One Week of Pampering : Hydrate Wednesday

Welcome to Hump-Day Wednesday! 

Its mid-week and what should we do to pamper ourselves today? If you live in a cold climate like me - hello Canadian winters - then you know how important it is to stay hydrated and moisturized. The heaters are on and the cold air feels super dry. You really don't have a choice lol.


First off, I try to drink as much water as I can during this time of the year. Proper hydration keeps your entire self healthy! So guzzle that water and try to down at least 8 glasses a day. 

Next up, skincare. I already incorporate a lot of hydrating products into my "regime". I start with a hydrating cleanser, my favourite is Hadalabo Gokujyun Super Hyaluronic Acid Foaming Wash. It really gives you a clean feeling without leaving your skin feeling dry and tight. Try it you will be transformed. To be honest, the entire Gokujyun range is super hydrating. I currently own some from the range and you can read my thoughts on them here. I plan to get me some more from that collection. Hold your purses.

Anyway, let's carry on. To prep the skin for the rest of the pamper session, I like to use Aesop Parsley Seed Anti Oxidant Facial Toner. Why? Well the blurb on their website says that its:

An anti-oxidant rich toner for all skin types, including dry and sensitive.

A toner that soothes, balances and evens the appearance of the skin without causing dryness or damage, and prepares it for hydration.

- See more at: http://www.aesop.com/usa/skin-care-1/parsley-seed-anti-oxidant-facial-toner-2.html#sthash.cK5gMKcY.dpuf

Right? Prepares the skin for hydration. Its like Aesop made it just for this post *wink*. I have to say though that I really do like this toner (anything from the parsley seed range is excellent). I prefer to use this toner most nights, when I'm not using the SK-II Activating Massage Fluid.  But cari, what about the SK-II Facial Treatment Clear Lotion??? Still love that one for the AM. Okay enough about getting side tracked.

Next thing I slap on the face is SK-II Facial Treatment Essence. The bomb-diggity. Holy grail essence. If you want to read more about my SK-II obsession, you can have a gander here.

This would not be a pampering post without my masks! Hold your horses, of course I didn't forget them. =)

I previously mentioned The Face Shop's Baby Face Hyaluronic Gel Mask. I have repurchased this gel mask a bunch of times. If I could use it everyday I would, except its C$6 a pop. So for now I will use it once a week lol. If that seems too excessive (as if this entire series isn't?! Hey it's called pampering for a reason n_n ) then another one I really love is the Lululun mask sheets. The pink/white version is for normal hydration while the blue pack is "enriched". Depending on how much moisture you need, take your pick. You can see what they look like from the imomoko online store here and here. I got mine from Pacific Mall here in Toronto. But like the imomoko site, many online places sell it as well.

If you like a wash off mask, ORIGINS Drink Up 10 Minute Mask to Quench Skin's Thirst. SOOO much choice! FInally if you like a sleep-in mask, Clinique Moisture Surge Overnight Mask is what I have tried.

So now we enter the serious skincare junkie zone, or maybe some would call it just plain weird. Please don't judge me haha. I recently, like a few weeks ago, discovered the wonderful world of lip masks. Yes, for your lips. I have previously mentioned that my lips get easily chapped and are always dry. So when I saw the Cherry Cherry Lips Modeling Gel Patch from The Face Shop I was like "hi lip mask. will you come home with me?". Did I mention I was weird? Anyway, so I tried them and I LOVE.

I would put this on at the same time as the sheet mask. Make sure nobody sees you. Because girl, let's put it this way - you will not look presentable. Consider it an alone time pampering experience hahahaha. My husband saw me with this combo on. He did not run away but it was a close thing =)

Okay, well then. I follow up the masks with my serum and moisturizer of choice. A nice one for today would be the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II. The version 2.0 is very nice, less siliconey but with the added benefit of making you look more rested the next day. I am a long time fan of the original formula but this improved version does not disappoint. For moisturizer, I would follow with either Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate (an oil) (read my thoughts here) or ORIGINS Make a Difference Plus+ Rejuvinating Moisturizer. And off to bed I go. 

Do you have any hydrating favourites to share?

xoxo