While I have not officially kissed my Birks goodbye (in Florida that is not required until November), I have done some cleaning and pulled out my hoodies and sweatshirts because at night it does get chilly. As I mentioned in part one of my Beauty and Wellness Fall Essentials, I have been changing a few things in my personal care, makeup, and skin care to fit my mood and needs. Here are some of my current essentials…
1. Hand Cream – Osmia Organics Vanilla Shea Hand Cream. Perfect hand cream for the daytime. It comes in a pretty handy, small tube with a pump that is small enough to be tossed in your smaller purse. The cream is not too rich in texture, yet is richly moisturizing. The scent is to die for (like everything else from Osmia, really). It is a light, vanilla scent that is not too sweet. Just enough to fix my vanilla latte cravings without latte involved.
2. Red Lipstick – The new Ilia Beauty Lipstick Strike It Up. Ilia Beauty went extra glam with this blue-toned, red lipstick. The texture is the same lovely one that we are already used to with ILIA. It glides on nicely, offers a semi-matte finish, and opaque coverage. Perfect red for the season.
3. Lip Balm – de Mamiel Rosey Lip Balm*. The more I use this lip balm, the more I love it. Although it quickly melts onto the lips, I find that whenever I apply it before going to bed, I still have a thin layer on my lips in the morning. It is very softening, conditioning, and even slightly plumping. It’s like a luxury upgrade from my old favorite Waxelene.
4. Healing Balm – MJ’s Herbals Calendula Salve and Laurel Organics Healing Balm*. An effective, healing balm is a true necessity during the colder months. Cracked lips, chapped hands, irritated nostrils from a mean cold. Everyone needs to have one on hand. MJ’s Herbals balms are inexpensive and effective. I used this Calendula one on a spider bite and it soothed the itching immediately after the application. The Laurel Organics Healing Balm is another great, fix-all balm that is excellent on any skin irritation.
5. Repairing and Healing Face Serum – YULI Liquid Courage. Well, this for me will probably be an every season essential, but I have found this serum to be particularly effective now that the weather has changed and my skin has gotten a little confused. It’s like the Maserati of face serums (expensive, but totally worth the splurge in my opinion). It contains fantastic, repairing elements like Vitamin C, polyphenols, fatty acids, and naturally occurring COQ10. People who complimented me on my skin in my last post, THIS is what is working so well for me (together with healthy eating, sleeping, and keeping stress levels low).
6. Fall-esque Nail Lacquer. For me, burgundy, nude, and brown shades are perfect for Fall and Winter. Treat Colletion Dinner With Friends is my pick for burgundy nails. Kure Bazaar Cappuccino is the perfect beige-nude. Zoya Cola is a lovely rusty brown.
7. Body Balm/Oil – Lina Hanson Global Baby Oil. It is an excellent oil for dry skin and it is very quick to absorb. It was formulated specifically for children, as it is free of allergens and any fragrant essential oils. You could also pick up the grown up version of this body oil, the Global Body Serum, which smells oh so delicious, but I do love a good unscented product.
8. Elderberry Syrup – Gaia Black Elderberry Syrup. I don’t typically rush into taking any medication unless it becomes necessary, but if I ever get a nasty cold/flu and develop a cough, I take Elderberry Syrup. A number of studies¹ has shown that Elderberry Syrup is effective at preventing and reducing cold-related symptoms. It is something to keep in your cabinet, just in case (and I just gave a spoon of it to my husband today!).
What have been some of your Fall essentials so far?
¹https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9395631,https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15080016,
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19682714.