Since this little piggy is prego, I've been increasingly anal (even more so) about what chemicals I breath and add to my skin. The conondrum being that I still want to feel pretty dammit and I wanted to be able to do my toes and not have to worry about the piglet coming out of the oven with a third eye or a horn or something even more nefarious. So after much research, I decided to give Suncoat Nail Polish a try. The thing I love about this product is it is odorless, so my husband didn't complain once when I opened the container within in a 20 mile radius of his nose. 

I tried the Chic Black, which is darker purply-ish black that looks great after you go through the tedious task of doing one thin shade after one thin shade. The mixture is very watery, so it does take a little bit of time to achieve the color you are looking for. However, since you are not inhaling clouds of noxious fumes, it does seem to go quicker. I also tried their natural based nail polish remover, but to be honest the remover was a bigger pain in the ass.  I found that after about a week, the polish will pop off your nail's faster then then the peel off Tinkerbell nail polish of yore. The remover will work eventually, but it takes a lot of rubbing (and in my case swearing) to get it to remove anything.  I price compared Suncoat over a lot of different sites and found it to be the cheapest from Amazon, though no matter what, the shipping was a bitch, so if anyone finds it cheaper, please let me know b/c I'd love to get more.

Banana Mask
Did you know that Banana’s can aid in the fight against the appearance of wrinkles? Banana is a natural astringent that creates a tingling and tightening sensation. Take a 1/4 of a ripe banana and mash until it is creamy and then spread on your face (avoid the eyes). Leave it on for 15 to 20 minutes and then rinse with warm water and then splash with cold and pat your face dry.

Artichoke Facial
Take 1 fresh artichoke heart (you can also used canned hearts that are packed in water) that has been well cooked and mash it in a bowl. Mix in 2 teaspoons of olive oil (or avocado or canola) and 1 teaspoon of lemon juice.  Stir until you have a smooth paste and then massage on your face and neck. Relax for 10 to 15 minutes and then rinse off with warm water and pat your face dry. Artichoke are great for reducing flakiness and increasing the skins’ suppleness for dry or damaged skin.

Cucumber Toner
You probably know that cucumber slices on the eyes are a refreshing way to decrease puffiness around the eyes, but you can use them all over your face as well. Peel a cucumber and puree it in a food processor and then apply to your skin with a cotton ball and rinse with water.  This recipe will keep for a couple of days in a covered container in your fridge.

A lot of the time it is hard for me to see a visible difference in my skin when I go from product to product. I've found that there are certain yardsticks I can use in others to see if my skin care routine needs help or if I'm doing something right. I like to call this the "Ma'am" effect. My true age is 29, so being called "Ma'am" by someone older then me, or who LOOKS older then me, tends to royally piss me off. I'd say the same is true about not being ID'd to buy alcohol but 9 times out of 10 the offender looks barely old enough to drive a car so I tend to let it slide.

About a month ago, I was "Ma'am" several times in the space of a week and each time it was like getting slapped in the face. Each time I was "Ma'am ed", I winced and shot a icy glare of doom to the offender hoping that they would get the hint, but alas, they continued to spit that horrible word out like it was embossed on my damn birth certificate. That was the final straw and I decided it was time to get back on the MaMa lotion. Upon searching for it on SkinCareRX, I found M2 by the same company that makes MaMa lotion. The big difference is that M2 is paraban free.

M2 states that it is ideal for all skin types, especially hyper pigmented, mature, and acne-prone, who want a smooth, even complexion. Recommended for all skin tones,
including dark skin. Safe for use while or nursing. Mandelic Acid is naturally antibacterial. Malic Acid protects skin from damaging free radicals. Algae Extract moisturizes skin.

I stumbled onto SkinCareRX's sister site SkinBotanica and I imnmediately did my version of a football touchdown dance (which in my case involves doing a victory lap around my house while trying to NOT trip over the dogs). SkinBotanica has a plethora of awesome and natural products and my first order of business was trying the Fruit Pigmented Lip & Cheek Tints from 100% Pure.

The ingredients are super simple: Fruit Pigments of Plum, Pomegranate, Red Wine, Cranberry, Strawberry, Blackberry and Raspberry, Vitamin C (Ascorbyl Palminate), Shea Butter, Grapeseed Oil, Cocoa Butter, Honey Beeswax, Vitamin E (A-Tocopherol), and Natural Strawberry Flavor. 

I chose the Sugar Plum Sheer, which I adore. The color blends very nicely and I love the color on my lips, its very fresh and natural looking, it feels really nice on my lips, and isn't drying at all. Despite having tons of fruit pigments, it doesn't smell or taste like anything which works for me very nicely and the packaging is perfect for tossing in my bag and going.

SkinBotanica also shipped very quickly and they packed my box with lots of samples and a catalog from 100% Pure as well, where I saw the full line of Lip & Cheek Tints, which includes a color called Cranberry Glow, which I am now chomping at the bit to find, so if you see it somewhere, drop me a line so I can take it for a test drive and regale you fine readers with the results.