TOP SHELF + MY TOP 5 SKINCARE MUST HAVES

Into the Gloss has been one of my favorite beauty blogs for awhile now, and one of my absolute favorite parts of their website is “Top Shelf,” where they take you into the bathrooms of celebrities and show you the products in their vanities – complete with real photos, not staged flat lays of products that have never been touched. They also interview them about life, their favorite beauty products, and share the deets on how these it-girls work their favorite products into their beauty routine.

The bathroom vanity has always seemed to hold some type of mystery; why does it seem like it’s taunting us to open it in friends’ bathrooms? I like to think of myself as curious rather than nosy. I for one am a huge beauty addict and am forever curious about the products that others use and swear by! Because of this, I thought you guys might be interested in taking a peek into my “top shelf” and seeing the products I use on the regular! Everything on my shelf and in my vanity are things I use every day or at least once a week. I tuck my other products away (and my tons of sample sized products) so that Geoff doesn’t kick me out of the apartment/lose his mind over my clutter and obsession.

Since I saw recently that Into the Gloss was running a contest for a chance to share your beauty routine on their site, I thought it would be the perfect opportunity to give you guys a real look into my vanity and give you the details on my favorite products. You too can enter the contest by uploading a photo of your top shelf/vanity to Instagram with the hashtag #igtopshelfie; you can also tag @intothegloss for good measure! Below I have broken down the three shelves of my vanity and have included links to shop every product (minus my contact solution and deodorant. lol I didn’t think you guys would care about those two)!! Continue reading for my top 5 favorites out of my entire collection and vanity….. AND it was really hard to narrow down!!!!

Shop Below:

Shop Below:

Shop Below:

In no particular order, because this was already sooo hard to narrow down! And I gave you guys a bonus because it’s technically a beauty tool not a product 🙂

My Top 5 Skincare Must Haves!

1. Simple Micellar Water Makeup Removing Wipes / Simple Micellar Cleansing Water

I’m a huge believer in mixing high end, more expensive items with low budget, drugstore items whenever possible. Back in September I read an article here about micellar water and I was basically sold. I love the Simple Micellar products because they are so incredibly gentle on my sensitive skin. These are probably the first makeup wipes I’ve ever used that don’t make my face burn and have it irritated and red. After cleansing with my Clarisonic, I use the Simple Micellar Water as a toner on a cotton pad (also sooo amazing for sensitive skin with no alcohol smell or irritation, and I’m about to be on my third bottle if that tells you how much I love it).

2. Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate

If you want glowing skin by the morning, this product is your girl! I will admit that I’ve only been using this product for a couple months, but after seeing so many people rave about it, I knew I had to try. One thing that’s amazing about this serum is that 99.8% of the ingredients are naturally derived, and this oil is paraben-free. I put 4 or 5 drops of this in my palm (it feels a little bit lighter to me than most serums and is a little bit runny) and mix it with First Aid Beauty’s Ultra Repair Cream and apply to my face before bed. When you wake up, your skin will be glowing and dewy! Just how I like it 🙂

3. Lancome Advanced Genefique Youth Activating Concentrate

This serum promises to reveal a more youthful radiance and smoother skin in only a week and it’s not lying! On nights I decide to switch it up from my normal nightly beauty routine and not use this, my skin seems to show it the next day. I’m not even sure what to say about this product other than it really does make the texture of your skin look so much better and I feel like it makes my pores look smaller. It’s calming and refreshing! I apply a couple drops of this to my skin after toning and I use it before moisturizing.

4. Skinceuticals CE Ferulic

So I’m not going to lie to you guys, I didn’t purchase this product, I actually won it from an Instagram giveaway, but I have been soooo impressed with it and Skinceuticals in general. Normally I wouldn’t spend $163 on one serum, but I’m almost out and this product is worth it (the good news is that it lasts forever). What’s amazing about Skinceuticals is that their products are backed by actual science so they’re formulated to work and actually show you the results that they claim! This product is formulated to protect the skin from free radicals from the environment such as: UVA/UVB rays, radiation, and pollution; all things that lead to visible signs of accelerated skin aging. Although I’m young, I’m still trying to prevent the aging process a little bit (easier to prevent than to get rid of wrinkles). It was also recommended by the esthetician I had at my last chemical peel who told me that everyone should be using some type of antioxidant in their skincare routine! It’s legit, you guys. I use a few drops of it in the morning on a dry, bare face underneath my moisturizer.

5. Philosophy: The Microdelivery Resurfacing Peel

I got my first chemical peel in a dermatologist’s office a few months ago and holy it was amazing, but you can also do it yourself at home for less! I bought this product a couple years ago and was super impressed, and then ran out and forgot about it for awhile (recently repurchased again). Although my professional chemical peel was indeed amazing, this at home version is pretty dang close to showing the results that a professional does and for less money! A professional chemical peel is usually about $100; this kit might seem expensive ($72), but if you consider the price of chemical peels or going to the spa for skincare treatments, buying this actually saves you money. This product gives a really nice exfoliation and minimizes the appearance of pores, fines lines, and wrinkles (plus it smells amazing – citrus-y. You may have a little bit of redness after/the next day but it will subside in a couple days. There isn’t any recovery time needed for this product! Note: On nights I use this, I do not use my Clarisonic. Follow up with a moisturizer and a serum (do not follow up with products with retinol or you may have irritation!)

6. Clarisonic Mia 3 Cleansing Brush
Honestly this is probably the product/tool that has changed my skin the most!!! Let’s be honest, it can be really hard to get all the dirt, grime, and makeup off your skin at the end of the day (and sometimes it lingers without us even realizing it). The Clarisonic is suchhhh a game changer. What’s crazy about using this for the first week you have it is that you finally realize how your skin didn’t feel quite as clean and fresh before using! I take my makeup off every night with Simple Micellar Water Makeup Removing Wipes and then follow up with this and First Aid Beauty’s Red Clay Cleanser. I use this once a day at night, and it’s not recommended that you use it more than once a day. Since this does most of the exfoliating on my face, I don’t exfoliate much anymore other than using this Clarisonic.

Honorable Mentions: Caudalie Vinoperfect Radiance Serum (so brightening and if your skin tone tends to get red like mine, it helps with that), Glam Glow Super Mud Clearing Treatment (so so amazing for breakouts and skin that tends to be oily in areas or is misbehaving in between seasons like mine tends to do; definitely one of my top 3 favorite masks for breakouts), First Aid Beauty Red Clay Cleanser (great for sensitive, combination skin, and doesn’t dry out your skin), First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream (check out this brand if you have sensitive skin. I love that their products have no fragrances so there’s less irritation. Everything is so gentle. This has been my favorite moisturizer for a while now, and I’m on my second bottle).

I hope you guys found this informative! If you have any questions about my beauty routine or products I featured/products in my vanity that I didn’t talk about, you can comment, email me (contact@brunchonsunday.com) or contact me on my Instagram.