Skincare for ladies of a certain age~ That would be me!

There are many things you do not think about when you are a young girl of 15.  Sure, I pored over each and every issue of Teen Beat and Seventeen each month in search of the latest and greatest skin and hair care techniques but when it came to caring for my skin-thinking of my future self-I never gave it much thought. You are in the moment at that age. I have often thought about writing a post called : “A Letter to my 15 year old self…” A sort of  ‘look at me now, do not repeat the same mistakes I did’  for girls that I know, but who wants to read that? I know better now.  I drink plenty of water, try to get enough sleep, exercise (a little), eat well and make a point to use sunscreen.  I am a sun lover and nothing feels better than the warmth of the sun on your face. The truth is I am paying for my past sun loving ways.  I think my skin looks pretty good for someone nearing 40. I only have just a few wrinkles and the sun damage is lessening thanks to splurging on great moisturizers and using quality sunscreens that are desigated for the face. Recently I was asked to give 5 beauty products a test run for a few weeks.  I admit, I was a bit skeptical since I had never heard of any of these brands. There may be a reason for that: I am a clearance endcap at Target kind of shopper. I simply do not research my facial skin care. After using these for a few weeks and loving my results I have already reordered one of the products (the last one). I am not sure I can go back to the way my face felt before! One of the mistakes that people who have oily skin (like me) make is withholding moisturizers. The thought is that by NOT adding excess oils that skin will break out less.  Nothing could be further from the truth.  You need that moisture. You do not want your thirsty pores to absorb excess oil and then clog up and form blemishes. I had avoided hydrating toners for this exact reason. Little did I know that this particular Tamarind Tea Hydrating Toner would help even out my dry spots, reduce the redness I have on my cheeks and calm some irritated areas on my forehead and chin. My one mistake was using too much initially. This is formulated to be used without a cotton ball.  I like that. There is no strong odor and has a delicate tea scent.  Not at all medicinal. One thing I have been good about since having a bit of sun damage on my face checked for Melanoma last year is treating my trouble zones with serums. Pevonia’s Timeless Repair has a light, sheer formulation that smooths skin, decreases the look (for me) of fine lines around my eyes and mouth area.  I used this 2-3 times a day for 7 days.  I noticed a difference in my skins texture after 2 days.  My skin felt more firm, especially around my jaw area. That is one of my trouble spots where my skin just doesn’t have that ZIP any more. Best of all is that is decreased slightly a dark spot I have on my left cheek from the sun.  That in and of itself sold me on this serum. Plus, the light jasmine and lemon scent was a nice touch. Ok. I am going to get real real with you all. I am a slightly thicker woman. I have lost, gained, lost, gained-you get the point.  My arms and chest area are soft to say the least. I used this Anti-Aging Creme from Pure Cosmetics in my decolletage area. Yes, I just used that word. I couldn’t think of another one to use that was appropriate! My skin is wrinkly in places from the big, small, big action so I knew that I was going to appreciate this creme. From the get-go I felt like I glowed.  I was dewey without feeling greasy, smooth without feeling slick and my skin was  soft. I can tell you with certainty that I have not experienced this with other moisturizers I have used there.  I will buy this again. I am looking forward to how my skin will look after I have a month of use. Sunscreen.  The bane of my exsistence.  I never used it before now I am afraid to go without it on my face, ears, hands, shoulders and shins. These are all of the places that I have had damage removed. The latest was on my hand. Just a bit was there but enough to scare the bejeezus out of me. Do you know what I was doing to speed up the aging of my hands? I was getting shellac manicures every month for 2 years.  Do you know what those UV lights you stick your hands in due to your skin? Do you know how hard it was to make my favorite salon understand why I wanted sunscreen on my hands? Let me tell you it was no easy feat.  And they will not apply it for me.  I have to do it myself while carefully avoinding getting it in my nail area.  Oils and such will ruin the paint job you know! This lives in my purse now.  My nose, ears and hands thank me. I saved this gem for last. Like I said earlier I avoided moisturizers because I thought they would make me break out.  Even worse, when I DO break out it is always in the same places! It never fails and what is left behind are tiny scars and dark spots. Well, not any more! This Vitamin C serum not only reduced my dark spots but also lessened the appearance of some scarring.  I also used it on one of my visible surgical scars to remove a bit of the residual redness. Worked like a charm! But here is what I loved the most, besides my smooth forehead: It went on with the silkiest feel. I have never felt anything like it.  Lightweight, almost dry. I can’t describe it. I can tell you that I went on live TV this week, filming outdoors in 80% humidity no less, and my skin had a glow that no bronzer could have given me.  My pores are smaller and my skin tone is more even that I ever remember it being.  I am hooked and I have already ordered more! Disclaimer: I was provided with these samples and like everything that I review my opinions are my own.  See I didn’t confuse you with tricky keywords and cosmetic mumbo-jumbo. I am a real woman who wishes she had a magic wand to erase the years from my face. I don’t (duh) and what I do not have is the time or money to scout out the best for my skin. And if I did would it be afordable? My hope is that you see that my looking off the beaten path you may find what you are looking for. I have no wisdom to impart here. All I know is that when I feel like I look good I am happier.  I was able to get rid of a few things that I felt self conscious about so I am the winner here. For more information on each of the companies and products  listed above please click on thier name under each picture.