Self-Care and My Favorite Products!

If you have been to my house and stepped foot into my bathroom, you have seen the mess that lives on the counter tops. From facial cleansers to face masks and everything in between, I love it all! I have purchased so many face washes, cleansers, and moisturizers to finally have a favorite that makes my skin happy and it makes me happy. If you are looking for a few new body care products to try out, check out my favorites below!

· F A C E ·

My favorite cleanser is the Avon Anew Ultimate 7S cleaner. I use it in the morning and at night and it makes my skin feel so amazing. It also is supposed to help with removing makeup, but I use it after I use makeup wipes. I have noticed that it takes off whatever is left, though, so that’s a bonus! It smells great, too! Since it feels light, I’ll use it when I get home from shopping or spending the day outside and it gives my face a renewed feeling. I totally recommend getting this cleanser if you are looking for a new one!

Since about two years to a year and a half ago, my face broke out with blackheads and pimples that never seemed to go away no matter what special acne products I would use. It would die down a little but then explode once again when that time of the month came around. Around four months ago, I had a coupon for any Bioré® face wash and I picked out the Baking Soda Pore Cleanser. I was really skeptical because I tried a lot of different baking soda DIYs for clear skin and they never seemed to work. I decided to give it a week straight of using this cleanser in the morning when I woke up and before I went to bed at night. Let me tell you, this stuff is amazing! It cleared up my skin and I have been able to keep breakouts under control with it. When my acne will flare up, I’ll start using this wash and then everything is fine a few days later. I would also use Clearasil acne pads and that also helped combat my acne. The wash by itself works, so you don’t have to double up like I did. The Bioré® wash is around $6 and for the amount of product you get, it is totally worth it!

One word: Aveeno®. Their Positively Radiant skin care line is amazing! I’ve used their Positively Radiant face wash and In-Shower 60 second mask before and wowza! My skin looks so radiant (wow, no kidding) and dewy after I use either of them. The face wash smells wonderful and foams up a little bit when you rub it on your face. My face feels clean and looks glowing after I use those two products and it is worth every penny.

The best face mask that I have tried has got to be the Danielle Creations® Rejuvinating Eucalyptus Sheet Mask. I mentioned this product and a few others in my previous post, so you may have seen it there. The masks came in a pack of 5 for $5 at Ross, so I couldn’t pass it up! I’ve used a few of the masks since I bought it and I am in love! It’s cooling, refreshing, and totally wonderful! I don’t know of any other places where you can buy them besides Ross and have such a deal, but it wouldn’t hurt to look around. If you find these while you are shopping, buy them! You won’t regret it!

On to moisturizers!

My favorite moisturizer to use is Pond’s® Anti-Wrinkle Cream. It feels great and I honestly love the way it smells. When I purchased it, my allergies were so bad that I couldn’t smelly anything but my friend said that it smelled like something a grandmother would wear. Quite frankly, I didn’t care because all I wanted was a new moisturizer that would make my skin feels soft and fresh. Ladies and Gents, this is the best moisturizer that I have encountered. It has a baby powder scent to it but I really like it. Maybe your grandmother actually uses this but hey, she knows that this stuff is gold. Not only are you moisturizing your face but you are helping with wrinkles! Two for one! I bought a 1.75 ounce jar and it was under $2, so if you just want to try it out, go for a small travel size.

I know I talked about this product in my last post also, but I am bringing it back! The Burt’s Bees® Sensitive Eye Cream with Cotton Extract is amazing! I use it after I wash my face and my eyes feel so much better. It is supposed to help reduce the look of puffiness and I am pretty sure it does. My eyes don’t feel puffy anymore, so even if it doesn’t look better, they feel better and that is all that matters to me. I bought mine on clearance at Walmart for $1.50 and I regret not buying the other few that they had. Once I run out of this one, I will definitely buy another one!

I like having soft lips at all times and when they get dry, it’s time for exfoliation and lip balm! The best exfoliator that I have used is the E.L.F.® mint sugar scrub. It comes in a lipstick tube and you just rub it on your lips and then wipe off. Any dry skin is gone and my lips feel so much better. Put on some lip balm and you are good to go!

White teeth have become something that everyone is dying to get and will spend hundreds to obtain. I tried for a long time to get white teeth that would pass the coveted “tissue test” and I would never pass. I didn’t care what the product was, honestly, as long as my teeth were white and shiny. After trying out so many different rinses, tooth pastes, and whitening gels, I gave up. My teeth were never awful, but I wanted white teeth. Since using all of those products, my teeth have gotten lighter. The only thing that I am using right now is the Colgate Optic White® tooth paste. It has worked and I am happy with the results. My tip: make sure that whatever you are using is safe for your teeth. You can destroy your enamel by using products that are harsh on your mouth. This tooth paste is anti-cavity also. I regret trying out so many different whitening products, so learn from me! Don’t go crazy! Just be happy with the teeth you have and if you want to whiten them, do your research!

· B O D Y ·

I love lotion. It is as simple as that. After buying enough at Bath and Body Works to be a partner in the company, I should stop buying lotion, period. But does that stop me? Heck. No. I still buy lotion and even though I know I should use what I have, a bottle of lotiony goodness still ends up in my shopping cart. Even with all of the fragrant lotions that I love, I find that going back to the basics isn’t always a bad thing. Sometimes you just need a bottle of Cocoa Butter to get you through the day!

Cocoa Butter is heaven in a bottle! If you have dry skin, use cocoa butter! If you are trying to get baby soft skin, use cocoa butter. Did you just shave your legs and don’t want ashy skin? Cocoa Butter! It is a staple product that you need in your life! It smells so good! Cocoa Butter is pretty affordable so go to your store and buy one! I use the Equate® brand (Walmart’s generic) and it was under $3, I’m pretty sure. It’s worth it! Buy it! Your skin will thank you!

Olay! No, not that “olé”. The brand Olay®! (Yes, that was so lame. No, I do not regret it at all. Hehehe!) Olay® has some of the best body washes that I have ever used! They smell amazing and they are moisturizing! Right now I am using the Birch Water and Lavender body wash and I am in love with it! It smells fresh and clean, but it has a slight perfume hint to it. It isn’t overwhelming, though, so that is one of the reasons why I love it! I paid about $4 for a really tall bottle of it and they last a really long time, so it’s worth it!

I just recently discovered vitamin E oil and I’m sad that I didn’t find it sooner. There are so many things that you can do with it! I used it on my feet to see if it would be the moisturizing healer that I heard it would be and wow, it worked. It didn’t give me baby soft feet like lotion does, but it seemed to absorb deep into my skin so my feet didn’t feel dry anymore. I think if you put on the oil then pumice your feet after the oil has soaked in, your feet would be like brand new. I’m trying that method soon and I hope it works out how I think it will!

Perfume can be a wonderful thing if used in the right amount. You don’t need to shower in it! I think a lot of people still need to learn that a little can go a long way when it comes to perfume. Please don’t wear half of the bottle in one go. You will choke out every single person that you pass. You could have the best perfume in the entire world, but if you use too much of it, you just ruined it. Believe me, I understand. Tip: rub a little Vaseline® on your wrists and then spray perfume on it. The fragrance will stay longer and absorb better.

My favorite perfume in the entire world is Coach. It is my signature scent and I am sad that I am out of it. I was given a sample of it when I was shopping at Ulta and I made that tiny tube of perfume last for as long as I could. It’s so feminine and it makes me feel pretty and put together. For some odd reason it is kind of like aromatherapy for me. The smell of that one perfume makes my stress go away and I feel calmer. I have no clue why, but it does! The next time you are in Ulta, JC Penny, or another store that has a large perfume selection, test out this perfume!