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My Daily Skincare Routine: Simplicity + High-Quality Products
I am NOT a morning person — and that’s fine because Fast Company co-signs: Why You Shouldn’t Force Yourself To Be A Morning Person. But, I am a coffee person (a strong french roast, foamed milk with honey and a spoonful of collagen powder). So, with my gigantic cup of coffee in hand, my morning routine begins each day.
The main goal here is to look my absolute glowing best with the least amount of time and effort. Below I outline my step by step to a fast and easy put-together face:
Wash face with a drop of your favorite face wash added to your Konjac Sponge. I love La Mer Cleansing Foam but I have also discovered Acure Organics Sensitive Facial Cleanser and I think its amazing, especially for the price of $10! The Konjac Sponge can help naturally cleanse, exfoliate, and nourish skin. It has been used in Asian cultures for over 2,000 years and is made with the Konjac root, a fiber that is known for its weightless properties when consumed. The Wellness Mama writes:
Konjac naturally nourishes with vitamins A, B, C, D and E, proteins, lipids, fatty acids, copper, zinc, iron, and magnesium. This wonder veggie even has antioxidants and has historically been used to suppress tumors. Unlike other exfoliators that harm the environment, konjac is completely natural, non-toxic, and biodegradable (no harmful plastic microbeads needed!)
Many Brands Sell Konjac Sponges — This one is $15 on Sephora.com
2. After cleansing I dry my face and use a cotton ball to apply toner to close my pores and leave a smooth clean surface for moisturizer and makeup. My favorite toner is by Aesop: B & Tea Balancing Toner. A more cost effective toner than also works wonders (and smells amazing!) is the Coconut Face Toner by Everyday Coconut.
3. Next up is moisture. In the winter I need a little bit more help so I first apply the Acure Day Cream , it offers serious protection against environmental damage and free radicals, thanks to an infusion of chlorella growth factor and gotu kola stem cells. But it doesn’t have SPF so make sure you have protection in your BB cream or apply it separately to protect your precious skin from the sun. In winter months I skip day cream all together and use face oil instead.
I use my favorite face oil from Dermalogica, the Phyto Replenish Oil. It is a little pricey at $75 a bottle but so far that bottle has lasted me 6 months and I use it everyday. On the back of my hand I squeeze a bean sized amount of Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in Alaska and add a drop of the Phyto Replenish Oil then mix together and all over my face including under the eye and my neck.
4. I use a bit of concealer under my eyes, under my eyebrow arc, around my nose and down my nose for light contouring. I honestly have always used L’Oreal Magic Lumi Highlighter with Cover Girl Ready, Set Gorgeous Concealor work wonders and is super inexpensive!
5. For my brows I started using LashFood’s ‘24H Tri-Feather Brow Pen’ and its really helping the growth of my eyebrows while adding subtle structure to my face. When i’m on the go I don’t bother with anything on my eyes except a couple swipes of a multi-purpose mascara. This one not only goes on easily but is working to strengthen my lashes too: LashFood’s ‘Conditioning Drama’ mascara.
6. Last comes bronzer and illuminator stick. Dermablend works wonders in the summer and gives you that natural sun kissed look that hides the fact you’ve been stuck in the office all day. Last comes the Nars Multi-Purpose Stick in Orgasm (classic color) on the cheeks, down the nose and a dab in the middle of the forehead for good luck.
And there you have it. Simple, easy, routine for a light natural look! What is your routine? Do you have any tips or insight into easy and fast products you love you’d like to share? I would love to hear from you!
Have A Great Day!
Follow me: @mostlynina
Nina’s Beauty Muffins : Collagen Powder is Magic
My mother is a huge resource for healthy eating and lifestyle habits. When she moved to Boston alone as a 16 year old girl from Iran she did what any teenager would do — she binged on fast food. After many months of eating pizza, french fries and donuts, she found herself feeling unhealthy and with a serious case of psoriasis. After trying the western route of harmful medicines and treatments, she decided she needed to heal herself from the inside out by changing her eating and exercise habits.
Today, we have regular catch up calls (I live in NYC) about life, family and — her latest health and beauty discovery (Lucky me!) This time around it was about the wonderful world of odorless, tasteless Collagen Powder.
Collagen Powder is the latest supplement on the tongue of every beauty brand and health guru. Powdered collagens are the hydrolyzed form of gelatin, meaning that the proteins are broken down into individual peptide (amino acid) chains so the powdered collagen doesn’t gel like gelatin.
As an excellent source of protein and calcium Collagen contributes to glowing skin, growing hair and stronger nails. It not only supports skin elasticity (smaller pores) and combating the signs of aging (less wrinkles) but it also great for digestion and joint/bone health.
Some ways I consume collagen powder (Two tablespoons full)daily are:
- My morning coffee or tea at night (Tart cherry tea recipe to come)
- Smoothies
- Glow Soup (Post with recipe to come)
- Beauty Muffins (Recipe below)
- In anything..no really, since it has no taste or smell and dissolves right away you can literally add this powder to whatever food or drink you want!
Nina’s Beauty Muffins Recipe
Makes about 9 Muffins
1 ¾ cups fine almond flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon fine grain sea salt
3 Tablespoons of chia seeds + 1 Teaspoon for muffin tops (or however much you like)
2 big tablespoons of collagen powder*
3 tablespoons of honey
4 Tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 Teaspoon of apple cider vinegar
2 large eggs
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
1 large banana, mashed
2 handfuls of berry of your choice
almond milk (or regular milk) to add wetness as needed
*I used Great Lakes Gelatin Collagen Hydrolysate — pure unflavored kosher beef from Thrivemarket.com.
Beauty Muffins ready to go! My berry of choice on this day was Raspberry
INSTRUCTIONS
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 9-cup muffin pan with unbleached parchment liners. (or don’t use any liners like I did in the image)
In a large bowl, whisk together almond flour, baking soda, salt, collagen and 3 Tablespoons chia seeds.
In a bowl, combine coconut oil, apple cider vinegar, honey, eggs, and vanilla — place in a bigger bowl with hot water to keep coconut oil melted so all ingredients combine seamlessly.
Pour wet mixture into bowl with dry ingredients and stir until nicely combined. Fold in mashed bananas and blueberries, add milk if needed to create better consistency
Divide the batter into the prepared pan, 3/4 filled in. Add teaspoon of chia seeds to top of each muffic. Bake for about 55 minutes (I like them well done). Take them out, drizzle coconut oil on top of each muffin so the top is glazed.
Let cool — Enjoy!
Voila! I topped them off with some coconut flakes — they have a nice brown color from the coconut oil
Voila! I topped them off with some coconut flakes — they have a nice brown color from the coconut oil
Thanks guys, you can shop Collagen Powder items below - and as always I would love to hear from you and your experience with Collagen Powder!
Hyaluronic Acid: A vital youth-supporting moisturizer
I discovered this magic hydrator after my experience with the infamous ‘Vampire Facial’ aka Microneedling with PRP.
I'll write a post about my experience having my blood taken and rubbed all over my face in the name of beauty, but in the meantime you can read about the magical substance that soothed and hydrated my skin after the blood bath.
After the Microneedling my face felt super tight and raw. Aftercare included not touching my face, sleeping with the plasma on through the night ala American Psycho (my boyfriend was terrified), washing it gently with water in the morning, staying out of the sun and only applying Hyaluronic acid each day for the next 3 days. The consistency of the product is akin to water and it feels light and cooling on the face, leaves no oily residue and dries in seconds once applied.
I have continued to use Hyaluronic acid after the treatment and began reading more about it. Hyaluronic acid is a lubricating fluid that’s naturally found in the skin, eyes, joints, fluid and connective tissue. It's been described as the ‘key molecule involved in skin moisture’ and is capable of holding up to 1,000 time its weight in water .
The Key Benefits of Consuming and Applying Hyaluronic Acid:
A powerful humectant (aka moisture-binding ingredient) that keeps skin plump and hydrated and, yes, young-looking.
Increases hydration, improves elasticity and also reverses free radical damage.
It’s present in large amounts in the spaces between skin cells, where it provides moisture, plumpness, firmness and suppleness to the skin.
It works to prevent and reduce age spots and pigmentation issues.
It is vital to joint health either in pill form or as an injectable directly into the joint.
Shop some great products with Hyaluronic Acid below!
Please leave any questions or comments as I would love to hear from you!