Beauty

Beauty – A Few Favorites

Posted on July 26, 2017July 26, 2017 by KSSBelle

Hi, Friends! I hope your week is going well. I’m so glad it’s Wednesday, because that means we’re one day closer to the weekend.

I love hearing about what beauty products others love, so I thought I’d share what I’m loving right now.

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Repair

As hard as it is to admit, I recognized about a year ago that I was starting to look “older” in photographs, so I decided to take action with this repair serum. It definitely has helped make my skin look & feel more firm, and I’ve noticed a huge difference. I use it in the morning and in the evening. I call it my “botox in a bottle!”

Laura Mercier Flawless Skin Repair Creme

I use this with the repair serum at night. It makes your skin feel like silk, and it smells so good too!

Charlotte Tilbury Healthy Glow

Love having a tan, but, you don’t want to risk damaging your skin anymore with the sun? Well, me too. I still want a pretty glow though, and this stuff is a miracle worker. I put a tiny bit on my face every morning after I apply my moisturizer, and magic…my face is glowing (so natural looking)! I plan to use this stuff year round. It’s that good.

CHANEL ROUGE COCO GLOSS Top Coat

Fun Fact: I don’t wear lipstick. I’m a lip gloss only kind of girl, and this is the BEST lip gloss I’ve found in years. Trust me, I’ve tried a lot. It’s not sticky, and it lasts a long time! If you do love lipstick, you can wear this as a top coat over your lipstick.

What beauty favorites are you loving right now? Please share!

Hope y’all have a wonderful day!
~KSSBelle

My Skincare Favorites

Posted on June 25, 2015June 25, 2015 by KSSBelle

There are a few things in my skincare routine that I cannot live without. My routine is pretty simple these days, and I like it that way. I used to get the $92.00 jars of “magic” night creams, etc., but I really could not tell that much of a difference from the basic items that I use now. I am a big believer in “you get what you pay for;” however, in skincare, I cannot tell the difference. Taking care of your skin so important (Thanks to my Mom who instilled that in me many moons ago), but shelling out big bucks for something you don’t see that much of a difference in, is hard to justify. I haven’t jumped on the oil bandwagon yet, but it’s tempting me. Do oils work for you? Do you really notice a difference? If so, do you have any recommendations?

I also have a few beauty items that I have been thinking about trying for awhile now, but just can’t seem to take that leap, mostly because my skin is extremely sensitive, and trying new products is exciting, but scary for me at the same time. I would hate to spend a ton of money on something, and then have it make me breakout, etc.

So, here’s what I use everyday in my current skincare routine. It works. And as they say “if it’s not broken, don’t fix it,” right?

Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes

These wipes are so convenient. I use them at night, and right after I workout as well. They are really good at removing my eye makeup.

Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer SPF 30

I have to use a moisturizer with an SPF in it. My Mom introduced me to this one. I’ve been using this for several years now, and it doesn’t leave your face feeling greasy at all.

Olay Regenerist Luminous Tone Perfecting Cream

I sometimes alternate between this and the Aveeno daily moisturizer, especially if I know I am staying mostly indoors that day. It really soaks into your skin, and I think it’s a really great moisturizer.

Olay Regenerist Luminous Dark Circle Correcting Hydraswirl

Raise your hand if you’re not getting quite as much beauty sleep as you used to before you had kids? Yup, me too. This is great for the now ever so obvious dark circles under my eyes. It works.

Olay Regenerist Regenerating Night Recovery Moisturizer Cream

I use this at night. It feels amazing. It honestly feels like silk on your skin. It is incredibly moisturizing and has my face feeling refreshed by morning.

So, in writing this post, I also realized I’ve been paying WAY too much for these products. Like a few dollars difference for each one, so instead of shopping at Target for these beauties, I’m buying them off of amazon.com!

I would love to hear of any beauty products you love, especially if you have sensitive skin like me.

Happy Thursday friends!

~KSSBelle

Haircut & Color – My Splurge

Posted on May 14, 2015May 14, 2015 by KSSBelle

If there is one thing I “splurge” on it’s my hair. It’s like therapy for me.

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I go through phases between my natural color (brunette), and adding highlights. In high school, I had the Jennifer Aniston honey blonde highlights, and LOVED them. I kept my hair that way through my sophomore year in college, and then returned to my natural color for the next several years. While I love my natural color (I really do), I have found I am happiest with highlights and long hair.

Late in my pregnancy, I decided it would be a good thing to chop my hair off because I thought it would be “easier” as a Mom. Wow. Whatever you do, don’t chop your hair when you’re hormones are flying. I look back at pictures where I was as big as a house, and I think “what were you thinking?” This will not happen again. I have only chopped my hair twice since I have been married (we’ve been married for a little over 5 years now). While I can pull off the chin length bob, I always regret it. Do you do this, too? If so, isn’t it maddening when you regret it? I mean, I know it’s not really a crisis. It just takes so long for your hair to grow out after one of these major/minor decisions you make. I tell myself “it’s only hair, it will grow back,” but it’s still maddening to me.

So, it’s finally getting to the length I love, long with layers. I’ve found that long hair is actually easier to manage than shorter hair. I only need to wash my hair every 3 days (thank goodness for dry shampoo). I also have gone back to the Jennifer Aniston highlights, and I feel so much more like myself. I may or may not be also trying to mask some gray hairs. I feel like the lighter your hair is, the better you can disguise them. Overall, my hair is healthier and I am happier. It really is the little things in life that make a difference.

So, what do you splurge on? Did anyone else chop their hair during their pregnancy?

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Beauty Dish

Posted on March 20, 2015March 20, 2015 by KSSBelle

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I love makeup. I have since I was a teenager when my Mom let me finally start wearing it. I remember all of the girls in middle school were wearing it already, and I begged her to let me start wearing it early. I have never been the type to wear a lot of makeup, because I still like to look as “natural” as you can while still wearing makeup, which to me is the entire point of the stuff in the first place. I think out of anything in the makeup category, mascara has to be the one thing I could not live without, if I were in a desert stranded. I would still somehow find a wand of mascara to put on my eyelashes. I cannot live without my mascara. Some call it vain, some say “it’s just that necessary girls.”

Let me tell you a quick & true story that shows just how serious I am about my mascara. I was running late on my way into work one morning, (which happened a lot of mornings, but that’s a story for later, or never), and I realized my makeup bag was missing my mascara. I typically would put my eye makeup on once I got to the parking lot at work. So, I called one of my managers to see if she had any in her makeup bag at the office. (Please note: I would never recommend sharing mascara, ever, but desperate times call for desperate measures, I was running late to work mind you). She said “no, I don’t have any here, and who cares, your eyes will look fine without it today, no one will even notice.” I thought “No one will notice? Are you kidding me?”. I then proceeded to tell her I was going to be even later to work because I had to make a pit stop at a drugstore. (which was not on my way, in fact it was way out of the way to work). She said “OK, friend, whatever.” Once I arrived at work, I walked into work without wearing any mascara, proceeded to her cube and said “No one will notice…really?” We laughed, but then I ran to my office and put my new mascara wand to work. So, when I say I cannot live without it, I mean it. My manager and my husband thought I was acting completely ridiculous that morning, but I feel totally “off” without mascara.

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My first “real” makeup came from the Clinique counter at Belk, and a wand of drugstore mascara. While, I have moved on from Clinique, I still have some favorite drugstore finds to share, as well as my favorite line of makeup that I swear by, Laura Mercier. I have incredibly sensitive skin, so I cannot skimp on the moisturizers, primers, foundation & bronzers; however, I have found a few drugstore beauty buys that I will probably use for years to come.

What’s in your makeup bag? Is there something that you just cannot live without?

Below are my beauty favorites:

Laura Mercier Foundation Mineral Primer

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder

Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder Compact (bronzer)

Bobbi Brown Blush

Loreal Voluminous Mascara

COVERGIRL Eyeshadow

Pixie Correction Concentrate

Essie Nail Polish

Butter London Nail Polish

Pixie Shea Butter Lip Balm (not pictured)

And as my Auntie Ersel used to say “I’m going to put my face on!” Love her. My Mom and I have adopted that phrase now. However, now that I am not working, I may not “put my face on” everyday, but I don’t leave home without mascara (duh), eye concealer (for those sleepless nights) and of course, lip gloss.

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Have a great weekend!