SUNDAY SKIN PREP :: BEAUTY READY ROUTINE

Those of you who read my blog on regular basis probably know how important skin care is to me. Though I haven't always been as diligent about taking care of my skin as I am now, once I realized the connection between proper skin care and the state of my skin, I've been religiously giving it the attention it needs. In the past, I've talked about my day-to-day skin-care but I haven't really talked about my weekly skin recovery routine. And so, I would like to take this opportunity to talk a little bit about my Sunday beauty ready routine and about how I prepare my skin and hair for the week ahead.

Since I color my hair, it tends to be a bit dry, so in order to keep it shiny and healthy I start by applying a home-made oil mask all over my hair, paying special attention to the scalp. To make the mask, I simply mix castor oil and extra-virgin olive oil in equal parts, adding just a few drops of lavender oil for a wonderful scent. Next, I cover my hair with a plastic cap and wrap a warm towel over it for better absorption.

PHASE ONE: While I wait for the oil mask to work it's magic on my hair, I move on to phase one of my skin care routine, i.e. Skin Inc. Pure Revival Peel. The reason why I like this particular one is because it's very gentle and doesn't make my skin red, tight or dry but instead effectively removes dead skin and helps to prepare my skin for phase two and three of my routine. To use, I simply apply a thin layer of Pure Revival Peel to clean, dry skin, leave on for a few seconds, then massage gently in circular motion paying special attention to my t-zone.

PHASE TWO: I always had really sensitive skin which is prone to redness and irritation. So, of course I was looking for a product to help address these concerns, but I also wanted something that could prevent damage and signs of aging. The reason why I started using Skin Inc. My Daily Dose products is because they are uniquely customized to address the specific needs of my skin and also because I am able to address multiple issues with a single application. Currently, I am using the three following SERUMS: 

- REPAIR, which contains antioxidant-rich French pine bark to help protect the skin from damage and signs of aging caused by UV rays

- REINFORCE which helps to strengthen, hydrate and sooth sensitive skin 

- RELIEVE which contains a combination of antioxidants, licorice and green tea extracts to help calm, reduce redness and irritation and protect the skin from UV damage. 

To use, I simply blend all three serums and apply 2-3 drops all over my face. Since I started using My Daily Dose, I've noticed a really big difference as far as dryness and redness is concerned and my skin is definitely more even looking and feels so much softer to the touch.

PHASE THREE: Moisture is the key to beautiful skin! Though I am pretty good about drinking plenty of water and eating well, ever since I moved to California I find that my skin needs a bit of help staying moisturized. I've tried a few different products, but Skin Inc. Pure Deepsea Hydrating Mask is the one that works best for me. Aside from the fact that it keeps my skin hydrated, I also find that it helps to clarify and brighten it as well. A huge plus in my opinion, because more than a few hydrating products simply made me break out:( To use, I apply a thin layer of the product all over my face, right after applying My Daily Dose serums including under eye area to help seal in all the goodness and hydrate, and leave it on overnight.

Next, I like to use a trick my mom swears by, which is taking a hot bath to make my hair and face mask absorb even better. Reason why this trick works so well, is because the steam from the bath helps to open your hair follicles and pores for better moisture absorption. Because multitasking is basically my middle name, I also add two cups of epsom salts to the water to help soften my hands, feet and everything in between:) I usually soak for about 30 minutes, but if you are pressed for time, even 15 minutes makes a world of difference.

Lastly, depending on how dry my hair is I either wash off the hair mask with a gentle shampoo and let my hair air dry or live it on overnight. I also slather olive oil all over my body paying special attention to hands and feet, since they tend to need a bit of extra moisture. 

Hope you guys enjoy these tips and as always, if you have any questions, please email me any time I'll be happy to answer!

Skin Inc. products available HERE or at Sephora stores. Take a simple 3-minute online test to identity the unique needs of your skin by CLICKING HERE. 

ELIZABETH ARDEN PREVAGE SWEEPSTAKES

If you read my blog on regular basis, you know skincare is a bit of an obsession for me. Normally, I am very good about taking care of my skin. I eat well, I exercise, I try to get plenty of sleep and use good skincare products. Yet, no matter how diligent I am about taking care of my skin,  the damaging effects of certain environmental assaults such as sun exposure, pollution and stress are simply beyond my control.

Take my recent trip to Palm Springs for example. Though I certainly tried to hide my face from the blazing desert sun under hats and massive amounts of sunblock, the result of spending hours in the sun was nonetheless quite obvious and damaging. 

As I was staring at yet another freckle, i.e. sun spot in the mirror, I received an email from Elizabeth Arden about the PREVAGE® skincare line designed specifically to prevent damaging effects of environmental assaults, and to help support the skin’s natural repair process. Naturally, I jumped at the chance to personally test the line! 

The PREVAGE® set arrived on the day of my friend's wedding, just as I was leaving for the Bel Air hotel, our home away from home for the duration of her pre and post wedding festivities. Since my face hasn't exactly recovered from all the abuse I put it through in Palm Springs, I decided there was no time like the present to deal with the damage. 

I started by cleaning my face with PREVAGE® Anti-aging treatment boosting cleanser. Next, I massaged PREVAGE® Anti-aging Daily Serum onto freshly cleansed face, and followed with PREVAGE® Anti-aging eye serum, by gently patting a small amount around the eye area.  I finished by lightly brushing PREVAGE® Anti-aging Moisture Lotion Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30 across the face.

Though, I certainly didn't expect to see results right away, I have to admit that my face did look smoother and brighter right after application. In fact, even though I was expecting to go a bit heavier on the make up that day, I was actually able to skip eye concealer completely. A very good thing considering I am not a huge fan of heavy make up and eye concealer in general:) 

Overall, though I just started using the PREVAGE® line, I am very impressed with the results so far. I am noticing a lot of improvement in the texture and clarity of my skin. It's definitely much more even looking and the redness around my nose is slowly disappearing. YAY! I am planning to continue using the line and keeping you guys posted on my progress! 

Now, here comes the best part! One lucky VivaLuxury reader has a chance to win a complete Elizabeth Arden PREVAGE® skincare giftset. 

All you need to do to enter is:

1. FOLLOW @ElizabethArden on Instagram by CLICKING HERE

2. REPOST THIS IMAGE to your Instagram page, tagging @ElizabethArden #PREVAGE #SWEEPS

3. Please leave a comment below, so that I may contact you if you win 

The contest will end on April 29 and the winner will be announced on the following day. I wish everyone the best of luck!

Find Rules & Regs HERE

This post was brought to you by Elizabeth Arden, all opinions are my own. 

TIBI one shoulder wrap dress { also love it in white here } | CHELSEA PARIS Ava pumps | STRATHBERRY OF SCOTLAND Mc Nano powder blue bag | FORD + HARRIS The Vicious upper finger ring & The Charlie slit ring | SARINA SURIANO Moonrise white pearl ring | MY JEWEL BAR earrings 

SUNSHINE, SURFING & SKINCARE

I can't count how many times I promised myself this was going to be the summer when I finally take surfing lessons... I even went as far as purchasing a wet suit, yet somehow summers went by and I never made good on my promise. Well, last week it all changed! Last week I decided it was going to be now or never! And... I finally did it! 

Though I imagined many times what surfing would be like, I don't think I ever realized just how challenging it really is! Yes, call me naive but I thought that years of swimming and yoga should at least give me some edge! Well, let me tell you, I was wrong! Very, very wrong! Forget riding the wave, or even just standing up on the board, after my 3rd lesson, I more or less mastered paddling out, but that was pretty much my only achievement:) Well, that and really sore arms! Can we count that as an achievement? 

But I am not giving up! My fourth lesson is scheduled for next week and I am adamant about at least standing up on the board by the end of it! Overreaching? Perhaps, but I am an eternal optimist at heart!

What I was a little less optimistic about was the condition of my skin after spending hours in the salt water. Even after the first lesson, the skin on my face, arms and legs, and especially elbows and knees was so dry, I seriously wanted to cry. To make matters even worse, my usual lotions and potions didn't help much, which send me into a state of complete and utter panic! 

But of course the state of panic didn't last long! You know me, I am a problem solver. If there is a problem I'll find a solution, and find a solution I did! While I use different lotions to remedy dry skin, I never really considered that I could actually start my skincare routine right in the shower! I now love to use the NEW Dove go fresh Revitalize Body Wash and Beauty Bar right after my surfing lessons. These new cleansers are mild, help replenish my skin and my face is now starting to look human again:) Another reason why I like the NEW Dove go fresh Revitalize products is because not only do they provide the perfect combination of freshness and care but also because I am a bit obsessed with the scent! The combination of mandarin and tiare flower is absolutely amazing and leaves your skin refreshed and renewed! And sure bringing a big bottle of body wash to the beach may not be ideal, but you know what, the payoff is definitely worth it! The way I see it, I would bring a canister if it guaranteed I didn't have to deal with dry skin:)! 

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story and I will keep you posted on my surfing progress!

This post was created in partnership with Dove. I have been compensated for my participation, but all thoughts and opinions are my own.

SKINCARE TIPS :: HOW TO CARE FOR DRY SKIN

So, I've been pretty vocal about the fact that my recent trip to New York did quite a number on my skin. Not sure what it was in particular, the time change, which I dealt with by inhaling insane amounts of coffee, harsh New York weather, which left my face and hands looking flaky and red or the fact that my somewhat insane schedule played interference with my regular diet, water intake and nightly grooming rituals. Basically, by the end of the day I was too exhausted to take care of my skin properly, which of course I paid for later! By the time I got back to LA, I had ridiculously dry skin all over and elbows and knees that made me want to cry. 

Speaking from experience, when it comes to taking care of your skin, consistency is key. Essentially, if you're using the right product and are diligent about application, you're going to get good results. Since my regular lotions and oils were not exactly equipped to deal with the state my skin was in, I switched to Vaseline Intensive Care Healing Serum Advanced Relief, mainly because it works quickly to heal and calm my skin when it gets severely dry and also because it's really gentle on my skin. 

Because I suffer from dry skin periodically, I've developed somewhat of a routine to help eliminate this problem quickly. So, if you ever face the same problem, here are a few tips to get your skin in shape fast. 

1. Sorry to be redundant here, but consistency is key! So, when my skin gets really dry, I apply Vaseline Intensive Care Healing Serum Advanced Relief morning and night! No excuses:)! 

2. To improve circulation, I always start from my feet and make my way up. 

3. I always make sure to pay special attention to elbows, knees, hands and feet. Basically, all areas which are prone to dryness the most. 

4. I love doing dishes! I know, I am probably the only person on the planet who enjoys this activity  but for some reason it calms me down:) Of course the problem with this is that it always makes my hands feel really dry after. So, to combat the damage, I apply the serum right after, making sure to massage it all over my hands, wrists, nails and especially cuticles, to avoid potential peeling and dryness in the future. 

5. Finally, and this is probably the most important one, I really take my time to rub the serum in. Aside from the fact that massaging the skin improves circulation, it also helps the product to penetrate better and do what it is designed to do. So, don't rush, take the time to pamper yourself a little! :)

Hope you guys find these tips helpful! And as always, if you have any questions, shoot me an email! I'll be happy to answer! 

5 SKINCARE COMMANDMENTS

Good morning, Everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful weekend! As I have mentioned before, I take skincare very seriously. I am not a huge fan of foundation or wearing a lot of make up in general. My daily make up consists of blush and bronzer, liner, mascara and lipstick. Though I do wear concealer and cover up on rare occasions, I don't love the way they feel on and definitely prefer to sport a clean face. Naturally, I take great care to insure my skin is in the best possible shape so that I can go make up free as much as possible. So, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk to you a little bit about my 5 skincare commandments. 

1: Used once a week, a glycolic peel makes your skin look radiant and improves the texture and tone of your skin! As I have mentioned before, I haven't always been as diligent about using sun block as I should be. So in time, this complete and total disregard for sun block combined with my obsession with tanning, left a bit of sun damage on my cheeks and nose. Since I didn't want to wear foundation to cover up these sun spots, I decided to try a glycolic peel in order to erase the evidence of my sun worshiping ways. After trying a few different ones, I finally found StriVectin LABS 5-minute weekly glycolic peel. Reason why I like this one is because it contains the highest levels of glycolic and other AHA acids available for home use, it's gentle yet effective and it does a great job diminishing the look of not only sun spots but other skin imperfections as well. Super easy to use, I generally like to apply  it in the evening after I wash my face. I start with Step 1 to detox the skin and prepare it for exfoliating acids. Next, I apply Step 2 to exfoliate the skin, shrink pores and minimize the appearance of sun spots and other skin imperfections. 

2: Good skin starts from within! Every morning I start my day with a glass of water with lemon. At this point, I think everyone is well aware of the benefits of drinking water to keep your skin hydrated, but adding lemon helps to eliminate toxins from the body as well as prevent wrinkles and acne. 

3: Green tea ice cubes revive your skin in minutes! I am sure we've all had those tired skin days. You know, those days when maybe we've stayed up a little too late the night before, or just had one of those exhausting, super busy days which left our skin feeling and looking a little blah! Well, here is my remedy to combat those skin blues:) Start by brewing some green tea ( I prefer to use fresh, loose tea as apposed to tea bags, to maximize benefits ), once the tea cools down, pour the tea into the ice tray and  place in the freezer. Normally, it takes about 1.5 - 2 hours for ice cubes to freeze completely. To use, simply rub a green tea ice cube all over your face ( make sure your face is completely make up free ), paying special attention to the under eye area. Once you're done, allow  your skin to dry naturally. I use this trick all the time and seriously, it always leaves my skin looking fresh and glowing! 

4: Apricot Kernel Oil is the best moisturizer ever! I use it pretty much everywhere, from my hands and feet, to hair and of course face. I also find that it is one of the best ways to keep your lips naturally moisturized. Simply dab a little bit on your lips before you got to bed or in the morning, before you apply lipstick or lip gloss and you'll see, your lips will feel smooth for the rest of the day. 

5: Honey and Aloe Vera mask gets your skin glowing! This mask is super easy to make, simply mix 1 table spoon of Aloe Vera gel and two table spoons of honey in a glass bowl. Apply a thick layer to your face and leave on for about 20 - 30 minutes. Next wash your face with warm water and once again allow it to dry naturally. I use this mask at least once a week, to prevent break outs and inflammation, replenish moisture and improve the texture and overall appearance of my skin. 

So, these are my 5 skincare commandments. I hope you find these helpful! And of course as always, please feel free to email me with any questions! 

Thank you for reading
& keep On Smiling,
LOVE,
Annabelle