Who needs some good news and distractions? Meeeee. And I’m here to get your mind off the craziness that is our world right now. We are in Stage 3 of the re-opening process here in Los Angeles. Restaurants and hair salons have opened, retail has opened, and people are starting to go out again.
But this week, the protests have taken over America, and there is anarchy from groups other than peaceful protestors. My town of Manhattan Beach is boarded up and ready in case looters come into town. I wish I could attend the protest for George Floyd that’s happening in my town. But with the virus and hate-groups that may come out, I don’t feel safe.
I am going to shelter at home for another few weeks. I don’t trust the lack of information we have on this virus and where we are headed in containing it. I feel that time will uncover how to move forward in these new times we live.
One of the silver linings of being forced to stay at home – I’ve learned to get by with much less beauty maintenance! My natural lashes have gotten much healthier now that they’ve had a 3 month break from lash extensions. I can actually see them now!
My hair feels less brittle from less blow drying. And my nails! They’ve finally recovered from their paper thin state after years of gel manicures.
So, although I can’t wait to get a real mani/pedi, facial and lash extensions, I’ve discovered the following beauty items that I likely would never have purchased if not for this pandemic.
While I’ve purchased all of these products, I haven’t tried them all yet. But I’ve heard great things about all of them! Note: if you purchase through my links, I may receive a dollar or so at no cost to you – by Amazon. No need to purchase via my links… do what’s easiest for you!
Beauty Essentials for Stay at Home Life
Foot exfoliator
My son and I tried this together a few nights ago. We kept the masks on our feet with socks covering them (to secure the masks) for 90 minutes. It felt like really sweaty, warm feet. My son said it felt like his feet after a hot “run day” at school.
My feet have started peeling! How satisfying. The skin under is very soft and fresh! Totally worth trying. Most active ingredient is lactic acid. The ingredients seem harmless, but read before trying.
I can’t wait for my feet to become softer! My running feet have some thick calluses and dryness that could use some TLC. I’ll let you know how this works!
Hand creme
I used to wear these hand gloves while receiving my facials. Like our necks, our hands show our age! My hands are in pictures often due to my fine jewelry business, so it’s important for them to be soft and smooth.
My son did this with me too. We wore the gloves for 20 minutes while watching tv. Our hands won’t peel like our feet. This mask is more of a concentration hydration session.
Nail strengthener
My nails are finally healthy and strong again! I’ve been using this product for about a month now, and I recommend it to repair paper thin nails.
Face cream
My friend Julie recommended this product to exfoliate the dead layers of skin on our face. I am generally skeptical of facial skin care because many I’ve tried are more marketing than positive results.
I just received this yesterday and have used it once. As you rub it into your skin, the gel starts to clump up, giving a false sense of exfoliating skin. However, I followed the instructions and rubbed it in for 5 minutes to get more of the effects. Afterward, my skin did feel a bit smoother. I shall continue to use this and see how it works.
Mascara
I received this mascara as a secret santa gift this past Christmas but didn’t use it until recently since I had lash extensions. Have you heard of it? People swear by it. It definitely thickens my lashes a lot! But my eye shape and lash shape give me a problem of running mascara underneath my eyes which drives me crazy. I ordered the sealer below to help me keep the color in place. If you have lashes that curl naturally, try this. It will boost your lashes 3-4x.
I need to practice a bit more with mascara so it doesn’t look clumpy. But these are my natural lashes! Woot!
Mascara setter/sealer 
For my natural lashes, by the time I curl my lashes, apply mascara and then sealer, I would still rather have lash extensions! But for now, I will use this. And after-all, it IS more natural.
If you enjoyed this post, check out my post on Survival Beauty Products During Quarantine.
