Like a teenaged boy caught in the early stages of puberty, I have struggled for years with acne prone skin. I have two wonderful parents who have all of the great qualities you can imagine in a person however, their few flaws like my dad’s pimply skin was graciously passed on to me. Oh goodie. Now, FINALLY, as a thirty-three-year-old sub adult I have found my secret to amazing skin and I have to say I am feeling myself lately (no seriously, you should feel my skin, it is so soft).
I will never forget the day I went to the mall with my friends and I saw the bright white lights shining from the across the hall like the stairway to heaven had opened its pearly gates. I was afraid I would be condemned when I decided to walk in there, as I anticipated being greeted by the angel workers who would inevitably ask me what I have been using on my skin up until that point.
I had tried everything from the run-of-the-mill drugstore pump soap, to the prescription soap, to the acne wash you see on infomercials, but none of them worked. Then, I read something about how Britney Spears used nothing but a bar soap with the bird label so that’s where I was at when I decided to enter the heavenly looking shop. After all, it’s Britney Spears and her skin always looks flawless, right? Her technique is sure to work on me, right? Wrong. It didn’t, so needless to say, I am very happy I stumbled into Sephora when I did.
For starters, the store itself is quite pretty and inviting. It is stamped with black and white stripes and has islands upon islands of products that honestly could have you spending hours there. The store felt clean, inviting, and exciting. I had tried other beauty stores in the past, but my experience was never like this. I was greeted immediately by an angel with a warm smile and he asked if there was any way he could help me. I explained that I needed help with my acne prone skin and it was all uphill from there.
He went off, like an Astronomy teacher that was just asked a question about Pluto, with passion, interest, knowledge, and drive. He was inquisitive, making it obvious he wasn’t there to condemn me, he was there to help me. He asked a few questions about my skin cycles and patterns and then led me down the Yellow Brick Road to the Emerald City of face washes. They were on brightly lit white shelves all aligned neatly in a row. Each brand was faced out for me to see clearly as my eyes perused in awe and wonder. I just knew that one of those aesthetically designed little bottles were the key to all of my skincare needs.
He went through and pointed out two other products until he came to the one. The one that truly changed my life. The one that I will never leave. The one who was present on my wedding day. The one I needed to help me walk down the aisle.
The white bottle with sleek and subtle red and black lettering called Fresh Soy Face Cleanser was introduced to me and not only did the gentleman who was helping me show me this gem of a product, he told me he would send me home with a heaping sample before I purchased it. It was a little more expensive than I was used to so it was nice that he suggested I try it before I buy it. Moreover, I was skeptical as I knew I had tried everything but I took the sample and skipped off, only to find that within three short days my skin had cleared up and I was in deep. That was it for me, that was when I decided to make a commitment to this product and I have never looked back.
This was all seven years ago, and most recently I decided it was time I start looking for some wrinkle prevention products. Yes. I walked into Sephora with my tail between my legs and told them I needed something for my forehead lines and I was concerned with the bags that were left on my face from all of the years of living my best life. These bags were left from my single life at the bars in my twenties, my past career in education (you can only imagine), and now my adult-ish life that is for the most part fantastic but hey, the bags are packed and they are packed full.
As usual, I was approached by a nice lady who asked me what I needed. I just looked at her with the saddest look on my face and said, “It’s my first time.” Without hesitation, she got me. She got me right away. Not because she noticed my wrinkles, in fact she told me I’m doing great and we could work on finding a prevention, but she got me like my yoga instructor gets me after a long day and the need to just Zen the heck out. Of course, just like the gentleman who helped me find my facewash, she helped me find my extended skincare routine that I honestly can’t believe I have lived this long without.
I am currently using Clinique I.D. which is cool because they have all different kinds of moisturizers you can try and then these special potions you mix with the moisturizer for optimal results. You buy the moisturizer you need, then the potion, they fuse together, and BANG! All of the sudden it’s like my skin has come up for air and it can breathe. It’s happy, it’s grateful, and we are great friends.
THEN, to make matters better, Sephora offers what they call a Beauty Insider Loyalty Program and every time I shop there I get points. These points add up and they offer these happy little gifts of great products that keep giving upon checkout. As I was checking out it dawned on me that I forgot to ask about all of the unpacked bags under my eyes and then, the cashier said to me, “You have 1350 points, would you like to pick out a free gift? We have an under eye serum, perfume, mascara, and lipstick.” Again, the pearly gates opened up and there was another Sephora angel, smiling with rays of sunshine beaming around her entire head. It was almost like her pretty head was floating there in mid air, surrounded by everything illuminating, just there to help me. It was like she was in the zone, killing it at what she does. I also cannot forget to mention, the under eye serum was made by an organic, free of chemicals product called Tarte and they do not skimp on the sample size. It’s a .33 oz. but you use so little at a time I see this lasting me at least six months.
GO TO SEPHORA. Experience the magic. Sign up for the perks. You will not be disappointed. Even if the products that work for me do not work for you, Sephora has a plethora of options and friendly, knowledgeable staff that will help you get what you need. This is more than just a store for makeup. It has professionals who are educated in their products and are there to help your skin be your friend too! You wont regret it.