Just a few of my favorite things! I have two makeup bags, anyone else? And the smaller of the two gets toted around with me everywhere, tossed into whatever bag I’m using for the day. Here’s the bare essentials, things I MUST have at all times, ya know, just in case!
Since there are so many brands and ‘favorites’ that I love, and in the interest of not calling everything I own my favorite-because they are, I’ll just share my HAVE TO HAVE ITs:
Chanel Vitalumiere in 40- Beige: my all time favorite foundation, it’s light, dewy, has buildable coverage, and is natural looking. There is also an Aqua option for lighter coverage
What fun would a top notch selfie be without the addition of a top shelfie?! Social media has taken the regular ol’ selfie and upgraded it to a product-driven top shelfie! If you haven’t seen this hashtag that’s overthrown the “favorites” product list on your Instagram feed, I’ll share with you my #topshelfie and I hope it inspires you to share yours!
So here it is, my current list of favorites . . . errr top shelfie products, and why I’m so swoon!
Circ- Cell: a) face rejuvenation serum– easily one of my holy grail products of the year, this silky formula is enriched with oxygen and algae complex. It visibly brightens and tones your skin, and contains sea fennel stem extract. My favorite part beyond the benefits, is that the scent is clean and light and Circ-Cell products are paraben free! b) rejuvenating eye serum– your eyes say it all baby. With this light and quickly absorbed serum, the appearance of puffiness and dark circles will be gone! Also enriched with oxygen and algae complex, your friends will wonder how you’re so dewy and glowy! shhhh 😀
Native natural deodorant: as you know I’ve tried many all-natural deodorants and this stood the test of sweat and stank! Coconut Vanilla and Lavender are my all time favorites btw! It won’t chafe you at all and will protect you against funkiness. But remember, your body needs some time to rid itself of those toxins, so be patient lil grasshoppa 😉
IT Cosmetics Confidence In A Compact: +SPF Â 50! I mean c’mon! So I’m one of those people who live for the “natural- but totally not natural – you can still see my pores” kinda look. This foundation IS that and contains their best selling Confidence In A Cream . . . do it! Buildable, smooth, and anything but cakey – this is one of my favorite products of the summer.
Coola Classic Sport SPF 50: a usual suspect in the line up of my go-to’s, this SPF is light, nourishing, goes well under your makeup, and is full of antioxidants! Coola products make it into my year round must haves.
OSEA Atmosphere Protection Cream: applied before my sunscreen and after my Circ-Cell, this hydrating cream helps to provide a protective barrier between my skin and the environment. Containing Shea Butter and Avocado Oil, it’s moisturizing without being greasy and won’t interfere with the yaaaaas queen of your makeup.
Dove Dry Shampoo: I have my friend Miya to thank for this one! It smells so clean and fresh and doesn’t leave behind any white residue or flakiness. I carry this in the car for after the gym or for before an event when I feel like I smell like scalp . . . you know what I mean 😉
Caudalie Vinosource Overnight Recovery Oil: plant and essential oil based, this product is ONE of the TWO things I will NOT go to sleep without applying to my face . . . the other is my eye serum duh. Although it’s an oil it’s not greasy or sticky, it’s easily absorbed, and you’ll wake up feeling like newness.
Ange Ou Demon Perfume: if you’ve ever hugged me IRL, you know I covet smelling like an angel fallen from heaven fresh out the shower HAHA This perfume right here, it’s my signature scent! It’s sexy, subtle, flirty, and fun! A lil peppery- but I say, if it doesn’t make you sneeze than it’s not spicy enough 😉
Pur-lisse Blue Lotus + White Tea Sheet Mask: if you have skin than you need this! I’m all about preventative measures now so that I don’t have to worry about it later! We’re all gonna age y’all so lets do it gracefully! This is an all-natural fiber mask infused with Blue Lotus and restorative Asian botanicals. It packed full of antioxidants and you’ll go to sleep feeling like a brand new (and more youthful) you!
There you have it! My current favorites, go-to’s, and must have top shelfies! But wait, there’s more! Not only do I enjoy sharing with you what I love in these articles but I also love GIFTING them to you IRL!
I’m happy to announce that I’ll be doing a Circ-Cell giveaway where two of you will receive a travel sized skin care kit FULL of their best sellers! I hope you know that I would not promote anything I don’t already use myself and adore, so believe me when I say that I’m JEALOUS to mail these out haha
The giveaway will be done over on my Instagram page so please follow me over there, follow Circ-Cell, and comment on my last post ONE thing about your skin that you’d love to improve and ONE thing that you LOVE about yourself!
I’ll choose two winners and announce them this Saturday! Good luck and I love thee and yo beautiful self!
Have you tried any of the products I listed here today? What products made it into your #topshelfie list this month?Â
Declotay . . . declotage . . . . decolletage – yes that word. My mother would always say to me, “Nen, don’t forget to bring your product down your decolletage!”, I would yell, “Mom, I’m 19 what does that even mean?!”. Now as my daughter graduates from High School and I realize that I’m no spring chicken, do I understand what my mother meant by that direction.
Bringing your product down your decolletage means not forgetting about your neck and cleavage area . Ok mom, you were right. I thought of this moment when I saw deep lines forming on my neck last month and had a minor freak out. By minor I mean I screeched so loudly that my daughter was startled and came running into the room expecting to find an intruder!
So if you know me than you know that I probably added a product, or FIVE to my daily routine. In this case I started using Tula’s advanced neck cream and their exfoliating treatment mask to ramp up results. So today I will share with you my review of the products and tips on how to make your products work ten times more effectively.
I’ve used firming creams before, I have dry skin and aging skin (ewww who wants to say their skin is aging?) but what I found with the Tula hydrating day and night cream was that it was hydrating without being heavy or sticky. No one wants to apply a product and be greasy and shiny all day, so I was pleasantly surprised by how quickly the cream was absorbed into my skin considering how thick it appeared to be in the container. It is thick in texture, but light in consistency, which is what I also found to be true with the hydrating day and night creams. When it comes to hydrating creams you want your products to be thick but not heavy, moisturizing without remaining tacky to the touch.
If this is the first time you’re hearing me talk about Tula, a little excerpt on them – I found their skin care line last year and what drew me to the brand is their patented probiotic technology that they use to topically apply ingredients to the skin that most people have only heard of being beneficial by way of ingestion. After the first week of using the line I was hooked and have been a fan every since. So when I heard about their new products launching I was so excited to try them out, especially since they couldn’t have come at a better time. You can watch my review of the Tula collection here.
So with the advanced neck cream, I apply it to my neck and decolletage area twice a day, over my day and night creams, in an upward/outward sweeping motion (remember we’re trying to defy gravity here), paying particular attention to the lines on my neck. Using it over my day and night creams I’ve found make the product work even better with that extra nudge of hydration and aids in prepping my skin for the neck cream application.
The scent is light and clean – as are all products in the Tula line, only a dime sized amount is needed, and it’s great for all skin types. I say if you’re 25+ or a face sleeper *raises hand*, than start using a neck cream now. IÂ use this cream daily and then at least twice a week I will use this exfoliating treatment mask.
This Tula product is a dual phase treatment, exfoliating the skin both physically and chemically using clay and lactic acid. Sounds very scientific but breaking it down in layman’s terms, it utilizes two formulas combined to create the ultimate spa experience. It looks and feels like a clay, the beads being fine in texture and hydrating in element since they contain both Vitamin E and jojoba oil (my dry skin applauds this), and can be used as often as your skin requires.
Since I have dry skin and I’ve noticed fine lines in places on my face where I didn’t notice them before, exfoliating is a staple in my skin care routine. I use the treatment mask up to three times a week. Exfoliating not only sloughs off the dead surface cells that makes my skin look dull but it also prompts the production of collagen . . . win win.
For my dry skin it removes dead skin allowing my products to work more efficiently, for aging skin it aids in collagen production, and for acne prone skin it combats acne causing bacteria. I know you’ll love this mask because what I enjoy most about it is how gentle it is. The beads are fine enough to use the mask multiple times a week but effective enough not to require daily use. I always worry when someone tells me they exfoliate daily. This product however is the best of both worlds, exfoliating while hydrating. I suggest you exfoliate starting in your teens and if you exfoliate already than you know how awesome it is for your skin’s appearance and keeping its overall balance.
Another perk of this line is that all Tula products are mineral oil free, paraben free, and never tested on animals, yayy team! If you’re in the market for a great skin care line I highly recommend all of the products in the Tula collection, speaking from experience as I’ve tried everything in the line with the exception of the illuminating face serum. It is next up on my list of ‘to do’s’ and ‘to reviews’. You can check out the collection for yourself here and read up on how Tula teamed up with QVC. I’ll link you to my review of Tula’s 4 piece deluxe discovery set here.
That’s it for today, let me know what your current skin care favorites are and I’ll check them out and review them in future posts! I hope you have a be-you-tiful week and remember, “don’t forget to bring your product down your decolletage!”. Thanks mom, we get it now.
So a few posts ago, I talked about my morning skin care routine, if you missed that click here, and today I share with you my night time skin care routine. When we sleep, our skin really gets to work healing and renewing so here are some products I use to make the most out of that process! Seems like a gazillion things to do but you’ll thank me when people ask how your skin looks so glowy!
1. Spin for Perfect Skin – exfoliating brush here: I make the most out of my cleanser and ramp up my exfoliation with this guy. Skin looks dull if you don’t slough off the dead cells so exfoliate exfoliate exfoliate! Vanity Planet was awesome enough to share a coupon code for $30 off plus free shipping in the US just use SPIN4JESS at check out woot! 2. Ole Henriksen exfoliating mask here: I exfoliate at least 3 times a week, at least once a week I’ll use my exfoliating brush and every other day I’ll use my exfoliating cleanser below. Once a week (usually after a few days of hosting and being on set with 394747 layers of makeup) I will use a peel off mask and this is a great mask because it exfoliates and then you rinse off or allow to dry and wipe clean with a warm wash cloth. Your skin will feel soooo smoothe! 3. Kate Somerville Exfoliating Treatment here: And this is the exfoliating cleanser I use in between the masks and exfoliating brush. It’s gentle enough to use about twice a week, it smells like kelp and leaves my skin feeling super refreshed and soft.
4. Dickinson’s witch hazel toner here: I use a toner both day and night after I’ve cleansed my skin. It’s soothing, it removes any residual dirt and oils, and preps my skin for serums and lotions wahooo!
5. Mario Badescu skin care peptide renewal serum here: If you have dry skin, aging skin, or very sun damages skin, I suggest this amazing serum. It’s a peptide serum, super rich yet easily absorbed, it’s soooo hydrating and my skin literally looks plumper and dewy when I wake up in the morning! Just two drops at night and they won’t believe how old you are. 6. DHC Olive virgin oil here: I’ve talked about this product a lot but I can’t help it, it’s incredible. I put just a drop on a clean mascara wand and then give my lashes a good swipe of it and boom, conditioning and nourishing your lashes so they get longer. And thicker! NATURALLY! omg I know! 7. Peter Thomas Roth Mega Rich Intensive Eye Cream here: They holy grail of all eye creams, it’s rich and moisturizing, has anti aging ingredients in it (can I get an Amen!), and if you’re over the age of 20 I think you should be using an eye cream of some kind. The skin around our eyes is the thinnest of all of our face so we age there the quickest! I personally love this eye cream because frankly I’m no spring chicken and this does the trick! 8. Peter Thomas Roth Glycolic invigorating night gel and sheer transformation cream here: Lastly, on days where I just use a gentle cleanser with my exfoliating brush, I’ll use this killer combo after. PTR is magical in of itself, but these two work in combination to hydrate, replenish, and rebuild your skin from the inside out. No literally, from like 5 layers deep! haha Ok so I know that’s a lot. But I do just a few different steps each night, alternating between the exfoliating brush, the peel off mask, and a gentle daily exfoliant. It’s all about the serums and moisturizers and ALL about the eye cream. I spend 3 to 4 minutes doing this nightly routine but I promise it’s worth it and I’m raising a 16 year old. I’m sharing my secrets with the world 😉 Let me know if you try any of these things out, I always love hearing about what other people use and trying them out myself. Thank goodness for now……Asian don’t raisin 😉 And if you’d like to see me talk about all of this on my YouTube channel, here it is 😀 Disclaimer: I talk. A lot. Stay young at heart my friends, Jess
So being the mother of a 16 year old can make you feel really old. I mean I’m no spring chicken y’all! But I do a million different things to keep my skin looking and feeling youthful, radiant, and healthy. Here is my updated morning and night time skin care routines. Below is my fresh face with only ONE filter on it, I mean, it’s as bare as it can get so I figured I’d help myself out with some lighting! This takes about 3-4 minutes each day to complete and it’s worth it! I mean hopefully my skin will look like this forever….or until I wake up looking like Freddie Kruger one day. You know what they say….Asian don’t raisin…until one day, unexpectedly, we wake up looking 109!!!
1. Fresh Soy Face Cleanser here: I use this cleanser as an eye make up remover because it’s so gentle, and the formula conditions your eyelashes. WIN!
2. Clinique 7 day scrub cream here: My go to daily exfoliant. Mild enough to use daily, gets the job done, doesn’t irritate your skin
3. Dickinson’s witch hazel toner here: I love this toner because it’s the simplest solutions for dry, irritated, inflamed skin. Put some onto a cotton round, swipe it all over your face, and you’re instantly refreshed.
4. Rosewater here: I switch off between toners, the witch hazel and rose water. Rose water is a great daily moisturizer also and I’ll often spritz it onto my face throughout the day for a lil pick me up! Toners remove any excess oil or dirt the cleanser left behind, removes residue, and preps your skin for your serums, moisturizers, and makeup
5. Rosehip oil here: Now I am obsessed with oils. Even if your skin is oily, or acne prone, or sensitive, it still needs a good oil. Often times people over dry their oily acne prone skin which only cause your pores to create even MORE oil. This is a cold pressed organic rose hip oil, it’s light, it absorbs quickly, it’s hydrating and nourishing to your skin, and it doesn’t have your makeup sludge all over your face, it actually acts as a great primer under your moisturizer. A few drops, pat it gently into your face, and vualaaaaa!
6. Olay total effects eye cream here: I have always been an advocate of eye cream, it’s a must as we age around our eyes the quickest. The skin around your eyes is the thinnest of all your face, it shows all of our emotion and happiness, so keep it hydrated. This is a great eye cream, inexpensive, and hydrates without leaving your feeling oily. Great under eye makeup
7. Neautrogena beach defense SPF 70 here: If there’s one thing that will age you quicker than a bad life style and sleeping on your face at night, it’s the sun. I wear SPF no matter what, especially on over cast days or on days when you don’t think you need to….ya do. Uva protect you against aging rays and uvb protects you against burning rays. Get full spectrum when you can, you’ll still tan except you won’t burn. Burning is bad
So that is my morning every day, go to, skin care routine. Sounds like a ton but I promise it goes fast and you’ll thank me later 😉 I’ll post my night time skin care routine in a few, I’ve got to get all the pictures together…oh the drama of getting a good picture of product. Hang tight sweet pea!
Stay young at heart and no one will be able to tell the difference 😉
When I say tonic I don’t mean the beverage type unfortunatley. Leaving that for another post oh don’t your worry, but when I say tonic I mean skin tonic. A spritzer for your face. A natural, home made, DIY toner that smells fantabulous (that’s fantastic married to fabulous), and leaves your skin feeling refreshed and looking brighter! Spring time is in full force here in LA, the air is colder and my skin is more dry than ever, so if you need a pick me up, this one’s for you!
I chose to use a few ingredients that I already had in my kitchen, you can literally make so many different toners and spritzers with the fruits and veggies in your fridge. Next time we’ll make a green tea with vitamin E one!
For today I used cucumber, lemon, aloe vera gel, and rose water. Each of these ingredients individually have so many benefits to them and the smell was so refreshing thanks to the cucumber, and the feel was incredible, thanks to the rose water, aloe vera, and lemon! I was all kinds of glowy!
What you’ll need:
– 1 small cucumber (skin tightening, improves complexion, gives you a glow, and the seeds are rich in Vitamin E & potassium which reduce fine lines, wrinkles, and blemishes!)
– 1 teaspoon lemon juice- just the teeniest of squeezes (skin brightening, anti bacterial and anti fungal properties great at treating blemishes)
– 1 teaspoon aloe vera gel (hydration, soothing, aids in hyper-pigmentation, natural moisturizer)
– 2 TBL spoon rose water (rejuvenates, tones, full of antioxidants, natural moisturizer)
What you’ll do:
Once you’ve peeled your cucumber, toss it into the blender until it’s blended enough to strain the juices from. I used a napkin and poured the cucumber mesh into it and then strained it into a bowl using my hands and one tight grip. Then add in the lemon juice, aloe veral gel, and rose water. I poured everything back into the blender to give it another mix, and then poured the mixture into a spritzer bottle and vualaaaa!
Refrigerate and enjoy!
You can omit the lemon if you’re going to be in the sun all day, the sun and lemon don’t mesh well together, so save the misting for when you’re inside and need a good pick me up! Try making this, as I did or with lavender and vitamin E. I think later this week I’ll make a green tea with vitamin E and rose water one. Hmmmm.
Sugar scrubs are an amazing way to exfoliate, hydrate, and calm your skin, but they can get pricey! Have no fear, Jess is here, and I’m gonna show you how you can make a variation of scrubs with what you already have in your kitchen! In under ten mintues, and less than ten bucks, if you have some of the ingredients already, you’re set! Today we’re making a peppermint lavender sugar scrub, oh la la. Read on!
First, why would you want to make your own sugar scrub besides the fact that’s it’s much cheaper this way? Well I’m a huge advocate of skin care. Most of my posts will be about skin care, hair care, good food, blah blah, and exfoliating your skin is right on up there with the list of priorities you must do before bed time, beyond just washing your face. Fellas out there, I know you want to believe you just have to splash your face with water and go but there’s more to it!
Exfoliating improves your skin’s texture by prompting the cell renewal process and thus improving your skin’s texture. It’s all about the collagen! We need it to have plump young cells! Scrubbing away dead skin cells will unclog your pores, make your pores smaller, and help with any breakouts. Still not a good enough reason? Well I bet getting old and having your skin look saggy AND agey (agey is a word) is a good reason to exfoliate! Yup, as we get older it’s just more time for layers of dead skin to accumulate. Ewwww, scrub a dub dub those nasties away is what I always say!
Sugar is a great exfoliant as it’s milled finely enough that it will scrub away the dead skin, but not harsh enough to cause scraping or scratching on your face the way an apricot scrub would. Just be gentle. The olive oil you’ll use in this recipe is packed with antioxidants, and while you’re scrubbing, you’re also moisturizing your skin and it isn’t stripping your face of it’s natural oils.
Speaking of oils, I went with Vitamin E as it’s extra moisturizing, you can skip this step you have more oily/ acne prone skin, and it also has anti aging benefits, as it speeds up cell regeneration – which lets face it, I need – as I’ve been breaking out like crazy lately, thank you Mother Nature.
The peppermint not only smells invigorating and relieves stress, but it also has antiseptic and antibacterial properties, and will help to cool your skin. You’ll feel a nice cooling sensation with this scrub, I happen to be obsessed with this recipe btw.
Lastly, I chose to use lavender as my essential oil of choice though you can go with whatever your heart desires. Lavender though is the most valuable oil in treating acne, as this time of month calls for some real action! Lavender also helps to rebalance your pore’s production of oil, and it smells amazing which could be why it’s great at relieving head aches and anxiety. I pretty much just want to dip my entire body into a vat of lavender oil.
So grab your apron and a smile and lets get to making that Peppermint Lavender Sugar Scrub!
What you’ll need:
1/2 cup sugar ( I used coconut sugar)
1/4 cup oil ( I used organic olive oil)
10-12 drops of Vitamin E oil
1/4 teaspoon Peppermint Extract
12-15 drops of Lavender Essential oil
What you’ll do:
Mix all of the ingredients together in a bowl, and what I did was then package them into those little travel containers that you put lotions in. I got them for $1.49 at Target and filled up 3 bottles with this mixture. You can make more or less of this recipe depending on if you want less for your face or double up on the recipe for your body. You can also add as much or as little of the extract and oils depending on your personal preference, I loved the smell of this using these proportions.
Makes a great gift, smells amazing, and your skin will be glowing after! If you make this please tag me on Instagram or Twitter: jess_lizama
