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