Marie’s Note: So, I loooooove experimenting with and playing in all things beauty, but with the gurus and aficionados out there, I wanted to bring on someone who knows their beauty, who happens to be a Curvy Fashionista herself, and who is uber fly & sweet! Please welcome Misti Michelle to #TeamTCF!

Now that summer is nothing but a fond memory it’s time to get back work, pull out those leather jackets, and get your skin prepared for fall (and eventually winter). Like most people, I tend to wear very little makeup during the warm summer months so before I start beating my face to death with layer of foundation, concealer and powder, I like to give it a little TLC.

Cleanse, Cleanse, Cleanse:

I use two different cleansers when I wash my face. I use a gentle cleanser like Simple Skincare’s Hydrating Cleansing Oil to moisturize and rehydrate my skin in the morning. My nighttime cleansing requires a bit more power so I alternate between the Clinique Cleansing Gel and the Pep-Start Exfoliating Cleanser depending on just how glam I went with my look that day.

Exfoliate:

I use a hardcore exfoliator a few times a week to really make sure I’m getting my pores cleaned out. My current favorite is the Kona Facial Coffee Scrub from KAFFE. The finely ground coffee beans not only give your skin a good scrubbing but also help to diminish fine lines, acne marks, and dark/sun spots. Plus I am a coffee junkie and I love that my skin smells like a coffee shop before bed.

Masques:

I never knew just HOW important skin care masks were till I got a bit older, now I cannot go more than a few days without one. I use several during the week but my favorite has to be the GravityMud from GlamGlow. The mask firms and lifts my skin like no other mask I’ve tried plus it’s a peel-off mask so it’s super easy to remove. As a bonus when it dries I look like a chrome robot and freak out my Seamless delivery guys, so it provides both a firming treatment AND entertainment.

For the Love of Serums:

Let’s be honest, we all love serums. They are jam packed with so much goodness for our skin it’s crazy. I have several serums that I use on a rotating bases but my favorites for get my skin ready for the harsher months is the KAFFÉ Vitamin C Concentrated Serum which helps reduce pore size, battle fine lines and help to prevent moisture loss, Clinique Even Better Clinical™ Dark Spot Corrector which helps to reduce those sunspots leftover from the beach/pool days, and IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Lines Serum that smells like a citrus dream while helping to overall improve the texture to my skin.

Don’t Forget Your Peepers:

Eye creams are my new must-have in skin care. I avoided them for so long as I have overly sensitive eyes but these days, it seems there is an eye cream for just about everyone. In the morning I wake my eyes up with a cool-shot with the Yes To… Soothing Eye Gel. This baby helps to tone down any puffiness along with some firming action. Nighttime is I alternate between IT Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Cream and Eve Lom Time Retreat Eye Cream to help make those pesky line fines go away.

Lock in the Moisture:

Moisturizing is one of the most important steps in any beauty routine, even if you are more on the oily side. See if you don’t moisturize, your skin will overproduce sebum which only lead to more oil and more breakouts. My hands down FAVORITE daytime moisturizer is the Vitamin Enriched Face Base from Bobby Brown. I love it to use pre-makeup as it really helps to make my skin the perfect canvas for my foundation, plus it has an amazing grapefruit smell that I love. Nighttime it is all about the POND’s Dry Skin Cream during the fall/winter months. Not only is this super affordable but it really goes a great job at locking in moisture while I sleep.

There you have it, my essential products to keep my skin in tip-top shape now that colder weather is fast approaching. Feel free to give them all a try and let us know what you think!

What are your personal tips/tricks for keeping your skin glowing during the colder months?