beauty gems — gem luxe beauty

We're celebrating the arrival of our revitalized Rose Quartz Luxe Body Oil has arrived! It's chock full of yummy ingredients that help to keep your skin supple and glowy!⁠⁠

So, what's new?⁠
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💖 Sweet Almond Oil: A super moisturizer that helps to reduce the appearance of stretch marks and reverse sun damage.⁠
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💖 Organic Calendula Flower Oil: Provides antioxidant protection that promotes smooth, even-toned skin that glows.⁠
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💖 Organic Neem Seed Oil: Provides extra nourishment, it also boosts collagen production.⁠
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....and more!⁠

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In honor of our new product launch, we are giving away our Rose Glow Box, valued at $100 to one lucky winner! Get all of the details and enter to win below!

Juliet Williams, Gem Luxe Beauty Founder

You may know that using a nourishing moisturizer should be a super-important step in your morning and evening skin care routine. But who says you can only use a cream to get the job done? If you haven’t learned how to use a facial oil yet, you’re missing out. Oils sometimes get a bad rap, as you might assume that using one will leave your face looking overly shiny and cause you to break out—but it’s all about applying one the right way. Here, I'm giving you the 411 on how I apply facial oil as part of my skin care routine and how to use facial oil with makeup so that you can elevate your overall beauty look. 

WHAT ARE FACIAL OILS?

As the name suggests, facial oils are a skin care product that works to provide your skin with moisture. Typically made with a mixture of plant oils, facial oils offer your skin various benefits ranging from locking the skin with moisture to softening and balancing skin. Depending on the facial oil used, you can also take advantage of anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties. Basically, it’s a skin care must-have!

HOW TO USE A FACIAL OIL

Keep reading for my step-by-step routine!

NOTE: I'm 62 and I have normal to dry skin that can sometimes get oily due to hormonal fluctuations.

STEP #1: CLEANSE YOUR SKIN

The first step in my a.m. and p.m. routines is cleansing. I use a hydrating or firming cleanser. I also use a peel 1-2 times per week to help slough off dead skin cells that have built up on the surface of my skin. Using a toner is my last step achieving the cleanest skin I possibly can. Some say this step isn't necessary but I find that toners can not only treat your skin with beneficial ingredients but at the end of the day, they remove the last bits of makeup, sunscreen and everyday grime just washing alone can miss.  My current favorite is here.

STEP #2: POWER UP WITH A SERUM

The right serum can boosts the efficiency of everything else that you do to take care of your skin. Finding the right one for you can be complicated and the trial/error method can surely dent your wallet. They range in price from economical to "holy cow!" but I've found that you don't necessarily need to break the bank to find a good one. I absolutely swear by the combination of this one for fine lines and puffiness, this one to help my skin tone and soften my expression lines for day and night and add this one before bed for extra smoothing and softening benefits. Gently pat them into your skin and be sure to allow them to dry completely before moving on to the next step. Please read the labels of any products you choose for possible skin irritants.

STEP #3: LAYER ON YOUR MOISTURIZER

The debate over whether to apply facial oil before or after moisturizer is almost as discussed as that age-old question. Well, I have the answer. No, not about the egg—the other one. While it can vary from product to product, in general, facial oil should be used on top of creams and lotions. This is because once you apply an oil it's tricky for other products to penetrate its formula.

With that said, go ahead and smooth on your moisturizer of choice over your face and neck (yes, your neck needs moisture too for suppleness and tone!) Of course, in the morning, broad-spectrum sunscreen is also a must. To keep things simple, use a moisturizer formulated with SPF. I love this one for daytime. At night, this one is my go-to.

STEP #4: APPLY YOUR OIL

Once you’re slathered in moisturizer, it’s time to get your facial oil ready. Depending on your skin type, morning and night, apply three to five drops of either Peridot, Amethyst (my favorite!) or Citrine Luxe Facial Oil onto the palm of your hand. With your finger, dab the oil in small dots onto cleansed skin, avoiding your eye area. Then gently smooth and press the oil onto your face and neck, using the whole surface of your hands. Smooth the oil from nose to ears, eyebrows to hairline, and neck to jawline. Less is definitely more—so no need to go overboard!

Beauty Gems Tip: Don’t want your face to have an all-over glow? I find that hard to relate to, but in that case, you can apply your facial oil in the same spots you’d put highlighter. Dab the oil onto your cheekbones, the center of your forehead, and your chin to give your visage a balanced glow that’s just dewy enough.

HOW TO USE FACIAL OIL WITH MAKEUP

Now that I’ve talked about skin care, it’s time to switch gears to your makeup routine. Below, I'm sharing tips on how I incorporate facial oil into my makeup routine for more radiant-looking skin. 

TIP # 1: MIX A FEW DROPS WITH YOUR PRIMER

Makeup primer helps create an even base for your makeup products to apply evenly and last throughout the day. And when you add a few drops of your facial oil into the mix, things only get better from there. Since facial oils provide an extra touch of hydration, I mix one with my favorite primer as the perfect way to keep my skin moisturized, which helps my radiance level all day long.

TIP #2: APPLY FACIAL OIL BEFORE FOUNDATION

Another way I add facial oil into my makeup routine? I apply my facial oil before my foundation. A great tip for dry skin types, applying facial oil before your foundation can help boost your skin with nourishment and leave you with bright and healthy-looking skin. Simply dab a few drops onto your skin and smooth over your face and neck. Give the facial oil 2-3 minutes to absorb, then buff a lightweight foundation onto your skin.

TIP #3: MIX FACIAL OIL WITH FOUNDATION

If you have a fear of using too much foundation in your makeup routine, this tip will save the day. I mix a few drops with my foundation. A great way to provide your skin with extra moisture, it also works wonders to give your skin a healthy-looking finish. Not to mention, if you like dewy skin, this step makes it oh-so-easy to achieve. 

I hope you love the products I recommend! This blog post contains affiliate links and I participate in the Amazon Associate program, which means that if you click on one and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to bring you beauty commentary like this. You can find more about our site, privacy, and disclosure policies here. Thank you for your continued support!

The color of the Rose Quartz stone is the very epitome of universal love, ranging from very pale pink to deep bright pink. The crystal is believed to help open up your heart and attract love of every kind - self-love, love of family and friends, love for humankind or romantic love.

According to the principles of Feng Shui, placing Rose Quartz crystals in your bedroom helps promote nourishing and loving energy in that area. Carrying Rose Quartz in your purse, pocket or wearing Rose Quartz jewelry can help release pain and negative emotions and allow loving vibes to permeate.

Hold Rose Quartz in the palm of your hand and meditate with it over your heart or sleep with a piece under your pillow to help manifest matters of the heart into your dreams. I sleep with one of these under my mattress to help keep love flowing.

I'm so inspired by the loving beauty of Rose Quartz that I relaunching a body oil in its honor in early 2022. And because everyone is love, I made this product to benefit all skin types. You can join our INsiders Club now (it only takes your email address) and be one of the first to experience the new loving kindness it gives your skin as soon as it is released!

I hope you love the products I recommend! This blog post contains affiliate links and I participate in the Amazon Associate program, which means that if you click on one and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission. This helps support the blog and allows me to continue to bring you color commentary like this. You can find more about our site, privacy, and disclosure policies here. Thank you for your continued support!

We’ve been putting a lot of emphasis on self-care lately. And rightfully so. These times we’re living in can be overwhelming and all-consuming if we let them be. But as life starts to shift toward something that looks like a new way forward, my hope is that we don’t lose the importance of treating ourselves well. So how can we treat ourselves in lasting ways, building self-care habits that are ongoing? Sure, that glass of wine sounds fabulous, but in what ways can we relieve stress and rejuvenate our minds and spirits so we can be fortified for whatever the future has in store for us? Consider what I’ve been enjoying lately - a healthy, rejuvenating bath with crystals.

How to Recharge with a Crystal Bath

1. Prepare your bathing area. Light a few of your favorite candles, turn off the lights, enrich your bath water with your favorite bath oil or you can also pour a few drops of my Aquamarine Luxe Body Oil or Rose Quartz Luxe Body Oil into your bath as well. 
2. Create a sacred space for banishing stress. Select your crystals. Place your crystals along the rim of your tub beside your head, stomach and hips to align with the crown, solar plexus, and root chakras.
3. You can place crystals in the bath to set an intention for the water. Choose two crystals to hold in your hands, or even one to place over your heart. Here are a few of my favorites:

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Rose Quartz stones are heart based crystals that will infuse you bath with the energy of love.

Amethyst crystals help to relieve stress and gives clarity as you reach develop a richer understanding of yourself. It also helps to dissipate any negative thoughts.

Citrine is a brilliant stone with an intense energy. Creativity and positivity are its superpowers. It will help to boost your self-esteem and assist you in visualizing your life path.

Aquamarine inspires a sense of peacefulness. It may have the power to absorb all your worries and daily troubles.

Enjoy the sensations of the soothing environment you have created. Open your mind and allow the crystals to guide you to a sense of deep relaxation. Close your eyes and breathe in optimism, breathe out all that is gloomy and pessimistic. See yourself as being as fluid as the water. Release.

Be well,

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Known as the sea water stone, Aquamarine is said to be ruled by the Moon and is infused with yin or feminine energy. To connect with the healing energies of Aquamarine, create a soothing ritual by taking a crystal-infused bath. Because Aquamarine inspires a sense of peacefulness, it may have the power to absorb all your worries and daily troubles.

When you take a bath, simply add a raw Aquamarine stone to your water and meditate on your intentions or personal mantra. The stone will create an essence of its healing properties as it becomes infused in water and supercharges your bath. Follow your bath with our Gem Luxe Beauty Aquamarine Body Oil to nourish and moisturize your skin with its rich blend of moisturizing botanicals. 

For a limited, every purchase of our Aquamarine Luxe Body Oil will include a genuine Aquamarine crystal to help you connect with the healing energies of the stone and create a soothing, crystal infused bath ritual or meditation practice. While supplies last.⁠