Naked Advanced Skin Cream Fixes Everything!

Well!  Despite my best efforts to marinate in SPF 50 baby sunblock at the beach this weekend, I've returned with a bit of a sunburn.  I'm at a loss as to how it happened; I am vigilant about sunscreen, you guys.  Luckily I have a new miracle cream that fixes nearly any skin woe!

At a trade show last fall I picked up a huge jar of Naked Advanced Skin Cream and really, it is the BEST product to have on hand year round.  It's chock full of super healthy vitamins, amino acids, honey, botanicals, and a zillion other luxurious, healing ingredients.  It's also formulated without mineral oil, petrolatum, parabens, and other nasty chemicals.  Plus they don't test on animals!  Naked is a fabulous company and this cream is truly a must have product.

Another unique thing about Naked cream is that, instead of water as the main ingredient like in most creams, Naked's main ingredient is aloe.  You know what famous celebrity endorsed product also has aloe as a main ingredient?  Creme De La Mer!  Except Naked is way, way better for your skin.  It's healed my sunburn extra quickly!  This is day three and it's barely visible.  My skin hasn't even peeled because this cream is so hydrating.  It's amazing for your face and your body as well.  I don't think I've ever used anything so moisturizing! 

Naked Advanced Skin Cream is available online in a giant 9 oz. container!  It lasts forever.  Plus you'll also get two 1 oz. travel sized creams.  It's a fantastic treatment for sunburns and dry scaly skin, and great as a moisturizer year round.  My skin has never looked better!

Winter Complaint: Dry Skin

Baby, it's cold outside!

Winter is pretty full of extremes.  One minute you're walking outside, icy wind whipping at your face; the next minute you're rushing indoors and being blasted with overly enthusiastic central heating.  Not surprisingly, this can leave your skin dull and dehydrated.  You should already be using a moisturizer (and you are, riiight?), but sometimes in winter your skin needs a little extra protection and hydration. 

During the colder months, I switch from my regular moisturizer to Philosophy's When Hope is Not Enough replenishing cream at night.  It's similar to Hope in a Jar, but is more emollient and even more hydrating.  It's full of extra vitamins and keeps skin smooth and protected. 

Foundation tends to look cake-y when your skin is dry, which is pretty common in winter.  For daytime, I switch from my regular Bare Minerals foundation to a tinted moisturizer a few times a week.  My skin feels so much better!  The coverage is lighter so you might want to use a little extra concealer.  I also apply powder to set it and avoid looking too greasy.  Tinted moisturizers are pretty widely available; you can pick one up from just about anywhere that sells makeup.  If you've already got a great liquid foundation, get experimental and try mixing it with a little bit of your regular moisturizer, which works just as well.

It's super easy to keep your skin healthy and hydrated during the harshness of winter by simply switching out products you're already using for those that are extra moisturizing!  What other switches do you make to your winter makeup and skincare routines?

Winter Complaint: Chapped Lips

It's that time of year again!  Seasonal changes can cause major shake-ups in your skin and hair routines.  Winter weather hits and suddenly your skin is dry and flaky, your hair is a static-ky mess, and your lips are chapped and painful.  But don't fret!  Getting rid of chapped lips easy! 

Take note: the information provided here is for mild occurrences only.  If your chapped lips are severe and/or chronic, you might want to seek a physician's advice.  There are prescription treatments available and it could be indicative of something more serious than a winter annoyance.

First, exfoliation helps tremendously.  Dampen the edge of a washcloth and rub it over your lips until they're smooth.  This gets rid of the dry flaky skin less painfully and way more effectively than biting your lips (yeah, we're all guilty of it sometimes).

After you've exfoliated, apply a thick layer of one of Philosophy's super moisturizing Lip Shines before bed and leave it on overnight.  I swear, you'll wake up with brand new lips.  This is a whole level up from the likes of Chapstick and Carmex.  They come in about a million delicious flavors (I'm partial to Red Velvet Cake) and release new flavors pretty frequently.  And since they've dropped in price, they're now only ten dollars!  I've tried other products but always go back to this one to treat my chapped lips.  It really works.

Now that your lips are no longer chapped, the final step is prevention.  You could keep using your Philosophy Lip Shine, but I personally can't stand that kind of thick lip gloss texture during the day so I prefer to use lip balm.  This is when classic cherry Chapstick comes in handy.  Burt's Bees is also extremely popular.  Whatever lip balm you like, the key is to choose one that is moisturizing and sun protecting.  Lips are more susceptible to sunburns so try to pick a balm that contains SPF. 

Lip balms are everywhere and generally pretty cheap, so it's super easy to experiment.  This winter I'm trying out the Smooth Spheres line from eos.  The packaging is clever and fun, the application couldn't be more perfect, and it does a fantastic job of keeping my lips smooth and hydrated.  Plus, it's all natural, smells delicious, and is only three dollars!  Who could ask for more?  This company is genius.