It’s Time to Get Serious About Your Skincare
When we rounded up our staff’s weekly updates last Friday, our editors refined their Amazon wishlists by streamlining our streaming, battling insomnia, or doubling down on cold beer addiction, depending on who you asked.
This week, more than one of us is experimenting with a new skincare regimen, while others are revisiting lost creative projects, getting a push for New Year’s organizational decisions, and jumping into the holiday spirit first with their feet.
What updates have you made this week? Let us know in the comments.
Give your skin the attention it deserves …
My update sets up a skincare routine. I started this in October but wanted to make sure I stick with it before celebrating my success. (I did my research mostly by reading / r / SkincareAddiction, so take it as well worth it.) I strive for simple and affordable, so this is what I chose: In the morning I wash my face with Clean & Clear for the face. Rinse sensitive skin , then apply benzoyl peroxide cream followed by CeraVe branded moisturizer SPF 30 . In the evening I wash my face again, then put a few drops of salicylic acid on a cotton pad and finish with a Neutrogena night cream containing retinol . My skin now looks better than it did two months ago (definitely less acne), but I don’t know how many of them are related to the products I use, and how many are simply due to the fact that I cleanse myself regularly.
Beth Squarecki, health editor
… even if it requires spending a lot more money
I’ve never spent a lot of money on skin care – whatever cleanser is sold at the pharmacy, it might be followed by a moisturizer if I remember – but lately I’ve been trying to take better care of my skin and hair. , teeth, etc. The decision to take a new job was a smart excuse to show off, I bought Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Brighten & Exfoliating Daily Cleanser and Midnight Recovery Concentrate. The cleanser smells and feels amazing, and the concentrate made my skin noticeably softer (for me at least) in less than a week. Definitely worth the money.
alisia adamchik, staff writer
Free your neck from the tyranny of too thick scarves
This is the most useless hacker and I am still proud of him, fight with me. Do you know how to tie a scarf by folding it in half, wrapping it around your neck and threading the loose ends through the end of the loop? If you have a giant scarf that tangle too much around your neck, you are pushing only ONE free end through the end of the loop.
Nick Douglas, staff writer
Do your best with holiday decoration
As you may have heard, 2017 was a tough year and the world is on fire, but there was one bright spot this week: my living room. Because now is the holiday season and our (humble) rooms are decorated. We decorated every flat surface with garlands and lights, and then pulled out an actual Fraser fir tree and, in our family tradition, decorated it with shit. Of course, we decorate every year, but never did it with such grim determination. Did we drink eggnog on a booze during Motown Christmas? You keep your ass, we’re done. Now that our apartment is fully furnished, I look forward to going home every night, sitting in front of a tree (with a bit of eggnog) and not reading the news. Happy Holidays. I’m going to put up with it as much as I can.
Alice Bradley, DEPUTY EDITOR
Organize your photos bit by bit
I photograph a lot. Wedding shots, pet portraits, and images of the various supercars I see around town fill my hard drive as well as my Instagram page. Since one of my New Year’s resolutions was to “sort out your photos,” I turned to my friend and temporary wedding photographer Stephen for advice. “Remove a little every day,” he said. So, last week I spent at least 15 minutes in front of the computer, with the dog on my lap, looking through my archived photographs. I delete the ones I don’t need, mark the ones I like the most, and sort the rest by date or occasion. Slowly but surely, I go through all the photographs I take and learn what separates the good from the bad (usually my finger on the lens).
Patrick Austin, staff writer
Learn Lost Piano Skills
I’m picking up the piano again after, oh, 25 years! This was inspired in part by my colleague Nick Douglas’ excellent video series, How to Simulate Piano Playing. But to a greater extent this was due to the fact that my daughter took piano lessons, but suddenly did not want to study. Instead of asking and bribing, I decided to start practicing myself. I started following YouTube’s guide “How Far Will I Go” from Moana (a favorite song in our house), and while I suck right now, it reminds me of how much fun it is to make music. As for my daughter, I don’t care if she’s studying now or not – she likes the lessons, and I like mine.
Michelle Wu, parenting editor
Help with someone’s Christmas list
I won’t lie, I have spent too much money on myself buying gifts this holiday season. However, this year I decided to donate at least once through Operation Santa, an annual program sponsored by the USPS. Basically, you “take” a letter to Santa from a person or family in need and, through the USPS, arrange to buy and send them Christmas gifts and other essentials. (Note: This pilot is mostly in New York, but is also available in California and some other regions of the United States, so check to see if there is an option in your area.) Planning something nice for a stranger seems 1,000 times better than something else. I also made this holiday season, hands down.
Virginia K. Smith, Editor-in-Chief