Starting this month, I will be sharing on the blog a special kind of “beauty” post the first weekend of every month! I really love when someone asks what kind of hair, makeup, and skincare products I use, and I think I tend to dive into a much more in-depth answer than most people are looking for… so what better place to sum it all up than on the blog!! So here are my top 5 beauty products for the month of November:
1) John Frieda Full Repair Shampoo & Conditioner
My experience with this shampoo and conditioner line is fairly new, but for the past few weeks I’ve been using them when I wash my hair and the results have definitely been noticeable. I won’t name names, but my last drugstore shampoo was a fairly popular one, and although it smelled really really good, my hair started to look drier and actually started to get oily more quickly! I didn’t really know I needed a change until I tried a sample of John Frieda’s Full Repair products. From the first wash, my hair felt fuller, softer, and overall shinier and prettier. I was shocked how quick the results really were! For the dry winter months we have coming, and to help repair any styling or heat damage from the summer, I am naming this product as my #1 must have for November.
2) Pink Sugar!
I can still remember the first time I smelled Pink Sugar. It was in church and one of my girlfriends had a sample size version of it in her purse. She pulled it out and said “You HAVE to smell this!!” It literally smells like sugar. I have always loved warm, vanilla scents, and who doesn’t want to wear something that reminds you of warm, freshly baked sugar cookies? I’ve actually had people ask “who smells like sugar cookies?!” when I wear this perfume! I’ve only had it for a couple months and it is already almost gone. And for $25, you can’t beat this #2 beauty must have!
3) Queen Bee Eye Cream
This. Stuff. Is. AMAZING. When I turned 20, I inevitably had to start considering taking care of my skin with products aimed at anti-aging benefits. I am starting to get teeny tiny little wrinkles around my eyes (if I could go back and slap my 13-year-old self for violently rubbing my eyes with a washcloth to get makeup off, I would), and I needed to start looking for products that helped prevent any more damage from being done. I typed into Amazon “eye cream” (more on my love affair with Amazon later), sorted by highest rating, and BAM! Queen Bee eye cream was in the top spot – and for just around $20! Now, when I got it, my first impression was that it isn’t really a “cream.” It’s definitely more like a sticky, shiny wax that you can only put on at nighttime. But the results were pretty amazing. Not only did help soften the look of my dreadful undereye bags, but it also serves as an excellent moisterizer for my entire face! The first morning I woke up feeling like I had gotten 12 years of sleep with how glowy my face looked! No verdict yet on the whole wrinkle thing, but Amazoners say that it’s just as good at that, too. I consider Queen Bee a skincare essential to use all year round! 
4) SO Black Ballet Flats
So this isn’t really a beauty product, but it’s definitely a Fall essential in my book!! As a wedding photographer, I am constantly in need of shoes that are going to look cute and professional but will also be COMFORTABLE! If I’m gonna spend a 12 hour day on my feet, I need some good shoes! There are some ballet flats out there made specifically for wedding photographers, but they’re about $200 a pair and just not practical for my budget right now. But the other day at Kohl’s I came across a VERY similar pair of flats…. for only $23!!! The main seller point of the “wedding photographer ballet flat” is the scrunchy back of the heel. Most flats will blister your poor Achilles tendon in five minutes flat with how rough the backs are. Not these! I’ve worn these babies through two full wedding days, a handful of portrait and event shoots, and several long days on campus walking to and from class, and my feet have yet to get any blisters or soreness – even without socks! I love my SO ballet flats so much, that I want to buy another pair just to have as back-up’s in case these decide to give out on me soon (even though they seem pretty sturdy so far). My #4 easily goes to these amazing flats. Here’s a closer look at that “scrunchy back” I was talking about!
5) Hawaiian Tropic’s After Sun Lotion
Alright, I know it’s no longer hot outside and none of us are out tanning on our decks (at least I would hope not!), but when the cooler winter months come around, this lotion becomes even more vital to my beauty routine! I’ve been using this lotion for SEVEN years…. that means I used this stuff every week for all of my teenage years! It’s nothing short of amazing when it comes to moisterizing, making you smell good (like a lime coolada on an island somewhere…!), and last but not least, one of its hidden talents is holding your tan color for MUCH longer than it would last without. If you’re not using this lotion…. you might as well not even be tanning. Not worth it without this little guy helping you hold that color. I seriously have tan lines all year long using this lotion. And not just subtle, light lines…. dark tan lines. It’s November and I still feel pretty tan. I put this on right after every shower and then enjoy not being pale for the rest of the year. Oh, and I’ve converted just about every family member into using this too. All of my aunts, my grandma, my sisters, and my boyfriend’s mom are all devout Lime Coolada followers. It is hands-down my favorite beauty product I’ve ever used.
Well, I really hope this first “Must Have” post helped someone out… if anything, I always think it’s fun to hear what other people are using and what my own friends would recommend to me. Also, yes these pictures were taken in my bathroom… in the bath tub. Don’t make fun of me! ;) Have a great rest of your weekend, and come back to the blog next week for a senior session and a backyard Fredericksburg wedding!
