Julie's Third Week With The Summer Box

Julie is 38 with combination skin, an oil-prone t-zone and normal/dry cheeks. Here concerns are hormonal acne, erythematotelangiectatic (subtype 1) rosacea, dry undereyes, and the first signs of aging. She lives in east-central Indiana, USA, which is hot (75-90ºF) and humid during the summer.

General Impressions

I’m still loving the Summer Box!  My favorite product continues to be the Bamboo Foaming Cleanser, but I’m really starting to develop a major crush on the Coconut Serum. I love the light hydration it gives my skin and how it works to prepare my skin for my other serums. Plus, it smells AMAZING.

Changes I’ve seen

The redness in my cheeks continues to dissipate, which is great as summer approaches. Although I am very careful to wear SPF daily and limit my time in the sun, high heat and humidity are major triggers for my rosacea. However, I’ve been impressed with what consistent care can do to soothe flare-ups. Today, I spent about an hour and a half walking outside in the sun and heat, and then later ate a spicy meal, and found my cheeks quite red this evening. I took extra care with my routine and even used some After Sun Face Balm Rescue, and discovered that the redness in my cheeks calmed down much more quickly!

AM Routine & PM routine

AM:

Bamboo Foaming Cleanser/ Oatmeal & Rice Cleansing Grains (alternating days)

Detox Herbal Mask (every 3 days)

Strawberry Exfoliating Toner (every other day)

Cucumber & Aloe Mist

Coconut Serum

Marine Serum

Red Wine Pressed Serum

SPF

PM:

non-SB oil cleansing balm (makeup days only)

Bamboo Foaming Cleanser

Peppermint Water (makeup days only)

Coconut Serum

Marine Serum

Red Wine Pressed Serum

Moar Honey II Serum (cheeks/jawline only)

non-SB sheet mask (every 3 days)

non-SB facial oil

Anti-Aging Eye Gel-Oil

Camel Milk Cream (all over face)

After Sun Face Balm Rescue

Any changes I’ve made

I’ve added another thing to my evening routine: Moar Honey II Serum along my jawline. I get hormonal acne there, and there’s just a lot of texture and bumpiness. Within a few days of using it, my skin started to get a lot more soft and smooth. Awesome! SB products never disappoint!

Overall thoughts

One thing that I’m discovering is that, as the redness in my cheeks calms down, it’s much easier to create a smooth, clear canvas for my makeup-wearing days. I took a recent makeup selfie and couldn’t believe how amazingly bright, smooth, and healthy my skin looked!

Another thing: a few weeks ago I interviewed for a job, and decided on a very conservative makeup style. While I looked perfectly presentable, I didn’t really think I looked like “me.” But, because I was interviewing for a non-academic job for the first time in almost 15 years, I was really nervous about how I needed to look and act, and I played it safe with defining myself.

Yesterday, I sat down at my makeup desk to put my face on. I had another summer job interview later that day and wanted to make sure I looked pulled-together. As I did my eyeshadow, I got to thinking about what style of makeup really makes me feel confident--and I realized that it’s the colorful, offbeat version of myself that I love the most. And it’s easier to be confident and to recognize your true self when you’re taking care of your skin. :)