beauty tuesday: my current skin care routine

I'm sort of at an impasse at the moment when it comes to my skincare routine. I have some holy grail items I've used and loved for a long time, like my coconut oil + Paula's Choice cleanser combo, that won't change any time soon. There are some new found loves, like my First Aid serum, that I know will be a part of my routine for a long time, and then there are certain new items, like the Belif moisturizer, Origins overnight mask, and Glossier cleanser, that I really am enjoying but haven't used long enough to have a full review ready (I like to use something for at least a month before doing a review). Therefore, today I'm sharing what I'm currently using and testing daily (or weekly, when it comes to treatments and masks!).

As just a bit of a disclaimer about my skin: I'm not one of those lucky people who naturally have really great skin. I have pretty dry skin that is still fairly acne prone (that also scars easily). I also have a fairly patchy complexion and dark eye circles, so I've been looking for products over the years to help me with these issues. I'm not necessarily complaining about my skin, because overall it isn't that bad at all, but just to share what my skin concerns are and why I chose the products I did. 

AM routine

1. Glossier Milky Jelly + One Love Organics Sponge: I saw the press release for the new Glossier cleanser, and some of the original reviews, and was intrigued. I either use it by itself, or put it on my cleansing sponge when I need a bit of gentle exfoliation (especially after a night of using my tretinoin cream). I am really really enjoying this combo!
2. Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting Liquid: I dab a few droplets on a cotton pad, and then onto my acne prone areas. Read my full review here. 
3. First Aid Hydrating Serum: I use about half a pump, and rub all over my face. Still loving this product - full review here. 
4. Belif Moisturizing Bomb: I had previously been using CeraVe's AM moisturizer with SPF, but since I need a bit more moisturizing in the winter (and since I don't actually see sunlight during the day), I recently made the switch. This is very hydrating, but my skin has really felt much more hydrated recently - review coming in a few weeks!

PM routine

1. Coconut Oil: For years I used those Neutrogena make-up remover toilettes, but I never thought they did that great of a job on actually removing my make-up, and I hated spending $6 every 20 days on a new package. Then Pinterest came along, and taught me the magic of coconut oil, and I haven't looked back since. I melt a little between my finger tips, and rub onto my eyes, and then rinse with water. 
2. Paula's Choice Cleanser: I love this cleanser - I'm on my fourth bottle! It is the only one I've found that removes the coconut oil and remaining make-up, it doesn't dry out my skin, and a little bit goes a long way. Worth every single penny. 
3. Retin-A Micro gel: After making sure my skin is completely dry, I use a chickpea amount all over my face. My experience (with pictures) can be found here. I use this every other night. 
4. Vanicream: Recommended to me by my dermatologist, this is a very heavy moisturizer, but without any of the "bad" stuff. Apparently many patients with eczema have great results with this cream as well, so if you struggle with either eczema or dry skin, it may be worth checking out since it is so inexpensive. 
5. CeraVe Eye cream: I started using this a few months ago - I haven't really noticed a difference one way or the other with it, but it makes me feel proactive about the skin around my eyes so whatever, I'll keep using it for now! But I'm definitely open to suggestions if someone has an eye cream they've had noticeable results with.

Masks & Treatments

• Kiehl's Acne Spot treatment: I don't really think there is a big difference between these different salicylic acid spot treatments, but I've been using the same tube of this for over a year, and it works fine. Recently, I've been using this at night with a dab of Glam Glow cleansing mask on top of it, and it actually has worked really well (future post planned for that as well). 
• Glamglow Supermud Clearing Treatment: I got this as a part of the holiday gift set (which seems to still be available), which includes the normal large size of the black jar + a smaller size of the white jar + a cleanser + brush, for the price of the larger black jar, and it really was a great deal! Like I said above, I've been using this as a spot treatment and it's been working really well in reducing pimples before they even show up. 
• Glamglow Youthmud: $70 is a lot of money to spend on one skincare product, which is why I spent literally years asking for samples of this every time I went into Sephora. I finally bit the bullet over the holidays with the giftset, and don't regret it for one minute. I use this about once a week now - I leave it on for about 20 minutes, rinse, and follow with the Origin's overnight mask since it does dry out my skin a bit. I love using the brush to apply it evenly to my face (+ it keeps it out from under my finger nails), and with a little bit of water added before screwing the lid on as tight as possible, I haven't had any issues with it drying out. 
• Origin's Overnight Mask: Jessica recommended this to me a few weeks/months ago, and I've really been enjoying it! More thorough review to come soon, but if you've been eyeing it, definitely give it a shot. It smells amazing and my skin feels so good in the morning. 
• Tony Moly masks: These were recommended to be by another customer in Sephora, but I ended up finding them a bit cheaper on Amazon. I've used two so far, and like them! Full review coming once I've actually used them all, but the price really can't be beat. 

So that is my current skin care routine! Any suggestions, tips, or product recommendations? I'd love to hear what some of your holy grail skincare items are!