Fall Beauty: 10 minutes to Freedom!

It doesn't always take me five minutes, but most of the time I can get away with my ultimate 10 minute makeup routine. Shall I admit something? I take really good care of my skin but I still use my fingers half the time, and then I use a beauty blender sponge that I just got from Forever 21 in a three pack, to blend throughout the day. I decided to scale back a little at the end of Summer, as Hunter begins Pre-K very soon and I need something quick for AM bus drop-off's.

Some of these are a little pricey, but I will have cheaper alternatives as suggestions if you're on a budget. (Trust me, I've been there!) I've got you covered.

Eyelash curler. Mint green and gold. Forever 21. $3.80 (online, and in store)

Amp up your makeup game with this basic beauty tool! I live by the golden rule, that an eyelash curler can really fix anything. I curl my lashes, sans mascara, before going to the gym and mid-day if I don't want to gloop on more mascara because it really aggravates my contacts! My pick from Forever 21 has two benefits, price point, and tool pressure. I love that this one really gets well on my base, where my lashes tend to already curl, and it allows me to get them in place where they belong with the help of the pressure points in this tool. Plus, how can you argue with a curler under $4? I mean, c'mon!

L'Oréal The Infallible Blackbuster Liquid 8hr Eyeliner. Shade Black/Noir. About $7 at Target, and most drugstores.

I like a good cat eye, and this product lasts. I haven't ventured into the gel territory, (although when those first came out I loved Clinique's version that came in a pot), but I just love the liquid lined look. This is a cheaper version that lasts, and the color coverage is the perfect pontification of black. It's an excellent base just to add to your makeup collection!

Burt's Bee's Beeswax Lip Balm. Available at most retailers.

This will be my forever lip balm of choice. I love Burt's Bee's, enough said.

Visine Long Lasting Redness Relief eye drops. Available at most retailers and drugstores.

I use Visine more now than I ever have because I don't always get adequate sleep. I love this version from their line of eye products because it's soothing, and it takes away all the redness. I hate what I call stoner eyes, with all the little red squiggly lines so I always keep these on hand for quick fixes. Pro Tip: It also will take away the redness of a MAJOR blemish in a pinch if necessary.

MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation. Shade NC25. Purchased from Belk, but available at all MAC Stores or Macy's. $27

This is my dream powder. I'm new to the MAC game. I'll be honest, the black packaging and makeup gurus who worked at the counters always overwhelmed me a little. Everything I've ever learned about makeup I taught myself from the pages of Seventeen. True story! I was born to be a MAC lady though, and this powder/foundation duo is the center from which my 10 minute routine was born. I can spot treat my blemishes, and powder my t-zone lickety split. The coverage is flawless, and stays put well past 12 hours of wear. Why did I ever buy any other powder? Dear MAC, this is my love letter .... I thank you immensely for this product.

Since this price point is on the higher end, (although if you can swing it I highly recommend it). I'm also in love with Rimmel's Stay Matte Shine Control Pressed Powder (less than $6 at most drugstores), and NYX Stay Matte But Not Flat Powder Foundation (about $11 available at Target, CVS, and Ulta or online).

Maybelline Volum' Express, The Falsies, Big Eyes Mascara. Very Black. $10 (Available at most retailers, and drug stores).

I love this mascara for several reasons, but the biggest one is that I don't have to scrimp on coatings. The formula is thin enough to build on without feeling cake-y and I still get fluttery lashes without the messy formulas of waterproof mascara. It's my go-to. Also, can we talk about the duo brushes? The tiny bristles on the bottom lash brush are perfect for my longer lower lashes, and as for my tops, that brush easily gets into all the little nooks and crannies. It's literally the perfect formula, and Maybelline has finally met it's match as I am a stickler for their Great Lash and always will be.

Flower Beauty Chubby's Highlighter and Lip & Cheek. Highlighter is in shade HL2 Gold Coaster, and Lip & Cheek is in KM3 Can't Re-fuchsia. About $11 at Wal-Mart or online.

My love affair with FLOWER Beauty continues! I'm completely obsessed with these new lines of Chubby's, which are miniature sticks of glorious coverage and color to save me time when I need to feel my most beautiful! The Lip & Cheek chubby has the greatest coverage, and blends effortlessly as a blush. If you read my last makeup post, I talked about the same highlighter but in pearl shimmer, which I still love, but gold coaster takes on the little extra sparkle I crave to match the more muted colors of Fall.

Physician's Formula Super CC+ Concealer. Shade Light/Medium. About $13 (Available at most drugstores, and Target).

This Super CC (color correcting), magical unicorn formula is the answer to my blemish prayers! If I have a spot, simply twist and brush on flawless coverage that lasts. A bonus is the 30SPF that's added in making it the perfect under-eye concealer. It delicately covers up harsh lines and imperfections on my skin with ease, and doesn't cause a single breakout.

L'Oréal  Colour Riche Lipstick in British Red. About $6 at most drugstores/retailers.
I love this shade of red, because it's a perfect transition between the bright reds of Summer and the darker shades of Fall. It still falls in the coral-y red spectrum, so works well with almost all skin tones. I have seen all kinds rock it! The color lasts, and the application doesn't need a lot of precision because the color doesn't bleed. Great for all day!

I hope these products will shorten your beauty routines, and leave you more time to catch some morning Zzzzzzzzzz. We all need more of those!

As always, I love yer faces!

xo,
C

Summer Shower Essentials

Every season I inevitably change up my shower essentials, because smooth skin is a necessity in my life! I love taking baths and showers I think it's because I love water so much, but most of the time a shower is equal to spa time for me. Actually, I'm weirdly not a huge fan of going to actual spas but I do like a little pampering once in awhile. The word spa is just a tad overwhelming, like that's a thing girly girls do for bachelorette parties in the South and no one I know likes going either so it defiantly out of my comfort zone. 

I take short showers! I've managed to narrow down a typical one to 10 minutes or less on a good day. Sometimes I stay in longer, like if I'm really sleepy or if I'm grumpy when Aunt Flow rears her ugly head, but a very good dermatologist once told me to NEVER shower longer than 10 minutes. I believe that this tip is why I've never had major skin issues in my life except for inherited naturally super rosy cheeks, and I take really, really good care of my skin.

In addition to these products I always lather on SPF before I leave the house, and I like Nivea Smooth Sensation daily lotion for dry skin. I can't live without either of these, and you should stock some too to start taking care of your skin now instead of later!

As you can tell, I'm a huge Nivea fan. My Oma used their tins of body cream when I was kid and she always had the softest skin. When I was younger, too much moisture would break me out but now I need a little extra boost to maintain the elasticity of my skin since in the Summer months I'm outdoors so much more! I love Nivea Touch of Smoothness for this very reason. Unlike typical body washes it doesn't make me feel scaly, or irritate any stray dry patches on my skin. In fact, at the beginning of Summer I had horrible dry patches above both of my elbows from not applying enough SPF when I went for runs to train for a race I participated in, in May. When I switched to these body washes it took care of that really quickly, and I've been a convert ever since.

A lot of people can't use Garnier, because unfortunately the fruit extracts, perfumes, and such can overwhelm sensitive skin. I love 3 way cleansers because they shorten my shower time. (Neutrogena also makes a similar product, that I use in the Fall time as the temperature cools down.)  I alternate using this cleanser in my hands in the shower, or with my Olay Pro-X cleansing brush. I love the smell, and in the Summer I need a little less exfoliation, (even though I'm sweating more), because I'm in so many different environments in the Summer months and different types of water can wreck your skin. This 3 way, is a cleanser, scrub, and a mask. I use the mask about 10 minutes before I shower once a week, and then I get in and scrub it off. 

These next products are things I just discovered, because I like beauty on the cheap! Organix is my favorite line of hair care available in a regular store. Their shampoos, products, and conditioners make my hair happy! This Aqapuhi Ginger Instant Recovery Mask treats my wavy, curly tresses like the queen that she is. I adore this formula, and I sometimes even use this in place of my conditioner on a regular day when I feel like my hair is drying. (More on my hair care later.)

Bath and Body Works has such a lovely line of aromatherapy products for your tub time. This lavender-vanilla sugar scrub was on sale and I picked it up along with some bubble baths I'll mention later. I really like this scrub. It has like a body oil in it that is really nice to my skin. I only use this once a week. Exfoliating too much is also bad for your skin, but on days that I don't dry brush this does the trick. I slough it on my rough patches like knees, ankles, and elbows before a shower after I step in I usually do most of my body with the rest of it. This may not be a product for everyone, but it certainly hooked me and I love this line now because of it!

Lastly these beauties, are what I think Mother Nature intended for stressed out Mom's who need a stay-cation. These bubble baths are insanely delicious smelling, and amazing! Once your pour the bubble bath under hot running water waves of bubbles pool at the surface. I've never had a bubble bath that did that unless I poured a gallon in. Of course, you can tell they are well loved and a little bit does go a long way but they were such a bargain with some of the deals Bath and Body Works has had going on lately. Sleep is my personal favorite, but Stress Relief does relieve my stress! Once your in though, it's like soaking in a pool of cashmere, cotton candy, and soft puppies. I love it!

Hopefully you'll branch out and try some of these, and as always I'm looking for suggestions to add to my repitoire. Leave me a comment with your favorite Summer shower products or tips to take good care of your Summer skin!

xo,

****Ppppssttt... all my ya'll, stay tuned for a post about my hair care!

Also, I'm reshooting my beauty haul because frankly I wasn't happy with it.

It's coming, no worries just trying to make it quality for you all :)

I lurv yer faces!