Dark circles be gone!!

Here's another really great product for busy ladies!  Or even ladies who aren't busy, because it works great for everyone.

I have dark circles under my eyes.  Its partly genetic, partly lack of sleep.  I've tried probably hundreds of concealers over the years - some were good, some not so good.  But then I tried the Eye Bright pencil from Benefit Cosmetics.

 

This pencil works so much better than any concelear that I've ever tried, and it doesn't look cakey or emphasize those unfortunate fine lines that are developing as I get older.  Another plus - its faster and more forgiving than concealer too!  

Just swipe a little of this light-reflecting pink pencil on the corners of your eyes and gently pat into the skin.  I like to apply this over my foundation or tinted moisturizer but under my powder.  Its also great just by itself on my bare skin for weekends.  It reflects the light rather than covering the circles so it looks more natural and makes my whole eye look brighter.  

You can also use this pencil as a highlighter on your browbone.  And a swipe around the corners of your nose and in the creases from your nose to mouth will help reflect light and make those areas seem less noticeable too.

Benefit Cosmetics can generally be found at Ulta, Sephora and Macy's, at least in my area.

The 2 minute at-home manicure

As a working mom with two young children, a house and husband to take care of and a budding home business, I'm a busy woman.  Needless to say, I do not have a lot of time to spend on my personal beauty routine.  As a make-up and beauty junkie, I've bought and tried tons of products over the years and have established a beauty routine that takes very little time.  Beginning next Tuesday, when I have time to post again, I'll start a week-long feature showcasing some of the really great products I've discovered over the years.

But for today, I wanted to share one of the best.  Burt's Bees Lemon Oil Cuticle Cream. 

Just rub some of the cream onto your nails, cuticles and surrounding skin before bed at night.  Really rub it in and don't be too stingy with how much you use!  Then put on some nice hand lotion or even your daily body lotion and go to bed.  Its that easy!!  If you have those little stretchy gloves for putting on over your lotion, feel free to use them.  Personally, I can't be bothered and would not be able to sleep with my hands covered like that.  By morning, your cuticles will looks significantly less ragged and your nails will look fresh, clean and shiny.  A couple of days of use, and people will start asking if you're getting manicures on a regular basis. 

This is maybe a 2 minute routine at night, if that.  But you will see amazing results for that small time investment.  Free free to use it in the morning too, but I've found that I get less benefit from using it in the morning.  Probably because we wash our hands so much throughout the day that product gets washed off and has less time to work. 

I've found Burt's Bees Lemon Oil Cuticle cream with the other Burts Bees products at my local drugstore and at Target.