I love my darling mother. She recently turned 62 and trust me, she's livin'. Every since I was a teenager, she taught me simple notes about how to take care of my face. They're pretty simple, but sometime oh so hard to do (you'll see what I mean in a sec). So let's get right to it!

Tip #1: Wash your face at least twice a day. You should wash your face when you wake up and before you go to bed. You don't want to carry the day's dust and germs to the place where you rest your head. I know some days are more difficult than others. You've been out all day and night and you just wanna change into your pajamas and plop onto the bed. but NO! (I can actually hear my mom. hahaha.) "Wash your face, babes!" she'd say when I'd get home. Now, on top of cleansing my face, I use a complexion brush. I talk about it in a #WOW blog, but to put it briefly, this tiny tool can change your life and makes your skin glow.

Tip #2: Always take your makeup off before going to bed. Obviously this ties to the first tip, but taking off your makeup is another step in beauty night rituals. My mom always taught me to use oil free eye makeup remover. It's gentle and not harsh on your skin. She also recommends to use cotton balls or those fluffy cotton pads. Don't use a face terry towel and avoid cloths because taking off your makeup should be done gently. You're taking off your makeup, not wiping the kitchen counter or scrubbing the floor. So, do it gently, especially around eyes. My mom taught me to sweep outward on your eyelids and inward under your eyes, because of W R I N K L E S! So swipe the cotton in an outward circular motion gently & you'll be good!

Tip #3: Wash your face and apply your moisturizer upwards and outwards. Yes, another directional tip! And yes, it's also to prevent wrinkles! My mom always told me that gravity works against our face, dragging it down. So to counter act that gosh darn gravity (lol), always wash and apply upwards and outwards. Oh! To add to that, when you dry your face, dab your face with the cloth or towel, because of... well you already know. ;)

Tip #4: Apply all your treatments right before you sleep. Your moisturizer. Your blemish treatments. Your dark spot gels. Your under eye depuffers. Apply it. Something magical happens when your face is at rest and you're prettily dreaming. ;) I forgot the science of it all, but I remember my mom telling my to put all those treatment gels and let it do its work overnight. Go on and do your thang, honey!

Tip #5: Moisturize. Moisturize. Moisturize. Your face. Your hands. Your elbows. Your legs. Your feet. You get the picture. Moisture it alllllllll. It's good for you. It keeps your skin hydrated and it fights against... you guessed it, wrinkles. My mom believes in taking time to spread the love around, you skin will thank you one day. :) And depending on your moisturizer, cream, or lotion, there can be other benefits as well (aloe vera, shea butter, vitamin D)!

And that's that! I hope you learned something new that'll help in your beauty rituals! :)

Stay flawless,
-Gardenia Rose