Exfoliating: where, how, and how often?

Hermanas!!!!

If we took basic anatomy, biology and chemistry in high school; we are pretty aware that our skin, like that of snakes (insert snarky smile here) sheds. Yup. the skin you have today is not the same skin you had 2 weeks ago. The body has its way of getting rid of dead skin cells; and we most certainly should help it out.

Here's where exfoliation comes in. When I exfoliate, I focus on several parts of my body: face, hands, body, lips. If you can afford it, by all means go crazy and indulge in buying brand scrubs. I do use a different concoction for each part.

FACE

For my cara, I personally favor LUSH's Angels on Bare Skin; being all natural and lovely. The appearance of this one for sure has put more than one sistah off; but get over yourselves and try it!!!


I also like some of the Clean and Clear collection . Their website helps you find the best match for your needs. I just go with the Detoxifying or the Morning Burst Scrub.

I exfoliate my face about every other day. Always with love and never like I was sanding down a piece of wood. Hyper-exfoliation is not good for your skin -- and makes you more exposed to the sun, and we all know that is a bad, bad thing.

BODY

For my body, I actually cheat. A lot. If I happen to have some LUSH's Rub Rub Rub or Ocean Salt scrub, I will of course use it. But my trick here is not to spend tons of money on body scrubs, and instead use soaps that have granules that exfoliate.

OR, use my fave body wash with a net bath sponge. OR make good use of LUSH soaps like I Should Coco, Porridge and some of my all time super faves Pre de Provence herbal treatment soaps: since they also have exfoliating beads and smell heavenly!

LIPS

When it comes to exfoliating and hydrating my lips, I simply L.O.V.E. Tarte's fRxtion. Goodness in a case. Not only does it come in the cutest packaging you will ever see; but it has athe dual purpose of exfoliation and moisturizing.

TARTE is well known for their green-beauty approach. The fRxtion goes for $11.00 and I do believe it is worth it.

AT HOME $$$ SAVERS

Now now... we are all on a budget, I know. Dinero is important, a broke hermana is not a happy hermana. My serious take is that you do not need to cash out half your paycheck in beauty products. And in your pantry I am sure you have the basic ingredients for coming up with your very own and personalized scrub and exfoliator.

Magic ingredients: brown sugar, honey, olive oil. Voila. Some hermanas use oatmeal at home, but I find it too raspy and irritating. But if you mix sugar with oil, or honey with sugar and rub rub rub; you are exfoliating AND giving your skin much needed moisture.

See? No need to break the bank. Exfoliating also leaves you feeling immediately refreshed. Just remember to treat your skin with love chicas, no need to get nasty and scrub so much that you bleed or break capillaries, ok?????

Which are your fave scrubs? Any homemade ideas you care to share with us? Do tell!!! I want to know.

Siempre, Bella.

No longer an ELF virgin... but a convert???

Hermanas!!!


My adorable hermana Mel (also known in the underworld as DairyFarmer) kept singing the praises for ELF cosmetics; and sexy Toma from Makeup Masala confided that her ultimate favorite tweezers were the ELFish ones. They had me honestly intrigued.

I must say I was a bit suspicious. You know I am all about the bargain, that I never pay retail (well, not usually); and that I enjoy saving the pennies. But, all products for ONE DOLLAR???? Come on!!! There had to be a catch. So I went, Paypal account in hand, to their website. I browsed around every category and ended up ordering quite a bit of goodies.

• Eyeshadows in Drama, Butternut and Luxe
• 2 sets of slanted tweezers
• Clarifying pressed powder in Tone 3
• Smudge brush
• Lip primer+plumper
• Liquid eyeliner
• Candy Shop lip tins (the cutest little lip glosses ever)
• Travel mirror
• Powder puffs

...and god knows what else. Using all sorts of codes and coupons; I ended paying something like 12 dollars. Yup, sí, oui. My cosmetics were delivered 7 days later in perfect condition. The wrapping is very nice: I was expecting something cheapie and was pleasantly surprised.

I plan on going ELFish all week to see what I like and what I don't; and then come back and report on it for your delight hermanas. So far, I adore their liquid eyeliner that stayed put all day (and night since I forgot to take my makeup off on saturday, chica mala) without primer; and I also luvz the slanted tweezers.

Today I am wearing the Luxe eyeshadow quad (see below), the black liquid eyeliner and the tone 3 pressed powder. I am wearing of course my primers, but I will check again after lunch andthen after dinner to see how it stays- or not- put.


Mind you, all products are $1 -- exception made of their "Studio ELF" and mineral makeup lines (those are 3 bucks, puhleaze!). Right now I am going to their website again to order some beauty bags that are on sale for like 50% off. Can't go wrong with that. Besides, I have to employ my hard earned survey Paypal cash on something, right?????

Siempre, Bella.

KORRES lip butters

Hermanas!

As promised, I did my pilgrimage to downtown C-@-TL yesterday, to exchange the empties for a nice MAC lipstick. I will use it a couple of more times before giving a review - so far it's a bit sticky. Bella is not impressed.

Yet, while I was there, the magic of Sephora just called to me. Seriously, it was like the mermaid call from Greek Mythology (if you don't know what I am talking about, pleazzzze read up hermanas!). So I took the chance to go in and get some absolutely necessary items for las primas, aka my gorgeous and beautylicious cousins in Mexico city, and one for La Nena, my loveliest niece.

Got them all nifty lip butters from KORRES. I love their products, since they are mostly natural. And, as a big fan of the Greeks and their beauty style, I swear by them. These butters are the only ones I use: I mostly do not do the lip conditioning thing (I forget), but I adore the guava one - do it at night after taking all the makeup off and doing the i-really-hate-this night beauty routine.

I got the whole collection: pomegranate, guava, wild rose and quince. Funny enough, this shall fit las primas' personalities just fine. Now the problem is they will probably read the blog and find out.... which gives me the perfect excuse to go back and get them something else, mwahahahaha. These are lovely women, las primas.

Still have to get my cuñada something she will like, it is her birthday and of course, the holiday thing. I think/smell perfume- she likey. Or essential oils. She is such a sweet creature, my sister in law. Her only flaw is being married to my brother - let's face it, he is loco. Luvz them both though, and their little bundle of joy (who will get more presents than anyone else, except Rojo).