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Hi Everyone,

I hope you're dealing with the yo-yoing weather well! It's been tough on me- not only physically (dry skin!), but mentally as well! Where's Spring?!

I wanted to share some of my current favorite products I've been using during this time to keep my skin and hair in good condition, and to make myself feel good! 

First Up... 

Moroccan Oil Body Souffle and Body Buff

I received these beauties as a gift from a dear friend, and let me tell you... I am in love! 

They are so gentle, and silky, they make you feel like you're getting salon treatments at home. Incredibly luxurious, these two combined are magic! 

image c/o beautycrazed.ca

You use the body buff as a gentle scrub to use while you're in the shower. It exfoliates and hydrates you as well! No more sugar and olive oil scrubs for this girl! I'm spoiled!

The body Souffle is step two of the hydration process. Very light, creamy consistency that hydrates the skin beautifully. 

Best part about these puppies? They are paraben free, and full of all kinds of antioxidants and derived oils to give your skin the best of the best! 

Body Souffle $52

Body Buff $42

Tarte LipSurgence Lip Tints

This product is genius. 

I love it. 

photo c/o makeuptemple.co.uk

I've been wearing these little beauties just about every day since I bought them on a Cyber Monday sale! 

They are a cross between a balm, stain and a gloss. They give a wash of color, hydrate, and are super lightweight. Some are matte, some are glossy. The color range is beautiful, and they are so easy to wear--Now you can throw on a little pop of color without the fuss of lipstick or stickiness of a gloss. 

Plus, Tarte is made in the USA and always formulates their products with some of the best ingredients, without Parabens, mineral oil, and gluten (to name a few!)

LipSurgence Lip Tint $24

Neuma Shampoo and Conditioner

My good friend Nevena of Custom Hair Lounge in Chicago suggested I try these, and boy do I see a change! My hair is lighter, more manageable, and looks great! 

photo c/o neumabeauty.com

My hair is fine, but I have a lot of it. It doesn't hold curl very well, and volume is never an option! 

I was using some sketchy shampoos in the past (I refuse to name names, partially because I'm ashamed!:)), and after learning more about my hair's current condition, I knew I needed a new regimen. 

Nevena suggested I try these shampoos and they have changed my hair's life! It is lighter, feels smoother, and is easier to style! 

Neuma Products prices may vary depending on where you purchase them. You can find the closest location HERE. 

Hope this opened your eyes to some great products out there! Let me know if you've tried them, or have some other favorite products you love. 

Winter Lip Care

Hi All,

So I've been noticing more and more with clients this season their struggle to keep their lips soft and supple. Many are dealing with chapped, dry, cracked lips. 

Here are some tips to prevent this from happening or to repair the damage. 

When the temperatures drop and the wind picks up (especially in the mid west!), it can become increasingly difficult to keep your lips moisturized. 

1. Don't lick your lips! 

Your saliva contains acids that help break down food which can irritate your lips' delicate skin. Licking your lips only adds to dehydration. 

2. Drink TONS of water!

I am very guilty of not drinking enough water this time of year. To help prevent dryness, it's important to stay hydrated from the inside--out! Make yourself drink 2 glasses upon waking up and going to bed. Making this a ritual will help with dehydration.

3. Apply Lip Balm at night.

You lose so much moisture at night! Especailly since most of us sleep with our mouths open (glamorous as it is), it's extremely drying. By applying a balm before bed, it helps to slow that process. When purchasing a lip balm, beware of ingredients such as, eucalyptus, menthol or camphor-- these can cause dryness or irritation. 

My favorite: 

          

Burts Bees Beeswax Lip Balm

With all natural ingredients that work, this balm tops the charts for me!

4. Exfoliation.

I preach about exfoliation often! It makes such a huge difference! There are a couple different ways to handle it, I'm splitting it into 2 parts. 

Part One: 

I am a big fan of home remedies, mostly because of sensitivities, but also because they work! If your lips are dry, but not cracked, you can give this trick a try once every week to two weeks. 

Take a little sugar with some oil (coconut, olive, etc), and create a paste. Take your finger and gently scrub this mixture in tiny circular motions on your lips. This helps to gently scrub off any dead skin, and the oil helps to moisturize. Once you finish, take a dry rag and wipe off the sugar, apply some balm and voila! soft supple lips! 

Part Two: 

Another exfoliation trick, that's a little more gentle and easy to do, is to take your toothbrush after brushing your teeth, and gently brush your lips. This helps stimulate blood flow and gently removes dead skin. This is something you can mindlessly do every day. 

If you are suffering from severe cracked, dry lips with pain or bleeding, you can seek out a medicated treatment to get them under control, and then try some of the above tips for upkeep. 

Hope this helps you as we slowly but surely make our way into spring with lots of bright lipsticks! 

Post NYE Beauty secrets

Yes yes, New Year's Eve is all about celebrating with friends and family, creating new resolutions to better yourself, blah blah blah..

For most of you it's a good excuse to drink loads of champagne and party like it's going out of style! I intend to partake in some celebrating myself :) 

In case some of you need to work the next day, or have a brunch date, or just need to leave the house-- Here are some helpful hints for that puffy, exhausted face :) 

Things to help the night before...

1. WASH YOUR FACE! 

No matter how tired you are, it is so important! Especially since more makeup is typically worn for the occasion (as stated in my previous blog post here), and you've been drinking, dancing, eating, and sweating, it is a bacterial haven! 

Last NYE, I came home at 4am and before I even looked at my bed, I headed straight to the washroom to wash my face of the evening! It'll make you feel so much better in the morning and save your skin!

2. Take some aspirin.

If you've had too much alcohol, it'll save your life (and your headache). If you have some advil PM, it'll help you get that extra beauty rest you need!

3. Wash that aspirin down with lots of water. 

When I come home and if I've had more alcohol than I intend, I try to drink a quart of water (4 glasses) before bed. The aspirin is a lifesaver in itself, but if you hydrate before bed, you wake up feeling SO much better! Not only that, your skin will thank you. 

Rise and Shine...

1. More water!

First thing's first, start your day with another big glass of water! Hydration is key to feeling and looking better. Coconut water is a great source of hydration as well. 

2. Cold Spoons. 

Notice some puffiness around your eyes? Place some cold spoons over them and relax for 10 minutes. Another trick to remember to do, the next time you have green tea, save the tea bags. Placing cold tea bags on your eyes will help with the swelling as well. Not to mention the helpful antioxidants and caffeine boost your skin gets!

3. Hydrate your skin.

How'd you know I was going to say that? 

After your cold spoon remedy (or splashing your face with cold water if you don't have puffiness), use a good moisturizer followed by an eye cream.

And remember, my best tip to distract from tired eyes-- LIPSTICK! Throw on a bright lip color and put on some shades! 

Hope this helps you post celebration! You want to start the New Year right! Practice good habits for 2013! 

Happy New Year everyone! 

xoxo Jen

Good Makeup starts with Good Skin...

Hello everyone! 

This is my first blog post.. ever! yay! And what a better way to start this series than to discuss winter skin care. 

Many people think makeup can cover anything... WRONG. Makeup does have some powerful capabilities to mask a  lot of problems, but to achieve that flawless look, you need to make sure you are taking good care of your skin (even if you were born with nice skin:) <--Those are the worst offenders!

Here in Chicago we have had a pretty mild winter, many would consider us lucky to have missed big snow storms and 0 degree days... But we've had a horrible winter for our skin. With all the back and forth of low temperatures to 50 degree days, snow, and then rain and then cold, dry, windy days! It's horrible! Our hands and faces are rebelling!

So here are some basics you should know to keep your skin glowing and healthy in the hardest of times: 

1. Most important: EXFOLIATE!

    

 *So many women I meet neglect this step and it's so important to do! I exfoliate all year long, usually once a week during the hotter months and up to 3 times a week during the cooler months. Exfoliating is important because it is a gentle scrub that sloughs off dead skin cells. If you neglect to do this, those skin cells continue to pile up and build, creating flakey skin that can be one of the hardest things to cover! 

Exfoliate once and you'll see an immediate difference!

     *Here are some home remedies for you to try if you haven't found an exfoliant you like yet: 

          -Baking soda and warm water

          - Sugar and lemon juice

      *Gently mix and apply with clean hands on your face in small circular motions for a few minutes, rinse and moisturize!

     *Here's another quick tip for your lips. It's important not to forget about them! You can easily run your exfoliant over your lips (they also sell lip exfoliants in beauty stores), or you can be sure to brush your lips with your toothbrush after brushing your teeth (which is what I do, cause it's easy to do and remember!). Be sure to apply lip balm when you're finished! xo

2. Second most important: MOISTURIZE!

     *Your skin needs moisture from the inside out to help eliminate dryness, wrinkles (yes wrinkles!), and to make your skin glow!

     *Drink plenty of water! Especially in these drier months, your body is begging for extra moisture.

     *Moisturize daily. I moisturize twice a day, first with a lightweight formula to wear under my makeup and then a night cream before bed. I also use an eye cream as well. Why do you need all these?! I'll break it down: 

     *Moisturizer: Obvious, your skin needs moisture! Even if you have oily skin and think you don't need it, YOU DO! Buy an oil free product and be sure to do it twice a day. Oily skin produces more oil (which leads to more break outs), because it is making up for a lack of moisture in the skin. So confusing but so true. Luckily for you, having oily skin leads to a youthful face as you get older :) 

    *Night Cream: Most people use a heavier, more concentrated cream on their faces at night because your body absorbs more of the nutrients while you're sleeping, AND it's generally calling for more moisture than during the day when you're running around!

     * Eye Cream: Your eyes don't have oil glands, therefore they don't produce any moisture/oil, which means they age first! Ever notice how crows feet and wrinkles usually pop up first?! So you need a specially formulated eye cream to fight that. Get something that's hydrating and anti aging (retinal) and apply once to two times daily. 

     *Hate putting chemicals on your face? 

There are plenty of natural choices to keep your skin hydrated: 

          -Coconut oil

          -Jojoba Oil

          - Maracuja Oil

*Do your research! Visit a dermatologist and find what's best for you! 

If you take these two steps you can apply them all over your body.. Your hands, feet, legs, back, etc. 

So get to it! Good makeup starts with excellent skin care! Enjoy your day! 

xoxo Jen