On the Counter | Weldon Nichols

The one where skincare meets self love, swearing by SPF, and getting it from your momma.

Seven years ago, Weldon and I became friends over a certain boyband. Cute British boys aside, we discovered we had so much more in common with one another. One being we were both only children with single moms. Our friendship has spanned over a long period of time with so many changes and growth between us- even Weldon joining me down in Charleston! She's one of those that makes me feel that kind of friendship where you wonder, "how did I live so long without you??"

Enjoy as she reminds us all to take care of ourselves and wear that SPF all day, every day.

I grew up with my mom and grandmother preaching about skincare. Nothing fancy, for my grandmother it was all about the basics- soap for the face and body, a good moisturizer, and sunscreen (always)- and not just taking it to your face, but décolletage as well. My grandmother had beautiful, glowing skin her entire life and looked so young when she passed.

My mom was always adamant about sunscreen, but I really got my love of makeup from her. She had (and still does) this great vintage vanity where she sits and does her makeup every morning. Growing up I would sit on the floor behind her and watch as she did her makeup- then sneak in her room later to play with it. You know, gotta try everything.

My mom was always really open to letting me try makeup so I began wearing it at a pretty young age. She taught me how to apply it properly, which I'm so thankful for. I learned before the days of Youtube but of course picked up a bunch of tips from bloggers later on in my high school years. Makeup was something we bonded over when I was young, and we still do which is fab.

Side note: When I was really young, I would sneak in and literally eat all of her lipstick. Like, straight up roll it all the way up and bite it off. It made her so mad...which I now understand why. That shit is expensive!

When I was a teenager, I really struggled with my skin, as a lot of teenagers do, but it was next level. I was really close to going on Accutane, which I absolutely didn't want to do. Thankfully I didn't but my skin has always been a trouble place for me- face, chest, back- you name it. Because of this I've always paid attention to what goes on my face. Now at 24, I really care about what I put on my body and in my body. Health and wellness is huge for me and I 100% support the natural options on the market. But, some work and some don't. I'm a firm believer in what chemicals can do for your skin- don't be afraid of them. All natural can be really great, but sometimes it just doesn't work.

In college, I worked at Lush, which was an absolute dream! They aren't all natural, but they care about ingredients, and that's what I subscribe to. The ingredients in your products, in your food, and in your mind (is that a stretch? You get what I'm saying). I love learning about what does what for your skin and body. When you know the why behind something, it's so much easier to make it part of your everyday routine.

Self-care is such a trendy word right now, but that's what skincare is to me. Self-care is all about listening to your body and mind- what do you need to do today to make yourself feel the best you can? I know if I don't wash my face in the morning and give it the love it deserves, I won't be prepared to take on the day.

As much as I love trying new products, I tend to fall in love with certain things and keep them around forever. My skin has always been super oily, but like, a dry oily. I need a cleanser that is not only going to clean my skin really well but also not strip it of its natural oils. I typically use a cleansing oil first to remove makeup and one that doubles as an eye makeup remover too because I’m lazy. I’ve been loving Cocokind’s oil cleanser. I’ve tried a lot of cleansers in my years but my all time faves are Philosophy Purity, my skin’s loved this since high school and whenever it’s freaking out, I bring this out: Glow Recipe Blueberry Bounce, because it’s amazing for removing all the dirt and oil. It also makes you face look plump (in the best way) while cleansing, removing eye makeup, and hydrating. Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip gives me the perfect cleanse as mentioned above and so does the Youth to the People one I’ve been trying.

My routine usually goes like this...in the morning I go through phases. Currently I'm a morning person, which I love because productivity is maxed. I start my day with a workout at 6:00 am. This sets my mind and body for the day. Dry brush lightly on the face, shower, cleanse my face with Ceramic Slip and for my body I've been using this Mario Badescu soap for the body acne which I've really been loving. It's made such a huge difference after finding out I was allergic to what the dermatologist recommended. Hair stuff, you know. Once I'm out of the shower, I use a Naturally Serious Peel Pad on my face, followed by this Caudalie serum or Herbivore's Prism, and then I moisturize with Drunk Elephant's Protini, which is my current love. Lastly, I apply Supergoop Mineral Smooth sunscreen.

I love eyeshadow- I stick to mostly neutrals and I don't have time everyday to do it which is why I stick to one lid color (lately its been these new Supergoop ones) and a crease color. Since Lorac came around, I've been a huge supporter. They're easily the best eyeshadows I've ever used. I have almost every single palette, which is totally unnecessary I realize, I'll never even use them all. But I love the Lorac Pro 3, the white one. It's huge with all the warm and some cool neutral shadows. They're so buttery soft and super blendable. I really love the Kush mascara. Just buy it. It's super black, stays all day, and makes your lashes look huge and voluminous. It's just the best thing I've ever used on my eyes. Lashslick is also a great mascara. It's perfect for the beach, light days, or as a base mascara. It's easy to remove too, which is a hella plus in my book.

I kind of have a love-hate relationship with Glossier. It's mostly love, but I've been disappointed a few times (mainly Solution, Lidstars, Generation G, Milky Jelly, etc.). Boy Brow is actually the best eyebrow product ever- I'd always repurchase this. Skin Tint is another product I love of theirs. It's perfect for summer because I love the light coverage. Hannah hates this, but I like to apply base makeup with my hands. It's fast and I think certain products blend better with my hands than a brush. My only complaint is that this product gets a weird, chalky texture sometimes and will leave white stuff on my hands, but I've repurchased it like, three times. I've been loving their powder and it's lasted FOREVER. This is great used alone or over my Supergoop Mineral sunscreen. I love NARS Laguna bronzer- it's perfect for summer and winter. It's the perfect bronzer to use in the hollows of your cheeks and on the apples of your cheeks in place of blush. Can you tell I'm all about two-in-one products? It also makes a great crease color when traveling or going light on makeup.

At nighttime I use the Cocokind eye makeup remover I mentioned before. I've been trying the Youth to the People Superfood Cleanser which I've loved and plan on buying the full size soon. Indie Lee CoQ-10 toner or a peel pad, Cocokind Chia Seed Facial Oil, and sometimes follow with moisturizer but normally I forget- whoops.

I have to change moisturizers regularly. My skin just adapts so quickly and they'll stop working. I need something lighter for morning, like the Kate Somerville Oil-Free, which is great for moisture and keeping oil under control. It lays nicely under makeup, which is super important too. The packaging is dope too, I love not having to dip my fingers into something. I also love the Korres Greek Yoghurt but I really only use it a few nights a week. I found it at TJMaxx and it's great when my skin really needs a dose of moisture. I've really been loving the Drunk Elephant Protini cream for morning and night. This stuff is crack and I'm excited to buy the full size.

Diptyque Eau Duelle...what do I say about this one? It's just classic. It's sweet, a little spicy, sophisticated, warm, and so much more. It's not overpowering either, which I love. It's pricey, but so worth it because the quality is amazing. It transitions from summer to winter effortlessly.The bottle is definitely luxury, I'm never changing this one. 

I'm really trying to get into a routine with my supplements. I'm obsessed with CBD so I've been taking these Not Pot gummies. They really help manage my daily stress and little anxieties I experience everyday (like not being able to find the bathroom in restaurants I don't know). The little polar bear gummies work like magic and just overall improve my mood and the way I react situations that may arise. I highly recommend everyone try CBD, it may not be for everyone, but it also might be just the thing you're missing. In addition to CBD, I take Ritual vitamins, which I've finally been taking consistently and loving! I realized I'm Vitamin D deficient and I think it really messes with my skin. These do it all, taste great, and you can take them on an empty stomach. I recently started taking MoonJuice SuperYou. I honestly don't know if I've seen the benefits of SuperYou yet but I'm going to give it a full two months to see.