He wonders why I take so long to get ready…

My husband can’t figure out what takes me so long to get ready. For date night. For dinner with his family. For drinks with friends. He is convinced I take forever, on purpose, for no reason, no matter where we go! The other day it occurred to me that he probably doesn’t know what all gets accomplished while he waits (dressed & ready to go) for about 45 minutes. In an effort to defend myself… I’ve put together some pictures (and a few words) of what goes down prior to date night. 

So I usually look something like this before I get started….

It’s been a rough day at work. & I live in Florida. So the humidity has either made my naturally curley hair less curley & more crazy.. OR it has made my perfectly straightened hair crazy. Shower time….

Skin So Soft Radiant Moisture Body Wash

Anew Clean Purifying Gel Cleanser … to start with a clean slate (face).

Skin So Soft Shower Gel (I use to shave. Leaves skin super hydrated!)

Shampoo AND conditioner (Advance Techniques Argan Oil Conditioner) … because I’ll turna year older before getting a brush through this hair without conditioner! Lol

Moroccan Argan Oil … because the season will change (even with the extra time spent on conditioning) before I can get a brush through this hair (STILL!!)

Anew Clean Micellar Cleansing Water .. to remove any additional dirt from my face and ensure pores are clean. 

Anew Vitamin C Brightening Serum … makes my skin glow! Too good to skip!!

Anew Vitale Eye Gel Cream … to avoid puffy eyes.

Anew Vitale Day Lotion … got to take care of the skin! Also has SPF 25. 

SSS Radiant Moiature Gelled Body Oil … to keep skin on arms, chest, & legs hydrated.

SSS Signature Silk Perfecting Oil … I use this oil on old scars or stretch marks to reduce the appearance. 

Back with the hair. Lol I’ve been blessed (cursed) with natural curls. & I straighten… often. There are products on the market today to protect from heat.. & defrizz.. silky & shiny. I have some of these at home; however, the best straighten job I do is when ONLY Moroccan Argan Oil has been used. No other straightening products. So I either straighten with a straightener or with brush/blow dryer (I’m still perfecting the brush/blow dryer.. but the volume & body left in your hair are incredible… & cannot be achieved with the flat iron).

Advance Techniques Large Barrel Brush 
Clothes. Choosing clothes is a headache & Hubby knows I usually have to change 3 times minimum.. before I find what I’m feeling that day. Here are some of my favorites:

Click here to view more!
Now that I’m dressed (we are usually already in the truck in our way out).. it’s time for makeup. I start with MagiX Face Perfector. This evens out skin tone.

Then some Extra Lasting Liquid Foundation.

Extra Lasting Concealer

Perfect Eyebrow Kit 

Always On Point Eye Liner

Extra Lasting Eyeshadow

Eyelash Curler

Pro Precision Tweezer

True Color Wide Awake Mascara

mark. Powder Buff

Smooth Minerals Powder

mark. Touch & Glow Shimmer Cubes

Ultra Color Lipstick

Annnndddd finally… I’m ready!! Even with his fancy beard care oils he is using these days… He was ready much, much sooner than I was! Lol But no worries… it was worth it! I look fabulous! 

2017: New Year’s (Beauty) Resolutions

Happy New Year! So we all have New Year’s Resolutions. Or, maybe we have become one of those people that refuse to make resolutions.. because we never keep them. Lol I’ll be honest. At the end of each year I think about a few things I want to do or do better next year. I’ll think about them for a day or two & then move on. It’s much too busy at my house to actually set goals & attain them. Or is it? I think this is a good excuse we all tell ourselves most of the time. & I am the Queen of this kind of thinking. After all.. keeping a full-time job (usually part-time) and raising four young boys all under the age of 10 keeps me pretty busy. So it’s incredibly easy to tell myself that it is just too busy to plan & track anything! Lol But I’ve seriously decided that 2017 is time to shape up! I have tons of goals this year.. & the wheels are constantly turning. They say a goal is just a wish unless you have a plan. 

So now.. with all that being said- who really thinks about Beauty goals? I will be the first to say “Not me”. Why?? Because I certainly have enough on my plate to keep me entertained; however, I’m turning over a new leaf. This year I AM going to make new year’s resolutions for beauty. I am 34 years old.. but this skin isn’t getting any younger! Lol

So let’s start with skincare. Twenties, thirties, forties, fifties, or older… you should be taking care of your skin. My mother has pretty great skin & she has told me for years that she started using “night cream” in her twenties. It has to start somewhere. And even if you have great skin.. now is a good time to keep it that way. Currently I’m using some of these: 

The Anew Vitale line from Avon is to revive your skin’s natural radiance. The eye gel cream is great for minimizing puffy eyes (if you live a rough or sleepless life like I do occasionally). The day cream and day lotion botg have SPF 25, which is great defense against the sun’s damaging rays (I live in Florida.. & I will be discussing SPF a lottle farther down in this blog post). Goal #1 for me- start using this product faithfully  (instead of when I have or make time). Click here to see the whole Vitale line & read reviews about what customers are saying. Also.. dont forget, Avon has the Anew Ultimate, Anew Platinum, & Anew Reversalist lines. There are skincare regimens for women of all ages. 

Next, I wanna talk more about SPF. & things we put on our face because we WANT to. & we’re always sure to make time: Makeup. Now this is something I’ve never paid too much mind to, unfortunately. & certainly I should have been paying attention all this time, as I live in Florida. & the beach is one of my (& my family’s) favorite places. Many foundations do not have SPF. Can you believe it?! Goal #2- start wearing foundation that has SPF.

 

Click here to view the Ideal Flawless line by Avon, which has SPF 15. & the reviews are awesome! All aged women from 25 to 55 have used and love this foundation. 

How about vitamins & minerals? 

The reviews on the Vitamin C Serum are pretty impressive. I’ve just recently ordered & intend to start using this product, again in an effort to meet goals for 2017 & to take better care of my skin.

Smooth Minerals Powder Foundation. If you haven’t tried minerals before I recommed you start here. 771 reviews, with 89% saying they would recommend this product to others. Click here to read reviews & see all the shades available. 

I don’t think we ever really think about it or realize that we’re kind of stuck with the skin we have. So it is definitely worth taking care of. We can’t “change out of it” likes clothes when we are tired of seeing it.. or we don’t like how it looks in the mirror. Think about your New Year’s Beauty Resolutions. Set goals. & make a plan. 

My Weekly Favorites: February 13

So this week I started using 3 new products and I definitely feel the need tl share. My skin looks amazing!! Have a look:

I haven’t uses any eye makeup for several days because I just can’t get over how good my skin looks!!

So in addition to all my regular skin care products and the Vitamin C I’m still so in love with.. I’ve found some other products I don’t ever want to live without.

The new Anew Age Transforming 2-in1 Compact is incredible! The foundation goes on so smooth and it really does fill in creases and lines in my face! It also evens out my skin tone. These compacts are already pretty popular! Just read the reviews to find out how much women are loving this stuff! 

Next up.. I’ve been using the Smooth Minerals Powder. Love, love this stuff! A little goes a long way… Don’t over do it. But again- evens out skin tone and smooths away imperfections like a miracle!

Last but not least- the True Color Makeup Setting Spray. Now.. I’ve never used a setting spray. I always thought it wasn’t necessary and honestly, thought setting spray was just for girls who wanted ro complicate things and maybe needed a little added drama. Lol Like.. “Who has time for the fancy-schmancy makeup setting spray??” I stand corrected. If you set your makeup with this spray just one time you will be hooked!! My face looks fantastic until the moment I wash my makeup off!! No need to carry a compact with you for ‘touch-ups’. The spray takes care of that for you- all day long! 

If you would like to try any of these products I invite you to visit my eStore, where you can read reviews and check out the latest deals. If you’ve already tried these products I welcome your feedback! I’d love to hear from you! In addition, I’d be happy to answer any questions you may have or give my (honest) opinion on products you may be curious about. Just leave your comment here or click below and select”Contact Me” to send me an e-mail 💛

All About Avon Eyes

Let’s talk about eyes. Mine are Green. I’m no professional but after spending some years with my own eyes I’ve learned what can make them look amazing! With any luck this is true for most people. I love neutral colors such as brown, tan, gold. Unfortunately, the colors that seem to work best with my eyes are bolder.. like pastel colors. Blue shades (although it has not been as BIG as it was in the 60’s) makes green eyes ‘pop’. Also I’ve found that pinks and purples also bring out green.

I’ve found that green eyes are somewhat rare. So you may be dealing with Blue eyes. Or Brown. Again.. any amount of time spent with a pair of eyes (and certainly if you ever had your way with Mom’s makeup bag) and you should have an idea of what you like best on your eyes.

That being said I’d like to share some products that Avon and Mark. have available for all eye colors. Please keep in mind that there are tons of products available. Click here  to browse the current brochure. I am giving information on just a few tried and true products that I love. I’m going to start at the beginning and finish at the end. So let’s start with perfector.

Avon’s Magix Face Perfector has quickly become one of my favorite products. I live in the Sunshine State. So sun spots are a given. This face perfector smooth’s out uneven tones in your face. As the description indicates- this product can be used alone or as a primer under your foundation. I have used it both ways. Normally, I apply foundation after the perfector; however, there have been days where I was running late and my morning was not going well so I wore the perfector alone. I use the product over my whole face, but I pay special attention to corner’s of the eyes and close to hairline near the eyes to smooth out uneven tones in my face.

Next up is concealer. I use Avon’s concealer in light. Pictured is the Medium shade. I love the idea of using an eye primer (applied before applying eye shadow). I have used primer’s in the past and I am a fan; however, time is a big deal and saving time is an even BIGGER deal in my life. Mark. does have an eye primer and concealer available for those who have the extra minute or two to apply primer. Click here to check out the primer’s available from Mark. Back to the concealer- I use only concealer in an effort to save time. I apply concealer to my eye lids, as well as under my eyes, and the outside corner’s of my eyes. This helps to ‘conceal’ those dark circles or fine lines you may have started seeing in the mirror (keep reading to find out how to correct the dark circles and find lines when you are not concealing them). Avon’s concealer does a pretty good job at ‘priming’ my eyelids for eye shadow.

Next up… my current, personal faves!!

Once concealer is applied I move on to eye liner. I love Avon’s Glimmersticks!

Glimmersticks are available in many different shades and are pretty inexpensive at $7 regularly. While I do have several colors in my collection I use Black most of the time. I line my lower lid and well as my upper lid (as shown in picture). My personal opinion is that the colored glimmersticks can be worn alone or can be worn with shadow. Most days I use the black on upper and lower, in addition to eye shadow. I do sell lots of the Always on Point Eye Liner which is similar to the glimmersticks… just without the glimmer.

 

I have absolutely fallen in love with Mark. longwear eye shadow! Once my eye liner is in place I apply one of the gold tone’s available from Mark. for $10. The gold tones have served me well over the summer, with my ever-darkening tan.

I love both of these colors for the summer look. An you can see that they go well with Green eyes and with Brown. Click here to see all of the shades available from Mark. longwear. In my experience, these shadows do not crease or harden. They look perfect even after a stressful, 9-hour-day in the office.

Once your shadow is applied the right mascara will complete your eye look.

I have previously used the Super Shock (which looks much better than the picture included in this case). The brush is very good at separating lashes and lengthening. Lately, however, I have started using the Big & Multiplied mascara. After selling several of these and hearing rave reviews I had to try it for myself. The picture here does do some justice. I love this mascara! The length it gives is incredible.

I just want to say again that I have given an overview of my eye makeup look in a day, recently. My collection of Avon products goes far beyond what I have listed here; however, this is currently the look I am sporting. *Check back later for selfie 🙂 The list of products, yes, just for eyes, goes on and on. Avon and Mark. both have lines of liquid liner, gel liner, powder eye shadows in singles, doubles, quads… even 8 colors in one compact!

So your eyes have looked perfect all day with Avon’s products? Your eye shadow is not creasing.. your eye liner is not smudged.. and your mascara is not running. All has been well and now it is time to take care of your eyes (remember.. correcting when not concealing). Avon has products for that! Products that work and have been clinically proven to reduce imperfections! Anew by Avon has products for men and women, of all ages (20’s through 60’s+) and has products for all parts of the face… BUT we’re talking about eyes, right? So let’s talk about correcting the eyes.

Anew has several lines of products, based on age, that include: Anew Ultimate, Anew Platinum, Anew Reversalist, and Anew Vitale, which all include an eye system specifically for your eyes and your age group. Click here to view all products in the Anew lines. Anew Clinical goes above and beyond to help correct dark circles and bags or sagging underneath the eyes.

 

Now the ‘rest’ is up to you. I’ve noticed when I get plenty of sleep my face, in general, looks happier and healthier. Not getting enough sleep can contribute to (what may seem like) permanent dark circles and bags under your eyes. So get plenty of sleep.. & rest those beautiful eyes.

Mark. is ready for Summer

Have you met Mark.? Mark. is ready for Summer!

Mark. is a line of products by Avon, including clothes, fragrances, makeup, and jewelry. Mark’s summer catalog will have you ready for the beach in no time!

Let’s start with the summer must-haves! Mark. has surf spray for your locks. Who doesn’t love the beach hair look? That’s Beachy texturizing surf spray will give you the beach hair look no matter where you spend your warm summer day. The Crushing on Coconut body mist will have you feeling like you’re on the islands. And one of my favorite things is the Touch & Glow shimmer cubes. Whether you have worked on your tan or not, these cubes will tell the world that you have!

Mark. style is like no other. The Fever Pitch Dress will be sure to keep you cool in the high temperatures and the flirty Orchid Show Maxi Skirt is perfect for summer nights.

Mark. has all the accessories to go along with their stylish clothing. I’m loving this Ray of Sunshine Beach Hat and the Mother of Pearl hair pins!

You won’t want to miss Mark. makeup. Mark. features hook-ups! These nifty little tools connect your favorite cream eye shadow with your favorite liquid eye liner or your favorite plumping lip gloss. Create the look you want and then keep your colors hooked up for convenient use in the future.

Want to see the full catalog? Click here to see the full line of summer products available now from Mark.

Place your order today and remember, shipping is always free on orders of $40 or more! & don’t forget to register your e-mail before purchasing so that you can receive special offers right in your inbox!

Campaign 15-Introducing Anew Clean

Introducing Anew Clean!

This new line of cleansers offers a product for every skin type. The line includes a rich cleansing foam, comforting cleanser and mask, purifying gel cleanser, refining daily scrub, micellar cleansing water, and revitalizing toner. Facial cleansing wipes are also available, as well as the new cleansing brush! Each of the cleansers will be between $10-$12 but are available now for a discounted price of $5.99-$6.49! Click here to shop the whole line of Anew Cleansers now.

This cleansing brush works with most of the Anew Cleansers. Brushes like the Anew cleansing brush are sold in department stores for up to $95! But the Anew cleansing brush is available for a special introductory price of $24.99 (reg. price will be $40). Click here to read reviews and purchase the brush now!

Also happening in Campaign 15 is the The BIG Summer Makeup sale. True color eyeshadow quads reg. $8.00 now on sale for $4.99 each!

Mascara must-haves include Avon’s Super Shock for $4.99 and Avon’s Big & Multiplied Volume Mascera for $6.99.

Start shopping now!