How much is there to say about lotion? More than I thought when I stumbled onto the 'luxe side', as my dear friend Lindsay puts it. There is so much more to it than I knew a year or so ago and I have no doubt there is even more to know that I have not been schooled on yet! Here, I blather on a little about my favourite lotions - basic body lotion, a pore minimizer, tinted moisturizer, basic moisturizer, and a bronzing lotion. Fun, fun, fun!!
Vaseline Total Moisture Conditioning Body Lotion with Vitamins E & A was always my go-to body lotion. Once I really started paying attention to my skin, and really wanting to seal in the post-shower moisture, I used this every night after I toweled off and it got the job done. My skin was much, much smoother than it was - but when you're comparing it to skin that was horribly ignored, I think anything would have been an improvement. It's a good drusgstore buy because you can get it in a big size with a pump and it doesn't have an overwhelming scent to it, so you don't have to worry about it batteling it out with your perfume. It is also really smooth and soaks in pretty fast so you're not feeling sticky or wet and waiting for it to dry. This is usually sold as a pack of 3 for $20, and I have seen them sold individually for around $8.
I only recently fell in love with Benefit, but I am head over heels. I'll just gush about Benefit item right now though, the POREfessional I'll start by saying that this little treasure actually comes with instructions, which may seem like a no-brainer, but if you've never used something before having some info on how it's best used is really helpful and usually totally forgotten. Having said that, this stuff is pretty straightforward - you can wear it over or under your makeup and it really does shrink pores pretty much instantly but even more importantly, it gets rid of the shine that tends to collect in the 'T' and also along cheeks. Just dab and blend where you need it to make it last longer.
At $28 a pop it may seem steep for a single tube of something you probably don't use right now anyway, but a quick look at the customer reviews of this little gem on other sites that are full of praise may help sway you as well. If you're shiny mindway through the day or you have large pores this potion is amazing.
Mark is actually Avon, marketed at a younger group, specifically the college-aged girl. I am probably about 5 + years older than that age group and I love, love, love me some Mark anyway. I'll go on and on about them at a different time right now though, it's all about their Get A Tint Tinted Moisturizer Lotion with SPF 15 (you really should have some kind of SPF protection on every day). It's light and just enough for otherwise bare-faced times - like lazy days or the gym!
It's priced well too, $9 per tube (which is a 1.6oz and it comes in 4 colours). The colours are really blendable so even if you're not sure if your skin tone fits any of them, the one closest to you will work.
I already confessed that I am a huge fan of Mark, which only happened because I'm a huge fan of Avon. I used to use their basic nutrient enriched face cream and it did the trick. It wasn't too heavy but my skin never felt dry. Then I saw this, For Goodness Face lotion in the Mark catalog and thought I'd try it out - it turned out to work even better than the regular Avon cream I used all the time.
It's similar to the other Avon cream in that your skin feels so smooth and pampered when it's freshly on - I like to assume it's the antioxidants in it (dark chocolate, blueberry extract, lemon fruit, European herb extract and Canadian willow herb extract) - and it doesn't get dry later on like so many other face creams! It has an SPF of 30, which is even better than the the tinted moisturizer and it's oil-free!
It will probably come out sooner or later, so I may as well just admit it now - I watch Jersey Shore. And really, even worse than that, I sort of love Jenni (yes, aka Jwoww). Sidebar to that little fact is that I like a little tan, not the orange Oompa Loompa look, but just a little glow. I looooved sitting in the sun, until I met Carmindy. She made my friend Jade and I promise to slather on the sunscreen and fake a tan if we felt we must have one. I promised Carmindy, people! Shortly after that conversation I bought a giant sun hat and began the search for a good lotion tanner. Jenni from Jersey Shore gave out this this Too Faced one, Tanning Bed In a Tube gives you a quick glow when you first put it on and also builds a gradual tan over time! I will admit that I tried it because Jenni promoted it, but I kept using it because it worked without rubbing off on my clothes!
Writing about my fave lotions has me wanting to write about all the different kinds! There are so many amazing face creams and body lotions and about eleventy billion different lotion tanners!