Most of you may know me as @Dirtyboysgetclean on Instagram where I have been sharing my love of beauty and skincare for over three years now. I make no apologies about being a maximalist with a passion for all things pink and pretty while simultaneously begging you to wear sunscreen daily. However, friends and family know me as Matt, just a regular guy from Texas who has a love of cooking, music, reality tv, and my dog (Mr. Murphy). Before I started my Instagram account I was a longtime lover and lurker of skincare and beauty influencers on Youtube and IG. One thing I struggled to find was authentic, honest, and transparent bloggers. I wanted to change that and be someone that others could look to and trust because of my transparency and honesty.
Prior to starting my IG account I worked in a few different fields including insurance and IRA custodianship. From 2014-2017 I worked in the medical field as a medical office assistant for a private practice and also at a local hospital. I realized that this was not my passion. The question was… what IS my passion? I kept coming back to the same topic: Beauty/Skincare. I was scared to leave the security of a job that provided me with a steady income and health insurance. I took the leap in 2017 and focused all my attention on beauty blogging. I started writing for a few brands blogs and documenting my love of skincare on Instagram. I knew this was what I wanted to do. But how did my love of beauty actually start?
I was always pretty interested in skincare but in 2010 I really started playing around with skincare more. That same year I suffered from a bad reaction to a peel. My skin was left red, angry, full of bumps, and so sensitive. I went to Sephora.com to try to find something to help. I went to their top-selling and top-rated products and basically spent thousands over the next few months trying and buying everything that was “the best”. What I found was that my skin just got worse. I didn’t understand my skin at the time. I thought I had to use all these harsh products to get my skin back in a good place. I decided to take a step back and try a different approach. I discovered Josie Maran products through Sephora and within weeks my skin was healed and repaired. What I realized is it’s important to know your skin and approach it from a place of gentleness versus just thinking you can throw anything on your skin and it will work. The bigger realization here was that you can’t believe everything you read. Just because something is a “top rated/selling” product doesn’t mean it’s going to work for you.
One thing I always tell everyone who asks me about skin care is: know YOUR own skin. It is honestly the most important thing in my opinion. I have dry skin that can be red and reactive prone if I overdo exfoliation or use a super harsh product. Each morning and every single night before starting my routines I take a look at my skin in the mirror and examine it. If you pay attention your skin will tell you what it needs. Mine is always telling me “I’M THIRSTY, DADDY!!!”. So if you want my advice, listen to your skin and let it guide you. If that doesn’t work then I would recommend calling and scheduling an appointment with a dermatologist or licensed esthetician, especially if you have a serious skin concern.
I’ve been lucky enough in the last few years to work with many amazing brands such as: Fresh, Josie Maran, Saturday Skin, Supergoop, Kopari, Dr. Jart, TONYMOLY, INNISFREE, Briogeo, REN, and Murad just to name a few. One of the great perks of working in the beauty world is you get lots of products to test. So, I feel like I have a pretty great grasp on what is truly the best in beauty (and worst, if you want the true tea). There are so many products (and brands) launching every moment so I wanted to share with you a few of the newest products that I am absolutely loving! Just remember that your skin type is important in deciding which products to spend your money on. Don’t feel like you need to buy the latest products just because you see them all over social media. Do the research and truly think about the routine you are building. Here’s what I am raving about lately:
Glow Recipe Papaya Sorbet Enzyme Cleansing Balm ($32)
I am a big fan of Glow Recipe and I am so excited they have finally launched a cleansing balm! I am an avid double cleanser at night and so a cleansing oil/balm is essential to me. I find this one to be really gentle but effective. It has papaya enzymes, papaya seed oil, and blueberry extract. What I love most about it is that it emulsifies upon adding water and rinses super clean. I also really enjoy the sorbet-like texture….. try not to eat this!
FENTY SKIN TOTAL CLEANS’R ($25)
We all want skin like Riri, right? Well FENTY SKIN is finally here and you too can shine bright like a diamond (….anyone?) This creamy-foaming cleanser is everything you could want in a cleanser. It doesn’t strip the skin, yet it cleanses it thoroughly. Also, its pink, so….it must be amazing, right? This cleanser is something you can use year-round no matter what skin type you have. Trust me, it is the best product in the line!
Peace Out Skincare Acne Serum ($34)
I haven’t had acne in years but part of the reason for that is that I always work on prevention. I love this acne serum because it is gentle but effective. It utilizes powerhouses like 2% Salicylic Acid, Niacinamide, Vitamin C, and Zinc. Its not only going to help treat, prevent, and heal acne, but it will brighten the skin as well. Just call this the serum of the summer.
Cocokind Daily SPF ($24)
OK, so I am THE sunscreen guy on IG, I know… so I had to include sunscreen! I adore Cocokind and when they finally launched a sunscreen I was so thrilled. This is an SPF 32 that uses reef-safe zinc oxide, blue phytoplankton, and microalgae to protect your skin from UVA/UVB rays, blue light, and pollution damage. It will leave a white cast but if you press it into the skin for 60 seconds it should fade quickly. What I love about this SPF is that it protects you indoors and outdoors. So if you’re like me and you’re inside most of the day working from home then you can rest assured that this is protecting you from your phone and computer light while also protecting you from the rays entering through your windows.
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