Tag Archives: skincare

My Twin Pregnancy Beauty Must Haves

As a 5’3 125lb woman, the moment I knew I was having twins I knew I had to get ahead of the inevitable stretch marks. Pregnancy is new territory for me and a huge learning curve however, I at least know when it comes to products that I’m going to be rubbing all over my body I want them to be more natural. For stretch mark prevention I am loving Basq Resilient Body Oil. The Lavender scent is calming after my evening shower and the oil easily absorbs into my skin. I focus this oil on my entire belly area and hips.

For all the other areas of my expanding body I love using Shea Moisture’s Raw Shea Butter body lotion with Frankincense & Myrrh.

Luckily I wasn’t too nauseas in my first trimester but not all are so lucky. For those of you who find yourselves making out with your toilet seat on the regular, I highly recommend these lovely damage-free ribbion hair ties!

Not only are these hair ties great for gently holding your hair back damage free, they also work great for holding your shrinking pre-pregnancy pants up!

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Hormones determine a lot of different things during pregnancy. My hormones decided they wanted my hair to be dry, limp, and brittle. To combat this unfortunate circumstance I use my Davines Renewing serum mid strand to ends daily. This serum contains antioxidant-rich spinach extract and maqui berry to protect the youth of the hair and scalp.Some women develop “pregnancy mask” which is hyperpigmentation of the skin on your face due to the higher levels of estrogen. Knowing this was a possibility for me my esthetician recommended that I use Iluma intense lightening serum. I had already been using this for acne spots and was amazed by its performance so I was very relived to hear it was not only safe to use during pregnancy but it was also a great preventative measure.
Dry hair, dry skin, and dry lips I can’t seem to get enough water in my system! Burt’s Bees lip balm is my absolute favorite!

Dark spots are not just a result from hormone imbalances. Dark spots can appear when you’ve been exposed to the sun. I LOVE Image skincare’s oil free prevention SPF. It does not make your skin look white and it dries smooth to the touch. I wear this EVERYDAY.

 

Last but not least WATER is the most important beauty & wellness must have during pregnancy and just life! Drinking half your weight in ounces daily is ideal. Doing this keeps you, your baby/babies, and skin in the best condition possible. This is a no-brainer I must say.

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Natural Cosmetics in the Lou

Are you concerned about the ingredients in your skincare and makeup products? If so, you have to stop in Blissoma‘s first brick and mortar all natural cosmetic shop! The shop is located at 2730 LaSalle on Floral Row in  St. Louis, MO. This little gem has everything from all natural skincare and candles to nail polish and makeup!

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Not only does the shop contain beautiful products that are extremely gentle but the outside is also beautiful and inviting.

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When walking in you will be in awe of the historical charm complimented by organic decor elements.

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The staff is wonderful and knowledgeable! They were more than happy to answer any product ingredient questions I had.  Blissoma also plans to host beauty and natural health seminars in their super cute hands on center!

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When you think of all natural nail polish you might assume the color selection would be limited. With the Aila nail polish line the color spectrum is modern and fresh! I can’t wait to try the all natural nail polish remover!

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The color options for eyeshadows, lipsticks, and blushes were also equally impressive.

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By far one of the coolest things about this shop is the fact that all the Blissoma skincare products are created in house. You can see the products being mixed and packaged for shipment.

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Julie is the owner and one of the most genuine people I have ever met. She knows the ins and out of natures ingredients and is always excited to share her knowledge with anyone eager to learn. I have no doubt that her business will flourish at a rapid pace.

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I picked up a few goodies while touring the shop. Blissoma’s Free Gel Cleanser is my go to when it comes to washing my face. It not only leaves my skin feeling balanced but also removes my makeup. It even takes off my waterproof mascaras with minimal effort. I also scored this beautiful whipped foundation by Lauren Brooke. The formula glides on your skin leaving it even in tone and luminous. For my eyes I purchased a black mascara by Alima and two liquid liners in caramel & navy. The thought of all natural ingredients on my entire face gives me such peace of mind.

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As a little incentive for Blissoma’s new customers I have dropped off Complimentary Haircut certificates. Spend $75 and receive a complimentary cut with Amber Perry a $39 value or spend $125 to receive a complimentary haircut with (myself) Kristen Linares a $59 value, at our salon Thirteenth and Washington located in downtown St. Louis!

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This is the perfect time of year to treat yourself and your loved ones to quality products! #AlwaysSupportLocals

Travel with Bliss

     As a national haircolor educator, I fly a lot. This means pure torture for my skin. Between the stale airplane air and random food I end up eating, my skin becomes very dull and sad.  

     During my last trip to Dallas I wandered into the Bliss beauty store in the St. Louis airport. I love stopping in there to just touch the extremely soft clothing made from bamboo and smell everything. Maybe that’s weird but hey, that’s just who I am. This time I spotted a sample facial box. I was really in the mood to pamper myself since my skin was feeling so blah.

    The full size moisturizer that came with the kit was worth the cost of the kit so that got me super excited. If you notice the cleanser and mask they are both labeled “Triple oxygen instant energizing”. This is no joke. When I put these products on my skin it felt like a flood of intense hydration that actually absorbed deep down where I needed it most. The mask was really cool! It felt like I had pop rocks candy on my face (in a good way). The mask goes on clear then turns into a foam. Once I cleansed my skin and finished with the mask I applied the moisturizer. This is THE BEST moisturizer I have ever experienced! The eye pads were equally amazing. You just have to try it all for yourself!

   
  Now this is not a sponsored post. No one gave me anything for free. I truly think this was an amazing kit and especially for those of you who travel as much as I do!

Save your skin

Never take your skin for granted. How you treat it now will really show as you age. So if your a tanning bed goddess, beware of the unsightly wrinkles and brown spots you will see in the next few years.

Always wear SPF not just on your face but anywhere your skin is exposed…

Find the right cleanser for your face and stick with it

Never go to bed with makeup on…

 EVER.

Drink plenty of water

Wear a hat your scalp can get sunburned too

Be gentle to your skin

Makeup extravaganza!

Today I went on shopping adventure with some very trendy girls.

 
 Left Top- Shaheera Bhutto, the Michael Jackson lover
 Left Bottom- Sophia Spoto, guilty of food envy
 Right Top- Moi Kristen Linares, going with the flow
 Right Bottom-Sydney Scott, the nice girl paparazzi

We very seriously browsed and shopped Nordstrom makeup counters. Makeup artist Megan Dugan was very helpful in showing us all the new stuff!

YSL had some amazing new lip tints. They were very smooth and glossy!

A great new line of affordable skin care! I bought Mario Badescu enzyme cleansing gel in a travel size for $7! Buying something new in a travel size is the best way to go when trying something new. However, Sophia highly recommends this line especially the enzyme cleansing gel,toner, & moisturizer. She has amazing skin so I’ll take her word for it.

 

Our day want not finished without a slice of cheecheesecake from The Cheesecake  Factory!