Scrape away the old, make-way for the new!

When I was a little girl I loved opening a brand new can of Playdough. Most kids would squish it, but if you carefully split it open from the top it was all little strands inside. I would pull them all apart one by one and found pleasure in the activity. Plenty of people have a weird little joy, bubble wrap popping, cracking open sunflower seeds with your teeth, snipping split ends; as an adult, I really enjoy exfoliation. There is one specific exfoliation kit that is efficient and really delivers results.
I know I've expounded on the joys of Philosophy products before, but I'm just going to keep doing it 'coz I believe in them and they work. So there. Here's the what: The founder of Philosophy really created the method of micro-dermabrasion, so if you are going to do it at home, I really recommend this one. It's two steps, a scrub then a liquid chemical reactant. It's meant to be used once a week, usually, but you can use it up to twice a week, should you have an event that you need to look your best for, like when I got married and used it regularly and without fail.
When you are applying the scrub, you want to massage it into your skin. There is a ton of vitamin c packed in there so two things are happening, you are removing dead skin and applying a big ole layer of the 'C' into your skin. The dead skin cells will start to loosen and you can feel them slipping under your fingers as you massage. I love this sensation. That may sound gross, but I once listened to a waxer go on and on about ingrown hairs, so I'm really not so strange. Let the scrub hang out on your face at least 3 minutes, but not longer that 10 before you apply the liquid which will foam up and heat up a bit to really infuse the vitamins into your skin. Leave that on for at least 5 min or more.
If you have very sensitive skin, don't do any of these things. If you don't and you do try this, then please be careful with your face after, as you have removed some skin and it will certainly be sensitive and vulnerable. It will however feel freakin' fantastic!

I love lip. I love lip!

I spent the first part of my make-up wearing years swathing my lips in various shades of deep red lipstick. My love of it knew no bounds and I had various shades in both blue and orange undertones. We were together so long I thought we'd never break up. I blew off lip gloss as a product for underachievers. That is, until I tried my first Chanel lip gloss. Chanel was my gateway drug for a decade of searching for just the right texture, tone and stability in a cherry red gloss. I realized recently that I may never find my white whale of a perfect product and I should try looking in a different direction.
Now those of you who have talked to me about make-up know I love Laura Mercier's products on a level ever so slightly inappropriate. I saw she made a tinted lip balm, HydraTint. Here's the what: I'm completely smitten. I bought the Rose and the Crimson and they both have a delightfully shear tint that allow me to apply far too much eyeliner. The Rose is a pretty little pink and the Crimson is a perfect pitch red. There are 4 more colors of which I will probably buy 2 more. They have a SPF 15 with broad spectrum, green tea and other emollianty happiness to keep you supple. On top of the pretty color, protection and enrichment, this lip balm smells exactly like fruit stripe gum! It's like my childhood happy candy moment is reborn every time I reapply.  Honestly, I get a little too excited to put it back on after eating. Try it! You might just find yourself sniffing your lipbalm!