My Skincare Routine

All of the women in my family have a vertical line to the right of their left eyebrow.  It's the line that shows up every time someone says something or does something stupid.  It comes from the look we give people when we're thinking, "you're so dumb.  Why are you so dumb?  I didn't realize they made people as stupid as you."  At the age of 23, I looked into the mirror and realized that the line was still there even though I wasn't making that face.  At this point I had worked in retail for 7 years and the line was already visible.  I couldn't imagine how much deeper this line would get.  I couldn't stop looking at people like they were idiots so I had to up my skincare game.

I was already using a face scrub and a moisturizer with SPF 15 because I had dry flaky skin.  I was very broke at the time so I used whatever anti-aging product I could find.  I also used a cheap eye cream because for some reason my eyelids were dry and flaky too. *weird*  In addition I have dark circles under my eyes so eye creams were a must.

Just over a year ago I realized that all of the cheap, on sale, store brand were keeping my skin moisturized and keeping new wrinkles at bay, but they weren't doing everything I wanted them too.  I do have a bit of rosacea on one of my cheeks and what I was using wasn't helping at all.  It was then that I decided that I have the means and the need to get a decent quality skin care products for myself.  It's best to use one brand or one line of products so that they don't counteract each other so I set out looking for the perfect brand for me.

What I was looking for

• In a face wash:
• Exfoliate
• Prevent Acne
• Prevent Fine Lines and Wrinkles
• In a day moisturizer:
• SPF 20 or higher
• Prevent Fine Lines and Wrinkles
• Even Skin Tone
• In an eye cream:
• Prevent Fine Lines and Wrinkles
• Get Rid of Dark Circles
• Evens Skin Tone
• Moisturize
• In a makeup remover:
• Exfoliates
• Evens Skin Tone
• In a night cream:
• Prevent Fine Lines and Wrinkles

I compared four brands by price and my needs: L'Oreal Youth Code, Ulta, Olay and Neutrogena.  What I found was that although Neutrogena had everything I wanted and was the cheapest, Olay was only slightly more expensive but had everything I wanted and more.

This is my routine.  During my morning shower, I use Olay Total Effects Refreshing Citrus Fave Scrub

Benefits:

• Thoroughly cleansing skin
• Cleansing without over-drying
• Refining to minimize the appearance of pores
• Brightening the appearance of skin
• Gently exfoliating
• Smoothing skin’s texture
• Minimizing the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles

When I get out of my shower and dry my face, I put on Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Eye Treatment

Benefits:

•  Fine lines and crows feet: reduces the appearance of wrinkles
•  Reduces appearance of dark circles
•  Dullness: brightens the eye area
•  Massage to reduce the look of puffiness
•  Uneven Tone: balances and helps even skin tone
•  Smooths and evens skin texture
•  Dryness: provides nourishing moisturization

Then I put on my day cream: Olay Total Effects Anti-Aging Daily Moisturizer.

Benefits:

•  Visibly smoothes fine lines and wrinkles
•  Evens skin tone appearance
•  Enhances brightness
•  Minimizes the look of pores
•  Visibly reduces age spots
•  Restores firmness
•  Replenishes moisture

At the end of the day, I use Olay Regenerist Micro-Exfoliating Wet Cleansing Cloths

Benefits:

• Gently detoxify by removing dirt, Oil and make-up—even Waterproof mascara
• Exfoliate and diminish dullness and uneven tone

Then I apply my overnight cream: Olay Age Defying Classic Night Cream

Benefits:

• Replenish Skin's hydration
• Renew skin’s surface to minimize the appearance of lines and wrinkles.
• Non-Comedogenic (Won’t Clog Pores)

I'm proud to say that since I've started this routine the deep wrinkle by my eyebrow is almost non-existent.  I even try to make the "What, are you an idiot?" face in the mirror and the wrinkle is barely there.  My dark circles are lighter and my skin tone is much more even than it previously was.

I'm getting married in a few months so I looked up pre-wedding skin care routines and I decided to start adding a weekly facial into my routine.  Once a week I use this facial with all natural ingredients: http://beautybanter.com/diy-coffee-face-mask

I prefer a more paste like mask so next time I make it, I would use equal parts coffee, cocoa powder and milk.  Also, this recipe makes A LOT of face mask and it's only good for 3 days so unless you're having some kind of girls' night in party where you all get facials, I'd divide it into the smallest possible batch.  I used FairLife whole milk when I did this and it doesn't expire for a couple of months so I figured it would last longer.  What I did was put the remainder of the face mask in a  Tupperware container and freeze it.  The cold does break down the enzymes of the lemon, but it's better than wasting all of that face mask for a one time use.

Since I started doing this face mask every week, I've only gotten one pimple and it went away very quickly.

Well, that's my skin care routine and it probably doesn't work for everyone's skin type but if you have needs similar to mine, it will probably work for you.

PS -- although the face mask is edible, it doesn't taste good -- avoid your mouth.  :)

Recipe: Bacon Spinach Alfredo Pizza

This is a combination that I came up with a couple of weeks ago.  It's not always easy to come home from working 8 hour days and then cook dinner with your family.  And then, of course, you have to make sure to take out the meat for dinner one to two nights before otherwise you're in trouble.  This recipe doesn't require any thawing and is really quick and easy for those weeknights where you don't feel like making a complicated meal.

I always make two of these because we finish the first one that night and take the second one as leftovers for our lunches the next day.  I'm going to do this recipe for one pizza but feel free to double it for delicious leftovers.

Ingredients:

• 1-2.5oz packages of real bacon pieces (from the aisle with the salad dressings)
• 1 pizza crust
• 1-15oz jar of Alfredo sauce (I used Bertolli Garlic Alfredo, but it's your preference)
• 2-8oz bags of shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup of spinach
• 1/2tbsp of garlic powder
• 1/2tbsp of Italian seasoning

Preheat the instructions according to the directions on the pizza crust package.  Mine said to preheat the oven to 450 degrees and then turn it down to 425 degrees once you're ready to put the pizza in.  The directions for the pizza crust also said to drizzle olive oil on the crust so I did that as well.

Put your pizza crust on a crisper or a cookie sheet.  Place two large spoonfuls of Alfredo sauce on the crust and spread a thin layer all over the crust-- less is more in this case.  Don't put too much sauce or the pizza will fall apart. Sprinkle the garlic powder and Italian seasoning on top of the Alfredo sauce.  Rinse your spinach and dry it off on a paper towel then shred the spinach with your hands and sprinkle it on the pizza. Sprinkle the 8 ounces of mozzarella all over the pizza and then add the package of bacon.

Assembled before you put it in the oven.

Put the pizza in the oven for the amount of time directed in the instructions on the package.  I always cook it for the longer amount of time.  Sprinkle some parmasean on it when it comes out and you've got a quick and easy pizza.  :)

ENJOY!

Recipe: Taco Pie

My mom got this recipe out of a magazine years ago -- maybe even before I was born, but I've made it for so many people and they all love it.

Ingredients:

• 3- 8 oz packages of crescent rolls (you can buy seamless ones if you want, but I never have)
• 1- 1.5oz can of tomato sauce
• 1- 1lb package of Velveeta Mexican
• 1lb of ground beef (or venison or turkey depending on your preference)
• 1 package of taco seasoning

First, preheat the oven to whatever temperature is on the crescent roll package.  It usually is 375 degrees.  Then to make the crust, roll out all of the crescent roll dough onto a large cookie sheet.  I usually have half a roll left which I use to make the edges raised and fill in any seams.  Make sure all of the seams are closed.

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Once you have all of the crust laid out, you have to poke the crust with a fork so the middle doesn't puff up and rise.

Once you've finished poking the crust with a fork, put the pan in the oven for the lowest amount of time in the directions on the crescent rolls package.  Mine said 11 minutes.  You want the crust to be a light golden brown because you're going to put it back in the oven to melt the cheese later.

While the crust is in the oven, it's time to make the meat topping.  Place the pound of burger in a 10 inch skillet and cook the meat until it's browned.  If you're using a fatty burger, you'll have to drain the meat once it's browned.  If it's a lean meat, like venison, you shouldn't have to worry about it.

If you had to drain the meat, return it to the skillet and then add the taco seasoning and the can of tomato sauce.  Let simmer on medium heat for a couple of minutes until the sauce is thick.

Once the crust is done, take it out of the oven and pour the meat sauce onto the crust and spread it all over.

 

Then slice the cheese and place on top of the meat sauce.

If you haven't invested in one of these awesome cheese slicers, I highly suggest you get one.  They're great especially for this recipe.

As you see, the cheese will start melting as you're placing it on.

Once the pie is covered in cheese, place it in the oven for about 5 minutes to let the rest of the cheese to melt.

This is the finished product:

Now generally the toppings I put on this are taco sauce and sour cream, but my parents would always put shredded lettuce and diced tomatoes on theirs.

This also makes great leftovers

ENJOY!

Spring Fashion: Maxi Skirts with Tank Tops and Denim Jackets

Another Spring Fashion Trend I'm loving this spring is Maxi Skirts with Tank Tops and Denim Jackets.  It's a great style and when summer comes, you can shed the denim jacket and just wear the skirt and a tank top.  It's a great comfortable outfit for when it gets crazy hot out.

Denim Jacket: Macy's $79.99
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/maison-jules-denim-jacket?ID=1318733&CategoryID=120&LinkType=#fn=PAGEINDEX%3D2%26sp%3D2%26spc%3D90%26slotId%3D45%26kws%3Dblue%20denim%20jacket

 I also love this look with the plain tee, flowy maxi skirt and gladiator sandals.  It's a nice casual look with a little bit of dressy flair.

Maxi Skirt: Macy's $68.00
http://www1.macys.com/shop/product/studio-m-ruched-maxi-skirt?ID=2036024&CategoryID=131#fn=sp%3D1%26spc%3D161%26slotId%3D1%26kws%3Dmaxi%20skirt

Here are a couple of looks with maxi skirts and tanks from Amazon

Maxi Skirt: Amazon.com $58.00
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00E6NIPCM?psc=1

Maxi Skirt: Amazon.com $11.99
http://www.amazon.com/15ShopStop-Womens-Camouflage-Skirt-Olive/dp/B00UW4PIKQ/ref=sr_1_346?s=apparel&ie=UTF8&qid=1429832846&sr=1-346&keywords=maxi+skirt

 At this point, you can get maxi skirts almost anywhere: Old Navy, Target, Kohl's, H&M and a number of other budget-friendly stores if you're thrifty like me.  The same with tank tops.  It's always nice to invest in a nice denim jacket because they rarely go out of style.

Denim Jacket: Old Navy $34.94
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?vid=1&pid=170960002

It's a cute, comfortable, stylish way to dress for the spring and summer and it's not an expensive look to put together.  It would even look good with a denim button-up shirt if you'd prefer that over a jacket.