Beauty - August 2, 2021

My Current Body Care Routine

summer skincare routine, nécessaire body wash, nécessaire body oil, Billie Razor, self-tanning routine

Diving into body care today because I feel like it’s something I talk about a lot on Stories but don’t really have a reference point for, SO here we are! :) If you’re like, Brighton what the heck is body care? Think of it like skincare, but for your whole body! Things like shaving, moisturizing, sunless tanning, etc! I have a whole routine at this point that I really love and want to share with y’all, so I’ve broken everything down below by category and product. I hope it’s helpful!

Moisturizing

This part of my routine is pretty much all Necessaire! I’ve worked with them for quite a while now and have totally fallen for their product line. Everything they make is SO good! The ingredients are high quality, the texture is always smooth and non-greasy – honestly, if you haven’t tried any of their stuff yet, I highly recommend it.

As far as scents go, most of Nécessaire’s products come in three different types: fragrance-free, sandalwood, and eucalyptus. There’s also a bergamot option for a few products as well. I think all of them are great but am currently using the sandalwood exfoliator, fragrance-free body lotion and body oil and then the bergamot body wash. Like I said, it’s all great, it’s just a matter of your personal preference.

I wanted to break down each product a bit, especially for those of you that might be new to Necessaire/might be looking for some new products to try, so here’s some general info that I think is helpful as well as some thoughts on my experience using each product.

Nécessaire Body Wash

  • Cleanse, nourish, balance
  • Multi-vitamin body cleanser
  • Apply all over, massage for foam, rinse well

So many things to love about this body wash! I feel like it revitalizes my skin and makes it feel incredibly fresh. It doesn’t dry it out and it lathers so perfectly (not too foamy), which is something I never knew I appreciated until using this body wash. You also don’t need much to cover a lot of surface area so your bottle will last you a while. As far as the packaging goes, the branding is beautiful (Necessaire’s branding is one of the things that initially drew me to them) and most importantly, it’s functional! Love that it’s a twist cap and easy to open while my hands are wet. And you can’t go wrong with any of the scents! They’re all a bit Earthy but in a good, fresh way. Like I said, I’m currently using bergamot and absolutely love it!!

Use code BRIGHTON10 at Necessaire.

Nécessaire Serum

  • Good for dry skin, skin recovery, skin depletion
  • Hydrates, replenishes, recovers
  • Apply all over or to areas that are in need of extra hydration

Ok, this serum is truly THE BEST for people with extra dry skin. The way Necessaire formulated this product is literally as if they were developing a hyaluronic acid serum for your face so it’s super high quality and very hydrating. Other serums I’ve tried or seen online/in-store are usually just body oils packaged as serums so for this one to actually be a water-based serum, I knew I had to try it right away and now I cannot recommend it enough, especially if you have sensitive dry skin.

To apply it, you can layer it on separately before you put on your lotion, or you can mix it in with your lotion and apply them together. Personally, I like to mix them together but it’s up to you and what your skin needs!

Nécessaire Lotion

  • Moisturizes, nourishes, strengthens skin
  • Multi-vitamin
  • Fast-absorbing
  • Fragrance-free
  • Personally, I love to mix this with the serum – I feel like I see the most benefits from both products that way

If you’ve been searching high and low for the perfect body lotion, this is it, truly. It’s every bit worth the price as that’s a question I get often when I share about it on IG. What sets it apart, in my opinion, is how fast-absorbing it is. So many lotions will just sit on top of my skin and then just feel greasy. Not this lotion. It sinks into my skin and I can feel it for hours. And I love that it’s fragrance-free. All the different smells between body wash, exfoliator, etc can get a little overwhelming so it’s nice to have a go-to product that simply hydrates my skin without a fragrance. Mix it with the serum (that’s also fragrance-free) and you’ll only wish you would have started using these products sooner.

Use code BRIGHTON10 at Necessaire.

Nécessaire Body Oil

  • Use alone or mix with the lotion
  • Restores, nourishes, softens skin
  • Non-greasy
  • Lightweight/fragrance-free

I have tried a lot of body oils throughout the years and this one is by far the best. It’s all about the texture and weight of the oil for me and this one is lightweight (aka doesn’t feel too heavy or greasy in your hand/while applying) and absorbs so quickly into my skin. You can use this body oil on its own or mix it in with the lotion, depending on how much hydration your skin needs.

Use code BRIGHTON10 at Necessaire.

Billie razor

Shaving

OK, I honestly feel like I could write an entire post on Billie alone. Seriously, what a wonderful company that just makes great products. I’m completely obsessed and don’t use anything else at this point when it comes to shaving.

Billie Razor

  • Closer shave
  • Great for sensitive skin
  • Comes with a magnetic holder (bye-bye suction cups and shower puddles)
  • Subscription option – blades can be delivered to your door every one, two or three months
  • Made with matte rubber so never slips – “ergonomic handle with a matte rubber back so it never slips out of your hand in the shower.” (from Billie site)

This is hands down a fantastic razor, but let me break down why and what I think makes it different than others. From a blade perspective, I think it does what any other five-blade razor does and that’s not what makes it stand out necessarily. It’s the razor head that does it for me! I can maneuver it SO easily around my knees and ankles and have never had so much as a scratch. It’s honestly been a gamechanger for shaving for me. The charcoal soap surrounding the blades is also genius if you ask me since charcoal is anti-bacterial, which helps keep the skin clean while shaving.

Last, but certainly not least, the magnetic holder! How has this not always been a thing for keeping razors in the shower?! It’s life-changing, lol. That might sound dramatic but once you use it you’ll never want to go back.

Billie Shaving Cream

  • Mixture of aloe, shea butter, olive oil, and sage
  • Creamy, non-aerosol texture stays on your skin
  • Helps razor glide smoothly even in hard to shave areas (knees, etc)

I will admit that I was someone who didn’t really value a good shaving cream before I started using the one from Billie. It always felt like an extra unnecessary step, but I think that’s because the ones I had used before didn’t really make a difference in my skin – this one does! First, it actually sticks to the skin and stays put until I shave. All the foam ones I used always washed off or literally fell off my leg before I could even shave. I feel like the Billie shave cream literally coats my skin and adds lubrication between the razor blades and my skin, which really helps to prevent razor burn and bumps. If you’re skeptical like I was, I highly recommend giving this product a try – I think you’ll be pleasantly surprised!

Sunless Color

Alright, now onto my self-tan situation! This is probably what I get asked about the most. Honestly, I think the biggest difference is taking care of your skin before, during, and after applying self-tanner. It’s what will keep your color looking smooth, even, and lasting as long as possible, which is exactly why I’m including my exfoliator in this category! It’s key to priming my skin for self-tanner!

Nécessaire Exfoliator

  • Exfoliate, soften, renew
  • I use 1-2 times a week
  • Apply all over, massage for foam, rinse

This exfoliator is legit and I’m not sure what my skin was like before I started using it. It has bamboo charcoal, AHA/Glycolic Acid, and BHA/Salicylic Acid, which from what I understand, creates the ideal formula for the ultimate chemical exfoliation of the skin. And then the fine pumise beads provide the perfect little bit of physical exfoliation. They also don’t just dientigrate the minute you put the exfoliator on your skin either, which I appreciate. Similar to the other products in Necessaire’s lineup, I feel like this is a body product that they developed like it would be used on the face. It’s so good!!

Luna Bronze Self-Tanner in Dark (with mitt) or Loving Tan 2 Hour Express in Medium

If you want to see my self-tanning process in video form, I also have a reel you watch here.

  • Results in 1-3 hours (luna)
  • Quick-drying with nourishing oils (luna)
  • Gradual, even fade over course of 1 week (luna)
  • Natural tan in minutes (loving tan)
  • Can be washed off after two hours (loving tan)
  • Quick-drying/streak free (loving tan)

The most important thing to know about Luna is that it rarely, if ever, transfers. This is huge in the world of self-tanners. It also dries very quickly but does not dry out my skin. That said, make sure you shave, exfoliate and moisturize before applying for the best results. Like I said above, I think the best self tan happens when your skin is prepped properly.

As for the difference between the two, Luna is a bit more gradual while Loving Tan is more instant. With that said, if you use more of the Luna Bronze, you’ll see your tan appear faster. I use them both pretty frequently and don’t necessarily prefer one over the other, it just depends if I need my tan ASAP or can wait a few hours. With either of them, though, be sure to use a very minimal amount on your knees, elbows and ankles. I like to rub everything in on my legs and arms first and use the leftovers on my mit to then do my joints. I’ve found there’s a smaller chance of blothiness and orange spots doing it this way. The same goes for my face – I use the last little bit of leftovers on the mit at the end to do my face.

Because I use a mit to apply, I don’t stress too much about washing my hands afterward, but you will want to be careful of your exposure to water post-tanning. The tan will run if you spend too much time in water so just be aware that if you’re going swimming.

Lots of information here, but I really wanted this to kind of be a deep dive into the products I currently use. I hope it was helpful and answers all your questions, but if you want to know anything else about my body care routine, let me know if the comments and I’ll do my best to get back to you!