Happy National Sleep Week! What a week to celebrate by talking about night routines, good sleep...and good beauty sleep. This week long holiday feels appropriate since we sprung forward this past weekend and lost an hour of sleep...but I guess that's why the powers that be made it this week. 

It's no secret that for the past few years, I've been more intrigued by skincare products rather than makeup. Ever since the pandemic when the skincare boom really started, I've taken my skin more seriously and I think it's paying off. 

It's officially winter and my skin is acting up. I've been breaking out like crazy, there are dry patches on my skin, and I just feel like my skin has needed some TLC.

I always feel like winter is the time when you really pay attention to your skin; dry, cold air always makes people pack on the layers of moisturizers and face masks, and I almost feel like there's something truly glamorous about winter skin care.

My favorite beauty articles & blogs to read are always about transitioning from season to season. I love seeing how people switch up their routines to meet the weather conditions; I also love getting ideas of what is on trend & what I should be using.

I've done multiple skincare routine posts in the past, including my most recent post from September. Today, I want to strictly talk about the must haves for dry skin.

I don't use these products every single day, but they are my dry skin saviors.

For the record, I have normal to dry skin. In the past, it's been drier than normal but right now it's around normal to dry. I can feel when my skin is going through a dry patch and needs the extra hydration.

For reference, I use almost all of these items exclusively at night. I usually am too lazy/forget to moisturize during the day and when I do, I need something a little more lightweight. This moisturizer is still my go-to for daytime. 

• First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream: I've been talking about this for two years and it's still my ride or die moisturizer. My mom started using it on her face and she loves it; I've exclusively been using it for my body, unless my skin is in freak out mode & I need some heavy duty stuff. If you haven't used this yet, please try it. You will not regret it. 

• Laura Mercier Nourishing Rose Oil: I was in search of a great oil to use and then I found this. I read some Sephora reviews and was sold. I have not looked back because it's an incredible product. It's a very luxurious product that comes in a gorgeous glass bottle & I feel super chic when I use it, but what's inside is what matters. It's a thin oil that packs a punch and really sinks into your skin. It's not greasy and makes your skin feel hydrated and really nice. I will for sure be repurchasing this every chance I get.

• Josie Maran Argan Oil: This product has won every award possible in the beauty industry, and really has been a game changer over the past few years. To me, I think it put oils on the map and disrupted the beauty industry. However, I have not used it until this summer and it is really good. I don't use it too much, mostly because I really love my Laura Mercier oil, but it is a heavy duty oil that gets the job done. I like to use it with the next product I'm going to talk about it, and I got them together in a QVC kit.

• Josie Maran Pure Argan Intensive Hydrating Milk: I'm kind of grossed out by beauty items with the word "milk" in the title but I'm also kind of not. This definitely takes the cake as the latter-- I am obsessed with this product and almost done with it. It's a mixture between a lotion, oil & serum, and feels really nice on the skin. My face always feels smooth & refreshed the next day, and it sinks into the skin really nicely. If my skin is acting up, I usually put this on first & finish it off with the Argan Oil. They work really great together.

• Estee Edit Pink Peony Overnight Water Pack: The moment I saw this product, I wanted to try it but it has a pretty price tag. I bought this Estee Edit kit and a mini size came in it and I'm in love. On days that I'm a little lazy and my skin doesn't feel as if I need an oil, this is my go-to. It's my must have nighttime moisturizer because it's light weight, gives a cooling effect, and absorbs right into the skin. 

Skincare has become more and more important to me as the months have passed. I love a good moisturizer almost as much as I love a striking highlight. Without good skin, your makeup falls flat.

Without good skincare products, what is the point of your almost $40 Becca highlighter?

Nothing... that's what!

I was never good about sticking to a select few products because I always love to try a thousand things at once. Therefore, I never had holy grail items; also, I feel like my skin changes a lot so I constantly need to cater to those changes.

I have my skin issues, definitely; the main one being dryness around my eye and on my eyelid. Nothing worked to help out with that so I have a prescription steroid cream.

Other than that, my skin is usually dry, I don't break out a lot, but I do have some texture on my cheeks. I feel like these products and ways of cleansing really help me keep my skin clear and in control.

(Here's my skincare routine from last fall and from the spring. You can see how it's changed a lot!)




Makeup Removers

• Boscia Makeup-Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil: I purchased this last Christmas and have a little more than half of the bottle left. I don't use this every night, but when I'm wearing a full, caked on face of makeup or I feel like my skin needs an extra step of cleansing, I'll use this. It's a cleansing oil so it breaks down all your makeup before cleansing; just apply a few pumps to dry skin, rub in, and rinse clean. My skin feels awesome afterwards. 

• Makeup Eraser: If I don't use the cleansing oil, this is my go to. Ever since purchasing this a few months ago, I haven't used makeup wipes to remove any makeup. This cloth is specially made to remove makeup in one quick swipe and using only water. How does it do that? I have no idea but it works! Just run it under water, wipe your face, and it's completely gone. It's seriously like magic.

• Eye Makeup Removers: It's very rare I need another remover for my eyes but if I do, it's these two. The Clinique Take the Day Off Eye Makeup Remover Stick is such an interesting product, I knew I needed it in my life. It's a balm that you rub on your finger, and apply to your eye and all the eye makeup literally disappears. The Too Faced Mascara Melt Off Cleansing Oil is a cleansing oil for your mascara. I'll use this when I have on a waterproof mascara or just have the extra moments to remove mascara properly. It really does make all the difference in how the rest of my makeup comes off -- no raccoon eyes here! 

I've come to realize that my skin is very sensitive to the change of season. Every time the weather changes, my skin flares up. It also seems that with each passing season, the skincare products that worked previously no longer work for me so I need to find new products to help.

I never had problem skin when I was younger, it was in the last two years that my skin started to become troublesome and even though I hate it, I love being able to try new products to figure out what works with my skin and what doesn't.

This upcoming fall season has honestly turned my skin upside down. For the month of August, I had finally gotten my skin under control and then once the cool air hit, it was thrown for a whirlwind once again.

I was suffering from breakouts galore and these weird bumps on the side of my cheeks and along my chin. Up close and personal they look like clogged pores so I've been really trying to unclog them with exfoliating products and pore products, trying to clear things up.

After a few weeks of trying everything under the sun, I finally started to see a clear up last week. I'm pretty sure it's thanks to one special little product I received in my Birchbox this month and it truly is my saving grace. I've already looked at the full size and will most likely be purchasing in the future.

That product is the Dr. Jart Ceramidin Cream which is supposed to help repair damaged skin and hydrate your skin as well. It's a lifesaver and I'm obsessed with it. It cleared up my skin within a few days and I'm hoping my skin continues to respond well to it.



Now for the rest of my routine...

1. Simple Micellear Water & Simple Smoothing Face Scrub: I love the Simple brand. Ever since I was told last year that I was allergic to fragrance, I haven't really used another drugstore brand for my skin. Every product I've used has been amazing and these two are my favorite. I use the Micellear water in the morning on a cotton round to cleanse my face and it leaves my skin feeling refreshed and cleaned. The Smoothing Scrub is something new to me and I've fallen in love. It's a gentle exfoliate that is nice to use whether in the morning or at night. It really feels like I'm getting the dead skin off my face and I think it's made all the difference. It also doesn't irritate my skin which is the most important part.

2. Clarisonic + Fresh Soy Cleanser: I've told the tales of my love affair with my Clarisonic and it hasn't changed. This is my go to when my skin needs a deep cleaning and I try to use this after heavy make-up days or every other day. I use it in conjunction with my Fresh Soy Cleanser and it really gets the job done. My skin is incredibly soft, silky, and smooth after cleaning with my Clarisonic and I cannot imagine my life or skincare routine without it. I only use it at night because that's when I feel like my skin needs the most TLC.

3. Chemical Peel: I have come to loving a good chemical peel that removes the dead skin from your face. Just rubbing a bit of the peel onto clean skin and gently massaging it into your face allows for your dead skin to be removed, unclog pores, and refresh your skin. My two favorites are the Boscia Exfoliating Peel Gel and the Real Chemistry Luminous 3 Minute Peel.

4. Michael Todd Serum & Toner: I've used a few Michael Todd products in the past and I throughly enjoyed them at the time, so I'm happy to have two other great products in my routine. I've really been wanting to get into toners and serums because beauty experts say they are necessities and these two haven't disappointed me yet. The Organic Lemon toner is an exfoliate toner (can you tell I like exfoliates?) and it removes the dead skin and dirt that my makeup remover and cleanser missed. The Concentrated Antioxidant Moisturizing Serum is even newer since I received it in my EveryDay Glamour Birchbox LE Box and it's replaced my heavy duty moisturizer. It leaves my skin hydrated and smooth while still feeling like it's repairing my skin.

5. Tarte Eye Brightener: I've talked about this product in the past and I just bought the full size. I always need an eye cream and I'm glad to have this bad boy back in my arsenal. It hydrates the under eye area as well as providing brightening properties to improve the appearance of dark circles.

It seems like a lot of products but it takes a village to clear up my skin. It's very dry, dehydrated, and sensitive so I need a lot of help to maintain it. I love products that help brighten my skin, clear up my blemishes, and tighten my pores.

What are your favorite skincare products to help your type of skin? Give me recommendations in the comments :)