A Confession:

First, let me confess: I secretly want to be a beauty blogger!  I love all things pretty and pink, but alas, my current lifestyle does not support monthly trips to Sephora for new loot to test and review.  So this post satisfies my itch to dish about the beauty/skincare products I love, (and makes me realize just how far from a beauty blogger I really am 🙂 ).

When Did I Get Old?

Sometime between the whirlwind of the new school year and the beginning of the holidays, the woman staring back at me in the mirror started looking….. blah.  I looked tired, and I noticed some signs of aging around my eyes.  Overall, I lacked my nice, healthy glow, and I wanted it back, STAT!

So I went on a mission and found some products that have really improved my appearance, saved me some money, and helped get this Teacher Mom out the door in the morning!

This post contains affiliate links to products that I love.  I do not get paid to promote any product (although that would be awesome), however if you do like a product and purchase it through this post, I will get a small percentage.  I will NEVER promote anything that I have not personally tried and loved!  

My New Favorite Products

Batiste Brunette Dry Shampoo

This stuff has changed my world.  I know, that sounds dramatic, but seriously, it really has made life so much easier because it stretches out the time between washes/styling.  I am almost embarrassed (but not really) by how many days I often go between washes.  This spray makes your hair look good regardless!  It adds a lot of body and texture, too, so while I have pretty thick hair, this product would be awesome for thinner hair!  And, it also comes in blonde  🙂

CREMO Shaving Cream

What’s the big deal about a shaving cream?  I’ll tell you:  My legs feel AMAZING!  You know those hairs on your upper thighs that you can never seem to shave completely smooth?  Yeah, this takes care of that!  I originally bought this because I was looking for something cheaper than what I had been using, and the bottle intrigued me.  It says to “follow the directions carefully!“, which makes you think it’s dangerous or something, but really it is just concentrated, so you don’t need a lot.  (Otherwise you end up with super slippery legs!)  It is a money saver because one bottle lasts forever, since you don’t need much at a time, AND it works better than anything I’ve tried.  I can go longer between shaves with this!

Neutrogena Rapid Wrinkle Repair

If you read So This is Parenting, Huh? you know that I got this because of my dear daughter.  At 31, I am beginning to show some signs of aging, no doubt exacerbated by an accident prone toddler and 24 fifth graders.  I am now hooked on this stuff!  It’s not a fancy anti-wrinkle cream, but my skin is brighter and more even.  I think their selling point of seeing results in a week is a bit lofty, but after a few weeks I definitely noticed a difference!

Cleansing Brush

Clarisonic paved the way for these wonderful little tools, and now there are multiple options out there that are much cheaper than the original.  Olay makes one and I have not washed my face without it since I bought it!  (Now that I think about it, that might not be advised, but I am completely addicted.)  My glow is back!  It makes your skin feel baby bottom smooth-and I would know, I get a lot of baby bottom action these days.  If you do nothing else after reading this post, GET ONE OF THESE!  It will change your life.

Pillow Soft Curls

You’ve had a day full of IEP meetings, semi-successful math activities, a fussy baby, and piles of laundry.  The last thing you can even think about is getting up early to do your hair before work in the morning.  That’s where this product comes in very handy.  It’s kind of a cross between a gel and a cream, and you just put it in your damp hair at night.  Then it works its magic while you sleep, and you wake up with lovely, soft waves in the morning!  No crunch!

Disclaimer:  This product works best for those folks with thick hair, or who already have some wave or curl in their hair.  I would not recommend this for thin or fine hair, as it may weigh it down.

There you have it, a few of my Favorite Things!  I hope that you try some of these and find some new favorite products, too!

What is your favorite product that you just can’t live without?