*My Beauty Staples: Skincare Edition 2011*

I thought it would be fun to share with my fellow of beauty and fashion lovers my "Must Have" beauty products, the items that are staples for me and that I either have or would restock.  Here it goes!

Skincare Staples

• Cetaphil Gentle Daily Skin Cleanser-  I've tried the Purpose Gentle cleanser, but I prefer this one hands down.  Don't get me wrong, the Purpose does a nice job of getting my skin clean, without irritation, but my skin feels like it has a soapy residue on it even after rinsing my face several times.  The Cetaphil doesn't have any sort of residue or soapy feel to it after I wash my face.  Also, the Purpose was quite drying, and the Cetaphil doesn't dry out my skin, which is a huge plus in the Winter.  I went through 2 large tubs of this in college! I used this stuff to wash my face and my body in the shower! I don't have why I ever stopped using this. I went back to this during the Summer when my skin got really oily and was breaking out badly.  Harsh cleansers made things worse, since my skin is sensitive.  My grandmother actually had a large tube of this and let me have it.  This stuff is really gentle and great for sensitive skin.  Along with Tea Tree Oil, this stuff got my skin back on track.  Highly recommend this as a good, basic everyday cleanser.  This is definitely a staple in my daily routine, and I will restock when it's empty.
• MAC Cleanse Off Oil- I purchased this back in March, after reading good reviews.  I wasn't getting all of my makeup off just from cleansing my face, so I thought this would be a good to use before cleansing.  I have about 1/4 of product left of this.  I use this at night to remove my makeup (apply to my face, let makeup come to the surface, than wipe off with toilet tissue).  This is kind of pricy, but it lasts a long time.  A little goes such a long way; you don't need much at all. Highly recommend this as nightly step before cleansing.  Your skin will be much cleaner.  (I don't recommend this for removing eye makeup though, as it makes your eyes blurry for a while after using on your eyes.)
• Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion SPF 15 (Oil Free)- I got this in a $12 set when the B.Right Skincare line was first released from Benefit Cosmetics.  (Benefit had sent me a full sized Total Moisture Cream & the gentle cleanser for reviewing purposes, but I purchased this set on my own.)  I love how lightweight this is.  It isn't thick or greasy at all  (Total Moisture was quite thick).  I love that this is oil free as well (Total Moisture isn't).  This has a slight fragrance, but my skin is very sensitive, and this didn't irritate it.  (Sometimes when I use the Oil Of Olay too often, it irritates my face.)  I have finished up the small bottle of this, and I will be purchasing the full sized when I go to Sephora in a few weeks.  This is pricy, $28, I believe, but more high-end skincare items are.  Benefit teamed up with Louis Vuitton's beauty team to make this, and the quality is really amazing.  I don't moisturize everyday, as I should, but my skin is getting to me dry again. (It was oily in the Summer, but right now, I have dry flakes again.)  I usually moisture about 2-3 times a week.  So far, this is the the best moisturizer that I've tried.  It's great for daytime use to, whereas the Total Moisture by Benefit is a nighttime moisturizer, but I usually moisturize at night.