O.P.I. I'm in Love!!

Check out this latest color I just bought from the O.P.I. line. It is called Swimsuit...Nailed It!

*Please excuse my cuticles lol

I love love love O.P.I. nail polish. You can find this brand running around $10 a pop depending on where you shop. Honestly it is worth it to me! This polish glides on so smooth and even! It is nearly impossible to mess up. Their colors are always so rich and vibrant too. What I really love about this polish is how long the polish stays nice and neat on my nails. It usually takes a good week before I see my first chip. Most nail polishes are chipping after the 2nd day. I have to admit I am pretty rough on my nails. 

So anyways, for those who love O.P.I. like I do or want to try it out..go to your nearest ULTA store. They have a sale where you can buy two for only $12 (selected colors only). That is a great deal considering what they normally go for. They don't have the polish online (strange) but they have stacks in the stores. Hopefully you have an Ulta near you!

xoxo
Ash

Did you know??...

I don't know about you, but there are certain days when I just feel absolutely beautiful. I mean I think on most days I am fairly pleased with my appearance but then there are those days when EVERYTHING is on point! Do you have those days? I am talking about my skin just has this glow..to the point where I don't even feel makeup is necessary. My lips are plump and juicy. My hair is full of luster and my eyes are sparkling. I hope everyone feels this way about themselves at some point. Some might say it is a state of mind. Hey maybe I did just wake up in a super confident mood on those days. Then there are other people who say it is actually our hormones that are making these wonderful little changes in our skin and hair.

Check out this link:
http://www.dailyglow.com/skin-care-tips/how-your-period-affects-your-skin.html

Who knew?? Try tracking it! On those days when it is just all pulling together so nicely...mark in our your calendar and see if there is a pattern. I am going to try it out.  And guess what? Today is one of those days!! :)

Veggies and Fruit..Good for the Skin!

I made a yummy smoothie today. Smoothies stock full of veggies and fruit are great for you inside and outside beauty. Try out this yummy recipe!

• 1 banana
• 1/2 apple
• 1/2 Orange Juice
• 1/3 cup of peach yogurt
• 7 mini carrots
• handful of spinach

Blend together the goodness and feel the healthy start to radiate! :)

Yum Yum...Cherry Lemon Oatmeal Facial

My face was looking a little dull. It was time for either a good facial scrub or mask. Unfortunately, I didn't have either in my beauty bag. Time to get creative in the kitchen!! I had some cherries in the fridge that were getting a little to ripe. Hey, right next to that was a 1/2 a lemon. I juiced about 12 cherries and added 1 tablespoon of lemon juice. To get a nice paste going that would exfoliate I then added about 1/4 cup of oatmeal. Mix the ingredients and heat in the microwave for 30 seconds. Tadaa!!

The mixture didn't exactly turn into the mask paste I had planned but it made for a good scrub.

 I know, I look crazy!! But the tingle felt so good :-)

I would suggest scrubbing your face in your kitchen sink. As you can see, you will have some leftovers that you won't want clogging your bathroom sink.

Doesn't my skin look refreshed?? It felt that way too!

xoxo

Ash

Beware of Breakouts!

Hey All!

So I just had to post a warning about the primer I recently discovered. In a previous post I talked about using Monistat's Chaffing Powder Gel as a primer. Well It does work very well as a primer..and for the price I was quite happy. BUT, I have to warn you that I have been experiencing some breakouts due to this product. Probably, because it wasn't made to be applied to the face. I decide I will only use this on those special occasions when I really want my skin to look silky smooth. I wouldn't reject this product just advise to use wisely and sparingly!

xoxo
Ash

Trying a Vitamin Boost :-)

Hey All!

I wanted to give my hair, skin and nails a healthy boost. I have done a lot of research and decide a multivitamin is a good place to start. There are many brands out there that you can try. Some are ridiculously over priced..beware. Check the labels!! Some of those $$$ vitamins don't have anymore benefits than a more cost-saving option. I choose the cost-saving option first. for the past week, I have been taking One Source- Hair Skin and Nails multi-vitamin. It is only about $5 at walmart for 72 pills. Instructions say to take them twice a day.

 Make sure you drink plenty of water. Biotin, an ingredient in this pill used to promote healthy hair, skin and nails, can make you breakout. Look it up on some other blogs and vlogs. There is plenty of evidence out ther on what can happen if you don't get enough water. As for me, I have had a water bottle at my side at all times and no breakouts yet! Yay! In about a month I plan to do a video about the results. Stay tuned!

xoxo
Ash

Review: ULTA'S Gift with Purchase

Happy Day to you all! It sure is a happy day for me! Yesterday I got a mailer from Ulta. It featured a promotion where after you purchase $17.50 of Ulta Brand cosmetics, you receive this cute little bag stocked with goodies ($88 value) for FREE!! Gotta love that. So shopping I went...

I have never actually purchased Ulta's brand before. I have shopped at the store but never dived into what their brand had to offer. Um...I wasn't too impressed either. I have been wanting to stock up on tinted moisturizer or foundation so I figured this would be a good item to try of Ulta's. First of all, in this particular store, they had no shades that would match my skin tone! BUMMER! If you are darker than Halle Berry, you are out of luck. That put me in a mood. I decided to purchase a lipstick, lip liner and eyeliner. The lipstick is nice..featured in the pic below. I will, however, never buy liners (eye or lip) in the Ulta collection again. They barely leave a mark. Still with this wonderful bag of goodies, my disappointment with what I had actually purchased quickly faded away.

 In the goodie bag, I choose the "mystic" color you receive the following:

• 1 Trail-size moisturizer
• 1 full-size mascara
• 1 travel-size nail polish
• 1 travel-size blush
• 2 4-pod eyeshadows
• 1 trial-size lip gloss
• 1 full-size lipstick
• 1 dual eyeliner
• 1 set of travel-size brushes

The quality of the products is awesome. I don't know why there is such a difference in these gift items compared to the ones I actually purchased.  I used the products yesterday and today. Below are the results!! Thanks for reading and lookout for the next Ulta promotion!

 xoxo
Ashley

Have You Heard About This???

Ok, I was watching Youtube the other night and stumbled upon a lovely lady putting stuff on her face I would have never thought of applying to my face! She described how she used Milk of Magnesia as a way to tone down the oil and shine. Then the next product really got me..She put Monistat cream on her face as a primer! WHAT?? Monistat???? Ok it wasn't the vaginal itch cream it is the chafing gel powder. Well after all is said and done her face looked great! Actually, there are quite a few ladies who Vlogged about these two products...so I had to try it! Here is my experience.

First I bought the Milk of Magnesia at the store for less than $4. It can be found in the isle with anti-acids and vitamins. After I applied my moisturizer I applied the milk of magnesia with my foundation brush to my oil prone areas and let it dry. It dries white..but don't get scared.

Next I applied the um..ahhumm..Monistat. LOL it still cracks me up! This can be bought in the feminine hygiene area for about $6. WOW! It really glides on so smooth and although it is a gel, it feels powdery soft. A little goes a long way with this stuff so apply lightly concentrating on areas of your face that crease. It should take away most of the white from the milk of magnesia.

Ok, next step, apply your foundation. On this occasion, I applied a tinted moisturizer. I use the Smash Box brand.

Now I am ready to do my eyes, highlighting and eyebrows.Today, I chose to do a purple and white eye. BEAUTIFUL, I must say!

Just need a few finishing touches, a light lip and glam hair...Ready to go!

Now I must say, I am totally sold on the Monistat as a primer. My makeup was so smooth...I am in love! The milk of magnesia did a good job too. Normally I am shining before I even get to walk out of the door. Now the milk doesn't totally keep away the shine, but it does keep it under control for maybe an extra hour or two than what you would have without it. So since it was only $4 I consider it a great investment!

xoxo
Ashley

First Things First..Taking care of my skin!

Hola ladies...and gents! This is the very first post I am adding to my new beauty blog. I am so incredibly exciting to be able to add my input into the beauty world. Whether I have 3 people reading this or 300...I am    glad to offer some advice. Ok, now on to skincare!

I have struggled for years to find a regimen that works well for my skin. I have highly sensitive skin that is prone to breakouts and oiliness. But for now, I think I have found some products that are adding value.

I am all about the glow. I like the dewy look. I love the dewy look. Not oily...DEWY! I have naturally oily skin so it has been tricky finding products that offer that healthy glow but won't add to my oily complexion. So below I will go through the steps I take to cleanse, hydrate and protect my skin on a daily basis.

In the mornings I wash my face with Ambi Even and Clear Foaming Cleanser. It can be found at most drugstores for under $6. It is pretty mild but leaves my face feeling squeaky clean. I have been using it for about 3 weeks and I honestly am starting to see a difference in my skin tone. My dark spots are slowly fading away! YAY!!

After my facial cleansing I apply a miracle moisturizer. It is Neutrogena's Healthy Defense Liquid Moisturizer. It was suggested by a friend and I love her for it. Now it is pricey, especially for the small amount that you get. Still, you only need a little and the lightweight formula is amazing. It runs for about $12. Yikes, I know!

This is all I do before I apply my makeup! Now for my nightly ritual...
I have embraced the oil cleanse method. When I first heard about this, it sounded completely crazy. I have oily skin, why would I put more oil on top of my skin and expect cleansing results?!?! Well I would suggest reading up on this site: http://www.theoilcleansingmethod.com/  It will tell you all about how this method works! I love it. It is cheap, easy and gives me a natural glow. I use a mix of olive oil and and castor oil. I rub a generous amount on my face, use a clean cloth soaked in hot water and "steam" my face. I plan to do a tutorial on this method in the future. I then use 100% Witch Hazel to clean any excess residue. The final step is a light layer of olive oil...LIGHT LAYER. I usually wash my face about an hour before I plan on going to bed. The olive oil is usually soaked into my skin by then so I don't have to worry about my sheets.

So there you have it. Now this routine might change, but change is good. I will keep you posted!

xoxo
Ashley