A Fall Favorite, Laneige's Water Sleeping Mask!

So for no particular reason that I can explain, I have been feeling singularly uninspired lately when it comes to ideas for posts, getting the energy to work on posts, well, generally posts in general. My blog ennui as it were, has not escaped the notice of my friends and family, who have mentioned – in as tactful a way as possible, that my narrative voice has been noticeably absent.  Apologies all around to all my readers for my recent lack of love – I will try to remedy this error posthaste.

As the weather is turning cooler and Starbucks Pumpkin Spiced Lattes become plentiful (can I get a hurray?!) we move into fall my favorite time of year. However, during this seasonal change I am reminded (by certain changes in my skin) of just how important moisturizing is to keep my skin looking healthy and happy. In addition to using a moisturizing cream on my face morning and night, I often times need an extra boost of moisture to keep skin from getting angry, patchy and irritated. There are many ways to add moisture and beef up that moisture barrier to you skin and one way I like to add additional moisture is through a mask or a mask used as an over night treatment.

My absolute favorite moisture treatment currently on the market is Laneige’s WaterSleeping Mask. For those of you who have been living under a rock lately (no offense) -- Laneige, is a wildly popular Korean beauty brand owned by the much more pricey parent company, Amore Pacific.  Target has picked up this line, along with some very well known French beauty brands, and now sells it in many of their stores.  Yes, just what we need, another reason to go to Target and spend money! Anyway, I am not alone in my love of this product – this sleeping mask is so popular that one is sold every 4 second somewhere in the world.

So what’s the big freaking deal?  I love this mask because it does it’s job overnight, while you are sleeping! Another plus for this mask is that it is very lightly scented, those who are sensitive to smells will not be put off by this product.I just slather it on, about a half an hour to an hour before bed – so I don’t stick to my pillow – and let it do it’s magic while I snooze. When I first started using this mask I put it on and went straight to bed – not one of my better ideas because I found that I had to peel my cheek from my pillow when I got up during the night to use the loo. So, I learned to put it on and give it some time to sink in before I go to bed so that I am not moisturizing my pillowcase as well as my face.

With this mask, a little bit seems to go a long way and I DO NOT notice that go through the tubs at an alarming rate.  Since you are only supposed to use this product a couple nights a week, I have a feeling that I will not need to repurchase for quite a while, which is a definite selling point in my book. On the flip side, it is also recommended that you use this product on top of Laneige’s rather daunting multiple step facial regime – something that I have been trying out as my evening skin care regime and will feature in a later post. Purchasing all these products together can get pricy if you go all in, buying all the full sized products and subscribing to their regime. And yes, I said products, with an “s”, of which there are 5 products Langeige recommends for daily use. Apparently they are all also made to be used twice daily and go under the Water Sleeping Mask on the nights that you use it. So fair warning, if you like the mask, it may be a down the rabbit hole sort of scenario.

The Laneige Water Sleeping Mask is all about helping your skin retain moisture overnight. To support your skin’s moisture content the sleeping mask contains ionized mineral water for hydration, a ceramide SLN formula to strengthen skin’s natural moisture barrier and cyclopentasiloxane, glycerin and trehalose which also promote moisture retention. Various other plant extracts can be found in this product, such as hunza apricot extract which brightens and purifies, recoverine from chestnuts, which promotes skin cell turnover to remove dead skin cells and improve skin texture. And if that wasn’t “la ti da” enough, the product is perfumed with patent pending SleepscentTM -- AmorePacific aromatic essence compound which contains a blend of scents like orange flower, rose, sandalwood and ylang ylang to promote relaxation. This product also contains betaglucan, which fights inflammation.

            So run, don’t walk to your local Target and nab one of these babies for $23.00!

Have a great weekend and...

Stay Lovely, Columbus!!

XOXO- Ann

The Mighty Mascara Post

While working in make up and skincare eons ago I was once told by a fellow salesperson that mascara is a woman’s most brand loyal product – meaning that once we find a mascara we love, we keep coming back for it again and again – rarely straying from this product throughout our beauty careers. With that being said, I have to both agree and disagree with this statement. Price and proximity of the product often play a role in the products I buy. I would love to buy my favorite mascara time and time again but sometimes that just not an option – I am constantly seeking out other options that are well, a little closer to home. (Proximity is priority for me since I am super busy – the quicker and easier the better.)

Let’s face it, if you subscribe to the adage that you should replace your mascara every three months -- or more often if you are an elementary school teacher like me and pink eye is prevalent in your life -- then replacing your Diorshow Mascara will definitely start to take a bite out of your beauty budget. (I swear one of those little critters just has to look at my funny and I get pink eye).  Also, I tend to look for a mascara that satisfies my biggest gripes – ie, it does not stray, giving you raccoon eyes by 3pm and it does not clump your lashes together in some Tammie Faye Baker nightmare. So, at the request of a lovely friend, (who hears my voice in her head whenever she read my blog), today I am going to share my favorite mascaras – sans clumps and sans the raccoon visage!

1. Dior’s DiorShow Lash-Extension Effect Volume Mascara: This is my go to holy grail, if I had endless money I would buy this for every bag, mascara. DiorShow lengthens and thickens my lashes to perfection without the clumps and clingers that I abhor. It also does not leave my lashes. I do not come home from work to find that this product has migrated anywhere. However, at $27.50 a pop and requiring a trip to the mall or a specialized beauty store I have often abandoned DiorShow (gasp!) for something cheaper and easier to pick up at my local grocery/Target/Walgreens, etc.

2. Cover Girl’s LashBlast Clump Crusher Extensions: This is currently living in my make up bag as well as on my lashes today. It is a decent DiorShow dupe, although it does not have as much of a thickening look as the DiorShow. The LashBlast Clump Crusher Extensions provides about the same amount of lengthening effect and true to it’s name there are no clumps, clingers or eyelash bogies to be had. I love the curved brush on this mascara, which is not too thick or too long. In my opinion, this mascara is at it’s best a month in, when it has dried out a little. It stays put just like the Dior show – no raccoon eyes for me! LashBlast Clump Crusher Extensions is easily found at your local grocery/Target/Walgreens and a steal for around $6.99 (or less!).

3. Benefit’s BadGal Lash Volumizing Mascara: This is also a pretty solid DiorShow dupe as well. It provides more of a thickening look than the LashBlast and about the same amount of lengthening effect as both DiorShow and LashBlast. The brush on the BadGal mascara is very similar to the DiorShow as well – but sadly, it is not curved like the Clump Crusher. Expense-wise the BadGal mascara is less expensive than the DiorShow at $19.00 but more expensive than it’s drugstore cousin the Clump Crusher. Like the DiorShow the BadGal mascara has to be purchased from a specialty make up store or a Benefit make up counter so you will need to venture farther than your local Giant Eagle to get it.

4. L’Oreal Voluminous Million Lashes: This is recent addition to my mascara list and while I am not 100% sold on it, it is still an honorable mention. I have been using it sort of like a topcoat to my LashBlast Clump Crusher mascara, which gives me a really good false eyelashes look – minus the glue and the swearing.  It has a super fat brush, which I am kind of on the fence about -- but it is not curved. This brush kind of reminds me of the brush for the Benefit’s They’reReal Mascara (which I hate with a venomous passion…). Why this mascara only received an honorable mention from me are the couple of detractors (beside the brush thing). For example, if I’m not super careful, or if I’ve heavy handed on the application it will clump up a bit. But, if I use it on it’s own and not as a topcoat I don’t see to have that problem. I think that as it dries out a bit I may like it better and see even less eyelash bogies. Also, I have noticed that sometimes, not every time, but sometimes I get the dreaded raccoon eyes when I wear this mascara. An added bonus though, it's only about $6.99 and can be found everywhere from the grocery to Walgreens to even Target.

Hopefully you are now armed and fabulous with this new found mascara knowledge. If you end up trying any of these products I would love to know what you think! Also, don’t forget to hit me up on Instagram @lovelyincolumbusblog for what I am wearing updates, post sneak peeks and more!

Have a great week out there, Go Buckeyes and……

Stay Lovely, Columbus!

XOXO - Ann

Get Your Glow On Columbus!

Hi all, I hope everyone had a restful and relaxing Labor Day weekend! I know I was very thankful for my three days of rest(ish).  I have been super busy lately and being able to take a couple of days and check my brain at the door was a much-needed break. But, *yawn* after staying up way too late to watch the Buckeye’s game last night I am dragging today – with a Pumpkin Spiced Latte in hand of course!! Due to my lack of sleep, the morning mirror was not kind to me today. Oh, I tried my best the night before to combat the fatigue that I know I would show after staying up too late (Eye mask, water based night cream, etc.), but my midnight bedtime still showed on my face this morning. I had to pull out some extra tricks in my make up bag to hide the signs of a late night and a stressful football game.

One of my favorite tricks to fake the well-rested look is highlighting or I guess now they are calling it strobing. Now there are countless products that have recently flooded the make up market now to help you achieve the glow you are looking for. Some can be had relatively cheap and others can run you quite a bit of cash. One product I love, that is easy to use is Sonia Kashuk’s Chic Luminosity Highlighter Stick which can be found at any local Columbus Target for $10.99. It comes in two colors – a neutral shimmer called Sparkling Sand and a more of a pinky tone called Persian Sunset. (I got the more neutral color because I am so fair but I think the pinky color would look ok too.) This stick reminds me of Benefit’s Watt’s Up! but without the hefty price tag.

How I like use the stick is pretty simple. After I apply my foundation, blush, powder and blend I use this product as a final step. I sweep it across the upper portion of my cheek bones (under my eyes), down the bridge of my nose, my cupid’s bow and across my lower forehead (where my forehead meets my nose and over my eyebrows). Sometimes I place some highlight in the center of my chin but mostly, since my chin is a little oily and shiny I don’t. I blend it in a little with my fingers and I’m done. This takes less than 30 second to add this product to your morning regime and really anyone with a mirror can add this glow.

Another glow worthy product that I like is Becca Cosmetics Shimmering Skin Perfector. This product is a double threat – I love it because you can mix it with your liquid foundation for an all over glow or you can apply it more strategically – like the stick – on top of your make up and blend in.  It also comes in multiple shades so you can pick and choose your glow color! A little bit of this product goes a long way and although it is a more pricey option than the Sonia Kahsuk (the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector will set you back a whooping $41), it can still be an affordable option if you go with the travel sized which is only $19 -- the downside being that the travel size only comes in two colors. You can find this product at the Polaris Ulta location. I’m sure it is probably available at the other Ulta locations around Columbus but the Polaris location is where I purchased it.  

Ladies, step away from that bronzer! As summer turns to fall pull out that highlighting product to add a more seasonable glow.

Get glowing, stay tuned and Stay Lovely, Columbus!

XOXO -Ann

Juggling Work and Blogging - This Week's Losing Battle.

So I completely over estimated my ability to start back to school and post within the same week -- yeah, that so did not happen. Basically I came home every night after work and fell asleep on the couch by nine pm. Week one kicked my ass. My apologies all, but better late than never!! On a side note -- don't even talk to me about my diet and/or excise plan either, that was also not happening last well as well. And, despite an unfortunate finger injury yesterday (see my instagram @lovelyincolumbusblog) we will have a blog post today.

Going back to work after an extended absence (ie, summer) is always tough. I have never been good at doing 0 to 60 -- fast -- and heading back to school kinda hits me in the same way. Thats why, at the end of the day, coming home and removing my make up is a essential for my transitioning process. Continuing with our talk about the numerous options out there to remove one's make up, I would like to feature a stand by in and a new friend.

So I have been wanting to try a Micellar Water for like, ever. The problem is, is that you can't seem to locate one in the greater Columbus area. While shopping at JAvenue off of Kenny Road, I stumbled across the well known and well loved Bioderma Micellar Water, however it was like $36! Given that I had never tried the product before (and there were other, cheaper things I wanted to buy there that day) I passed on the Bioderma. Trust me, I wanted to get it, but for some reason that day my typically silent voice of reason showed up and was like "no way". However, if you are in the Columbus area, and are hard up for your Bioderma Micellar Water this is the only place I have ever seen it.


Still on the hunt I managed to run across Simple Skincare's Micellar Cleansing Water at Ulta -- and since it was only $7.99 I figured it was worth trying out. So by now you are probably asking, what the heck is Micellar Water? Micellar Water is a solution to remove make up from the skin and it is particularly popular in Europe (especially in France, hence my harping on the Bioderma thing...). Micellar Water is just becoming trendy in the U.S. and because the ingredients in the water, or more specifically the micelles (yes, that's a thing) in the Micellar Water are supposed to be non irritating to sensitive skin, people are seeking it out as an addition to their beauty arsenal.

The micelles (tiny microscopic spherical liquid crystals) are also very good at trapping oil, which is why they make such good make up removers. Essentially, it is kind of like a cross between a toner and a cleanser that removes make up but doesn't strip the skin. After using the Micellar Water this is what I have found. I like it to remove my make up. It takes it off easily and my face doesn't feel greasy. It does not irritate my skin in any way or make my skin feel tight and uncomfortable. It also pretty much has no scent so I am not put off by any cloying perfumey smell. In the Simple Skincare formula in particular, the Micellar Water solution also contains B3, which softens the skin and Vitamin C for it's brightening boots and antioxidant properties.

However, Micellar Water does not seem to be a substitute for cleansing. Period. To remove all traces of make up from your skin you have to follow your Micellar Water with a cleanser. The Micellar Water, does NOT remove all traces of your make up. Most of it? Yes. All of it. No. But at $7.99 a pop, if you are dying to try it or want to add it to your regime Simple makes a pretty decent version. But in my opinion it isn't the end all be all product it has been hyped to be.

So what cleanser do I use after my Micellar Water? If you are a reader of my blog you know that Bioelements is one of my favorite stand by lines. So it will come at no surprise that I recommend Bioelements Flash Foam Cleanser . This product retails for $36 however I found it from $21.53 @ Amazon. I really like this cleanser for summer skin (summer only oily or combination skin) or oily skin but it works well on normal skin as well. It also lasts a long time -- two pumps of foam works to clean your whole face. It is also not overly scented with perfumes but has a nice light "orangy" scent. The Flash Foam Cleanser contains papaya and pineapple extracts that act as a mild exfoliant, green tea extract (an antioxidant) and orange oil for toning properties. This product is one of my old stand by products that I keep coming back to over the years, regardless of how many other products I try.

Until next week! I promise!!
Stay Lovely, Columbus!!
XOXO - Ann

Taking Your Face Off - Cleansers that are Sure to Remove Your Make Up!

I won't lie, it has been a tough week -- so forgive me, my good natured snark is just not on point right now. This Monday, we lost a dear member of our extended family, my parent's older miniature schnauzer Cookie. She had been a part of our family for many, many years, and although she lived a long, full and happy life the loss of a beloved pet is never easy. Additionally, it is t-minus four days and some odd hours until school starts for me and the serious freak out has set in -- due in large part to some last minute ridiculousness. I have recently been reminded of this thought -- a failure on your part does not constitute an emergency on mine -- or something to that effect. But I think that thought sums up my work stress pretty accurately.

Being a bit stressed means there is nothing more important to my sanity than being able to come home, remove all my make up, pull on my favorite Target lounge clothes (seriously they have the best crap) and curl up on my couch with my Pieper and a good book. I know I must take extra special care of my skin when I'm stressed, otherwise the stress breakout will rear it's ugly head. Making sure I do a thorough and complete job of removing my make up is key to keeping a skincare emergency at bay -- as well as giving me a bit of a pick me up. Because, let's face it, although you look fabulous with make up on, removing it makes you feel like you have somehow freed your face from some sort of pigment prison.

I know I have said this before but I will say it again -- I am a firm believer in the multiple step cleanse. This means I have at least one dedicated cleanser to remove my make up -- right now I am favoring an oil cleanser -- and at least one cleanser to clean my skin once the make up is removed. Think of it this way, if you use make up remover to remove your eye make up and mascara you don't skip washing your eyelids, etc., when you wash the rest of your face do you? My double cleanse is simply a take on this concept. I use one cleanser as a make up remover and a second cleanser to clean my bare face -- removing all impurities left in and on my skin. For today though, I'm going to share my favorite make up remover for the first step in a double cleanse regime.

I am a big fan or Bliss' Fabulous Make Up Melt Gel to Oil Cleanser. Even though I tend towards oily skin, I often feel like my skin is stripped by your typical oily skin or acne products. That is why I like to remove my make up with this gel to oil cleanser. The Bliss Fabulous Make Up Melt goes on like a cleansing gel over dry skin, but, as you work it over your skin it becomes slick and collects all your make up. I can literally see this stuff capturing my foundation and removing it from my skin. It washes off easily, requiring no extra product to remove it from your face and doesn't leave my skin feeling dry or patchy.

The Bliss Fabulous Make Up Melt Gel to Oil Cleanser contains multiple oils -- olive oil, tamanu oil, mirabelle plum seed oil and abyssinicia seed oil to cleanse your skin. It also contains peppermint oil, sage leaf oil, orange oil and lavender oil to refresh and calm your skin. The squeeze bottle doesn't leak, it has a light smell and there is no oily/messy residue! The only downside to this product is that I do tend to use about a quarter sized amount to clean my whole face and at $28 it is a bit pricey -- however it works like a champ. On the up side I did recently score this product at the Sawmill Nordstrom Rack for around $15, so deals can be found!

Using a gel to oil cleanser is not the only way I like to remove my make up at the end of the day, however, you will have to wait for Sunday's post to find out about my other make up removing recommendations! Until then....

Stay Lovely, Columbus!
XOXO - Ann

My Love/Hate Relationship with Cleansing Cloths

So I've got about a week and a half before I go back to work so I will try to get a couple more posts in before I get swamped at school and disappear briefly under a mountain of stress! Ahh! Just thinking about it gives me the beginnings of a panic attack. Ok, breathe -- smile, move on. Anyways, one of my favorite beauty items are cleansing products and I'd like to devote the next several posts to some of my favorites. Don't worry, this isn't my first post to include cleansers and it certainly won't be my last.

I am a huge sucker for cleansers of all kind -- they rank right up there with my love affair with masks! I kind of have a serious stock pile going on right now. (Don't tell my husband, he has no idea what I keep in the linen closet!!) I also like to have multiple cleansing products to choose from on a daily basis. (You never know what kind of skin you may have on any given day!) In my opinion, there simply is nothing like the feeling of freshly cleaned skin! Don't get me wrong, I love my make up, but there is something very mood altering about coming home from a long day of work and wiping all that gunk off your face. One reason I love cleansers is that there are so many to choose from -- gels, foams, scrubs, oils, cloths.... and you know I just have to try as many of them as possible!

One kind of cleansing product that I have had major trouble with over the years is the cleansing cloths. Every single one I have tried has caused a seriously scary reaction on my face. I can remember the first time I used a cleansing wipe -- let me set the scene for ya -- I was a freshman in undergrad and it was the night before my fall trimester History final. I broke out a box of the Olay Cleansing Cloths (a brand new beauty item at the time!) and used one before bed. Well, the next morning I woke up with tiny, itchy, red bumps ALL OVER my face. I went to my final with my head down and as soon as I finished, I headed home to Ohio and went straight to the doctor. That was 15 years ago and I have been wary of these things ever since. I have tried several different brands, and come out with various degrees of the same results. Always some sort of allergic reaction, albeit never as bad as my freshman year, but still concerning enough that in the trash they all went. Well, all but one...

The last time I was in Sephora (shocker, me in Sephora) hunting for a new foundation, they had me remove my make up with the Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths: Brightening. Immediately I balked. I didn't want to use yet another cleansing cloth on my skin only to wait about three hours for a nasty allergic reaction to rear it's ugly head -- NO!! Reluctant, and seeing no other alternative to removing my make up I took a deep breath and a risk and used the cleansing cloth. Well, right away I loved the smell, very sweet and fruity (citrus vanilla) but not in a Bath and Body Works way. Also, I noticed the brightening effect on my skin the minute my make up was gone. I was sad, cleansing cloths and I have had several nasty break ups -- this product was not my friend -- I just knew the other shoe would drop though I would have yet another allergic reaction to these cloths. But I waited and waited and waited.... and no nasty surprises. Needless to say I went back the next day and bought a pack.

The Ole Henriksen The Clean Truth Cleansing Cloths: Brightening contain ingredients like vitamin c for brightening, micro algae to firm the skin and boot collagen production, COQ10 to increase skin cell turnover and green tea (anti-oxidant) to slow the break down of the collagen you do have. It also contains grape seed oil, jojoba oil, rosemary leaf oil and black current seed oil, which I had never heard of, which supposedly is full of fatty acids (the good kind of fatty!) for hydration. At $8.00 for 10 and $15.00 for 30 @ Sephora, these will not break the bank. I found them even cheaper -- $21.65 for 30 @ Amazon.

I like to use this product in the evenings to cleanse my skin and remove light make up. I use these cloths when I am wearing light or weekend make up -- this product is great for those days when I do not need something so heavy duty to remove what I have put on my face. I am a firm believer in the double cleanse, using an additional cleanser after I use the cloths to remove my make up.

Stay Lovely, Columbus!
XOXO - Ann

Fighting the Summer Oil Slick Series - A Lazy Girl's Oil Control Foundation Routine

Happy Saturday everyone! Seeing that it is Saturday, I thought today would be a perfect day to talk about my "lazy girl" foundation routine! Some days -- like today maybe -- you just don't feel like putting on a ton of make up -- that being said, you also don't want to scare the kiddies when you leave the house. That's why having a good "lazy days" foundation routine is great! Despite what people think, I do not leave the house daily in full make up. But, I do like to keep some sort of barrier between my skin and the sun whenever I am planning to leave the house. Also, since I'm an elementary teacher by day, I really prescribe the the notion that one does not leave the house in anything you don't want to see students in. Trust me, if you run out in your pjs and no make up you will run into a student or two or three -- it is like some sort of screwed up teacher karma.

I always start with cleaned, moisturized skin and a good primer. I use a primer every day -- whether I am doing a full face or a "lazy girl" foundation routine. Using a primer gives me a good base to work with and, in the summer, it is a mattifier for my oily skin. As mentioned in the previous post, for summer I love Rimmel's Stay Matte Primer. It is my favorite kind of product -- cheap, easy to find and performs as advertised. I do not believe you need to spend a fortune on a good primer. I love Benefit's POREfessional Face Primer, (seriously, it's great!) but at $31 a pop I will stick with my $6.99 Rimmel primer thank you very much.

After I apply my primer, I mix my L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream Anti-Redness with an impossibly difficult to find product -- Dr. Brandt's Pores No More, Hint of Tint. I'm not even sure if they make this anymore since the only place I seem to be able to find it is Ebay. If you do end up finding it -- stock up -- and email me because I am running a little low. You can use the Pores No More, Hint of Tint on it's own, however, I like to mix it for application purposes. It can be a little thick on it's own so I use the Anti Redness BB Cream to smooth it out and make the application process with my Beauty Blender easier. But if you are super lazy or in a rush, go ahead and use it by itself or mix it with your favorite moisturizer. I also like the Dr. Brandt's Pores No More, Hint of Tint for my summer skin because I typically sport a little bit of a tan in the summer months. The color compliments my slightly tan skin, however, this product would not be good for me in the winter month because it would be too dark. Ladies that are fair year 'round -- this may be too dark for you.

Lastly, I always set my foundation routine with a translucent powder and as in my previous post, I'm currently using Bare Minerals Ready Touch Up Veil Pressed Powder SPF 15. Any translucent finishing powder will do, but since the other products I use in my "lazy" routine don't have any SPF in them, I typically will finish off with this particular product because it is SPF 15. I would prefer my SPF be in one of my liquid make up sources (and be at least SPF 25 or above) but for this routine it didn't happen that way.

Have a great weekend and... Stay Lovely, Columbus!
XOXO - Ann