Friday Night Beauty

Many many months ago I started to do my nails on Friday nights..I'd wait until everyone was asleep, head downstairs with my nail bag, and give myself a mani/pedi while watching QVC.

From there, that little bit of "me time" has become an entire spa night that I call "Friday Night Beauty"...the name actually comes from the show I watch.

As soon as my son falls asleep, I start by taking off old polish, filing nails, giving my tired soles a good pumicing, and tweezing my eyebrows. Following, I give myself a Queen Helene Mint Julep Face Mask and then scrub my feet using Philosophy's Seniorita Margarita Foot Scrub. In the shower I like using the matching Seniorita Margarita 3in1 Shower Gel. As soon as I towel off I use the Fresh Sugar Lip Scrub to exfoliate my lips.

Once my comfy pjs are on I head downstairs, turn on QVC, and paint my nails while watching people talk about beauty products.

To many my age this might seem really boring...why would a 24 year old stay home on a Friday night? The thing is, after a stressful week this is exactly what I need to lift up my spirits.

I urge you to hold your own Friday Night Beauty some time and let me know how it makes you feel :)


As always, thank you for reading this and supporting my journey of self discovery.

Spotlight: Hands of Hope

My favorite hand cream that I've been using ever since fall has been Philosophy's Hands of Hope hand and cuticle cream.

Here are some reasons why I love it so much:
*Not Greasy
*My hands "drink" it in
*Keeps my skin soft
*Does not interfere with my perfume

At $10-$18 it is a little on the pricey side but I've noticed that I don't need to use as much anymore so for me it lasts a decent amount of time. I fully recommend you try it out!

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchage for a review. For mor information, please check out my Disclaimer.

First Impressions: BE Exfoliating Treatment Cleanser

*Photo courtesy of http://www.bareescentuals.com/

I received a sample of this product and finally tried it out last night. The benefits from the scrub are supposed to be similar to that of their foundation-if that is the case I think that'll be the perfect one-two punch. ...you can find the rest of the product information HERE

The powder has a nice, fresh scent and the consistency reminds me of cream of wheat. I used it as a mask and upon applying I really wasn't too sure about it because it didn't feel like anything but applying water to my face. I left it on for maybe 20 minutes and was actually pretty pleased with the results. I didn't expect a dramatic change to my skin since this was my first time using the product, however, my face felt as smooth as when I use my Philosophy Microdelivery Peel and did look a little brighter. The only downside I found was that my face felt a little tight.

This is definitely a product that I want to keep looking into. I would like to use this again as a mask and morning cleanser before I go shopping later this month. As much as I love my Philosophy (and I do!) I'm interested to see what these products can do to help my skin.

Note: I purchased these products with my own money. The opinions expressed in this post are those of my own. I have never accepted any kind of compensation in exchage for a review. For mor information, please check out my Disclaimer.

Check In time!!!! Bare Minerals

I thought it would be nice to have updates on products that were previously reviewed. There are so many times I hear about all these rave reviews on products that are first purchased...what happens with them over time? Right now I'm so excited because I have a lot of ideas for this!

In my opinion, there's no better way to start out than with an update on my Bare Minerals experience. I've been using it for almost a week and am loving every second. I was originally worried upon taking home the kit because I wasn't sure if I'd have the same results as I did in the store but it still looks great! I can't remember a time when my skin was 100% clear and lately it's been breaking out really bad. I never imagined I would actually come across a product that covers such as this. My skin looks even, clear, and has such a nice glow to it. The people I work with (and even my family) have been asking what I've been doing because my skin looks so good.

I've also noticed I haven't needed any touch-ups at all throughout the day. Usually at some point in the afternoon I have to fix something but this really lasts. I feel so confident and pretty as opposed to the embarrassment I've been feeling dealing with acne.

I've seen a difference in my skin after I take the makeup off as well. My face isn't as red and the breakouts have gotten a lot smaller. I'm hoping that overtime it'll continue to improve.

~Products I Use~

*SPF 15 Foundation in Golden Fair

*Warmth All Over Face Color

*Faux Tan

*Original Mineral Veil

My Winter Skin Care Routine

Between the cold weather and the dry heat, winter can be such a skin killer. The following is my daily/nightly routine:

Morning

I like to start off my day by using the Philosophy Microdelivery Wash. Basically, it's a very gentle daily exfoliating wash. It makes my skin feel so soft and really makes it glow! Following that I use Hope In A Jar (also from Philosophy). It's such a light lotion and without it I feel so naked.

Evening

My nightly routine depends on whether or not I've worn make-up that day (I try to go one day a week without anything on). If I have something on then I use Philosophy's Purity Made Simple. It's a non foaming wash that really melts away any kind of make-up. It's kind of like a 3-in-1 where it acts as a wash, lotion, and eye make-up remover. On make-up less days I use Philosophy's On A Clear Day foaming wash to clear up any breakouts I might have. It's very gentle and takes away any redness or irritation. With both I like to use a face brush that I found at Sephora.

After cleansing, I use a few drops of Philosophy's When Hope Is Not Enough 3-6-9 oil and the corresponding Replenishing Lotion. This is something I'm not sure if I'll continue once it gets warmer but for right now I'm really enjoying how smooth it makes my skin. Speaking of which, I don't just stop at my face, my last step is the When Hope Is Not Enough Neck Cream which has really tightened and toned my neck! That is a product that I will not stop using.

Extras

A couple other steps I do is a once a week mask using Queen Helene's Mint Julep which I absolutely love. It gives my skin a nice refreshing spa moment. I also use the Philosophy Micro Peel (usually on Sunday nights). It makes my face so super soft and has really helped to lighten any acne marks that I have.

I've learned that skin care is very important and I feel that if I can start now in prevention of aging than I'm going to do it! I did mention Philosophy but that's just because it's a brand I am very fond of (to put it lightly), that's not to say that's the only one to use. Every one's skin is different so I urge you to play around to find your own routine.