My skincare picks

by Mariana Gomes Ramalho

From Pinterest

If you have been following me for a while, you know my obsession with skincare is probably too much, but it doesn't matter, right? A girl is happy doing her skincare because skincare is like a therapy session!!

So, I have tested hundreds of products over the years and I will tell you my favorites, my go-to products, the ones I always end up repurchasing.

I am a big fan of double cleansing, I just feel like it changed my skin. Fun fact: I have been doing it forever but no one talked about it and I didn't even know what was a double cleansing, it just felt right to first remove my makeup with micellar water and then go with a foaming cleanser, you know?

But now I do it even better, like a pro, I use a cleansing oil or cleansing balm to remove makeup and sunscreen, and then I go with a milky or foaming cleanser to remove dirt and excess oil.

These are my favorites:

• The Innisfree Green Tea cleansing oil has been my go-to these last few months, I love that the green tea is an antioxidant that helps with dryness and acne. Also, as it is Korean, it makes me have glass skin.
  

• If you are more into balm cleansers, my personal favorite is the Inkey List oat balm cleanser, it is very affordable, and gives you all the hydration you need but still takes off all the dirt and makeup from the day.

After taking your makeup and SPF off, you need to use a gel, foam, or milky cleanser. I don't have many gel cleansers that I love, I am a foaming and milky cleanser lover. I have been obsessed with milky cleansers specifically during winter months as it doesn't strip the skin.

My suggestions are:

• The Kinship enzyme cleanser gives you the exact exfoliation you need daily, and don't be scared it will not damage your skin. Enzymes from fruit are used to exfoliate the skin in the most gentle way possible.
  

• The Caudalie foaming cleanser, this one is one of my favorite skincare products, and my old favorite, used with the oil cleanser is heaven. It will purify everything and make your skin glow.
  

• The Selfless by Hyram cleanser, I tried this one when it was launched and feel in love with it instantly because of the green tea and centella asiatica my skin would feel so safe, with no irritation, just cleaned, moisturized, and unbothered.
  

Even though a lot of people say that toner is not needed in a routine, I see a lot of benefits from using essence or toner, such as glow from within, better absorption of the products, and a feeling of freshness in the morning.

These are the ones I keep using no matter how much time it passes:

• The Laneige moisturizing essence is a milky toner that makes your skin feel and look the healthiest, most hydrated, and amazing you can feel. Every day, I use this one and my skin is always protected from all the damage and if you feel sensitized anywhere on your body just put some on it. A similar option to this is the Rhode one, but I still haven't tried it, as it does not ship to Portugal.
  

• The FentySkin serum toner is the best option for dark spots, pores, and combination skin as it has niacinamide it will brighten the skin, and help with excess sebum. What I love about this product is that during summer my skincare is simpler, and has fewer steps, so this is a 2 in-1, a toner, and a serum, in the morning it makes my skin look so healthy and fresh. And because the sun is stronger and can make you have melasma or dark spots, this one is a hero product. Plus, the texture is something from another world. The Queen Riri is a genius as we all know!

• The Clarins essence has become a recent favorite, but I am 100% sure it will be in my collection for years and years. It doesn't leave my skin irritated even though it has a little fragrance, it makes my skin so soft, young, and healthy. It is best used in the morning but can be used at night too.

I am a huge fan of good exfoliation but as my skin tends to be more sensitive I need to be careful and my favorite way to exfoliate is with peeling masks, serums, and toners.

I do not use these products a lot for pores or anything like that, but I love to use them to get some glow, brighten dark spots, and have softer skin.

These are my 3 favorites:

• The Vichy peeling mask is a great product for those who can't use a very strong peeling product but still want the glow to enter and dead skin to leave the skin. Powered with volcano water that strengthens the skin from external damage and AHA's it will make your skin so radiant in just 5 minutes.

• The ESPA serum is a product I never thought I would love this much, but it does wonders while I sleep, when I wake up in the morning I see so much glow!

• If you have been here for a while you know this product would enter the chat, of course, the REN toner is your best friend when it comes to getting rid of dark spots and even out the skin tone. But this is a little stronger than the other two I mentioned. If you can tolerate well this one, girl you don't need to try anything more, trust me.

As a self-care, wellness girly I need to talk about face masks, it is an obligation!

So let me tell you my favorite sheet mask and cream mask:

• The Summer Fridays overnight mask is my secret for hydrated skin after a long day at the beach or during winter. You can use it as a cream or a mask, but my secret when I don't have time to do a mask during the week is to sleep with it once or twice a week.

• The Grape sheet mask by The SAEM, a Korean brand is infused with green grapes, HA, and green tea, so many hydrating ingredients and powerful antioxidants! Use this and your skin will never be dull again. (Buy it on YesStyle and use code 9AMDIARIES for a discount)

My favorite serums are usually Vitamin C serums or hydrating serums but here are my top 3, and yes it is very hard to only choose 3, let's cry together! Just kidding babes.

• The Niche Beauty Lab Vitamin C serum does wonders for my skin. It smells good, which sometimes is hard to find with this kind of product. It makes the dark spots disappear from your skin as you keep using it, in 2 months I swear you will have an even skin tone like Hailey Bieber!
  

• I have to include my favorite of all times, let's say it out loud and all together... the bareMinerals skin longevity long life herb serum. You will never find a product like this one. Do you need hydration? It will give you. Need an instant glow? It will help. Need a product that will not give you acne, will protect you from environmental damage, and deeply hydrate you but not leave your skin feeling too hydrated? It is this one, simply this one. Can you feel the love from my words describing it? Yeah, I am obsessed, bareMinerals do you wanna send me 50 packages of this serum? Please!

I love to use a nourishing oil or rich moisturizer at night or during winter and then in the day time use a gel or water-based cream. But, if my oil or moisturizer can do more than just hydrate I am here for it, so thankfully these products I am going to share with you exist!

• The Allies of Skin face oil is the perfect product to help with aging, dark spots, and lack of hydration. And you can shop on their website with my code AMDIARIES and spend less because let's be real, it is freaking expensive. But it is an oil so you only need a little bit each time, so it will last you forever and ever.

• The Byoma gel cream is great for acne-prone skin or for summer months. It is fast absorbing and has green tea and niacinamide, one of the best combinations for oily skin with acne. But it will hydrate you and is full of antioxidants, so bye-bye damage from pollution.

• The Caudalie Vinoperfect moisturizer has glycolic acid and niacinamide to brighten your dark spots in just a few weeks.

Sunscreen is the most important product in your routine. Without it nothing matters, so yeah use it, girl, don't forget! And I know, sunscreens can be difficult to use, but we are in 2024, do you think there are no amazing options out there that absorb and not cause acne? Let me help you, please!

• The Summer Fridays sunscreen is a milky product that doesn't leave the skin feeling oily but hydrates deeply and also helps if you are sensitized. And no, it does not burn the eyes. I do not recommend it for oily skin, though.

• The Supergoop unseen sunscreen is like the famous grip primer from milk makeup if we think about the texture. If you have acne and oily skin this is the best option for you, but if you have dry skin it is great too. Try it and then thank me.

Even though I could be here talking about all the products I love including eye creams, beauty tools, and everything I will only tell you about the best lip balms that exist because your lips can not be neglected!

• Aquaphor is the king of the lip balm land girls, affordable, nourishing, and multitasking, what can we ask more for?

• But if you are like me and love a cute package too, the Summer Fridays is the one that does not leave my bag ever! Hydrating, not too glossy, not too sticky. And has colors and flavors so yeah perfection I know.

So, beautiful girlies, go get your perfect skin and subscribe to not miss any posts!