Beauty and make up products have never been a high priority for me, but since I’ve gotten older I’ve realized it’s time to grow up and take care of my face and skin like a big girl. I’ve tried several skin care products over the years and I’ve finally found one that really works! I was introduced to the Dr. Dennis Gross line about a year ago when my mom and I were visiting Miami. We had a spa day at Elle Spa, and I noticed every girl who worked at the spa had phenomenal skin. So of course I had to ask what they used and every single one responded, “Dr. Dennis Gross!”.  They all insisted I needed to try the spa facial and I would understand why his products were so incredible. Let me just say they were right. After the facial I have never seen my skin look so magnificent. I think I looked in the mirror for about 15 minutes mesmerized at how much my skin was glowing. The glow eventually went away, but I learned I could get it back by using the daily facial peel pads!

Now let’s talk about make up… Truthfully, I hate wearing make up. I’ve always stuck with the basics: eyeliner, mascara, powder, lip gloss. I realized I needed to step it up a little bit when I visited the Chanel counter and the gay man said to me, “Sweetheart it’s time to stop being a girl and become a woman. You need some lipstick.”

Dr. Dennis Gross Vitamin C Serum: Thank goodness my mother made us wear sunscreen when I was little, but she wasn’t around all the time to remind me. This serum includes an 18% Vitamin C complex that helps fight sun damage, hyperpigmentation, increases skin luminosity, and builds collagen. If you can remember to use this every night I promise you will notice brighter skin.

Neutrogena Ageless Intensives Tone Correcting Moisturizer: My biggest problem is dark spots from acne scars and sun damage. I saw this moisturizer in a magazine recently and thought I would give it a try. Plus I needed a moisturizer with SPF. I haven’t been using the product for more than a few weeks but I can already see a huge improvement with a bad dark spot I’ve had for forever. It’s a super light weight moisturizer that you can wear all day long and not feel greasy at the end of the day (which I hate!).

M.A.C. Cremesheen in Modesty: This is the perfect neutral lipstick with just a hint of color for day or evening wear. Reds look ridiculous on me but I knew I wanted something with a slight touch of color for the winter months. Finally, I had a girl at the M.A.C. counter help me find the perfect shade for my skin tone.

M.A.C. 219 Pencil Brush: I’ve found so many Pinterest pictures of gorgeous smokey eyes but I’ve never been able to replicate the look on myself. As I mentioned earlier, the lady at the M.A.C. counter was incredibly helpful in finding my new lipstick, but she also took the time to teach me how to get this look. I was so thankful to her because I’ve never had anyone do this. She literally showed me on one eye and then made me do it myself on the other! She also introduced me to the secret to getting that smokey eye look: the 219 Pencil Brush. When you apply your eyeliner to the top lid take this brush and sweep over the eyeliner line. It easily blends the eyeliner to give that smokey eye look. This purchase was by far the best beauty purchase I’ve made in a while!