Nail obsession!

Something that we feel helps complete a look is your nails! Chipped polish on your nails can instantly ruin any outfit because it gives the appearance of not being fully put together! We're not saying that you should go out every week for a manicure (although who wouldn't love that), we just feel that if you're going somewhere and you took the time to piece together the perfect outfit, why not complete it by polishing your nails or even removing that chipped polish. At first, we were terrible at polishing our nails, there'd be lacquer all over our cuticles and it looked terrible, but just like everything else, practice makes perfect! Check out some of nail looks we've rocked lately! (we'll confess- our favorite nail queen Allyson at Stay Polished salon did these amazing works of art)

Skincare Regimen

One thing that we’ve always taken pride in is our skin. Growing up people always told us that we have beautiful skin, and we are so blessed for it! It’s not always easy, there are nights when we are dreading having to wash our faces but it’s an absolute necessity. Everyones skin types are different, so some of these products that we reccommend might not work for you and that’s okay, it took us awhile to find the right stuff to use. Our skincare routine changes with the seasons due to dryness and other elements. In this post we’ll be focusing on our individual spring routines and the products/brands we use! We prefer using cruelty free lines because that's something that we're passionate about. We try to incorporate cruelty-free products in our lifestyle, however not everything we use meets this criteria. Keep in mind, this is a new lifestyle for us so it is a gradual one! Our skin tends to be dry/oily in the spring and it's taken us awhile to find a routine that balanced each other out, but alas! we have found our skin care holy grail!!!!

Danielle:

I’m a huge makeup junkie so I first make sure to remove all of my prettiness with one of my favorite removers: Sweet Lupine Makeup Remover from Naturopathica. 

I love the creamy texture and how gentle it feels on my skin. I first rinse my face with warm water and then apply a small amount of remover onto my palms and then lather with water. Once it emulsifies I then apply it to my face in gentle circles to break up the makeup. I do this for about 30 seconds to 1 minute. After I rinse off all the remover I grab my Clarisonic and apply some Oat Cleansing Facial Polish.

This cleansing polish has little tiny flakes of oats and jojoba beads to gently wipe away any leftover makeup residue and dry skin, so it’s perfect to use as a cleanser. After the minute is up on the Clarisonic I completely rinse away all of the cleanser and then grab my secret weapon, Dark Angels. 

I am beyond obsessed with this pot of gold! It’s an activated charcoal exfoliant miracle that puts all other exfoliants to shame! I take a little pinch the size of a fat blueberry and mix in the middle of my palm with a few drops of water! Then I apply to my face in circular motions. Once I’ve scrubbed my face for a few seconds I then wash it all off with warm water and pat my face dry. The next step is applying my Plant Stem Cell Booster Serum.

This serum helps smooth any fine lines and gives you a rejuvenated glow the next morning making you look like you woke up like Beyonce; flawless! When using this serum, you use for 30 days then break for 90 days, so I always start mine of the first of the month so I don’t loose track of the days using it. I usually do a small amount and dot it on my cheeks, nose, chin, and forehead and then blend it all over. After I let it sink in for a few seconds I move onto my last step. 

My favorite moisturizer in the spring is hands down, Intensive Moisture Balance. This moisturizer is so thick and intense (that’s what she said) I wish I could use it all year! It spreads like butter so a little bit goes a long way, but keep in mind, it's not something to use everyday.

Elissa:

I start by washing my face with dermalogica special cleansing gel using my clarisonic brush! It's gentle enough to use on my eyes and perfect for taking off my makeup! (I used to use makeup remover wipes but I felt like it wasn't truly cleansing my face). Next I use Lush Cosmetics Dark Angels! 

I can't get enough of this stuff!!! It has charcoals to pull out all the gross dirt and impurities so it helps with my oily t-zone, and then has avocado oil to hydrate! And let's not forget about the black sugar which buffs away dead skin. After I finish exfoliating I use Lush Cosmetics Mask of Magnaminty. (No photo! I ran out of the product)

The smell alone is incredible! It's a 10 minute mask with peppermint and honey (which is great for hydration). It also has ground aduki beans to act as a gentle exfoliant. Once finished I always follow up with a toner and moisturizer. For my toner I use Breath of Fresh Air (Lush Cosmetics). I love this stuff, it's like getting punched in the face by an ocean wave! For my moisturizer I use a different product in the morning than I do at night. For the morning I use Josie Maran oil. 

It smells heavenly and keeps my skin soft throughout the day! Sometimes I even skip foundation because the oil just gives me such a beautiful glow.

For my nighttime moisturizer I use Full of Grace bar and Gorgeous (both from Lush Cosmetics). These 2 products used together are my life. If they were ever discontinued I'd die.

Full of Grace is a serum bar that helps even skin tone, helps lighten scars, and pulls in moisture, so using it underneath gorgeous is genius!

Makeup Junkie

Here we will discuss all the goodness that comes with being a girl- and that mostly consists of our love for makeup and beauty products!!!! With the huge array of hair, skin, and makeup products its hard to know where to start. We have long list of our favorite brands and products and a short list of absolute worsts, so this page will be dedicated to learning our secrets and tips and hopefully falling in love with the beauty industry like we did.