#MyBeachEssentials

Posted on June 27, 2016 by ashley

I thought since it was summer, I would do something different and do a post about my beach essentials, and my beach makeup. These are just my personal essentials, and my sun/after sun care.

For makeup I just stick to tinted moisturizer with SPF and waterproof mascara. I have seasonal allergies, so wearing mascara, even to the beach helps me to not rub my eyes.

A beach bag- I have an LL Bean made in Maine Boat and Tote bag that I got for a Christmas gift one year. It’s the perfect size for what I need for the beach. It’s also an awesome overnight/weekend bag!

Sunscreen- This one is a given. My favorites are the Tarte Tarteguard SPF 30, and Colorescience Sunforgettable Loose Mineral Sunscreen Brush Broad Spectrum SPF 30 in the color medium. These are both 100% mineral sunscreens and the Tarte sunscreen is hypoallergenic. I use Colorescience on my face over my tinted moisturizer.

Bug Spray- I have an all natural bug spray that I bought from a local shop that is amazing.

Tanning Oil- I use the Australian Gold Bronzing Dry Oil Spray Intensifier. I use this first and then apply my sunscreen, it works really well that way. Even with sunscreen on top of it, it still intensifies my tan.

Living Proof Restore Instant Protection Spray– I spray this on my hair before I go to the beach, because it has UV protectors in it. I have brown hair and my hair naturally gets lighter, which drives me crazy, therefore I use this so my hair is protected from the sun.

My iPod- Even though I don’t always use it, I always like having it. I don’t have a beach proof case for it, so I just put it in a snack size ziplock bag.

A book or eReader- I have a Nook that is loaded with a lot of books, and sometimes I’ll bring a physical book too. I love reading at the beach. I got my case from Amazon.

When I get home from the beach, I always love using fresh aloe, even if I’m not sunburned (which is a rarity), it’s still really soothing. Salt water can be really drying. I also use the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Marine Boosting Mist, it’s super refreshing and hydrating.

Skincare Routine

Posted on May 12, 2016 by ashley

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Something that I take very seriously is taking care of my skin and it’s something that everyone should take seriously. I thought it would be something different for my blog to do a skincare routine, considering a lot of my posts lately have been bookish related.

I have oily/dry/sensitive skin. Some areas of my skin are more oily than others, such as my forehead, while my cheeks are more dry. My skin gets irritated from products that contain Argan Oil and Rosemary essential oil.

Here is what I do in the morning:

I use my Mary Kay cleansing brush with some warm water on it. I read somewhere that you don’t need to use cleanser in the morning if you just used night cream or a sleeping mask the night before.

Here is the list of products I use in the order that I apply them:

Body Shop Aloe Toner-(I love how soothing and refreshing this toner is)

Body Shop Oils of Life Essence Lotion

Body Shop Drops of Youth Concentrate

Boscia Tsubaki Oil (this is the only oil I will put on my face)

Body Shop Aloe Vera Soothing Moisture Lotion with SPF 15

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer SPF 20 in Nude

Clinique Pep Start Eye Cream– (I apply this all throughout the day)

For sunscreen I use the Color Science Sunforgettable Loose Mineral Brush with SPF 30.

I also take Hum Nutrition Red Carpet Supplement

And you may be wondering why I use oil, if I have oily areas of my skin. Oil is good for oily skin because it adds extra hydration, and when oily skin gets dehydrated it will actually end up producing more oil to compensate for the lack of hydration.

Once a week I’ll use the Boscia Exfoliating Gel Peel and the Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask.

Nighttime routine:

1.) Boscia Makeup Breakup Cool Cleansing Oil– this really helps break up all product that is on my face.

2.) I use my Mary Kay Cleansing Brush with the Korres Greek Yoghurt Foaming Cleanser, this cleanser is gentle enough for my sensitive skin and doesn’t contain any synthetic surfactants.

3.) Body Shop Aloe Toner

4.) I’ll either use night cream or a sleeping mask. For night cream I use the Body Shop Aloe night cream and I absolutely love it. It’s really moisturizing. For sleeping masks I use either the Sephora Collection Green Tea Sleeping Mask or the Sephora Algae Sleeping Mask.

I try to keep my skincare routine as simple as possible and not use too much heavy products. This routine has been working really well for me and I don’t intend on drastically changing it anytime soon.

Every single one of the products were purchased with my own money, these opinions are my own, and I am not sponsored by anybody nor will I ever accept being sponsored. Links are not affiliate.

Ipswich

Posted on April 11, 2016 by ashley

“I’m gonna tell you a story, I’m gonna tell you about my town…”

“Little town, it’s a quiet village, every day like the one before….”

The opening line from the first song in “Beauty and the Beast” is a solid way to describe the town I live in. It’s a little town, and everyday is pretty much like the day before. It’s not really quiet, it seems like there is always something going on, but it’s still a nice town. There are a lot of really good restaurants, and shops downtown. Ipswich is also home to Cranes Beach, one of the most gorgeous beaches in Massachusetts. There are more beaches than Cranes too, some of which are only accessible by boat. The thing that may surprise people about Ipswich, is that it is bigger than Boston in terms of square miles, it’s really spread out. It can take up to 15 minutes to get from one side of town to the other, as some areas are closer to the center of town than others. My favorite thing about Ipswich, is how beautiful it is.