Simple & Polished – Achieving A Great Every Day Look {Reviews & Giveaway}

All you busy moms who work at home know that once the kids are fed and dressed and/or go off to school its tempting to just go about our daily routine without so much as getting out of our pajamas or running a comb through our hair.  We get busy with laundry, cleaning, cooking, bookkeeping, watching the kids, helping with homework, etc., etc.  As in vogue as going out in your PJs has become it’s nice to show the world you give a darn by sprucing yourself up.  Not only is it kind to the eyes of the public but it makes a person feel good to look good.

I may be overweight and rather short, but I can still exert some effort and with the right tools make the little changes that can impact my overall look greatly.

Hair

I have naturally curly hair.  To get my hair straight takes some doing and I have to make sure my hair is protected from the heat tools I use.  Shielo sent me a complimentary sample of their leave-in heat protection spray and I started using it instead of my go to anti-frizz/heat treatment.  Though the spray didn’t do much to reduce frizz it did leave my hair very soft and smelling great.  The fragrance was so pleasant it was hard to not take a moment to sniff my hair :).

I use my 1875 Revlon Tourmaline Ionic dryer and a large boar’s hair round brush to dry my hair and initially shape my bangs.  Since I don’t have a diffuser attachment for this dryer any more I switch to a Revlon Tourmaline Ion stick dryer with the 1 1/2″ brush attachment to sleek my hair even more.  If I’m having trouble getting rid of all the frizz I finish with a flat iron.  All this exposure to heat makes some kind of protection for my hair essential.

Face

I like my face routine to be fast and easy.  First I start with a high quality moisturizer.  Lately, I’ve been using a Vitamin C Moisturizer which I received for review from Made From Earth.  This cream is thick and rich and has no added fragrance or color making it great for sensitive skin – and men!  It did take a little bit of time for this Vitamin C Moisturizer to fully absorb but it left my skin feeling supple without being too oily.  I recommend applying it immediately after getting out of the shower or washing your face and allowing it time to soak in before applying makeup.

Next I apply my foundation.  My favorite in the past couple years has been COVERGIRL + Olay Tonerehab 2-In-1 Foundation, Natural Beige 140.  The combination of Olay with the foundation makes evening tone and the aging correction process that much easier.  It goes on easy and quick, but doesn’t go on too thick or too thin.  Then I use my favorite blush to add a little contour to my round face.

Last I focus on the eyes. I should mention, I’ve been using an eyelash serum from Body Merry which I received for review.  It is currently unavailable because of manufacturing issues.  I apply it to my lash line before I do my makeup or right before beds. For daytime I usually only wear mascara on curled eyelashes.  My favorite mascara is waterproof Full N’Soft by Maybelline in Black.  It’s a combination of the waterproof formula, the bristles of the brush and how nicely it sets without being flaky or too heavy that won me over.  I use the ForteBelleza eyelash curler to curl my lashes before applying the mascara.  For evening I apply matte plum eyeshadow to the lid and a shimmery plum to the crease with a cream or light tan shadow to the tear duct area and below the brow.  The color compliments my brown eyes.  The Almay Intense i-Color Shadow Trio for Browns is a nice palette to achieve this look.  To add even more drama black eye liner will pump it up.

It doesn’t take very long at all to do these simple steps to pull yourself together.  For me my hair is what takes the longest.  Ladies, just a note, if you want to feel truly “put together” make sure you have a supportive bra.  This doesn’t have to mean uncomfortable.  The thought of wearing something with an underwire made me cringe.  That was until I found the right style for me.  Lane Bryant Cacique Balconette bras feel like an instant lift for the tatas that doesn’t feel like torture.  Take the time to find what works for your shape.  This will even help your clothes fit better.

The time has come for a GIVEAWAY!

Would you like to win a jar of the Organic Vitamin C Moisturizer from Made from Earth?  Then enter here.  The giveaway is open to all residents of the US ages 18+.

A complimentary sample was received for the purposes of review. This site makes use of affiliate links and clicking on these may result in compensation for my site. This site is not responsible for prize fulfillment. This giveaway is in no way sponsored or sanctioned by Facebook or any other social network.