Skin routine

Skin routine by ashley-russo featuring elizabeth arden

Hey guys! Just wanted to share my nighttime routine. I'm the kind of girl that doesn't put a ton on my skin every night. Sometimes I will add an item or remove one, but this is my routine as of now. My routine it simple and to the point. Hope you like!

1. I use coconut oil to remove my makeup. It's super cheap and has great benefits for skin. It also has many other uses: hair mask, cooking, etc.
2. I put just a dime size amount of of Purity on my Clarisonic. I've used Purity for at least 3 years, and I will never go back to another cleanser. It gets rid of everything without drying or irritating skin. I love this thing. It's made a huge difference in my skin, it's so much smoother and clearer. But to warn you, your skins gets worse before its gets better. Give it a few weeks, you will love the difference.
3. This step is optional. I only do it about 3 times a week as a mask for 5 minutes. The Clear Pore Cleanser/Mask. It has benzoyl peroxide with can irritate skin. Mine however is not very sensitive so it doesn't irritate mine, but it will dry it out if I use it too much. This is also great for spot treating, it really helps keep me clear when I'm having a breakout.
4. I mix my Alpha Hydrox Enhanced Cream with Glycolic Acid and Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream for an amazing moisturizer. I love Alpha Hydrox products, this one gently exfoliates. I also find it was helped with blemishes. This is my second jar and its very affordable at about $12. Then I take a little more of the Eight Hour Cream under my eyes and on my lips. 

What a Weekend!

Just wanted to share the amazing gal's weekend I had with my family.

Nothing like a lil fun in the sun and some country music. We spent the weekend in a favorite place of mine, Baton Rouge. Every Memorial Day weekend they have an awesome country music festival called Bayou Country Superfest. There were some amazing bands and artists! Luke Bryan, Miranda Lambert, The Band Perry, and Lady Antebellum were among my favorites. 

Not only was the music great, but so was the company. Nothing like a girls trip!

And, I just wanted to thank all of those who gave their lives for us and this country. Hope everyone had a great Memorial Day!

Let the Memorial Day Shopping Begin!

So this weekend is probably a long one for many of you. Yay! Memorial Day is the unofficial beginning of Summer and many of you have Monday off.

Many retailers take advantage of this extra day off to give great discounts and have huge sales. This is a perfect time to stock up on basics or get your summer wardrobe ready.

Many stores already have some amazing deals right now and have started their Memorial Day sales a bit early. So it's time for YOU to take advantage of some of the awesome deals going on!

Here's a few places offering some great deals now.

Forever21: One of my all time favorite places to shop. They have up to 80% off their already great prices!

JCrew: Right now they are offering up to $75 off your entire purchase. See their website for info and use code SHOPNOW.

Old Navy: 15% off your entire purchase or 20% if you use your Old Navy Card. Use online code ONSUMMER

JCP: They also have a great sale going on now with up to 20% off! Check out these awesome shorts I picked up for $12.99!

And now they are only $10 online! Crazy deal, make sure you check em out! I love the cut, they aren't too short. I love that because I am a girl with a booty. They are also very on trend with the frayed bottoms and acid/distressed/faded wash. I can already tell they will be a staple part of my summer! 

5 Things I'm Loving This Week

Just wanted to share this week in review. Here's what I'm loving!

1. Maybelline the Rocket Volum' Express Mascara: I'm typically not a huge fan of their mascaras, but I've been hearing all kinds of hype for this product. I gave it a try and man, this stuff is good. It took me a few uses to really love it. My lashes look full and thick with just one-two coats. It's now one of my go-to mascaras.

2. Suave Moroccan Infusion Styling Oil: This leaves my hair looking less damaged and hides my split ends. It makes my hair shiny without weighing it down or making it greasy. Another plus, it smells sooooo good. Best drug store hair oil I've used.

3. Seche Vite Top Coat: This product makes doing my nails a treat and not a chore. I HATE waiting for nails to dry. It takes so long, especially when you need a few coats of polish. Just swipe this on and in minutes you have a super duper, long lasting, shiny mani. Literally works in seconds, it's amazing.

4. Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in Smoked Peach: Revlon has the most amazing lip products. I know I'm a little late the party with this nude, peachy matte lip color. It's a fan favorite, and I was finally able to pick it up. It's a great neutral everyday lip, and I've been wearing it non stop this month.

5. Moist Hemp Bronzing Moisturizer: It's that time of year again where we all want to look naturally glowing. I'm really fair so self tanners scare me. This a great compromise. It gradually tans you. There is no yucky residue or transferring. It really absorbs quickly and looks really natural on light skin. Best of all, it's super affordable and available at Sally Beauty.

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream

I keep thinking, why haven't I heard of this amazing product until now? Recently through reading blogs and doing some serious YouTube research, I found the answer to many problems I have encountered with my skin. Lately I've noticed lots of icky dry spots all over my body, arms, under eyes, face, and lips. After trying many products, I've found an old cult favorite. It's Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream (It's been around since 1930!).

Elizabeth Arden's Eight Hour Cream has been a miracle product over the last two weeks. It has so many uses! I will link the great description right here that the Elizabeth Arden website gives. You can also purchase it online directly from Elizabeth Arden or Ulta with a price tag of about $19.99. It's worth every penny and a little goes a long way. I even think I'll be purchasing another to keep in my purse.

Here's a few ways I've been using the cream.

1. As a night cream. It's a little too heavy for day, but it works great for under eyes. I just mix it with a little of my night cream for extra moisture too.  I thought it could possibly break me out because it is so thick, but if anything my skin looks clearer!

2. On my cuticles. The are always a mess when I can't get a mani, but this keeps them smooth and soft.

3. My lips. This has been the best product for my lips. You can do a little for great moisture that sinks right in or a lot for a nice sheer gloss.

4. Any dry spot on my body. Just rub it on in like any other moisturizer. I can see the difference on a spot on my arm already.

5. Brows and lashes. This is a little strange for some, but it's good for those in a hurry, natural, lazy days. I just use a spooly and brush it on my brows and lashes. My brows stay put, and my lashes look full and glossy.

I will say that I don't love the smell, but I am getting used to it. Definitely worth a try!

Swim Suit Season

Okay, so I'm pretty sure everyone I know has a love-hate relationship with swimsuit season. I love the warm weather and finding fun new swimsuits (although it can be very tricky). However, getting bikini ready isn't the most fun.

I love picking out swimsuits but trying them on is the absolute worst part. Every brand fits differently and sizing is often not like regular clothing. That's why I typically order online to try on in my own home. Lots of shops offer free returns/exchanges with very little hassle. Asos.com is one of my favorite places to shop for swimsuits. They offer tops based on your bra size. Yep! No more guess work, and it's awesome for bustier gals who want good support and coverage. They also have a great size chart for bottoms as well and a great variety for every body type. And best of all, they are totally affordable with price points of 19.99 and up.

Here's two I just got in and love!

Plus shopping online gives you a great variety to choose from. You definitely won't be stepping out in the same bikini as everyone else.

But sometimes we may be in a pinch to get a new swimsuit and forced to shop in stores. Here's a few of my tips and tricks for when I go bikini shopping.

1. Wear the proper underclothes! I recommend something that's going be slim enough to fit under a swimsuit. You want to be able to see how close/good of a fit you will have as if you were wearing nothing underneath. I prefer a seamless thong.

2. Know your shape. Know what styles look great on you. Do some research on your body type. There are tons of great websites/blogs/magazines that break it down for you.

3. Try to prepare as if you were going to the beach. Put a little self tanner on the day before to prevent spreading onto the clothing.

4. Do your hair and makeup. I always find having it done makes shopping easier to see what the whole look will really be like. And it helps compensate for the awful lighting in most shops.

5.  Finally, move around in the suit. Can you get around easy without the bikini riding up or anything falling out? You want to be as comfortable as possible.

Hope these few tips help make your swimsuit shopping a little easier!

Dove's Refresh+Care Invigorating Dry Shampoo Review

I have struggled with oily hair my entire life. I have also struggled with the fact that it's not good to wash your hair everyday. Basically because you strip your hair of natural oils (not to mention it fades my faux red) and the heat styling after every wash can do some major damage.

So what's a girl to do when she needs to wash her messy mop but doesn't want fade her vibrant (and expensive locks? Dry Shampoo.

I've used a lot of different brands. Some good, some not so good. Many of the previous one's I've tried just make me feel like I've added more oils/heaviness to my hair.

Recently, I just finished Suave's Keratin Infusion Dry Shampoo. It was pretty good, I was able to last two full days with no washing. However it did leave a white powdery residue near my scalp. (Yuck)

So in the market for a new dry shampoo (an inexpensive one), I did some research. Dove's is pretty new and has gotten some great reviews from bloggers and YouTube guru's. You can find it at any drugstore and it's only about $4.

I LOVE IT. Simple as that. It's everything I could ever want in a dry shampoo. Here's why:

1. It gets the job done. I was able to last THREE full days without a wash, and my hair did not look like an oil slick at the end of day three.

2. No white residue. It's really light as well. I feel like it doesn't weigh my hair down or add any unnecessary "stuff" or  "goop."

3. It smells really good. Like really really good. Fresh.

4. It really is invigorating. It feels really cool when it hits the scalp. I guess not everyone may be into that, but it feels really refreshing.

This is by far the best dry shampoo I've ever used, and I will be repurchasing this again.