Favorite Masks

These are my three favorite masks for my face: Peter Thomas Roth Clinical Peel & Reveal, Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Masque and Clark's Botaniclas Intense Radiance Mask. 

Peter Thomas Roth Clinical Peel & Reveal: This is probably one of the best smelling masks I have ever used (it smells just like pumpkins!), but besides that I really love it because it exfoliates so well. Apply with damp hands rubbing it in circular motions on your face and neck. Leave it on for about 10-15 minutes then wash off. It reveals brighter, more youthful skin with the use of it's alpha hydroxy acids, pumpkin enzymes and aluminum oxide crystals.

Clark's Botanicals Intense Radiance Mask: This clarifying white-clay mask is great for deep cleaning your face without drying your skin out. My skin always looks glowing after using this product!

Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Masque: Last but not least is this wonderful hydrating masque from Skinceuticals. I like to use this about twice a week and leave it for as long as I possibly can, the packaging recommends applying it before you go to sleep. This is also a great masque to use while traveling since your skin tends to get really dry from flying. It contains high levels of hyaluronic acid (anti-aging) & Vitamin B5.

Purchase here Skinceuticals Sephora and Clark's Botanicals

Illamasqua Blush in Hussy

Illamasqua has really got it right when it comes to blushes. The colors are so gorgeous and highly pigmented, I'll lightly dab my brush and pick up so much color! Nothing bothers me more than when I am practically digging my brush into a blush and feel like I am getting no color, isn't that just the worst? The color shown above is a powder blush called, Hussy. I especially love this color in the spring/summer because the coral pink really compliments a tan.

Purchase Sephora or Illmasqua

Diorskin Air Flash Foundation

So sad I just ran out of this ;(! I really loved this foundation because it gives that airbrush effect. Also because it's super light so I barely feel like I am wearing any makeup yet still get great coverage. You can apply it straight on (about 8 inches away from your face), on a sponge or spray on the back of your hand and apply with a brush. It's $62.00 & lasted me about 3 months.


Purchase here Nordstrom or Sephora

Living Proof Restore Mask

Hands down best hair mask I have used in a long time. I like it so much because it really hydrates your hair without leaving a gross film on it. Living Proof is oh so nice and sent this to me as a sample when I bought their Nourishing Cream. Highly recommend this product!

Purchase here Living Proof

Estee Lauder Stay-in-Place Lipstick

Finally found a long-lasting lipstick that actually does what it says it's going to do! To be honest I never really used Estee Lauder makeup too much (kinda thought it was an old lady's brand - no offense! :|). Anyway I was wrong, they have 13 shades of gorgeous lipsticks that will last you throughout the night. Also looks really pretty with a gloss over it :)

Purchase here Estee Lauder or here Neiman Marcus

Black Orchid

I recently received Tom Ford's Black Orchid perfume as a present this Christmas & I love it for winter! It's top notes are pretty strong at first, but the end notes are very subtle and beautiful. It really is such a unique scent with Mandarin, Citrus, Jasmine, Bergamot, Vanilla, Sandalwood, Patchouli, Incense, Lotus Wood, Black Gardenia, Orchid and Spicy Floral Accord. Also the bottle is gorgeous, so modern and sleek!


Purchase here Sephora & Bloomingdales

Caviar Taste

Loving Ciarte's new hot nail trend, the caviar manicure. My sister picked the white one up for me the other day and at first I thought it was going to be super annoying/hard to do, but it's actually pretty simple. You paint on 2 coats of the white polish then sprinkle the caviar pearls on top of your wet nails. You do this over the plastic packaging it comes in, so you can save and reuse the pearls that don't catch the polish. It comes with a cute little funnel to pour the unused caviar pearls back into the bottle. Below is a picture from my instagram!

Purchase: Ciate or at Nordstrom

The Bold & The Beautiful

After perusing the shelves of Sephora while I was supposed to be Christmas shopping for others I got a little sidetracked and decided to buy myself the Anastasia Express Brow Lift 3-piece set. Great decision. Love the mechanical pencil & brush duo. The pencil is really fine, so it helps you from going too heavy and saves you from looking like Eddie Munster. The kit also came with a mini highlighter chubby pencil for the brow bone & a sharpener too! I purchased the kit in brunette, but there is another kit for blondes. All-in-all I must say this a great kit to have. After all your eyebrows shape your entire face, it really is crazy how much of a difference they make ;)

Purchase:

Nordstrom

HSN

Winter Skin

Like most girls I appreciate a good, hydrating body lotion (especially in the winter !)

So here are my favs for the cold winter months:

• Trader Joe's Coconut Body Butter. It's s so hydrating, smells edible and only $4 for the 8 oz tub. 
• Love Bliss' Vanilla Bergamot Body Butter - great scent for winter $29 for 6.7 oz.
• Kiehl's Creme de Corps Soy Milk & Honey Whipped Body Butter $38 for 8 oz jar.
• Laura Mercier Ambre Vanille Body Souffle $55 for 12 oz jar. 
• L'Occitane Shea Butter Ultra Rich Body Cream $42 for 7 oz. 

Peel It Away

I just got the Vi Peel done yesterday and so far I am loving the results, my skin is glowing and looks so much healthier than before!

Here is the breakdown:

• Day 1: it takes about 10 minutes for your esthetician to apply & it stings only for the first few seconds then you don't feel a thing. You're given an at home post-peel kit which comes with 2 pads (retinol) SPF, and a moisturizer. You leave the peel on for at least 4 hours which is like a brownish tan color so you can run some errands but I wouldn't recommend going out that night or anything. An hour before bed wash your face with a gentle cleanser and apply the Vi pads all over your face. 
• Day 2: cleanse your face then apply the Vi moisturizer, an hour before bed apply the 2nd pad on your face. Apparently day 3, which is tomorrow for me, your skin is expected to shed it's surface layer... so if it's safe to say I won't be going anywhere tomorrow ;) .. which is fine by me this is barely any downtime at all so if you're looking into this just dedicate a good 3 days.

The Vi Peel is comprised of Vitamin C, TCA, Salicylic Acid, Phenol, Tretinoic Acid and a mineral blend. Not only does this peel get rid of acne scars, hyper pigmentation and fine lines it is also anti-aging because it peels away the surface layer of your skin in which your skin then produces more collagen (win, win!)

I'll update next week when I really can see the final results! If any of you want to get an even skin tone, get rid of acne scars and fine lines this is the peel for you .. happy holidays!

Update: amazing, saw such great results with this product - totally evened out my skin & made my skin so glowy!