Sephora Haul

Picked up a few items two weeks ago at Sephora. One of my "second moms" works at a Sephora once or twice a month so she can get the discount. Brilliant. I ran into her and she gave me lots of suggestions. Excited to do more shopping with her in the future. 
SEPHORA COLLECTION Triple Action Cleansing Water

        Fleur de force (Youtube beauty guru) raves about this product.  It is supposed to be a "no rinse cleanser for delicate skin." I was excited to try it. It's 'ehh.' Not enough for me to return it to the store but not enough for me to say I love it. I use it really as a makeup remover step and then I cleanse my face. I also only use it at night. It definitely gets off the makeup, etc. but I can't quite accept the 'no rinse' idea. 

Ole Henriksen Truth Serum® Vitamin C Collagen Booster

       Big fan of Vitamin C serums. I am still a huge fan of the Philosophy Vitamin C powder. I use this at night since I use my Philosophy in the morning. I really like the formula and its skin brightening factors.

beautyblender the original beautyblender®

I had a beauty blender a few years ago. It was not the actual beauty blender, I think it was a sephora knockoff. I didn't like it, it held too much water and didn't blend like I thought it would. But years later, I decided to go for the actual blender, to help with cream contour, concealer, and highlighter. I am so glad I did! It has become a staple in my beauty routine. I need to get the little ones for travel! 

Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Alpha Beta® Peel Original Formula

I don't do face peels. My face is super sensitive and easily irritated. The minute it encounters a product it doesn't like, hello redness. So I was really nervous to try this product despite the rave reviews. However, in the checkout lane of Sephora, I was suckered in. 5 treatments for $16. I bought it. So damn glad I did. They are wonderful! Not irritating, my skin is smoother, and there is less hyper-pigmentation. It is super pricey- but I will be buying the 35 treatments for $88. This became an essential. 

Philosophy- hope in a jar samples- honestly so glad I got the samples. I was not impressed. Neither was my skin. Won't be buying it. I will stick with my Estee Lauder moisturizers.

Love Yourself Wednesday

When I first saw this music video, I was taking off my makeup at the end of a night out. Most nights I cringe at the pale face looking back in the mirror, noticing each mark, scar, or bump. We all have insecurities and moments when we feel like we are not good enough. I love when I hear beautiful songs like this, that remind me that it's ok to have those moments, but the good always needs to outweigh the bad feelings. I read a blog post once where they asked the readers to write down the things they liked about their looks and the things they didn't like. I remember looking down at that list and realizing that the things I didn't like were far more than the things I do like about myself. So I made an effort to change that through working out, self reflection, and building up my confidence in myself. So here is my list:

Things I don't like about myself: 

My thighs
My ankles
My feet
My breakouts

Things I like about myself:
My abs
My arms
My eyes
My scars- my birthmark scar, softball scars scattered
My smile
My lashes
My tattoo

The Citadel gave me a thick skin, especially being called any and every name in the book and every flaw being critiqued and criticized. On top of that, an ex, who made fun of the most intimate insecurities I have. The self doubt and fears that he vocalized took every ounce of confidence I had, and ripped it to shreds. But at the end of the day, its me looking in the mirror, flaws and all, but I'd rather be loved for my intelligence, my humor, morals, ethics, and integrity than my looks.... Love yourself. Accept yourself. Better yourself. Be you.

Be You. Be OK with You.

XOXO

Monday Morning Inspiration

 “I believe in intelligence. I believe in the ever-expansion of your mind through books, travel, and new experiences. I believe in having conversations with people who have a different point of view than yours and in staying current on world events. Of challenging yourself to set higher expectations and to dream bigger dreams. And I believe in health. In eating healthy, nourishing your body, and being good to your soul. I believe in exercising to add longevity to your life, to add strength to your mental and physical abilities, and to foster self-discipline. I believe in pull-ups, cardio, and strength-training. I believe in getting adequate amounts of sleep so that you are energized throughout the day. I believe in confidence and beauty in the form of a smile to a stranger, of a hand that reaches out to help without question or reservation. Kindness towards others, determination to succeed, and the courage to forgive; that is beauty. Our internal integrity, our ability to respond with grace, the gifting of our time, and the mark we leave on the world — that is the beauty that should define us.

I believe in beauty that is real.”

You Are So Much More Than What You Look Like -Jessica Jensen – Thought Catalog- Thursday July 3^rd, 2014