Tuesday, July 19, 2011

Note to Self...

Don't go on a three hour hike when you haven't hiked in so long that you can't remember the last time you put your tennis shoes on for the express purpose of exercising. I'm exaggerating a little, but not much. For some reason I had a ton of energy Saturday morning and I called my dad to ask him if he'd like to go on a hike. He said yes and we were off to Eaton Canyon.

If you've never been to Eaton Canyon, I recommend you go. The main trails are wide, well marked and the scenery is absolutely gorgeous. But make sure you're up for the hike. I'm sure that someone is going to read this and laugh because it's not that big of a deal, but to a novice like myself, it's huge. We spent a good 45 minutes hiking to a shady spot almost to the waterfall in the park and then sat to enjoy our lunch. It was so much fun to sit on the rocks, dip my feet in the cool water and enjoy my fresh egg white salad from Trader Joe's. After about a half hour we decided to head back to the parking lot and leave. On the way down the trail, we stopped to stretch, which I thought would be enough, and then we got in the car.

I was fine on Sunday, but by Monday morning I was seriously hurting. That's when I realized that I really do need to jump on the exercising-regularly bandwagon. I want to be able to go on hikes and not feel like I'm going to die two days later. Lesson learned. Less couch and more walking.

Sunday, July 10, 2011

Redhead Review: Boots Brand at Target

Dark circles under my eyes, a massive pimple that resembles a third eye and an uneven skin tone. Normally those would be huge problems. But with some Boots beauty and skin care products, they're barely a blip on my beauty radar.

When my mom and I were walking through the cosmetics section at Target a few weeks ago, there was a Boots representative offering free advice and she told us what she thought we should try. I have spent a lot of money on beauty creams, masks, lotions and potions that were supposed to have been perfect for my skin type, but that didn't work. And I'll admit that I was more than a tad skeptical about the makeup and skin care line found at Target, but after trying three of its products, I'm sold.

The first product that I bought and fell in love with was the Boots Expert Anti-Blemish Toner. This is by far the best toner I have used. Most of the other more expensive toners I have tried, sting when applied and make my skin feel so dry and tight that it feels as if it will crack. Instead of strong chemicals and alcohol, the Boots brand is made with willow bark extract to help ward off unwanted blemishes and treat existing inflammation.


Next on my list was the face scrub. I've never really had a terrible problem with acne, but lately I have been breaking out more than usual and I came across this scrub, which doubles as a weekly mask. Instead of spending oodles of cash on ten different skin care products, I only had to buy one. The Anti-Blemish 2-in-1 Scrub and Mask cleanses, exfoliates and cleans deep down to leave my skin feeling clean and fresh. My skin started clearing up one day after using this as a mask. It is amazing.


My third and perhaps my favorite Boots product so far is the Complexion Refining liquid foundation, which is part of the Botanics line. Not only does the foundation go on smoothly, it stays on the skin and does exactly what the label promises. My complexion looks fantastic, my skin looks smoother and my face doesn't look like it's caked with layers of makeup. Another great thing about this liquid foundation is the stick that's attached to the lid. I don't have to shake the bottle to get product. All I have to do is pull the lid off and use the makeup that's already on the stick. Genius. My favorite thing about this foundation is the way that it works into my skin to mask the red areas of my face.



Boots Botanics foundation and anti-blemish products are by far the best I have used. And the bonus––you won't be broke or have buyer's remorse after purchasing.

For less than $20 I have a more even skin tone, cleaner skin and fewer blemishes. What more could a girl want from a cosmetic and skin care line?