Custom Make Up?? Yes Please!!

I have walked by Blende Custom Beauty no less than a hundred times while out running errands in town, but it wasn't until I actually found the time to pop in and speak with owners Keira Karlin and Nikki Tardibuono that I learned of the cool and CUSTOM products this shop offered.

Check out this little Downtown Business Spotlight and tell me you aren't tempted to create your own custom lipstick?!?!

If the image doesn't work, copy and paste this link:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=27GMFBO2P6w

A Little Doughnut Love

I absolutely love covering lifestyle pieces! It really is my bread and butter (or, in this case, my donut and jelly?).

Check out some of these yummy treats that are popping up all over the garden state- from large national brands to boutique mom and pops, there is serious donut demand in NJ!!

If clicking the image doesn't work, copy/paste the URL below:
https://www.tapinto.net/towns/westfield/sections/nj-flavor/articles/nj-shops-take-doughnuts-to-the-next-level-26

A Fun Little Project! Downtown Business Spotlights!

It's always been a goal of mine to showcase small businesses, especially in my town! And I think I found a way to do it!

I love the shop local movement and really feel that towns are stronger when the community can come together to support local business. But as a parent with young children and limited funds, I can't always shop or dine at the local establishments in my town. So, I figure as another option, I can help drive awareness to small, local businesses.

I have a few "mini-spotlights" in the hopper and hope to do more. Are you a small business owner that could use something like this to share on your social platforms and to get the word out about your business- get in touch!

Business Energy- Westfield, NJ

ICYMI- HiMirror on BeautyIQ

How fun is this??? I had the opportunity to work with a new beauty device these last few months and am totally fascinated by the potential of this product!!

We introduced the HiMirror to the BeautyIQ audience over at QVC last night and it was an absolute blast!!

Check it out!!

Serious Organization Inspo

Despite a deep rooted desire to stay organized, between a husband and three sons, the house always gets away from me! A friend gave me a gift certificate to Simply Organized NJ as a housewarming gift and I figured, SURE!

Here is a quick peak of their amazing work! Thank you so much Simply Organized NJ- you have helped so much!!

Click HERE to watch!

Is My Husband More Stylish Than Me?

I've always considered myself "put together", not overly styled and not a total frump, but just "middle of the road, can pull an outfit together and get out of the house" fashionable. That was until my husband made the bold fashion choice to order a pair of prescription sunglasses from Warby Parker- and bam, he has more swag than I do.

Have you guys been to their site? Have you checked out their latest spring collection? Is the "Try at Home for Free" model designed for families just like mine??  Ok, and finally is this balmy 40 degree weather in the northeast in mid Feb teasing me into thinking that a SUNNY spring is just around the corner? Answer: ABSOLUTELY.

I've had the same pair of sunglasses for, no joke, a decade, but my husband's recent purchase  has made me really stop and evaluate my standard "go to" frames.

Hmm....we do have an upcoming vacation that could justify a new purchase....

And can everyone everywhere with a small face applaud WP's Quiz? Does this NOT change the online buying experience or what??

What frames are you feeling this season?? Full disclosure, I don't wear prescription glasses (despite always sort of wishing I could). But if I did, here are mine!!

Here is the Bell- it's so simple and neutral and I think that's what I like about it. I picture a clean, well moisturized face, a messy topknot, a pair of Bells, a large green tea and a great book (and some red wine, cozy slippers, a quiet home.... I could go on but I won't)!

Hello Hyde! I love the tortoise pattern fade out to clear and the shape seems like a subtle nod to the 80's with a pinch of Buddy Holly flair? Hmm...can't quite put my finger on it, but bottom line, I'd wear 'em.

This is the Nora- A) if I had a daughter, this would be her name- so an immediate affinity already, and B) I love the throw back cat-eye situation going on!!!

Ok, and seriously Warby Parker, if you're looking to unload a couple of these Yates, I'd be happy to take them off your hands!

Be Well,

Kate

Product Review Time- NeoCutis and Glytone

I am embarrassed to say that I really had never heard of Neocutis or Glytone until just a few weeks ago when it was recommended to me by my local aesthetician. I am always a little hesitant to experiment with new products, especially when they can be so CRAZY expensive (if my husband asks, they were on sale ;). But I was in a skincare rut, so I paid up.

One rookie mistake I made was that I bought too much. For the first two nights, I couldn't quite figure out how to blend all of the products. I typically layer based on texture and consistency (think water for cleansing, toner, thin serum, thicker moisturizer), but all of these products sort of felt the same. Many of them also had the same AM/PM recommendation.

After playing around for a bit, I think I found my routine- here it is ladies!

Morning:

Every morning I cleanse with any creamy cleanser, right now I am using Neutrogena's Deep Clean Cream Cleanser (not pictured). I'm happy with it, but may switch to their oil-free cleanser when I am finished.

Next I use Dermalogica's Multi Active Toner- I love the way this toner smells, but most of all, I love that when I use it, I can feel the toner working. There is this sudsy reaction when I put the toner on my skin. You don't get the burning
or warming effect that sometimes happens with an astringent toner but I still feel like it's helping to clean and protect my face.

Next up is my Serum- cue new product haul! I am really liking the NeoCutis Micro Serum. It goes on super smooth and light, no heavy feeling at all. It gives me an immediate glow. My skin feels clean and moisturized when I use this and it has really earned a spot in my skincare lineup.

And the final step for daytime is a moisturizer with sunscreen. When I am feeling indulgent, I like to do the fancy stuff, but right now I am just feeling the Neutrogena product line (I went crazy at Walgreens). Their Healthy Skin Face Lotion with Sunscreen layers nicely with the rest of my morning routine and adds that SPF 15 that works well during the winter months (for summer months when I am out more often and the sun is stronger, I definitely up the SPF to at least 30!).

This image also included my NeoCutis ReActive Antioxidant serum. Still not quite sure how to integrate this one into my routine, but occasionally I will swap out the Micro Serum just to change things up a bit.

Evening:

For night, I cleanse with the same morning cleanser and use the same toner, but switch up to the heavy hitters which include my retinaldehyde Night Renewal Cream from Glytone with the occasional switch in of the Glytone Enhance Brightening Complex. To be fair, I am not entirely sure that I am using the brightening cream correctly, but I plan on asking my aesthetician this week! Stay tuned...

Retinaldehyde is new to me. I am an old-school Retin-A enthusiast, but figured I would give it's kinder cousin a try (I've had my fair share of skin shedding experiences so the idea of a gentler alternative seemed like one I should consider). I was getting a little bit restless after not seeing an immediate reaction when I started to use it, but after two solid weeks of nightly use, I did notice a smoother complexion. In full disclosure, while I like the idea of using this nightly and not having the painful shedding that can sometimes happen with traditional Retin-A, I do think I want to add a stronger alternative twice a week to really jump start that cell turnover and use the retinaldehyde as a nightly treatment.

There you have it folks! There are a few products from my recent purchase which I haven't quite figured out how to integrate into my skincare routine, but when I figure that out, I will definitely keep you posted!!

Be Well,
Kate

The Ultimate Product Review Site- Check this Out

I acknowledge that by posting about this destination, I am likely undermining my own content, but seriously, have you guys checked out Reviews.com? How did I not know about this site until someone from the team reached out to me?

They recently ran a study for best natural deodorants- check out their final picks here- and had asked me to highlight their work on the blog. Always happy to help a brand that's inline with my work, I made a point to check out their site and now I feel like I want to work there (no, seriously, are you hiring?).

I love comparing skincare products and sharing pros and cons, but these guys managed to test out 219 products and pare them down to two?! This consumer-centric editorial team is a curated group of dedicated product-testers whose sole purpose is to ensure that you never make an uninformed purchase ever again. And not just on skincare.... "The Best Knife Set", "The Best Yoga Mat", "The Best Bottled Water" (I can appreciate this the most because there is MOST definitely a difference between brands! My husband disagrees).

Ok, just for fun I thought of the most random thing ever.... yes, they had a thorough review on it, "The Best Auto Insurance."

Have you guys known about this gem and neglected to share this essential pre-purchase destination with all of us?

New Skincare Haul!!

I feel like it is too late to blame my lack of skincare commitment on the crazy holidays, but I swear that I am really just getting back into my game.

I have been picking up more projects as a freelancer for a hyperlocal news publication, spinning my wheels with children's activities, keeping my head above water on my own content development, digging through client emails requesting blog content and trying to carve out some adult time... all of this means very little time for selfcare (Although, one might argue that pursuing all of the fulfilling items I've just listed really is an excellent form of selfcare!).

So in the post-holiday hangover era, I noticed some serious skin fatigue. I joked with a girlfriend yesterday that I felt like I could see my pores from a mile away! My skin felt tired and less dewy and I had fallen out of my paramedical product skincare routine!

As luck would have it, I received a call from a local aesthetician who reminded me that I still had a few sessions with her from an old package that I had received as a gift. When I first started seeing her, I was still nursing a child which meant we had to be very delicate with the facial options.

Now that I am no longer nursing and with ZERO plans to have another baby, it was time to bring on the good stuff. And that she did. Chemical peel to the max! More details on that later....

But what I really needed to do was to up my at-home routine. I love a good drug store haul, and recently I've been using a Neutrogena Day Cream with SPF and a Night Cream, but I felt like I was missing out on the hard working, anti-aging ingredients that you can only find in a physician's office.

So I splurged!!  I'm still tweaking my routine- all of these brands are actually new to me! I typically layer based on texture and I am still trying to figure out when and how to optimize this little skincare goodie bag, but I will get there!  And I absolutely cannot wait to tell you all about it!!

Have you tried Glytone or NeoCutis? I would love your thoughts and ideas on these products!!

Downtown Business Spotlight: Insight Psychological Group

The Downtown Business Spotlight Series that I am working on serves as an opportunity to showcase local businesses making a difference in our community. I find that I am typically drawn to lifestyle and healthy living businesses so when conversations first began with a psychological group, I was a little worried about how I would feature them? But it didn't take long for me to realize that mental wellness is crucial for overall wellness and healthy living.

I sat down with Brett Vasquez, LCP and other therapists from Insight Psychological Group to learn more about the many offerings of their practice.

The counselors and therapists at Insight Psychology Group right in Westfield are so thoughtful, kind, and experienced- offering specific support on a broad range of mental health concerns.

Learn more about this business in my latest Downtown Business Spotlight!!