Testing 1,2,3

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First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair

This weather is BRUTAL on my skin! Ugh! It is so dry!  But this moisturizer is fabulous!  I use it all over, even my face!  My skin feels and looks instantly hydrated!!  

Here are the claims:

INTENSE THERAPY
SKIN PROTECTANT W/ FAB ANTIOXIDANT BOOSTER

DELIVERS EXCEPTIONAL HYDRATION AND PROTECTION WITH NO GREASY PETROLEUM
FAB Ultra Repair® Cream is a thick, rich, emollient product that hydrates deep down with exceptional penetration. With the help of colloidal oatmeal, shea butter, soothing eucalyptus oil and ceramides, FAB Ultra Repair® Cream provides immediate relief and visible improvement for distressed skin. FAB Antioxidant Booster is there to defend skin from free radical damage. Ultra Repair® Cream can be used all over the body and on the face. 

WHO SHOULD USE IT?
FAB Ultra Repair® Cream is for anyone with severely dry, scaly skin due to harsh winter weather, aggressive cosmetic treatments or any of the following conditions: psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, irritant eczema, allergic eczema, seborrheic dermatitis, keratosis pilaris. 

BENEFITS
Hydrates, calms and smoothes skin. Improves natural barrier function. Relieves minor skin irritation and itching due to eczema and other conditions. 

FEATURES
No Parabens, Harsh Chemicals or Colorants.  
Safe for Sensitive Skin.

Good stuff!!  

How to lose weight!

 All you need to do is not eat so much and exercise.  Oohhhhhh!  That's ALL.  Great.  Ok.  Sounds easy enough.  Well if it is truly that easy, why am I fat?       

What happens when food is on my mind all the time? What will I do with all the feelings and problems food helps me to forget..at least for a moment.

Do the people who nonchalantly tell you to drop the donut or pass on the pizza know that food for me is more than just something that keeps my body alive?  That in a twisted way, food is love.  It is my drug.  Telling me to "just eat less" is like telling an alcoholic to drink less, or a pack a day smoker to only smoke 2 cigarettes a day. Yes.  In my opinion,

food is my addiction.  It's my drug of choice.  It's something to look forward to after a stressful day.  Planning meals and snacks is a high for me. 

So there.  There you have it.  As the numbers on the scale continue to get smaller and my body keeps shrinking, I remember that my struggle with food won't melt away like the fat on my body.  And at any time my addiction could take over and derail my progress.  When people comment on my physical appearance I stay humble.  I know all my progress could be stopped.  Black and white.  Perfectly staying on my diet plan (weight watchers) or becoming lost in a pile of food.  There is no middle.  I have problems with gray areas when it comes to managing my weight. 

Black and white. 

So with this realization the "just stop eating" is not that simple for me and many others.  So I take small baby steps each day deal with my emotions.  Not stuff them down with food.  I will stay humble as the compliments roll in, knowing that my drug of choice will be staring at me as I open the refrigerator or pantry.   And although I would like to punch the people who tell me to exercise more and eat less, I realize the linear and narrow minded statements are to help, not hurt.  I smile, eat my apple while staring at my children eating pizza.  And at that moment I thank God for my apple and my strength in that moment.  And as I walk away, I pray for the same strength and guidance on this very, very difficult journey.  My body is getting smaller, but my feelings, problems and obstacles remain the same...so I take one moment at a time and CELEBRATE the positive.  It will all be ok!

Foundation Quest

Finding a foundation for mature skin can be a nightmare!  Although I haven't found my holy grail foundation, these two come pretty close! 

 Loréal True Match Lumi does a great job.  It doesn't settle in my fine lines and wrinkles and gives me medium coverage!  It lasts about 6 hours before it starts to break down!  But nothing a little powder can't fix!  Other people who have reviewed this foundation dislike it because they say it it settles in pores and wrinkles terribly.  I saw a little settling in my pores, but nothing major. I'm 47.  I will never again have the skin of a 20 or 30 year old!  So let's be somewhat realistic with expectations, huh???

Anyway...It gives a beautifulsatin finish.  Not super dewey or matte, just right in the middle.  It is a luminating foundation and does have micro-glitter that reflects light to give the illusion of luminous skin! 

Best of all, you can't beat the price point and the large shade range and come in Neutral, Cool and Warm complexion colors!  

The price is between $12.00 and $13.00 and can be found at Target, Walmart, CVS, Ulta and Walgreens! 

Would I buy this again?  Yes!

Next up is a higher end foundation!  It is IT Cosmetics CC+Illumination cream.  This is a light to medium coverage again with illuminating properties.  It claims to be buildable to a full coverage, but I'm fnot a fan of full coverage, so I can't comment if this claim is true. It is a very dewey foundation and has lots to skin benefits. It has beautiful coverage, applies easily with fingers,  never settles in fine lines and has a nice youthful, dewey finish.  It also smells GREAT!  I use my fingers to apply.  I don't have time to fuss around with a damp sponge or brush!  When they say "your skin only better," that is very true!

BUT...There are two things I don't like.  I only point these minor issues out because it is expensive and at the price, it should be nearly perfect in my opinion. Keep in mind.  These are my opinions and you may have a totally different experience.  Everyone's skin is different!  

1.  There are only 5 or 6 colors to choose from.  I tried "medium" first, WAAYY to dark.  I traded it for "light" and it was ok, but oxidized a little orange after a few hours.  Nothing too horrible, I just kept my eye on it.  I finally settled on "Fair" but it was too light.  So I mix "light" and "fair" and it is perfect.  

2.  It made my skin feel really tight after about 6 hours.  It was fine without powder, but a finishing (hydrating not mattifying) powder did not play well with this product on my skin.  This product can be purchased online, Ulta and Sephora and costs $38.00.

Would I buy this again?  Maybe

Finding a foundation you really like is hard, but I will not give up on finding my perfect foundation!  But in the mean time, these two foundation are doing there thaannng and I really like them!  :)

What foundation do you wear?  Have you found your holy grail foundation??  I would love to hear about your foundation routine in the comments!  Thanks!

Pixi Glow Tonic

Seriously.  I don't like to admit to the "Youtube Made Me Buy It" phenomenon...but YouTube made me buy this and I'm SO glad I did!  

I hate skin care.  I don't like using warm water and a cleanser to wash my face.  I don't like the feeling, I don't like getting my collar wet and I don't like it when I accidentally get my bangs wet.  

So I use makeup remover wipes.

However, I didn't like how dull my complexion was, and my skin never had that "just cleansed feeling" like you get with cleansers!  So I thought I'd give a toner a try.  Pixi Glow Tonic is the toner I used based on its cult following in the beauty community.  I LOVE it!  After only 1 week, my skin had more glow!  The dullness went away and my skin tone became more even!

If you are looking for a drug store product that packs a punch, this is it!  It's on the pricier side...around $19.00 for the small bottle sold at Target, but worth every penny!!  Go get it and say "Melissa Made Me Buy It!"  

Nügg Beauty

These little facial masks ROCK!  I use the blue, revitalizing mask alternating with the pink exfoliating mask for every other day for 4 days. I can already see a difference in the radiance to my skin!  My makeup goes on so much more smoothly too!  Highly recommend!

www.nuggbeauty.com

A Journey

Welcome to my blog!  This blog will take you along as I continue on to find beauty in life and in myself!  I have lost 53 pounds, and have discovered as a result how to take care of myself!  It's so easy to get caught up in life - raising kids, having a career, keeping an organized home - and I forgot to take care of myself.

This blog will:
1.  Give beauty product reviews.
2.  Include makeup tutorial for mature skin.
3.  Recommend products that have worked for me.
4,  Keep you updated on my weight loss successes and fails!  

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