It's FRIIIIDAY!

It's raining and a blustery 45 degrees outside today. My previous post about keeping it chic under nasty conditions got me thinking about my Winter must haves. Yeah, you can still wear a lot of your Summer clothes during the Winter as long as you layer, but when it comes to beauty products, all that changes. I don't know about you guys, but my skin is dry enough to begin with, and when that cold air hits, it gets even worse. I'm talkin' flakes and patches-it's nasty. I used to work for Benefit Cosmetics, and my counter manager introduced me to their awesome moisturizer called Dear John ($32.00). Before then, I had yet to find a good moisturizer that actually sunk into my skin and made a difference. This stuff turned my world upside down-in a good way. I also realized (very late, I knooow) that my skin not only needed moisturizing-BADLY-but also a good exfoliation. Especially during the colder months, that dead skin (nasty, I know) piles up on top of each other, and while the moisturizer hydrates, it doesn't get rid of the dead cells. Exfoliating will. I find it easiest to do it in the shower-just make sure you close your eyes tight because that stuff STINGS if it gets in your eyes! I use two products to exfoliate and cleanse. First, I use Beyond Belief Vita C+ Exfoliating Apricot Citrus Scrub (Sally Beauty Supply- $6.49), then, to cleanse, I use Olay Clarify and Cleanse Scrub to really deep clean and exfoliate. This product doesn't really "scrub" the way the Beyond Belief stuff does, so I use it more to clean out my pores. The Beyond Belief product doesn't really cleanse either, so they work pretty well together. After I'm done cleaning, I make sure to PAT DRY. Rubbing is only going to make things worse. I give my skin some time to dry, and then I moisturize. I just discovered Garnier Moisture Rescue Refreshing Gel-Cream and I LOVE IT! It tingles and cools when you put it on so you can really feel it working. It's non-greasy as well, so even if your skin is more on the oily side, you can still use it. After using all three of these products, my skin is so soft. Ok, I'm done with my beauty rant for now...I just wanted to share, but I'll let the cosmetologists give you their tips instead of my "I don't know what I'm talking about, but I'll just pretend to" advice. ;)

Alright, let's talk fashion...

I WANT A LEOPARD PRINT SCARF. You would think that since animal print is huge now, that this would be an easy task. But no. Everything I find is either fleece or too wispy. I want something thicker, but not made of fleece. Is that too much to ask? My mom has this super cute velvet Ralph Lauren leopard print scarf that I'm considering yanking from her house. It's perfect, and now that I have my cream colored pea coat, I think I need it more than she does. I came across a black metallic leopard print scarf at F21, that would be cute with a dress and tights-and it's perfect for those of you who are a little wary of trying the animal print trend. Oh, and those shoes in my logo? Mine. Love them, and I think I've worn them too much because that little metal part in the heel is now sticking out causing to me constantly slip on the dance floor. My mom has already yelled at me numerous times to put a heel protector on them, but I prefer to live dangerously. I'll take my risks, and plus, after a few brewskis in me, most of my shame goes out the window anyways. Here's the link to the scarf, give it a try...F21 Metallic Blend Scarf- $8.80. For those of you that are feeling a little more risque, there's a fabulous faux fur leopard print vest with a belt included-WANT!-F21- $29.80. Just stay away from the leopard print tights. Please.

I'm going to take a little break, but I'll probably be back later. My husband claims he's going to clean the kitchen, so I should probably go supervise.

Happy Saving!