Good morning, friends! This has been the first full week of being back to work in quite some time (ooftah, it’s hit me like a ton of bricks…), and I’m spending the first part of January traveling to New York, prepping for some big campaigns for work in the coming weeks! I’m full of excitement, gratitude, and lots of caffeine – quite the combination for easing into 2020.
While I’ve made the choice to ditch resolutions this year, I have been working on little tweaks to improve my life – whether it’s getting myself to focus on focusing (and actually do a better job of it!), reading more, prepping more meals at home, or hitting the yoga studio more than I did last year. And another big thing I’m hoping to improve a bit is my skin care routine, especially since I’m turning 31 this year and am still hoping I get confused for a college student from time to time. Okay, so it happened once at Whole Foods last year, but still might be the highlight of 2019….
Skincare products and routines are always tricky, especially because everyone’s skincare needs are so different and shift so much as you get older. My mother (saint that she is) always told me to wear sunscreen and that it was never too early to use eye cream, and so I’ve had a pretty decent skincare for most of the 20’s and early 30’s. I always try to wash my face before bedtime, use moisturizer and keep my skin in pretty good shape. But now that I’m feeling a little older, I’m buckling down and really making sure I’m being choiceful and consistent with the products I use, and find ones that are both effective and don’t break the bank – because let’s be real, we’d all rather buy shoes than eye cream right? 😉
At the end of last year, I was introduced to Maelove, a luxury skincare brand without the insane prices of most other luxury brands. Rather than hype marketing claims, they create products that are made with simple and effective ingredients that are high quality and actually affordable. They’re also obsessive when it comes to research, and work with best in the business chemists, dermatologists, and medical researchers to create products that actually work. As a self-labeled beauty product addict, I’m totally guilty of trying every beauty product and brand under the sun (okay, maybe a little hyperbolic, but I have a LOT of beauty products in my bathroom), and so I don’t take skincare products lightly – when they work, they’re magical. When they’re affordable, they’re double magical. 
I tried 4 of their products over the past month and even with the stress of the holidays and international travel, I saw a pretty big improvement in my skin. I’ll break down the products I tried and what I loved most about them.
Love 31 Botanical Serum: I believe in the magic of serums, and have been using them for years to keep my skin moisturized and in tip top shape. I used to be very skeptical about putting oils on my face (especially when I have acne), but they do a great job of balancing out my skin and making it look supple and naturally glowy. The MaeLove Love 31 Serum is made from 31 botanical extracts and vitamins to nourish, hydrate, and repair your skin – not to mention it smells like a flower shop in the best way ever. I’m a huge fan of another serum that’s similar (but over $200!), so I love that this one is $75 and works just as well.
The Eye Enhancer Gel: I am the queen of tired eyes (I get a lot of “are you OK?” at work, even after a nice 8 hour rest), so anything that keeps my eyes looking a little more refreshed gives me a huge boost of confidence I need. While no product has made my dark circles disappear for good (I’ve given up that pipe dream), MaeLove’s Eye Enhancer Gel definitely depuffed my eyes a bit and made me look a little less sleep deprived. It’s made with a blend of Peptides, coffee seed extract and botanicals to soothe, de-puff and keep your sensitive eye area moisturized.
Night Renewer Moisturizing Cream: This is my new secret weapon for even complexion and skin texture since it’s formulated with 10% Glycolic Acid (sounds scary, but it’s actually magically effective). I started using the Night Renewer Cream 3 days a week to get my skin used to the medical-grade acid, and then eased into using it every night. It’s one of those products where you actually see noticeable results in about a week, and my skin evened out, improved my skin texture and tightened my skin. MaeLove also added a blend of super soothing ingredients, including Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Aloe, as well as Hyaluronic Acid to keep your skin hydrated. This product is definitely now in my everyday skincare arsenal and I’ll be buying it again once I’m out.
One Cream: A super nice simple and effective everyday cream, I use the One Cream every morning to keep my skin moisturized before starting with my usual makeup routine. Its made with squalane, coconut extracts and glycerin, which forms a barrier over your skin to keep it hydrated all day, and is infused with probiotics. I love that it absorbs quickly and feels great as an everyday lotion. 
Okay, anyways – skincare rant over! But really, do yourself a favor and take care of your skin this year – even if it’s just doing a little more than you did last year. Your future self and skin will thank you! And honestly, I can’t recommend MaeLove products enough – they have tons of other products I’m looking forward to trying, including their cult-favorite Glow Maker Antioxidant Serum made with Vitamin C, and their Argan Oil (which I’m already on the waitlist for when it’s back in stock!)
A big thanks to MaeLove for sponsoring this post! All opinions are my own and I really do love their products. Thanks for supporting the brands that make Charmingly Styled possible!
