When I was younger, I would ask my mother to spray me with her perfume before I left for school so I could smell just like her. My mother, whom I can thank for my curly hair, fair skin, and brown eyes, is a minimalist when it comes to skin care. As a result of me wanting to be just like her, so am I.
It is from my mother’s influence that, growing up, I never liked the fruity smells of Bath and Body Works or The Body Shop. I found the Bubble Gum Lip Smackers my friends used to adore overpowering and would get a headache from too much Victoria Secret Body Spray. Once, in middle school, one of my friends called me a grandma for using Aveeno moisturizer instead of Bath and Body Work’s Coconut Lime Fusion lotion. From them on, I hated bringing my toiletry bag to sleepovers for fear of future ridicule. I prefer clean, simple scents that don’t overpower and products that are more tried-and-true than “this just in;” it all began with my mom’s Waterlily Perfume by Fresh (unfortunately, since discontinued).
My skincare routine is a lot like my preference in scents: simple and sedated. I wake up every morning and wash my face with Glossier’s Milky Jelly Cleanser. Anyone who knows me well knows that I wear predominantly Glossier products. Their millennial pink and white color scheme paired with their motto of “skin first, makeup second” encompasses all I look for in a beauty brand. After I wash my face on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, I roll it with a microneedle roller. On all other days of the week, I skip this step.
Microneedling stimulates collagen production and increases the skin’s ability to absorb of skincare products. I then finish off the morning routine with a Glossier serum; I love their Super Glow Vitamin C serum. Finally, I use the Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel face cream. Both the serum and the face cream are super light and absorb into the skin quickly, especially thanks to the microneedling beforehand. To top everything off, I place some Aquaphor on my ever-cracked lips and begin my day. During summertime, I also lather on a thin layer of Glossier’s Invisible Shield daily sunscreen after the Water Gel face cream.
In the evenings, my skin care routine is a little more relaxed. I begin with the same Milky Jelly Cleanser (this product is a must-try), jade roll to depuff my skin from the day, and put on an overnight face mask. I try to do a mask once a week and my favorite is the LANEIGE Water Sleeping Mask. Put it on before you go to bed and poof, you’re gifted with nourished, glowing skin in the morning. If I don’t put on a mask, I put on the Glossier Priming Moisturizer Rich for thicker coverage that lasts through the night and doesn’t leave my skin feel oily in the morning.
The goal of my skincare routine is to clean but not overpower. My motto mirrors that of Glossier in that I focus on my skin first, and my makeup second. And, as someone who rarely uses makeup, I rely on my skincare products to give my complexion a little glow. So, I gravitate towards products that make my skin feel good, even if I get called a grandma for using them. This, I feel, should be the goal of anyone looking to purchase a skincare product: does it make you feel good? Does it make your skin feel good? If so, that’s all that matters.
