My Beauty & Health Product Must-Haves

So I have posted about my beauty products at work (seen here), which mostly consist of lipstick, lip gloss chap stick and hand cream, but now I want to focus on some of my beauty products relating to skin care and make-up that I use at home and will never live without again!Beauty Must-Haves

Also, there are some great healthy and beauty supplements out there to keep you looking young and help in the anti-aging category! I’m going to be honest that even in my young 20s I am already looking into anti-aging products and keeping myself as healthy as possible. Life gets busy, but there is no reason to not take time to stay healthy!

I am excited to share some great information and anti-aging products from Holland & Barrett. Holland & Barrett is the UK’s leading retailer of vitamins, minerals and herbal supplements and also offers all products online, where you can easily shop by brand or category. Holland & Barrett  have a commitment to ensuring customers can confidently access clear and concise information to help them make informed choices about products.  Holland & Barrett also have a commitment to quality by using only the finest ingredients to create high quality products, which are tested for potency and purity to meet the highest standards. Here they list some products, facts and natural remedies to help you stay healthy and beautiful!

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Face wash: I have used Cetaphil for years and will continue to use it for years.  It was recommended to me by my dermatologist in my hometown, my dermatologist in my college town and my dermatologist here in Minneapolis.  I have very oily skin and it always leaves my skin fresh without ever feeling dry.

Face lotion:  Same brand as my face wash, and again, recommended by all of my dermatologists.  I use the Cetaphil lotion that has SPF in it though to protect my face from sun damage.  I also find this lotion to be a bit lighter and fresher feeling than the original Cetaphil face lotion.

Arbonne advanced instant-lift gel:  Arbonne is a beauty product company based out of Switzerland that only uses all natural compounds and components in their products, unlike many of the products made in the U.S.  I was introduced to the company by a friend who has now decided to sell products for them.  I highly recommend their lotions, this insta-lift gel and lip gloss!  Honestly this insta-lift face gel is supposed to feel like a mini face lift each and every day to keep the skin around the forehead and eyes tight.  Sometimes I feel silly for using this product at such a young age, but I love it, it is refreshing and I can literally feel my skin tighten up a bit when I use it.  Plus, one small bottle has lasted me eight months so far and it should probably last me a couple more months! Totally worth it, if you need to get in contact with a representative to buy some products, click on the “Contact Me” tab and I can help you with that!

Ole Henriksen African Red Tea See The Difference Serum and Express the Truth Cream:  This duo is sold on Sephora.com, otherwise you can buy them separately.  I got a free sample of the African Red Serum when I ordered some lipstick from Sephora.com and absolutely fell in love with it.  When I looked at buying it separately, or with the night face cream, I thought I would give it a chance for the price.  I have been looking for another night cream, but this one smells good and I also use it on my neck for moisture.   You are supposed to put both on at night, but I typically use the serum in the morning as well because it makes my skin so much smoother without creating any extra oil.  In fact, I think it helps keeps extra oil down! (One step forward for those of us who want soft skin but have always had problems with oily skin and blemishes!)

Sugar Fresh Lip Balm:  I got this as a part of my birthday gift from Sephora’s reward points and absolutely love it.  It makes my lips so soft and is a great base before putting on lipstick for the day!  (I don’t usually put my lipstick on until I get to work so I can get a morning kiss from the boyfriend… otherwise he runs away J )

Urban Decay Naked Eyeshadow Palette:  It comes with Urban Decay primer so you are set at the and ready to go with this palette.  I have read and heard so many great things about this palette that I just had to give it a try (plus I was in a huge throw away old make-up mood and needed some new basic, day-to-day eyeshadow).  I have always worn gold, brown and variations of metallic shades for work and daytime looks and this just gives you the ultimate opportunity to mix up a basic look each and every day, and it is so fun!  I typically line the bottom of my eyes with the goldish shade (it helps make your eyes look more awake), dab the lightest/white shade on the inner corners of my eyes and below the brow, and then either choose one or blend shades on my eye lids.  Viola, you are set to go for the whole day!

Foundation & Concealer: NP Set it Takes to Tango Foundation and Concealer make-up is available at Target.  I have been back and forth so many times with liquid, powder and mineral make-up  ranging from Clinique and BareMinearls to NARS and Estee Lauder, but haven’t ever found the exact right thing for me.  I thought I would give this a try one day while I was at Target and I never want to look back.  This foundation at first feels a little heavy, but as you blend it, it feels so light and looks so natural, more natural than I have ever felt with other foundations I’ve tried in the past.  Also, I am always worried about liquid-based foundations making my skin breakout, even though they seem to provide better all-day coverage, but this one has never made my skin feel oily or resulted in any major breakouts.

Powder: NP Set Pasarella Powder Foundation also available at Target.  I bought a shade that matched the Foundation & Concealer duo and use it to “set” my look for the day.  It helps as the final step to a fresh look all day.

Get the LOOK

 

So there you have it, these are the products I swear by! (at least for my skin type).  And the reason I’m not telling you about my mascara, blush and eyeliner is because I use multiple brands for these… haven’t quite found my go-to, so if you have any suggestions for me (I am light-medium skin base, dark hair and blue eyes) I would love your suggestions!  Side note though: with mascara, I do believe the drugstore brands are just as good as more expensive brands and I usually buy two kinds to switch between the mascara brush.  This usually helps separate them a little bit more!  Also, just putting a little bit of water on your lashes before using mascara helps hydrate them to make them look fuller.

Another note on this:  I know it seems like a lot of products, but I promise my routine takes maybe 15 minutes overall (all make-up included), and if I had more counter space it would probably take less (I drop my stuff on the floor all the time)!  It’s usually getting dressed, trying to find the right accessories and doing my hair that takes me the longest to get ready! That’s why I am so glad to finally have a routine that I like for skincare!

Hope this was helpful, if you have any specific questions, don’t hesitate to click the pink “Contact” button on the side to send me a personal e-mail, I would be happy to respond!

Birthday Masquerade

So here it is: my birthday dress!  I automatically fell in love with the back cutout and sheer lace on the front top.  Plus, I don’t own any long sleeve black dresses, so I knew I would wear this for many more occasions.  My birthday masquerade was a success!  I got some pictures of just my dress and shoes and will share a couple with my friends and boyfriend!  Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!!!!!

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Simplicity at its Best

Basically the title of my post says it all… this outfit is extremely simple to throw together and is so comfortable.  Unfortunately, it is only a weekend outfit because it’s a bit too casual for work, but I still love it!  I was inspired by Lucky magazine’s spread on how to mix and match a few items for A Month of Outfits” from the November 2008 issue. I have kept that magazine and tabbed out that section because it’s always been a source of inspiration for me!  Anyway, I love the hidden polka dot pattern on this short-sleeved cape jacket and adding a pair of plaid flats to complete the look.  For me, it’s the perfect combination of comfy and cute.

Burgandy Boxy Jacket: Target; Black Skirt: Target; Gray Tights: Target; Plaid Flats: Kohls; Cream Scarf: Wal-Mart; Gray Military Hat: Ann Taylor Loft

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Birthday Drinks

Birthday Drinks!

 


So here is just a peek at what I wore on my birthday (this is the “night” look), where I simply changed from a pencil skirt and opaque black tights into black denim.  Unfortunately, we didn’t get any photos last night, so here is my best representation of my outfit! Since I am wearing a dress for my masquerade party tomorrow I wanted to have drinks in something a bit more casual, yet still dressy.  Everything else I wore was simply some of my favorite things:  sparkle, ruffles, gold accessories and leopard print.   That’s really all I was going for, an outfit that was fun and me, yet still dressy enough to wear to work with a pencil skirt and with denim/a smoky eye to go out for drinks with friends!  I just bought a Michael -Michael Kors sequin embellished black cardigan from Nordstrom Rack a few weeks ago on super clearance and I wanted to save it for my birthday.  It is so comfy and it has just the right amount of pizzazz without being over the top for the office!

Hope you have a wonderful Friday!  Can’t wait for my masquerade party, and can’t wait to share photos from it!

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Birthday Celebrations

Birthday Celebrations

Today is my 24th birthday and I am very excited about it!  I told myself at 21 that I didn’t want to get any older, and who knew that in just a few years I would grow and learn so much (and even though 21 was a lot of fun, there was still plenty of fun to have).   For awhile, life was about learning as much as possible, usually lessons stemming from my mistakes.  But now, although I continue to learn everyday and have much, much more to learn in life, I feel that I am at a point where I have set goals and am really making decisions for myself, which is exciting and scary at the same time!

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A Closer Look at the Dr.’s Message

So as a person who is a believer and activist for gender justice, recently I found a post and discussion my boyfriend started on Facebook to be very interesting (both for the marketing and gender justice aspect).  The new Dr. Pepper Ten has come out with a very bold marketing campaign for their advertisement with the tagline: It’s not for women. Typically, I would find any statement that singles out a certain gender in this type of a statement (whether male, female, transgendered or gender neutral) questionable or degrading, but I actually find Dr. Pepper’s ad campaign clever, and less about excluding women. Of course, depending on the person, someone could interpret this message as men being more powerful and excluding/singling out women, but I don’t think that was the meaning at all.

A USA Today article says  “Dr. Pepper Ten is not the first diet soda aimed at men. (Think: Coke Zero and Pepsi Max.) But Dr. Pepper Ten’s ad campaign is the first to be so overt about courting men who want to drink a soda with fewer calories,” and that “Dr. Pepper said men, in particular, are dissatisfied with the taste and image of diet drinks.”

Some men may fear being judged by co-workers, peers or strangers by drinking lower calorie soda because dieting and eating low-cal foods and or drinking low-cal beverages has generally been marketed exclusively to women, and our society says to be a “Macho Man” you can’t drink these low-cal drinks.  And that’s all it is… Dr. Pepper’s way of honing into our society and making what I think is a smart business plan to increase sales.   Rather than seeing Dr. Pepper Ten’s tagline “It’s not for women,” as a bad thing against women, I instead see this drink and the focused campaign as being something out there that men, women, transgendered and those who do not identify with a gender to drink and enjoy without feeling judged.  By empowering men to be able to make a choice about drinking a lower calorie beverage, there are greater steps being made in our society that empowers everyone to be able to make their own choices.  This I think is more important than a possible setback that could be caused by a tagline that can at eye’s view seem offensive to women.

In order for our society to move forward in gender justice (and human rights in general), it is important to look at messages like this one and really understand what it means.  A business wants to make more sales and wants men to drink Dr. Pepper Ten. Their research shows that men feel there is some sort of societal stigma attached to diet drinks, so they made a plan to reach a certain group population.  That’s simply how I see it… and I really hope we make progress to allow people to do what they want when they want without being judged or feeling limited by societal norms.

So I don’t know about you, but I’m going to go buy a pack of Dr. Pepper Ten. After all, Dr. is a gender neutral title, right?!

What are your thoughts on Dr. Pepper Ten’s advertising campaign?  What other media messages or marketing plans have really caught your attention before?

Inspired Style: Tweed Jacket – Whitney Port

 

So I am really excited to start a new section on my blog that will also be featured under “Outfits” called the Inspiration Board.  I gather inspiration from many sources, whether it’s from a magazine spread, advertisement, celebrities, celebrity events, looks on the street or other bloggers, I will make sure to explain what it is I love about the style and how I make it my own through specific outfit details!  You can also see more of my fashion inspiration on Pinterest… follow me at Rachel’s Lookbook!

Tweed Jacket, Vintage; Bow-tie Blouse, Macy’s; Pleather Leggings, Express; Bracelet, Kohls; Chain-Link Ankle Strap Pumps, Steve Madden Luxe

  

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Boot Collection

Boot Collection

The subject of boots although exciting, can be overwhelming! I actually just had this conversation with my little sister. She said shortly before Christmas that if nothing else she’s always happy with a great pair of boots (and I couldn’t agree more!)  And in further discussion, we realized how hard the decision can actually be because there are so many amazing boots out there.  Over the knee, just under the knee, mid-calf, booties, gray, dark gray, black, brown, tan, light brown, colored, suede, leather, studded, buckles, laces, bows, pointy toes, rounded, heeled, flat… the options are endless!

The other thing that’s difficult for me in choosing the right type of boots is trying to find something that mixes your style and what’s practical (for the climate and the number).  For me, picking out a pair of heels is so much easier than boots, even though the options there are endless because when I pick out heels, I have a very distinct style and know what I’m looking for (bright colors, strappy, details), but with boots I have a harder time picturing my overall look with each pair.

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Feeling Whole

What does it mean to feel whole? I couldn’t even begin to describe what it is like to feel whole even if I wanted to, but feeling whole in terms of fashion is simple for me:  this outfit captures my sense of style perfectly and is a unique look that I can wear to the office. When I have accomplished looking professional and have completely incorporated my personal style into the outfit, I FEEL WHOLE (and this usually lends itself to confidence and a productive day at work).  Also, the title is a play on words for the petal holes in my blouse… which is my favorite piece in this outfit.  A new black blouse with just enough detail to make it unique, but still professional enough to wear to work, BONUS! Other favorite details include: fishnets, the mauve color of my heels, the bows on my heels, asymmetric ruffles on my skirt.  Details, details, details! That is all.

 

 

Black Petal Hole Blouse: Lulus; Gray Skirt: Macys; Fishnet Stockings: Heartbreakers; Bowtie Open-Toed Heels: Lulus; Tear Drop Earrings: Kohls; Watch: BCBG Generation

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Shoes and… more shoes!

So I definitely made a New Year’s resolution to do less online shopping (it is WAY too easy and so much to choose from), but I justified these two new pairs of shoes as an early birthday present to myself! I got these a week and a half ago from Justfab.com, had to check it out after all the commercials and I absolutely love it! They had a lot of shoes/bags, etc. that were selected for me based off my selections on certain shoe/outfit styles. I would definitely recommend at least checking it out, plus I got the first pair half off and they don’t charge shipping fees!

I have wanted a pair of studded heels for awhile so when I saw these I knew from the get go that I was going to end up buying them… I love the mix of the bow with the studs for a “feminine tough” look and something about the bright blue really appealed to me! I am so excited to wear these!

 

 

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