Practical Beauty Gifts: All Skin Types

Happy Tuesday, sweet friends! How was your weekend & Monday? If you were following along with my Instagram stories, you probably saw that I was in Nashville for about 36 hours! Though my trip was short, I had SO much fun exploring the cute city of Nash and cannot wait to go back next year. Mostly everything I did involved food in someway, but how could I be mad about that?! This year, I had a huge goal of traveling once a month and somehow, some way, I’ve almost accomplished that goal with traveling 10 times in 2018! Next year, I’m hoping to go to London, Napa Valley, Aspen and Turks & Caicos. Next year will be my first time traveling internationally and I am beyond STOCKED for that. I’ll also be turning 25 and feel like I should make it out of the US by then.

With the many blogger gift guides floating around, I know you’re finding stuff for everyone but I wanted to put this special request out there. A few weeks ago, one of my readers emailed me about finding practical skincare gifts for her friends with different skincare challenges. So, today’s post includes all my favorite skincare essentials that stay in my beauty cabinet. Most of the items (minus 3) are under $25 and easily accessible at Ulta (20% off with code: 46GSZ2PFYWU) and Amazon! So, here we go:

Hydrating

St. Ives Renewing Collagen & Elastin Moisturizer– My everyday moisturizer that keeps my skin hydrated. Non-greasy and little smell.
Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe, Herbs and Rosewater – My mini obsession (I travel with a small one) anytime I vacation. This is great for hydration in the middle of the day. Particularly if you have dry skin or experience extremely flakey skin in the winter, I would keep this in your bag.
Bliss What A Melon Overnight Mask – This is my holy grail overnight mask right now. The smell is amazing and I wake up with super soft skin. I only use it about once a week and can tell a difference in hydration in the morning.

Cleansing

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub – Anything that foams is a friend to me. This is my everyday, basic face wash. I have combination skin with an oily t-zone and this has worked wonders for me.
Clarisonic Mia Prima Sonic Facial Cleansing System – I just shared this on my Instagram and cannot talk about my love for this device as much as it deserves. I’ve used face brush cleansers for several years but this one is the first that hasn’t been too harsh on my skin. There is also a 60-second timer that shuts the device off so you don’t over do it. It’s under $100 and has several brush heads you can add to get the perfect at home facial system.
Kiehls Ultra Facial Cleanser – This cleanser is a little lighter than the pink grapefruit foaming scrub. For a quick, non-makeup day face wash, this one is perfect. It doesn’t foam or lather but is great to wipe away the grime of the day.
Mario Badescu Silver Powder – Okay, if you need to clean out your pores, then you need this. I use it about twice per week only on my nose and LOVE it. My nose has always been a problem area and the Silver Powder does a great job at cleansing my clogged pores when used consistently.
Neutrogena Pink Grapefruit Towelettes – Perfect face wipes to get the top layer of dirt and makeup off from the day. I keep a travel size in my purse daily. The smell is grapefruit is surprisingly calming to me so I love using these wipes before bed. (Even if you use wipes, your face still needs needs to be washed with a cleanser.)

Glowing

Indian Healing Clay – Okay, if you’ve been on any beauty website in the past year, you’ve probably seen the reviews on this amazing clay. I absolutely adore it but it is HARSH. You can mix the clay with water or ACV, however, I always recommend trying it with water first. ACV is more effective but can cause burning and irritation in the beginning. It’s less than $10 for a huge container that will last you months. If you have dark marks or excessive oil causing breakouts, I would highly recommend try this out.
Eye Duty Triple Remedy: Brighten, Depuff and Smooth – First Aid Beauty – Okay, I have only used this once but think this product will be my fix for winter. I have dark circles under my eyes and fine lines and this has worked well for me. Especially before I wear concealer and setting powder, my eyes don’t crease as bad since this hydrates and serves as a primer for me.
Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic – No explanation needed: This stuff is legit. I have the biggest bottle they sell and tons of mini bottles (Thanks, Pixi) for travel.
Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels– Another eye treatment but great for long days or sleepless nights. I’ve been wearing these on my flights (since I rarely sleep the night before travel) and my eyes are instantly awake by the time I touch down. These eye gels are a little bit more expensive than what I would spend on a similar product but I’ve seen great results AKA making he price worth it.

Breakouts

Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Spot Treatment – I shared about this tool months ago on the blog when it was first released. Basically the light treatment, used for 2 minutes/3x a day, targets and kills the bacteria in our breakouts. I use this tool if I have a random breakout overnight and want it gone by the next day. It’s about the same size as a pen, so easy to carry with you from place to place to ensure you’re using it the recommended 3 times.
Zapzyt Acne Treatment Gel – Only $5 for this gel from Walmart and easy to use for everyday breakouts. Whenever you feel a breakout forming under the skin, use this immediately to tackle it before coming to the skin surface.
Mario Badescu Plastic Bottle Drying Lotion – If you’re okay with spending a little bit more, this drying lotion is like the above gel x2. You just use a q-tip to reach the pink solution at the bottom of the bottle (just make sure you don’t shake the bottle) and put it on your face. This is another product that works great overnight. The smell is a little weird but the results are worth it.
Neutrogena Deep Clean Purifying Cleanser & Mask – Last, but certainly not least, this is probably my favorite combination product. You can use this as a everyday cleanser for breakouts or weekly as a mask. The formula is a little thick, great for oil control, and has worked wonders when I have breakouts. Since it’s less than $10 and 2 products for the price of one, it’s perfect for the skincare lover on a budget this season.

Well friends, that’s all that I have for today! I hope this helped you find some practical, budget-friendly skincare items for yourself or your friends this season. To shop, click on the name of the products above or click directly on the item in the picture below. If you try out any of these, please shoot me a message! I would love to know how they have worked out for you. Have a lovely day -xo, Azanique <3

*Click directly on the item to shop*

*Click directly on the item to shop*