Product Recommendation

When I moved to Virginia to start grad school I left behind a very good paying job and we went from a two-income household to a one-income household. Consequently I had to cut back on some things like clothes and shoes -- no more Nordstrom half year sales or Franco Sartos. But I couldn't abandon my looks altogether. Sure I was a grad student, but that isn't an excuse for letting myself go. So instead of clothes and shoes, I focused my attention on my skin and hair. It was a good move since I was also in a completely different climate. Instead of dry all year round, it is seriously humid in the summer and seriously dry in the winter. For someone with dry, sensitive skin and fine, curly hair it was quite simply a nightmare.

So after 5 years of trying out a variety of products I've come up with some recommendation. Of course these won't be the best for everyone, but I've had good luck with them.

I've tried expensive facial cleansers but I have to say after I read an article in the NYT about the best cleansers I went to local CVS and picked up a bottle of Cetophil. It's gentle and non-drying. It removes makeup and leaves skin feeling soft. I also use the moisturizer at night.



The second product is Philosophy's The Present. It is "clear makeup" and let me say that when I get up in the morning my skin is a little blotchy in spots but once I put this on it looks like an airbrushed canvas. It's amazing. I use it almost every day and find that it also works well as a base under makeup (I use Bare Minerals).




Finally, my last goto product is Kiehl's Creme de Corps. If you have dry flaky skin this is a miracle in a bottle. Big J, who rarely uses moisturizer, loves it almost as much as I do, especially in the midst of the very dry winter. I don't think I could live without it.