It’s that time, friends!

Remember waaaay back in December when I shared a sneak peek of what was to come in 2018?

Well, it’s finally here! Some of it, anyways!

Since this is my first post on the topic, I thought I’d keep it simple and share 5 of my must-have skincare products that I use every single day.

I’ve always dabbled in using a bunch of skin care products since I was in high school, but it was only over the last few years that I became serious about my skincare routine. Even though I’m not too old (yet), I’ve been using ant-aging products since my late twenties, just to prevent and treat some of those pesky little fine lines.

I feel like I’ve tried nearly every high end and not-so high end products out there in terms of moisturizers, serums, night creams, and more. From Clinique to Estee Lauder, Dior, Lancome, and a bunch more, I started to discover what really worked for me and what was just a way to sucker me into pay way too much for a tiny bottle of nothing.

Once I started shopping on a more regular basis at Sephora, I found some products that I am finally sticking with. I am an avid review reader when I buy online and that heavily influences whether I want to buy a product or not.

P.S. Scroll down to the end of this post to see how to enter the GIVEAWAY!

Over the next few months, I’ll share more of my skincare routine. But I wanted to share some my current favorites that I always apply before my makeup.

Eye Cream: I will admit that I am that person that tries all of those eye creams out there. I don’t have many fine lines around my eyes just yet, but I do have that crinkly look under my eyes when I smile. I’m not sure if there’s anything that can get rid of that (besides injections of some kind), but I sure like to try. And my current favorite is this eye cream from Kate Somerville.  It’s a gel that helps dark circles, fine lines, and puffiness, while keeping your skin hydrated. I’ve been using this for the past two months and have noticed a smooth, more hydrated look around my eyes. It is pricey, but I use this sparingly and so far, like the results.

Hydrating Face Serum: I never used to use serums until the past year or so, and now I swear by them. Since my skin is often dry and gets patchy dry spots (especially in the winter), using a serum before my moisturizer helps pack an extra punch of hydration. I’ve tried several different serums and will share more on those later, but a favorite of mine is Kate Somerville’s Quench Hydrating Face Serum. It keeps my skin moisturized, while also helping with fine lines and wrinkles. And a little goes a long way, too. Just one small pump is enough to cover your entire face and neck. I always apply a serum as the first step in my skincare routine and usually apply at night, before my moisturizer or face mask.

Eyeshadow Primer: If there’s one thing that you take away from this post, I hope it’s this eyeshadow primer from Urban Decay. I have been using this for at least 8 years (maybe longer!) and will never not go without it. It’s a smooth cream, almost like a foundation, that you smooth onto your eye lids before you apply your eyeshadow. It helps keep your eyeshadow fresh, vibrant and colorful for up to 24 hours. It also gets rid of those pesky creases that you can sometimes get by applying eyeshadow. And a little goes a long way, too! One tube lasts me a year at least, sometimes longer.

Skin Primer: Much like my eyeshadow primer, I will never go without this primer again. I smooth it onto my face after I’ve applied my eye cream, serum, and moisturizer. It adds another layer of moisture, gives my skin a subtle glow, and, most importantly, it helps to set my makeup. With this primer, my makeup lasts for hours. And yes, I can definitely notice a difference in the vibrance and wear of my makeup without this! I’ve tried several other primers over the years, but this one by Nars is a clear winner. It smells goods, isn’t greasy or sticky, and makes my makeup last all day.

Makeup Setting Spray: The very last step in my makeup routine is to use this setting spray by Urban Decay. Just like the eyeshadow primer, I’ve been using this for the past 8 years or so and never go without it. It’s a weightless setting spray that you mist onto your face after your makeup is done to set and keep your face looking vibrant for up to 16 hours. Urban Decay offers several different kinds of setting spray depending on your skin type, but this one is my favorite. And like the two products listed above, this setting spray lasts a long time and is fairly inexpensive, too!

And there you have it! My 5 Must-Have Skincare Products that I use on a daily basis. You can shop the links below to find the ones mentioned above (or find the link directly in the paragraph).

I’ll be back soon with some more of my favorite skincare lines and tips, girls!

GIVEAWAY TIME!

In honor of publishing my first, non-recipe post as part of my Lifestyle content, I’m gearing up to send two lucky people a $50 gift card to Target!

Target is one of my favorite stores (and if you voted in my Insta-story poll through Instagram), then you must love Target, too!

So, here’s the details:

1. Go to Instagram and follow me!
2. Find the post with the Giveaway information and ‘LIKE’ the photo.
3. Leave a comment on that post with your favorite beauty or skincare product.

**As a BONUS entry, tag a friend in this post who you think would like to be entered to win a $50 Target gift card!**

Open to U.S. residents only.

The winners will be announced next Wednesday! Good luck, friends!