my skin is a huge priority for me.

because yeah, my mom has taken impeccable care of her skin, and she looks fantastic. so there’s motivation right there.

but also? my skin easily becomes very dry and red when I’m not taking care of it. and I consider myself a pretty confident person, very comfortable in my own skin, but I detest when my skin becomes dry and red, as it’s very obvious and makes me feel a bit embarrassed.

and I don’t really wear makeup - more on this in a second - so if my skin is unhappy, there’s no hiding it.

so all that to say, I try to take very good care of my skin.

and it’s taken years of trial and error, but lately I’ve really found a rhythm that has my skin super happy.

believe me when I say I’ve tried many things over the years, but what I currently use now on my face is my favorite.

Also, a PSA: I will always love my Paula’s Choice, but I recently branched out to mix in some Cerave. To cut some costs, sure - but also I was in a quest to find really good dry skin stuff that I could add to our Subscribe and Save order. And I’m in love.

every morning I:

apply deodorant
clean face with this amazing silicone face brush and a cream cleanser
- I love paula’s choice
- but I just switched to cerave and may love it even more
grab a warm, damp washcloth to remove cleanser from face
- you know that part of a facial where they drape the hot towel on your face? the BEST. so I recreated it at home just because it makes me so happy - and I believe joy is found in our daily routines.
- i have this warmer* next to my sink and in it I keep one damp washcloth. (although I’ll keep one or two more in it if Brett’s using them, too.)
- *my sister keeps hers on the fridge setting to store her skincare goodies and keep them cold
apply Paula’s Choice toner with these reusable facial rounds
- these days I skip this step, tbh
allow toner to dry
apply one of my beloved serums - whatever speaks to my heart that day (or whatever I have on hand)
- my skin loves this Paula’s Choice one and this Cerave oil
- as well as this Cerave hydrating serum and this Cerave brightening serum
- I usually ask Mr. Valentine to bring me fresh serums :)
allow serum to completely soak in
apply sunscreen
- I have a big jug of this regular sunscreen
- and a bottle of this gloriously tinted one
- (I love love love both - just depends if I want some tint or not!)
- I ask for a fresh batch of these sunscreens in my Easter Basket ever year
allow sunscreen to dry
apply thickkk moisturizer, if needed
- I love this Paula’s Choice one
- and this big tub of Cerave :) :) :)
curl lashes
apply this mascara + this mascara (and maybe this mascara)
- I add “replace” mascara to every three months of my yearly tasks and expenses list. And I add what I can to my subscribe and save order.

every evening, I:

use makeup remover wipes - if needed - to remove mascara
take shower + wash face in shower
- I keep a second bottle cleanser and a second silicone face brush in our shower caddy
towel dry hair + apply my favorite hair oil - this stuff SAVES my thick, thirsty, hi-i-swim-a-lot hair.
apply this aha lotion exfoliant or this bha lotion exfoliant
- I generally switch off between the two so that I only do one per day - this article explains the difference between BHA and AHA
- these days I skip this step, tbh
allow exfoliant to dry
apply my favorite drugstore night cream (the best stuff!)
apply a thinnnn later of Aquaphor, if needed
- my skin lovessssss this!
apply lash serum
- I used to use another serum, but when I was trying to change a few of our household items and toiletries to cleaner formulas, I switched over to this new serum and I love it. my lashes are naturally very short, and now my lashes are healthy, long, and full.
grab a washcloth, get it wet, wring out excess water, put it in this warmer for the morning
take vitamins

as needed, I:

apply this lotion on my body
- my wedding gift to brett is I got some boudoir photos done, and the v v v talented photog swore by this lotion. and i agree. it’s the best.
smear this thickkkkk lotion on my heels
- I keep this near my sock drawer, so oftentimes whenever I’m putting on tennis shoes, I’ll slather my heels up in this magical stuff. keeps my heels v v v happy
use this heel scrubber in the shower
- I keep this heel scrubber in the shower - I actually attached a ziptie to the end of it and hang it from our shower caddy - so I can easily give my heels some TLC whenever they need some extra help
get pedicures + facials
- while I would love to get these once a month, we don’t always have room in the budget to do so. (especially these days with me staying home and with everything being so expensive lately!) so I love to prioritize (or ask for!) these for special occasions - birthday celebrations, holiday gifts, anniversary dates, etc. and until then, I do what I can at home.
get sugared + tinted
- this is a big priority for me. I routinely get my eyebrows tinted, my eyebrows sugared, and my bikini area sugared. I swim a lot and don’t wear any make-up, so I prioritize this beauty appointment above all else. :)

**I saw a huge difference in my skin when I:**

stuck to the above routine with devoted consistency. It took me awhile to find products - as well as the correct order and correct frequency to use said products - that worked really well for my skin. but the search and the effort definitely paid off.
took the time to allow each product to dry and/or soak in before moving on to the next product, so between skincare steps I’ll put in my contacts, get dressed, brush my teeth, make (or unmake) the bed, tidy up the bathroom, brush my hair, etc.
started taking vitamins and supplements each evening.
added collagen to my coffee each morning.
moved my body each day - bonus points if it involves a good sweat.
made water a priority. I know when I haven’t had enough water because my nose turns bright red - while it’s so embarrassing, it definitely keeps me motivated to hydrate. These days I fill up this tumbler in the morning, and try to refill it once or twice each day. my goal is 80-120 ounces a day - my skin is so happy when I do so.
limited alcohol. and when I do enjoy a glass, I make sure to drink even more water.
rested. the minute I get tired in the evening - I go to bed. even if it’s 8:45. sleep is very important for me.