Good morning, my friend. I’m raising my cup of coffee to you in a *toast.* Here’s to another beautiful day (it’s a sunny one here in Marin county this morning), and to being tender and gentle with yourself.
I’ve been needing TLC, so last Sunday, I took a Mother’s Day self-care trip to Ulta.
My brows and lashes have been driving me crazy, so I decided to restock some old school favorites in the hopes they’d help.
For my brows, I grabbed the OG of brow fillers, Anastasia Brow Wiz (my shade is Medium Brown) and Clear Brow Gel.
As for mascara, I turned to an old friend, MAC Extended Play Gigablack, which I’ve been wearing on and off since 2013 (!). If you want curl hold, length and separation, this mascara is great.
I’m trying to get back into the habit of painting my nails! Right now I’m using the three-step OPI Infinite Shine system, which combines lacquer and gel technology. I already have a couple of colors and the top coat, so during this trip I bought the base coat and a nude pale pink, Bubble Bath.
Oh, and since Connor was with me, I let her pick out a polish. She close Turn It Up by Orly, a glittery beauty!
My hair… I can’t even. It desperately needs some TLC! I’m scheduled for a cut next Tuesday, thank goodness. I just gotta make it to next week without chopping it all off in the middle of the night.
To tide me over until then, I thought it might be nice to try some new things: a claw clip by Kitsch (I’ve loved everything I’ve tried from them so far), a minty scalp conditioner by Not Your Mother’s Naturals (I’m hoping it will make a good co-wash) and a leave-in by Verb (ended up returning it because the scent was too strong).
You know what? I’ve decided to fully embrace the fact that I’m a lady who loves fancy body lotion. With that in mind, I bought this gorgeous, heavy glass jar of Body Cream by KEYS Soulcare, which is the skin care line by Alicia Keys (yup, the singer).
It’s a shea and cocoa butter body cream, so it’s rich and thick, and it’s scented with a gorgeous warm, herbal mix that smells like sandalwood and sage to my nose. The scent is present enough to notice, but it doesn’t overwhelm my senses. I really love it.
Oh, and random, while I was reading the copy on the box, I noticed that e.l.f. is mentioned as the distributer. Neat!
Last but not least, I bought some cotton pads and a nail polish remover. All in all, a very satisfying self-care trip.
Building those happiness muscles, day two
For the next fourteen days, I’m noting a couple things that I’m grateful for. If you care to join me, please share in the comments.
Anywho, today it’s sliced fruit in my water (strawberries are especially yummy) and mechanical pencils. Both are simple pleasures which make my life so much better.
Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,
Karen
I agree on the mechanical pencils- PaperMate Sharpwriters
are my fave!
They are the best!
Love Connor’s polish choice! A woman of taste!
I need to look for a hairstylist down where we moved. Salons tend to stress me out. My one SIL recommended a very salon-y salon, the other goes to a chain place. I need something in between LOL! Maybe I’ll ask my nieces. However, I do have to go back near our old place for something related to my upcoming jaw surgery (happening back in Michigan) so I scheduled an appointment with my old stylist then.
Maybe join a local FB group? That’s where I found the referral to the place I’m going to next week. Salons give me major stress, too. I have yet to find someone new that I’m ready to commit to, though!
I’ve also stopped women on the street or at a store when I thought they had a great cut or colour and have asked for their stylist’s info – that might work.
I am grateful for the sweet lady at the DMV helped me with my vehicle registration and renewing my driver’s license. She was wonderful and smiley and it made me smile too.
I am grateful for my meditation app. It helps remind me to take a deep breath from time to time and to remain mindful despite worries.
I love that ABH clear brow gel! Holds my brows in place all day. Great idea to throw fruit slices in your water. I love cucumber in mine-so refreshing.
If you need another beautiful shade of nailpolish from OPI I can highly recommend Samoan Sand. It has been a favourite for two decades!
I do appreciate your comments about being kind to oneself – a great reminder. x