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PURENEW
Beauty

My Skincare Routine with PURENEW

Thank you to PURENEW for sponsoring this conversation on skincare. All opinions are mine.

My makeup arsenal is about as basic as it gets. I like makeup, I really do. I don’t own much of it but I can pull together a decent look with the bare basics that I own, you know foundation, blush, primer, eyeliner etc. etc. etc.

In the past few months, I’ve become more concerned with my skincare. Okay, more like obsessed. I’ve started getting facials once a month and I’ve nailed down a skin care routine that is really working for me. It’s a mixture of Yes to Coconut products, the Mario Bedescu glycolic cleanser, a serum I picked up from Marshalls and Dermalogica. It’s a motley crue, but it works.

All of these products are topical, but as with anything from self love to clear skin, it all starts within. PURENEW, a fusion of the word pure and renew is a line of  vitamin supplements developed to help improve your skin from the inside out. I’ll be the first to tell you that I am quite certain I don’t get all of the nutrients my body needs from the foods I eat. PURENEW supplements use premium ingredients and are backed by clinical studies and control standards enforced by the FDA to give your body and your skin an extra boost of nutrients to nourish your body on the inside and out.

PURENEW

The beauty (pun intended) of PURENEW is the products are optimized for skin health based on age related issues. So, since your girl is knock, knock, knocking on 40 the Professional Skin Clear I’m using is aimed at reducing wrinkles and promoting clear skin by increasing collagen and boosting moisture. Totally different from being in your 20s and 30s when the focus is on pores, fighting fine lines and dark spots.

PURENEW

A regimen of a healthy diet, lots of water and supplements where needed can help you feel and look your best. Always make the best decision for you. For more info on PURENEW be sure to visit their website.

Beauty Living

Creating Mommy and Me Moments

Thank you Ivory for sponsoring this conversation. All opinions are mine.

I once believed at some point I would get the hang of parenting. I’ve since learned that at every age there is something new to learn and my kids will continuously need me in a different capacity. Just when I think I’ve mastered a stage it ushers itself out and welcomes in a new challenge as if to say this is a lifelong game of chess and strategy.

Addison just turned eight and overnight she wants to do all things girly and spends so much time with me I often feel like we are attached at the hip.

….and let me say I am totally fine with this, it’s just trying to get her to understand boundaries when it comes to my things and makeup, and clothes and shoes and phone, and planners, and… pretty much everything.

I’ve unapologetically crafted major parts of my life around being available to my children. I have so many fond memories of moments spent with my mother, that I can’t help but work to recreate those mother/daughter moments for Addison and I. From time spent in the garden to evening bike rides, one of our favorite pastimes is spending time outdoors.

The gentle smell of our favorite Ivory body wash, envelops our evenings as we cuddle and have girl talk after a long day. Her favorite wash is Pear & Sandalwood and mine is Sweet Pea & Lily. She feels grown up using my body wash and I feel good knowing my favorite body wash is gentle enough for her sensitive skin. 

As the summer days spread out ahead of us, I’m looking forward to unplugging a bit and spending time with my family and creating epic mommy and me memories with my baby girl. Tradition is welcomed in our home, just as I remember the smell of Ivory soap in my home as a child, Addison will have those same memories tied to the time we spend together.

Dollar Tree Hair Products
Beauty Hair Video

My 7 Favorite Dollar Tree Hair Products + Video

Dollar Tree and I have a special connection. Most recently outside of organizational and stationery items I have been using some Dollar Tree hair products, and for the price I’ve been overly pleased. My obsession for Dollar Tree expanded into the hair category as a result of my daughter constantly taking the brushes and products I use on her hair and using them on her dolls.

Ever tried to use a brush with matted doll hair in it? Or go to use your gel and it is sticky because the top was left off. Something had to give so I decided to give some of the Dollar Tree items a try. I still use brand name shampoo, conditioner, and leave in for washing.

In no particular order, these are my absolute favorite Dollar Tree hair products and essentials:

I. Combs + Brushes

We can’t keep enough of these around. I even found one that has a tiny little razor blade that you can use to cut the little black rubber bands that hold ponytails.

II. Argan Oil Gel

The smell of the Softee brand of Argan Oil Gel is amazing. Not too mention it will lay, slay and get some edges all the way together with no flaking and it contains no alcohol.

III. Hair Accessories

Dollar Tree is the absolute best place for hair accessories. The lifespan of a headband, or hair bow around here is about a week. Spending  $1 on cute ones just seems logical. There are times whenthe higher end brands like Goody and Scuncii find their way into the Dollar Tree. When you see them, buy ALL of them, or at least one of each. I find these to be incredible deals and worth the splurge.

IV. Storage

Dollar Tree keeps good storage options, I use the little sliding drawers to hold mini rubber bands. I had a bad experience with those and beads. We now keep those in a sealed container for my sanity.

Check out how I organize her hair accessories with Dollar Tree items HERE

Dollar Tree Organization

 

V. Shower Caps

Shower caps in my house come at a premium. You would think with just my daughter and I utilizing them that we wouldn’t have a problem. The reality is we lose shower caps, a lot.

VI. Bobby Pins

I can never find them when I need them. NEVER. With 72 GOOD bobby pins in a pack for $1, I keep a stash of them on hand.

VII. Hair Clips

When detangling, styling and braiding hair it is essential to keep the unused hair out of the way. The clips at Dollar Tree aren’t as sturdy as ones you may get from Sally’s but they get the job done. They normally come 4-5 in a pack for $1. Can’t beat that.

I’ve also uploaded a video to Youtube sharing these favorites. Be sure to subscribe to my channel!

 

Mented Cosmetics
Beauty

6 Nude Lipsticks for Women of Color

If I may cut straight to the chase, the mainstream hue of nude does not include me or other women of color.

When you say the word nude, based on definition you assume the color to be your skin tone.

Nude (adj.)

Denoting or relating to clothing or makeup that is of a color resembling that of the wearer’s skin.

Somehow the universal shade of nude is depicted in hues of peach, pink, and beige. That’s somebody’s nude, not mine.

I’m glad to see brands starting to address this gross misrepresentation of “nude”. The amount of time it has taken for this issue to come to light is alarming and we still have an extremely long way to go but the journey of a thousand miles really did start with the first step. Some of our conversations are finally being heard at the level that brands are noticing that there is an entire portion of the human population that patronizes the beauty and fashion industry that is hard pressed to find a cute dark brown, or tan, read nude shoe, or lipstick or bra or……

I digress.

One of my new favorite cosmetics line is Mented Cosmetics.  Mented offers a line of what I consider true nude lipsticks for women of color. Mented sent me over 6 shades from their line  and after trying them out for a couple of months I am truly smitten with them.

These lipsticks are vegan, paraben-free, non-toxic, cruelty free, and proudly made in the USA. As I’ve searched for the perfect shade of nude or pink I always find that something is a little off in the coloring that makes it hard to really compliment my darker complexion, that even includes red lipsticks. These nude lipsticks seem to have the perfect undertones that compliment my skin color.

 

Mented Cosmetics

 

My daily makeup routine is extremely minimal but lipstick is a staple and I have fallen in love with these Mented lipstick colors. I don’t leave home without Dope Taupe and Nude Lala.

(l. to r. Dark Night, Foxy Brown, Nude La La, Pretty in Pink, Mented #5, Dope Taupe)mented cosmetics

 

If you have been on the search for the elusive perfect shade of nude that is complimentary to a darker complexion I stand behind Mented and this philosophy quoted from their website,

” We know you’ll love being put first – because when it comes to beauty, no one deserves to be an afterthought.”

Amen.