Murad: Intensive – C® Radiance Peel

I'm always fascinated and slightly frightened by the idea of a peel.
Something about the words "peel" and "skin" together. They always give me gooseflesh.

I'm getting a bit older and I notice in the winter that my skin tends to look a bit duller.
Who couldn't use a little sunshine on their face?
Since that's not an option, how about infusing a little bit of good ol' Vitamin C?

Whenever I have a day off, I like to pamper myself. Usually with a bubble bath, a new mask/peel and maybe some nail painting might be in order.
This Friday was definitely the day to try out Murad's new Vitamin C peel.

First I cleaned may face since it says to start with face and then applied it over my face and neck, making sure to avoid my delicate eye area.
Now to wait 10 minutes.
It does give warning to expect a tingling sensation and I was definitely starting to feel it after about 2 minutes.

It promises to give radiance to my skin as well as hydrate - two things I could certainly use.
A common misconception among people with oily/combination skin like mine is that they don't realize that they still need hydration.
Oily doesn't mean you're not dry!

And as I wait, I suppose it's also a good time to let you know some great ingredient facts about Murad.
Their products are formulated without pesky Parabens, Sulfates, synthetic fragrances or dyes, Phthalates, GMO's and Petrochemicals. :)

As the clock ticks down it's time for the great reveal. 
I wash the product off with warm water and dry my face. 
I can immediately feel that it's smoother and despite the redness, there's already some clarity to my skin. 
It left my face feeling incredible!!!

Not only was it amazing that day, but I woke up the next morning I was still baby soft.
My make up application was easier, smoother and flawless. 
I had co-workers asking me all afternoon if I were using a different foundation because my skin looked amazing. Truth be told, I was only wearing a sheer coverage - the rest was all me.

If you're looking for something to brighten up that sallow winter haze that seems to be befalling most of us and something with added anti-aging benefits, this is the peel for you!

You can purchase it directly for Murad or Sephora

Josie Maran: Argan Hot Oil Self-Heating Hair Treatment

My hair has seen better days [and worse] over the past while.
It's been bleached, dyed, bleached, dyed, curled, straightened and plagued with a variety of hair products.
Combine that with the unforgiving -30 of winter here and you have hair in desperate need of repair.

I had always heard great things about Josie Maran's Argan oil products and after reading about her new Argan hot oil self-heating hair treatment, I figured it was worth the try.

But just in case you're not 100% sure who or what Josie Maran is all about, here's a very condensed version for you.
Josie Maran has had a career spanning decades as a model, an actress and as a cosmetic guru.
Why? She's beautiful, has amazing skin and well, face it, we all would like to have that. So, there comes the question, how does she do it!?
The answer?
Argan Oil.
But really, what the hell is it?
Argan Oil is an all-natural, 100% organic oil that is derived from Argan Tree found in the deserts of Morocco. It's extremely high in Vitamin E and is rich in fatty acids which give it astonishing healing, conditioning and anti-aging properties.
It contains almost two times as much Vitamin E as olive oil. 

So you get it, it's awesome, but even by purchasing it, you're helping with a variety of other causes.
But I wont' go into them. If you're interested in learning more, check out Josie's website:[http://www.josiemarancosmetics.com/]

But let's get down to business.
It says to apply the oil to clean, conditioned hair. 
So, I washed my tresses, conditioned them and readied them for the oil. 
As soon as I poured the oil onto my hands and massaged it through my fingers I could feel it heating up. 
Definitely a good sign. 
I left it on my hair for 3-5 minutes [it does recommend 1-3 though, I was distracted. My fault]
I washed it out with warm water as directed and towel dried my hair. 
It dried with this amazing shine and it was smoother and softer than it's ever been. 

Even though I do have brightly coloured hair, it didnt' appear to strip any of the colour out, if anything, it seems to have enhanced it to a delightfully bright shade of my purple. 
I honestly can't stop touching it!
If your hair is dry, suffering from any sort of man-made damage OR if you just want your tresses to get a little loving, try it!
I promise you wont' be disappointed, I certainly wasn't!

You can purchase it directly from Josie's website or Sephora

Once upon a time....

Since this is the first post, I figured it would be best by explaining a bit about me.

I've been in love with all things beautiful since I was a young girl.
My mother was never much of a gal for dressing up, but when she did, I would always watch and marvel at how stunning she looked.
How it seemed to have this ability to make her smile from the inside out.
How it straightened her posture and made me glow with confidence.

Though, things of vanity were never something my mother wanted to discuss with me and I found myself using making up as nothing more than something for face charts [I would make 100s].
I never quite fit the stereotypical idea of beauty.
I never thought I was very pretty and didn't really fit in with most of my peers.
Especially in my early teens.

That was until I got my first tube of pitch black lipstick.
It seemed to transform everything about me and for once in my entire life, I actually found myself comfortable in my own skin. I actually didn't mind looking in the mirror.
Like most things, I jumped in with both feet.
My hair went from an auburn to black and black liner didnt' just stop at my eyelids.
Black nailpolish became a staple in my life, along side long skirts, combat boots & gaudy necklaces.
This was the early/mid 90s, so even despite living in a small town - it was still not that far fetched.
And that, my friends, was my introduction to the world of make up.
And why I believe that it isn't about what someone else THINKS, it's about how it makes you FEEL.
There is no right and wrong.

Everything else tended to follow.
I had had numerous differences with my skin over the years - most memorably the acne that plagued me in high school.
Also, the lack of information on how to treat it at the time and in small town didn't help matters.
I recall trying EVERYTHING.
It appeared to be something that was helped by a combination of
A]growing out of it and
B] Birth control
Still not sure which was the actual cure all.

I've had a few different dream jobs in my lifetime and am currently in one that I plan to stay in.
I'm currently an educator for make up application, skin care and fragrance.
It's my job to try products, see what I think and share my knowledge.
In saying that, I thought this would be a great opportunity to spread the love, share the knowledge and hopefully help with some questions.