Six Simple Steps To Sensational Skin For Fall ~ Beauty Tip Of The Week # 31

image by Kelly Cappelli, makeup by Corinna Cooke, hair by Will Zecco

I hold on to summer until the last possible minute. I live in sunshine drenched Phoenix, which definitely makes it easier, but even out here eventually fall arrives.

Wherever it is that you are living, the transition from summer to fall to winter can be really taxing on your skin.
Your skin dries out, gets sensitive (and sometimes raw and red), it loses it's glow and become lifeless and dull as well as pale and almost grey.
Before you get crazy trying to infuse vibrancy back into your complexion with highlighters and bronzers, before you smother your skin in heavy foundation, check out these six simple steps to sensational skin for fall.

1. Change Your Cleanser.

If you use a foaming or lathering "face wash" style cleanser try changing it to a gentle cleansing milk, or even better try my personal favorite, an oil cleanser.

Try Malin and Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil from SpaceNK

Malin and Goetz Facial Cleansing Oil

2. Exfoliate

With the hot months well behind us it's time for a gentle exfoliation to get rid of all of the debris summer left on the surface of your skin, and to clear away the lingering dead cells.
Personally I am not a fan of scrub type products. I always think they create a cycle of scratched, rough skin, so instead I use enzyme peels to exfoliate and give my skin an absolutely unbelievable glow. One of my favorites is Philosophy's incredibly affordable The Microdelivery one minute purifying enzyme peel.

The Microdelivery by Philosophy

3. Add A Serum

Serums are a super important step in the road to glorious, youthful, radiant skin. You apply serum after cleansing and before moisturizing. They tend to be very concentrated so you only need a very small amount.
Think of serum as being a super sonic skin booster that goes extra deep and works at the ultimate performance level. 
My favorite serum, the absolute Holy Grail of serums, is Japanese luxury brand Tatcha's amazing Radiant Brightening Serum. My movie star clients' eyes light up the moment they see it on my makeup table because they know their skin is going to look like magic.

Tatcha's magnificent Radiant Deep Brightening Serum

 

4. Add Daytime Protection

At night we replenish and rejuvenate the skin, but during the day we need to focus on protecting the skin both from dehydration and from the ravages of exposure to environmental pollutants. One of the ways to do this is by adding an ampoule.
Ampoules can be used at night in conjunction with your serum, and they can be used during the day underneath your moisturizer. 
The Cosrx Propolis Light Ampule contains bee propolis which super hydrates and protects your skin. It also acts like a natural antibiotic, clearing up skin irritation. 

Cosrx Propolis Light Ampule

5. Layer Your Hydration Products

I love the K Beauty concept of layering multiple skin care products, especially hydration products. If your skin is starting to feel the drying effects of winter weather try the Korean skin care routine of layering your first night time moisturizer, an emulsion, over your serum and then sealing it all in with a sleeping pack.
I have been using the Holika Holika Black Caviar Emulsion as my moisturizer and then layer over top the SNP Gold Collagen Sleeping Pack  (both available online at Memebox), which seals all the skin care products in.
Sounds like a lot? Check out my post about How To Layer Your Skin Care Korean Style. Sleeping packs don't feel heavy. They just feel like a regular night cream.

Holika Holika Black Caviar Emulsion

SNP Gold Collagen Sleeping Pack

6. Add In A Brightening Mask

Sheet masks are a quick an effective way to brighten dull skin.
Every week or two use a sheet mask like the Elisha Coy Natural pearl Mask available online at Memebox

Elisha Coy Natural Pearl Mask

How To Repair Summer Skin Damage ~ Beauty Tip Of The Week #23

With summer winding down it's time to take stock of the damage we've done to our skin during the warm and sunny months, and come up with a plan to both protect our skin and heal it.

Here are a selection of skin care products to fight environmental damage, erase dark spots, super hydrate and heal, and turn back the clock on summer to give you radiant, gorgeous, glowing skin.

From Philosophy, The  Microdelivery Overnight Anti Aging Peel $82 combines the skin smoothing, micro exfoliation of a peel with the soothing, calming, restorative benefits of an overnight sleep mask. You wake up with gorgeous, glowing skin!

Rodial's Dragon's Blood Sculpting Gel $98 is magic in a bottle! It masks redness, plumps and smooths skin to reduce wrinkles, and leaves your skin looking firm and renewed.

Protect your skin from environmental pollutants and damaging free radicals by adding vitamin C to your skin care routine. Ciracle Vitamin Source C-20 not only protects your skin, but also makes it look brighter and more vital. Vitamin Source C-20's incredible delivery system gets the nutrients deep into your skin to lighten dark spots, diminish fine lines and wrinkles, and helps your skin to create healthy new cells.

It's Skin Power 10 Formula CO Effector $11 is a super affordable example of how staggeringly effective Korean skin care products really are. This highly potent collagen serum needs only a couple of drops to be massaged into the skin to super hydrate from the inside out, making the skin look instantly resilient and moisturized.
You can read more about the Korean skin care revolution here

Tatcha's Radiant Deep Brightening Serum is the Holy Grail of serums, and as such is the secret currency of celebrities. The instant it hits your skin you begin to see absolute magic happening. No matter what your skin type you see your complexion become radiant, firm, glowing. Although the company makes no claims about this serum healing anything, I have seen dreadful facial eczema disappear overnight, scaly, alligator like skin smooth in front of my eyes and red, irritated skin calm down in minutes. This is easily one of the greatest skin care products ever created.

SNP's Gold Collagen Sleeping Pack $30 is another brilliant piece of Korean skin technology, and is the final step in your night time skin care routine. After layering on your serums, essences and ampoules you apply an even layer of sleeping pack across the face and neck at least 10 minutes before bed. When you wake up you gently remove any residue with luke warm water. Your skin will be absolutely shimmering! This product is super nourishing, moisturizing and healing, and an incredible ally in damage control and the fight against aging.
And did I mention it has gold in it??