My Current Skin Care Regimen

Alot of people ask me about this and I know alot of people will think I'm nuts but here goes!!

AM
Cleanse with Cetaphil and a Micro-Fiber Cloth
SkinEffects Eye Cream
Avalon Organics Vitamin C Serum
Cetaphil SPF 15 Moisturizer
Cetaphil Cream if I'm extra dry

PM Every other night
Remove Makeup with MAC Cleanse off oil or a MAC wipe if I'm feeling lazy
Cleanse with MD Forte III Cleanser and my Clarisonic
Tone with Thayers Rose Water alcohol free toner
MD Forte Eye Rejuvination Cream
Retin A Micro
Cetaphil Cream ONLY if I am super dry so as to not buffer the Retin A

PM on the other nights
Remove makeup with MAC cleanse off oil or a MAC wipe if I'm feeling lazy
Cleanse with Aqua Glycolic cleanser and my Clarisonic
Tone with Clinique Clarifying toner
Peter Thomas Roth Anti Wrinkle Peel Pads
SkinEffects Eye Cream
Eucerin Q10 Anti Wrinkle Cream

Every Sunday
Deep cleansing/moisturizing Mask made with Aztec Healing Clay, Apple Cider Vinegar and Honey
Olay Micro-Dermabrasion & Peel Kit

Every Wednesday
MAC Volcanic Ash exfoliator
MAC Volcanic Ash thermal mask

This regimen changes frequently but some staples always stay the same!

My Top Ten Beauty Products Under $10

In no order.....

1. ELF Studio Line - Warm Bronzer
This is a fabulous product I use it almost everyday! And it's only $3!
2. Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
The good old standard, never want to be without this!
3. Apple Lash Mascara
This mascara is the bomb! It lengthens, thickens and holds curl better than any other I have tried!
4. Sally Girl eyeshadows
These eyeshadows are only 99 cents at Sally Beauty Supply, you need a primer but they come in lots of colors. They even
hook together to make your own custom palette!
5. Cover Girl Classic Blush in Soft Mink
This is an awesome shimmery neutral color, I love it. Staying power is also pretty good!
6. Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick in Blushing Brunette
Per my previous post, this is my fave!
7. Monistat Anti- Chafing Gel
Yes, girls I use this as a foundation primer. It is the same as Smashbox Photo Finish primer and it is only $6!
8. NYX Smokey Eyes Palette
I love NYX shadows, they are closely comparable to MAC for a fraction of the price. This palette has every color you need to
create a classic or neutral smokey eye. And all for $8!
9. NYX Blush in Peach
This blush is a wonderful pinky-peach color and the staying power is fabulous!
10. Ecotools 5 piece Bamboo Brush Set
This brush set is $9.99 at Walgreens. These brushes are great for the price and you have all the basics here with a nice
little canvas travel case!

Review - Maybelline ColorSensational Lipstick

Over the past several months I have picked up several, no, many of the new ColorSensational lipsticks by Maybelline. I can't walk into a Walgreen's, CVS, Or Wal-Mart without hitting the cosmetics section (insert lecture from husband here) and have often seen these on BOGO. I think I have 10 of these now! I am by no means a makeup snob, there are alot of drugstore items that I love, but I have not had good experiences with drugstore lippy's. What I want in a lipstick is staying power without drying, no feathering, I want it to look the same on my lips as it does in the tube, and all for a price that doesn't break the bank! Is that too much to ask? LOL! Well, these lippy's are pretty close to perfect for me. There are so many colors to chose from, reds, pinks, plums, & neutrals. The staying power on these is great and they do not dry my lips out at all! I even found a red I can pull off on my fair skin, Red Revival. Out of the 10 or so that I have, I have 4 that are my faves and I find myself reaching for them alot more than any of my high-end lipsticks.

Nearly There - This is a pinky-beige and is great when your going for a nude lip. It is a little frosty but still opaque enough for the popular nude lip look.

Born With It - This is a frosty light pink, great subtle lip when your doing a smokey eye.

Plaza Pink - Your basic candy pink, a great everyday color.

Blushing Brunette - I am loving this one for fall! It is a warmer brownish pink, great with my coloring. This one is probably my most favorite.

Overall these lipsticks are awesome and a great value!

Swatches (I am not the greatest picture taker!) In order: Red Revival, Blushing Brunette, Born With it, Nearly There, Plaza Pink.

My New Clarisonic

So, for my birthday, my best girls all chipped in and got me a Clarisonic Mia. (it's even pink, my fave color!). I started using this skincare brush about a month ago and I have to say I am VERY impressed! I have pretty normal, un-problematic skin anyway, but have definitely noticed some changes since I started using it. I use it once a day, at night after removing my makeup. I have about 3 cleansers I rotate between, Cetaphil, MD Forte III Cleanser, and Aquaglycolic (which one I use depends on what I plan on doing after cleansing, Retin A, micropeel, etc). After I remove my makeup with a cleansing oil (or makeup wipe if I'm feeling lazy) I slather on my cleanser, wet the Clarisonic brush a bit, and turn it on. I move all over my face in small circular motions. It turns off automatically after 2 minutes. Splash some water on my face and ta da! Smooth, glowy skin! I didn't have large pores to begin with but I swear their practically invisible now. And the few blackheads I would get on and around my nose, GONE! I haven't had any issues with purging, or irritation or anything. I did switch to the delicate brush for my face and will use the sensitive one on my body. If you have a chance to get this, I think it is well worth it!

To Bronze or not to Bronze??

Ladies, I would like your opinions please! I picked up a book this weekend by a well known makeup artist. I won't mention the name. One of the things she mentioned in her book was that you should use bronzer in the summer and not in the winter? Am I missing something? Because I am the exact opposite! I get a little color in the summer, so I don't usually reach for one of my bronzers, but in the winter, I am back to being pasty so I use bronzer everyday! I think a few sweeps of a matte or slightly shimmery bronzer makes a huge difference on my skin in the winter. So what do you think?

Dry, chapped lips??

Every year around this time, dry, chapped, peeling lips start to become an issue for me. Over the years, I have tried every lip balm & lip treatment out there. And while different things work for different people, here are the things that work for me to cure those wintry lips!

1. Don't lick your lips! When your lips are feeling dry, a quick swipe with your tongue seems like a good idea right? WRONG. Licking your lips just makes it worse because the moisture just evaporates quickly off of your skin.

2. Exfoliate your lips regularly. In the morning I give my lips a few good strokes with my tooth brush after brushing my teeth. At night, I use a scrub formulated for the lips. I like Laura Geller Lip Strip or the scrub step of Mary Kay Satin Lips. For a natural, home remedy mix a little sugar with olive oil.

3. At night after I exfoliate my lips, I use my Holy Grail lip treatment. Lansinoh. Yes ladies I use nipple cream on my lips! Think about it, lips/nipples, same kind of skin right? I put some of this on my lips at night and I awake to smooth, comfortable, and I swear fuller looking lips! You can get this in the baby section at Wal Mart.

4. Throughout the day, I love to use Aquaphor Healing Ointment or my trusted staple since I was 13, Dr Pepper Lip Smackers! If you like a tingle in your lip products Burts Bees lip balm and Carmex are great too!

Hope this helps!