Show Us Your Life: Hair and Beauty Tips

Today's segment of S.U.Y.L. on Kelly's Korner Blog is...

February 11 - Hair and beauty tips

Oh Lord, I am definitely kind of a product junkie and I LOVE trying new things that I read/hear about. If you recall my Best of the Best post, you can see that I definitely have some favorites. Generally though, I am all about prevention and I definitely believe in taking certain measures to avoid using tons of "corrective" products. I do have some good tips and tricks of the trade though.

#1 SLEEP! I do not think there is any better trick for looking or feeling better than a good night's sleep. I can really tell a difference when I am not getting enough sleep, both physically and psychologically. Eight hours is definitely my magic number, although I know some people who only need 7 and some need like 10.

#2 EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE! Everyone knows the obvious benefits of exercise (weight management, stress relief, mood booster, etc.), but have you ever noticed the awesome post-workout glow you get?? I always feel my best when I leave the gym and I love how I can just rinse my face, add a little tinted moisturizer, mascara and lip gloss and be on my way.

#3 Good skincare routine...as in morning and night cleanse, moisturize, protect/repair. If you take good care of your skin, you will have a much easier canvas to work with and probably won't need as much make-up. In the A.M. I like to exfoliate, use a vitamin C serum, a moisturizer with SPF 20+, and a cooling eye gel. In the P.M. I use a gentle cleanser, more serum, a moisturizer with retinol and an eye cream. This may seem like a lot of steps to some people, but it really only takes 5 minutes and your skin will thank you. I personally like the Garnier and SkinCeuticals lines. A good mix of drugstore and department store brands.

#4 Eyelash curler...this is my favorite tool. It does wonders for "waking" you up. I like to blast it with the hair dryer for a couple seconds to warm it up.

#5 Cheek stain...looks so much more natural than powder blush and it lasts all day. I love the Tarte natural cheek stains.

#6 Full body exfoliation with a dry wash cloth. I stand in the shower (before turning on the water) and do this once a week. It really gets all the dead skin off and your skin will look all rosy and amazing.

#7 Blotting papers...I do not use powder so when I get a little shiny, I use these. Love them, although Matt gets very annoyed because he finds little blue papers all over the place;)

#8 Sesame oil...as soon as you get out of the shower, rub a little over your legs, elbows or any other rough spots. Then top with your favorite lotion. Your skin will be smooth for hours. I suppose olive oil would work too, but I like the way sesame smells.

#9 After shampooing and conditioning, I rinse my hair with cold water. This is soooo hard to do in the winter, but it seals your cuticles so your hair looks much shinier and smoother.

#10 Dry shampoo! I only wash my hair every other day (which is another tip in itself) and on the off day, I just spray a little dry shampoo on my roots. A.W.E.S.O.M.E. TRESemme makes a good one for around $5.

Ok, that's all I got. I love hearing beauty tips, so if you have some, let us know!