Current Nighttime Skin Care Routine

This week I am talking about my nighttime skincare routine. I got a request for this so here you go! 

I just want to mention that I do not have perfect skin at all, I still get hormonal breakouts and sometimes dry patches. I used to have terrible skin and acne, so right now my skin is the best it's been since high school! I'm very happy with it right now! 

I have combination skin, my T-zone is very oily while other parts of my face can be dry. 

 So here's everything I use at night before I go to bed. This is my everyday nighttime skincare routine. Sometimes I'll change it up a little by using a mask, acne cream, or scar gel. But what you see here are my go-to products!!

This is Neutrogena oil-free eye makeup remover. It does an awesome job at removing waterproof mascara! I've been using this for years. I will say the knock off brand you can sometimes find at Walgreens works just as well. $7.99

First I remove my eye makeup. If I have false lashes on I will dip a q-tip into this makeup remover and rub onto the lash band until it loosens. Then I apply this makeup remover to a cotton pad and remove the remaining eye makeup.

These is the equate Original Clean Wet Cleansing Towlettes (with Vitamin E). These are very inexpensive and you get 60 wipes in each pack, and they come in sets of two packs. $5.97

After removing my eye makeup, I wet my whole face and use a towelette to remove most face makeup. These particular wipes aren't as wet as some other brands I've used, but with these you get the most bang for your buck.

This is the Farmhouse Fresh One Fine Day Shea Sugar Flawless Face Polish. This stuff is awesome and I really want to try more products from this brand! $25

I splash my face with warm water and then scrub my face with this product (make sure you have clean hands!). It smells really great! This product is for all skin types.

I use Dickinson's Original Witch Hazel pore perfecting toner to really get into those pores. This is 100% natural. You get 16 fl oz for so cheap! $4.47

Some negative things about this are that it doesn't smell good, and the bottle leaks when you travel with it. Other than that it's amazing!

To moisturize my skin I use Yes to Cucumbers soothing daily calming moisturizer (hypoallergenic, paraben-free, and 98% natural). $14.99

This moisturizer is a little more expensive but I only use just a tiny bit and it works great on my skin. I have some redness to my face so I love using anything with cucumber to sooth that redness.

To sooth my puffy dark eyes I use Yes to Cucumbers soothing eye gel (dermatologist tested, 99% natural product). $14.99

This is also kind of expensive but I just use a tiny bit every night. This bottle will last me for months.

Because I have some dark spots and scarring from acne I use Bio-Oil (PurCellin Oil). This is also good for stretch marks, uneven skin tone, aging skin, and dehydrated skin. $9.99 

This bottle is 2 oz, but also comes in larger sizes. I've had this bottle for quite a while because I only use a small amount on my face every night. I honestly think using this has significantly improved my acne scarring and actually helped with my oily skin. 

Even people with oily skin should use a skin oil. If you try to dry out your oily skin, your skin will only produce more oil to compensate. Read about using oil here.

To care for my chapped lips I use a lip scrub. This is the Santa's lip scrub from LUSH Cosmetics. This particular one was a limited edition and tastes and smells like Cola, but the Bubble Gum lip scrub is a favorite of mine as well. $9.95

The great thing about LUSH is that they don't test on animals and they really strive to use natural products and self-preserving products. 

To use this I will lick my lips so that the scrub sticks to them, then I apply a pea size amount of scrub with a clean finger to my lips. Scrub and then lick or wash off, this is safe to eat! 

Lastly I apply a lip balm. I just bought this Ultra Repair Lip Therapy balm by First Aid Beauty a while ago and I love it! $12.00 

I use this morning and night to soften chapped lips. It works really well in conjunction with the lip scrub! 

So there ya have it! That is my nightly skincare routine. I always, always take off my makeup before bed. I try to take really good care of my skin so it doesn't break out and stays as smooth and healthy as possible! 

I hope you enjoyed and learned something today! Have an awesome week! 

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Hair Care

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

About five years ago I cut my hair off to my jawline (you have to try it once..), immediately I wanted it back. I get asked all the time if I wear extensions & how I got my hair to grow back so fast, but honestly it's taken this long! I get my hair trimmed every 6-8 weeks :) I used to ask for a "germ-sized trim" when I was still trying to grow it out haha!!

Not only has it taken years, but I've done some damage along the way. I've tried to lighten my hair multiple times & damaged it, which probably slowed growth. But here are some things I think have helped my hair grow and stay healthy recently:

First, Brazillian Blowout! I have only had two in my life so far. The first one I got a few years ago, & I just got one again last month. I would highly recommend getting one! For me, they help to straighten my curls a bit, make my hair shiny, soft, healthy, protected, & lock in color. The biggest thing I noticed it that my hair isn't frizzy! 

I got my last Brazilian Blowout at Jagged Edge Salon. The whole process took about two hours (on my ridiculous amount of hair). 

My sister gets her Brazilian Blowouts from Maleri Miller Parker & both do a great job, we had the same results :) 

My hair is so much easier to do now, & when I straighten it the style lasts longer. If you're trying to grow out your hair or repair some damage I would suggest finding a salon near you that does Brazilian Blowouts. They last up to 12 weeks. The picture above was taken right after getting a blowout.

Shampoo & Conditioner:

Because my hair is so long, it gets dry pretty easy at the ends. I only wash my hair twice a week, sometimes three if it gets oily. 

I change shampoo & conditioner all the time, but since my hair has been red I started using Bain de Terre Color-Protecting shampoo & conditioner.
I also use Joico Color Infuse Red products to keep my red color vibrant between appointments. I use the color infuse once a week (*The color of my hair is Joico 5XR).
Since my Baine de Terre products are almost gone I purchased the Redken Color Extend Magnetics shampoo and conditioner at Ulta, I'll let you know if I like it!

Deep Conditioning: 

I've used Coconut Oil for a long time now on my hair. I just melt it in the sink and apply to dry hair. If you can apply heat or leave it over night that's the best. Remember to look for unrefined, organic coconut oil.

I realize that drugstore products are not the best for your hair, but I actually really like the Garnier Fructis Damage Eraser Strength Reconstructing Butter with phyto-keratin complex. 

I just recently bought the Not Your Mother's Intensive Hair Unit Renewal Treatment and I really like it! Plus it smells good. It has carrot root extract to help repair damaged hair. 

I alternate using one of these once a week. 

Smooth & Shine:

In the past I've used the Brazilian Blowout product until I ran out. I've been using the Rusk Shine Enhancing Lusterizer for a while now. It helps with shine, strengthening with proteins, and protective UVB inhibitors. 

I have recently been using Not Your Mother's Smooth Moves Frizz Control Hair Cream (Ulta in-stores). This helps to de-frizz, straighten, and shine hair. I put these on towel-dried hair. 

Oils & Protectant: 

OGX Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum is awesome! It smells so good too. I use this every single day on the ends of my hair to smooth. This helps repair, resurface, and mend split ends with coconut oil and silk proteins. 

Moroccon Oil Treatment is more expensive, so I use this just a few times a week, and always after I wash my hair. This also helps restore hair, smooth, and shine.

To protect my hair from heat I use Kevin Murphy Damage Manager. This protects hair up to 428 degrees Fahrenheit.

Red Hair Maintenance: 

Besides the Joico Color Infuse products, I have been desperate for a root cover recently. I found this Beyond the Zone Colour Mousse in racy red at Sally's Beauty Supply and it seems to work pretty good, but it did not last 2-3 shampoos on my hair. I applied to dry roots, brushed it in, then blow-dried to seal the color in.

Dry Shampoo: 

Because I only wash my hair two times a week, sometimes the roots can get oily while the ends are dry. Rather than having to wash my hair and go through that whole process I use a dry shampoo. There are tons of great dry shampoos out there, and I really like this one by Tresemmé and the Not Your Mother's brand.

Vitamins:

I know this seems random, but what you put in your body has an effect on your hair. Of course you should eat healthy, but I also recommend vitamins. I take like, 50 vitamins every day haha (exaggeration, slightly)! Of the ones I take I think these have an effect on my hair. 

Melaleuca Vitality Multivitamin and Mineral for women. I noticed this has Biotin in it, which can help with brittle nails and hair growth. I take this every day. 

Cod Liver Oil has Vitamin A which can help with new cell growth and health especially for the eyes and skin. But there are many other benefits to this vitamin, read here. It really doesn't say anything about hair, but I have been taking this for about a year now, so maybe it has played a role in the health of my hair. 

Omega-3 Krill Oil has many amazing benefits as well, especially for heart health. I'm also not sure this played a direct role in my hair health, but it's worth a try :) 

Keratin: 

Lastly, I want to mention something I think had a huge effect on my hair. I don't currently have this product because too much keratin can actually damage your hair (said the lady at Ulta). But this is the It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Plus Keratin!! When I tried to lighten my hair last summer, I had just got my hair to the length I wanted it to be and then lost about two/three inches to damage from the highlights. This seriously was a miracle on my hair, well this & dying it darker. I went through two bottles of this ;) Highly recommend!

Thank you so much for reading!! I hope you enjoyed and maybe learned something! I'm definitely not a hair expert, but I've pretty much had long, curly, thick hair my whole life! It's a love/hate relationship.. :) Follow Pretty & Put Together on Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and like us on Facebook to stay updated on the latest posts! 

Coconut Oil for Your Skin

Need a luxurious skin remedy that won't put a hole in your wallet?  

This has lasted me so long because while I do use it on my hair, I use it mostly for my skin. This works its magic on sunburns, rashes, dry and sensitive skin, and even oily skin like mine. The big misconception for people with oily skin is that you should strip the oils, but this will irritate your skin and cause it to produce more oil. I use this on my skin every night in the winter and in the summer when I feel my skin needs some love. I got this at Walgreens for $10 in the vitamin isle (not the cooking isle). It is available on Amazon for $12.38 and free shipping!

What you need to look for and why: Organic, extra virgin, all natural, and unrefined is best for skin and hair, it's coconut oil in its pure form and it will have the actual delicious smell of coconuts (It's personal preference really, if you don't like the smell or feel you'd rather have refined then you can usually find refined in the cooking section)! There are no chunky bits in this Spectrum brand. It is so smooth and melts at above 76 degrees Fahrenheit. It doesn't need to be refrigerated. To heat it up in the cold months of winter I just fill up my sink with hot water and let this tub sit in there for a few minutes. I prefer not to microwave because I would always be reheating and reheating this tub and stripping it of some of its nutrients. This stuff melts very fast!

First of all, you want to be very careful when using tubs to wash your hands before dipping into the tub. You don't want this to become a pool of germs that end up causing negative effects on your skin. Or, you can simply apply it with a cotton pad or Q tip for spot treating. On nights like tonight I was feeling generous and dipped one side of the cotton pad in and dabbed all over my face (a little goes a long way). Do not dip the same Q tip or cotton pad back into the tub either!

I have never had a problem using this around my eye area but avoid the area if it makes you nervous. I do apply moisturizer and let it dry before applying this, but you can use this alone as a moisturizer if you like.

At first you may feel like your skin is way too wet but you will wake up and, because coconut oil is so amazing and natural, your skin drinks it right up. For spot treatments on acne that is in the healing process, I dip the Q tip into the tub and just apply to that single area. I have noticed my skin healing much faster when using this and also helping with redness and irritation. It is so gentle and soothing. Sometimes I even apply this to my body's dry areas like the elbows, feet, cuticles, anywhere!

So find your favorite use or do them all! Whether it's for cooking, skin, hair, bath (or my upcoming post.. as eyelash and eyebrow serum), you need this in your life!

Let us know if & how you use coconut oil! Enjoy! 

All Time Favorite Flat Iron: NuMe

Hello!
This tool is an essential for every woman...
The straightener! My daily routine has always involved a flat iron. I have tried a few brands before and I have finally found the ultimate flat iron. The NuMe Vintage flat iron is made with floating, 100% ceramic plates perfect for straightening, loose curls or tight curls. It is pronounced "New-Me" for a reason! 

I have had this flat iron for over a year. I had previously tried several Chi flat irons which all ended up breaking in one way or another. This flat iron from NuMe is very sturdy, it has a long cord, and temperature controls along with a red/green light letting you know when it has reached the perfect temperature. As you can see it is still in great condition! I use this every single day on my hair. I have VERY curly, thick hair so I need a flat iron that can handle the mess. It glides over my hair without catching and has a pattern grip. I also color my hair a lot and this doesn't suck all the moisture from my hair. Not to mention how cute the color is!

I always comb through the hair as I'm straightening, dragging the straightner behind the comb, for the best results and stick straight hair. As you can see this comb is very worn out from using it so much (so cheap, from Walgreens or WalMart)! This flat iron is listed for a pretty high price but I got this one for a large discount (I'm talking over $100.00 off). If you sign up for NuMe's newletters they have flash sales with literally hundreds marked off of the price along with other items. I want to say I got this with a discount code from a YouTube vlogger (Carli Bybel) for around $60.00 which is less than I have ever paid for a flat iron!

The essential partner to the flat iron is an oil. Applying an oil before/after you flat iron your hair will give your hair shine and also keep it healthy. Argan oil is my favorite hair oil. This product is from NuMe as well and is always part of discounts! The bottle is huge and will last a very long time. This stuff is so good you can apply the excess to your skin. I got this product at a huge discount with another code from Carli Bybel (the code may not still be active). I highly recommend this stuff and also recommend hunting down a discount code or waiting for a flash sale first! NuMe often does really awesome bundles for a fraction of the price!

My mom and sister both have a NuMe flat iron as well and they love it! My crazy hair couldn't be tamed any other way than with a good straightner and this one is by far the best I've used and the cheapest.

Thanks for reading! This post is not sponsored.  
(Update 3/6/15: This particular straightener is not made anymore but I have purchased the Megastar and it is amazing, if not better.)