Simple Beauty Secret Weapon: Bold Lips

dolce & gabbana rubio (similar)/revlon colorbust lip butter in red velvet (similar)/younique lucrative lip gloss in luscious/model co in peony/estee lauder pure color in forbidden apple

One of the things that has really suffered since becoming a working Mom is my beauty routine. I really used to love getting a made up for the day, having perfectly funky manicured nails and just looking polished. Now on most days I have little time or desire to wear more than mascara. My severely baggy eyes are another story altogether.

My makeup routine has been minimized to a very light layer of foundation (sometimes this only makes it under said baggy eyes), blush and mascara. This helps but it still looks like I'm not wearing makeup on most days.

Enter my secret weapon: the bold lip.

This is my new favorite look. It takes a dull looking face and suddenly makes it seem full of life. My eyes look bluer. My teeth look whiter. My face looks more alive than undead. And I look like I gave a damn when I left the house that morning. A bold lip calls for simple makeup on the rest of your face as it demands to be the star of the show. I'm happy to oblige! I continue the above routine and then simply add some bold lipstick after I drop Penelope off at daycare for the day (that way I can smother her in kisses without worry of getting red lipstick all over her).

The above collage showcases some of my very favorite colors and formulas!

So tell me, what's your beauty secret weapon?

What's Your Skin Care Routine?

Since having Little Miss Penelope (and even when I was pregnant), my skin has definitely gone through some changes. Luckily I was blessed with great skin (thanks Mom!) and so I've never really had to do much in the way of caring for it. I have typically used a make-up remover towelette in the evenings, followed by a little Aveeno moisturizer (I don't even know which kind because I never even paid attention to it!).

Lately I've noticed that my skin is incredibly dry. As in, patches of dry skin on my cheeks. So I've started to change things up a little. I've switched out most of my expensive stuff for products that can be found in most drug stores, Target or Wal-mart. I know my sister Christine is going to yell at me for calling this my routine, but this is really how I 'care' for my skin...or more like, here's what I do to/put on my face each day.

I wash with bar soap (I'm currently loving Dove's blue fig & orange blossom), slather with Nivea Soft (this has single-handedly rehydrated my skin), and top with Garnier BB Cream in fair/light (a great inexpensive option that simply evens out my skin tone and smells pretty nice too!) and my favorite tarte blush in Exposed (my one splurge of the bunch). Oh and at the end of the day? I remove it all with a Neutrogena cleansing towelette and re-slather with Nivea. It's that simple for me!

What are your favorite skin care products?

What is your skin care routine?

Scents of Summer

Though it's passed the mid-August mark and surely summer will be winding down in the coming weeks, I really adore summer scents and am trying to soak them up while I can.

My all-time favorite is Marc Jacobs Cucumber Splash.

I got this a number of summers ago and somehow it's lasted a very long time. It's such a subtle, fresh, summery scent. It's not overpowering; I spray multiple times on my neck and on my wrists every morning in the summer and it gorgeous fruity, perfumy scent sets the tone for any summer morning.

Sadly, I believe it is discontinued, so I had better make this bottle last!

I also adore Dolce & Gabbana Light Blue. Though it is a summery scent, I had received this as a Christmas gift and so I associate it with winter time! But really anytime is a good time for this fresh scent.

What are your favorite summer scents?