Beauty

  • Beauty, Holiday, Sponsored

    How I Achieve My Holiday Glow

     This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #HolidayGlow #CollectiveBias

    how-to-holiday-glow

    [Tweet “Here’s how to get #HolidayGlow @Costco no beauty store trip required! “]

    So it’s the holidays and between moving the elf, Santa, and wrapping gifts my bedtime is moving further and further back. If you’ve been reading this blog for a while now, you would know that I strive to go to bed at a reasonable hour so I’m not too happy about these late nights and early mornings but anything for the kids right? Anyway, besides doing everything to make the season magical for my little ones I like to have a little holiday glow when I reconnect with old friends and family to celebrate the season. Now, that I am 6 years into this mommy life, I have a few tricks to achieve that glow. I wanted to share them with you because we’re in this thing together. So here is how I achieve my holiday glow, feel free to do as I do:

    1. Prepare your skin with a face mask

    My very first step to glowing holiday skin is to prep my skin for awesomeness. I like to mix some coconut oil and castor oil and apply it to my skin for about 15 minutes. I have very oily skin naturally and this combination is perfect for my oily skin. I know it seems counter-intuitive to add oils to oily skin, but it’s actually very effective at balancing the oiliness. I use a warm face towel to wipe the oils off of my skin.

    2. Wash face with a gentle brush.

    Next I wash my face with a gentle brush, I’ve found that this always makes my skin smooth. I’ve been using an Olay brush that I like to joke Oprah gave me (I received it in a goodie bag at her Life You Want Tour).

    3. Rinse with Cold Water

    I’ve been practicing this for almost 15 years! The advantages of rinsing my skin with cold water are that it closes up my pores as well as stimulates my blood vessels.

    4. Shape your eyebrows

    My next step is to use my tweezer to remove any wild eyebrow hairs. I usually get my eyebrows professionally threaded every two weeks, but I’m still guaranteed to have a few wild strands. If you shape your eyebrows yourself, remember to follow the arch of your brow bone so it looks natural and frames your face well.

    5. Moisturize with Olay Total Effects

    oilofolay-fresheffects

    I use a pea size of Olay Total Effects and tap it into my air-dried skin to ensure that it’s moisturized. I really love this moisturizer because it is very hydrating which is great for the cool holiday weather. Although it moisturizes my skin well it isn’t heavy which is perfect for wearing under makeup. Olay Total Effects is perfect for a busy mom like me because it’s 7-in-1 and anti-aging. Now, that I am in my thirties I like a little sunscreen and anti-aging properties in my moisturizer.

    oilofolaytotaleffects

    I purchased the large size at Costco for almost the same price as the smaller sizes at drug stores. Purchasing Olay Total Effects at Costco is definitely a good bargain if you want to treat yourself this season. I know you don’t think of Costco for beauty products, but they actually have some really legit deals.

    6. Apply a primer of choice

    Next I apply my primer, I don’t use primer on a daily basis, but I always do so for special occasions like the holidays because it makes my makeup appear much smoother and helps it to stay on longer.

    7. Apply Concealer

    Next, I apply every mom’s bestie — concealer. I use a concealer that’s a shade lighter than my foundation to brighten the area around my eyes.

    8. Foundation and Powder

    holidayglow

    Next is what I consider the most important step for a beautiful complexion. I use a blending sponge to apply my foundation and to blend my concealer in with it. This takes a while to blend out all the harsh lines. Once you’ve blended it in beautifully it’s time to set your foundation using a setting powder.

    9. White Liner

    white-liner

    One of my secrets for looking radiant after long nights is to line my waterline with a white eyeliner. This makes the whites of my eyes appear whiter.
    10. Winged liner and mascara
    I love a winged liner, it’s my go to look so I went for it using a liquid black liner to accentuate my eyes. After adding the winged liner, I applied my mascara.
    11. Highlighter
    I rarely wear blush lately, but I am a tad bit obsessed with highlighter, I’ve been using one with a golden tone which is just perfect for my dark complexion. I just love how it illuminates my skin. I use a little along my cheekbones, the center of my chin and my forehead.
    12. Lipcolor
    Next, I add my lip color of choice. Lately, it’s this beautiful shade of pink. I love how bright and fun it is.

    crest-whitening-strips

    13. Whiten teeth

    Here’s the icing on the cake for my holiday glow, Crest 3D White Strips Combo Pack. I wouldn’t have a holiday glow without a little teeth whitening. I purchased this combo pack from Costco and cheated with the 1-hour express whitening strips. They’re also perfect for us moms because we can get results even if we only remember a few hours prior to an event we have enough time to use the 1-hour express strips. Just like the Olay Total Effects moisturizer this was a Costco purchase at a fantastic price.

    crest-32-costcoAnyway, this is how I achieve a holiday glow to look and feel my best during the season to be jolly. I hope you got some ideas on how you could do the same too.

    What are your beauty tips for glowing holiday skin?

  • Beauty, Motherhood

    Coconut Oil Uses For Mom and Baby

    Okay, this may be the most random way to begin a post but I LOVE coconut oil! Within the last few weeks, that feeling has become increasingly stronger. I don’t want to weird you guys out too much, but I’m just a tad bit obsessed.  Now, I’m confused as to why more people don’t love coconut oil as much as I do. I mean it’s like a miracle oil, good for just about everything. So, I’m going to volunteer to be on the coconut oil PR team because I really don’t want to keep all the secrets to myself. I just ask one favor, don’t go buying all the jars off the shelves now. Leave me a few 😉

    Since most of us here are moms, I figure I would get through to you by sharing coconut oil uses not just for yourself but also for your babies. So here we go!

     

    For Mom

    Let’s start with you. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you wouldn’t be able to take care of your baby. Coconut oil would soon be your bestie in this parenting life. Here’s why:

    Moisturizer Mix

    You know it’s getting cold around these parts and this is the time to up your moisturizer game. If you’re familiar with this New York City coldness you know that I can easily look like a crocodile if I don’t moisturize right so I always have some coconut oil mixed with shea butter on deck. The trick that’s worked like a charm for my skin is to allow my skin to air dry when I get out of the shower and then apply my little mixture. I really love the way it makes my skin feel and I really like using it at night before heading to bed.

    Nail Care

    Recently, I started using coconut oil to treat my nails. Listen, I am not proud to admit this, but my nails  were screaming out for some loving. Truth be told, my nails are usually the first thing that I  neglect when I get busy or feel overwhelmed.  I’ve been massaging my nails and cuticles with coconut oil daily for a few weeks now and they are definitely looking a whole lot bit better, thank you. I am hoping that this coconut oil treatment will make them as strong as I’ve heard it does. I will definitely post an update.

    Pre-shampoo treatment (Pre-poo)

    One of my tried and true methods of maintaining healthy and shiny hair is by doing a pre-shampoo treatment aka pre-poo regularly. For my pre-poo treatment, I apply coconut oil to my hair before using shampoo. By doing this, I add additional moisture to my hair before using products that would more likely strip my hair of it’s natural oils.

    Face mask

    I must admit that I’ve slacked off on using coconut oil on my skin. If you’ve been paying close attention to my photos you may have noticed that I have more acne than usual lately *tears* and I think this is one of the reasons. I like mixing coconut oil with castor oil and applying it to my skin. I usually leave it for a few minutes covering my face with a hot towel. Next I use the towel to wipe off all of the oil and then rinse it out. This always leaves my skin feeling clean and supple without that stripped feeling.

    Aftershave/wax

    If your hair removal regimen includes shaving or waxing, you can use coconut oil for after care. Since it’s natural, you don’t have to worry about using it on sensitive areas on your bikini line or armpits. I’ve noticed less ingrown hairs since I switched to coconut oil.

    Coconut and coconut oil on wooden table

    For Baby

    Now, that you’re feeling a bit better about yourself. Here are a few ways to use coconut oil for baby.

    Bath Water

    When my kids were babies I always made sure to add a tiny bit of coconut oil to their bath water. This always left their skin smooth and beautiful

    Cradle Cap

    Coconut oil works wonders for cradle cap, I’ve shared before how I got rid of my daughter’s cradle cap using coconut oil. Here is the post with exactly what I did.

    Massage

    A great way to calm down a cranky baby is with a massage. I used coconut oil to massage my kids when they were babies and they always helped them to relax.

     

    These are some of my favorite ways to use coconut oil in my home for myself and by babies.

     

    How do you use coconut oil?

     

     

     

  • Beauty

    5 Gym Bag Essentials for Men

    This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MySignatureMove #CollectiveBias

    gym bag essentials

    Recently, Mr. Rattles joined the gym because for the first time in his adult life he gained a few pounds. I told him it goes with fatherhood but he got scared enough to start an early morning routine before he heads to work. Here’s the thing, he’s a super clean guy known for taking really long showers but early morning workouts means he has to use their shower. He’s not a big fan of using their shower so in an effort to keep him motivated (and selfishly to motivate myself) I started to help by packing his gym bag at night so he can grab his bag and go in the morning.

    [Tweet “Put a smile on hubby’s face by packing these 5 gym bag essentials #MySignatureMove “]

    There are the 5 things that I always ensure is in his gym bag:

    Irish-spring-signature

     

    1. Face Towel

    what-to-pack-man-gym

    Sure, the gym supplies fresh towels but if your guy has sensitive skin or shaves you may want to pack him a face towel from home. I wash our face towels with mild detergent to keep possible breakouts or skin reactions at bay. Most gyms use laundry services that use detergents with harsh ingredients to remove stains etc.

    2. Soap

    irish-spring-signature-gym-bag

    Although the gym provides soap Mr. Rattles is a total germaphobe and particularly grossed out by the idea of using a bar of soap that a stranger also used (It grosses me out too). So I always pack his own body wash and bar soaps. Currently, he’s using Irish Spring Signature Body Wash  which is 3-in-1 so he get’s to shampoo, shower and wash his face with it. This is very convenient as he doesn’t have to walk around with 3 products. He also uses the  I purchased them at Walmart since he loves Irish Spring and I thought it would be fun for him to try something new.

    irish-spring-signature-walmart

    He’s been using the original Irish Spring since high school. On days when his skin feels rough and needs exfoliating he uses the Exfoliating Scrub bar soap. On colder days, he uses the hydrating soap which is made with Shea butter to give his skin some moisture in the shower. I’ve been tempted to use this soap as I love Shea butter.

    Irish Spring Signature Men

    If you plan to purchase two of the new Irish Spring Signature products from Walmart I have news for you. You can get $5 VUDU credit! Just simply take a picture of your receipt and then upload to  Irish Spring Rewards here . Next step, enjoy watching with your hunny!”

    3. Water Bottle

    The first few weeks at the gym, he bought water because he didn’t have a water bottle. Can you believe that? Who doesn’t have a water bottle. Anyway, we fixed that and he now have a water bottle that I fill with filtered water from our home.

    4. Protein Bar

    gym-essentials-men

    My fella heads to the gym early in the morning before whipping up breakfast. It’s important that he gets some nourishment to fuel his workout. He loves protein bars so I always ensure that there are protein bars in his gym bag that he can have.

    5. Music and Headphones

    Last but definitely least, a good gym playlist will power your guy through his workout which is necessary when you’re working out while the world sleeps. Mr. Rattles loves hip hop so he made a workout playlist with some sick beats to get himself pumped every morning .  I usually charge his phone next to his gym bag so he wouldn’t forget it.

     

    What’s in your hubby’s gym bag?