Ok, so I know this is a food blog and that’s why you all follow me here but I have always been obsessed with beauty and hair products and try out different ones as often as I can. I sometimes have a hard time keeping an allegiance to a certain product because I always want to try the newest thing but I do have some good ‘ole standby’s that never let me down and some new favorites. I follow many other food bloggers that love to share their favorite things so I thought, hey if those super popular ladies can get away with it maybe I can too!?! So, here is a list of things I love in the beauty department. As I try new products throughout the year, I will let you guys know what I am loving. Don’t be mad about the missing food, I’ll make it up to you!
Smashbox Color Correcting Foundation Primer. For a long time, I kept hearing all this fuss about foundation primers. I ignored it. Until an Ulta opened where we used to live and I asked them about it. They sold me on it and I’ve never looked back. It’s amazing how much of a difference it makes. Any visible pores disappear and it totally smooths your face for your foundation of choice. I use the color correcting because I have some redness across my cheekbones and nose.
Urban Decay Tinted Moisturizer in Halo. I was using Smashbox for quite awhile but after another trip to Ulta and more assistance from one of their consultants, we realized that the lightest shade was a little too dark for me. Pale much? She recommended Urban Defense since their shades went lighter. I like it just as much, if not more. I’m blessed to have pretty clear skin so a tinted moisturizer works well for me and is super easy to apply. Nice for busy mama’s.
Essie Nail Polish. I am usually a slave to O.P.I. but I decided to give Essie a try and I love it just as much. I recently bought Mojito Madness and as the title of this post gives away, I am totally obsessed with it. I also picked up Set in Stones on a recent Target run so I will be rocking that on my ring fingers with Mojito Madness on the rest. I thought I needed a little glam and sparkle for the city of sin.
I am in love with Naples Soap Co. shampoo and conditioner bars as well as their sea salt soap bars. We stumbled across this company when we were visiting Naples, FL last summer and I was immediately drawn in because of a huge sign stating their all-natural products are wonderful for psoriasis and eczema. I have psoriasis and Noah has eczema so I am always looking for natural products for our sensitive, dry, finicky skin. I no longer have to use prescription creams to clear my psoriasis but rather, just the bar soap. I use it on a daily basis and it keeps my skin clear (disclaimer: my psoriasis is mild). If we go on a trip or visit family and I forget to pack it, I notice right away and it starts to come back so this is a major must have for me. My favorite scents so far are Orange Blossom, Fresh Coconut and Pineapple Cilantro.
Their shampoo and conditioner bars make my hair so soft and silky smooth. I had never used bars before so I wasn’t sure how I would like them but I am totally hooked. And the scents are amazing. I love, love, love Coconut Almond, Florida Fresh and Sunkissed. My hair smells good for hours after showering which isn’t so with other shampoos/conditioners.
Facial cleansing towelettes are something that I use every night but I have never been loyal to a certain brand. Pretty much every time I go to the store, I grab a different kind to try out. That’s what happened when I was walking through the natural beauty aisle of Target and found these Pacifica Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes. I absolutely love anything scented coconut so they immediately grabbed my attention. I smelled the package (then hoped nobody was watching) and instantly threw them in the cart. I didn’t care if they didn’t work, I could just sniff them and be happy. Anyway…because I have dry, sensitive skin I always try to use products that use natural ingredients and these are sulfate-free and paraban-free plus, they are biodegradable and cruelty-free. Can’t really go wrong with a product like that. They remove make-up, leave my skin feeling soft and smooth and they smell a-mazing. I now have a loyalty.
When it comes to lips, I am a pretty plain Jane kind of girl. If I’m doing something really fancy, I’ll throw on some gloss but otherwise I stick with my Burt Bee’s. If my lips are chapped, I like their classic beeswax lip balm but when I want a little shine and yummy flavor I like the mango butter version. I decided recently that maybe I should be a bit of a grown up and try a lipstick or something. Well, I only got so far as Revlon Lip Butter Balm and I love it! It’s moisturizing but gives pretty, punchy color to your pout. After a lot of consideration I decided to be brave and go for Tutti Frutti which is kind of an orangey coral color. I’m glad I took the risk because it adds a nice pop of color when the rest of my make-up is kept neutral.
My next favorite beauty product is actually intended for babies. I bought this Shea Moisture lotion for Noah because it’s raw, organic and has the most delicious smell ever. It made his skin so soft and yummy smelling that I started using it on myself as well. What makes the scent so wonderful? Shea, chamomile, argon oil, frankincense and myrrh. Interesting, right? Shea Moisture has a huge line of products but I have to admit I have only bought the baby products.
While we are talking about lotions, I really like Burt Bee’s Intense Hydration Night Cream. It’s super thick and you only have to use a little bit to get great, moisturizing results. I wake up to super soft skin and the clary sage scent is just dreamy. And I’m on the hunt for a good daily moisturizer for dry skin that doesn’t take like a hundred years to soak in before applying makeup so if you guys have any suggestions, lay ’em on me.
I recently got my long, stringy hair cut into a really cute shoulder length bob. It’s crazy how much volume a cut along can add. But, alas, my hair is still pretty darn thin and lifeless. I picked up this Root Boost Spray by Organix and so far it does a really great job of giving my hair the needed umph. I love that you can spray it on throughout the day when you need some extra boost. And once again, the smell of this product is great.
I’m also in need of a good pressed powder and concealer. I have to admit I have never used concealer before and if you saw the constant dark circles under my eyes you would really question why this has never been in my arsenal. I wonder why on a daily basis but it’s just something I’ve never tried. So, let me know which ones you guys like.
Alright folks, that’s all I’ve got for now. I’m thinking my next Obsessed post may be about one of my favorite things ever…kitchen gadgets.
