Category: beauty

In the next few weeks, everyone is going to be making appointments to get haircuts, manicures, and doctors appointments. Don’t forget to schedule that dermatologist appointment too! I remember going to the dermatologist every year growing up with my mom because of my acne. I would walk out of his office with a dozen prescriptions including a prescription for Retinol. My mom told me that one day when I was older, I would wish I could get Retinol for free with a prescription because of all of the wonderful things it could do for the skin. Retinol is known for reducing fine lines, improving skin tone and reducing pore size. After a year hunched over a laptop working with very little sunshine, my face needed all of the help it could get! These days there are so many products that have Retinol in them but some can be pricey and some are just not as good as what you can get from a dermatologist. Olay is a brand I have trusted for a long time so I decided to try the Olay Retinol 24 night moisturizer and see what would happen. Since most days I don’t leave the house and when I do, it’s not worth putting on makeup, I wanted my skin to look good enough where I wouldn’t need to wear makeup. Over time, I noticed that my skin looked clearer, less splotchy and looked good enough without foundation. I. was most excited about my skin texture and my acne wasn’t as red and went away faster than usual when I was using the Olay Retinol 24 moisturizer at night. For full transparency, I want to admit that my skin is very sensitive which is why I could never use the prescription Retinol because it would irritate my skin. With the Olay Retinol 24 moisturizer, I didn’t notice any irritation, but to be safe, I alternated wearing it every other night with a super moisturizing night time cream and the Olay Retinol 24 moisturizer. It gave me the same desired affect I was looking for and was able to get more use out of the jar.

I leave the jar on my bathroom sink so I can easily apply the cream to my face, neck and chest when I get out of the shower before bed. It takes two seconds to give my skin the nutrients it needs to look healthy and looking great without any makeup!

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Regenerist Retinol24 Night Moisturizer

Kevyn Aucion Contour Book

I’ve been getting ready in the morning a lot more lately and having fun using new makeup products that I’ve purchased the last few weeks with all of the good sales going on. My favorite product right now is the Kevyn Aucoin Contour Book 3 and I seriously love it! I’ve used other contour kits in the past and I spend more time trying to blend the shades to make it look more natural than I’d like. The Contour Book 3 has all you need to contour, highlight, and an ombre blush giving you plenty of options. I love the powder is translucent enough to look natural and easy to layer for more color. 

I like to apply Sculpting Light below my cheekbones, the top of my nose, and then the edges of my forehead. I’ve found on days that I want to take pictures, I use the darker shade Sculpting Medium along my jawline because it gives my jaw definition and hides my double chin that likes to make an appearance once in a while! 😉 

Next, I like to apply the highlighter, shade Beam, above my cheekbones, dab the sides of my nose and make a V with my brush on my forehead. A reminder that when applying a highlighter that less is more! Sometimes when I apply too much my face can look shiny, therefore it looks oily which it’s not. 

I love the ombre blush because I can swipe right with my brush to get a natural color on my cheeks or swipe left with my brush to get a darker color. With a clean brush, I like to make a 3  on the side of my face starting at my forehead, around my eye towards my nose, and then along my jawline. I have found it does a good job of blending all of the products on my face so they look even and natural. 

This Countour Book has been so much fun to play with recently and it’s difficult to mess up because the shades are all very natural looking. On Zoom calls with my family, I like to take the extra step of contouring when I get ready because the video can sometimes wash me out. When we took our family Christmas card photo, I used the darker shades so my features would stand out in the photo. In the winter months, I can get very pale and contouring is a great way to get some definition in your face that you can lose when you don’t have any coloring. For the summer months when I have a tan, I can use the darker highlighter shade Flash and darker bronzer color without having to get a new contour palette. Instead of fussing with a ton of products, this one product does it all and makes it super quick and easy to apply.  I hope this post has helped inspire you to try contouring and realize it’s not as complicated as it seems! 

Lancôme Idôle 

I have always loved walking through the big department stores during the holidays. My mom and I would head to the mall on Black Friday early in the morning and buy presents for each other and try the perfume samples on display. In college my mom bought me a Lancome beauty kit that was on sale for Black Friday and it was my first introduction to high end makeup. I loved how it looked on me and sitting on my dresser! A few years ago my mom and I were at the same department store and she bought me the Lancome La Vie Est Belle perfume after I spent a whole year smelling magazine samples! Since my first Lancome purchase, it’s become a tradition that I take advantage of Black Friday sales to treat myself. Once again I’ve been smelling perfume samples in magazines and fell in love with Lancome’s Idole perfume. This year I saw how good the deals were at Macy’s so I gave myself an early birthday present!

I love the combination of hints of rose, pear and vanilla making it a unique refreshing scent. Idole perfume is for the strong woman and this year has taught us we can do anything! It’s a fragrance made my women for women. It was created by 3 women who collaborated to create a scent that was sustainable and made from transparent and traceable. Leave it to women to create a fair trade perfume! The perfume bottle is also refillable for a discounted price so it’s environment friendly which I love!

If you are still looking for a gift for that girl boss in your life, I’ve found the perfect glamorous gift. In an effort for women to support women, this is the way to show it. It’s also the worlds thinnest perfume bottle and looks so chic on my perfume tray! I love that this perfume is long lasting and created to be an everyday scent for all women!

Dress // Lipstick (shade: Casablanca )

Start each day with some lipstick and a smile! I’ve been having fun getting dressed up to run errands or take mail down the street to the mailbox even if I wear a mask that hides it. #2020Problems Lately I’ve starting my morning getting ready at my vanity and drinking my coffee while listening to a Podcast or the new Taylor Swift album. I’ve found doing my hair and makeup can be really therapeutic and I forgot how much fun putting on makeup can be. For family Zoom calls and date nights at home, I’ve been making an effort to dress up because it’s something I have always enjoyed doing. When I get dressed and put on makeup I have so much more energy during the day.

I wanted to share a new lipstick I’ve been wearing a lot because it’s such a great shade for everyday and special occasions. I love the formula in the Tom Ford lipstick because it’s creamy and hydrating. I put it on in the morning and it lasts all day! Even after meals I noticed that the color was still on my lips and did not smudge!

I hope you give this product a try and treat yourself to a new gorgeous lipstick! A quick reminder as we finish up the year to keep smiling and start the day thinking positive. And on the days we need some extra help, put on some mascara and lipstick and you’ll be ready to conquer the day!

I’m sitting in bed wearing comfy pajamas watching Downton Abbey while I try out a new face mask. Sundays are turning into my favorite day because I take time for myself and do some self care. I’ll light a candle, take a bath and do a face mask before going to bed early. I usually just stick to my drugstore masks, however thanks to Dermalogica who sent me over a new one to try, I’ve been trying the hydro masque exfoliant.

Right away I fell in love with the mask because someone finally created a tube that gets more product on your skin than your hands. The button on top also deposits the right amount of product you need so there is no waste. It is something I appreciated because skincare products can be a bit pricey and I hate to waste product. The hydrating and exfoliating mask smooths and renews for luminous, healthy-looking skin. The mask has bamboo and lactic acid to gently exfoliate. Snow mushroom and hyaluronic acid to help keep your skin hydrated and prevent aging. Finally, the Jojoba Seed, Sunflower and Safflower are powerful antioxidants that help the skins moisture barrier to give you hydrated, youthful skin for days.

After a while, I forgot that I was wearing a mask because I had full movement in my face unlike other masks when my face is stiff. The texture of the mask was a lightweight cream which made it easy to apply and take off with warm water. After removing the mask and for days after, my face feels smooth and hydrated.