I'll be honest--I'm not usually very picky about what I put on my face, whether it's moisturizer or makeup. But I'm turning 30 this year so I've started wondering if maybe my skin care/beauty routine could use a little update. I just hate buying new products! It feels like such a commitment to me especially when with a baby, I'm forgetting to wash my face at least twice a week (and generally not even wearing makeup anyway).

My friend Shawna sent me a three month Birchbox for my birthday last year and I'm still loving a few of the products (I didn't realize you could customize what kind of stuff they sent you, so I skipped fragrances and a few other things and instead chose to focus on skincare, makeup, and hair products), so I thought I'd do a little roundup of a few products I got from them and a few skincare things I'm loving lately.

• I've written about this toner before, but I'm still obsessed. It's so cheap but it feels amazing on my skin. I use it every night after I wash my face and before I moisturize. So good.
• I use the regular Pond's moisturizer most of the time, but I had a sample of this stuff and I think I'm going to get a full size--it gives you just enough of a tingle to feel like maybe you're having an anti-aging moment (JVN from Queer Eye, anyone?), but it's still super moisturizing and feels great on.
• One of my BirchBox favorites--I love liquid eyeliner so much and this stuff is great. I usually use a brush but this one is more like a felt-tip pen and it goes on super easily and dries right away. It also has a matte finish which I used to not care for but now I really like.
• I'm a sucker for cheap mascara. Usually I go for this one, but lately I've been using this. It feels super elastic on my lashes, if that makes sense--it makes them really voluminous and not at all flaky. It's a little harder to get off than my usual mascara but I think it wears better. (I'm still toying with the idea of getting eyelash extensions--anyone have them? I'd love to hear your thoughts!)
• I've always used the Mario Badescu rose spray, but a few months ago I got this one for our guest bathroom and I've been using it myself every day. I like the fresh scent so much--now I don't know which is my favorite!
• I saved the best for last: this highlighter is everything! I've been using a powder highlighter for years but I am all about this liquid one. It is gorgeous on and it smells amazing--definitely a BirchBox sample that I'm going to buy in the full size. I love it so much.

That's all for me right now! If you have a skin care regimen that you love, I want to hear about it! And tell me about your favorite makeup products! I always feel like I'm set but then when I find something new that's great I always wonder how I went so long without it! 

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My skin has not been my best friend these past five months or so (redness, breakouts, and a lot of painful dry skin/flakiness around my nose and chin), and I was really struggling to find a scrub or mask that was both natural and effective. Sometimes I use coconut oil as a moisturizer or a hair mask. So I added some sugar to an almost-empty jar and made a face scrub.

This is not a fancy natural beauty remedy loaded with essential oils. This is sugar and coconut oil, but it works wonders.

Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup white sugar

Instructions:

1. Microwave the coconut oil slightly so it becomes more liquid than solid. 
2. Add the sugar. Give it a stir. 
3. Keep the mixture in your shower or by your sink and use on your face (and hands!) 2-3 times per week.

That's it! If you want to add your favorite essential oils or experiment with other ingredients you can go for it, but this very basic and easy to make scrub has been such a lifesaver for me recently and I really look forward to using it every few days.

Working from home means that I really don't put a ton of makeup on during the week. Sometimes that can be really nice, but sometimes I miss getting dolled up on a regular basis. Because I hate washing off a face full of makeup after a day where I saw maybe one or two people and mostly just sat on my couch with Ender, I've mastered a really quick 5-minute makeup routine that I like to wear most days--it makes me happy whether I'm meeting someone for lunch, going to the dog park, or just planning to stay home and work-- either way, I don't have to commit to a full face. Plus, it's quick. 

The following "tutorial," if you will, includes all of my "must have" products--these are the ones I use all the time. If I'm going out or dressing up, I'll add a smokey eye or a cut crease with eyeshadow. I think I'd like to do more makeup posts this year, so let me know if you'd like to see any specific stuff!

1. I've been using this tinted moisturizer (my shade is Finland) in place of foundation lately--it feels really great on, but I don't know if I'm obsessed with it. I like that it has sunscreen in it but I think I want something with a bit more coverage. If you have a foundation recommendation, I'd love to hear it!
2. This concealer is really wonderful (I wear it in Custard, although I find that shade just a tad too yellow for me). After the tinted moisturizer, I put it under my eyes, on any blemishes, and then I dot it down my nose, cupid's bow, and right in the middle of my chin. I use a brush, but I have my eye on this blender.
3. I've used this powder forever--I tap it all over my face after I blend the concealer.
4. This bronzing powder is great because it's pretty matte--I sweep it under my cheekbones, along the ridges of my nose, and quickly underneath my chin and neck for some contouring. 
5. I don't know why I go from contouring to eyes, but it's just how I do it. I am nothing if not consistent in my routines. This is the 5-minute version, so I skip eyeshadow and apply a generous portion of liquid eyeliner. Eye makeup is the one place I refuse to splurge, because I've found that drugstore brands do just as well, and I also use a lot of it. I have really huge eyes so I like to avoid cat eyes or winged liner--I like it starting about 1/3 of the way from the inner corners of my eye and drawn significantly thicker toward the outer corners.
6. I curl my lashes with a simple curler like this one and apply mascara. I feel like I've tried them all, but I always end up back with this guy. 
7. Back to my cheekbones--a little of this blush in Melba. I bought it for my wedding and haven't used anything else since.
8. Finally, some highlighter along my upper cheekbones and down my nose, cupid's bow, and chin--basically over all the places I dotted concealer earlier. I've shared this one multiple times and probably won't shut up about it anytime soon--it's the best.
9. I'm constantly forgetting to do my lips, so I slap some of this balm on them, usually on my way out the door. My friend Patrick and I bought these at a Black Friday Bath and Body Works sale a few years ago and he literally texted me a few days later asking "What did we do before we had our rose salve?" It's an important question, and one I still don't know the answer to.

What beauty products do you use every day?

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