Today we are continuing our “Favorite Things” series with some of Anna’s favorites. Anna is 32, super fair, and has combination/sensitive skin.

By Anna Stark

Cleanse

These days I’m not wearing much makeup, so I’ve cut back my cleansing routine, omitting my normal oil cleanser and sticking with a two-step process. I start with Rilastil’s Daily Care Micellar Solution to remove any residual makeup and waterproof SPF, followed by Indie Lee’s Brightening Cleanser. This combination leaves my skin feeling ultra-clean, smooth, and bright. Leaving me wondering: why bother with makeup at all?Hot tip: The Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser can double as a mild exfoliating mask. About once per week, I apply it to dry skin and let it sit for a couple minutes so the natural fruit enzymes can do their work breaking down dead skin cells before rinsing it away. 

Tools

2020 hasn’t exactly been the year for keeping to New Year’s resolutions — by March I had abandoned most, and by August… that’s an article for another day.So, let me take this opportunity to give a huge shout out to Kitsch for making it easy to stick to one: reducing waste. Thanks to Kitsch’s new Eco-Friendly Cleansing Kit, I’m no longer going through a tube of cotton pads each week. To remove makeup and apply toner, I now reach for one of their washable face rounds made from natural bamboo and organic cotton. The kit comes with seven rounds, a face towel, exfoliating sponge, and mesh zip wash bag. I throw the dirty round into the mesh bag, wash that bad boy once a week, and pat myself on the back for trying to be a slightly better human than I was last year.  

Anti-Aging

Right around the time I turned 30, I began to notice what I affectionately call my WTF lines. You know what I’m talking about — those forehead wrinkles caused by years of eye rolls and furrowed brows. I’m a lot less stubborn than I used to be, but my emerging wrinkles aren’t. That’s about the time I decided to get serious about my anti-aging efforts, so I turned to the gold standard: SkinCeuticals Retinol refining night cream. With my ultra-sensitive skin, I had to ease my way into it. I started with the 0.3% formula before graduating to the 0.5% just a few months back. I’m finally able to use it every other night and my skin has never been so bright and clear.Hot tip: Niacinamide (AKA B3) does wonders for strengthening your skin barrier. If you’re thinking of trying a heavy-duty retinol like SkinCeuticals, I recommend coupling it with a serum rich in B3 to keep your skin calm and strong. Check out Dr. Dennis Gross’s brand-new Stress Rescue Super Serum. Even if you’re not trying out retinols for the first time, I’m guessing your skin could use a stress-focused serum right now. 

Moisture

I’m forever on the hunt for a moisturizer that lives somewhere between super thick night creams and the featherweight moisturizing gels of my 20s. Enter Rilastil’s Legere Cream from the Italian skincare company’s Aqua line of products. Rich in Hyaluronic Acid, Omega 6 fatty acids, and super emollient evening primrose oil, this cream is the perfect daytime moisturizer for my combination skin. Not too heavy, not too light. Goldilocks approved.At night when I’m looking for that extra oomph of moisture, I turn to Saint Jane’s Luxury Beauty Serum Oil. This golden-colored oil absorbs quickly, so I know that the super-rich ingredients are soaking into my skin, not my pillowcase. With 20 botanical oils and extracts, plus a healthy dose of CBD, this serum is the perfect nightcap for my skincare routine. Throw in a Patchology Little Helper Sleep Strip and I’m down for the count. Eight hours later I emerge with soft, glowy skin. 

Treat yo’ self

In April my long-awaited Tuscan vacation was canceled. In May it was my Palm Springs getaway. And in July, my family’s annual Fourth of July bash on the farm in Kansas was called off. I had been coveting Kai’s signature fragrance for months and decided if there was ever a time to indulge, it was now. Inspired by exotic tropical flowers, Kai’s signature scent is perfectly balanced: floral but not cloying, musky but not masculine. If I close my eyes, I can almost imagine I’m on a beach somewhere. Almost.