What-is-up?! It’s meee- Mimi Evarts, former executive assistant to Lauryn Evarts Bosstick, current creative editor of The Skinny Confidential. Basically, I spend so much time with Lauryn that I have learned how she likes things: graphics, outfits, shoots, locations, etc. SO now I am able to basically execute, arrange, & direct the day-to-day creative side of The Skinny Confidential so that Lauryn can focus on discovery, research, & creating. Along the way I have picked up some tips & tricks of my own, so I am here to share my skincare story.

Get ready for how anal I am – you can ask anyone, I really do this every single day. I look forward to it. Skincare might be the highlight of my day really. I have a few rules about my skincare routine:

+ first: I only do my skincare for bedtime after I am done eating for the entire day. If I do my skincare then sneak a Justin’s almond butter cup, I may even do it again because I feel I have tainted the cleanliness of my skin.

+ second: I have to shower before bed or I can’t sleep. But I don’t just hop in the shower like a free bird, there is some prep to the shower. I put my hair in a bun, put on a cloth headband so my baby hairs don’t get in my skincare, then put on a shower cap. Next, I grab my toothbrush, toothpaste, Clarisonic, oil cleanser, & foam cleanser.

+ finally: My last rule is that in between nourishing skincare steps, I wait at least 2 minutes before applying the next product, up to 10 minutes.

 

1. Oil cleanser:

With the remnants of mascara & L.A. smog clinging to my face, cleansing is on my mind. I always start with an oil cleanser. Consider the oil cleansing step to be removing. In order to nourish my skin I need to start with a clean palette. So the oil cleanser removes any product I have on and any residue I have accumulated throughout the day.

Lately I have been using this Glo Skin essential oil cleanser. I find it to be gentle enough to remove my eye makeup without pulling on my skin. My cleansing routine comes from YouTube. I love Korean skincare, specifically, Pony kills it for skincare & makeup. I use one to two pumps and massage it into my skin using circular motions, starting with my forehead for about 10 seconds, then my eyes (  VERY gently) for about 10-15 depending on if I am wearing makeup, 15 seconds on cheeks, 10 seconds on my nose, 10 on my jaw, and finishing with 15 on my neck.

2. Foam Cleanser:

I love a foaming cleanser to remove the oil and makeup left behind from the oil cleanser & to give me that clean feeling I am craving. I have a collection of Caudalie products – some of my favs are: the chapstick, the hand lotion ( smells SO good ), & the toner ( I use this throughout the day & in between steps ).

I like this cleanser because it doesn’t strip my skin of moisture, but it removes all product from my skin to create the perfect base for nourishing. Day to day, I do not wear makeup, just a tinted moisturizer & brow gel. When I do wear makeup, 2-3 times per week, I will use my Clarisonic Mia Smart on the cleanse setting. My Clarisonic beeps when it is time to move sections so I let it do the timing for me. I use 1-2 pumps directly onto the bristles.

 

3. Exfoliate ( only 3x a week ):

Typically I only exfoliate after I am wearing makeup because my skin feels like it needs a deep clean. Recently I took Lauryn’s Clinique Blackhead exfoliator & I am loving it. I feel the key to exfoliating is constantly changing your routine to keep your skin fresh & reactive. I will only use a dime size amount, massaging it into my skin in the same routine as the oil cleanser.

The only exception being that I do not exfoliate my eyes ( please do not exfoliate your eyes lol ). But! I do pay extra attention when I cleanse around my eyebrows & hairline because I feel that area doesn’t get as much attention as it should in the other cleansing processes.

 

4. Peel / lightening pads:

In order to keep my skin tip-top, I will use a pad in the morning and at night, but never the same pad twice in one day. Typically I try to use the stronger pads at night because they make my skin more sensitive to the sun and can cause redness. Throughout the week I try to mix up the brand & type of pad I use in order to cover all my skin needs.

I have dark spots from when I was a kid & laid in the sun ( hello Banana Boat tanning oil SPF 4 ), so I’ll use a lightening pad like these Dr. Dennis Gross pads that Lauryn turned me on to or these Cane & Austin Glycolic acid pads. I began using peel pads when I went to my dermatologist asking for laser to burn away my freckles, and she told me that pads are a great alternative.

They give you the same results in 3 months and cost a fraction of the price. She also told me that no matter if you use laser or pads, if you go in the sun, your spots will return. Since using pads for the past 20 months, my freckles are almost gone. After using the pad, I will wait 2 minutes at least. During this time I’ll put on body lotion or body butter. Is this TMI?

 

5. Toner:

I mix up my toners weekly, but I always have 2 with me in my skincare kit. The Caudalie, which I use over makeup, throughout the day, or during my skincare routine. You can instantly feel your skin is softer. I think it has essential oils in it because the smell is heavenly & makes me feel more calm. The second toner I always keep on hand is the Kopari rose mist. This is constantly in my bag for on-the-go hydration/dew.

6. Brightening serum:

I’m alternating between 2 serums currently. The Dr. Dennis Vitamin C serum for even pigmentation & acne prevention and the SKII serum for brightness. I always use a 1/2 dime size amount, rubbing it in between my hands to warm it up, then pressing, NOT rubbing, it into my skin like I see in Korean skincare videos.

A serum with vitamin C is essential if you have hormonal breakouts. Vitamin C helps to fight the bad bacteria and improve luminance. The SKII has some sort of magical powers to make my skin glow like a diamond but look like porcelain.

 

7. Retinol:

Nearing the end of my routine I use a retinol. I switch between a liquid base like Algenist Advanced retinol. I feel like serum is good for more sensitive skin and the consistency of the product is liquid which makes it easy to blend into my skin. Or I will use this Replenix retinol serum which is more of a thick, dry, cream. Think more of cream to powder. As you apply the product to your skin you can feel it is dry in texture but penetrates the barrier.

Retinol helps for age prevention, so I deliberately apply more to my smile lines, and delicately around my eyes ( I think I am getting a smile line, I have been told to stop smiling as much but have not curbed this habit yet ).

8. Eye cream:

EYE CREAMS! I alternate between 2 types of eye creams: one for dark circles and one for puffiness. Right now I am loving this Dr. Dennis gross Vitamin C liquid eye cream for dark circles. The more I use it, the more I can tell it is actually changing the dark pigmentation under my eyes to be lighter. Even when I wake up in the morning I can tell the product has fully absorbed. Then I use this eye cream by Perricone MD for puffiness. I have been using this one for about a year, it’s a pliable white cream which I find layers on rather thick but absorbs within an hour. Sometimes if I am feeling frisky, I will clip the eye massager attachment onto my Clarisonic, the Foreo eye massager, or use this little gold face massager tool to help the absorption of the product.

 

9. Moisture:

At last, the almost final step. Hydration! At night, I feel your skin needs deep nourishment, whereas in the morning you need more lightweight. But after all the products I have applied, I really just want my moisturizer to nourish & hydrate, bonus points for anything with hyaluronic acid. So I love this CeraVe basic moisturizer that I picked up in Monaco or this hydrating gel to lock in hydration. I use a dime size amount of this, then tap it onto my skin until I have covered my face, neck, and décolletage. I usually do not layer moisturizer on top of my eye cream.

10. Oil:

Lauryn & I fought about the order in which oil is applied for 2 years. After much debate, many late night arguments, research, and experiments, my theory that oil is the last step was confirmed by Dr. Dennis on TSC Podcast. For the record, Michael was team oil last step, Lauryn was team oil before moisturizer. I figured, oil & water do not mix. Considering the first ingredient listed on most skincare products is good ol’ H20. If I apply an oil before my other steps, my skin will not absorb the product because it won’t be able to penetrate the oil barrier. I use all types of oil, but I always come back to rosehip & argan oil. I put a quarter size amount & tap it into my skin.

That being said, Lauryn did introduce me to oil which sparked my interest in skincare. I remember the day my love of oil began like it was yesterday… we were kids & Michael still lived at his parents house, where I basically lived because Tara and I were inseparable. Lauryn saw us using makeup removing wipes and she nearly collapsed at the sparse skincare setup we had going on, mixed with the obscene amounts of eyeliner we were wearing ( exhibit A: tbh I want to have that hair again, should I do it? ). She then took us into the kitchen and raided the oil cabinet until she found the grapeseed oil, my life was forever changed!

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BONUS:

Because I can’t stop with only 10 steps, I don’t mean to brag, but people are always asking me if I have had lip filler and I have not! I haven’t even had Botox yet ( I tried to and my dermatologist said no ). I have been using the liquid collagen lip for a year and it works. It’s rather thin so I keep it next to my bed and usually reapply it a few times.

Also I use Grande Lash MD when I remember to & that stuff works wonders. Fuck it, if I am being honest I usually do a spritz of toner at the end & use a nail oil.

After I am done with my skincare routine, the sun is nearly up & I have watched everything there is on Netflix ( kidding ). I get into bed, take my vitamins ( multi, probiotic, magnesium, biotin, vitamin e) then sitting up in bed, I try not to touch my face to anything, pillows, my blanket, etc. So I sit up right & read for an hour ( currently reading Creative Selection & just finished No Lifeguard on Duty ). Then I set my alarm, slip on my sleep mask, & go to sleep!

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I hope you enjoy my crazy skincare routine & please let me know if you have any questions or tips for me! DM / follow me on Instagram. Thanks for reading, good luck with your skincare & try watching Netflix while applying product, thank me later. <3

Since all of us over here at The Skinny Confidential are obsessed with Dr. Dennis Gross because his products are the shit, go to his site here and use code SKINNY10 for 15% off.

BEDTIME SKINCARE ROUTINE BOSS LEVEL