Beauty Favorites

Beauty products are some of my favorite things.  They make me happy and feel pretty.  How about I share some of the things that I am loving right now?

Summertime means dry skin for many of us.  Add in chemo treatments and it can mean REALLY dry skin.  I use a three step approach to dealing with dry and uncomfortable skin.  Exfoliate, cleanse and moisturize are the key steps for keeping your skin silky and smooth.

For your morning shower, the Energy Lemon Zest Smoothing Body Scrub from the Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy line is the perfect citrus blast to get you going and exfoliate your skin.  The formulation is the perfect consistency.  I don't care for scrubs that have an oily base or scrubbing beads that are too big.  The scent is fresh and citrusy without being overpowering.  

After your get your exfoliate on, the next step in your smooth skin routine is cleansing.  My preferred method of cleansing is always a body wash.  I want my body wash to get me clean and moisturize my skin.  I am loving this Olay Essential Oils Ribbons body wash with sunflower oil in the Refreshing Nectarine scent.  This formula is so creamy and moisturizing with a fresh fruity scent of nectarines.  You need just a small amount on a shower pouf to envelope yourself in creamy bubbles.  This product leaves your skin so soft that if you are in a rush, you can actually skip body lotion.  

I am now going to admit that I am lazy when it comes to body lotion after a shower.  Sometimes during chemo treatments, I am lucky to have enough energy to make it INTO the shower, let alone dry off, apply body lotion and wait for it to dry before I can get dressed.  This is why I LOVE the Total Moisture Cocoa Radiant Body Gel Oil from Vaseline.  After your shower and while your skin is still wet, apply this gel oil all over and then gently blot dry with a towel.  Not too greasy or oily, this formula gives perfect moisture to the skin with a light scent and you don't have to leave the shower to moisturize.  Perfect!

These are my steps for keeping my skin in tip top shape during the summer and chemo treatments.  Next I am going to share with you some of my other current makeup and nail favorites.

We all know that sun protection is a daily must.  Whether you wear makeup or not, a good  facial moisturizer with SPF should be a daily staple.  My skin tends to be on the oily side and rather sensitive.  I cannot use heavy creams so I need a good, lightweight moisturizer that works under makeup.  My favorite for the past couple of months has been the Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30.  The formula is lightweight, non greasy and unscented.  The Positively Radiant line is supposed to fade dark spots with continued use.  I have some issues with hyper-pigmentation from medicines that I have taken so I am hoping this will help.  I will keep you posted.

In the summer most of us want to lighten our load when it comes to our makeup routine.  I tend to not wear foundation during the sweltering Southern California summer months.  My usual go to routine for hot weather is concealer around my eyes (chemo circles always need coverage...LOL) and a dusting of powder in place of a foundation or BB cream.  I am really enjoying the True Match powder from L'Oreal.  It offers decent coverage and controls any oil break through without being cakey.  

Keeping with the theme of lightening the load during summer, I tend to not wear lipstick either.  Instead I go for the lighter look of a gloss.  One of my favorites right now is the Mega Shine Lip Gloss from NYX.  These have such a comfortable formula with no stickiness and a pleasant candy like scent.  The color shown above is Beige.  I have no idea why they named it Beige because it is really a very pretty pink color that looks great on its own or over any lipstick to add shine and gloss. 

My current nail polish favorite is this beautiful Tiffany blue color called I Need a Refresh Mint from the Megalast line by Wet n Wild.  These polishes were a real surprise to me.  They have beautiful color, great coverage in two coats and are long wearing for such a low price point.  My second favorite is the Complete Salon Manicure in Snow Globe from Sally Hansen.  Snow Globe is a sparkling multi colored glitter with very tiny pieces and some larger round pieces.  I love this glitter for accent nails.

My final favorite is the Fresh Picked Hand Cream in First Bloom from Bath & Body Works.  I love a good hand cream and this formula is perfect.  It has the smell of fresh flowers without being overly sweet and leaves your hands feeling soft and pretty.  Rub some into your cuticles to keep them looking healthy and to promote nail growth.  The 2 ounce size makes it portable for carrying in your handbag or keeping next to your bedside table.

I hope you have enjoyed learning about my current beauty favorites and maybe you will decide to try a few of these products yourself this summer.  Thank you for reading and stay beautiful!!