Skincare Tips & Tricks for Beginners (Part 1)

Posted bykae. | Hello City GirlPosted inlifestyle, Uncategorized, wellnessTags:, , , , ,

I don’t use a lot of makeup…in fact, I don’t even know what a bronzer or highlighter is. But skincare on the other hand, is my jam. People have all kinds of buying obsessions, and for me it is skincare products.

I am by no means an expert, and I am still picking up knowledge from other people. But here are the things I wish I knew before starting my skincare journey. It would’ve saved me some time, money, headaches, and breakouts.

1. Know Your Skin Type

You guys…this sounds like such a basic step but I wish I knew how important that is. I used to buy random products because the packaging looks nice or the marketing sounds convincing. I would apply products for dry, oily and sensitive skin on my face. It was a nightmare.

My skin was breaking out every week and my face was always red. It never occurred to me that it’s because I’m not using the right products. I just assumed the products sucked. Eventually I realize I have acne-prone, highly sensitive, combination skin. But I learned it the hard way.

Don’t be like me. Spend some time to find out what yours is. You can get a free skin type test at The Body Shop. Just go into a store and ask the sales associate to help you figure it out. If you know other stores that also do free tests, please share with everyone in the comments below!

2. Ask for Samples at Sephora

Did you know you can ask for a sample for almost everything at Sephora?

Well maybe you did LOL, but I didn’t. This was a game-changer for me. There are so many products I want to try, but my wallet and my highly sensitive skin wouldn’t let me. Samples solve the problem. I never purchase a full-size item without trying a sample first. I also get a sample (intentionally picking the expensive ones) when I have a bad day and need to treat myself. No shame.

3. Get Value Sets

I am obsessed with browsing for things to buy (it’s bad I know). From affordable products to luxury brands, I want to try them all. But since your girl isn’t made of money, value sets is the next best thing to get. For those who don’t know, value sets are a collection of products sold at a lower cost than it would’ve been if you buy them separately. It lets you try multiple products for cheaper. In fact, I buy value sets during Sephora’s semi-annual sales so it’s even cheaper.

4. Follow the Instructions

Sounds ridiculous this is a tip right? Well, not to me LOL. Back then when I use sheet masks, I would have them on till they dry. Sometimes that means leaving it on for 45 minutes. My skin would break out the next day and I would again, assume the products sucked.

But that’s because 45 minutes wasn’t what it suggested. The recommended time was in the instructions for a reason. We can’t blame the products or our skin when we didn’t listen. Leaving face masks on for longer than recommended can irritate the skin or cause a reverse effect, according to Allure.

5. Know the Order of Application

I used to put on moisturizer before toner…and no one told me it was wayyyy wrong. To get the most out of the ingredients, it’s important to do it in the right order. Here’s an infographic from Cosmopolitan, outlining the proper order to apply skincare products. Some of you may or may not agree with all of it, but I think this is a good general guideline to follow.

6. Expensive Doesn’t Mean It’ll Work

Price doesn’t always reflect effectiveness. I’ve tried several “high-end” products that didn’t do anything, or at least not significant enough to justify the price. Thank goodness most of them I’ve tried through value sets and samples only. Some are great though, like the Tatcha Water Cream. But even if they’re great on me, that doesn’t mean it’ll be great on you. If you don’t know your skin that well yet, I wouldn’t recommend buying expensive brands. You don’t want to be spending money on products that turn out are not even suitable for you to begin with.

7. You Can Return Your Purchases

I haven’t done this before, since I usually get a sample to try before purchasing. I also just thought skincare is similar to swimwear, that it’d be final sale. But actually if you are not happy with your purchase, most of the common stores (e.g. Sephora, The Body Shop, Winners) allow you to return it even if it’s been used, given that it’s only used a little. Do check the return policy at the stores you shop at though because some may be different, and policies could change.

That’s It For Now…

I learned a lot of stuff the hard way so I’m hoping you can learn from my silly mistakes. There are more tips I’d like to share but didn’t want this post to get too long, so stay tuned for part 2!

Have you made any skincare mistakes? Or do you have your own tips? Please share them in the comments below I’d love to hear all about them!

♥ I opened an Etsy shop! Come visit @DaiseeStudio ♥

50 thoughts on “Skincare Tips & Tricks for Beginners (Part 1)”

  1. I can relate with you especially on no. 5, now I’m so mindful on when I should apply each of my products. And I also agree about “just because it worked for me, means it will work for you”. Some people will criticise you because the products you’re using didn’t work for them. Skincare community always talk about this, if it works then it works. 😂

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Right?! Now it seems obvious but at first I just put things on in random order thinking it’ll all absorb the same way anyway 😂

      Yeahhh everyone’s skin is so different there will never be a product for all. You just described my nightmare. I was thinking of writing a product recommendation post, but was nervous people will criticize my choices oh gosh 🙈

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. Oh, no! Don’t be nervous… I would love to read more posts related to this. It may be helpful for some people with the same skin type as yours! 💗

        Liked by 1 person

  3. Wow, thank you so much for sharing this! I only have a few skincare products and I think it’s okay because I don’t really break out. But that exact order of how to apply skincare products is noted! 😀

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. No probs 💛 That’s so good your skin isn’t easily irritated! I’m jealous hahaha. I have to be so cautious cause I breakout so easily 😓 Yeahh I follow that cause serum essence and all that still confuses me 😂 too many stepsss.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  4. Sephora, please come to the Philippines! These are some great tips. When I started dabbling on skincare, I was not picking products because it suit my skin type, but because it’s trending! Now that I think about it, it’s embarrassing. Thank you for sharing these wonderful tips! ❤️

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh noo! I’m surprised Sephora isn’t in the Philippines yet, cause I think they have quite a few Asia locations now. Right?!! I was the same way! I just thought if it’s getting popular and people are liking it, it must be good for me too 😂 Glad you find these helpful 💕!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

      1. We have a sephora.ph site but the items available are so limited just the basics, and that’s it. No physical store. Yes, I think they have a few on Singapore and maybe Dubai. Kinda sucks that we don’t have one yet 😅 Oh well, have a nice day! ❤️

        Liked by 1 person

    1. Haha it could be a tough process. It took me a long time to find mine!

      Do you know your skin type? If not, I highly recommend finding that out first (I think a lot of skincare shops do a skin type test for free now). They use a little hand-size machine to check, it’s super quick! Sometimes the sales associates can tell by just looking at your skin too.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  7. Really great post!

    I’m not a big advocate of expensive items either I think it’s about what suits your skin. But some expensive skincare items are gold. I’d rather splurge on skincare then on make-up!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    2. Thank you 💛 Yeahhh there are cheaper products that work just fine on me, but some expensive ones I’d definitely still spend money on (…when they’re on sale hahah). Agreed! I’d splurge on skincare over makeup as well, skincare is such a pampering experience 😊

      Like

      Reply

    1. If you have a lot of breakouts lately, I don’t recommend putting too many products on your skin! I tried that before and it irritated it even more. Especially if you’re new, I’d suggest maybe just starting with 2-3 products, and let your skin get used to it first! Skincare is fun, you’re in for a treat hahaha 💛

      Like

      Reply

  11. Great tips! I’m so much more into skincare than into makeup, too! I totally agree about everything you said except that I thought that serum had to be applied AFTER moisturizer, like a face oil! 😱 Thank for sharing this! 😘

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

  12. Great tips! I am also a huge skincare fan, and the product that I like to buy the most are cleansers… Somehow I have 4 different ones at the moment, and still, every time I see a new one that sounds interesting I want to buy it too! 😂 Also, just this morning I was wondering if I applied my products in the right order so your post was super useful! Thanks a lot for sharing 😊

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Oh my gosh I love cleansers too!! I feel you I’m the same way! Right now I have 5 hahah. There are so many different kinds out there…we just can’t have enough 😂 My favourite is the exfoliating ones! Oh good good perfect timing, glad it helped 💛!!

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

  15. Thank you so much for this! I believe in all of this. In fact we have the same type of oily skin and I’d love to know more about the products you use! I think knowing your skin is really the first step because I’ve tried a lot of products that are so ‘cool’ but didn’t do me any good. But now my skin is more manageable because I’m using products that’s for my type. I just wish that we had ‘free samples’ in our country as well so I don’t have to splurge trying to figure out what works for me.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply

    1. Wuuuu that’s a great idea. Maybe I will share what I’ve been using in a new post, I’ve been trying some new brands (spoiler alert I love Farmacy)! Yeah totally agree. I was on the same boat…I wasted so much money back then just buying random “cool” products that weren’t even right for me 😓 It would make my face breakout. Oh noo you guys can’t get free samples? Where are you located?

      Like

      Reply
  16. Pingback: Skincare Tips & Tricks for Beginners (Part 2) – Hello City Girl

    1. I have actually! But lost it after a week…don’t know where it went 😅 I usually put it in the fridge, so the roller is cold. I felt it helped with the puffiness, and makes me feel more refreshed for the day. I’m not sure about reducing dark circles and stuff though…don’t think I’ve used it enough to see a difference.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

    1. Hmmm I think a cleanser and moisturizer would be good starting points. Sometimes having these 2 products alone are good enough if you don’t have much skin concerns! Just make sure you find ones that are suitable for your skin type 😃

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply

Leave a comment