Okay, so I obviously talk a lot on here about skincare.

In the past year, more than any other beauty category, the amount of skincare products I’ve gotten has been staggering.  When it comes to skincare though, you can’t just try it once and get an idea about it. In order for the product to truly work, you need to use it consistently.

To be transparent, I give a lot of products away to friends and family since I only have one face and it would literally be impossible for me to try out everything that I get in.  Don’t get me wrong, I do try it but I don’t use it all up until I’m done the bottle.  If I did that for every single thing that comes my way, it would expire before I get around to using it.

As a result, I’ll usually keep a few items in my skincare cabinet and these are usually ones from brands I love or items that I’ve used before and would love to keep using.

My skincare routine for day and night is different so I can use up more products, and although some of them are new to me, I do have a few items that I’ve been using consecutively over the years since I love them so much.

This post contains all items that I’ve written about before, but they are things that I’m currently using on a daily basis and loving how they make my skin look and feel.

Mary Kay Clinical Solutions Retinol

Okay, so I received this retinol product earlier this year and after about 12 or so weeks, I can honestly say that I love it.

The Clinical Solutions Retinol 0.5 (C$85) is powered by pure retinol and is designed to prevent signs of aging that isn’t visible yet and reverse the advanced visible signs of aging.  This retinol is designed to be used as an eight-week program (and then after the eight weeks, just use it as you see fit/whenever you need) and will stimulate the surface skin cell renewal so your skin appears more younger. It also helps to support natural collagen and elastin, improving the appearance of collagen-depleted skin.

One pump is all it takes for this to go to work.  After eight weeks you should see age-related wrinkles, discolouration, and loss of facial firmness reversed.

In addition to the retinol product, Mary Kay has also released a partner product designed to be used in tandem with this new retinol serum.  Since retinol can be quite harsh on your skin, the Clinical Solutions Calm + Restore Facial Milk (C$60) is formulated for retinol-treated skin. It contains a blend of plant oils such as coconut, jojoba seed, safflower, and olive to give skin a shot of rich fatty acids to nourish and soothe. Mary Kay also offers both products in a set for C$135.

I have had retinol creams in the past from both Drunk Elephant and Skinceuticals, but the problem was I didn’t really stick to a schedule with them.  When it comes to retinol, you don’t want to go all in with this right away.  Mary Kay actually gives you a schedule of how to use this product so your skin can gradually adapt to it, which is what I was using.  Now, I apply it three times a week, however, during the first week I only applied it once.

Now I have pretty good skin to begin with, so I didn’t really see a difference after all these weeks, however, I use skincare products as more of a preventative thing. So although I didn’t notice a difference, I’m hoping that when it comes to getting wrinkles in my skin, those will appear later in life, rather than sooner.

There are so many retinol products out there now from all sorts of brands and price points.  Like I said, I’ve had more than a few pass by my desk, but I’ve really been enjoying this one and I love how they also offer that companion facial milk that works with retinol so it doesn’t irritate your skin too much.

Skinceuticals Silymarin CF Serum

So speaking of serums, another one that I have been loving is the Skinceuticals Silymarin CF vitamin C serum.

I actually blogged about this one a few weeks ago, but even after a few weeks of use I have noticed a difference.

The Silymarin CF (C$190) is a Vitamin C ideal for those who suffer from breakouts or acne.  This serum is specifically formulated for those who have oily and blemish-prone skin.  It is proven to reduce oiliness, refine skin texture, and visibly improve skin clarity and fine lines.

This serum contains 0.5 per cent silymarin, which is milk thistle extract that helps to prevent oil oxidation and provides antioxidant protection against free radicals. It also has 15 per cent L-ascorbic acid, 0.5 per cent ferulic acid, and 0.5 per cent salicylic acid, which refines pores and helps to prevent skin against breakouts.

Skinceuticals says that with regular use, this serum can prevent breakouts from happening since it targets oil oxidation.  It also will reduce oiliness, refine skin texture, minimize pores, and visibly improve skin clarity and fine lines.  Although I don’t have acne or suffer from many breakouts, this serum will come in handy to prevent maskne. You can also use it as a spot treatment as well or just apply it to the lower half of the face if you want it to go a long way (which, at $190 a pop, this isn’t something you want to rush through).

I don’t have acne or oily skin, or even break out that much for that matter, so I didn’t think I would love this one as much.  I do occasionally break out on my chin and I have this one red spot that was a pimple that just didn’t want to go away. Ever since I got this I have been rotating it everyday with their CE Ferulic but have noticed that my skin has been flawless, including my chin area where that pesky spot was.

If you suffer from acne or maskne, I recommend looking into this. You apply this serum (four drops) every morning before your moisturizer and then apply an SPF.

Tula Protect + Glow – Daily Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen

Speaking of sunscreen, my fave sunscreen was the Skinceuticals one until Tula came out with their own formula.

The Tula Protect + Glow – Daily Broad Spectrum SPF 30 Sunscreen (US$36) is a broad spectrum sunscreen that gives you SPF 30 protection, while also giving you blue light protection and coverage against damaging pollution.

A sunscreen that also has blue light and environmental protection? Why yes, this sounds like the best sunscreen ever.

The formula is non-comedogenic and won’t clog pores or leave a white cast on skin. Like all of Tula’s ingredients, the sunscreen is powered by probiotics, as well as pineapple and papaya, which will help promote even skin tone. It also includes wild butterfly ginger root, which helps to protect it against blue light.

I’m already on my second bottle of this sunscreen and love it because it doesn’t feel or smell like a sunscreen. It has a more gel-like formula that just melts and glides in the skin, leaving you with a beautiful glow.  It also don’t have a white cast to it, which is way more convenient for everyday wear.

What I really love about it though is the fact that it does more than just protect your skin against the sun.  I love the added blue light protection and the fact that it protects your skin against pollution and environmental aggressors.

Tula isn’t available in Canada at the moment, but for my American followers, I highly recommend you pick this up. They also recently came out with a 100 ml version, so it will last you all summer long. Use code SHAYNA for 15% off.

LASHFOOD Phyto-Medic Eyelash Enhancer Serum

Okay so this last product is for the lashes.

I’ve been using LASHFOOD Phyto-Medic Eyelash Enhancer Serum (C$100) for close to a year now and I’m finally on the last legs of my bottle (I have another one on the way).

The LASHFOOD Phyto-Medic Eyelash Enhancer Serum is the world’s first and only Ecocert natural eyelash enhancer and works to nourish lashes to make them look longer, thicker, and stronger.  The formula includes their patented Phyto-Medic Complex to give your lashes nutrients.

Unlike Latisse, there is no prescription required and the formula itself is natural, drug-free, and irritant-free.  It’s also dermatologist tested and approved and vegan, so you shouldn’t experience any of those scary side effects which are known with these kinds of enhancers (which to be honest, are probably pretty rare, but still, it’s nice knowing that this is completely safe and won’t change your eye colour for example).

LASHFOOD contains 99.49 per cent ingredients that are from natural origin and 25.02 per cent of ingredients that are from organic farming.

Like I said, I’ve been using this for months and months now and I have definitely noticed a difference in the length and fullness of my lashes. Could this also be because I’ve considerably cut down on mascara wear?  That could be a factor, but I definitely think that this stuff works as well.

I’ve always wanted to try Latisse, but since it’s a medical-grade product and very expensive, I’ve never quite pulled the plug on trying it. What really drew me into LASHFOOD was the the fact that it’s more natural and is a vegan formula.

I know with products like these, it can be hard to pull the trigger, especially since you don’t know if it would work for you.  As someone who has tried it though and uses it every night, I would 100 per cent say it’s worth it to pick up.

Of course, these are just the tip of the iceberg on products that I use every day and night. Other honourable mentions go out to Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair serum, Caudalie Beauty Elixir (I just finished my bottle of this), Fresh Soy Face Cleanser, Biotherm Blue Therapy Uplift Cream, and Guerlain’s Abeille Royale line.

What are some of your favourite skincare products you’re using right now?

Please note, products provided by PR. All opinions are my own.

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