While it’s fun to read about the beauty habits of celebrities, I find it most helpful to learn about the beauty habits of women who have lifestyles, ages, or budgets similar to mine. In this series, I’ve asked amazing women I know to share their beauty routines. These are women from across the country, different ages, lifestyles, professions, and beauty/skincare priorities.
Name: Insana
Age: 40
Location: Silver Spring, Maryland
Profession: writer and photographer
Tell me a bit about your skincare and/or routine.
Morning:
- Exfoliate – I use Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub to exfoliate (also before bed).
- Moisturize – Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture Eye Cream (also before bed).
- Fight Acne – I used to use Proactiv but it literally bleached my brown skin so now I use Peter Thomas Roth’s Anti-Acne Clearing Gel.
- Moisturize – Olay Regenerist MicroSculpting Cream w SPF 30 on face and neck
I use makeup daily. I used mascara alone since I was about 20, but in the past 5 years, I’ve begun to use:
- Primer to diminish shine, I’m so oily. I’m probably oily right now. (I also carry 3-4 sets of oil blotting papers in my purse, car, desk). I like creamy primers rather than clear silicone ones, although those are good too, albeit slippery.
- Tinted BB Cream, by Maybelline. They have an acne-fighting one and I like it because I get color without using something called “foundation.” lol
- Eyeshadow Primer: Although I don’t use eyeshadow, I use this on my lids so that Step 4, my eyeliner, stays put all day. (Black Radiance makes a nice, small tube that’s not too white or chalky).
- Black liquid eyeliner (Lancôme), followed by lash primer, and then lengthening mascara (all Lancôme or L’Oreal if I don’t want to spend $75 on my eyes).
- Optional – Foundation for special occasions. (+ highlighter and sometimes blush, not pictured)
Evening:
- Pre-Wash – Avalon Organics Makeup removing wipes, Lancôme Bi-Facil for eye makeup removal with cotton ball.
- Exfoliate – I use Simple Smoothing Facial Scrub to exfoliate mixed with Peter Thomas Roth’s Acne Clearing Wash.
- Cleanse and Fight Acne – Noxzema Anti-Blemish Pads. You’d be surprised at what’s left after using a cleanser!
- Moisturize – Elizabeth Arden Perpetual Moisture Eye Cream.
- Fight Acne – Peter Thomas Roth’s Anti-Acne Clearing Gel.
- Moisturize – 100% Cocoa Butter Stick, smoothed all over my face and lips. A bit greasy, but clears blemishes and dark spots.
Has your skincare and/or beauty routine changed due to age, lifestyle, career, etc.?
Heck yes! I didn’t use an eye cream until I was about 32. Crows feet weren’t a factor in my life before then.
I also didn’t wear makeup like foundation, eyeliner or mascara before 4-5 years ago. That’s why I use the face wipes and eye makeup remover now. But I’ve always exfoliated and moisturized daily. I have super oily skin and get dead skin buildup easily. It’s still happening (as well as acne :().
What is the best skincare or beauty advice you ever got and from whom?
The best skincare advice I was ever given was by a former co-worker. She was over 60 at the time but I saw old photos of her and she was an absolutely stunning woman in her 20s and 30s. She encouraged me never to skimp on skincare due to cost, whether it be a lotion or eye cream. You only get one skin, take care of it.
What is your must-have holy grail beauty or skincare product?
If there was an exfoliator and moisturizer in one, I’d live for it. But I’d say cocoa butter. I’d have so many acne scars without it.
What is your biggest beauty or skincare regret or embarrassment?
Waxing my eyebrows super thin or dying my hair blue/black in college. It made my skin super pale looking, when all I want to have today is rich, brown, even skin.
P.S. I’ve even microbladed to regain my eyebrows. One of the best beauty buys I’ve ever spent money on, besides braces!
What nugget of skincare or beauty wisdom do you wish you could give to your younger self?
Clean. Your. Skin. And. Then. Moisturize.
No, wait.
Don’t touch your eyebrows.
Don’t touch your eyebrows is right! I quit plucking my eyebrows more than a stray hair here and there about 20 years ago and I am glad I did. I have one spot on one side that’s bare and I consider myself lucky that it’s easy to pencil in.
I use that Maybelline BB cream – my skin is dry so I use the pink tube. It’s reasonably priced and does a good job. I really think that it’s not spending a lot as much as it is tending to your skin, and staying out of the sun!
Love this new series! I just love reading about people’s routines and seeing what works for their skin. Insana is beautiful. “Don’t touch your eyebrows”…agreed! Luckily my mom would always talk about how her eyebrows thinned with age so I wasn’t too drastic in my overplucking, but was still guilty of ravaging them more than necessary when I was a teen.
Great post! Thanks for featuring a woman beautiful woman of color.
I love this! I’d be super-interested to read more about Insana’s microblading experience, too!
Thank you Erin! I’d be happy to share my experience with you!
You have the most beautiful, glowing skin! The only thing I wish you would add is sunscreen.
It’s in her mouisturizer 🙂 – Olay Regenerist MicroSculpting Cream w SPF 30
Thank you Christine! I probably should’ve emphasized it more–it’s in my Olay Regenerist moisturizer, SPF 30!
“Don’t touch your eyebrows”.
Truer words.
Great post! She’s beautiful and her skin glows. I also regret the over plucking of my brows…
I loved this post! So interesting to see what people put on their skin! However, one tiny thing – wipes are super easy, but they’re also really bad for the environment as they don’t biodegrade I’m all for using what works for your skin BUT I would encourage everyone to look for an alternative that doesn’t use wipes, if they can.
Thank you Emily–wow, this actually never occurred to me, thank you for bringing it to my attention! I try to adopt practices better for the environment every day, so thank you!
Update: Hi Emily,
I checked my Avalon Organics wipes and they ARE indeed biodegradable! Hooray!