Drugstore Beauty Must-Haves for Winter 2.0!

Last year, you might remember that I shared my favorite winter drugstore skincare products! I feel like winter is the time of year where you have to be a little extra with your beauty routine. It's cold and dry and in my opinion a little bit miserable during wintertime! I wanted to do another round of my favorite winter skincare products that I've added into my routine this year and I threw in a couple beauty products this time as well!

This post contains affiliate links: scroll to the bottom of this post to shop my favorites!

Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish + Matte Topcoat

Ok, I'm starting off by sharing two beauty products! The black nail trend has been hot this winter and honestly I wasn't sure that I would like it on myself. I always gravitate towards peach or blush nail shades but I tried it and I loved it! Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish is pretty much the only nail polish I buy now because I find it to be the best drugstore polish out there. People have asked if I get  manicures when I wear it and it lasts longer than any I've tried. This is the shade "Blacky O" and I've also been loving this Big Matte Top Coat to add a matte finish and mix it up sometimes!

Que Bella Gel Eye Masks

My under eyes always need help + in the wintertime I just want to add all the extra moisture and pampering there that I can! These are my favorite under eye masks and they are so cheap! I grabbed this 3 pack at Target for $2.99! I splurged for a more expensive brand while I was there last and these are so much better! The back of the package says that these eye masks "visibly reduce fine lines and wrinkles and leave your eye area brightened and soft."

Pacifica Lipstick Wipes

I actually received these in a PR package back in the summer and shared them in a blog post already but they have really come in handy this winter! Even though these wipes are meant to remove lipstick, they are exfoliating and perfect for keeping my lips smooth especially before applying lipstick!

Blistex Lip Balm

Ok, another lip product! I have big lips and I swear winter is the #1 enemy for me! Blistex is by far my favorite chapstick brand and I've tried a lot. I almost always grab the Blistex Medicated Lip Balm but I tried this Soft and Lush Lip Balm and I'm loving how soft it feels as well as the girly scent! (That's the best way I can think to describe the smell!)

No7 Lift & Luminate Eye Cream

I won a collection of no7 products in a contest this year and I am always grabbing them! I really like this Lift & Luminate Eye Cream. It's just a good basic eye cream that's perfect to give a little extra moisture and life under my eyes before applying makeup!

DERMA E Psorzema Cream

I received this Psorzema Cream from DERMA E in a PR package recently and I've loved using it as a body lotion this winter! I don't suffer from Psoriasis or Eczema but if you do, you may want to give this product a try! It's inexpensive and DERMA E is one of my favorites because they are an awesome natural brand that is 100% vegan, gmo-free and cruelty free!

Have you tired and loved any of these products as well? I'd love to hear your beauty must-haves in the comments below!

xoxo, Gillian

Skincare Benefits of Kaolin Clay + Charcoal with Vivo Per Lei!

*Thank you Vivo Per Lei for sponsoring this post on By Gillian Claire!*

What is it about face masks that are so fun? I just did a poll over on Instagram yesterday and it looks like I'm not the only one who loves them so much!

Face masks are one of my favorite ways to relax and feel like I'm really pampering my skin + giving it a deep clean. I'm partnering with Vivo Per Lei on this post to share my experience with one of their luxurious face masks!

I have really been digging charcoal masks lately so I was immediately drawn to this Mineral Mud Mask by Vivo Per Lei. (You can see another charcoal mask I've tried here!) 

The two main active ingredients in this mask are Kaolin Clay + Bamboo Charcoal. 

I'm already sold on the benefits of Charcoal in skincare. Bamboo Charcoal works to pull impurities and excess oil out of the skin like a magnet. (Kind of amazing, right??)

Kaolin Clay was a new skincare ingredient for me to learn about. I'm so glad I did some research because there are actually so many benefits to using Kaolin Clay in skincare! It is apparently a very gentle clay and suitable for all skin types. Similar to Charcoal, Kaolin Clay works to pull impurities from pores. Other benefits of Kaolin Clay are that it helps with oily skin, is exfoliating and can be used to tone and tighten skin as well!




How beautiful is this mask? It almost felt too pretty to dig my fingers into! It was a lot creamier and softer than I expected which I loved and it went on feeling very smooth, soothing + luxurious. 

I have very sensitive skin. I have definitely broken out in hives a few times after a face mask. The instructions said to leave this mask on for 15-20 minutes. I ended up leaving it on longer because I was working (I work from home, don't worry!) and lost track of time. 

Praise Jesus, my skin did not have any negative reaction to this mask! I loved that even though the mask did dry somewhat, it didn't cake up really hard like some do. 

It was so much more gentle and moisturizing than I expected from a mud mask! My face was a little pink after I washed it off but my skin immediately felt plump and hydrated! Have you ever used a skincare product and you just keep looking at yourself in the mirror that day like, dayyyum my skin looks good? (Haha, or is that just me??) Well, that's what I did after using this mask for the first time! My skin was absolutely glowing and looked so silky + youthful!


The first drugstore charcoal skincare product that I tried a couple years ago didn't wow me so I was kind of left thinking that the whole "charcoal hype" was a little overrated.

I have since found with more experimentation that if you find a good quality charcoal skincare product, it does work and it's actually pretty fascinating to see!

I have somewhat acne prone skin and my pores really get clogged up. (Ew.) After using this face mask for the first time, I had so many blackheads come straight to the surface. It also loosened up a lovely painful pimple I had on my chin... (thanks hormones!)

A little close up look of the Mineral Mud Clay Mask at work! 

These might honestly be the most hilarious set of photos of me to ever grace the blog!

Overall, I'm really impressed with this mask by Vivo Per Lei and I'm looking forward to many more skin detoxes in my future!

Have you tried any Charcoal or Kaolin Clay face masks yet? I'd love to hear your experience with them below!

Be sure to check out the Vivo Per Lei website to learn more about all of their products. You can also find them on Instagram: here!

xoxo,

Gillian

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