My name is Nicole Quijada and Newport Beach, California is where I call home. I am a graduate student pursuing a career in teaching and educational leadership. I’m a twenty something year old that shops too much and shamelessly eats dessert three times a day. I bake, I write, I love, I blog.
Here I am in my twenties and acne is one of my battles. Specifically I suffer from hormonal acne (which I can argue is the worst kind). Maybe “suffer” is overly dramatic, but in the moments of bad skin, there really is no better word. Don’t get me wrong, it could be so much worse. I am really thankful for the skin I’m in, but I’m even more thankful for the incredible products out there that save my face when I can’t.
Here are my beauty bag’s MVPs + my daily routine using these products:
Biotin/Prim Rose vitamins // I take Biotin just about everyday. Not only does it aide in hair growth and healthy nails, it has seriously helped my skin. I take evening Prim Rose every night. Prim Rose is found to help hormone levels, which calms my breakouts related to hormones. It is also said to help keep your metabolism up.
Neutrogena Ultra Gentle Face Wash // I have tried a number of brands, and this is my favorite thus far. The fact that it is “ultra gentle” means that it doesn’t over-dry my face. It calms my skin, and doesn’t leave my skin feeling like the Saharan Desert. It gets the job done, and it does so mindfully.
Origins Mega-Mushroom Serum // I absolutely swear by this stuff. I use it every few days at night or when my skin is flaring up. It calms my skin and takes away irritation like magic. Since using the serum, I have not had bad breakouts. The best word to describe the serum is soothing. With hormonal acne, zits are deep under the skin and don’t surface for days which makes them painful. This serum has done some serious saving.
Origins GinZing Under-Eye Cream // Late nights makes for some mean bags under my eyes. There is a slight shimmer to the magic concoction that takes away the darkness and some of the puffiness. This small jar has lasted me well over a year. This stuff goes on in the morning pre-makeup. I will also occasionally apply it to my eye lids.
Origins Mega Mushroom Face Cream //Similar to the serum, this cream soothes my skin and
hydrates it without making my face an oily mess. It is more concentrated than the serum and I use it daily. It also smells amazing.
Boots No7 Color Calming Makeup Primer // I get this at Target for 10 bucks. It goes on before my makeup and evens my skin tone + makes a nice surface for liquid makeup. It actually makes my skin slightly blue which is freaky every time, but maybe that’s the purpose? Face makeup diminishes the blue tint no problem.
Too Faced Eye-lid Primer // It’s simple, this stuff makes it 10x easier doing eye makeup + keeps the shadow on and looking good for hours.
Vaseline // If you try any of these products, let it be this one. Not only is it the cheapest, but it solves every problem. If only it could pay my bills too. So here’s my trick: Get a little vaseline on your finger, rub it on your eye-lids and lashes each night. It gets off any excess eye make-up, moisturizes and makes your eyes brighter the next morning. I have found that putting on my makeup the morning after doing this trick has made it easier to apply my eye makeup. I don’t know why exactly, but I will
continue doing this!! Also it is said to help condition and restore eye lashes.
Bobbi Brown SPF Lip Balm // Another thing I swear by… I have had this for five whole years now. It brings out the natural color of my lips and protects it from the sun. Anything with SPF is great. This stuff conditions my lips like nothing else and will stick around for hours. There is no taste and I don’t feel myself ingesting this lip balm.
Tweezerman Tweezers // No explanation needed other than this too has lasted me over 5 years and still manages to get every last little stray brow. Or splinter. Dual usage obviously. It was an investment, (20$ I think…) but worth it.
Inside Nicole’s Makeup Bag:
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