Spa at Home Sunday: What I'm Loving

Despite the impending doom of Monday, Sunday evenings are one of my favorite times of the week, perhaps because they're one of the only times I allow myself to lay low - dinner (delivered), great TV (on the edge of my seat for Dexter's season premiere tonight!) and a few at-home spa treatments to set the stage for week, beauty-wise. I'd love to hear if you have a similiar routine, but in the meantime, I'm loving this mix of skincare products for both face and body at the moment:

  • After an amazing and effective facial at Mario Badescu last week, I've been trying my best to BABY my skin. Enter Avène Cleanance Gel Soapless Cleanser ($18.49), which is formulated with mild surfactants to effectively---and gently—remove impurities and excess oil without stripping the skin while maintaining the skin’s natural pH balance. That's a lot of sciencey language, but in short, this gentle cleanser leaves my skin feeling super clean and soft, without a hint of dryness.
  • Sadly enough, I'm at the stage in my life where I have to be concerned about both aging and blemishes - seriously, guys, don't line up all at once - and for me, Skinceuticals Blemish + Age Defense ($80) is a godsend. There are several actives in the mix here, but perhaps most importantly, this oil-free serum boasts both acne-fighting Salicylic Acid and age-fighting Glycolic Acid, which increases turnover in skin. I apply twice daily, both morning and night.
  • I finish off my face with a blast of moisture, essentially even for oily skin like mine. Kiehl's new Rosa Arctica Lightweight Cream ($60) is perfect for day or night, and adds the perfect glow to a dull complexion. With rare, regenerating "Resurrection Flower" to jolt cellular vitality and fight aging, as well as soothing lavender oil, it's a treat to massage in.
  • Carol's Daughter may be best known for amazing haircare for women of color, but their bath and body collection is a DREAM for anyone. The new-ish Coconut Collection ($69, also available individually) includes a rich Body Cleansing Cream and a variety of moisturizers - Frappé Body Lotion, Shea Soufflé and Dry Oil Mist for any and ALL of your moisturizing needs. What's nicest about this collection is that the scent is incredibly FRESH - not at all cloying like so many coconut products on the market - thanks to floral mid-notes of Water Lily and Frangipani and bottom notes of Musk, Vanilla and Sheer Amber. If a coconut fragrance can be sexy (and I think it can), THIS is it.
  • I love many of the prodcuts in Juara's Indonesian-influenced line, but the Invigorating Coffee Scrub ($37.25) is my favorite. It smells like heaven - deep, dark and invigorating Sumatra coffee beans - and cleanses and exfoliates the skin with a mix of crushed walnuts and rice bran oil. I feel instantly transported to a calmer, more relaxed place after using the Coffee Scrub, even knowing that the work week lies ahead in wait.

Do you have any at-home spa rituals on Sunday night? Do tell.

 

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