Archive December 2010

One Product, A Billion Uses

There is one product in my beauty arsenal that’s been my go-to product.  It’s cheap, it’s plentiful, it’s awesome.  I’m talking about Aquaphor.  I know what you’re thinking, “That greasy, Vaseline-like stuff?”  Yes.  Except it’s nothing like Vaseline!  Aquaphor is the butter to my bread, and I use it for everything.  So here are some many wonderful uses of Aquaphor:

1. Lips: Slather some of this stuff on chapped lips, and you’ll be going around kissing everyone you can.  I load up on it at night, and when I wake up, my lips are super soft.  If you have cracked or chapped lips, it helps mend them.  If you don’t, use it as a preemptive strike!

2. Makeup remover: Sometimes my eye makeup is tough to get off, so I slick on some Aquaphor and gently wipe it off with a damp washcloth.  Voila!  My makeup is gone, and I didn’t hurt my peepers trying to rub off excess mascara.

3. Foot remedy: My toes and heels get rough every now and then, and foot cream doesn’t always cut it.  I cover my tootsies with Aquaphor and put on some thick socks before bed.  After washing my feet in the morning, they’re good as new! (Caution: be careful when stepping into the shower with Aquaphor-coated feet.  Very dangerous, I would know!)

4. Rough knees & elbows: Knees and elbows are generally the toughest spots to retain moisture.  I talked about paying special attention to them when moisturizing, but what if that’s not enough?  You guessed it, Aquaphor!  Put it all over your rough spots, and they’ll feel better instantly.

5. Neosporin-substitute: For some reason whenever I get a cut, I never have Neosporin around.  Oh well, Aquaphor takes care of it!  I rub a little bit over a cut or burn, which soothes any small injury right away.

6. Nose: If the inside of your nose gets dry or you get nosebleeds a lot, take a Q-tip and rub some Aquaphor on the inside of your nose.  Trust me, it really helps especially in these harsh winter months!  Like your lips, I recommend using a generous amount at night and less during the day.

7. Ears: On occasion, right where my ears are pierced, will get a little dry and irritated.  Not because of infection or anything like that, but it’s annoying none the less.  Dabbing a bit of Aquaphor over your ear lobes should fix it.

There are tons and tons of uses for Aquaphor, just be creative!  I always have some on me whether it’s in a tube or a tub because I never know when I’ll need it. What’s your go-to beauty product?

Primer Instincts

Most of the people I know that use makeup on a regular basis skip using a primer.  I, personally, think they’re crazy!  Primer is one of the essentials to keep your makeup looking fresh all day, especially if you’ve got oily or combination skin.  Folks with dry to normal skin can get away with skipping a primer, but it still helps even out your skin and create a perfect base for your makeup.  So what should you look for in a primer?  Where do you start?

I use Make Up For Ever’s HD Microperfecting Pimer ($32), which is my absolute favorite out of every primer I’ve used.  I’m currently using the green one to balance out redness in my skin, and I used the neutral clear one in the summer.  One 1.01 oz bottle lasted me about four months so it’s definitely worth the price.  Some primers leave my face feeling slick and kind of greasy without the shine, but this one makes it nice and matte.  It helps my makeup last all day in combination with MUFE’s HD Microfinish Powder ($30).

One of the biggest things you have to watch out for with primers is whether it has silicone in it.  If you have super sensitive skin or you’re allergic silicone, you need to be careful with primers.  My favorite silicone-free primer is Korre’s Face Primer ($28).  It’s super light, but still gets the job done plus it smells like lemons!

You should also use a primer on your eyes to keep your beautiful eye makeup from shifting or disappearing throughout the day.  Mostly everyone in the makeup world swears by Urban Decay’s Primer Potion ($18) and so do I!  I have it in Eden, and I use it everyday even if I’m not applying eyeshadow because it brightens up my eyes.  This stuff will keep your eye makeup on literally all day until you wash it off without any smudging.

Obsessed: EOS Lip Balm

While my Favorite Things segment is only once a month, I’ll be bringing you several Obsessed segments as I fall totally in love with a new product.  It’s known to happen every know and again, so this should be a fun way to share awesome products with you.

Today’s obsession is something I got for Christmas: EOS Lip Balm in Summer Fruit!  First of all, it’s adorable.  Who could resist a tiny coral nugget of joy?  This little ball of goodness is packed with organic ingredients like jojoba oil and shea butter.  Instead of being a waxy chapstick, it’s super moisturizing and compact so you can take it anywhere.  There are five flavors: summer fruit, lemon drop spf 15, honeysuckle honeydew, medicated tangerine, and sweet mint.  The summer fruit flavor tastes like mangos and pineapples with a hint of coconut.  I feel like I’m on the beach!

Mine was purchased at Target, and right now you can get a multi-pack for only $11.99!  You can also get these babies at some other drug stores so keep an eye out!

The Magic Of Moisturizing

I remember thinking that moisturizing was such a pain and that it was really unnecessary.  Wrong.  So wrong.  It literally takes five minutes when you get out of the shower, and it makes a world of difference.  Seriously, if all you do is moisturize and not do anything else to yourself, I’ll be very happy with you.  Moisturizing is one of the most important things you can do.

The best way to do it is right when you step out of the shower when your skin is still kind of wet.  Why?  Well, lotion sinks in better when your skin has moisture on it.  Also make sure your shower isn’t too hot because that will dehydrate your skin even more.  Whatever you do, absolutely do not use the same lotion for your face as you do for the rest of your body!  Your body needs a thicker lotion, and your face needs something lighter that won’t clog your pores.

Face

First of all, if you have oily skin like me, don’t skip out on moisturizing your face!! It’s even more important for us to moisturize than those with dry to normal skin because if we don’t our skin will get upset and produce even more oil to hydrate itself.  Don’t let that happen!

I use three different moisturizers: one during the day and one at night.  During the day, my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel is light and perfect for my oily skin.  On top of that I use Cetaphil’s Ultra Hydrating Lotion in the winter to keep my skin from drying out as the day goes on.  At night, my Cetaphil Restoraderm is much heavier and helps heal and pump moisture into my skin while I sleep.

When it comes to moisturizing your face you need to make sure you’re adding everything in layers.  So if you use a toner, a serum, and a moisturizer make sure you apply them in order from thinnest to thickest.  No matter what combination of products you’re using, make sure you apply them this way and that you leave a good 5-10 minutes before each layer so you give the products time to sink in!

Body

I always moisturize my body right out of the shower either with Johnson’s Body Care 24 Hour lotion (which smells amazing!) or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter lotion.  And I use a lot!  It really does help to use lotion right out of the shower because it helps lock in moisture and your pores are open from all that hot water (not too hot, I hope!).  Make sure you pay special attention to rough areas like elbows and knees.

Just like you should moisturize your body after a shower, you should moisturize your hands after you wash them.  I use Soap & Glory’s Great Shakes hand cream, which works wonders.  As for your feet, use a foot cream at night.  Later up your feet and put on some socks.  Your feet will feel supreme in the morning!

Overall, moisturizing your face and body is super easy, and it’s really an essential.  So if you aren’t moisturizing, start right now!  And if you are, kudos to you, keep it up!

What are your moisturizing tips?

Favorite Things: December

Every month I’m going to share with you my five favorite beauty products!  If I could make it like Oprah’s Favorite Things and give all of my viewers my favorite products, I totally would.  But, unfortunately, I’m not Oprah.  I’m in college (and broke!) so cut me some slack.  Anyway, I use a lot of products, and I’m always testing out new things.  My favorites change pretty often.  I like to think it keeps me on my toes.

December has been an eventful month so my favorite things are simple and kept my beauty routine grounded.

1. Palmer’s Cocoa Butter Formula Swivel Stick ($3.69)

In the winter, my lips get super chapped, and I hate regular chapstick.  So what’s a girl to do?  I have been obsessed with this cocoa butter chapstick because it’s really moisturizing, it tastes good, and it lasts for hours.  Not to mention, you can also use it on other dry areas of your skin (but I’d recommend getting another one for that).  For under four bucks, you really can’t beat this.

2. C.O. Bigelow Mentha Lip Buffer ($7.50)

Even though I’ve been moisturizing my lips like crazy, they still crack and peel.  This lip buffer is perfect for exfoliating your lips without hurting them.  It’s made with peppermint, shea butter, and cocoa butter and has sugar crystals for exfoliation.  Not only does it taste amazing (note: do not eat no matter how tempting…oops!) but it makes your lips feel super soft after.  After you use this, you can use the cocoa butter chapstick!

3. Cetaphil Restoraderm Skin Restoring Moisturizer ($14.99)

Winter really takes a toll on your skin, and while mine is oily it still dries out a lot in the cold weather.  Usually, Cetaphil’s moisturizers are heavy and leave me feeling greasy, but this one is great to apply right before bedtime.  I don’t know what they did, but it’s working!  If you have oily skin like me, I wouldn’t recommend using this during the day.  It seems to balance out my skin overnight and allows me to use a light moisturizer in the morning.  This would be perfect for anyone with really dry skin or eczema.

4. Make Up For Ever HD Microfinish Powder ($30)

I have been in love with this finishing powder for months.  It’s become a staple in my beauty arsenal, and I’ll never set my makeup with anything else.  Most setting powders last for four or five hours, but this one lasts me all.day.long.  Literally.  I’d say 8+ hours on this one.  It seems expensive, but I’ve had the same .35 oz jar for seven months, and I still have about a quarter of it left.  You really get your money’s worth.  Plus, it keeps my makeup on all day, so I don’t have to touch up at all.  Really it’s saving me money.  It’s been a lifesaver to be honest, especially in the summertime when my makeup usually melts off my face.

5. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Corrector ($49.50)

If you claim to have perfectly even skin, then congratulations.  But for those of us with spots, whether they be acne scars or sunspots, it’s really difficult to find something to get rid of that.  This serum (that’s what I’m calling it) is amazing!  I’ve been using it for two weeks now and my dark spots have faded significantly.  I can only imagine what it will do in two more weeks!  It’s a little high for my budget, but I really think it’s worth it if you’re suffering from dark spots like me.

What were your favorite things this month?

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