New Mommy Beauty: The New Series!

If you read this blog regularly (or even sporadically) you may have noticed my reference to pregnancy, avoiding certain skin care ingredients, etc. Yes, I'm most definitely pregnant (at least I am right now as I'm typing this). I'm due January 19th and we'll see if I make it to that date or things progress a bit more quickly.

Since I'm sure I'll be incredibly tired and preoccupied after my little baby girl arrives, I've been working far in advance to give everyone a little something to still read. Over the next 8-10 weeks you'll find regular posts from me (some of which were written in advance, some of which I'll still be writing throughout the month), some guest posts from fellow beauty bloggers and some beauty tips from both beauty bloggers and beauty experts. You'll notice that some of these posts are geared toward speeding up your morning routine, but some are specifically geared towards new mommies. There will be topics like stretch marks, what to bring to the hospital, etc. If there's a topic you'd like to see covered definitely let me know before my daughter arrives!

As well, keep your eyes open for a second new series coming in the next month or so. A giant series reviewing different concealers! (Who better than a new mom to review concealers?) I'll be featuring brands like Revlon, Cover Girl, Estée Lauder, Make Up For Ever, etc. Let me know if there's something you'd love me to review or make sure I include in each of these reviews.

Pure Body Organics Body Butter: A Non-Greasy, Organic Super Moisturizer

You know those stores in the mall that promise all sorts of great skin care products? I'm sure you know the ones that I mean, they are nationwide chains. Every mall seems to have them, and I am admitting that I'm a bit leery of them. I walk in and get overwhelmed by the scents and sales associates.... I'm not so much a fan of either.

But, when I do venture into these stores, I fully admit that I get sucked in by one product category each and every single time. What is it? The super moisturizers, specifically the body butters. I'm almost always disappointed. These products tend to be very oily and highly scented, which my skin does not react well too. I have the best intentions of sealing in moisture and having soft amazing skin, and instead I end up with flaring eczema and greasy skin for hours after application.

This body butter is different that those! Pure Body's Body Butter isn't a body butter along the lines of the previously mentioned body butter. I want to state that this is very different. It is more of a super thick moisturizing lotion, super thick and creamy. Upon application it immediately feels hydrating and I swear you can feel it sinking into your skin immediately. It does take a few minutes to fully sink in, but the residue that is sinking in isn't oily, it's just lotion.

This product is 82% organic, has not been tested on animals and contains no parabens, silicones or artificial colors. I tried out the lavender version (which smelled amazing), but I think when I buy more I'll be heading for either the pink grapefruit or unscented versions..

Pure Body Organics

MAC Play it Proper Beauty Powder

I'm a sucker for the MAC Beauty Powders. I love to swipe a little over my cheeks and t-zone at the end of my makeup. I find it really helps wake up my super pale girl complexion, and is really important if I'm planning to have my picture taken.

The new MAC collection, Stylishly Yours has 2 beauty powders, and this is my favorite one. Play it Proper is a very soft pastel pink, and though there is shimmer in the palette, it does not translate over to the face. The pink is very translucent and can't really be picked up once applied, though it definitely makes a difference in how I look.

MAC Play it Proper Beauty Powder

Exploring Alternative Methods of Eye Makeup Removal: Neutrogena

For years now I've been a loyal user of Lancome's Bi-Facil Eye Makeup Remover. While I have tried others in the past, in a vain attempt to find something that worked as well (see Lumene, Clean & Clear, Boots #7, and Almay), I keep coming back to the Lancome. It's the only one that removes 100% of my mascara and eye liner easily the first time, no matter what I'm wearing. But... it's expensive. I try to stock up on it at the outlet mall (love those CCO stores), but I still feel guilty every time I use it.

Do You Need An Eye Cream? Dr. Cynthia Bailey Weighs In

Recently I featured a link list, and in it I asked what everyone thought about eye creams. Phyrra wasn't sure if they were necessary for her. For me, they usually are, but on occasion they aren't (pretty much when I am using a thick night cream I might skip this step). I definitely prefer to use them during the day since the extra hydration helps to apply concealer and I like extra hydration and tightening in this area.

Lucky for me (and us!), one of my favorite readers commented on the post. Her answer was so great, I decided that I couldn't let it just be a comment, it needed to be highlighted for everyone to read!

MAC Cham Pale: The Lip Gelées

I'm in love with most of MAC's newest collection, Cham Pale. Why? Because the colors are perfect for pale girls like me. Little pops of color that aren't too much color, but keep us from looking washed out.

The Lip Gelées have been seen before, though not in these exact versions. In my experience, MAC's lip gelées tend to be a little bit shinier than the lip glasses, have more shimmer or glitter, and they tend to not last as long on the lip. In addition, I do find them to be quite a bit stickier than the lip glasses. For me, they work best layered over other lippies, such as over lipstick to add a little extra pop. In that manner I use less of the sticky gelée but get a great look.


Bubble Lounge is described as "sparkly pink peach" and Straight to the Head as "sparkly bronze brown." You can see that both are insanely full of shimmer, which made photographing them a bit of a challenge (even without using flash)! There is a bit of color to the base, and the glitter is tinted as well. Both work really well over lipstick, though be careful because if you use too much of the gelée it will look like you've dipped your lips into a ton of glitter.

MAC Cham Pale Lip Gelées

Frais Towelettes: A Portable Spa in a Packet

I love the towelettes that are available now, whether they come from the drug store or department store. Unfortunately, not all towelettes are created equal. Some are much too small, some barely clean anything off of my face, leave a strange residue behind or smell gross. These towelettes have none of those issues.

The Frais towelettes are a bit bigger than usual (8x7.5 inches), have a light fresh scent, and clean everything easily and quickly. When I say everything, I mean these towelettes will even take off waterproof mascara! They're perfect for travel (I think leaving one in my 3-1-1 bag is a great idea), my diaper bag, in my purse, or just to use at home.

Frais Towelettes