Some of My Favorite Things-Beauty and More

I bet I caught your attention with the soulful brown eyed cutie in my title picture, didn't I?  Well, more about him later.  Let's talk about some of the beauty products I have been loving and using for the past month or so.

My first love is this fabulous nail polish called On a Trip from the Megalast line by Wet n Wild.  I really do love these nail polishes.  They are super affordable and have very fashion forward colors.  When used with the Seche Vite topcoat, I can easily get almost two weeks of wear out of my manicure.  This shade is just a beautiful mix of purple and blue.

The Expert Sensitive Gentle Refreshing Toner by Boots quickly became a favorite of mine.  Toners usually have a reputation for being harsh and stinging the skin.  This is one is completely different.  The formula is as gentle as water yet it removes any leftover dirt and makeup from the skin.  It is so gentle, you can even use it on your eyes with no irritation...seriously!  For days when chemo has gotten the best of me and I just don't feel well, cleansing with a makeup wipe and then using this toner help keep my skin in shape.  You can only purchase the Boots line at Target here in the states.  This product seems to be catching on because many times when I shop at Target, this toner is not in stock.  I have started buying it in twos so I don't run out.

Bath & Body Works had their huge half yearly sale last month in July and I indulged (a few times).  I had forgotten how much I enjoy the Cherry Blossom scent from B&BW until I saw the entire line during the sale. Cherry Blossom is a very romantic, powdery, soft floral scent.  I seem to get compliments whenever I wear it and it is light enough that it doesn't bother other chemo patients which is important when you are having treatment.  I like to layer for the most fragrance punch so I treated myself to the Creamy Body Wash, Triple Moisture Body Cream and Body Spray.   I much prefer the creamy formulas of body wash and lotion to Bath & Body Work's gel body wash and standard lotion.  The creamy formulas are so much more moisturizing for summer dry skin.

My next favorite is a nifty little palette from e.l.f. that I found at Target for under five dollars!  Such a deal! This is the Beach Beauty book type palette that includes eye shadows, lip glosses, blush, bronzer and highlighter.  You can do a complete makeup look with this one palette.  The e.l.f. line is a collection of really affordable products that are found at Target or on their website at http://www.eyeslipsface.com/.  My only suggestion is to use a shadow primer with the eye shadows.  The shadows in this palette are a nice mix of colors and you can create countless looks.

Now, let's talk about a beauty UNfavorite.  I was very excited to try this product.  I had heard other people raving about it and when I opened the bottle at Ulta and sniffed, it smelled like a tropical vacation.  I am talking about the Hawaiian Tropic Shimmer Effect After Sun Moisturizer in Coconut Papaya.

This is meant to be an after sun lotion that helps moisturize the skin and leaves a light shimmer.  I can say that it smelled delicious in the store but once the lotion hit the air and my skin, it stunk like chemicals.  It had a rather plastic smell and last time I checked, coconuts and papayas don't smell like plastic.  As for moisturizing, it was no better than any other cheap, drugstore body lotion.  I was highly disappointed and it is sitting, lonely, under my bathroom sink.  I will probably end up just tossing it out which really does not make me happy.  Two BIG thumbs down.

Now on to happy things.  Yes, I am talking about the brown eyed lovey in the picture above.  Please meet  Georgie.  Georgie is the newest addition to our family and he is a purebred Yorkshire Terrier.  Georgie is a rescue pup adopted from the Yorkshire Terrier National Rescue.  

One day I was checking out Facebook like I normally do and I came across a picture of the sweetest little Yorkie I had ever seen.  His big brown eyes were so expressive and I could tell he was scared and just needed some love.  Turns out, Georgie was up for adoption and he was close to our home!  I quickly filled out the online application but was worried that I wouldn't hear anything back.  Much to my surprise, I was called the next day by Georgie's sweet foster mom.  She told me all about this little dog and we decided he would be a perfect fit for our family.  After that, things moved quickly.  My husband and I went to visit Georgie at his foster mom's house and we both fell in love with him.  A few days later, Georgie was brought to our house and we had a home inspection to make sure we had suitable conditions and a secure back yard.  Georgie had found his forever home!

We already have a one year old Yorkie named, Rigby and he and Georgie get along great.  Rigby is thrilled to have a new playmate.  I love having both dogs and refer to them as "the boys".  Adopting a rescue was the perfect fit for our family.  I wanted another dog, but I really don't have the energy for a puppy and all the work of potty training.  Georgie is a really mellow dog who loves nothing more than sitting on the couch with me or napping on the bed with me when I don't feel good.  I love him.

If you are thinking about getting a dog, please consider finding a rescue group for the breed you are interested in.

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!!