Beauty 101: Simple Skincare Secrets

Lupita N'yongo

All summer long, my skincare goal was to recreate the smooth glow of Lupita N'yongo's gorgeous skin. Lupita's skin is so even and rich that it can make any girl enviable. However, not even the strongest products would give me the perfect glow. So, of course, I went on a Google search to find my answer. That answer ended up being two basic necessities: water and sleep. I never realized my lack of sleep and water, especially during the summer, and how much it impacted the appearance of my skin! I made it a goal to drink at least 16 oz. of water a day and get in my bed by 10 p.m. on week days. After 2 weeks of this new ritual, my skin began clearing up and looking a bit brighter. Today, my skin feels smoother and looks visibly brighter. So, I literally took it back to the basics of skincare.

1. Water! Skin is like a plant that needs a lot of water to keep it hydrated. As I increased my water intake for the day, my skin was visibly clearer, brighter, and healthier!
2. Sleep! I never realized how important sleep was to skincare as well as my overall health. Once I began getting a good night of sleep, my skin began rejuvenating itself to a greater health state. I even noticed that I felt more energized throughout the day!

What are your simple skincare secrets?

What I've Been Loving: Beauty Edition

What I've Been Loving: Beauty Edition by lyndseycamille featuring Clinique

During the past few weeks, the beauty products above have helped to clear up my skin and fade my acne scars. The Clinique Acne Solutions is an easy three step system that cleans and improves my skin while not drying it out. I always use an exfoliating pad along with the cleansing foam from the Acne Solutions system in order to get out any make-up, dirt, and oils from my pores. The exfoliating pad also helps to fade my dark spots by allowing my skin to regenerate more quickly. The clarifying lotion helps to get rid of acne bumps such as pimples on my skin while the all-over clearing treatments helps to pinpoint entire problem areas. The best thing about the three-system is that each product can be used individually. To finish off with my favorite skincare products, I love to use Neutrogena's Visibly Even Moisturizer. This moisturizer helps to fade dark spots and utilizes SPF to keep skin protected. I use this product every morning and after weeks of using the products, I have noticed improvement in my complexion, in both brightness and the amount of dark spots.

What products have you been loving? 

Beauty 101: My Summer Skincare Staples

Summer Skincare Products by lyndseycamille featuring Clinique

1. For the past 5-6 weeks, I have been using the Clinique Acne Solutions products. These products have done wonders with controlling my occasional breakouts and oiliness of my skin. This product is especially useful for the summer heat which causes me to sweat even more by removing the excess oils and bacteria.
2. A self-controlled exfoliator is a great product for anyone with oily skin, dark spots, or just feels like their skin needs some rejuvenation. With an exfoliating pad or brush, you can more easily control the harshness of the brush which can be a big factor for people with sensitive skin. During the high temps, skin can get clogged with oil and an exfoliator can clean up all those pores!
3. A nice moisturizer is needed all year long to keep skin protected from the sun with built in sunscreen and hydrated. I like to use Neutrogena Visibly Even, both the everyday moisturizer and BB Cream when I want some coverage, to keep my skin looking fresh with a little glow. 
4. I have recently (recently as of yesterday) purchased African Black Soap in order to control the slight breakouts I have noticed appearing of my shoulders. Multiple reviews state that the black soap will help control and rid of the acne with the use of natural ingredients that will control my skin's oiliness and the pre-existing problem spots. 

What are your summer skincare staples? 

Beauty 101: Deep Skin Tone Tips

 

Keke Palmer

I love my dark skin complexion, I think it is absolutely beautiful an allows me to experiment with different colors, make-up, and more. Many celebrities like Keke Palmer, Nia Long, and Gabrielle Union with darker skin and deeper complexions always seem to have amazing glowing skin that every girl wants to have. Darker skin tones can easily have dark spots from acne, the sun, and many other factors which are not so pretty. As a teenager you will 99.9% experience acne and skin issues which for me have led to dark spots that I am currently working on. Here are some of the tips and tricks that I have been and will be using on my journey to healthy skin:

• Exfoliate! The dead skin on your face is holding your skin back so try exfoliating 1-2 times a week. Taking off the dead skin makes my face feel so clean and refreshed!
• Moisturize! Many moisturizers contain SPF which protects my skin from the sun as well as other vitamins and ingredients that help even out skin tone and balance out your skin.
• Foundation and/or BB Cream! A foundation and/or BB cream will definitely help to even out your skin while also moisturizing and protecting your skin from the sun. They can also give your skin a lovely dewy look.
• Clinique! My favorite skincare line is Clinique because it helps your skin while making it look naturally beautiful and radiant. Clinique is a brand that does not use too many harsh ingredients in their products.
• No fragrances! Fragrant bearing products may smell good, but they can dry out your skin which can cause dry, peeling, and scaling skin.
• Keep your face clean! Overall washing your face and keeping it clean will always help out your skin no matter its tone or type.