I've been bouncing through a rough patch lately, but instead of projecting that energy by blogging about it, I decided instead to do a post about some things that I've been loving lately!
Of course, I have not been gifted with any of these product from their companies and I am not receiving money to promote them. This should be obvious, but there is a federal law saying that these things need to be disclosed.
First, between work and the encroaching cold weather, Vaseline's Healthy Hand and Nail Conditioning Lotion is a must-have these days. I've always had really bad cuticles; they get dry and pull away from my nails, and then, being the anxious stress-carrier that I've always been, I start to pick at them. A few months ago, I found out from internet research that dry cuticles can result from working with lots of paper and textiles. Of course! It's always a #CroftProblem. I can't even think of how many books and sheafs of paper I've gone through in my life! And now that I'm working at Newk's, I'm handling a lot of napkins and washing my hands a lot, so I was looking for a hand lotion that I would be easily able to carry around with me. This lotion is easy to locate in a purse because of a) the bright pink color and b) the larger size of the packaging. It's not huge, but it's not a dinky little $1.00 package, either. The consistency is very creamy and spreads out easily when you rub your hands together, and it doesn't have any of those cloying floral scents that manufacturers seem to think that we want. The back label claims that it makes nails 10x stronger--I can't vouch for that because I keep my nails short but I have noticed that the layers of my nails haven't peeled back lately. My cuticles haven't completely healed up or anything, and they still dry out, but I would say that the overall quality of my hands has improved since I've started using it.
Second, I used the two Essie nail polishes today: the gray (Chinchilly) on my toes and the pinky-gold (Tea and Crumpets) on my fingers. Tea and Crumpets has been a fave of mine since I bought it over the summer, but this was the first day that I've used Chinchilly. Tea and Crumpets is such a beautiful neutral color and very elegant looking with the iridescence that pops so subtly in the light. It's like a cross between a champagne and a pale gold with just the slightest pink undertone. I can't wear my favorite colors these days because of Newk's (no crazy nail colors--no blue, no purple, no green--can you tell I'm dying??) but neutral and "traditional" pinks and reds are allowed. Hence, Chinchilly on my toes. It's a typical deep gray, but very glossy looking. I had been worried that it would end up looking too dark, but I was pleasantly surprised. The ubiquitous Essie complains still apply though for both colors: the brush is too skinny and will never compare to OPI's, and because the consistency of the polishes are so thin, you really have to pay attention as you paint. If you can bear with the tricky application of Essie products though, the result is worth it!
Third, the product that I love to hate is the Nike Training Club app for iPhone and iPod. My relationship with this app is well documented on Twitter, but I admit that I haven't really worked out in over a month. Well, I paid for it this morning when I was barely able to push through 20 minutes of a 30-minute workout. NTC will kick. your. ass. but you will see results so insanely quickly. My first round with NTC lasted maybe fix or six 30-minute workouts over a month, and my legs and arms were visibly changing shape from one session to the next. All you need are some 5- or 8-lb dumbbells, a yoga mat, and one of those weight ball things (mine is 5 lbs). The app itself is free, so other than getting two or three things from WalMart/Target, you are losing nothing. In fact, if you're imaginative enough, you probably already have some things in your house that you could substitute--I used to use full water bottles as makeshift dumbbells in my dorm. I've been inspired by the fitness section of Pinterest and I am going to try my best this time to work out and make a positive change!
Related to this, you see that tall glass of water? Yes, that is another thing that I'm in love with these days: Water! In order to stay hydrated and also work at keeping my skin clear, I'm trying to drink as much water as possible. I get headaches because I'm always so busy (I'm scheduled to work 55 hours this week) but since I've been drinking tons of water and tea, I've noticed that they haven't been flaring up as often. I need to pick up some lemons at the store to add to my first-thing-when-I-wake-up and my last-thing-before-I-go-to-bed glasses of water; the benefits of lemon water are pretty well documented.
Next, I've only used it twice so far, but I am in. love. with this Olay Professional Pro-X Cleansing Brush. My struggle with mild-to-moderate inflammatory acne is pretty obvious to anyone that I've ever met and even a serious combo of birth control + oral antibiotics + Retin-A wasn't able to completely clear it up. I know that a lot of it has to do with a lot of dead skin hanging around and clogging up my pores, so I've been poking at the idea of getting a Clairsonic. Those things are ex.pen.sive. though, so I thought that I would try the Olay Pro-X, since it's the same concept for a fraction of the cost. Basically, you smooth your cleanser onto your face and massage it in to make sure that you've hit all of your skin. Then, you turn on the brush to one of the two speeds, and slowly move it across your face with barely any pressure at all. I focus on my chin and cheekbones, since that is where I get both full-on zits and annoying non-inflammatory clogged pores. I haven't seen an impact yet on my acne, but I can tell that it's coming. My skin is soooo smooth, y'all. The brush whisks away all of the dead skin, and since your cleanser is on, it moves the cleanser over all of that new skin. Afterwards, my skin sucked up all of my moisturizer and felt so plump and healthy. With all of the dull skin on top gone, my skin also looks more glowy than usual, similar to what it looks like after a good exfoliation, but more even-toned and less red from the scrubbing that goes with manual exfoliation. It isn't completely waterproof, but in theory, you could step out of your shower's spray and use it over other parts of your body, like shoulders, neck, etc. Lovelovelove. Sanitation seems to be a bit important so after my second use, I dipped a qtip in some rubbing alcohol and swiped it through the bristles.
Finally, an old favorite of mine is the Jergens Original Scent Lotion, which has the most delicious cherry-almond smell to it. I first started using it years ago and I just keep coming back to it. It's thick enough to make you feel like you're not just smoothing on a superficial layer of oily lotion, but it absorbs quickly and without feeling greasy. I use it all over my body and sometimes don't even use perfume after because it smells so nice. Like the Vaseline hand lotion, it doesn't have that flowery smell that I kind of hate. I always feel like between my shampoo/conditioner, body wash, and makeup/hair products, the smells become overpowering. Not with this lotion! Mmm I'm going to go put some on right now!
Not pictured: Florence + the Machine's new album, Ceremonials. I downloaded it last night after it became available and have been listening to it to get a feel for the songs. Ceremonials is sitting at #4 on the iTunes Top Albums the day of its release and not for no reason: it is truly above and beyond Florence's first album, Lungs, which was a masterpiece in and of itself. Her music isn't full of sunshine and puppies, but her voice is so unique and soaring that it seems only appropriate to accompany it with harps, pianos, and drums. The deluxe edition is $14.99, but can be streamed from myspace for free here. "Shake it Out" and "What the Water Gave Me" were released a while back, and those singles were fantastic. I found and downloaded the Bonnaroo performance of "Strangeness and Charm" and I dare to say that after the passion of that performance, the album version just doesn't measure up. Still, "No Light, No Light," "Heartlines," and "Never Let Me Go" stopped me in my tracks when I first heard them. Guh, Flo, you've outdone yourself again!!
So, this is a monster, and congrats if you made it to the end!
