blue side

I hate lots of things about myself (hair, height, fat... ugh), but my skin's actually okay. In fact, it's usually on its best behavior, which I attribute to three things:  Genetics, witch hazel and moisturizer.  Unless I'm feeling heavy duty grime from a night of dancing or a day of running all over the city, I don't really scrub or exfoliate.  Instead, I wash my makeup off with a plain bar of soap, then swipe once with witch hazel (a natural astringent that removes oil and sweat), and once with a light moisturizer. 

Seeing all the fancy products in my friends' bathrooms makes me feel like a freak sometimes, but apparently I'm not alone in my less-is-more approach.  Kiehl's just started selling a two-in-one product at Barneys that mixes natural astringent (mostly camphor and menthol) with a mild lotion. 

It's not for everyone (if you have extremely dry or extremely sensitive skin, or you're already using a regimen like Proactiv that works for you, skip it...) but if you get a little oily on warmer days, and if you generally spend less time on your skin than you do on an acquaintance's Twitter feed, this stuff saves time and face.

PS Although we like to photograph ourselves after product use to show how they work on real girls, I'm not gonna put pictures of myself here because it seems weird.  If you really need to know, just plug my name into Facebook and click away.

Kiehl's Blue Astringent Herbal Lotion, $16.  Now at Barneys, or Kiehl's stores nationwide.