New Face Ways for ‘21

It’s a new year, allegedly! And it feels like the 100th of January, 2021. While I fully own my tendencies towards expressing nihilism and visualizing future doom, I’m not above changing up my skin care routine from time to time. As I have heard from others anecdotally, smearing creams with SPF on my face has had some positive effects. Have you? I bet you have. I’ve been smearing said creams on my face for a long time (at my age, I’ve been doing everything for a long time). And in the spirit of an old dog learning new tricks, here are the tiny new things I’m doing to my face, for now, in 2021. Enjoy.

’20 way: using my fingers to apply tinted moisturizer

’21 way: using a brush to apply tinted moisturizer

As the only downside has been accidentally sweeping the brush into my eye, which I now think I know how to avoid, I am kicking myself for not switching to using a brush sooner. It’s fun and feels faster, the coverage is more even, and I get less product on my fingers and more on my face. As my process is still ten thousand miles away from the swan-like expertise of Pati Dubroff’s, check her out her Insta video in which she uses multiple face brushes to contour her tint. What a time to be alive.

’20 way: cleansing by rubbing cotton or cloth soaked in micellar water

’21 way: cleansing by pressing cotton or cloth soaked in micellar water

I should have known that the reason (not an ad) why they say micellar water is like a magnet is bc you don’t have to rub. You can just hold, and lightly press a micellar water-soaked face cloth or cotton wad on your lashes for a few ticks, and wham. Mascara off. Don’t rub! Press! I press now! Plus talk like infant! Bye-bye.

’20 way: smearing in night cream before bed

’21 way: tapping in night cream before bed

Seems a little counterintuitive after I just raved about using a brush and not using my fingers re: tinted moisturizer above, right? Well this is more about tapping, little teeny taps with my fingers all over my face, a technique I learned from a real-life esthetician here in Austin, Kay Leigh.

And since rubbing and tugging is not a good idea for face skin, I think, the tapping thing feels really good. And Kay Leigh says it can help with product absorption and other things, all of which sound good. Her Insta is one of my favorite resources for good skin.