A Different Kind of Makeover

So I'm a very naughty blogger and I know I haven't been writing much. I've barely been sleeping and have been busy with a ton of nesting activities including a kitchen makeover.

Here are a few before and after photos:

Before 

Before 

Before

After

After

After

For some reason house stuff is always very stressful for me while it's going on. I think I've watched too many HGTV shows where they find something awful and expensive behind the walls during what is supposed to be an easy update. We still have some painting to do and are going to put new carpet in the basement. Then I'm ready to be finished with house stuff for a good long while. I love the madeover kitchen though and it feels like it's all brand new.

I'm definitely going to need a post baby makeover at the Dermi after Tater Tot is born.  Between the lack of sleep, breakouts and scars from breakouts and hyperpigmentation I'm feeling less than gorgeous these days. Hopefully it's nothing a little sleep and a couple of IPL or Fraxel treatments can't fix!

Hope your week is going well!




Photos: Me

Review: Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil for Stretch Marks

Elemis is a top tier British spa brand that I first used years ago on a cruise. I've used quite a few of their products over the years and am a big fan. When it came time to decided what to use on my stomach and hips during my pregnancy I knew exactly what I wanted: Elemis Japanese Camellia Oil. I'd used this on my hair and hands in the past and really liked it.

Here's a great article on FuturedDerm.com about why this oil is especially good at preventing stretch marks. I remembered reading this a while back and it's one for the reasons I chose this oil.

For the most part, stretch marks are genetic. If you have a high level of elasticity in your skin then you'll probably have minimal stretch marks. Ask your mom and grandmothers if they got stretch marks and that may be a good indication of what to expect. You can however minimize your risks and make fixing them a little easier by keeping your skin well moisturized and supple. I've also tried a Palmer's Cocoa Butter lotion but I definitely prefer the Elemis oil.

Elemis uses this oil in their prenatal massage so you know that it is safe to use while you're pregnant. It absorbs faster than a lot of other oils but you will want to give it some time to soak in before you put your clothes on. I usually apply it right out of the shower to my stomach, bust and hips and wear a robe while I get ready so it can soak in before I get dressed. Sometimes I mix a little of my body lotion in with the oil because I find it easier to apply that way.

To date I've officially gained about 30lbs.  Ahhh!  I keep telling myself that it's all good but it's strange to get on the scale and see that number on there. At this point I can say I've had excellent results with this oil. I still have about 11 weeks to go so it's a little early to declare success but I'd definitely recommend this to a friend.

In fact, I like this so much that I'll probably keep using it even after Tater Tot is born. I've also been using it on my neck since this area is notorious for not producing enough oil. That's one reason why so many women see signs of aging on their neck before other areas.  I plan to mix a few drops of this in with my body lotion in the winter months and have loved applying this to my hands at night before bed. It's great for the cuticles.

Another bonus to this oil is that it doesn't have a strong scent. One of the reasons I didn't go the cocoa butter route is that most of those products have a very obvious chocolate scent. It's not a bad smell, I just got really tired of it day in and day out. Chocolate does not go well with my Chanel Coco Mademoiselle perfume.

You can buy this in the US here for $48 a 100ml bottle. That sounds expensive but keep an eye out for great sales on www.timetospa.com. I purchased 3 bottles for the price of 2 earlier this year. I'm on bottle number three right now and just opened it a week or so ago.  It's been lasting a long time because a little goes a long way, especially when I mix in a little bit of lotion to help stretch it while applying it.

After Tater Tot arrives, I'm going to continue to use this oil to help my skin bounce back. If I do get stretch marks I'm going to immediately apply an OTC retinol product to them. Probably something from Neutrogena or ROC. Retinol is the best bet to reverse or lighten the marks and the sooner you treat them the better results you'll get.

Photos: Me

Lots of Random Thoughts

Hello everyone!

I hope you're all doing well. I just got out of another prenatal check up and so far things are looking good! I'm a little jittery after chugging the glucose drink for my gestational diabetes check (fingers crossed the results are negative) but my weight and tummy measurements are spot on.

I'm pretty exhausted today after going on a four day trip to Kansas City for a writing conference. I was pretty proud of myself for deciding to do something that helps further my dream of someday becoming a published author and also that I had the guts to do it by myself.... while 7 months pregnant.

Believe you me I'm feeling it today. I don't remember the last time my body was this sore or I was so tired. I definitely had to bust out the heating pad during the second day of the seminar because my back was killing and it was tough sleeping on a hotel bed instead of on my memory foam mattress topper. My feet probably grew two sizes from walking so much and my silly calves keep cramping up but I wouldn't have missed this trip for anything!

I think that it's so important to push yourself in ways that make you nervous or uncomfortable but are necessary for continued growth. I learned more in four days about writing fiction and the publishing world than I could have in months of practice and research on my own.

The class had 40 students who write in all genres and was taught by two amazing authors.  Several other NYT and USA Today Bestselling authors, literary agents and publishers also lectured and sat on panels. There's no better way to learn what agents and publishers are looking for than to hear them say, "I want X, Y and Z and I want you to give it to me in this format and style. Also, mention that we met at this conference in your query letter. It will let me know that you took this amazing course and are a serious writer."

Since this is a beauty blog I'll quickly mention that doing something that scares you a bit applies to your beauty routine as well. It's so easy to get in a rut and I am extra guilty of that. I usually put the same makeup look on each day with some variation in color and my hair has basically looked the same for the last 15 years. It's long and layered and sometimes I toss in swoopy bangs.

A couple of years ago I decided to chop it off to my shoulders and while it was fun and sophisticated I just didn't feel like myself. Just because you don't stick with a change doesn't mean it wasn't worth making. Even if you don't like the new look it can help you appreciate what you already had and that's never a bad thing.

It was shorter than this for a while but here's the only
photo I could find of me with shorter hair.
That's my little sister with me. 

Well that's enough time on my little soapbox for today so I hope that everyone else is having as wonderful a week as I am! Is it cold or beautiful where you are? At least all our May Day snow is melting off today. I think it's time for Spring to finally come around. All my poor flowers have been crushed under these last two storms!




Photo: Me

Prescriptives Friends & Family Sale - 25% off April 22-26

If my post about Vibrant-C made you curious now is a great time to check it out! I also highly recommend the Super Line Preventor Xtreme. I've used it in the past and it's chockfull of antioxidants and hydration.  It's great on sensitive skin if some other antioxidants have been irritating to you in the past.

My other favorite product is the Flawless Skin Concealer Broad Spectrum SPF 25. This is a fantastic concealer I've used for years. It is really creamy and blends beautifully into skin. I use on my eye lids as a primer, as a spot cover-up with a tiny eye liner brush and under my eyes if I have really bad dark circles.

It has SPF 25 as mentioned which makes it great around the eyes and and on recovering blemishes. While a tan may temporarily help hide acne scars it can also prolong the life of said scar as it increases hyperpigmentation.

The final reason I love this concealer is that it comes in warm and cool shades. I am one of the tiny percentage of people in this world that have a "cool" complexion. I know this from back in the day when I had Prescriptives custom blend some powder for me. This means that a lot of "warm" products looks yellow on my blue/pink based skin so having a cool concealer makes a huge difference for me. I use Level 2 Cool. The compact is also a good size and has a sleek, modern design with a mirror in the lid.

$22 may sound expensive for a concealer but I never even used up my last compact before I needed to throw it aways because I'd had it for so long. I used it WAAAAAY past when I should have because it maintained its consistency and color for so long. One compact will last me much more than a year.

The 25% discount is automatically applied at checkout so no code is needed. Happy shopping!

More on Probiotics and Skin Health

So in last week's post about the Eminence mask I mentioned that probiotics can have a significant effect on the skin, especially when it comes to inflammation like rosacea, eczema and acne.

As someone who has dealt with both issues in my skin I find this really exciting. Before I became pregnant I was regularly taking a probiotic supplement for about a year... and I happened to have the best skin of my life during that time (other than some hyperpigmentation with is mostly hormonal but can also be affected by inflammation). For a while I attributed it to great products, which I know also have an effect, and some lifestyle changes I had made.

I didn't really think about the connection to the probiotics until I stopped taking them. Like most women, I chose to avoid pretty much all medicines and supplements other than my prenatal vitamins during the first two trimesters. I know that most of my recent breakouts are likely caused by hormones but I can't help but wonder about the effect that stopping my probiotic supplement may have had.

Now that I'm in the third trimester I started taking a basic OTC probiotic supplement again. There's an exciting study out that has shown a possible connection between probiotic consumption during late pregnancy and allergy/eczema prevention in babies.  I did take the product in to my most recent OB appointment so my doctor could check it out and approve it before I started taking it.  Even though I've said it before I'll say it again, please only take medical advice from your doctor.... not from me!

My current supplement of choice.  It contains only
Lactobacillus GG, which is the most studied probiotic
out there. Modeling credit goes to Mojo The Poodle.

I've been doing some research today on probiotics in skin care and wanted to share a couple of interesting links I found with you all.

• Here's one for the science nerds: 
• http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3038963/
• And here's one that mentions the study involving pregnant women and newborns as well as skin benefits:
• http://www.livestrong.com/article/244572-probiotics-in-skin-care

I'm curious if any of you noticed similar skin benefits from probiotics in your diet. If so, please share in the comment section below.

Happy Hump Day!

Photo: Me 

Springtime in Colorado

Last week I was here:

I love all the hummingbirds in Arizona.

Not a bad place to sit and read. 

Not a bad place to sit in the sunshine.

I love the view of Camelback from the patio.

This week I am here:

While it hasn't been quite the Snowpocalypse the weather peeps predicted it's still snowing pretty hard here.  It's always tough this time of year because we NEED the snow but I'm so tired of it.  At least in Denver it'll probably be melted off by Thursday.  Of course today is the day I scheduled my hair appointment so I can't just camp out at home.  Wah Wah.

Hope everyone is doing well and having a great week!  I'm busy getting ready for multiple trips for Hubby and myself.  He has a different conference every week this month (no joke... Ft. Worth, Pittsburgh, Houston and Tulsa) then a bachelor party, then a fishing trip.  I have a trip back to Chicago for a girlfriend's wedding shower and then down south to Indiana for my own baby shower.  At the end of the month I have a trip to Kansas City for a writing conference and then it'll be time for nesting, nesting and more nesting!

As anxious as I am for Princess Tater Tot to get here (and to not be pregnant anymore) there is a lot to get done before then!  First up is a kitchen face lift.  We got new appliances last year and we are finally getting around to putting in new countertops and a back splash.

Here is part of the kitchen now:

Goodbye dark yucky faux-granite laminate!

And here is the new combo we picked out yesterday:

Hello pretty light granite and rustic subway tile!

Since I started typing this post I decided to go ahead and book an 80 minute prenatal massage.  I can't wait!  I've barely slept the last few nights because my back hurts so much so hopefully this will fix that issue for a few days. I'll probably need another one after I get back from my flights.  Good thing my favorite spa is offering a great discount for the next couple of weeks!

If you live in Denver you should call The Woodhouse today!  They are offering 15% off all treatments M-F now through April 19th. Mention the discount when you call!

Photos:  Me

Review: Eminence Clear Skin Probiotic Masque

The first of my newly discovered preggo-friendly skincare products I want to share with you all is from Eminence. There has been a lot of buzz lately about the benefits of probiotics for skin both when ingested and when applied topically and Eminence has a great skin clearing mask that includes this miracle ingredient. Probiotics "eat" the bad bacteria that can cause breakouts and have also been shown to reduce redness and inflammation.

The Clear Skin Probiotic Masque contains probiotics in the form of yogurt (yay lactic acid!!!), kaolin clay to suck up oils and gunk, tea tree oil which is a natural antiseptic, cucumber to tone and refresh and omega fatty acid containing shea butter to moisturize and balance the drying properties of the clay.  

It's so nice to find a clearing mask that doesn't just rely on salicylic acid or some form of retinol to fight breakouts. The lactic acid is also a nice, light exfoliator to help get rid of pore clogging dead skin cells.

The masque itself is very think and creamy, just like yogurt. It's not the prettiest masque since it has little green bits in it that made hubby cringe a bit and ask what the heck I was putting on my face. It smells refreshing because of the cucumber and has a menthol-like quality from the tea tree oil.  

I don't usually like when masques come in tubs because of the sanitation issues but Eminence kindly provides a little scoop so you don't have to dip your bacteria covered fingers into the product each time you use it. Just don't lose the scoop and be sure to clean it after each use.

The directions say to emulsify the masque with a few drops of water but I decided not to because I was feeling lazy. This masque feels very tingly and cooling when applied which some people would call a "hot" masque. The first time I used it I left it on for the recommended 5-10 minutes. After I experienced no side effects or irritation I started leaving it on for 20 minutes to make sure I get the maximum benefit.

I try to use this once a week and I really like it. I feel like any current zits I have look less inflamed after using this and my skin feels soft, smooth and moisturized. It's a great mask in the winter because it isn't as drying as most masks that contain clay.

A 2oz tub will run you about $54 but I've already used this quite a few times and have barely put a dent in it. I bought it at my gym spa but you can buy Eminence at most of the big online skincare sites like Lovely Skin, DermStore and SkinCareRX.