered a cleanser and moisturizer and now I'm hooked! So to start, I use the Michael Todd Charcoal Detox Deep Pore Gel Cleanser, then follow up with my Lancome Tonique Radiance then finally the Michael Todd Citrus Cream Moisturizer. 

TUESDAY & SATURDAY

On Tuesday & Saturday I do my MWF routine along with exfoliating and a face mask/peel or treatment. To exfoliate, I use the Aveda Botanical Exfoliant or the Michael Todd Jojoba Charcoal Facial Scrub. The first one is a liquid exfoliant, similar to a toner, but you can see the amount of gunk it's scrubbing off which is so satisfying! And the second one is charcoal so it just sucks everything right out of your skin!

If you have any holy grail skincare products I'd love to hear them so leave a comment down below, shoot me an email (Glalamorous@gmail.com) or a tweet (@lbechkos17/@glalamorous). I'm always looking for new masks, and would love to hear from you. I also plan on doing a favourite masks/treatments post soon, so look forward to that!

xLB

Soap & Glory - The Fab Pore Facial Peel

I've heard wondrous things on this product, so I figured I'd give it a go! This facial peel is meant to be used every few days or so, and for 5 or 15 minutes, depending on the outcome you'd like.

The super cute packaging; always catches my eye on S&G products. Great branding!

I absolutely adore Soap & Glory's packaging.. I can always spot the products from a mile away and the cheeky titles always catch my attention and give a giggle!

The product/bottle..

As you'll notice, the product does have little green beads to it. The goal when applying the peel is to use a grape sized dollop, and as you're massaging it on your skin, to be conscious of the green beads and make sure they're all blended in as this is what makes the product be the product!

And the interior! Notice the little green beads in the mask? Those are your friends :~)

I've read plenty reviews on this, and a lot of them essentially said how after one use they noticed their pores shrinking in size. To be honest, I think that's total bullocks.  I don't believe you can expect immediate gratification from a product, to see a difference you need to try it a few times. One use isn't going to make a difference, or let you properly know if you like a product, these things need time.

That being said, I didn't immediately notice a difference, but my pores felt refreshed, so if anything I feel as if this did a deep cleaning on my skin. A lot of the time I just use this in my T-zone as I hate washing face masks off from my forehead.. with my hair it becomes a total mess.

After using this several times, I'd say my pores looked cleaner. Not smaller, but cleaner. I don't believe a drugstore product can shrink your pores. That to me is just a total myth. But that's not to say products like these are ineffective, because they definitely can be effective.

Hope that made sense.. long story short, great product, I had much cleaner pores after around 3-5 uses and I can tell this product will last a long time (plenty of applications) so who knows if I'll even need to buy it again!

xLB