Later Post - NOTWs

Reviews on these polishes in upcoming posts! OPI Liquid Sand polishes from the Mariah Carey Collection in 'Can't Let Go' and 'Stay The Night,' Jindie Nails 'Candy Land Remix,' and Julep 'Morgan.'

Current eye cream - Bliss Fabulous Everyday Eye Cream

This has been my holy grail eye cream for the last 2 years.  It really does it job in keeping my peepers hydrated without feeling heavy or sticky.  I dab this on in the morning and evening under my eyes and all over my eyelid.  I haven't had any bad reactions with this eye cream that have aggravated my eczema.  Overall, this will probably remain in my routine until I feel the need for something geared more towards mature skin.  Oh getting older

From Nordstrom.com
There won't be a dry eye in the house with this lightweight 'everything' eye cream, which locks in moisture, provides antioxidant protection with grapeseed oil and vitamin E, defeats dark circles with eye-brightening powders and gives puff the rebuff.

From Sephora.com

What it is:
A do-it-all, super hydrating eye cream.

What it is formulated to do:
This lightweight formula keeps eyes nourished and protected with antioxidants, and helps lock in moisture for a dewy glow. Micronized eye-illuminating powders help keep eyes looking brilliant and bright, diminishing the appearance of minor imperfections. Plus, with regular use it will help brighten dark circles and lessen the look of fine lines and crow's feet. Talk about getting the most bang for your buck!

What it is formulated WITHOUT:
- Parabens
- Sulfates
- Synthetic Fragrances
- Synthetic Dyes
- Phthalates
- GMOs
- Triclosan

Pros: -Lightweight formula

        -Does not have harmful ingredients

        -Squeeze tube, you can get every last bit out!

Cons:  The price is a bit steep for 0.5 oz, but you only need a small amount and 1 tube lasts for about 4-5 months on average.  

Cost: $30 @ Nordstrom or Sephora

Would I recommend this to a friend:  YES!  

Older pic - Konad nails & HK pj pants! Haha!

Vitacost - Organic Skin Care Order

Placed an order for organic skin care from Vitacost.  Looking forward to reviewing each item and hopefully finding some natural options that will be a regular part of my routine.  Have you tried any of these products?  

Safe Cosmetics - what we really put on.

Do we really know what ingredients are put in our cosmetics? I'm really thinking about the products I currently have and the levels of toxicity from chemicals I am really exposed to. A conversation with a friend yesterday made me think about my collection and what I should really keep and what I should toss. I have found a cosmetics database EWG's Skin Deep Database, currently being updated, and am looking forward to finding out if certain products are safe or not. Will definitely have more on this subject in future posts and hopefully rid of all the toxic cosmetics in my collection!

Here is an awesome guide you can print out and keep on hand when shopping!  I will definitely be keeping this info on me.

EWG's Quick Tips for Safer Cosmetics

Here are some interesting reads.  I'll try to find more independent studies, but these are some that I pulled from online.  I would like to find more information that is gathered from organizations that are not tied to a government agency.  Let me know if you have any info to share or links that may be helpful!

The Campaign for Safe Cosmetics

Lead in lipsticks: Which brands are the worst offenders?

Lipstick and Lead: Questions and Answers

NOTW: Glitter, gelly sandwich! #babydanger #nailsfornenix

Friday night in, watching documentaries on Netflix & doing my nails. Playing around with my Gel Haute Polish kit (review soon!) and used a few of my regular polishes with the gel base and top coat. I like changing my polish after a week, but maybe I'll try to keep this combination on for a bit longer.

Base: 1 coat Gel Haute Polish Gel Base

Color: 2 coats OPI My Private Jet, Zoya Nova

Top Coat: 2 coats Gel Haute Polish Top Coat

I'll be doing purple nails for awhile. A small reminder of the big fight against leukemia by a girl named Phoenix. A few weeks ago, she physically left this world and one of her requests was that people paint their nails purple. While I did not know her personally, her life will leave a lasting impression on my heart. For you baby girl...
#babydanger #nailsfornenix

http://loveforphoenix.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/nails-for-nenix-2/

HG: Body Lotion - Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion

While I haven't totally given up my perfumed lotions, I needed something better for my skin that held in moisture. I have noticed patches of eczema on my arms lately and using scented items has a tendency to make those areas irritated. I have found my current holy grail body lotion - Aveeno Active Naturals! The 2 pack at Costco for $16 is a plus too. My skin retains a nice, supple feel and the patches of eczema have calmed down. Another plus to his lotion is that it is paraben free! Definitely trying to make a more conscious effort to buying healthier skin care products that are budget friendly.

Test Run - Goal: Longer Nails!

Trying this duo in attempt to grow some longer tips!

I have weak nails that peel. I usually just keep them super short, but have been wanting them longer. I'll give this a shot for a month and report back my findings. *crosses gingers*

Giving your nails a break!

I looooove doing my nails.  It is a weekly therapy, but in the last couple months I noticed that every single nail was peeling.  :(  I decided to give my polishing habit a break for almost a month and they are looking much better.  Still keeping them short, but now only 1 nail is peeling.  Just read an article on TotalBeauty.com that had some good tips, including using better products for your nails (a better base coat & safer products) and taking a break.

Is Your Manicure Ruining Your Nails?

Baby Lips - not so much

I was really hoping to love this product and have read so many great reviews, but this just didn't do it for me.  :(  I'm always on the lookout for new, good balms for my lips, but was sadly disappointed that this didn't work out.  This felt greasy on my lips and I felt like I had to keep reapplying it in order for my lips to feel moisturized.  Also, it felt like my lips were peeling, like it wasn't moisturizing enough and often left a gritty feeling across my lips.  Instead of keeping this as my go-to product in my purse, its in my just in case stash at work. 

From the website:

Why You'll Love It

No more basic lip balm:
• Visibly renewed lips and 8-hr hydration
• The secret: Exclusive lip renew formula with SPF 20
• Protects and moisturizes lips for a full 8 hours
• After 4 weeks, lips are visibly renewed and reborn
• 6 varieties

For Best Results

Apply your lipcolor by starting in the center of your upper lip. Work from the center to the outer edges of your lip, following the contours of your mouth. Then glide across the entire bottom lip.

Pros:
-Affordable - $2.50 at Wal-mart
-Cute packaging - love the colors!
-Great scent

Cons:
-Didn't work for me :(
-Packaging is cheap - I can forsee the cap cracking. Would be nice to just have this in the usual lip balm package

Would I recommend to a friend
No based off it not working for me. 

 

Things I am glad I gave up...

for better beauty and overall health! Sometimes with age, comes knowledge. Thankfully this has been true for me in the last 3 years and am happy that these changes have stuck around. You get to where you want to be by planning and following through with necessary action.

#1 Quit smoking
That is a no brainier. I went from being a pack a week, sometimes more, to a social smoker and now to none at all. Celebrating my first year smoke-free! Not only do I feel awesome, my skin looks great.

#2 Stop fake 'n baking
If I do tan, it's in the sun with SPF. I still need to bring that down to a minimum. There are few people that look naturally tan after using a tanning bed. Orange is not tan ladies/gents. Plus why would you want to make your skin look leathery? Take a good look at the skin on your face and chest next time you tan. I think of the tanning bed as an oven "setting" everything in.

#Binge drinking & partying
Just don't see the purpose unless it's a celebration. Why put so much sh*t in your body? Every now and then is cool, but I keep the drinks to a minimum, cut out the other stuff and have fun being in more control. I don't want to be a sloppy 30something at the club/bar/lounge. Hot mess is not nice. I've learned that I'm not invincible and the choices I make can have serious & lasting consequences.