Changing seasons means taking care of your skin after a summer spent in the sun. It never dawned on me to change my skin routine from season to season. But after doing some research, I realized that those changing leaves served as good reminder to change my skin routine and treat my skin for fall differently than I do for summer.
With every passing year, I started to notice that I get some dark spots from exposure to the sun and uneven effects of the sun on my skin. Enter Neutrogena. As a brand that I have used before and go to when finding new ways to treat my skin as a collective regimen, Neutrogena’s new Rapid Tone Repair Line can target those dark spots and even out my skin. With a rapid release type of retinol (good for age spots), vitamin c (diffuses brown spots), and a boost of hyaluronic acid (keeps my skin moisturized) the daily moisturizer, the night moisturizer and the dark spot corrector are what I needed to transition my skin from summer to fall.
Starting the day with a moisturizer that includes an SPF 30 or more is a great way to protect your skin while keeping it moisturized as the cool air of fall sets in and starts to deplete moisture from your skin, ever so slowly into winter. We often make the mistake of thinning out our moisturizer when we put it on, so don’t be afraid of layering a good amount on your face. Neutrogena’s day moisturizer is lightweight, smells good, and provides a great hydrated base for my foundation.
At night, after washing my face and following my usual cleansing routine, I apply the dark spot corrector directly on the spots that have darkened from sun exposure, particularly on my chin and near my lips. When I think back to how I treated my skin during the summer, I often wore a hat that covered most of my face expect my chin in most cases, which makes perfect sense now that I am finding that’s where most of my dark spots have been.
Followed by the spot corrector, which addressed specific areas of my skin that I knew needed to fade, I ended my night time skin routine with the Rapid Tone Repair moisturizer labeled Night (making it very easy not to mix things up!). I particularly love the light feel of this moisturizer while knowing it is still targeting my need for moisture, smoothing my fine lines and evening out my skin tone while I sleep. Many night moisturizers can sometimes feel sticky, so it was nice to wake up not feeling stuck to my pillow or with a residue!
Thank you so much for reading! I have been diving into so many skin care products lately, testing them out and learning how to care for my skin better these days. If you have a favorite product or skin routine you’d like me to share, please let me know in the comments below! Have a great week!
Thank you to Neutrogena for partnering on this post!
Between August and September, so much has happened around the world. Family and friends have been at the forefront of my mind in the past two months and even still today, so I needed to take a break and ensure that was happening first. If you are able to donate in any capacity to help the American people of Puerto Rico, please visit here for more information that directly goes to the aid desperately needed there.
Now that we are into Fall, I want to share this pretty Maggy London black and white midi dress (on sale for under $60!) . You’ve definitely seen me share many Maggy London pieces this past year. Some of your favorites have been this black and white wrap dress, this colorful lace dress, and this beautiful sheer top! I feel in love with the brand because it represents all that I admire in a clothing brand from feminine dresses and tops (and now pants!) to pretty prints.
Mixing prints is something I’m enjoying lately, and a good tip is that any leopard or tortoise heel (as shown here) is the perfect way to add to any black and white look, even stripes!
And since the Fall is taking it’s sweet time to show up keeping us in warmer temps the last few days, this dress is the perfect transitional piece with a classic black and white twist on florals. One of the best attributes to a Maggy London dress is how fitted it can be on the waist, making for the perfect detailed belt to add to the look.
Adding some texture and cutouts for an edgy style while still looking classic to work is a great way to try something new in your wardrobe. So go for it!
Thank you so much for reading and supporting this space! You can expect a weekly post and more to come for the holiday season (dare I say that too soon!)
It’s Sunday night and I’ve had a hell of a week! I haven’t slept much, and stress has gotten to me a bit more than usual. My skin is the one area that is the first to show signs of stress and sleepless nights, and if it weren’t for a few favorite finds for my face, I wouldn’t look as refreshed as I have been. Over the last few months, I’ve been trying several products for my combination skin. And if there is one thing I have learned about taking care of your skin well it is that just like the season’s change and your wardrobe reflects that change, so should your skin care routine. Aside from drinking plenty of water to stay hydrated and eating a well-balanced diet, having four or five favorite products for your face are the perfect way to stay above the fray of wrinkles, dark or patchy skin and the occasional breakout.
As we start to experience cooler days this fall and head into winter (it’s coming!), here are my favorite five finds for my face that I simply cannot do without!
I had no idea about micellar water until I did a little more digging into skin care routines and found that this is probably one of the best ways to really get your face clean for both your day and nighttime cleansing. I use it right after washing my face with an oil-based cleanser or using a Neutrogena cleansing cloth. Using a cotton round, I wipe any excess make-up all over my face and eyes-which is great because it doesn’t irritate my contacts. You’d be surprised how much one cleansing really isn’t enough, which is why I love using this after I wash my face. I happen to love the entire line of Caudalie, so this is a definite favorite find for me!
Kiehl’s has been a favorite brand of mine for as long as I can remember! This alcohol-free toner has probably been my favorite for the last 15 years! Before I began to use this toner, I did some research on the calendula flower learning that it had healing properties which is exactly what I needed at a time when my skin’s texture began to change. It isn’t a product where you will experience immediate results overnight, but it will benefit you long term and I’ve never look back since using it. It is refreshing on the skin (sometimes I refrigerate it and use to it on an impending breakout), and does not leave you with any sticky residue after use.
I have never used a serum before, then I discovered Aromatica and it changed my skin care life! This is one bottle I have almost emptied! I am already purchasing another soon! I use it nightly without fail and it has not only smoothed my finer lines and my skin overall, but also brightened those subtle dark spots that have begun to show up as the season changes. I put this serum on after I use the micellar water and toner as my third step to a fresh face at night. I use my hands and lightly pat it throughout my face avoiding my eye area. Rose is one of those products that you can find in many skincare lines, and it works well in this serum! A definite new found favorite this fall season!
So I’m going to be totally honest here and say that when I first heard of Josie Maran cosmetics, all I could think about was David Blaine. Partly because I invited him to come and perform for my students once and he was brilliant, but also because he used to date Josie Maran (long ago!). Yet, that has nothing to do with the brilliance of this cosmetic line – luxury with a conscience! I am absolutely in love with the argan oil. I used to think an oil and your face did not mix. And boy, Was I wrong! My hairstylist convinced me to try it and after days of research I decided to give it a try. Now I cannot live without it. This bottle has lasted me 2 months and it is worth every penny. I pat 2-3 drops of the oil throughout my face after the Aromatica serum, and suddenly my face feels like it’s taken drink of water (ironic, I know!) after a day out in the sun.
Glossier is one of those brands that seemed trendy, and so I thought it really wouldn’t live up to my expectations in skincare because it hasn’t been around long enough to prove it’s worth. Yet, I’m here to tell you that many of their products not only deliver their promise, but are affordable and luxurious at the same time! One of the many products I’m currently obsessed with is their soothing facial mist; and when they say soothing, they mean it. This is my third bottle in 3 months, and it’s because I take it with me everywhere. I use it in the morning to set my make-up, in the middle of the day to freshen my face, and in the evening after using the argan oil before heading to bed. It has a light rose scene, but nothing overbearing or drying in the least. And if you have seen other facial mists out there, this by far is an affordable bottle for the size you receive. Definite favorite find for my face this fall!
Some of these products can be found online, but if you are a Sephora VIB member (it took me two purchases to become one!), your entire purchase is now 20% off until tomorrow, so be sure to prepare to stock up on your fresh face finds before the holidays and winter weather!
If you get a chance to try or already have tried any of these products, I’d love to know! Leave a comment below sharing your experience. Love this post? Share it and let me know if you’d like to see more in skincare and beauty from me! Thank you for reading and stopping by!
Happy Monday! We are one day away from a phenomenal change here in our country, and I am eager to see how it all plays out. More personal to me as I enter another week in November is my daughter’s angel birthday. It’s funny how different I feel this year as opposed to last. I spent every day last year dreading the moment her 1st year birthday would come and fearing the amount of sadness that would come over me. I didn’t know what to expect. But when her birthday arrived, I was stronger than I thought I would be and more determined than ever to make my experience of baby loss a movement that would change my life and inspire the lives of others. I like to think November is a time when things bloom; a time of year that I am renewed by my love for her and her guiding spirit to do good for others and ensure that she is never forgotten. I wear her initial as a proud mama and celebrate her memory this November and every day forward.
This floral sheath is such a perfect piece for all seasons. I don’t mind it being sleeveless as we’ve had an unusually few warm days in November already. Pairing this dress with a light pink coat and a nude palette of accessories pulls the look together.
If you’re in more of a blue mood (the various shades of blue in this dress are beautiful!), you can wear this dress with a warm caramel coat and navy suede pumps. That’s the beauty of fashion and why I love sharing so much. What you wear is all about how you want to feel that day.
Happy Wednesday! Last week, I had the pleasure of joining forces with some local NYC fashionista’s to enjoy an evening of rustic Italian cooking lessons with Mamma Mia wine! I shared a bit of the festivities on Facebook Live in 2 parts, so feel free to learn more about the brand there as well.
As a Mom, I love to cook (luckily, so does my husband!) and when it’s time for us to wind down as grown-ups (without our little guy), we love a good bottle of wine. And when I’m out with my girlfriends, enjoying a glass is always a good idea too! That’s what this fun night was exactly all about. The benefit? Enjoying a rustic cooking lesson at Rustico Cooking, founded by famed chef and James Beard-nominated cookbook author, Micol Negrin.
With the holidays approaching, I thought I’d share some of my favorite moments from the evening for some major decor, food and wine inspiration. If you’d like the recipes to these delicious dishes, simply drop your email here for our newsletter, and we’ll be sending a special one out very soon with all the details to our subscribers!
We started the evening with some white wine from Mamma Mia. Its crisp and floral notes definitely were the perfect start to our amuse-bouche and the start of the cooking lesson.
Our chef shared that we would be making everything from scratch, including pasta, which I was so thrilled to do! For our appetizer, we enjoyed a small dish of Tagliatelle with Two-Meat Ragu. It was so perfectly done (if I do say so myself!). It was such a joy to make the pasta from a basic flour and egg mix and see it through to the final plating for all of us to enjoy!
For our main course, we had Chicken Scaloppine with Lemon-White Wine Glaze. As our sides, we made Roasted String Beans with Sundried Tomatoes and Fresh Thyme along with Braised Chickpeas with Spinach and Chili.
With very few ingredients, we made Wine-Poached Fruit over Wine-Laced Mascarpone Mousse. Our dessert was simple, but perfectly ended the evening. Are you hungry yet? We definitely were and enjoyed the entire meal from beginning to end with Mamma Mia wines. The red was perfect for the dessert, as it was fruity and earthy.
I loved all the kitchen tools we got to use, so I’m sharing them below as you start to plan your own menus for the upcoming holiday dinners! I know I’ll be making this entire meal again because I do love a great rustic Italian dish, wine, great company…and kitchen tools! What’s your favorite meal to cook and wine to drink? Let us know!
