When fall rolls around, I ditch my water and gel creams for thicker, richer moisturizers. Fall temperatures in Las Vegas are pretty nice – somewhere in the high 50s to low 70s – but it’s always interrupted by bitterly cold, dry winds going faster than a car. At the risk of the wind fully stripping the hydration from my skin, my fall routine focuses on endless moisture (even though we’re in a pandemic and I hardly leave my apartment, so the wind isn’t exactly stripping my skin, the indoor conditions of my tiny apartment surely are). While I rotate some products in and out of my routine pretty frequently, the steps of my routine remain consistent – like I’ve always said, consistency is key if you want to see results from your skincare routine!

Skin Type: Combination
Skin Concerns: Hormonal Acne, Hyperpigmentation, Dehydration
Climate: Desert/Dry

MORNING ROUTINE

Cleanse: Bioderma Sensibio H2O or Cosrx Propolis Synergy Toner on a cotton round
Tone: Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist
Essence: Shani Darden Sake Toning Essence
Hydrating Serum: Josh Rosebrook Hydration Boost Concentrate
Vitamin C Serum: Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester CCC+ Ferulic Brightening Complex 20%
Facial Oil:  Maya Chia The Super Couple Ultra Luxe Face Oil Serum or Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Oil
Eye Cream: Youth To The People Dream Eye Cream
Massage Tool: Mount Lai Gua Sha Face Tool
Moisturizer: Moon Juice Cosmic Cream or Belif True Cream Moisturizing Bomb
Sunscreen: Murad City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA++++ or Krave Beauty Beet Shield

I cleanse my face with a micellar water or toner on a reusable cotton round in the morning. I normally use the Bioderma Sensibio H2O micellar water, but lately, I’ve been obsessed with the Cosrx Propolis Synergy Toner – it has a thicker consistency that’s packed with hydration and antioxidants, and it soothes my skin while cleansing away last night’s dirt. Then, I’ll spritz a bit of the Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist (not necessary, but I consider this to be my toner step, and this mist is super cheap so I don’t feel bad about using it all the time). While my face is still a bit damp, I’ll pat a couple pumps of the Shani Darden Sake Toning Essence into my skin. I love using an essence for a hydration boost, and this essence also contains niacinamide to diminish the look of pores and help brighten my skin tone. I’ll quickly follow up with a few drops of the Josh Rosebrook Hydration Boost Concentrate, because in this house, we believe there is no such thing as too much hydration. I love this serum and it helps my skin appear more plump! Next, I’ll follow up with my vitamin C serum, which is currently the Perricone MD Vitamin C Ester CCC+ Ferulic Brightening Complex 20%. I should probably apply this before the hydrating serum so my skin absorbs more of the actives (I think? I’m not an expert), but here we are. This has a lotion consistency and it sinks in nicely when patted in, although there is a slight feeling of tackiness. It works incredibly well to lighten dark spots, but it’s pricey. It’s out of my budget, but if you’re about it, go for it – you won’t be disappointed. I’ll follow up with a few drops of the Maya Chia The Super Couple Ultra Luxe Face Oil Serum, which is super nourishing as it’s packed with all these good things and it leaves my skin glowing. I also love the Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Oil – it’s probably my favorite facial oil of all time. If I’m about to have a major gua sha session, I’ll use the Be Transcendent Nourish Moisturizer – I have the combination formula, which is essentially a facial oil, and I *slather* my face in this before going in with my gua sha. It’s a beautiful oil and it’s so, so affordable – not to mention, the bottle is giant. I’ll prep my undereyes with the Youth To The People Dream Eye Cream, which has a balmy texture and feels incredibly nourishing, and then go in with my Mount Lai Gua Sha Face Tool to massage my face and relieve tension in my jaw. When I’m done, I’ll follow up with a thicker moisturizer – right now, I’m using the Moon Juice Cosmic Cream. The consistency reminds me a lot of the Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisture Cream, but it smells like straight up patchouli. I’m not mad about it, but I could do without it. The scent lingers on my face until I apply my sunscreen. This is a solid moisturizer, but the Adaptogen Cream will always be my holy grail. I’m also loving the Belif True Cream Moisturizing Bomb; it’s a no-frills, rich cream that isn’t too heavy for my skin during the daytime. It works beautifully as a night cream, also – we run through this moisturizer quickly in this house because Belif moisturizers are my boyfriend’s favorite for his combination skin. Last but not least – three fingers worth of sunscreen! I’ve been using the Krave Beauty Beet Shield and it lives up to the hype. It’s a chemical-based sunscreen with SPF 50 that feels like nothing on the skin and leaves a dewy finish with zero cast – plus, it’s only $20. If I’m feeling a mineral sunscreen, I reach for the Murad City Skin Age Defense Broad Spectrum SPF 50 PA++++. The consistency of this is extremely similar to Beet Shield; a lightweight, fluid moisturizer – it’s not thick or chalky like your traditional mineral sunscreen. I also experience zero cast with this. I sometimes experience pilling when I try to layer makeup on this, so I usually reach for it on makeup-free days. I’ll finish off with a few more spritzes of the Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist and head over to the couch, where I’ll spend most of the day in quarantine.

NIGHT ROUTINE

Pre-Cleanse: Bioderma Sensibio H2O or Laura Mercier Soothing Eye Makeup Remover on a cotton round to remove eye makeup
First Cleanse: Belif Aqua Bomb Cleansing Balm or Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm
Second Cleanse: Moon Juice Milk Cleanse Gentle Foaming Cleanser or Shani Darden Cleansing Serum
Tone: Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist
Essence: Shani Darden Sake Toning Essence
Repair Serum: La Mer The Concentrate or Dr. Loretta Intense Replenishing Serum
Hydrating Serum: Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum
Exfoliating Serum: Shani Darden Texture Reform
Facial Oil: Muri Lelu Mauvaise Herbe Indica Oil and Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil
Eye Cream: Youth To The People Dream Eye Cream
Moisturizer: Prima The Afterglow Deep Moisture Cream with Hyaluronic Acid + 500mg CBD
Sleeping Mask: Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask with Vitamin C or Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask
Lip Mask: Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm

Instead of scrubbing the shit out of my lashes and brows with my cleansing balm, I’ll pre-cleanse with the Bioderma Sensibio H2O micellar water on a cotton round. If I’m wearing heavy eye makeup or waterproof mascara, I’ll use the Laura Mercier Soothing Eye Makeup Remover, which is a bi-phase cleanser that contains oils to break down makeup a bit easier. I’ll follow up with a cleansing balm to further break down makeup and sunscreen – I just ran out of the Belif Aqua Bomb Cleansing Balm and have gone back to an open jar of Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm. I find these two extremely similar; the textures feel the exact same to me and the results are indistinguishable. After rinsing off the cleansing balm, I’ll go in with my second cleanser. I’m using up the Moon Juice Milk Cleanse Gentle Foaming Cleanser right now, which I’m a fan of – the creamy, milky consistency very lightly foams and doesn’t strip my skin. It works beautifully as a second cleanse, as does the Shani Darden Cleansing Serum, which I’m also using up. This is a bit more heavy duty, so I reach for this when I’m wearing heavy makeup. After patting my face dry, I’ll mist with the Heritage Store Rosewater & Glycerin Mist and pat in the Shani Darden Sake Toning Essence. While my face is still damp from the essence, I’ll go in with a repair serum – one that works to repair the skin barrier and protect the skin from irritants. I did a partnership with La Mer for The Concentrate, which I’m still loving. If my skin is freaking out, this is the #1 product I run to – I went on an 8-hour road trip over the summer and the AC was blasting in my face the whole time; by the end of the night, my skin was plagued with ~10 irritated, red bumps. I realized I forgot to pack my exfoliating serum, so all I had to save me was The Concentrate. I slathered it on my skin, and when I woke up the next morning, the irritated bumps from the AC had subsided. Miraculous. What’s not miraculous is the price tag – the 1.7oz bottle retails for $530. When I realized I was halfway through the bottle, I decided to save it for days my skin is *really* stressed and try to find a dupe, because I won’t be able to afford repurchasing this. I started testing the Dr. Loretta Intense Replenishing Serum, and it comes pretty close. They first listed ingredient for each product is the same – Cyclopentasiloxane – but they widely differ from here. The Concentrate is packed with a ton of different ingredients, including patented formulas; while the Intense Replenishing Serum has a much shorter, simpler ingredients list. Although, they pretty much serve the same purpose – to repai the skin barrier and protect the skin from environmental stressors. I find the textures to be very similar; they feel primarily like silicone, although I find the Dr. Loretta serum to be a bit thicker. I do prefer the results I see with The Concentrate, but my bank account prefers Dr. Loretta. Next, I’ll follow up with a hydrating serum, because once again, in this house, there is no such thing as too much hydration. I’m using the Glow Recipe Plum Plump Hyaluronic Acid Serum and I have nothing but good things to say; it smells lightly of plum, has a unique formula, and my skin absolutely loves it. It 100% lives up to its name, as I feel it does a great job at plumping and hydrating my skin. If the price is out of your budget, I highly recommend The INKEY List Hyaluronic Acid Hydrating Serum. Also, there’s no real reason for me to have two different hydrating serums in my routine – a different one in the morning and a different one at night – but I do because I’m fortunate enough to receive an abundance of products to test. You can most definitely use the same hydrating serum morning and night. I use an exfoliating serum + retinoid 3x a week, and I do so after my repair and hydrating serums to reduce irritation. I’ve been using the Shani Darden Texture Reform for several months now and am fully obsessed with it; I’ve tested a few other exfoliating serums in the last few months and always go back to Texture Reform. It contains lactic acid and a mild retinoid, making it ideal for sensitive skin and those prone to redness. I like to use it M/W/F so I remember to keep it consistent. After my serums, I like to follow up with another CBD-based serum or facial oil. I love CBD in skincare – it has anti-inflammatory properties, and it does a beautiful job at calming my sensitive skin and healing breakouts. I’m using the Muri Lelu Mauvaise Herbe Indica Oil, which is unlike most CBD serums out there, because this one utilizes the entire flower in its formulation. It smells like straight up marijuana (I love it) and it sinks in beautifully. It’s not cheap, but I imagine it’s because of the luxurious formula. There are cheaper CBD oils out there, of course, but if you’re looking to splurge, she’s a beauty. I’ll follow up with a moisturizer, next – at night, I love to use a super rich moisturizer that will nourish my skin and protect it from the dull environment in my apartment, especially after applying actives. I’m using the Prima The Afterglow Deep Moisture Cream with Hyaluronic Acid + 500mg CBD, which has the consistency of rich butter. It’s perfect for colder weather, and it’s also packed with CBD to nourish and calm skin. It’s not necessary to have multiple CBD products in your routine, but I’m living my life. If I had to choose between a CBD oil/serum or a moisturizer, I’d go with an oil/serum. But this moisturizer is a dream. I also have the Farmacy Honey Halo Ultra-Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer waiting for me when I empty the Prima moisturizer. I thought I would use Honey Halo as my daytime moisturizer in the fall, but it hasn’t gotten that cold yet, so I’m saving it for the winter. After moisturizing, I’ll follow up a sleeping mask, which is essentially another moisturizer or “overnight cream.” Am I overdoing the hydration? I don’t think so. Sleeping masks are typically thicker in texture and work to seal in moisture from the earlier steps of your routine. I’m using both the Youth To The People Superberry Hydrate + Glow Dream Mask with Vitamin C and Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask these days – whichever I’m in the mood for. Is it necessary to have two overnight masks in your routine? Nope! I’m on my second jar of the Youth To The People mask, and I repurchased it earlier this year. When I received the Jet Lag Mask, I couldn’t wait to try it, which is why I’m using both. I love both and if you told me to only choose one, I’m not sure which I would choose. They both contain vitamin C to brighten the skin overnight, while the Youth To The People mask is packed with nutrients that fight free-radicals and the Summer Fridays mask is packed with niacinamide to brighten and chestnut extract to gently exfoliate. Do what you will with that information. One of my last steps is – surprise – more hydration. I layer another facial oil on top of my sleeping mask to *further* seal everything in. Overkill? In this house? No. I’m loving the Josie Maran 100% Pure Argan Oil and I have nothing but good things to say; I’ll rub the excess oil into my cuticles, as well. If it’s out of your budget, you can easily find a cheaper Argan oil at a local health market or on Amazon – just make sure it’s organic and 100% cold-pressed like the Josie Maran. Lastly, I pack on a thick lip mask or balm. I’m loving the Summer Fridays Lip Butter Balm at the moment – it’s thick, nourishing, and smells like vanilla frosting. Then I’ll crawl in bed with my face looking like a glazed donut (that’s what we want) and wake up with happy skin.

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DISCLAIMER

Some of the links above are affiliate links, meaning I make a small commission if you make a purchase through my link. Your support is always appreciated and allows me to spend more time on creating content and writing reviews! While some products mentioned were gifted to me by the brand, all thoughts/opinions are my own.

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