Happy Tuesday! I can’t believe we’re already almost halfway done with the year and three months deep into quarantine. This week the Chicago lakefront is finally re-opening and apparently indoor dining in Chicago restaurants is too. At this point in quarantine I’ve only dined outside once and that was this past week. What are everyone’s thoughts thus far on going back to some sense of “normalcy” after three months in quarantine? Lately I’ve been finding myself thinking, “what even happened these last three months?” because often more times than not, it feels like a complete blur. Anyone else?
For most of this pandemic, I’ve felt an extreme lack of productivity until last Monday when I felt like I was on overdrive zooming through my to-do list. Somehow I walked 9 miles Friday, wrote a time blocked to-do list every single day and took two Housework classes with Sydney Miller (a phenomenal house-music pilates-focused class on Zoom). I also started the week off with a call with my Beautycounter mentor who I hadn’t spoken to in months which really put things into perspective for me.
For those who don’t know, I’ve been a Beautycounter consultant for a little over a year now and it’s a part of how I make my income as a self-employed entrepreneur. This year especially has taught me how side hustles really are so vital to making things work and to growing your business. Rewind back three years to graduating college, I had just heard about Beautycounter and decided to make the full switch from toxic skincare (I was using BareMinerals since highschool) to cleaner products (Beautycounter, Cocokind, Lark Skin Co., etc.). That was the same year my mom passed away from cancer and I really took it to heart the fact that what we put ON our bodies is just as important as what we put IN our bodies.
Because I’ve tried and used so many different products from Beautycounter the last three years, I’ve finally found what works best for my skin and continue to discover and try new products that truly make me love the brand more and more.
I’ll be the first one to admit 2020 has been a rollercoaster of a year filled with more lows than I can count but there have also been quite a few highs. One of them is starting to take my skincare routine more seriously. After having severe hormonal acne all last year, it finally began to settle down at the beginning of this year and by focusing on a routine every AM/PM, less stress and more management of things I CAN control, I’ve never felt better in my own skin.
Now that’s some GOOD news. If you’ve struggled with hormonal acne ever, you know that when and if it clears, it feels like the cloud gates just burst open to heaven and angels are singing. Literally. But what’s some REALLY good news is that Beautycounter has been doing some awesome promotions and sales these last few months, one of which being their Friends & Family discount sale happening until tomorrow (11:59PM PST). What does that mean? 15% off pretty much the entirety of Beautycounter’s site (excluding some newer items like the All Bright C Serum, the Flawless in Five kit and regimens).
So many of my favorite products that I use daily are in the sale so I figured I’d share with you what those are, what I’m using as of the past 2 months consistently and how I’ve never felt the need to wear less makeup before in my LIFE. Sounds nice doesn’t it?
Many products are also on a limited 30% off sale while supplies last in old packaging including the pure calm cleansing milk, intense moisture serum and the countercontrol instant matte toner. Old packaging, same phenomenal formula. Enjoy friends!
AM Routine
I always do four simple steps (sometimes I’ll add in an extra step for moisture whether that’s a serum or a face oil but usually just four steps) and keep it easy. All of this roughly takes 5 minutes but I always let each product set into my face for at least 30-45 seconds so my skin can absorb it.
Countermatch Refresh Foaming Cleanser – Somewhat of a newer product but I love how it’s a bit thicker than my usual Countermatch Pure Calm Cleansing Milk. Still lightweight, it’s packed with squalane, plum oil and phytic acid. It gently exfoliates, packs in omega-6 and vitamin E to have your skin feeling refreshed and soft — not dried out! It’s also great for getting off any leftover makeup I had on the night before because it’s a bit thicker cleanser.
Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence – The most beneficial toner I’ve tried. I’ve used 3 different ones from Beautycounter and this is by far my favorite due to how hydrating it is. I love it especially in the summer when you feel like your skin needs an extra boost of hydration in this heat.
Vitamin C All Bright C Serum – This product isn’t on the Friends & Family sale because it’s so new and is selling like CRAZY but for good reason because it is hands down in my top 5 favorites ever purchased from Beautycounter. It contains camu camu, turmeric and two forms of vitamin C to leave skin feeling brighter instantly. Other positive benefits are it evens out your skin tone and reduces dark spots. I wear it often in the summer when I go out for walks because it gives such a nice simple glow sans makeup!
Countertime Antioxidant Soft Cream – Countertime is the Beautycounter’s anti-aging line which I never knew I needed until I tried a few of the products, including this cream! While I don’t really care too much about “fine lines and wrinkles” (if you do though, this is for you), I love that the Countertime line includes a Retinatural Complex which is a safer alternative to retinol. They use Bakuchiol which is a cleaner plant-based option that helps condition skin and leaves it conditioned. Much less harsh than retinol!
PM Routine
Counter+ Cleansing Balm – I use this nightly to really DEEP CLEAN my face and make sure all makeup and residue from the day is off. It’s a thick balm that you gently rub onto your face and then I’ll rub it off with a damp wash cloth and follow it with rinsing my face. It hydrates your skin while you’re using it without stripping any moisture thanks to shea butter, jojoba seed oil and avocado oil. You might use it and think okay this is coconut oil in a jar but this product actually contains no coconut, fun fact!
Countertime Mineral Boost Hydrating Essence or Countercontrol Instant Matte Toner (if my skin is oily to help reduce redness and pores which often happens if I eat a poor diet or am about to get my period – this is the go-to)
Counter+ Overnight Resurfacing Peel – Hands down my top favorite skincare product to ever exist, slash grace my face. I held off for so long buying this because I didn’t know if it was worth it but trust me, IT IS. When I first purchased it, I’d use it about 1-2x a week but worked my way up to using it about 4x a week now (mostly every other day) and absolutely adore it because it gives my face the perfect glow when I wake up. Normally when I think of peels I think of completely drying out my skin but this never does. Of course I always use moisturizer and serums after but the glycolic, malic and botanically derived lactic acid it helps strip away dead skin cells and truly improves skin texture. I’ve been using for over 9 months and still have the same bottle which goes to show how it’s $63 price tag is WORTH. IT.
Countermatch Recovery Sleeping Cream – Personally the best match with the Overnight Resurfacing Peel in my honest opinion. I’ve found these two work wonders hand in hand. With two forms of hyaluronic acid it helps create a barrier on the skin while you sleep to prevent losing moisture and the plum oil leaves my face feeling super vibrant in the morning.
Now for that Simple Summer Makeup…
(if and when I use it, usually only 1-2x a week if that)
Touch-Up Concealer Pen – I like to call this my clickable magic eraser because it helps cover blemishes, dark under-eye spots and redness so, so well. Once again, when I had hormonal acne I pounded through maybe 3 of these because I used them DAILY. Essentially it’s medium coverage concealer in a tiny on-the-go pen. Also perfect if you’re running around town in the summer heat and need to reapply a little concealer/foundation here and there. Magical, I tell ya.
Brow Pencil – Once you start filling in your brows, there’s really no going back. I haven’t had my brows professionally done since 2015 and I love them more than ever. Three different shades are available for the brow pencil but I go with medium (I did this when I was blonde but now that I’m back as a brunette my eyes pop even more!) Contains coconut and sunflower seed oil.
Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer – A tinted moisturizer with SPF 20.. what could be better? When I had extreme hormonal acne last year I’d layer on this plus foundation but now this is all I need and my skin feels like it can breathe while also having a bit of coverage. Coming in six shades, I go for No. 1 as my skin is on the fair side. With black currant seed (sounds exotic, right?) and vitamin C it also gives your skin a nice ~dewy~ glow. I have a few friends who don’t use much from Beautycounter but this and LOVE.
Satin Powder Blush (Nectar) – Blush is one of those things to me that always seems tricky because I never want to look like I just left a dance recital. With Beautycounter’s I always find the colors to be extremely minimal and what’s best is their makeup really looks like you’re wearing not a whole lot, even if you are. I love the Nectar and Sorbet colors as I think they’re the most muted but they’ve got a wide variety. They’re all in a matte finish that give a little sheen but no crazy sparkles AND they go on light. I love!
So guys, that’s my wrap up of my summer skincare and makeup. The last photo I took around the end of May and I have to say my skin these past few months has never felt more hydrated and healthy. While Beautycounter products are truly my tried and true favorite, I love that the business itself is focused on getting clean beauty and safer products into the hands of SO many. It’s a wonderful company to work.
Also, remember not all products work for ALL skin types. I like to mix and match and see what’s new, what might work better than X or what I’ve been missing so I try all things from all lines. Countertime is for anti-aging, Countercontrol is great for acne prone skin and if you’re like me and have combination skin, Countercontrol is your new best friend.
If you’re curious and have never tried any of their skincare products, the skincare quiz is always the route I recommend people start down first.
I hope you guys enjoyed this post and don’t forget to be on the lookout for my emails sharing more details related to all things skincare/Beautycounter/sales. Subscribe if you haven’t 🙂
Happy summer.
xx,
