Friday, December 26, 2014

Hello, there, stranger!  How is your holiday season?  It seems like we start the winter season in November... we get ready for Thanksgiving, celebrate Thanksgiving, and then we're getting ready for the winter break and time off.  We try to make family time and friends time and alone time and fun time... All in all, the fun requires quite a bit of balance!  Did I forget to mention that students are dealing with exams through all this and us adults are managing this on top of work?  Oi vey!

One thing that is inevitable in the winter season is dry skin.  Till winter blows in, I am unaware (each year, by the way) of the multitude of places that can turn dry overnight!  There's lips, and face, and ears, and toes, and then the rest of your skin!

So today I wanted to share some of the products that are on our side, fighting the deep crevices that form on our skin from the dry air and healing the rashes that remain as scars after a windy adventure outside.

 First of all is the Elizabeth Arden Hydrating Mask.  This mask is fabulous for your face when you have dry patches so tattered it looks like you are peeling from a sunburn (ew!).  It has a light neutral scent, and stays on for only 15 minutes.  I've tried this on my hands, as well, and it is great for keeping the top of your hands soft.
 Next is face moisturizers.  It seems like I have tried many moisturizers and serums, but these are the three that I love most.  The Garnier Moisture Rescue Gel-Cream for Dry Skin: oh, my gosh, this smells fantastic!  Like fresh roses and flowers in a light, non-allergy way!  The gel formula is soft and absorbs quickly.  Despite the fact that it is for Dry Skin, I think it is better as a daily moisturizer, not as a heavy duty night cream, as it is not strong enough to fix stubborn dry patches.  The Neutrogena Naturals night cream is a bit stronger, although the scent is a bit stronger, as well.  It smells like oats and the consistency is not as flattery as the Garnier gel (but, hey, night creams aren't meant to be pretty, right?).  I like that the Neutrogena cream is pretty neutral and is great at dry patches.  I've tried other creams and serum and was allergic to the perfume! And when all else fails, slap on some thick Nivea Creme just on your dry patches, and try not to rub on anything!
Two great balms are the Bobbi Brown lip balm and the Nivea Lip Butter in Raspberry Rose Kiss.  Both are absolutely soft.  My only quip about the Nivea one is that it leaves your lips a little milky in color; however, the heavenly smell more than makes up for it, and I use this one at night.  The Bobbi Brown one is sooooo thick that it lasts a crazy long time on the lips.  It's one of those products that will smooth out rocky lips in one or two applications (even handy for men as it is clear and not shiny).  A great mask is the Bite Agave Mask - Bite has recently come out with tinted ones, which is fun!  Though it is a bit price for a lip treatment, the intense treatment it provides is worth it!  It tastes (er... I mean, smells!  I won't actually eat it!) like sweet honey and is as moisturizing as it.  The last product is by It Cosmetics - and it is their Vitality Lipstick.  I thought it would be a cool lip color as it adjusts color based on your lips, but as an added bonus, it is super moisturizing!  I've been using it as a deep treatment when I go out and want some natural color!

How are you doing in surviving the winter?  I hope you get to enjoy time with family and some down time, as well!

Toodles!