HOW I'M TACKLING DARK CIRCLES & DRY LIPS...

Soooo... I'm definitely at the point where I have to put just a tad more thought into my beauty regimen - which is why you have seen the topic of beauty here a bit more often. I remember the days when I would skip over the beauty section of magazines or websites because I didn't wear makeup or didn't really have an interest in skincare products outside cleansers and moisturizers. But oh how things change with age!! I still don't care for shopping for beauty products, wearing lots of makeup, or spending lots of time and money on trying different things. But my skin is aging and I'm at the point where I need to invest a little more time- when necessary - on finding good products for my skin. 

Notice I said "when necessary." My normal cleansers and moisturizers are still working great (I use the cleansers in this post and the moisturizer in this post), but I've noticed that I've needed a little more help lately when it comes to my eyes and lips. The dark circles and the fine lines are more visible - especially when I don't get enough sleep. I've also had a life-long issue with dry lips. So I took some time to find and try some new products that I want to tell you about in case you are having the same issues... :)

Even though I drink tons of water, have a really clean diet (two of the BEST beauty products in my opinion), and use an eye cream twice a day,  I noticed that the skin under my eyes would still get dry and puffy at times - especially after a few nights of less than stellar sleep. So I set out to find a better eye cream that was more hydrating, helpful with the puffiness, free of harmful ingredients, and not super expensive. I settled on this Rose Hydrating Eye Gel Cream by Fresh and I LOVE it! I have been using it in the morning and at night. Just a tiny bit goes a long way, so this little container should last a while. It's definitely hydrating, smells amazing (like roses!!), is cooling, has brightened the area underneath my eyes, and is helpful with the puffiness. It's also light, which makes it perfect under the new concealer that I'm using needing lately. Let's talk about concealer for a second... 

So outside of lipstick, I don't like to wear makeup - at all. But I have accepted it and only wear it for photo shoots, nights out, and special occasions. Even then, I only like to wear products that enhance my natural look. That's it. I have yet to find a magical eye cream that completely eliminates dark circles. I wear glasses on most days (seen here), which are great at concealing dark circles. But I've had to enlist a good concealer to help with the eye situation on the occasions I listed above. The concealer I was using (which was just ok), got a little old, so I wanted to try something new. Mary from the blog Memorandum recently mentioned the Lancôme Complete Coverage Concealer on her Snapchat account (probably one of my favorite Snapchat accounts). She said it was her saving grace after several nights in a row of little sleep. That's all I needed to hear. So I went to Sephora and tried it on. Peeps - this is some GOOD stuff. It's creamy, light, and has great coverage. It lasts, too! There's a certain way I apply it (or any concealer) to make it just right for me...

I apply three little dots of the concealer under each eye. I then use this foundation brush (pricey I know, but it's so good!) - and sometimes just a clean finger - to lightly and evenly apply the concealer under my eyes. Once it is set, I then apply this MAC 'Mineralize' Powder around my face and over the concealer to set it. The powder is amazing and what I prefer to use instead of foundation. I also use the concealer to conceal any blemishes I might have. It's good stuff... 

I think I've had dry lips since the day I realized that I had lips. They've always been dry. Exfoliating using them with this homemade scrub, applying a good balm under my lipstick during the day, and Vaseline at night has been lip regimen for years. Sometimes when I need a quick fix, I run my Clarisonic over my lips, which works like a charm when they are really chapped. In an effort to wean myself from Vaseline (yuck), I set out to find a good deep moisturizing balm to wear at night. I stumbled on this First Aid Lip Therapy while perusing Sephora and I must say that I got pretty lucky. I had never heard of it before I saw it in the store and my lips love it!! It has the look and feel of Vaseline minus the harmful ingredients. It also has a little hint of mint that I love. A tad bit goes a long way, too! My lips are moisturized and soft in the morning when I wake up, which is a far cry from so many other products (other than Vaseline!) I've tried over the years. Love it.