Lucky Sevens - The Skincare Hit List

Introducing a new blog feature – Lucky Sevens!

Every week or so, I’d like to share seven of my favorite things with you! Why seven? When left to Google endlessly, I could come up with three hundred and seven things I’d like to share, but seven seems like a nice reasonable number to get the point across.  To kick things off, I’m focusing on seven of my favorite skin care items.  I have long been obsessed with skin care, ever since I first used my mom’s Pond’s cold cream and Lancôme bi-facile eye makeup remover to slough off my stage makeup at weekend dance competitions.  My needs have expanded a bit since then, and I’d be lying if I didn’t confess that I’m a full on junkie.  We’re talking Sephora VIB Rouge status, people.  Now that I’m in my mid-thirties and facing the challenges of A) trying to stay young forever and B) in the absence of that, at least appear to get seven hours of sleep rather than the five I actually get these days, I’m looking for products with certain buzz words – ANTI-AGING! RETINOL! BRIGHTENING! FIRMING! These lucky sevens are faves, but certainly not all the tools in my arsenal.  For that, I truly would need lucky 307s.

1. Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Cream - a must for day and night.  It's super moisturizing, especially in the brutal dryness of my overheated apartment.
2. Philosophy Help Me- this is a crucial part of my night time routine.  The retinols in this tube are a one-two-three punch against wrinkles, dark spots, and blemishes.
3. Korres Black Pine Firming, Lifting, and Anti-Wrinkle Cream - this is a new addition to my arsenal, and layered over the Help Me, it could stick around and help me turn back the hands of time.  Buzz words, people.  Buzz words.
4. St Ive's Apricot Scrub - this is one of my lifelong drugstore favorites. I've used a lot of scrubs over the years, but this one always comes out on top.
5. Philosophy Hope in A Tube -  truthfully, I could have had a Lucky Sevens dedicated entirely to Philosophy products, and while I like to share the love, there's no way I could leave this out. Not only is it a great eye cream, but it also fills in the frownie lines around my mouth.  Wait, those aren't frownies.  Those are smilies!
6. Bliss Fabulous Foaming Face Wash - there's no better way to start the day off than with this deliciously scented, gently exfoliating face wash.  I love to use it with my Clarisonic Mia brush for extra impact.
7. Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask - I am an arbiter of masks, but this one has been a recent fave.  Cursed with thirsty pores, I need a good product to vacuum them out.  Charcoal-based products have replaced sulfur-based products in my heart. 

Chime in, friends! What skincare products are in your war chest?