I remember a time in my life when I had endless amounts of time to primp and get ready for my day every day. Not so much anymore. But when I completely forget to take care of myself I notice that I just feel bad – sluggish and yuck. Bed rest has put me in that slump a few times. Being a busy mom has put me in that slump MORE than a few times. So a few days ago, after Brady went to bed, I decided to take a little while to myself to take a good hot shower, wash, dry and do my hair, shave my legs (a sight to see when you’re 35 weeks pregnant with twins) and take care of my skin. I felt like a NEW WOMAN. These products below are things I used to use daily and / or weekly and I plan to work into my routine now and continue after the twins arrive – even if it means two minutes in the morning to make sure I wash my face. 
I didn’t include makeup in this (even though I do have a few favorites I’d love to share one day) because lets be honest – on 99.9% of days, aint nobody got time for that. :)
- Clarisonic MIA 2 Facial Cleansing System – Love to use this occasionally to remove dead skin and give my skin an all-over smooth finish. The kit comes with a gel cleanser – but I just use my regular Neutrogena Naturals cleanser with it now.
- Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Face Cream – This was recommended by Kate Bryan over at The Small Things Blog and I LOVE IT. It smells fresh, isn’t greasy and is great to use twice a day (morning and night). I wear it under makeup or (in most cases) by itself.
- EOS Lip Balm – I have about four of these floating between my bathroom, my bedside table, my car and my purse. Sweet mint is my favorite. I’ve always had an aversion to lipstick or lipgloss so this is my go-to.
- Redkin Smooth Lock Serum – I LOVE this stuff. I put two pumps in my hands after towel drying my hair and run my fingers through my hair from middle to ends then blow-dry. I have fine hair, but I have a ton of it – so its deceiving. This keeps the ends sleek and not super frizzy.
- Big Sexy Hair “What a Tease” Styler – This stuff is magic. I love the Big Sexy Hair line but this is a recent find. When I want some extra lift (my hair naturally lays pretty flat because its so fine) I spray a tiny bit of this underneath a section (careful because it is FIRM and has SUPER DUPER HOLD almost like hairspray) and scrunch my hair around until it looks like I’ve gotten some lift. I’m terrible at back-combing, so I love this right at the crown for a cute pony tail (most days) or down for date night.
- Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Creme – Again, I’m not a big beauty product person. And I tend to be pretty brand loyal. But I have used this stuff for probably 10 years. It’s made with olive oil but its not greasy at all. I have only gone through two bottles in 10 years – that’s how little you use. Once my hair is dry, I rub a tiny bit of this on the ends for a bit of polish. It’s amazing. Go buy some. It will change your life. You will come back to this post and thank me. I’m serious. :)
- Aveda Wooden Paddle Brush – I get my hair cut at an Aveda salon and I bought this to use for quick blow-dries. Bryan loves it and now Brady does too. So we each have one. :) It’s pricey brush but totally worth it. I can dry my hair with this and my cheap blow dryer in about 10 minutes. I flip my head upside down and viola!
- One Love Organics Brand New Day Microderma Scrub & Masque – I’ve used this since One Love Organics came onto the market. It lasts forever and is a great natural scrub for your face. I use this every night just to take off any impurities after washing my face with my regular Neutrogena face wash.
Washing my face and drying my hair probably takes me about fifteen minutes total. I typically throw my hair up in a messy pony tail, grab the closest pair of yoga pants and a Walk in Love tee and a pair of earrings and go. Earrings make me feel put together. :) Taking just a few minutes to feel like I’ve pulled myself together a bit goes a LONG way. xo, Emily
