skincare

A FEW OF MY FAVORITE THINGS

These are some of my favorite things for summer! I am pretty low maintenance and ease is my #1 requirement for most things. Cuteness is my #2 🙂
Click item names for links:
I loooove this Loreal tinted lip balm in Rose Elixer. It is the prettiest pink, sheer, and slightly shiny. Just enough color for day and even a casual date night! 
I wear tinted moisturizer daily, and I love Laura Mercier’s because it has SPF in it! I’m bad about putting on sunscreen just to run out of the house for an errand, and when I put this on at least I know my face is covered. It also gives me just the right amount of coverage while looking completely natural. 
I wandered into American Eagle a couple weeks ago and was blown away by all the cute not-so-teen stuff! I got this fun swingy dress that works well as a swimsuit coverup or dress up for a date night! You guys seriously need to venture in. Just ask for the “non-booty shorts” like I did, and be pleasantly surprised. They have some pretty earring sets for $12 too. I walked out of there with a good haul!
Jenni and I are coveting these Let’s Playground mats HARD CORE. I have a fold up picnic blanket tote from Target, but I can’t find it online anywhere! So you can just drool all over this one. You’ve gotta check out their site- soooo cute! Easy clean up and cute patterns. 
These are my daily sandals. Cute, comfy and they zip up on the sides so they’re super easy to get on and off when you’re holding 50 things in your hands including a squirmy toddler! I’ve gotten so many compliments on these and everyone is surprised when I tell them they’re from Target! 
Spray, people. Spray. I don’t care so much that it’s all natural (which it is) or smells good (which it does). I care that it’s ridiculously easy to apply on the go and doesn’t drip off my kiddos’ hands onto their shirts. 
If you know me, you know I love me some backpacks. You’ve gotta have your arms free, ladies! I constantly have a child and tons of stuff in my arms while pushing a stroller, etc. Target has a million different colors, they’re all light (faux leather y’all), and they’re all around $30! So you wont care if sippy cups spill and make the mashed up crackers in the bottom of your bag congeal into a mystery substance. This served me so well in Disney and traveling for week in San Diego. 
I have super sensitive skin and this is the only shaving cream that doesn’t irritate my skin! Love it.
This turns my winter feet into summer feet if ya know what I’m sayin’. It makes my feet super soft and has aloe that feels so good on tired feet. Necessary for summer sandals! 
Again, spray is the easiest for squirmy kiddos! They actually don’t mind the spray and giggle when it “tickles” them! My kids and I all have sensitive skin, so CeraVe products are best for us, or so my dermatologist tells me! 
Any summer time favs we need to know about?
xo
-L

BEAUTY ESSENTIALS

{click on numbers below for links}
Hey friends!! I have been wanting to do a “beauty bag” post for a couple of weeks now. Something that some of you may not know about me is that I am a licensed esthetician in addition to my full-time mommy and part-time blogger duties. I don’t work in a spa or anything, but I love to take freelance jobs  doing make-up, waxing and talking to women about their skincare concerns. 
My little heartfelt testimony starts here….
I have struggled with my skin as long as I can remember. I have never been able to look in the mirror and see clear skin…..EVER! I am not being sarcastic or dramatic. This is all just real talk. I have just learned to deal with the fact that I don’t have a “poreless” face that tans and can go without make-up….even to the grocery store. It is THE. REASON I went into esthetics. Not only to help others, but to educate myself. { I am actually getting a little teary-eyed….what? } I have always said that working in the food/service industry makes you a better person on the other side. I feel the same way about acne as a teenager (or an adult). There was just nothing worse for me. 
 I have still not conquered my skin issues, but they are better than they used to be. I can’t drink a soda or use a dirty make-up brush without my skin letting you know that I did so. I can put on make-up and take a picture with the best of them. You would never know that I have acne scars, leftover pregnancy spots, or cyst like acne hiding underneath my makeup. My daughter is very good at picking out all of the “owies” on my face. It is always a highlight of my day 😉 This is not meant to be a downer post, however, with all of this information, you will understand how picky I am about my makeup products and exactly how important it is for me to achieve a NATURAL look without the clumpy mascara or cakey foundation. With that being said…. my make-up bag is full of products I believe it 100%. I would NEVER tell someone to use something that I would not use myself.
Lastly, most of my beauty buys are from the drugstore/Target. There are certain things that are worth the splurge, and then there are the inexpensive products that I believe are BETTER than the splurge. Quality is far more important than the cute label that you take pics of and post on your IG account. Yeah…..you know what I am talking about. 😉 Ok, I am done! Thanks for reading if you made it this far without skipping. 
Why I love these products so much:
1.  I love the anti-aging benefits of this concealer. It gives AMAZING coverage (reminiscent of the Laura Mercier concealer pot), but with a smooth, soft texture. It looks so incredibly natural I think.
2. LOVE. THIS. STUFF. BB creams have been extremely hard for me, because they either don’t cover enough, look too orangey, or wipe off on my husband’s shirt when I hug him. This so SO lightweight, but still evens out my skin tone. It smells lovely too. The BEST thing about this product is the fact that it DOES NOT sit in your wrinkles! YAY!!!!
3. Loving these colors for Spring! Turkish delight and Schiap. If you don’t wear bold lipstick, just try it. I PROMISE, it is not as bold to others as it looks to you. And for the love of Pete….don’t ask your husband. They just don’t seem to get the bright lip trend. Or maybe that is just mine!
4. Beauty balm is the way to go when removing eye make-up. This leaves your skin feeling sooooo soft without the oily feel. LOVE!!!
5. I just love this blush. I used it, left it, went back to it. It is just a beautiful color, and so natural looking. They have labels on the top to help you identify what shade works best for you. Cool or warm skin tone? LO’REAL has kind of taken over my make up bag. I use their face concealer as well.
6. Ok, I think this is my favorite product right now. I am obsessed with the twisting wand. I use one position for my top lashes, then click to another position for my bottom lashes. It. is. awesome!
7. This is my go-to powder. I am not a foundation kind of gal, but if it comes in powder form, yes please! There is also a new touch up veil broad spectrum pot that would be great for the summer if you don’t want as heavy of coverage.
-Jenni