I love nails

Yeah, I am a nail addict….trying to perfect the perfect manicure is a ritual for me every other day. I noticed my nails do the best in the buff…no chemicals just buffing, but I can’t lie, I get nail envy when I see someone with a sweet color with high shine on their nails. I went to get a pedi with babe today for our 10 year anniversary and the nail tech asked if I wanted a manicure. As much as I wanted to say yes, I knew I could do the same thing for a fraction of the price at home. I picked a shade that my baby girl picked out “mommy, kerry perry (katy perry) would wear this”. It’s by O.P.I and it’s called “DS Magic”….homage to the gamers out there? I couldn’t resist. I will say, for a glitter polish, this stuff looks good. Not just for wear, but looks like I can remove it without having to use all the cotton in my possession.  We shall see…… anyway, wanted to show this beautiful blue which I will be rockin’ at the pool tomorrow with my kids…….I love bling nails to go with my pretty wedding ring. Happy anniversary babe, you rock my world! xo A

Summer all-stars

 

Those closest to me would say I love every product I try….at first…..which is true. The problem is I am not a patient person and I don’t take my time to really trial products before singing their praises. So this time I took my time to really USE these products on a daily basis for the past 2 months and I will tell you I will be a big fan of these gems for years to come. First let’s talk about summertime and how my coarse hair looks so frizzy from all the fun in the sun and sweat…….So, the Deva Curl “Low Poo” has proven to make my locks stay clean and soft from its  lack of lather when cleansing. I was about to chop my hair off before I discovered this shampoo. My split ends don’t stand a chance against this product. Second, Lorac’s “TANtalizer” body bronzing luminizer has helped me break out my short shorts to show off my part sun/self tanned legs. My mom actually told me about body makeup for legs and I thought I would give this a try. I noticed all the flaws on my 35 year old gams were glazed over by illuminating bronze and looked even and smooth. This stuff dries fast so no need to stand naked in your bathroom for long periods of time before you put your shorts on! I use it OVER my body lotion and if I see a flaw I just add more of the lotion to blend. Great for a night out on the town or even a summer bbq where you know your legs need to look nice in shorts. The third All-Star in this post is my Biosilk Beach Texture spray. I have tried so many of these sprays for the summer months. I used Bumble and Bumble, Aquage, home made salt water spray, you name it. This not only works, but it’s SOFT texture….and smells amazing like all other Biosilk products. I spray it in after showering/towel drying and scrunch my hair. I also tried it after I blew my hair out one day and again, soft texture that I could run my hands through. The next V.I.P is the Sally Hansens Lip Infusion gloss line. I have made friends with the Walgreens check out lady in the makeup department because of this gloss. Lip infusion has a kick to it  mint &  cinnamon to get the juices flowing. I think I do it because it makes me feel like I have Angelina Jolie-Pitt lips (I so don’t….sigh). This is a very affordable lip gloss and gives M.A.C Lip Glass a run for it’s money. They have great colors for summer and I own them all.  Lastly, my ALL TIME FAVORITE PRODUCT THAT I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT AND WOULD DIE ON A DESERTED ISLAND WITHOUT IS……… Obagi’s C Lightening Serum. My skin has transformed from over a year of using it. I put it on in the morning with my Obagi C-Exfoliating Day lotion under my makeup! Minimal pores, fine lines are gone, sun damaged reversed… SCORE!  A tip I got from their website is to apply your skin serums/lotions right when you towel off your face….you have 3 minutes of “open” skin to put product on to  absorb in the all  the anti-aging and moisturizing effects. So far, so good! I never forget to wear sunscreen and a hat if I am out in the sun as well…I am sure that has alot to do with my skin looking so good! SO there you are, my all time faves, my homies, my friends……..I hope you can try some or at least one of these in your lifetime…then you will understand! Happy Summer! xoxoxo A

Clean and Green

My lovely friend Carla told me a year ago about a product line called Deva Curl. She is from South American decent and has the prettiest, thickest, curliest head of hair. I come from semi-curlish decent so I am always looking for smooth, sliky products to take away frizz and leave my hair clean and not greasy. I decided to give Deva Curl a try. My usual “starter” kit when trying any new hair product is a shampoo and styling product from the chosen product line up.  This time I wanted to try two shampoos. The names are so catchy and I am a sucker for cool/quirky names. They have “No-Poo” shampoo which is a lot like the Wen haircare line which is no sulfates or parabens and basically acts as a cream cleanser (no suds) to cleanse the hair without stripping it of color or shine. I also thought I would need a good daily shampoo (even though I don’t wash but every 3rd day, dry shampoo in between) so I got the “Low-Poo”. This shampoo is also sulfate and paraben free and suds up just a bit. I tried both and with out a doubt these two shampoos worked wonders for my hair. I was suprised at the Lo-poo’s cleansing effects. My hair felt the cleanest it has in years and it barely made suds when working it through my hair. I love this also for my baby girls super curly hair. She commented on how good it smelled. So, the verdicts in, for now anyway: I love Deva Curl! It also is recommended for chemically processed hair, curly or straight. So basically ANYONE I know can use this hair care line. You know you want to go get some! Enjoy! xo A

My routine…..and some more faves!

There’s a fine line between high maintenance and just looking hot….most of the time I strive for hot….with minimal prep. Other times I get high maintenence. It just depends on the day. Like today for instance….alarm goes off at 5am. I hit snooze and decide to skip my morning workout. Snooze is over and I get up, sneak across the hall so the twins don’t wake up (our wood floors squeak) head down to my beauty lair and ponder if I should shower or go to the gym late. I shower. I am on day 2 post shampooing my hair so I pull it up in a bun and shower. I get out. I put on my lotions and deodorant and start getting ready. I take the hair down and realize it looks frizzy, so I use my new Evo Easy Tiger hair balm. Smooths it out and smells awesome. Then I finish getting ready, which takes forever because its the day where I don’t know what to wear. I usually plan it in my head before I go to sleep at night. Obsessive? Nah! I knew that I would be sporting my MAC Russian Red lipstick so I wanted to keep the outfit simple.Black, of course, would be the color for today. No not goth, I mix with a splash of color here and there. Here’s a pic of my idol Gwen wearing the Russian Red.

She rocks my world!!!

Anyhoo……I then decide to for go the office free Keurig coffee and make my saved for weekends when I have more time French press. Mmmmmmmmm…..

Then I make my breakfast as I sip my delish french roast. It’s a combo of fresh spinach, carrots, apples, strawberries, oranges, flax seeds and whey protien. All thanks to my Blendtec juicer/blender. I swear we are having a love affair….

As I am driving to work I think about the weekend and how me and the hottie hubs are going to Vegas to spend some quality time sunning, playing poker and dancing the night away. I just got a sweet pair of Hudson’s pants at Nordy’s Rack and I think these will go quite well with a pair of  open toed booties or platforms..This also reminds me that I will be getting tons of cardio walking the strip and dancing, thus making the missed workout this morning not such a big deal.

I also plan on eating lots of sushi at Little Buddah in the Palms…

So here’s to today, like all others, where beauty products and good times  surround me…….and I am enjoying every moment! What does your routine look like? What are some of your favorite things? Share away! xo Amy

My latest obsession..among other product obsessions

 

Man, it’s been a while since I posted on here. I have been in product overdrive..trying to decide which to post about. In the past 2 months I have gone back to my “old school” prodcuts that worked for me in the past,  but like any new relationship before I met the love of my life, I got somewhat comfy and bored and moved on…..So why not revisit the oldies but goodies and see if my “mature” skin still loves them?

Obagi Medical prodcuts were introduced to me at my first laser treatment 3 years ago. The technitian said the C-System combined with any skin laser treatment would reverse the signs of aging and sun damage almost immideately. SOLD! I started using the C serum and C exfoliating day lotion during the day and the C lightening creme at night. It worked like a charm! Everyone complimented me on how vibrant and young my skin looked. The price for any Obagi product is high, but like their website states “It works and it’s worth it”. I couldn’t agree more. The good news is each product lasts a long time…you don’t need to glob it on to see results. I would recommend their Nu Derm system for all skin types and their C system for sun damaged or hyperpigmented skin (me!). I found a good deal on Lovelyskin.com for 20% off retail and free shipping. Go get a sample if you can, you will love this stuff!! Non greasy and no breakouts and beautiful youthful skin…need I say more?

December polish of the month “Mouse” by American Apparel

Not only does American Apparel sell gold pants  for kids, they also sell, in my opinion, the most long lasting nail polish I have ever used. I was up in Seattle a few weeks back and while the boys went to their stores, Aubs and I went to American Apparel to see what was new. We were at the check out purchasing her purple organic cotton dress and my seamless bra and panties and she goes “Look Ma, polish!” And my heart skipped a beat….it was 3 for $15 day and I got “Mouse” Army Jacket” and “Steele”. I got home and I put on the “Mouse” right way. Next day at work all the gals commented on how cool and smooth my color looked. Today I am wearing the Army Jacket and it’s perfect for having a fun Christmas feel but also an edgy kick to any look. I need to get back down to the AA on Hawthorne and get more colors since they last longer then my usual 2 day O.P.I (no offense, just the facts!). Hope you all have a Merry Christmas and get a good mani/pedi for yourselves! Oh and here’s a couple of pics of my kids, just coz they are so dang cute!

Black Friday

I said I would stay home on black friday this year just because I hate crowds in general, butmy kids kept saying they wanted to go shopping so, we went. After a delish lunch at CPK we dove right in. A quick stop at Nordy’s Rack then off to the M.A.C counter to get my usual stuff. Then it dawned on me, I am getting PALE since summer ended and my foundation is lookin a bit too dark against my white neck. I wish I would have taken a pic of the lovely gal at M.A.C that helped me. I told her I needed to be color matched and that I gave my sis in law my foundation  brush from 2004. She said “oh that one is old school anyway, go with this one” (see below) She was dead on, this brush leaves your skin flawless and you don’t need much product to get the results. Love it. Bought it, oh and a few other lil things I never leave my dressing room without. Vapor has been, and will always be, my all time favorite M.A.C eyeshadow. So pretty, can be used alone or as a base for any other color. We then took the twins to meet Santa for the first time. Yes, the first time at 4 years old…they were scared all the other Christmases past so we went for it. Kids did great, Bree asked for a black baby and Gav asked for a FedEx Nascar car. Sweet. Happy holidays and keep rockin the pretty colors that are on all the palettes this winter! xo A