Show Us Your Life- My Beauty Tips and Favorite Products

I've decided to join in on the fun over at Kelly's Korner and talk about some of my favorite beauty products and my morning/night beauty rituals. What a fun way to spend a wintry, sleety Friday night, now that my big and little guys are sound asleep...talking about beauty products and tips! Love it!


By the way, if you've never checked out Kelly's blog, please do so! I love reading about her and her cute family, and all the creative and neat things she does! She seems like such a sweet and kind person...someone I'd enjoy hanging out with! And she's an Arkansas girl...from NWA. I spent a good portion of my girlhood days growing up in NEA, so it's cool to read about life in my good ol' childhood state!


Anyways...on to the beauty!!


Every morning, I begin by showering and washing my face with St. Ives Apricot Scrub (I usually get a store-brand version of this since it's cheaper). I then use Aveeno Ultra-Calming Daily Moisturizer with SPF 15 to give my skin a boost of moisture before it's off to face the day. I really like how this product contains natural ingredients and also has a built-in sunscreen...a great bonus for my skin!

After moisturizing, I then use Sally Hansen's Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy's Luminizing Face Primer. I first learned about Carmindy's beauty line when I was at home on maternity leave with Aidan during the fall of 2008 and I watched a lot of TLC when I was feeding him and trying to get some rest, and of course, one of my favorite shows was "What Not To Wear". I always love how Carmindy enhances the natural beauty of the ladies she's working with, and uses simple products and techinques as well. And if you know me, simple is a MUST! I love her line of beauty products--in addition to the face primer and concealer I have mentioned here, I also have two of her lip balms and an eyeshadow palette that are essentials to my look. And the best part...you can find her line at CVS!! There's only one CVS in my area that carries this line, so I do have to do a little more driving to get there, but it's worth it! These are great, affordable products!

I love how this sheer, lightweight primer adds a slight shimmer to my skin, and it really enhances the application of my foundation. It's also made of "good-for-your-skin" ingredients, so feel free to indulge!

After the face primer, I use foundation. My choice? I always go with Clinique's Clarifying Makeup Clear Skin Formula. I love the coverage it gives, and all the while it works to help control my typically oily skin and to keep me remaining blemish-free. Although I must inform y'all...Clinique is OUT of Clarifying Makeup at the moment, but rest assured, I was informed that they would be re-releasing it in a couple of months! I hope it's still the same great product it always was! For now, I'm using the Almost Makeup foundation from Clinique, which is very similiar to the Clarifying Makeup, but I don't think it helps control the oiliness of my skin as well.

Following my foundation, I reach for my Sally Hansen Natural Beauty Inspired by Carmindy Fast Fix Concealer. I must say I LOVE this little container of pinky goodness!! Thank you, Carmindy, for making this great product for us mamas who don't always get a full night of sleep! I use this concealer to mask the dark circles under my eyes, and I will sing its praises to anyone who listens! This was a great beauty-booster during my new mama days with newborn Aidan, and I still hardly ever go a day without it! To me, this is a beauty "must have", whether you're a mama or not!

I finish up my face with a sweep of translucent powder, some powder blush, and eyeshadow and mascara, and I'm done for the day!

Each evening, I begin my taking off my eye makeup using Clinique's take the day off makeup remover for lids, lashes, and lips. As with my morning face wash, I tend to go with the store-brand version of this product to save some money. This does a great job of getting all the mascara and eyeshadow residue off my eyes that using face wash alone simply cannot remove.

I then use my FAVORITE face wash...Clinique's Liquid Facial Soap for Oily Skin. They have this in all skin types, but of course I go with the oily skin variety. This is the best facial soap I've used, and I love how it leaves my face feeling squeaky-clean and how thorough it is in removing all of my makeup from the day.

Finally, I use a face cream to replenish lost moisture to my face (especially in the colder winter months when my skin tends to dry out more from being exposed to heat sources). I usually don't need a face cream at night during the summer when moisture in the air is abounding. For my nightly moisturizer, I go with Avon's Rich Moisture Face Cream. This lightweight cream leaves my face feeling silky smooth, and I love that it adds moisture without making my skin feel super greasy. And it's inexpensive, too! Gotta love that!

Well, I've hope y'all have enjoyed this peek into my makeup bag and my morning/night beauty rituals! It's been fun to share this part of my day with y'all, and I do hope y'all will be inspired and try out some of these great products if you haven't before!

Remember, it's not what's on the outside that makes us beautiful, but what's truly on the inside! Being a Christian is, of course, my most cherished and favorite "beauty product" of all! When I let the love of Christ shine through and walk as best as I can in His footsteps, I know that I'm a beautiful creature! I strive daily to "let the beauty of Jesus be seen in me"!