Skincare

Beauty Hacks & Tips

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This legacy post has been given a facelift. Content has been edited for flow and some updates have been added, but the essence is the same!

After comparing my list to so many top hits from Google from silly magazines, I’m confident that MOST of these are not cookie-cutter tips. So many of these, “beauty hacks,” are old hat to me just because I’ve been doing them so long – but it’s come to my attention that some of them are apparently, “sneaky beauty hacks.” I figured, “Why not share?” We’re all trying to streamline our life and make time for other things – even as someone who enjoys beauty, that doesn’t mean I have an hour or two to throw at it on a daily basis – in fact, writing that made me laugh.

Let’s get on with it!

Before I had highlights!

Hair Hacks

  • Maximize efficacy of your dry shampoo. It will absorb oils as you sleep so you aren’t in such a rush in the morning. As much as I love dry shampoo, sometimes I want it to do what it does faster than it does. Solution? Use your dry shampoo at night before you go to sleep. I like Batiste and Psssst!  [2022 update: Skip conventional dry shampoos; many of them are being found to contain cancer-causing benzene. Use tapioca starch instead!]
  • If you buy large bottles of shampoo and conditioner (such as Tresemme’s 39oz monstrosities [2022 update: Screw Tresemme, they repeatedly sell and resell formulas that lead to hair loss]) and transfer them to smaller bottles, you will be pleased to learn that the caps for Dawn dish soap fit on a lot of bottles that take pumps. Pumps aren’t the best for transferring thick product to other containers, but swapping one of those caps makes life a LOT easier. (2018 Update: These bottle couplers are nice too if you need to combine contents a lot – but I still use Dawn caps for all sorts of things. Reduce, reuse, recycle, save money etc.)

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Worth it? Drunk Elephant B-Hydra (Quick Take)

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Drunk Elephant B-Hydra, $52

To be honest, I really planned on buying Drunk Elephant B-Hydra. Drunk Elephant C-Firma is the only ‘expensive’ skincare product in my regimen – and I’m satisfied with that! Forever a value seeker, I picked up their Come C About Me holiday set that included a full-size C-Firma and:

  • Beste jelly cleanser
  • Umbra sunscreen
  • …and Drunk Elephant B-Hydra moisturizer.

I haven’t tried Beste and Umbra yet, but I have been using the small bottle of B-Hydra, cocktailing it with C-Firma in the morning and applying before any makeup I wear that day.

Usage

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Worth it? Amlactin Moisturizing Body Lotion

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AmLactin Moisturizing Body LotionAmlactin Moisturizing Body Lotion, $14

Although I primarily use physical exfoliation for my body, I’ve dabbled in chemical. One such experiment was buying and trying Amlactin Moisturizing Body Lotion. I’ve had good luck with AHAs in my facial routine, so I figured I’d give it a shot for my skin. I purchased the Daily Moisturizing variety.

Cost

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January 2018 Favorites

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January 2018 FavoritesJanuary 2018 Favorites
MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Painterly, $22 / Jergens In Shower Sunless Tanning Lotion, $7 /
Tresemme Heat Protectant, $4 / MiroPure Straightening Brush, $40

Unsurprisingly, when I wrote the title of this post, I wrote 2017 instead of 2018. My January 2018 Favorites are short and sweet.

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Remember: Exfoliate During Winter

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Exfoliate During Winter

Many people do not exfoliate during winter or, if they do, it takes a back seat to other things. Once the cold sets in and we start piling layer upon layer, some eschew certain grooming procedures (like shaving). There seems to be a notion of, “Why does it matter? I’m all covered up anyway/everyone looks blah during winter!”

I challenge that line of thinking. To think of exfoliation (or even hair removal) as a chore you have to get out of the way in order to bare some skin is looking at it all wrong. That is ludicrous – you don’t just stop bathing as often in winter, do you?

Exfoliate During Winter

…because exfoliation isn’t a seasonal or, “do it once-in-a-while,” skincare behavior. It:

  • gets rid of dead skin (ew) and promotes cellular turnover
  • makes skin appear more radiant
  • makes skin look and feel smoother
  • can minimize the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles
  • evens out skintone
  • facially, removes with sebaceous filaments
  • bodily, prevents or frees ingrown hairs
  • preps the skin for hair removal
  • improves the efficacy of other skincare products (like serums)
  • prevent and minimize the impact of blemishes

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Worth it? Clarisonic Smart Profile

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Clarisonic Smart Profile

Several years ago, I purchased my first Clarisonic (a Mia 2). After an entire year of use, I wrote a comprehensive review. Following that, I created a bunch of other Clarisonic–related content. As time went on, my Mia 2 suffered normal wear and tear. I noticed that it’s battery was waning. It still charges, it still operates, but the longevity of a charge isn’t as robust as it once was. I suspected that it might be on its last legs soon, and I had resigned myself to replacing it. The Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift had just come out and I scoffed at its ridiculous $350 pricetag. I had decided a long time ago that I’d go with a Mia next; the dual-speed feature of the Mia 2 wasn’t worth the extra money to me (I never use the slower speed).

Then, I was in Costco one day late last Autumn and they had a Clarisonic Smart Profile clearanced for $150 (insane!). The Smart Profile replaces the Aria line of years’ past and is compatible with the body brush heads. Considering the regular price of the Mia has increased to $129 in the last year or two, I was sold on the Clarisonic Smart Profile.

I’ve had it for about three months now and I’m ready to open up on its features, flaws, and other fun stuff.

Clarisonic Smart Profile Features

To be clear, this is not the Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift. The original Clarisonic Smart Profile seems to have been discontinued, but the Clarisonic Smart Profile Uplift retails for the same price point and includes some different skin tools.

Multiple Modes & Notifications

The Smart Profile features four facial speeds, a body mode, and a turbo option for an extra, quick burst of cleansing power. If you’re using the Smart Profile brush heads, the device can tell identify them (vs all the classic heads) and supposedly adjusts the cleansing mode(s) accordingly.

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