Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Summer-ize Your Skin Care Routine

Just like we take the layers off in the summer, we need to do the same with our skin care! This is mucho important. In the summer we're sweating more, and usually tend to have oilier skin. I am going to show you some of the products I use on my face in the summertime.

 Cleanser: It's very important in the summer to lighten up your cleanser! Use one with tea tree or salicylic acid to keep your oil at bay. I use this one year round because I have combo/acne prone skin! I got this huge bottle on Vitacost for a very good deal.



Toner: This is a must year round, but a toner with moisturizing and balancing ingredients is great for the summer. Some people forget we need to re-balance our skin after cleansing! And this is how you do it!

Moisturizer: Crucial and very important! One thing I don't understand is why people with oilier skin don't want to use moisturizer!! Oily skin needs moisturizer as much as dry skin, here's why. When people with oily/combo skin don't use a moisturizer, its like telling your oil glands to go into overdrive to produce MORE oil!! But more on that in another post. I just found the amazing organic brand Acure Organics, and let me tell you I'm obsessed! Its organic AND such a good price point! A good oil control facial moisturizer is crucial for a summer skin care routine to keep it all balanced. 

Mechanical Exfoliation

In the summer (and year round too!) exfoliation is key to glowing, beautiful skin! I use my Clarisonic Mia at night to help remove the excess dirt and debris that my cleanser can miss. I also use the sensitive skin head so it does not irritate my skin. If you are more sensitive maybe do this two or three times a week. Once you get a Clarisonic, you can never go back!


Chemical Exfoliation


Also important is chemical exfoliation. It goes deeper into the layers and provides an anti-aging effect too. These extra strength may be too much for some people, they also have a regular one which I used for 3 or so months before I started on the extra strength. It has helped with my post inflammatory hyperpigmentation too. BUT when using this you must pair it with a sunscreen during the day. Also, use this 2 step system at night, not in the morning! Your cells repair and turn over much faster when we are sleeping.

Sunscreen: The MOST important summer skin care staple! I got it for a discount on this website. It is a complete mineral block and it does not smell like sunscreen at all! I put this on before applying my makeup and let it sink in for 5 or so minutes. Using sunscreen everyday for me is a total must year round, but I make sure to never get lazy in the summer. It has the coolest gel like consistency and it semi mattifies after sinking in. This is the best sunblock I've ever used.

If you have any questions do not hesitate to ask!

xx
e

Saturday, June 23, 2012

Makeup Musts: My Everyday Look

Day to day, I pretty much wear the same staple makeup items. I am pretty low key when it comes to my makeup look. My philosophy is "quality over quantity". When I watch these girls on YouTube do makeup collection videos, I can't believe how much crap they have (and never use). It was almost appalling! I like to have really good, staple pieces in my collection. Now granted, this is only a few of my favorite everyday items (I don't wear all of them at once!). So here goes the peek into my makeup bag...


{ Kate Spade Makeup Bag- similar }


RMS Beauty Living Luminizer- the.best.highlighter.ever.
{ Physicians Formula Bamboo Wear Bronzer- a subtle, natural glow }
Tarte Maracuja Blush and Glow- 2 in one! The blush is beautiful as well as the highlight }
Vapour Mezmerize Shimmer Eye Color in Sugar- the perfect everyday shade for your lid }
Tarte SmolderEyes Liner in brown- super easy to smudge to create a day time smoke out }


Youngblood Mineral Radiance Creme Powder Foundation- only on the spots I need it on
Jane Iredale Amazing Base- love this on light days & it's SPF 20 }


{ Tarte Lip Tint in Perky- perfect baby pink }
Korres Lip Butter in Pomegranate- another perfect, everyday coral }
{ The All Natural Face vegan lip gloss Peppermint Stick- glossy pink lips! }

Like I said before, these are just some of my favorites I regularly reach for. I am very minimalistic when it comes to cosmetics, but I love trying new ones. Especially if they are natural or organic! More beauty to come :)

xx
e




Wednesday, June 20, 2012

The Vitamix and My Daily Smoothies!

One of my passions in life is living a healthy lifestyle. I finally got back into yoga and I can't believe I ever stopped! Eating healthy is also something I do. Not to say I never eat sweets (cakes, frozen yogurt, ice cream to name a few), but I eat them in moderation which is the key to everything! I plan on going back to finish my Bachelor's degree in Holistic Nutrition as well.
 Recently my mom received a Vitamix from a family member. Now if you don't know what that is, its like the ultimate blender, juicer, ice cream maker, food processor, etc. Pretty much it does everything! I used to make my veggie and fruit smoothies in a blender, but the Vitamix blends everything to perfection! The greens aren't grassy at all and you can even put in the seeds! The Vitamix is a huge investment, but one I know I will make when I leave home. I usually eat a smoothie for breakfast and dinner. I eat a regular meal for lunch. You get all of your daily minerals and nutrients from these fresh fruits and vegetables. Its like a continual detox for your body. A book I read a year or so back hooked me on these "green" smoothies, its called The Beauty Detox Solution. The woman who wrote it is a celebrity Nutritionist, her name is Kimberly Snyder and she has an amazing blog here. Its all about the way you eat, and you eat for your beauty. What you put in your body radiates and shows on your skin! I know this because I am about to become a licensed Esthetician. You get out what you put in your body. There are countless recipes you can find online to eat for whatever condition you may have whether it be acne or joint problems. Your skin is your largest organ and usually if you have a skin problem, the root of it can be found on the inside or in your diet.

A question you may have is, "Since the smoothies are green, do they taste like grass??" NO!! They don't they taste amazing and you don't always have to put greens in them! The fruit you put in cuts out all of that green taste and it is just so refreshing! Down below, I show you a typical breakfast and dinner smoothie that I have daily. The best part about these smoothies is you can use what you have in them. I never follow a recipe, I just throw stuff in! It always ends up tasting amazing!


{ our vitamix here }


{ My breakfast smoothie: frozen strawberries, 1 banana, a dash of cinnamon, some almond milk, and cooked quinoa }


{ Blended strawberry perfection! }


{ Dinner smoothie: cup of pineapple (cubed), 5 or 6 carrots, kale/spinach mixture, 1 peach, 1 apple, 1/2 lemon, 3 large watermelon slices, and 2 tbsp. of ground flax (not shown) }



{ YUM! Look at all those colors! }


{ And there you have it, dinner! }


 This is the best way to get your daily dose of fruits and veggies, it's so easy to drink! Hope you enjoyed a snippet into my daily nutrition routine. If you all want to see more health/fitness posts let me know!

xx
e

Sunday, June 10, 2012

DIY: Overnight Hair Mask

Once a week I will do a really good deep conditioning mask on my hair. Since I only wash it once a week with a homemade concoction (another post to come), I like to do an overnight deep condition as well. I use this Dermorganic Masque Intensive Hair Repair. It has so many good, repairing ingredients in it. The argan oil  makes your hair especially soft and shiny! I love it! I got this huge pump bottle 50% off at TJ Maxx and it is going to last forever.

FULL hair care post here!


{ I divided my hair into 2 sections to make it easier to apply the masque. 
I started applying it about 2 inches from my roots }


{ Pin it up to hold it overnight }




{ no makeup!!!! haha }


I love the way this product smells, but remember you can use any treatment mask you want!
Have you tried doing an overnight treatment before? My full hair care routine here!

xx
e

Saturday, June 2, 2012

Summer Eco-Beauty Picks

Some of you may or may not know that I use only natural beauty products! A lot of people think that eco beauty products are boring or may not have as many choices as normal products, buuuuut that is so not true anymore! In recent years the organic beauty industry has grown rapidly and there are a lot more choices than there used to be. So here are some of my summer picks. What are some of your summer beauty picks?

Scotch Naturals nail polish.

RMS Beauty products.

Dr. Alkaitis Soothing Gel

Youngblood Mineral Tint

Youngblood Lip Gloss

Youngblood Mineral Radiance 

Coola Sunblock

Ilia Lip Care

xo
e