Winter Skin Solutions (while at home sick with the plague…)

So it has finally happened -- the inevitable when you work in a school with small children…. I AM SICK. No, this is not your run of the mill stomach bug or even the evil, but ever prevalent strep throat, NOOO, this is the full on PLAGUE!! Ugh!! My nightstand and coffee table look like a shrine to the multi-symptom God known only as, VIRUS. Cough drops, Ginger Ale cans, empty tea cups, Kleenex boxes, Chloraseptic spray and various other useless medication all offered up in supplication….but to no avail! Alas, I am permanently ensconced in a nest of blankets and pillows on my couch -- from which, I fear, there in no foreseeable escape!! But at least I have the internet…and Netflix!

But however humorous my whining may be that is not why you are reading my post (or maybe it it, who knows?!). Why you are most likely here today is because I have some fabulous body lotions to recommend that are sure to banish that dry, itchy winter skin. I take moisturizing very seriously -- our skin is our largest organ and it is constantly being abused. Especially in the winter, when the elements are not our friend, our skin needs a little extra (or a lot extra) TLC to help it get by.

I am religious about my lotion use. Everyone morning (and sometimes in the evening) I use some kind of lotion all over my body. You might think I am completely nuts and in all seriousness that debate is still being waged, however I really attribute the elasticity and strength of my skin to the fact that I moisturize every, single day.


One of my favorite lotions for seriously dry winter skin is Kiehl's Creme de Corps. This lotion is truly a splurge, clocking in at $48 for a 16.9oz bottle (don't worry there are smaller and larger sizes) but it is not a lotion I use year 'round. I turn to Creme de Corps only for the driest of days when it is below zero wind chill and my body needs that extra thick layer of moisture. Creme de Corps is heavy duty, without feeling that way. It is unscented and thick, but sinks into your skin pretty quickly, which is important because there is nothing I hate more than that greasy, sticky feeling. Creme de Corps contains coco butter, which is a must for dry skin as well as sesame seed oil, which skins into skin quickly and doesn't leave any greasy feeling. This lotion also contains Beta-Carotien, which is an antioxidant found most famously in carrots. Finally, many of Kiehl's products contain something called Squalane, which is a botanical lipid that is similar to your skin's own lipids. It is easily absorbed, has softening properties and helps skin retain moisture. I nab my bottle of Kiehl's Creme de Corps at Nordstrom.

My other favorite lotion for winter skin is Bliss' Lemon + Sage Body Butter Maximum Moisture Cream. Ounce for ounce, at $29.00 for 6.7oz, this cream is basically just as expensive as Kiehl's but you can often find it at a steep discount at stores like Nordstrom Rack, TjMaxx or Marshall's. I scored a haul of this stuff back in December at a TjMaxx and the bottles were like $12.99 each. In the winter this is my go to, every day lotion. It sinks in immediately and provides an excellent moisture barrier for those cold, but not (my nose hairs are freezing to the inside of my nose) kind of days. This body butter is paraben free and has a subtle lemony scent (although there are other scents too). Skin saving ingredients like coco butter and shea butter round out some of it's top five ingredients -- making Bliss' Body Butter a great all around choice.

So what are you using to help combat winter skin? Hit me up @lovelyincolumbusblog on Instagram and check out my Instagram only pick of the week -- G.M. Collin Hydrating Cream.

Stay warm and as always…
Stay lovely, Columbus!

XOXO - Ann

Life Gets in the Way -- But Sheet Masks will make it all OK!

These last couple of months have been challenging to say the least. Our baby (an incredibly spoiled miniature schnauzer named Pieper) became very ill, the cause of which was unknown. Initially, the vet thought that she may have had cancer. Needless to say my world stopped at that moment. For those of you that don't know me personally, Pieper is our world -- and although after many months of tests, medicine and eventually surgery she did NOT end up having cancer, I have been fairly well consumed with this experience. Now it is January, and she is almost back to normal! The stitches from her surgery come out on Wednesday and we are almost done with her last course of antibiotics!! Life is starting to feel more like it should, and I am beginning to get back on track personally and professionally.

In other news, my instagram feed is up and running again with my daily fashion posts and an occasional pick of the week to pass along if I find a good deal. I also hope to feature some quick beauty recommendations -- either preview things that will be coming to the blog soon or possibly instagram only selections for quick recommendations. Not sure where I am headed with the social media exactly but I may experiment with a few things. Fan feed back is always welcome! Either way, it is worth checking me out @lovelyincolumbusblog -- there will also be Pieper updates for her fan club. Seriously, she has a fan club, no lie.

So this week's beauty pick of the week and the feature for the next few weeks will be dealing with our winter skin! As I sit here this Sunday morning, snow is falling outside, there is a definite chill in the air and the wind is howling! It is a perfect day to stay indoors, drink tea, cuddle Miss P and turn on the crock pot -- and although I love this weather (yes, I am a cold weather girl!) it wreaks havoc on my skin. That dry, tight feeling you get in the winter, especially after you wash your face is something that I feel like I am constantly trying to treat this time of year. I have also noticed a lack of brightness as my parched skin tries to compensate for the lack of humidity and brisk, cold wind.

One treatment I love no matter what the weather, are sheet masks. I have been snapping them up and trying them all ever since they started to become popular last year. Sephora has a great selection as does my favorite Korean beauty websites Peach & Lily, Soko Glam and Pretty and Cute. To combat dehydrated winter skin I have been keeping a supply of Egg Cream Sheet Masks from the Korean beauty brand Too Cool For School. The hypoallergenic microfiber sheet mask is drenched in a serum made from eggs and egg yolks to nourish and brighten your skin. The egg acts as a clarifying agent, improving skins texture but without striping the skin. The egg serum is super moisturizing and non irritating. The results are instantly brightened, moisturized skin that had me running out to grab more of these babies from my local Sephora.

My second recommendation for winter sheet masks is the fabulous Boscia Sake Brightening Hydrogel Sheet Mask. This mask is designed in two parts -- one for the top half of your face and one part for the bottom half. Initially after opening the package I was surprised by this but, I quickly saw the benefit to the two parts. Not only does it allow you to fit it better on your face, but the two parts are smaller and a bit more manageable than the whole face sheet. Be careful though, the Boscia Sake Brightening Hydrogel mask is made up of hydrogel, which makes it super moisturizing but slippery as all hell. Not gonna lie, almost dropped part of this sucker in the sink while trying to put it on. Once on though, it didn't seem to slide or anything so as long as you don't drop it on the floor you will be fine!

For skin that is super parched I love the Boscia Sake Brightening Hydrogel Sheet Mask. It is composed of 100% hydrogel, which adds an extra layer of moisture to your mask experience! No dryness here! This mask includes sake to brighten and enrich your skin with various antioxidants and vitamins. It also includes marine collagen, which adds additional moisture as well as protects your skin from moisture loss and makes your face super soft and smooth! An extra added bonus? This mask utilizes jojoba leaf to help protect your skin from future damage and support skin's moisture levels.

So stay warm, stay in and try a sheet mask tonight!
And as always….
Stay lovely, Columbus!

XOXO -- Ann

To Tone or Not to Tone....

"To tone or not to tone, that is the question. Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer the myriad of choices and advertisements of outrageous toner claims..." 

However much that I take liberties with the Bard -- Shakespeare aside, women are much divided on the issue of toning, many skipping this skincare step because they don’t see the value in using a toner – or believe the misconception that somehow toning is not good for your skin. Certainly this has created a lot of confusion around this skincare step – fostering the belief that toning is optional, unnecessary or even harmful for your skin.  All of this raises the question; do you use a toner? I certainly do.

A toner is meant to be used after you cleanse your skin. Inadvertently, while cleansing your skin, you strip away the good while dealing with the bad. This is why the toning step is so important. Toning adds back to your skin some of those good things that cleansing takes away – like glycerin, ceramides and fatty acids. A toner can restore your PH balance and using a toner can give the appearance of smaller pores. Because a toner can help to close the pores and tighten the cell gaps, less harmful impurities can penetrate and therefore irritate your skin. Some toners (like Laneige or belif) are moisturizing and can add humectants to help bind moisture to your skin. Also, toners with glycolic acid can help prevent ingrown hairs

A cult favorite (and one of my favorite’s), Pixi Glow Tonic is so well known it is even sold at Liberty’s of London for almost double the price at Target. The alcohol free Glow Tonic is an exfoliating toner that tones, tightens and firms the skin.  The 5% Glycolic Acid removes dead skin cells to promote a healthier looking complexion and is a good all around toner for most skin types. So how does it work? The Glow Tonic uses ginseng, fructose, and 5% Glycolic Acid, not alcohol to tone the skin and remove the dead skin cells.  Ingredients like witch hazel and horse chestnut also work to tone and improve skin texture without striping the skin. The Glow Tonic also contains aloe vera to soothe skin. An added bonus, this product contains no artificial coloring.

I like the Pixi Glow Tonic because it contains no alcohol and has a light cucumber scent that is not cloying or overpowering in any way. I also like this product because it contains 5% Glycolic Acid, which promotes cell turnover. I tend to have a little oiler skin most month out of the year, and find this toner to be neither too drying nor too moisturizing. The Pixi Glow Tonic does not irritate my skin and really seems suitable for all skin types. As is most things that I love, the Pixi Glow Tonic can be found at Target!

Have a great week everyone and don't forget....

Stay Lovely, Columbus!!!

XOXO - Ann

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