Fall Cozy Challenge: Tag a holy-grail self-care product that you're thankful for!

[TeamBIC]

Autumn is approaching! We’re getting cozy in the Beauty Insider Community, and what better way to channel the spirit of the season than with a beauty challenge? For the next few months, we’re calling on you to respond to weekly beauty-related prompts inspired by ✨fall✨. We’re doubling down on self-care and autumnal glam right in time for colder weather and spooky season, and we hope you’ll join us for the fun!

Check out our weekly prompts below:

• Week 1 (9/1 - 9/7): Tag your fave fall lip product (plus any selfies or swatches!) 💋
• Week 2 (9/8 - 9/14): Share a fragrance that gives you cozy vibes 🍂
• Week 3 (9/15 -9/21): Shout-out your go-to self-care masks 🧖🏼
• Week 4 (9/22 - 9/28): List your bath & body routine for colder months 🛁
• Week 5 (9/29 - 10/5): Post a photo of a fall-inspired eye look 👀
• Week 6 (10/6 – 10/12): Tag your current hair care routine 💇🏾
• Week 7 (10/13 – 10/19): Name a seasonal home scent you’ve been loving 🕯️
• Week 8 (10/20 – 10/26): Show us your amazing autumn-inspired nail designs 💅
• Week 9 (10/27 – 11/2): Happy Halloween! Name a beauty product or trend you were scared to try but ended up loving 🎃
• Week 10: (11/3 – 11/9): Tag your skincare routine of the season 💆
• Week 11 (11/10 – 11/16): Name a hair tool you would use to get glam during the holidays 🔥
• Week 12 (11/17 – 11/23): Tag a holy-grail self-care product that you’re thankful for 🦃

Hit the "Reply" button below and use the "#" symbol to tag a standout product in your self-care routine. The Beauty Insider Community can't wait to hear your recommendation!

[SportyGirly125]

@TeamBIC For the holidays I cannot live without my HAI ceramic flat iron as well as my SEDU curling iron. 

[itsfi]

A little about my skin in the fall - 

Skin Type: Combination, leaning dry - my nose and chin are less oily this time of the year, but the rest of my face leans more dry. 

Skin Concerns: Sensitive, dehydrated skin that may occasionally experience extra dryness or dry patches. Breakouts and clogged pores are less common than in the warmer months but still show up periodically and with the former may leave some post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (PIH) to deal with. 

AM Routine: The Basics  

AM Routine: The Basics

My morning routine has become a lot more simplified, over the last 16 months, with a basic routine that regularly consists of 4 steps, 5 if you count the glass of warm water and lemon I start out my morning with.

1. Washcloth + Water: In the cooler months, my skin doesn't always need a cleanser. I've found this has also helped to keep my

skin from getting tight or more dry.
2. Moisturizer: I first tried the LANEIGE Radian-C Cream with Vitamin C 1.0 oz/ 30 mL in March of this year and I've not looked back. This just works for my skin - hydrates, moisturizes, helps to fade PIH spots and brightens my overall complexion
3. SPF is a must for me. I like trying the different formulations out there but for the last 3-1/2 years, I've always had a bottle of Etude House Sunprise Mild Airy Finish SPF 50+ PA+++ in my sunscreen rotation. 
4. Lip Balm: Whether I'm heading into the office or working from home, I swipe a bit of Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask Red Camellia  for some hydration and a tint of color as the last step in my morning skincare routine

AM Routine: The Extras  

AM Routine: The Extras

Spoiler

I've been reaching for the following extras in the morning, "as needed":

• Cleanser: There's maybe 1-3 days every month when I may need to add a cleanser to my morning routine. In those instances, I've been reaching for one of the water-based cleansers from my PM routine - belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Jelly Cleanser 5.41 oz/ 160 mL or Good (Skin) Days A New Leaf Cream Cleanser (if my skin is feeling both dry and oily and experiencing a breakout) or AMOREPACIFIC Treatment Enzyme Peel Cleansing Powder 1.94 oz/ 55 g (not pictured)
• If my skin is dealing with clogged pores or a breakout, it's Paula's Choice BHA 9 (not sure why this never comes up when I try to tag it) for me - I love how potent and effective it is without drying my skin. I also love that this goes on clear; makes it convenient for use in the mornings
• Some part of my face experiences dryness during the year and in the cooler seasons, it's not uncommon for all of my face to have some degree of dryness. When I need a little more moisture, I will add The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL  to my routine - either mixed in with the Laneige moisturizer or applied before or after
• For extra, extra dry days or dry patches, I'll use Farmacy Honey Savior All-in-One Skin Repair Salve 1.6 oz/ 46 g. This works well as a lip balm too! 
• If I need to add a little pep to my complexion or make it look like I'm more awake than I actually feel, I reach for The INKEY List Caffeine De-puffing + Dark Circle Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL - it's lightweight but hydrating, helps to calm down puffiness and add a little brightness to my eye area

PM Routine: The Basics  

There was a time, 4, maybe 5, years ago when it was not unheard of for my basic evening routine to consist of 12-15 steps. I have since whittled that down significantly and my skin has appreciated a more minimalist approach to skincare. My regular, daily PM routine now primarily consist of these 6 steps, with some extras that I incorporate occasionally or as my skin needs.

PM Routine: The Basics
1. Pre-Cleanse (on days I wear makeup): Bioderma Sensibio H2O Micellar Water - I've lost count of the number of bottles of this stuff I've gone through over the last 10 years; yes, 10 years.
2. Oil-based Cleanser: Paula's Choice Omega+ Complex Cleansing Balm (can't seem to tag this product)
3. Water-based Cleanser: either belif Aqua Bomb Hydrating Jelly Cleanser 5.41 oz/ 160 mL or Good (Skin) Days A New Leaf Cream Cleanser depending on how my skin is feeling.
4. Serum: L'Occitane Age-Defying Immortelle Reset Oil-in-Serum 1 oz/ 30 mL 
5. Moisturizer: belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb has been a staple in my cold weather skincare routine for the last 4 or 5 years.
6. Lip Balm: Farmacy Honey Savior All-in-One Skin Repair Salve 1.6 oz/ 46 g is a great all around product to have on hand. It's thick and moisturizing, making it a great lip balm for the cooler evenings.'

PM Routine: The Extras  

PM Routine: The Extras

Various ones of these beauties come out occasionally during the cooler season.

Spoiler

Weekly Use:  

• Sheet Masks: as little as 1 to as frequent as 7 days per week, depending on what my skin needs and how tired or stressed I may be. I try to remember to use a face roller at least once per week, with my sheet mask.
• Bakuchiol Serum: About 2 or 3 times per week, I apply Cosmedix Bakuchiol Complete Plant-Based Retinol Alternative Serum (gratis) before the L'Occitane Oil-in-Serum.
• Neck Cream / Serum: once per week. I need to do a better job of incorporating a neck cream / serum into my routine more regularly. I finished my jar of StriVectin and am now testing No. 7 Restore & Renew Face & Neck Multi Action Serum.
• Lip Scrub: 1- 2 times per week. Right now, I have LUSH Lip Scrub - Cookie Dough on my skincare shelf.
• Lip Mask: I may add another layer of lip balm just before calling it a night. I'm currently rotating through the following this month: fresh Rose Petal-Soft Deep Hydration Lip Balm 0.3 oz/ 10g LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C Berry Farmacy Honey Savior All-in-One Skin Repair Salve 1.6 oz/ 46 g or Innisfree Lip Sleeping Mask with Green Tea (love the thickness of this, thought I picked this up at Sephora but may have purchased it through Innisfree direct)

Once Per Month: 
I'm still working on being more comfortable (baby steps!) with the BeautyBio GloPRO® Microneedling Facial Regeneration Tool so for now, it is once per month. I'll try to get myself to once every other week, but it will be slow going as I'm hardly pushing myself very hard. lol. 

As Needed: 
For breakouts or clogged pores, it's Paula's Choice BHA 9 or innisfree Pore Clearing Clay Mask 3.38 oz/ 100 mL or Peach & Lily Super Reboot Resurfacing Mask. 

If my skin is extra parched, I'll add an oil to my evening routine, either before, with or after my moisturizer, and occasionally again right before I turn out the lights. The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Brightening and Firming Face Oil 1.01 oz / 30 mL I may also apply a layer of Farmacy Honey Savior All-in-One Skin Repair Salve 1.6 oz/ 46 g to seal it all in. If it's the under eyes that are extra dry, I've been using belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb to add some hydration overnight. To help with hydration from the inside out, I also try to drink an extra 40oz of water from the time I end my work day until about an hour or so before sleeping.

Yay for a fall skincare routine prompt @TeamBIC. Reading about everyone's skincare treats this week has offered a nice break from work (and added to my list of products I want to try). 

[ather]

@itsfi  great job. Looks like you have a great routine! I also need to get better at applying neck creams!

[itsfi]

@ather, I included a neck cream in my project pan this year and I still wasn’t as consistent as I should have been with it. I did finish a jar but it took a while. I tend to just take an anti-aging serum down my neck but yeah, need to do better. 😞 

[ather]

@itsfi  I also wondered if it was essential. I usually bring everything I put on my face down my neck. I had a neck cream before but never used it. But I’ve been working hard at using up my foils and I found a foil neck cream and was going to try it out. 

[itsfi]

Yeah @ather, eye creams and neck creams have been 2 skincare items that make me wonder if I really need them. I mean, I'm sure I can find ones I like 🤣 but to your point, are they essential? I think I just need to use both more regularly to get a better idea about that; maybe a project I should give myself for a few months next year? 🤔

[PrettyPaint]

@itsfi  So many good ones in this list! I actually just grabbed some of that belif moisturizing bomb to get ready for the winter. I haven't used it for several months but I love it. 

[itsfi]

@PrettyPaint, belif The True Cream Moisturizing Bomb + The Ordinary 100% Organic Cold-Pressed Rose Hip Seed Oil 1 oz/ 30 mL = happy winter skin ♥️♥️♥️ 

I’ll add a sleeping mask on really cold or windy nights but the belif moisturizer and TO oil pairing have been a good preemptive strike against dry patches for many winters. 

[elleb810]

@itsfi  

Totally with you on that water intake - it makes such a difference in my skin! Skincare from the inside out!

[itsfi]

It really does make a difference @elleb810! It’s not always easy to be consistent with it those. I find myself having a good day with it and then struggling to even get in the minimum the next. A constant work in progress. 💦 

[heavyhedon]

@itsfi -- so interesting to read all the details of your routine. I've been eyeing that Laneige C for a while. I've have to sample it soon. 

[itsfi]

@heavyhedon, I liked the results of the Laneige Radian-C as I was working through the first jar, but I really loved it when I noticed a difference (particularly with overall brightness and fading of my dark spots / PIH) when I didn’t have it in my routine. Picking up a sample is the way to go, especially with skincare. I hope it works out for you! 

Ah yes, the journey to a more simplified routine. 😊 My next endeavor is to work through and figure out which of my extras are must haves vs. good to have vs. nice to have. That’ll help with managing products I have and have open at one time and also give me room to pick up and try new products that catch my eye. 😉 

[PrettyPaint]

I don't currently have a very complex skincare routine, to be honest. The products that I'm consistently using at the current moment are:

Youth To The People Superfood Gentle Antioxidant Refillable Cleanser 

Youth To The People Superberry Dream Cleansing Balm 3.4 oz/ 100 mL 

Youth To The People Adaptogen Deep Moisturizing Cream with Ashwagandha + Reishi Mushroom 2 / 59 

The INKEY List Caffeine De-puffing + Dark Circle Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL 

Kiehl's Since 1851 Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado 0.95 oz/ 28 g 
Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum 

I'm a little less consistent with the toners and serums. I tend to use whatever I grab first!

[ather]

@PrettyPaint  great lineup!! 

[faeriegirl]

I am loving the new YTTP cleansing balm @PrettyPaint!💛

[PrettyPaint]

@faeriegirl  The cleansing balm is great, in my opinion. It's honestly the best I've tried. 

[Yeahsureok]

Do you use your YTTP Adaptogen Cream both morning and night? Do you find it keeps you moisturized all day?

[PrettyPaint]

@Yeahsureok  Sorry to be slow to respond. I think I wasn't getting some of my tags. I mainly just use it in the mornings, and it does keep me moisturized throughout the day. My skin is kind of combination at the moment and not overly dry, though. Once we're in the middle of the winter, I'll probably need to add some moisture in the evenings. 

[Yeahsureok]

My current skincare routine! 😍💸

Morning

• Cleanse with water or Vanicream Gentle Facial Cleanser
• Tone with Glow Recipe Watermelon Glow PHA + BHA Pore-Tight Toner 5.07 oz/ 150 mL 
• Moisturize eyes with Tatcha The Silk Peony Melting Eye Cream 0.5 oz/ 15 mL 
• Moisturize face with Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Refillable Moisturizer 
• SPF eyes (some days) with Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Renewal Therapy SPF 35
• SPF face (every day) with Elta MD Clear Broad-Spectrum SPF 46 - Tinted
• Moisturize lips with Farmacy Honey Butter Beeswax Lip Balm 0.12 oz/ 3.4 g 

I'm guilty of not using SPF every day--not that most people think that's a cardinal sin--but I do try to apply every morning if only so I don't fall out of the habit. I've noticed that my face is in overall better shape during the periods of time where I consistently apply SPF.

And I also want to throw in a quick bit about lip balm, because I've trying and trying to find the *perfect* UN-tinted lip balm. So far, nothing beats out Farmacy Honey Butter Beeswax Lip Balm 0.12 oz/ 3.4 g for me, but I would say that fresh Sugar Advanced Therapy Treatment Lip Balm would be my number 2 if not for being 3x the cost (and it's a little bit on the soft side, almost melts after being in my pocket for a few hours). I recently got Kosas Kosasport LipFuel Hyaluronic Acid Lip Balm during the Rouge sale, but I haven't been too impressed for twice the cost of Farmacy--though I really enjoy the flat tube design. 

Nighttime

• First cleanse with micellar water, makeup removing wipe, or other makeup/sunscreen removing product
• Second cleanse with Tatcha The Rice Wash Skin-Softening Cleanser 4.0 oz / 120 mL 
• Tone with fresh Kombucha Antioxidant Facial Treatment Essence 
• Treat eyes with Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Advanced Retinol + Ferulic Triple Correction Eye Serum 0.5 oz/ 15 mL 
• Moisturize face with Beekman 1802 Bloom Cream and Dream Booster
• Mask lips with LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask Intense Hydration with Vitamin C 

I don't use a lip mask every night, but when I do, I keep going back to LANEIGE. It's thick and tacky enough to create a layer that lasts through the night, and I don't think I've woken up with dry, cracked lips while using it. I've also used Tatcha The Kissu Lip Mask and the COSRX lip masks, but I didn't find either to be substantial enough to last through the night.

Occasionally

• Physical exfoliation with Kate Somerville ExfoliKate™ Intensive Exfoliating Treatment or Acure Brightening Facial Scrub
• Chemical exfoliation with Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Extra Strength Daily Peel Pads 

I would get lovely results from Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One AHA Lactic Acid Treatment, but I haven't used it in quite some time as I've been trying to cut a lot of actives out of my routine. My skin is extremely reactive and I've gone through a lot of trial and error ($$$) trying to find a series of products that give my skin what it needs.

EDIT: Looks like I got lucky reply number 666! 😈

[faeriegirl]

I totally agree about the Farmacy Honey Butter Beeswax Lip Balm 0.12 oz/ 3.4 g @Yeahsureok it is my favorite 💛🍯

[Ispend2much6]

@Yeahsureok  Lol!  Hope your luck is good in spite of the number.