Self Care Favorites from 2020!
By: Celine Vazquez ‘24
I’ve never done a favorites post before, but after spending a lot of time cooped up at home during this past year, I’ve accumulated TONS of items that I can’t resist to share with you all! Favorites posts may sound boring and I used to think people just made them for their business partnerships, but now I’m absolutely obsessed reading/watching them, and I can’t wait to share some of my favorite beauty/skincare/wellness recommendations!
S K I N C A R E
LUSH Cup O’Coffee Mask – When I first went to LUSH, this mask was the first product that I bought. I had heard great things about their masks, and because this was one of their bestsellers, I just had to try it! I expected this face mask to be good, but it proved me wrong - it’s WAYYY better than good! I’ve used it so many times now. This masks exfoliates your skin with literal bits of coffee, giving your face a very tingly, refreshing feeling. This is a great mask for exfoliation, and what makes it even better is that it smells like you’re in a Starbucks!! Bonus: it’s vegan and cruelty free.
LUSH Dream Cream Body Lotion – If your skin is super sensitive like mine, you have to be careful what you treat it with. This cream from LUSH was perfect for me! I didn’t get any reactions from it, and it is made of the most calming mixture of oat milk, lavender, and chamomile. After using this cream this year, my skin has felt smoother and softer than ever! The best part is that after applying this lotion, you’re not left with an oily residue - it’s the perfect amount to moisturize your skin without leaving you looking shiny. The smell is the best, and I recommend getting the smaller size first (a little goes a long way)!
LUSH Don’t Look at Me Mask – Can you tell I love LUSH yet? Seriously, this mask is one of the most refreshing things you will ever put on your face! It works great for exfoliation, but is also very gentle on the skin. This mask has ground rice that helps get rid of any dry skin, and also has murumuru butter that moisturizes your skin, leaving your face looking clean and stunning. The best part of this mask is it’s strong citrus scent that brightens up your day! I definitely recommend trying this one out.
When shopping during Cyber Monday, I came across this MILK skincare set (pictured above), and just had to get my hands on it! I got all of these products for $35! This set unfortunately isn’t available anymore so buying all of these might be a bit expensive. However, these sticks last FOREVER and can guarantee they are totally worth your money. Below are my reviews of each of these products:
MILK Cooling Water – This Cooling Water stick is infused with caffeine to support micro-circulation. This is huge in the process of de-puffing any eyebags you may have, and it has worked great for me! After applying, the areas under my eyes feel so refreshed, and after about a week of using it I noticed that my eyebags had significantly gone away! Perfect to use after a long semester of staring at screens.
MILK Watermelon Brightening Serum – The main reason I got this product was because after having serious acne back in high school, I was left with tons of acne scars. These dark spots ruined the complexion of my skin, and although they were already lightening over time, I wanted something to speed up the process. In all honesty, this product did not work to brighten my dark spots, BUT it did leave my skin feeling super moisturized, and left it super dewy and soft. I do not recommend using if you want to get rid of dark spots, but do recommend if you’re looking for something to moisturize your skin pre-makeup application.
MILK Hydrating Face Mask – THIS has to be the BEST MILK Skincare product you can get from this set!! Although I love myself a fresh facemask, the application process can be messy. I hate the feeling of facemask being stuck to my fingers, and this mask solved all of my problems. After washing your face well, just roll this mask over your face and you are done! After using this mask my face always feels so hydrated. I 10/10 recommend this product!
MILK Vegan Milk Moisturizer – Although this cream feels a bit thick when you first apply it, once you evenly spread it out it does magic for your skin. I have naturally dry skin, and this has totally fixed that problem!
B E A U T Y
Glossier Lash Slick – This mascara is the holy grail of all mascaras. I have small eyelashes, but this mascara lifts them up a lot even without curling them! I don’t think I’m alone in saying that Glossier’s mascara is the best of all mascaras.
Glossier Lidstar – Before Glossier, I never wore eyeshadow because I simply thought it would be too hard to put on. Let me tell you: this product saved MY LIFE! I bought this product in the color Cub, and couldn’t have loved it more. This eyeshadow is unique in that it comes in liquid form. You dab it on your eyelid, and blend to reveal a perfectly natural, beautiful eyeshadow. This product is literally foolproof and I couldn’t recommend more.
Glossier Boy Brow– Boy Brow is a creamy, brushable wax that you apply to your eyebrows. They instantly fluff and shape your eyebrows to the perfect extent, and you can easily play with how your eyebrows look with this product! I used to use an eyebrow product from Benefit, but Boy Brow converted me. My eyebrows stay in place all day with this product.
Glossier Colorslide – Why would you apply boring old black eyeliner when you can apply green, blue, even YELLOW eyeliner?? Glossier’s Colorslide product has me hooked, and I’m so excited to try even more colors! This eyeliner is easier to apply than liquid eyeliner because it is made of a gel.
MILK Lip + Cheek– This stick from MILK is a 2 in 1: blush AND lip tint! I only use it for my blush, but I think it’s cool that you can use it to give your lips some color! The blush works extremely well. You just have to swipe it onto your cheeks, and blend how you want. It also has an amazing citrus smell - what’s not to love!
MILK Hydro Set + Refresh– After applying makeup, it’s a necessity to have a setting spray to keep your makeup looking fresh all day. MILK’s setting is the best one I have used so far! You can spray it on before you apply makeup if you don’t have primer, and use it after to set your makeup! Works like an absolute dream.
Fresh Sugar Lip Exfoliator - Nobody likes the feeling of rough lips, and I hated feeling this every day in high school. This lip scrub saved me, leaving my lips feeling ultra soft! Even if you do get a little in your mouth while you’re in the process of exfoliating your lips, it doesn’t matter - the stuff tastes like brown sugar! I seriously recommend this product.
I hope you like all of the products! They have been such a great help in my self care routine, and I know we’re all going to need that going into the Spring 2021 semester.
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