Hang Nails

I have awful cuticles.

Terrible, painful cuticles that catch on things. It's frustrating. They rip, they bleed. And they do not look beautiful. I have tried so many things to heal my cuticles: cuticle cutter, cuticle pusher, lanolin, solar oil, cuticle cream...I even use my teeth to try to solve hang nails. I long for something that will help ease my cuticle drama!

Don't Cut!
Apparently, you aren't supposed to cut your cuticles. The cuticles protect the nail bed and help keep bacteria out. Cutting them can increase the chance of infection. So the better choice is to use an orange stick and gently push the cuticle back.

More Moisture
Cuticles are still skin, and skin needs to be moisturized. Greasy creams on my fingernails annoy me, so I do a treatment with oil and then I use my hand lotion and work some into the nails and cuticles.

Skip The Polish
I love nail polish, BUT after I treat my nails and cuticles, there is no way I am getting that nail polish to stick. I wait a bit before attempting to apply nail polish because all that oil and cream just kicks the polish right off!

Some products that help my cuticle issues:
https://www.avon.com/product/30661/nail-experts-instant-gel-cuticle-remover/?_PDP&repId=16309386
https://www.avon.com/product/47653/nail-experts-cuticle-conditioner/?_PDP&repId=16309386

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Feeling Beautiful Equals Feeling Happy, Healthy and Positive

I don't FEEL beautiful today.

I'm exhausted. My headache has returned with a vengeance. And my family has expectations for me that I'm struggling to meet. I just don't feel beautiful.

And that's OK! We don't have to feel beautiful every single waking moment. But we do need to take steps to start feeling beautiful again. In my mind, feeling beautiful equals feeling happy, healthy and positive. It's more than looking beautiful when you go out. It's about feeling GREAT about yourself.

Maybe I need a spa day. No, I definitely need a spa day. Unfortunately, I just cannot afford the time or the expense right now. Check back with me about how you can create your own spa day at home with a small budget! So I'm going to try to take a hot shower, and somehow get back into mommy mode for the weekend.

In the meantime, since it is 19° outside, I am going to dream of relaxing in a rainforest with my Amazonian Treasures.

Unrealistic Expectations

We all have expectations for ourselves. Those expectations depend on our past experiences, our exposure to media, our cultural and family influences, and how we view the world and our place in it.

Most beauty expectations are unrealistic. There, I've said it.

Skin care is important. Wearing makeup is a choice. And general, healthy body care helps us stay healthy, make sure people are not turned off by our odor, and ward off vampires. OK, maybe not the vampire thing, but you get what I'm saying, right? Body care helps us stay clean and smelling good. We wear clothing and jewelry to express ourselves. All of that is great.

The problem comes from having expectations we simply cannot achieve. Many of us have seen the evidence: the Dove evolution commercial, the before and afters of celebrities, and the obviously Photoshopped bodies of models. Yet, our expectations for our self, for our own body is so unachievable, it's sad. While I could probably do a whole Ted talk on the idea of unrealistic beauty expectations and body self acceptance, I will give this one singular piece of advice for now.

Learn to love the skin you are in. Decorate it. Adorn it. Nourish it. But love the you that you are.

I Love My Liquid

For a very long time I struggled with the skin tones on my face. I have (and have always had) a lot of red tones on my face. I flush easily and have a "ruddy" complexion. When I was younger that went oh so well with my stick straight blonde hair, big nose and freckles. BUT I've learned to love my face and I'm not even afraid to share it without makeup, like I do in this tutorial.

I didn't even start using liquid foundation until my 30s. Seriously, what was I thinking?! I usually used just moisturizer and a loose powder... Now I love my liquid!

This video is different ways that I personally apply liquid foundation. This is the first time I have used the AVON MagiX (Magic-X? Magicks? How do you say it?) and I have to say, it is smoother and softer than any other foundations I've used, from Cover Girl to Studio Gear.

Get the tools I use here:
MagiX cashmere advanced liquid foundation (available in many shades)
foundation brush
groovy black and pink makeup sponges

Put Your Best Face Forward

Did you know?!

Experts in the medical field, like dermatologists, say that these common practices will help you obtain or maintain healthy skin on your beautiful face.

• Gentle cleansing every day. Creamy cleanser for dry skin or foaming cleanser for oily skin, using cool or lukewarm water. http://avon4.me/1ukkHa5
• Moisturize your face. Lightweight, oil free moisturizer applied while the skin is still damp. http://avon4.me/1xvDpfV
• Sunscreen. Wear moisturizer with SPF every day, all year long.
• Exfoliate. Once a week will help remove dead skin cells. http://avon4.me/1EqWOii

photo credit: <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/amecoli/4242552487/">Ale Art</a> via <a href="http://photopin.com">photopin</a> <a href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/">cc</a>

Frozen Elsa and Olaf One Day Sneak Peek!

As a follow up to my last blog, Olaf and Elsa will be available early for a special one day only Sneak Peek.

 

Customers who are registered through my estore will receive an email tomorrow for a special opportunity to order Olaf and Elsa! Don't miss this one day exclusive...

Frozen Obsessed ❄

Halloween was yesterday. My preschool daughter insisted her costume was Elsa, from the movie Frozen. She is one of the Frozen obsessed.

AVON has an exclusive signing Elsa and a light up Olaf! If you have your own Frozen obsessed little, these are fabulous and cannot be found anywhere else. I saw a similar Elsa doll at Dollar General for the same price, $29.99, and she Doesn't. Even. Sing. AVON's Elsa sings that Let It Go song... magical!

You can preorder Elsa or Olaf with me now; available at my estore November 15th.  
❄❄❄ If you register as my customer this weekend, you will receive a one-day exclusive sale of Frozen Elsa and Olaf Cuddle Pillows on Monday, November 3! ❄❄❄

To receive this exclusive email, use my Sign Up! form >>>>