Neutrogena Triple Moisture Hair Mask

Like many women, I'm not very nice to my hair. I've been growing it out for the past year, so I've tried to prevent as much damage as possible. But between highlights every six weeks and constant drying, curling, and straightening, some damage is inevitable. So what's a girl to do? I think the key to hair preservation is to wash less often, always use a heat protection product when styling, and deep condition at least once a week.

A deep conditioner I've been really impressed with is Neutrogena's Triple Moisture Deep Recovery Hair Mask. This rich cream is a once a week treatment that contains sweet almond, meadowfoam seed, and olive oils to help repair damaged hair. Just a small amount of the conditioner leaves my hair silky and manageable. A shower staple!

Pink Lips for Spring

Just a quick swatch for today. I'm continuing my obsession with pink for spring with pink lipstick! I'm usually a nude lipstick/gloss kinda girl, but pink looks so fresh and feminine. This is Revlon Super Lustrous lipstick in Wink for Pink (for color reference, I'm a MAC NW 20). I really like this color because it's light enough to be wearable, but not so light that it washes me out. What are some of your favorite pink lipsticks?

CeraVe Moisturizing Cream

Keeping skin healthy and moisturized can be a tough balancing act. Some moisturizers sink right in and don't provide enough moisture, while others just sit on top of skin and leave a heavy, greasy residue. I think we'll all agree that neither of these is an appealing option. Lucky for us, dermatologists have developed a better choice.

Enter CeraVe moisturizing cream, a breakthrough formulation that uses patented multivesicular emulsion technology. For those of you like me who took the easiest possible science courses (yay geology!), this means that the ingredients penetrate to reach deep into the upper layer of your skin. The cream is formulated to release ceramides and other skin-loving nutrients slowly throughout the day, so skin stays hydrated for hours.

CeraVe gets bonus points from me for being unscented, so it won't compete with perfume. It is also non-comedogenic and non-irritating (I've used it on my face with no problems). Love this stuff!

Homemade Lip Scrub

I've been seeing lip scrubs all over the place lately. Of course, the beauty industry has found yet another piece of skin that must be exfoliated! I thought it sounded ridiculous at first, but actually it makes a lot of sense. If you wear a lot of nude lipstick and gloss like I do, it accentuates any flakes or rough patches on lips (gross, I know). A lip scrub keeps your lips smooth so your makeup looks better. What's not to like about that?

I'm always up for getting in the kitchen and whipping up something beauty-related, so I came up with my very own lip scrub that I think gets the job done just as well as a commercial product. Bonus: it smells (and looks!) just like pecan pie filling!

Leslie's Lip Polish

- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon petroleum jelly
- 1/2 teaspoon olive oil
- 1 drop vanilla extract

Mix all ingredients together and place mixture in a small jar. (I used a sample jar from The Body Shop. You could also use an empty lip gloss jar that you've cleaned and sanitized with alcohol). To use, take a small amount of the lip polish and rub into lips for about a minute. Rinse off, towel dry lips, and follow up with a layer of lip balm. I've been using this a few times a week before bed, and my lips are staying consistently smooth and moisturized. Give it a try, and let me know what you think!

Spring Has Sprung (Almost!)

Perhaps it's because I'm a Texas girl, but I loathe winter. Anything below 50 is freezing to me, which is why I couldn't be happier that spring has almost arrived. The season evokes thoughts of new beginnings, sunny days, and warmer weather. And for all my fellow beauty fanatics, it also means it's time to dig out your bright, punchy makeup colors (finally!). I'm the type of gal who bases my nail polish shade on the season, and for some reason when I think spring, I think pink. On my hunt for the perfect color, I found a great one!

The polish is from the Sally Hansen's new Complete Salon Manicure line. I found the shade range impressive and was automatically drawn to "I Pink I Can," which I would describe as a crisp Barbie pink. It's not quite neon, but it's definitely very bright and very fun. Besides the awesome color, my favorite feature of the polish has to be the brush. It's flat and slightly pointed, which I think makes the application so much easier than painting with a traditional brush. I applied three (very thin) coats of polish and a clear topcoat, and I loved the results. What are some of your favorite nail polishes for spring? Do tell!