Summer Into Fall Skincare Faves!

Bellas! Fellas! My favorite MUA Meagan Shea is BACK with a fresh post that will help you keep your skin soft and smooth and lovely for the changing seasons. Take it away, Meagan Shea!

Summer Finds that are now officially Autumn MUST HAVES!

Hello there my lovelies! Well, Summer is officially gone 🙁 and it’s now Autumn 🙂 – my favorite season of the year. Autumn is my favorite for many reasons; style is much more classy, I LOVE Autumn’s beauty looks, mother nature does some of the most amazing and colorful things with our environment, but most of all IT’S THE SEASON OF MY BIRTH!!! I wanted to share with the bellas a few products that I LOVED this Summer. I’m excited because these products are going to be a SERIOUS part of my Autumn regimen, well Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer! I love when I find products that transcend seasons. I am a creature of habit, so this definitely makes my life much easier.

Lush – Ocean Salt – $19.95 (4.2oz) || $34.95 (8.8oz)

I have never been able to use facial scrubs with granules. I’ve tried MANY MANY brands & different types. Creamy scrubs, scrubs with walnut shells, gel based scrubs, scrubs with the little beads that burst on your skin – none of them seem to work. They always break me out and I get cystic pimples, can you say “MUY MAL!”? So now you understand why I steer clear away from them, right (sidebar: excuse my random Spanish, I grew up in LA & this is what I do from time to time)? I thought all was lost in the way of facial exfoliation, that was until I found Lush’s Ocean Salt.

Ocean Salt has coconut fats and avocado that are both GREAT suppliers of moisture for the skin. It also contains lime juice, vodka (YES, VODKA, HOWEVER PLEASE DON’T INGEST THE STUFF! LOL) and sea salt, which will help with clarification of the skin as well as healing. The salt dissolves perfectly onto your wet skin & even though I have sensitive, combination/dry skin it’s not too abrasive for me. I LOVE IT. It’s one of my FAVORITE skin care products and I use it DAILY. Yes, daily. I used it as my daily cleanser, and although I never thought I’d use a scrub daily, it works. You may not want to use it daily, start out using it two to three times a week. I always add a tablespoon of Oyin Handmade’s After Bath for additional moisture.

So, do yourself a favor and IMMEDIATELY get yourself some Ocean Salt, follow the directions for usage to a TEE (use it on a damp face, following cleansing- I do it whilst I’m in the shower) and enjoy enjoy enjoy.

The Body Deli – Solar Day Cream – $42

Lovelies, you may remember earlier this Summer I went to the spa & the super awesome DeWaynia Wilson gave me the most AMAZING facial I’ve had to date. After my visit, I asked DeWaynia about a moisturizer that would provide protection from the sun. I fell in love with this moisturizer, because it is lightweight yet still hydrating. It has LOADS of antioxidants, sun protection and IT’S NOT CHALKY! So many times, moisturizers with SPF have a greasy feel and may leave a chalky film on the skin – not Solar Day Cream!

This moisturizer sold me when I read the ingredients. The first five ingredients are: Water, Jojoba Oil, Sunflower Oil, Virgin Coconut Oil & Rice Bran Oil – THAT ALONE TELLS ME THE MAIN FOCUS OF THIS PRODUCT IS TO HYDRATE. It was a perfect addition to my skin care regimen. The exfoliation from the Ocean Salt helps to remove layers of dead skin, also helping to lighten any hyperpigmentation I have. The sun protection aids in ensuring my hyperpigmentation doesn’t get darker. Who could ask for anything more?

Oyin Handmade – After Bath – $10

Bellas, you may think I’m biased when it comes to this product, but I’m here to tell you – I’m not. My adoration for After Bath has everything to do with ME! I love this product because it’s SUPER DUPER AWESOMESAUCE. It’s truly a head to toe winner. I use it on my scalp/hair immediately after I wash my hair (it was also one of my staples when I had locs), to remove my makeup, for added moisture on my face (I add it to my facial moisturizer) and as an in shower body moisturizer. As you can see, this is definitely a multi-purpose product. I love it simply because it’s not greasy and it’s an AMAZING moisturizer. I do NOT like moisturizers that leave a thick, greasy feel; on my skin, face, scalp, feet, hands – NOT ANYWHERE ON MY BODY! You’d think with an oil, feeling greasy would be an issue… It’s not! The reason is because the oils used are quickly absorbed, do not sit on top of the skin and doesn’t clog pores. NOT TO MENTION IN THE SUMMER IT MAKES A GREAT TANNING OIL!!! I seriously, absolutely LOVE THE STUFF. 🙂

After Bath comes in 3 fragrances (rich almond, coco mango & black cedar fig) and of course unscented. I always get unscented, as I use it on my face and I try to use unfragranced products on my face as often as possible. After Bath contains virgin coconut oil (YUMMERS!) olive, rice bran, jojoba, avocado, wheat germ and sweet almond oils (this isn’t the entire ingredient list, just my faves). Use it from head to toe, you skin will surely thank you!

Temptu – Retouch Blush – $35

If you have read any of my previous posts, you’re sure to know that I am a fan of cream blush. It looks more natural, and is easier to work with. This Summer I was introduced to a blush that was the lovechild of liquid and cream blush. It was not runny or extremely wet as most liquid blush can be, yet it was much more lightweight than a cream blush. Retouch blush is weightless, and leaves a natural tint to the skin. When I looked at the applicator I thought, “This is going to be weird”. It was actually very easy. There’s a button at the bottom of the applicator that you press to pump the product out. The product then comes through a tube in the applicator and out onto the brush bristles. You can apply the liquid blush then directly from the brush onto your cheeks, OR you can pump the product out and squeeze the product onto your fingers. Then pat the color onto your cheeks & blend with your fingers. This is really fool proof, an easy way for someone who isn’t comfortable applying blush to try wearing it without error.

Of course this was perfect during the Summer months, as no one wants to feel the makeup sitting on the skin. The great thing about this is that, after wearing it – YOU ARE SPOILED! You won’t want to wear anything else – it’s that light. Unlike powder blush, it honestly looks like your cheeks are just naturally the color you have applied. Working in the cosmetics industry since I was 19 has made me very aware of the ingredients in the products I use. Retouch blush won me over because the very first ingredient is WATER. One day I’ll go into my theory about water based products, but not today. It also contains Vitamin E, Aloe extract and Vitamin C; all being great for the skin and aiding in proper care for the skin. SO YOU ALREADY KNOW WHAT I’M GOING TO SAY… *wait for it, wait for it* WINNING!!!

Me on vacation, wearing Temptu Retouch Blush in Blushing Coral #406 AND MAC’s All Of My Purple Life 🙂

So my lovelies, I hope you find one or more of these products to be as amazing as I do. Remember don’t be afraid to try new things, that’s how you find out what works best as well as what you like. If you have tried any of these products, leave me a comment and let me know – AND if you decide to try any of them, please let me know how you liked them. As always, stay beautiful and smile as often as you can! 🙂

Love this post, Meagan!! All Of My Purple Life looks GREAT on you, and I’m also a fan of Lush’s Ocean Salt! And I need to try everything else you mentioned because they sound INCREDIBLE!

Do you share any of these faves with Meagan, bellas? Tell us!

And don’t forget — Meagan Sheá is a makeup artist for hire in the MD/DC/Philadelphia/NYC area.

Click here to follow Meagan on Twitter, and click here to join her FB makeup page. And if you live in Maryland, Washington DC, Phlly or NYC and want your face beat to the gods, click here to contact her!