My Current Faves - Skincare

I've come to realize that without flawless skin, my makeup isn't going to look as perfect as I'd like. I can cover it with foundation and concealer but then I just look like I've covered bad skin with makeup. I'd much rather have perfect skin so I can wear just enough foundation to even out my face. It's taken me years to figure out the perfect combo for my skin and I think I've finally done it. For now. First of all, and this is a must, I cleanse my skin twice a day. If I skip a wash, especially at night, my skin pays for it. Also, just to be clear, I have normal/combination skin. During the summer I'm a bit more oily and in the winter my skin dries out like crazy. With that said, here we go!

Morning Routine

1. Philosophy Purity Made Simple facial cleanser

This stuff has absolutely changed my skin. Since having my son, I was breaking out like crazy. I tried so many different cleansers and nothing helped. Purity literally saved my face. If I only have time for one step in my routine, it's this one.

2. Clarisonic Mia skincare brush

I use this brush only once a day. The Mia, in combination with the deep pore brush head, cleanses my skin so thoroughly I'm still amazed every time. My pores appear smaller and tighter. My skin is smooth and soft. It's so miraculous that when I went for a microderm abrasion treatment, they hardly removed any dead skin; because every day I'm exfoliating my face. I will never live without this brush. Ever.

3. Origins VitaZing moisturizer

I'm madly in love with this moisturizer. First of all, it's perfect for daytime because it has SPF15. Secondly, it has a very slight tint to it. It's not quite a replacement for my tinted moisturizer or foundation, but it does even my skin enough that I can throw on some mascara and lip balm and not look like death warmed over. Thirdly, it makes my skin feel amazing. It's not greasy and doesn't have a weird sunscreen smell that I normally hate in other moisturizers. It's fab!

4. Origins GinZing eye cream

I've been searching high and low for the perfect eye cream and I've found it in the GinZing. It moisturizes my eye area without leaving it greasy, but it also helps me not look so tired. It brightens my dark circles leaving me looking more awake and refreshed. It's a must try for sure.

Evening Routine

1. Philosophy Purity Made Simple facial cleanser

2. Caudalie Vinexpert firming serum

I don't know how they do it, but this serum is incredible. In the morning I wake up to perfectly smooth skin that's soft and radiant. Now, I'm only 32 so I'm not sure how much firming it's doing for me at the moment, but I like to consider it preventative skincare. If only it wasn't $88.

3. Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel

I've been using this moisturizer for years now and it never fails me. I never breaks me out. It leaves my skin super soft and smooth. It's truly perfect for me. When I'm super tired I just mix my Caudalie serum right into it and smooth it on. I was using it for daytime as well until I discovered the Vitazing. If you could only choose one, I'd go with the Clinique. Just FYI, I've tried the Dramatically Different Lotion as well and I hate it. So if you've tried that and it didn't work for you, this is completely different. I'd grab a sample and give it a shot. It's good stuff.

4. Teamine eye complex eye cream

This is my current eye cream. I haven't been using it long enough to be madly in love with it or to see a real difference in my under eye area, but I don't hate it. If anybody has any suggestions for a good night time eye cream I'd love to hear it. This is the one part of my routine that I'm still figuring out.

So, that's it! I hope this was helpful to some of you. If you have any questions, please feel free to comment below.

Til next time...stay pretty!

So I've decided I'm going to start doing a regular beauty blog here and I'm kicking it off with my favorites for the month of April. In case you haven't signed up yet, click the link to the right and head over to Modern Stylist. I'll be cross posting my blogs there and it's a fantastic new forum for everything beauty! Help me make it grow by signing up and participating!

1.  Stila Illuminating Tinted Moisturizer - this product was my savior for the winter months. It's moisturizing and has light to medium coverage. I just love the soft glow it gives my skin. Unfortunately, living in Florida, the humidity is getting to my face and I'll have to put this away until it cools off, but if you suffer from dry skin I'd definitely give this a try!

2.  Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circles - I was skeptical when I purchased this product, but this concealer is amazing! It covers my dark circles and leaves my eye area feeling moisturized without settling into those pesky creases. Thankfully, it's still working for me even in the humidity.

3.  Smashbox Halo Hydrating Perfecting Powder - OK, the price tag on this powder kills me, but oh how I love it. It's perfect for setting my foundation without leaving my face looking caked in powder. It's absolutely beautiful and you need such a small amount that it will last you forever, which in my mind absolutely justifies the expense.

4.  Sonia Kashuk Beautifying Blush in Flushed - THIS BLUSH! It is sure to be my favorite throughout spring and into summer. It's an absolutely beautiful, super bright, peachy coral color. The product is highly pigmented, so use a light hand and build it up. The best part? It's from Target! Go get some. Now. I'll wait.

5.  NYC Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder in Sunny - I've been using this bronzer for forever and it's my go to when I need to give my skin a bit of oomph. It doesn't leave you looking muddy or orange and it's perfect for contouring or even as an all over face powder. Also, it's super cheap. Love that!

6.  Lancome Eclat Miracle - this liquid highlighter gives your cheekbones the perfect glow. It's natural and easy to blend. I use it even when I'm not wearing makeup to perk up my skin. It takes the tiniest drop making this another one of those pricey products that will last you forever. Totally worth the cost!

7.  Revlon Brow Fantasy Pencil & Gel - this dual ended pencil/brow gel is my favorite way to fill my brows. It looks natural and stays put all day. Love the price too! Don't forget, when choosing your color, always go a shade lighter than what you'd think. Nothing more terrifying than "sharpie brows".

8.  Stila eyeshadow in Kitten - this has been a favorite of mine for years. It's the perfect brow highlight, as well as inner corner highlight. It's super pigmented so a little goes a long long way. My only complaint is that it tends to be very soft. So be very gentle with it or you'll have a broken shadow on your hands!

9.  Maybelline EyeStudio Color Tattoo in tough as taupe - this cream shadow makes an excellent base for other shadows. It stays put all day and makes powder shadows pop. This color also perfectly compliments my next fave.

10.  Wet'n'Wild Color Icon shadow in Nutty - my favorite taupe shadow! Looks so pretty by itself or paired with other shadows. It's highly pigmented and super inexpensive. If you don't own it already, go get it. ASAP!

11.  Revlon Colorstay Liquid Eye Pen in blackest black - this liquid pen eyeliner makes winged liner a cinch. It's super precise and stays put all day.

12.  Benefit They're Real mascara - I know there are mixed reviews of this mascara, but I happen to be one of those who love it. It makes my lashes super long and full. Plus, it does not budge all day long. Definitely one of my favorite mascaras of all time.

12.  Essie nailpolish in A Crewed Interest - the perfect nail polish for spring. It's a pale orange/coral. It does take a bit of work to make it perfectly even, I usually need 3 coats, but it's totally worth it!

Well, that's it for my April makeup favorites! Leave me a comment below and let me know what your current faves are. Check back often for updates and make sure you join the site.

Til next time...stay pretty!

Mascara Crisis

So I'm constantly on the hunt for the perfect mascara. I have a bag full of duds and only a couple that I like just enough to wear. I used to wear the expensive and fabulous high end mascaras, but I just cannot justify $20-30 for something I go through so quickly. Therefore, I regularly buy and try drugstore mascaras in the hope that I'll find "the one". The perfect mascara to make my lashes fat and long and gorgeous.

I recently tweeted some of girls on my twitter regarding the Maybelline Falsies Flared mascara. I'd tried the regular falsies and I wasn't impressed, but when they said they loved the flared I decided I'd give it a try. Now, I don't know if it's just the tube I got, but that is seriously one dry mascara. It makes me look as if I have about 5 eyelashes. Not quite the look I'm going for. By the end of the day, I have it all over my face. Needless to say, this is a huge dud for me.

After a quick Target trip, I've picked up 2 new ones to test out. Cover Girl Lash Perfection and Maybelline Full and Soft. We'll see how they fare. What is your fav mascara? Let me know!

Green Soup

I'm not fully sure what this blog will be about. I think I'm going to stick to things I love. Beauty, cooking, and Carter.

So, since I've currently got an obscene amount of it cooking on the stove, I'm going to begin with probably one of my most favorite things to make and eat. Green Soup. I titled it Green Soup simply because it made it sound like some kind of super hero food to Carter; far more appealing than broccoli/potato/onion soup. LOL So here it goes!

Ingredients:
2 Medium Onions
6 Medium/Lg Potatoes
1 lbs Broccoli (I use the 1lb bag of frozen)
2 Tbs Butter
6 cups chicken stock/chicken broth/or bouillon
1/2-1 cup Milk (or half and half if you're crazy and don't care about fat)
Shredded cheese (I like monterey jack)
Adobo Seasoning & Pepper (if you buy adobo without pepper)

How To:
Chop up your onions and potatoes. The smaller you cut them, the faster your soup will cook. Cook your onions in the butter until translucent. Add potatoes and broccoli and cook for a few minutes. Add stock, cover, and simmer until everything is super tender. Once cooked, puree your soup until smooth. Add your milk and season to taste. Simmer for a few minutes to incorporate seasoning and milk. Serve sprinkled with cheese. Yum!

I hope you guys try it out. Let me know what you think!