GETTING GRAMMY-READY WITH OLAY

So, I have some really amazing news to share with you! Guess who will be attending the Grammys this year and partnering with Olay to get me looking my very best!:) 

Can't tell you how excited I am! Obviously I love getting really dressed up and getting my hair and make up done, but hearing some of my favorite artists perform live is definitely icing on the cake!

My partnership with Olay began with a personalized skin consultation at an Olay Lab. The main purpose of this consultation was to check how my skin is doing and diagnose some of the areas that still need improvement! Though as I have mentioned before, I am pretty diligent about taking care of my skin, I still struggle with a few issues like dryness around my eye area and cheeks and redness around my nose and cheek area. Yet, I have not been able to find products that would address all of my concerns at once.

Honestly, when I found out that I was going to have a skin consultation at the Olay Lab, I did not know what to expect. I'm not going to lie, having my skin examined up close by the professionals was a bit scary too. I arrived at the Lab early in the morning ready to learn about how my skin was doing. I met the Olay scientists who were going to work with me, and we dived right into the testing. They took photos of my face with a special machine which then showed everything that was going on: from sun damage to amount of moisture in my skin. The good news, is that overall my skin appears to be in a pretty good shape, but of course there is always room for improvement! After my consultation, I've learned that some of the areas that needed help were the moisture levels, as well as my skin's ability to retain water. 

To address these issues before they started to affect the way my skin looks the scientists at the Olay Lab recommend a regiment consisting of 3 products: Regenerist Regenerating Cream Cleanser,  Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream moisturizer and  Regenerist micro-sculpting swirl eye cream.

At this point, I've been using these 3 products morning and night for about a month now. What I really like about this new routine is that it is really quick and simple, basically it takes me less than 5 minutes start to finish but also the fact that I am already seeing great improvements. Aside from the fact that my skin looks and feels much softer and smoother, one of my favorite changes actually happen to the under eye area. After using Regenerist micro-sculpting swirl eye cream, I've noticed that the area under my eyes looks much smoother and that the dark circles I am usually sporting thanks to staying up way past my bed-time, have started to diminish! YAY! Also, Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream moisturizer is really helping with the redness. I knew that lack of moisture resulted in dry skin, but I didn't realize that the redness I was struggling with was also due to low moisture levels in those particular areas. So now that I started to moisturize day and night with Regenerist Micro-Sculpting cream moisturizer, those blotchy, red spots are virtually gone and my skin looks much more even!:) So, definitely super excited to see these changes!

P.S. I'm going to continue using my 3-step regiment and keep you guys posted on my progress! So stay tuned!:) 

CURRENT BODY-CARE ROUTINE

Good morning, everyone! Hope you're enjoying your week so far! In honor of Healthy Skin Month, I've partnered with Dove to talk about my body-care routine. But before I get into specifics, when it comes to body-care, I firmly believe that consistency is key! 

Now, I haven't always been as diligent about body-care as I am now. In the past, I've let my schedule get the best of me, and let my routine slide. The result? Well, if you've been "blessed" with dry skin like I am, I'm pretty sure you know what happens when you don't take care of it properly! Basically dry, flaky skin, especially around knees and elbows! When things got really extreme, I'd resort to lotions and potions, which did provide a temporary solution, but as soon as my skin started looking better, I'd get lazy again and stop taking care of it! This went on for a number of years, until I got tired of this yo-yo skin care plan and developed a routine thanks to which I've been dry skin free for about a year now. My current body-care routine consists of 4 key ingredients, Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash, proper diet, exercise and dry brushing, all of which are instrumental to maintaining a healthy looking skin!

Using a great body wash can change your life! Seriously, if someone told me a year ago that a body wash can change the way my skin looks, I probably wouldn't have believed them. And yet, a year after I started using Dove Deep Moisture Body Wash, which just won Allure 2015 Beauty Award for best moisturizing body wash, my skin is completely transformed! From the very first time I've used it, I noticed that my skin felt much softer and smoother and it only got better with every subsequent use. What I like about this particular product aside of course from the way it makes my skin look, is the fact that Dove takes a dual approach to healthy looking skin by repairing it also by maintaining it's protective layer during cleansing. In short, basically an ideal solution for dry skin!

You are what you eat! We hear this phrase all the time, but I've actually had an opportunity to test it personally and I can tell you that healthy diet is crucial! My first year of college was insane! I was in school from 8 in the morning to 8 at night and was too tired to think about proper diet! Forget fruits and vegetables, I lived on coffee, pizza and fries for weeks at a time! Not surprisingly, my bad habits took a tall on my skin! The good thing to come out of that whole experience is that I've learned my lesson! Now, I make sure to drink plenty of water, and eat a wide variety of fruits and vegetables! Whether it's a fruit smoothy or yogurt with berries in the morning, acai bowl for lunch or a mandatory side of salad with dinner, for me fruits or vegetable are an essential part of every meal!

Exercise and healthy skin go hand-in-hand! Obviously there are numerous reasons why one should exercise, but aside from the obvious benefits, I noticed that the more active I am, the better my skin looks! The truth is regular exercise is one of the best things you can do to keep your skin healthy! Aside from improved circulation, exercise helps to remove toxins from your body and also lower stress which is often responsible for congested skin and breakouts! Right now, I am absolutely crazy about biking, hiking and swimming! I've always loved being outside, so I guess it's not that surprising that I enjoy outdoor-related sports. I also love switching things up so that I don't get bored of my routine, which is why alternating between swimming, hiking and biking keeps things fresh and exciting for me!

Dry brushing is a great way to exfoliate your skin and to improve circulation! Aside from the fact that dry brushing helps to remove dead skin cells, and gently exfoliate your skin, I noticed that for me, it also helps with tone and texture of the skin. Right now, I dry brush before getting in the shower every morning. Normally, I start at the bottom of my feet and make my way up using a firm bristle brush to massage the skin in circular motion for about 10-15 minutes! Super simple practice, the results are actually visible from the very first time you dry brush, and tend to get even better with time! 

P.S. As always, if you guys have any questions, please feel free to email me anytime! I'll be happy to answer! 

A FEW CURRENT FAVORITES

Good morning, Everyone! Hope you week is going well so far! I wanted to take this opportunity to say a quick hello and share a few things which are making me very happy at the moment! 

1. EOS shaving cream! One word - AMAZING! I know I raved about it on this blog before, but honestly, the more time we spend to gather, the more I appreciate all the wonderful things it's doing for my skin! Love the fact that I can use it on wet or dry skin, love the yummy scent but most importantly, I love how moisturizing it is! After trying a few different products, this one is the only one that leaves my skin soft and smooth.

2. I am completely addicted to pretty florals! I simply cannot help it! Something about a beautiful pastel bouquet lifts my spirits no matter what! Though I love flowers in general, lately it's been all about roses in various shades of pink and of course hydrangeas. When it comes to roses, I like a very simple, monochromatic bouquet, but with hydrangeas, I take a slightly different approach. I like to pair hydrangeas in various pastel shades, ranging from a very soft pink to a deep lavender to create an ombre-like effect.

3. Macarons! In one of my recent posts, I bragged about coffee being my only vice. As I was writing said post, I discovered that I am also a little more than partial to croissants. Well, in a spirit of full disclosure, apparently I have 3 vices in life: coffee, croissants and macarons. I am sure there is more, but those are the only ones I can think of right now:) Secretly, I call macarons little bites of happiness. Really, can you have a bad day if you start with a nice cup of coffee in the morning followed by a macaron? I think not! :)

4. Off-the-shoulder tops! I think shoulders are pretty much one of the sexiest and most beautiful parts of a woman's body and I can't think of a better way to accentuate their beauty than by wearing a pretty off-the-shoulder top. Sexy, yet rather elegant, there is something particularly feminine and romantic about them! Oh, and don't get me started on how versatile they are! So good with jeans or denim cut-offs yet equally appealing paired with more tailored pieces like structured skirts or culottes!

5. Rose-gold jewels! I don't know what it is, but I think I am becoming more and more girly with each passing day:) Right now, I am borderline obsessed with rose-gold jewelry! Partly because it's oh-so very pretty but also because it pairs so beautifully with my beloved pastel palette! Gorgeous on it's own, yet equally amazing mixed with white or yellow gold pieces. There is literally no wrong way of wearing rose gold! Love that!

SUNSHINE ESSENTIALS

As I have mentioned before, Emil and I decided to relocate to Malibu for a little while in order to escape the blazing heat of LA. As I was packing for this little escape, I thought it would be good to talk about some of my beach ready favorites and essentials. So without further ado, here is my absolute must-have list:

1. A bikini. Duh! When it comes to bikinis, obviously a good fit is a number one priority yet what I also look for in a bikini are those special little details that add a bit of drama, like scalloped edges, fringe or beading. You know me, I'm not particularly fond of plain:)

2. Cover up. Normally, I look for something comfy enough to through over my bikini yet special enough to take out to dinner later. I am particularly fond of anything in white or pastel colors because they tend to accentuate bronzed skin in the most amazing way.

3. Sunnies. A good pair of shades is not just a cute beach accessory but an actual necessity to protects your eyes against long-term sun exposure. Normally, I opt for darker lenses or mirrored shades which in my experience offer maximum protection.

4. A cute hat. Especially a wide-brimmed one! The one thing that I have learn the hard way is that hair and long-term sun exposure don't mix well. In the past, I've tried putting oil in my hair or doing a deep conditioning mask after, but the truth is, nothing works quite as well as simply covering your hair with a hat. Btw, this is especially true if you tend to color your hair like I do.

I've also been getting a few questions about my summer body care lately, so I though I'd take this opportunity to answer a few of them:

Though I have used tanning creams in the past, this Summer the glow is all natural. We've been spending quite a bit of time on the beach and in Palm Springs lately, so I guess the results show:) 

As far as body lotions are concerned, I am completely addicted to organic body oils. My all time favorites are coconut and olive oil. Though it may take some getting used to, because obviously they don'y absorb as quickly as regular lotions, the results are worth it, because my skin has never been softer. 

I prefer shaving! When it comes to shaving I learned two very important things. First, I never shave as soon as I get into the shower. I wash my hair, condition and let the moisture and steam work it's magic, i.e. open up the pores and soften the hair. So, basically shaving is my very last step. Simple, yes! But makes the world of difference! Secondly, I stopped using regular soap to shave and switched to a shaving cream. Aside from the fact that it moisturizes the skin, it also helps the blade to glide without scraping and prevents nicks and razor bumps. Currently, I'm using EOS shaving cream, because it smells yummy and leaves my skin really soft and smooth.

Hope you find these tips helpful! And as always, shoot me an email if you have any questions!

LOVESHACKFANCY dress { sleeveless option here, also love this options } | MELISSA ODABASH Jemima hat | WANDERLUST & CO Trio Stack ring set | GORJANA Gisele ring