Eating organic is the first step toward a healthy life, but we rarely (at least I don't) think about what we put on our skin. In the past years there have been many companies coming up with organic skincare products yet it is hard to choose which products will be good for us as we attempt to make a transition to all natural skin care brands and products. Organic skin care product reviews are a good way to find out what products you might want to buy.

If you like to try out a bunch of organic skincare products whether your skin is prone to acne or dry, Whole Foods is running a really great deal beginning March 18. They will be selling a beauty bag with a variety of products including organic lipstick, organic toner, organic mascara, etc. for the price of $15. The bag retails for $80. This is an amazing deal. If you have been using already organic skin care products like Burt's or Mineral Fusion, you know they are not cheap. I am already planning to get a bunch of these bags for friends!!

Here is what you get in the bag. I got to have a preview. So if you want to know a good organic skincare brand take a look!

1. Mineral Fusion Mascara: My friend Brigette has been using their products for a while now. You can get them a Whole Foods and Earth Fare if you have one locally. Why she swears by it? "I don't like to put more chemicals on my face than I need to. Especially when we already spend so much time trying to restore our skin" Brigette.

2. Weleda: This is a company that is well known in Italy. Their line of children's natural products is really good. It is very pricy in the States depending on the product, but if you ever get to go to Europe go to a pharmacy and fill your suitcases with these products. I recommend the Skin Food Creme Nutritive for winter times or if you have dry skin. I love how it smells. It reminds me of summers spent on the Mediterranean Sea. Avoid if you have oily skin or are prone to acne. I like to use it at night before I go to bed.

3. Trilogy: This is a new product for me, so I will probably review it separately in few weeks. I like to try new products for a while before really deciding if they are worth or not. You will get an oil that is said to brighten and increase elasticity. Can't wait to try it out.

4. Derma e: Their charcoal masks are a nice alternative to mud masks. It is made with algae and activated charcoal. I use these masks only when I have blackheads and I am in need of a detox for my skin. Another trick to use this mask is that if you have a zit put a small amount on this mask on it, leave it all night there and in the morning wash it off. Your zit should have disappeared.

5. ACURE: Poor minimizing scrub. I never used this one, but it is something that regularly use in the summer time to maintain my pores cleaned. Again, I think I will use it for few weeks and see how I like it.

6. EvanHealy: Rose Facial Toner reminds me of what my grandmother and later I used to use to clean our skin. At the times the most famous rose water was just in a beautiful blue bottle that you could buy at the grocery store. Santa Maria Novella has its own version. Evanhealy adds geranium which makes it refreshing to use. I dig this product especially as it is getting warm out.

7. MyChelle: Perfect C Serum. My friend and dermatologist have been encouraging me to use some type of C serum for a while now. I tried another brand a while back but I truly was not sure if it worked. I think I was doing it wrong because after talking to MyChelle they gave me some great tips to maximize the effect. Use it in the morning on clean skin. Then apply SPF! It is supposed to reduce fine lines.

8. Dr. Hauschka: Soothing Cleanising Milk. This is a great product if you have allergies and can't use fragrant products. It does contains alcohol in case your skin is too sensitive for that too. I don't know much about milk so again another organic skin care product I need to try for few weeks.

9. Burt's. I love their products. I use them for my daughter so I am already a fan. I have been wanting to try their lipsticks for a while and finally I got to do so. They are awesome. They are very soft, will provide you some pigmentation but it is not over the top. This is so far my favorite product of their line.

Once in a while I do a product review. This is where I am either contacted by a company like Luminess to try and write about their product or I just find something I really like or dislike and blog about it. All sponsored blog posts are tagged in such a way but opinions are my owned. {All content on this blog is copyright and shall not to be reproduced or republished without consent of Fashion For Real People.}

This week I tried Luminess AirSupremacy Beauties, a spray foundation similar to Dior air flash spray foundation but much lower in price. The product is said to provide coverage without being heavy for up to 18 hours.

The kit came with three bottles which included two different shades of foundation and a blush. The kit also included directions and a blending brush.

I had tried spray foundation before by Revlon and hated it, so I was perplexed and intimidated by another spray foundation. I am always afraid to get the foundation in my eyes or all over my dress and it just seems unnatural. I pledged to try the product every day for 2 weeks with different applications and techniques to see the versatility of the product and whether I would actually make the habit of using it. Both pictures in this post show different use of the same product. To see how I looked before or sans make up you can refer to one of my older blog post.

Luminess Spray Foundation Application

The first application came by following the directions from the manufacture: apply the product directly on the face and blend. Alternatively, apply on the brush first and then blend. I prefer applying on the face as I could see how the product was on my skin.

The second day I used the product to contouring my face, as I am pretty loyal to my contouring makeup palette and even had a tutorial on how to apply contouring. Having two different shades was optimal. I used the lighter foundation as an highlighter and the dark to define my jaw line and nose area. I finished the application with the blush.

The third day, I only tried one color and sprayed it fast all over the face, without even looking. I was in a rush and still wanted to have some make up on. I used the brush to blend everything and I was done in 2 minutes.

By the 15 day, I was using the product so smoothly without even thinking about it. All my initial hesitation was gone. I am impressed by the product for one reason: it is easy and fast to apply. It also provides coverage but looks natural, which is something important to me. In fact I pervasively discussed on this blog how to get a natural look using make up. I am such a busy person and lazy that I hate working on make up in the morning. I just want something fast that makes me look and feel decent. Sometimes even with tons of contouring products I still look tired and you can tell the accumulation of products on my face. Add humidity to that and you get the hang over effect. With Luminess AirSpray Foundation (@LuminessAir) I never felt like that. It is very natural looking and light. It is so light that I even slept on it one time because I did not feel the need to take it off. I know it is bad but this product is awesome. I like having two shades so I can alter and adjust the color as needed. The brush is super helpful. I don't think another brush would work. The blush I did not care about. I ended up using my own highlight product, but I don't regularly use blush.

I would be curious to try this product in the summer when it is miserably hot and humid in Florida. Otherwise, this is a product I will continue using for its versatility and ease of use. And for lazy girls like me this is optimal.

If you want to buy the product here is a 15% discount. Use this code: 605578930 - Luminess Air Supremacy Foundation

{All content on this blog is copyright and shall not to be reproduced or republished without consent of Fashion For Real People. Top photo by Mallory Brooks, bottom by Ginevra Adamoli.

photo by Mallory Brooks

Wow! These past two weeks have been insane. I have been so busy with my blog that I have been working at night just to reply to requests and schedule appointments. This is very exciting but also very scary. I finally have given in and created a Twitter account just for Fashion For Real People @FashionFRP. Please stop by and say hi. I would love to hear more from my readers. Mallory and I have been spending a lot of time together taking our photography (hers) to the next level and also enjoying some wine and art talks. Next week we are doing a photo shoot for Curio, a vintage store located in RailRoad Square. I don't want to spoil what we will be doing in the next weeks but trust me you need to check that place out and mention my name to Jackie the owner. Anyway, keep checking the blog for more on Curio.

In the meantime I wanted to share the other pictures from the last photoshoot with Mallory and also tell you how miserable it has been shooting at 97 degrees. This prompts me to talk about summer make-up tips and answer a pretty simple question: How do you get your makeup to stay in Florida in the summer?

1. Use a primer:
You probably need a primer for your face as well as your eyes. I was not into primers at first because I felt they clogged my pores, but that was because I found out later that you need to buy a primer with the same base of your foundation. This means if you use a water-base solution for your foundation your primer needs to be water-based as well. SmashBox has a collection of primers. I actually want to try one of their kits.

2. Use OIL FREE products:
Avoid any heavy foundation or make up that clogs your pores. This includes also powders. If you want to set your make up use Model in a Bottle, my friend recommended it and used it for her wedding. If you don't live in Florida you won't understand. You just can't wear the amount Kim Kardashian wears otherwise you will see strains and accumulation of your foundation on your face the size of Mount Everest. The next day you will break out and have zits and black heads all over your face. Opt for oil-free products especially a tinted moisturizer that has SPF and some level of coverage. Skinceuticals makes the best products for summer skincare. This should be your only face product. If you need a concealer I would suggest using a liquid one, not a crayon.  Revlon has a primer/highlighter that works really well as a concealer and highlighter.

BANANA REPUBLIC BAG & SKIRT // COLE HAAN SHOES // BLOUSE MARSHALLS

3. Ditch powder make up:
Replace powder eyeshadows with mousse/cream blush. I use Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for lips and cheeks. They work magic because they give you that natural, kissed by the sun look. Even the blog LoveStyle by Bon-Ton suggests swapping out powder for cream blush.

4. Less is better: Instead of covering your face with make up, take care of your skin by getting a professional peeling. You will feel much better and fresh when you have to deal with humid conditions. Hope this helps, enjoy the rest of the pictures.

The past weeks have been quite fun but also off my regular routine. I was visiting a friend in Washington, baking desserts I can't bake (that I find on Pinterest), going to weddings, shopping for summer clothes, etc. This means that I have neglected my working out regime. I swear I am making the commitment today that June will be my working out month and sticking to a nutritional plan to help boots my work out. Until then let's enjoy the wine, pina colada, and cake.

Today I want to talk about make-up and this contouring tutorial.

MAKE UP: CONTOURING

What's contouring? The easy way to explain contouring technique in make up is one: Kim Kardashian. Kim Kardashian's make up is the result of contouring. Contouring is applying make up strategically in such a way to shape your face and features to minimize imperfections or highlights your best features. It can be very drastic as in Kim Kardashian or it can be pretty natural. It all depends on the amount of make up you apply and the results you are trying to achieve. Contouring make up these days come in any type of kit and palette. If you visit Sephora or any beauty stores ask one of their representatives to show you the different kits. For women 30 and older, opt for mousse/cream base items, avoiding powder which sets on wrinkles and leaves your skin looking dry. You might also invest in two different kits based on your location and season. For winter or dry environments opt for a mousse base, for hot and humid weather you want to minimize any heavy make up such as compacted powders. I must admit I still have not found a great centering kit for summer and for hot and humid weather. What I do is use my COVER FX but in little amounts then I proceed blending the product as much as I can.

I actually visited Sephora today with my friend, who saw my before and after picture of applying my COVER FX contouring palette. She had the make up artist applying hers on and we learned few more tricks on how to get the best results.

TRICKS for CONTOURING for real people

#1. Choose a natural shade palette close to your natural hue (don't go drastic, you don't want to look like Kim Kardashian when dropping your kids off school or teaching at school. It is weird).

#2. For cream/mousse base use your fingers to warm the makeup before applying on your skin. You can place some of the product on your hand then you can use a brush or your fingers to apply the product first. Finish by blending with a brush. BLEND, BLEND, BLEND.

#3. Dark colors will go right below your cheek bone. Make sure you start from your hairline and you stop before you reach your mouth. You need to stop at the end of your cheek bone. Then use the brush and stroke parallel first to the product, then vertical above and below the application.

#4. Once you are done with everything set your make up with powder or a special finishing product such as Model in the Bottle. Otherwise with summer heat it will just make you look like you are the Joker.

#5. If you want a more drastic look, add more product and experiment. 

Those are some tips, there are more of course, but those are the ones that I just had no idea and were very helpful. I am including a list of resources of girls who have really taken contouring to the next level. While this might not be you, you can still learn and adapt to your liking. It was helpful to learn more about the technique, what worked for me or did not work. For example, I am a huge fan of blending everything on my face with a big round rough brush I bought 15 years ago at the Body Shop. (Yes that's right).

Also, in reality you don't need to buy a fancy kit for contouring. You could use concealer, different shades of foundation, and a highlighter. But the thing is that you will probably spend more money buying individual items than just getting the palette. Same thing for brushes. You don't have to spend $37 on a single brush. Although I must say I have bought in the past cheap brushes and they fell apart in days. I really liked the brushes from the Body Shop. It was such a popular store when I was 14 and it was everywhere. One of the first natural, no animal cruelty beauty store. I loved it. Then they started shutting down their shops everywhere :( They actually still make the brush I use to blend anything (from liquid foundation, to powder). Ah what a great find. Here the link. [You can tell I am excited].

Contouring tutorials from other bloggers:
OnceWed: How to contour and highlight - Link
BeautyAdviceForLife: How to highlight and contour for make up - Link
Glamher_Booth on Instagram: A bunch of before after pictures with contouring - Link
Kim Kardashian Make Up Routine: Link
Incredible pictures of women with and without make up: Just for fun - Link

As for me and contouring I think I like it for special occasions. I am so used to not wearing make up that it is weird, but I have to admit I looked younger and fresh.

5 DYI Hair Masks That Everyone Can Try

There are many different ways that people can damage their hair while going about their daily lives. Harsh sunlight, city pollutants, and not having the time to nourish your hair and scalp can all take their toll. Even worse, most people think that the best way to undo this damage is to buy expensive hair masks. That is why we are going to take a look at how to make hair masks at home and the five best DIY hair masks for damaged hair.

1. Banana Homemade Hair Remedies

The ingredients in this hair mask might be a little outlandish, but it is a very good hair mask to promote healthy hair and scalp, strengthen hair follicles, and heal your already damaged hair. For this hair mask you will need two overripe bananas, a tablespoon of honey, a table spoon of olive oil, and a tablespoon of coconut oil. You have to blend the bananas so that there are no chunks, add the rest of the ingredients, and then blend the entire mixture together. Once you have let it sit in your hair for five minutes, you simply wash it away with warm water.

2. Olive Oil And Egg Hair Mask

Another one of the best DIY hair masks for damaged hair is the Olive Oil and Egg hair mask. The best part about this one is that it is one of the homemade hair remedies for which you already have the ingredients. All you need to do is combine three tablespoons of the olive oil with two eggs. Allow the mixture to sit in your hair for about twenty minutes, and then rinse off with warm water.

3. Apple Cider Vinegar And Lemon

If you want to know how to make hair masks at home that are simple and effective for oily hair, then this is the one for you. Simply take a ¼ cup of the apple cider vinegar and mix it with the peel of an entire lemon that has been grated. When you put this in your hair for 15 minutes it will begin to wick away the excess oily moisture from your scalp.

4. Avocado Hair Mask To Get Shiny Hair

Avocadoes are one of the favored items for DIY hair masks for damaged hair, and can help restore the luster that you want in your hair. This mixture is simple: take one ripe avocado, a banana, and a teaspoon of olive oil and blend it all until it is smooth with no clumps. Then apply it to your hair for fifteen minutes and wash it away for shiny, beautiful hair. You may want to actually take a shower to make sure that you get it all out of your hair, but the results are worth the hassle.

5. The Yogurt Approach To DIY Hair Masks For Damaged Hair

The final hair mask that we will look at uses the amazing properties of yogurt to create homemade hair remedies. Not only is this incredible for moisturizing, but it has so many valuable vitamins in its mixture. For this you need to have a half cup of plain, probiotic yogurt, a teaspoon of apple cider vinegar (seriously, just stockpile this stuff), and a teaspoon of honey. Combine the mixture in a bowl, work it through your hair and scalp, and let it sit for fifteen minutes. Then, take a shower to wash it away using organic shampoo for incredible strength and moisture in your hair.

5 Minutes Natural Make Up Tips:

Even before I was a mom I was super lazy to get ready for work, so I would always opt for a natural make up. I hate getting up early and having to think about where I left my shoes the night before. To get 5 minutes more of sleep (at least when I used to see) I would just roll out of bed, brush my teeth and go. Over the years I learned few tricks on how to pull off a decent make up for work in just 5 minutes.

1. Prep your skin with a good lotion. I usually wash my face, put the lotion on and I get dressed while waiting for the lotion to get well absorbed. In the winter time I use Estee Lauder Day Wear face lotion because it's too dry out. For summer I use other skin care products since it's very humid in Florida. I usually buy the pre-packaged git sets at Dillard's since you get more of a value kind of deal.  Follow with your foundation or tin moisturizer.

2. Get your coffee or tea, take your vitamins and your Lanakin's eyelashes supplement. The product is said to get your eyelashes and hair to grow faster, fuller and longer by using natural products. Lanakin is said to work if you take it twice a day for at least 2 weeks. It said to provide results within two weeks. To see the complete list please visit their site. By the way, if you want your FREE clinical trial go and visit their site now. Until supplies last!!!

3. Focus on one area only. I don't use eyeshadow because I am not good putting it on and I always end up looking like a prostitute or old lady. Plus it takes forever. What I do instead is using an eyebrows pencil. I am all about my eyebrows. At Marshalls I found an eyebrows kit for like less than $5 and it is the best ever. You can find a similar one on Sephora but expect to pay more. I ended up finishing my eyes with a simple rimmel and I am all set.

4. Shimmering gloss or lipstick: I never go out without my lipstick. I love lipsticks. I like bold colors or nude depending on the mood and what I wear. Just take a look at my Instagram account for some of my bold lips. I buy all kind of lipsticks (cheap and expensive). The new Chanel collection is just amazing. Their lipsticks are great to moisturize your lips too. But I also like Cover Girl lipsticks or Revlon. You can try to score some designers' lipsticks on Ebay. They sell old collections. I use Ebay when I am in love with a product that the company stops making.

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Pixi Beauty Eyeshadows Review:

I have been testing this line of beauty products called Pixi Beauty which is sold at Target. I have written a review for their crayon combo pencil, which I have been super impressed and have been using every day. 

Today, I tried their eyeshadow palette in plum, given that it is Fall season. I love the fact that they give you very light colors as well as dark. I use the light colors during the day for work and then in the evening I add the darker colors for smoky eyes.

Wearing the eyeshadow from Pixi:

I used the two lighter colors on the top and all over the eye. I then gradually added the plum and very dark brown color on the bottom eye. I am wearing Revlon nude lipstick and crayon combo under my eyes from Pixi. For Foundation refer to my older posts on beauty. I use Skinceutical and L'Oreal products. So what do you think? Worth buying?

REVIEW: BB CREAM by L'OREAL

I have been impressed by L'Oreal products. They have a good balance between price and quality. Plus, they do not test on animals, which makes their products even more appealing to me. As a matter of fact, they recently fired one of the new 'faces' for their brand when this aspiring young model posted a picture of an animal she had killed on her Facebook page. 

The one product I really enjoy is their Magic Anti-Fatigue BB Cream, which comes in different tones from very fair to light, to brown. If you have very fair skin like me you will find difficult to find fair make up. There is always a tint of yellow and especially if you are looking for a concealer you will be out of luck. Actually please let me know if you have found one that is super light. 

I bought both the light and fair version of this BB cream. First, because when I used to tan my skin would stay darker or yellowish for a long period of time. In that case the light version was perfect. Now, because I have been out of the sun for over a year my skin has gone back to fair, so I switched to the other one. 

BUY!!!

PRO: 

Smooth application and natural look on the skin. You can't even notice. 

Don't need to use a foundation if you don't want to. That is how good this cream is.

Makes you glow and neutralize imperfection, bag eyes and fine lines. 

Only need a drop or two

CONS:

None (which is rare for me to say)

WHERE TO BUY IT: Wallgreens, any large supermarkets, online on www.lorealparisusa.com

OTHER REVIEWS: 

Nouveau Cheap

Wonder Forest

Pretty Gossip

This article is the last of a series of beauty pieces for your skin. You can check the other two articles here and here.

This one talks about make up application on a everyday basis. Remember I am pretty lazy and don't like to put heavy layers of make up on my skin. Especially in the summer or spring. It takes me only 15 minutes to get fully ready in the morning and that includes shower and clothing. I like to sleep in as much as possible!!!

For the prep phases of what face lotion to wear check out my previous article. Once you have put your lotion on start with your foundation. I have many because I am always looking for the best but overall I have been impressed with this one from L'Oreal. I use it only in the winter for the summer I use .......

Must have items for a natural make up: 

Highlighter: I use What's Up Liminous Champagne in stick only because I got a sample and it happened that I loved it. Full size is $30. There are also powder versions but do not always work. 

The purpose is to bring attention to few parts of your face creating a glow effect. This way you are distracting from other parts like saggy jaw lines or tired eyes. 

Place it right above your cheek , below your eyes or in other words along your cheekbones. 

                      

Pot rouge: Pot Rouges have a dual function. You use them on your cheeks to give a healthy color and you also apply them to your lips as lipstick. They are better than powders because as you age powder will sit inside your wrinkles giving you the old grandmother look. Plus you really save money by using one product for two parts of your face.

The absolute best pot rouges are from Bobbi Brown. I believe they cost $30. I have pretty much all pink colors, some red ones and some bronze. I have sample sizes and palettes. My good friend used to work at Bobbi Brown so I was rewarded with cool stuff :)

For my skin type I like to stick with pink light colors to give the effect of a natural look. 

This is from 2012 and I hate hate when companies stop producing colors and products I absolutely love. I still have the ones from 2012 but now there are almost gone and can't find the replacement. Sometimes I check EBay for old collections. 

Mascara: the best mascara I ever had is from Borjouis a French company. It is the equivalent of Revlon or Rimmel in terms of prices. In Europe you can find it at the supermarket. I got my first one in 2001 when a roommate in Spain left hers so I just used it. 

I used the brown volume mascara on my eyelashes as well as eyebrows. When I lived in London I was able to buy the black one too. I can't find this product in the States. :( 

Eyebrows pencil: if I don't use the mascara I either use an eye pencil or a brown eyehadow and I fill in any gaps I have. 

The pencils I use are from L'Oreal. They are ok, defiantly better than some other products. If I find something that really works I will let you know. Or please share what you are using. 

Before make up

                               

After make up

                                

As you can see it is a very natural look. I like to wear more make up for special occasions and when I have time. Plus I feel as you age wearing too much make up makes you look old. What do you think? 
If you like what you read, don't forget to join this site and follow me on my adventures. 

This is the second article about tips for your skin. The first piece was on general tips on how to have a long term young skin and for free. Check that out here.

This one is about skin care products before you actually put make up on. Let me give you the background. I have a mix skin oily but some spots can be dry. Depending where I am geographically I can get really dry skin or really oily. Also consider I have fair skin and delicate. A lot of products will cause acne. Currently I live in Florida, which equals humidity but free moist at the same time. 

About 3 years ago I developed some bad acne problems on my face. I never suffered from acne as a teenager. I decided to see a special esthetician and invested in $400 to get a consultation, products, and a very light peeling. The peeling was not a laser aggressive peeling. It does have some type of acid, which I suppose take care of pores, prevent any wrinkles, and give you a glow.

I get a peeling once a year (now I can't because I am pregnant so I am skipping). The results were/are impressive. Over time my skin was balanced. Yes, I did get pimples once in a while, but I did not break as often as before and overall my skin was good. I also stopped using many products so I actually saved money. The $400 I spent initially served me to get annual products which included toners, soap, masks, foundation, SPF lotion and acne/wrinkle serum. So that is like $33 a month. I did not have to buy any other products. I also did not have special wrinkle lotions for eyes or face. The only thing I use is this acne wrinkle serum but I can only use it when a pimple comes and visits. So I use it rarely.

Now, I strongly suggest anybody to find a specialist/dermatologist and do your research on their credibility and understand your type of skin. I will talk about my products but I cannot advice you to buy them for your skin type. That is why I described at the beginning my skin type. Now the products I use don't need a prescription and are sold on line or at special stores.

For special care at night I am not an expert so I would suggest you to check out Carly's post on 4 Overnight Beauty Products You Should be Using. 

PRODUCTS I USE 

Most of my products are from Skinceuticals and Avene. They are not super expensive like Chanel. They don't have smells and are formulated to help your skin. That's why you would actually go to a pharmacy in Europe to buy these products. I also used La Roche.

Did I also mention that I am lazy and don't like having to spend too much time putting stuff on my face and cleaning my face at night? We will get to that....

TIP: Keep your face scrub in the shower so you can kill two birds with one stone. 

SCRUB: MUST HAVE

Micro-Exfoliating Scrub (5fl oz.) $30

BUY IT NOW: 

This is an effective and delicate face scrub to use in the morning in the shower and/or at night (sink). I should probably use it at night but I have the bad habit of been lazy and skip the steps of face washing. The scrub eliminates dead skins, reduces black heads, and leave a clean face. Suitable for mix skin or oily. I love this stuff.

TONER: OPTIONAL

Equalizing Toner (8fl oz.)

$34

BUY IT NOW

The toner I would suggest only if you have really oily skin and have acne problems you are trying to resolve. I used it for a while when I was trying to equalize my skin. I would use first the scrub, then follow up with the toner. Use cotton balls. You will see the dirt collected on the cotton balls as you use the toner. It's alcohol base so if you use it too much your skin will dry and won't be pretty. You can probably skip it if you don't have very oily skin and acne. 

AGE DEFENSE: IF NECESSARY

Blemish and Age Defense (1fl oz.)

$86

BUY IT NOW

This is the best thing ever if you have pimples and just that greasy skin from PMS, stress or humid weather. I cannot tell you how great this product was for me. I used first the scrub then the toner and then added one small, tiny drop of this serum on my palm then with my fingers I put it on key areas of my face that needed attention. You don't need much. Just really a tiny amount. Use it ONLY when necessary. This product is strong and will burn your skin and make you peel if you do not use it properly. You need to use it only when you have to and then stop. I have not use it since I am pregnant because it has salycic acid and I am not sure how I feel about that now that I am pregnant. I also stopped using it when my skin was balanced. I would only use it again when a pimple would pop up. The product also works to decrease wrinkles (fine lines). I think it has done the job for me. This is the only product I use for wrinkles believe it or not. 

MOISTURIZER: MUST HAVE 

Hydraphase Intense Light Facial Moisturizer (1.69fl oz.)

$36

BUY IT NOW

There are a bunch of products like this one. I needed something light, oil free because Florida is hot and humid and I don't need the extra moist. Anything heavy will cause me to break out and did not work with my make up. The make up would melt and run down. Overall, I am pleased with the product. I only need to buy one bottle per year, because again I don't need that much. Another favorite of mine is Avene Optimal light cream. It's about $30. 

SPF LOTION + FOUNDATION:

Tinted Moisturizer SPF

$30 

I wrote about this product on another post so you might want to check out the pros and cons. In general, this is great for people who want to get sun protection (SPF 50) and some coverage in the summer or while doing sports. 

These are the products I use on a regular basis. I have other sample products that I try so maybe I will talk about those in another post, but generally speaking this is all I need. 

I am though curious to learn more about overnight creams and skin care regimes. I feel I can benefit from using something stronger at night. In regards to this topic I just read this blog by Carly Woods that talks about products to use at night. I have not tried the products yet but it made me think about what I might need to add to my must have in skin care. 

DO YOU HAVE QUESTIONS? DO YOU WANT TO SHARE YOUR TIPS? FOLLOW MY BLOG AND LEAVE A COMMENT. 

I have been asked few different times what skin products I use on my face. Some of my friends were interested to know how I keep my face moisturize or glowy. To tell you the truth  I was surprised they asked me because I have acne problems so I never feel I have good skin even now that I am pregnant. I will share here my regime. It is pretty simple because I am lazy but I do use specific products. I am breaking down this session of beauty in 3 different articles, so follow my blog if you want to make sure you receive all of the tips. It's just a click on the right of this article.

First, let me just tell you that I don't smoke or drink much alcohol well of course now that I am pregnant!!! But even before. I quit smoking in 2005. There are not lies: if you smoke your skin will get wrinkles fast! 

Second, I am an active person (not extreme) but I always do something physical. Running will really help your skin get that glow because you will have more blood flowing. Look, you could be gardening, cleaning or lifting weight. The more active you are the more young your skin will look. That's a proven fact.

Third, I do not tan. Crazy right? I live in Florida. I was obsessed with tanning because it is a big part of Italian culture, but then I visited my dermatologist in Tallahassee. I asked her: "why are you always so busy?" Apparently there are many cases of skin cancer due to the sun in Florida and in fact I met so many people who had some form of it. 

I have fair skin (yes the only Italian with fair skin). That means I have more probability of getting burned and skin cancer than other type of skin. 

Sun also has been proven  to cause wrinkles, discoloration of the skin (brown spots) and overall skin cancer. Well, I don't know about you but I don't want that.

I love the sun and the beach but I always wear protection 30-70. And just so you know even black people have a high risk of sun burning. Actually 300% more than other ethnicity. My friend did a speech on it and I still remember how surprised I was. So sun is bad for everybody. 

Fourth, when I was young and did not know better I used to eat crappy food. Then I learned things in school and wrote my dissertation on how bad GMOs foods as well as plastic bottled waters, pesticides, etc. are for you. Ok fine I like to research a lot and I do get obsessed but I like to know facts if I decide to change something in my life. 

So my eating habits have changed. I try to eat organic foods. I try to grow my own veggies. I do not eat fast food. I say 'I try' because in our society it is a challenge to eat only organics or to buy organic toilet paper, soap, etc. When I was in my first trimester I could not eat anything because of morning (all day) sickness. I relied on boiled potatoes, plain chicken and plain pasta. Was my pasta 100% organic at all times? No. At that point it was more about eating something rather than nothing, which it would have been worse. My point is that you don't have to be an extremist to take advantage of the benefits of a healthy life style. 

Before I actually talk about products and make up I use I just wanted to share these fundamental elements that have set the foundation for my overall skin. I guess now that I am over 30 I am trying to minimize potential harm. Next week, I will actually do a tutorial so stay tune. 

Interested in getting the names of my skin products? Check out my next article next week!!!!

BTW, this is my progress with my pregnancy. I believe I am 19 weeks so far. 

My work outfit consists of a J.Crew T-shirt (lilac) // Skirt by Express (one size bigger so I could fit the belly)

I have been struggling with keeping my lipstick on my lips for more than one hour. I put it on in the morning, get to the office, open my yogurt, then my berries, my orange juice and I have now left traces of lipstick everywhere except on my lips.



I have tried the following tricks and products to keep my lipstick in place.

#1. Your lips needs to be moist and soft. I have dry lips in the winter. I have skin peeling from my lips. Yes gross. It's because I don't drink enough water, I sit in an office with no windows all day, and I am lazy to apply lip balm. So rule #1 DRINK WATER and APPLY LIP BALM at night.

#2 Put your lipstick on. Dust with powder to put in place. That should help.

#3. Buy CoverGirl Lip Perfection Lipstick. Why?

PRO: 
It won't go away no matter how hard you try and how much you eat.
Great price for $7
Good variety of colors/shades

CON:
Dry on lips 
It won't go away. Seriously, I can't get it out at night. It works that well.
It fades away during the day, so you need to re-apply it otherwise you end up looking like a drunk who had too much red wine or a drunk hooker. 

VERDICT: BUY one time only if you are really looking for something that sticks. I would go for neutral colors, so even if the color fades it is not noticeable.
Where to get it: at grocery stores, pharmacies, Target, or online at http://www.covergirl.com/lip-makeup/lipstick/lip-perfection-lip-color

Review Skinceuticals Tinted Moisturizer SPF 50

First, let me say that I have been using SkiCeuticals products for the past 5 years and overall I have been very pleased. I have very sensitive skin prompt to acne/oily/dry and since I live in Florida (hello humidity and sweat) I can't wear any heavy lotion. That does not mean I liked all their products and much it's about your skin. I am grateful for my esthetician who knows my skin better than I do.

PROS: 

For sensitive skin

For summer or humid areas (Florida)

Light-weight

Not running down your face 

Still leaves natural glow/look

Protect for sun 

Good price

CONS:

Minimum coverage

Not soft/mousse at times hard to spread evenly

VERDICT: BUY IT in the summer only

Where to buy it: http://www.skinceuticals.com/_us/_en/category/physical-fusion-uv-defense-spf-50.htm