My Favorite Things: The Beauty Edition

I LOVE to write and am passionate about a lot of things.Whether it be travel, healthy food, recipes, running and of course my job... creating beauty, one head at a time.So this week, I am coming at you about My top 10 things I can not live without, the beauty edition.Let me know YOUR favorite beauty non-negotiables and if you have any takeaways from mine!Cheers! Happy reading...1. Purple shampoo and conditionerI grew up with long blonde hair.Our home had (and still has) a community well.These two things do NOT go together. My hair would turn from a platinum-white, sun-kissed color to abrassy yellow mess.Back then my mom would take the baking soda from the fridge anddilute it with warm water. This paste in a dish would get poured over my head in the bath, vigorously rubbedinto my long strands... waiting as it made a slight hissing noise with the hopes of removing the chemicals from the tapwater that were saturated in my hair...Now as I am older I thank my lucky stars there are Purple products. Yes, purple! Purple pigment pours from the bottles onto hands to be washed and rinsed into the hair.. If you know your color wheel, purple neutralizes yellow. So happy that I can eliminate this baking sodarinse from my showering routine!2. Cezanne leave inRight out of the shower I spray in this leave-in treatment. It keeps my hair detangled, provides a barrier, is anti-aging (great words!), and has high shine. Its proper name is Leave-In "Perfector" which is "perfect"!3. Babe Lash.I can honestly sayI have been growing my "natural " eyelashes out for over two decades.Some of us remember hearing of Latisse. Latisse was the first FDA-approved treatment to grow eyelashes.Originally developed to treat glaucoma, these patients noticed their eyelashes getting longer and thicker.With a little research and rebranding, it became the hottest thing but needing a prescription and a hefty price tag of $200!.Fast forward to today! There are several lash serums that are organic, sold over the counter, and much cheaper.Take my favorite for example... Babe Lash is now sold at Costco for $45 for TWO tubes! This will easily last meat least 6 months. Phew... Less time to get ready in the mornings costs me less $$$$ now!4. ViviscalMy favorite hair vitamin!After tons of research over the years, this one does what it promises, Making the hair grow! and grow fasterI remember the evening the word "Viviscal" was whispered so seductively in my ear. I had the honor. of taking a class from a very famous hair stylist "Ronnie Stam"... never heard of him? Google him... he's amazing! I was chatting up my hair model about how I recently cut all my hair short and wanted it to grow... FAST. If only I knew the trick... Mr. Stam overheard me and let me in on the secret that models use when they are forever destroying their hair for photoshoots and catwalks..5. Chanel #5 ~ LotionI believe in "A Scent of A Woman".... this is why I have worn Chanel #5 since I was 16.I still have the first bottle that was given to me. As the prices start to rise over the years, it is my one indulgence that I keep up with.I have found though the lotion is a tad cheaper and keeps its scent all day and my skin soft. So if you too have a favorite scent but are terrified of using it all up and paying a high price in replacing it, perhaps look and see if your favorite also comes in a lotion6. Homemade "BB" creamLooking "fresh" without looking too made up is important to me. Mixing a little sunscreen for the face and diluting it with my favorite liquid foundation ( Chanel's Ultra Le Teint) is my own homemade BB cream. Keeps the sun from damaging the skin no matter what I'm doing and evens out my skin tone without caking on the makeup!7. MelatoninAhhhh Sleep! How I love my sleep. Waking most mornings at 4:30, usually feeling very rested and ready for the day...On occasion, I will take a small amount of melatonin. Like any sleep aid, melatonin may have side effects... mine are crazy dreams... Ive always had strange dreams but melatonin usually elevates this just a notch higher... Melatonin is very safe and non-addictive.8. SodaStream.I know I preach about hydrating and the importance of drinking enough H2O. I also know drinking plain water is so boring. Buying flavored bottled water can get expensive and all that wasted plastic going into landfills... Agh!My sweetie bought me a few years back, Soda Stream. Sounds kinda silly but I LOVE my machine AND he taught me how to hook up a 5 or 10-lb CO2 bottle to it so I'm not going through one of those small canisters quickly... I now drink yummy, cold, sparkling water all day long...9. Wet BrushWhat is a Wet Brush you may ask... Exactly this... A brush used on the hair when it is wet.Growing up I was taught how to take care of my hair after showering or getting stuck in the rain. NEVER brush hair when wet. !#1 rule... It will snap off!Then, I was introduced to the Wet Brush... This cheap-looking, gimic soundinghair tool is my must-have in any shower or any caught-in-the-rain situation..10. Preparation HOkay before dropping the mic here, let me explain. The cream that we all know.I use it under... MY EYES!An old trick I got decades ago when styling models and brides can be used to reduce puffiness."it works on "constricting blood vessels..." When I haven't hydrated and/or slept enough, or overeating too many salty foods, my body can retain fluid, even under my eyes..Preparation H is a topical treatment if you don't already know. A steroid cream used for reducing swelling, redness, and fluid retention... Not just for "down there" but under the eyes..Please be aware this is a temporary fix.DO NOT get it IN your eye! Very important that proper application is under the eyes, making sure not to get any at all into the eyes ( had to say it again for all those in the cheap seats)... YIKES! I use this only in "emergency " situations Continue to guzzle water, get enough sleep and destress your life... This will make all your swelling decrease, regardless of where it is!Be Well my gorgeous souls... Be kind to all those around you.. Especially remember to be kind to YOURSELFXO Dawn Mariedawnmarieartistry.com