All Greek To Me: Visions of Vacation

All Greek To Me: Visions of Vacation by elbonner featuring Hollister Co.

The past few weeks have truly been cold, miserable, a have sucked the joy and happiness out of just about everything. All it makes me want to do is daydream of somewhere sunny, warm, and far away from work and from the day-to-day crap that we all wish we didn't have to do. Since I'm not planning on going anywhere like this, I can at least have fun with the idea! I've recently been into everything Greek, and by Greek I mean Greek Islands. The blue Aegean, sun-soaked, whitewashed houses clinging to the sides of cliffs, surrounded by crystal blue water, topped off with little blue-domed houses dotting the skyline! That sort of scenery pairs perfectly with linen tees, slouchy jeans and some strappy, flat sandals. Don't forget a giant bag to hold all of your chicken souvlaki and pounds of feta cheese! I've really been digging the whole deep blue and white combo and decided to make a little tribute to the simple, yet beautiful pair. So, if you're in a winter slump, don't be blue, get some beautiful Grecian blue in your life! And besides, it's nothing a little ouzo and baklava can't fix! Opa!

Essie Nail Polish

YSL Nail Polish

NARS Nail Polish

Linen Tee

Boyfriend Jeans

Gladiator Sandals

Vegan Tote

Vefa's Kitchen

Korres Greek Yogurt Sleeping Facial

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Summer Skin Moisture Savers

Summer Skin Moisture Savers by elbonner featuring a la roche posay

Warm weather is great for the soul, but it can totally throw your face into an adolescent, oily, unmanageable breakdown. It's horrible, it's annoying,but it happens to the best of us. What we tend to forget when we get a little oilier in the summer is that we still need to moisturize because sun exposure leads to moisture loss! You're sweating out the water in your skin and it either needs to be sealed in or replaced. What can make the difference is a good moisturizer.

Combination Skin

 Juara Sweet Black Tea and Rice Moisturizer- This is my favorite moisturizer of all time. I use this all year round, but I feel like it was custom made for my summer skin. I used to struggle with oiliness during the day when in the sun, but dryness because of thin moisturizers I used to keep the oil at bay. This stuff works with me to keep me looking fresh, but not too moisturized. 

Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream- This works a  lot like the Juara one. It's a bit lighter for those on the oily end of the combination scale and smells like cucumbers floating in cool water. Just that alone makes it great for summer. Layers well under sunscreen and BB creams also!

Oily

Korres Pomegranate Balancing Moisturizer- At the height of my oil problem a few years ago, I was desperate for a moisturizer that didn't suck the oil from my face only to make it oilier out in the sun. I went out on a limb and tried Korres, a brand I'd never tried before and changed my skin for good! This stuff gives oily skin just enough moisture and packs in what can only be magic to keep all the shine away. I was blown away and recommend it to anyone with oil problems.

Alba Hawaiian Aloe and Green Tea Oil-Free Moisturizer- Great drugstore buy that I found very similar to the Korres moisturizer when I was low on cash and needed some oil control. It was very soothing if I'd had any sun exposure the day before and was very light/nicely scented. No breakouts and no problems!

Dry/Mature

Avene Hydrance Optimale Light Hydrating Cream- French skincare is always good. ALWAYS. Which is why I wasn't surprised when this skin cream from Avene moisturized my overly sensitive, newly dry skin when I was first having to change face products. My skin when from out-of-control oily to dry in what seems like overnight. I figured my skin was mad and went for something made for sensitive skin. This entire brand is based on the benefits of French mineral water and its soothing properties. It helped calm things down and was very moisturizing. I went with the light because it was summer time and thought any more and I would have been shiny. Go with the whole shebang if you're super dry.

Kiehl's Abyssine Cream + SPF 23- Super rich, super luxurious, and complete with a sun protectant. Sometimes, I find that putting a mineral sunscreen over a moisturizing cream can actually suck out all the moisture (the minerals act almost like a mattifyer) and render your expensive cream useless, I say! Go with one with an spf. This cream is formulated with deep sea minerals that live in the most extreme and damaging conditions on earth (thermal vents moving boiling hot water from the earths core, science whoa!) and are able to withstand damage from extreme heat. Great for the summer! Super thick and luxurious, I would only recommend this to the driest of skins.

Wildcards! Summer Face-Issue Helpers:
Acne: La Roche Posay Effaclar DUO Dual Action Acne Treatment- Pimples and summer go together like family barbeques and drunken uncle speeches. This is a much-loved acne treatment for those unwanted guests that works without excess drying or peeling.

Irritation/Sun Damage: Korres Greek Yogurt Advanced Nourishing Sleep Facial- Get all the benefits of a greek yogurt facial at night without ruining all of your sheets and pillows. This super nourishing mask is great for a day spent too-much in the sun or just general irritation from over cleansing (which we all tend to do in the summer, i.e. removing sunscreen). Since it's used like a night cream, you get eight hours (ha! I wish) of treatment rather than, say, 15 minutes. Another great from Korres.You really can't go wrong with them!

I hope this helps prepare for the oncoming onslaught of skin-bummers that come along with the changing of the seasons.Just remember to sunscreen up, don't over exfoliate, and have fun in the sun without worrying about your face!

Cleansers

Cleansers by elbonner featuring Bliss face cleansers

As great as summer is, it can really wreak havoc on your face. The heat and use of some sunscreens can make your skin oily and more blemish prone or the prolonged sun exposure can dry everything and make it flaky. It's imperative that you have a good cleanser to take all that oily grossness of at the end of the day so that you don't end up looking like Pizza Face. I've compiled a few of my favorite facial cleansers I've tried over the years since my skin type has changed from oily to combination dry. My misfortune becomes your benefit since I can recommend more products! 

1. Probably my all-time favorite cleanser since I can use it all year-round in Korres Milk Proteins Foaming Cream Cleanser. I friggin' love Korres products and have NEVER used one that I didn't think was the bees knees. This cleanser is $21 so not super cheap, but you only need a bit and the bottle lasts forever. My skin get way dry in the winter and it never feels tight after I use it and when my skin is oily in the summer it gets rid of all the nasties. 

2. Another nice cleanser that is pretty similar to the previous one is Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. This stuff smells awesome, kind of minty and herby and always helped wake me up a bit when used in the morning. This cleanser foams up a lot too and is great for combination to oily/sensitive skin. I like pretty much all of the Origins products I've tried too. This one is $19.50, so a bit cheaper than the Korres cleanser, but both are the same size. If you want an herbal pick-me-up go for this one!

3. Bliss makes some good stuff. Not as natural or earthy as Korres or Origins, but they have a great range. Their triple oxygen line of products is wonderful if you like that super fresh, tingly feeling and their Triple Oxygen Instant Energizing Cleansing Foam is great if you like mousse/foam cleansers. This takes off makeup pretty well and makes you feel so fresh and so clean. The oxygenating action also made my face look a little bit brighter too. At $28 it's one of the more expensive cleansers, but you're getting what you pay for. 

4. Another favorite from Bliss is the Clog-Dissolving Cleansing Milk. This formula does NOT foam and goes on like a milky cream that smell clean and fresh. I like to use this in the winter time when my skin is feeling a bit dry or when I feel like I've overdone it with foamy cleansers. I like this because though my skin is on the dry side, I still have issues with blackheads and the enzymes in this cleanser help to eat away at the yucky stuff while still being moisturizing. No clogging, no film, just an all-around good cleanser for dryer more sensitive skin. 

5. This is another non-foaming formula that is focused on more acne prone skin. The ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser (aliteration much?) from REN utilizes the power of clay to gently dry up zits and all the gross stuff inside them. After bombarding my acneic skin with the harshest cleansers I could find, my skin got incredibly dry and sensitive and I wish this had been around when I was more pimply. It has a clean scent and doesn't have anything harsh that could further irritate your skin. This cleanser is part of a 3-step system just for acne sufferers!.

6. Our last cleanser is not really a cleanser in the traditional sense. The Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant a gentle exfoliant that doubles as a super gentle cleanser great for more mature skin types. I also find this nice to use when I have a sunburn and want something that isn't going to take moisture away. This comes as a powder that you add a few drops to and make into a paste. You choose how grainy the texture gets so the exfoliation factor can be significant to almost nonexistent and the texture ranges from a thick paste to a milky watered-down-oatmeal like consistency. It's a blend of rice powders and exfoliating acids that keep your skin sexy smooth without pissing it off.

Hope you enjoyed this cleanser overview. I have used all of these products for years and wouldn't throw them on here without being truly impressed with them so happy cleansing everyone!