Getting ready for bed......

Better Botanicals Kokum Butter Body Wash

I purchased this on a whim when it was included in a gift set at Central Market. Boy, am I glad I did! The smell is heavenly, for one thing. It's also luxurious and rich and leaves your skin velvety smooth. It cleans well and is really concentrated- just the tiniest dollop on a scrubbie will clean your whole body and make you feel like you squeezed out too much. I had never even heard of kokum butter before, but apparently the benefits are thus:

Benefits:
Kokum Butter is rich in essential fatty acids, which aid in cell oxygenation and make nutrients more readily available for use by skin tissues. Kokum Butter also contains antioxidant vitamin E.  Kokum Butter is a non-comedogenic (non pore-clogging) material that aids quick absorption and adds a premium texture to your cream emulsions. Kokum Butter helps regenerate tired and worn skin cells and supports skin elasticity and general flexibility of the skin wall. It has been used traditionally in India to soften skin and restore elasticity and as a balm for dry, cracked, rough and calloused skin. It is also beneficial for the treatment of many different conditions, such as:

• Helps prevent dry skin and wrinkles
• Helps regenerate skin cells 

The Body Balm is just as wonderful.
Rose, Sandalwood, Valerian, Watercress, Tumeric, Clary sage, and a Blend of organic Indian herbs create a relaxing feel that is perfect for using just before bed to help bring on a peaceful sleep.

Antioxidant, Ayurvedic lotion rich in EFAs, vitamins and herbs, delivers soothing nourishment with kokum butter, watercress, valerian & clary sage. Helps to strengthen skin, to calm inflammations and irritations, and to restore suppleness and silkiness.





In the set was also their Ayurvedic Body Oil, which makes for an awesome massage once I'm in bed. It's not greasy feeling and absorbs into the skin without feeling like you've been deep fried.

A deeply penetrating oil which packs a potent Ayurvedic punch. Full of natural vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, this is a hard-working blend of oils: carrot (beta carotene), sunflower & wheatgerm (vit. E), sesame (vits. A, B, E and calcium) and sweet almond (nourishing). Use to moisturize after a shower. Can be heated for massage. Great against stretch marks. Gentle enough for the face.And I LOVE IT! 

Bath & Body Works Aromatherapy Blissful Body Wash Lavender Vanilla Sleep

So you know the quality to expect, because after all, it is Bath & Body Works. The typical - rich foamy lather, highly scented, super concentrated......Ohhhhhh, but it helps shuffle me off to beddie bye! The bonus is that the scent helps the husband chill out and fall asleep too! When I use this before bed, I've noticed that he likes to get right up on me as he's falling asleep, instinctively absorbing the aroma.
"Relax before sleep. Lavender Essential Oil soothes and calms so you can sleep better. Vanilla Absolute helps to calm feelings of stress that can keep you from falling asleep. This nourishing body wash contains Green Tea Extract to help keep skin looking younger and healthier."



Dove Advanced Color Care Shampoo , Conditioner 

Of course since I'm already in the shower, might as well go ahead and wash my hair too, right? I've never met a Dove product I didn't like, and since I recently dyed my mane cherry red, this is great for keeping my color longer. It's a good cheap shampoo for color maintenance, and I have been alternating it with the Alterna Caviar shampoo, which is costlier. I bought these to use while I was waiting for my Alterna to come in the mail, and I've been happy with the results and how it leaves my hair feeling.





Dr Jeannette Graf M.D. Reveal Derma Prep Pads
 Dr Jeannette Graf M.D. Vita-Peptide Copper Collagen Infusion

Now I'm all clean and relaxed, so how about I do a quickie facial? The Derma Prep Pads look like those Oxy Pads we remember from high school, but a bit scratchy. What they do is remove any impurities on the skin that washing missed, getting you ready for the big show of the Copper Collagen Infusion. You only have to leave it on for 5 minutes, and you notice an immediate difference. Your skin feels crazy firm and plump! Wrinkles are noticeably lessened and pores are tightened. The results last for days, and generally the day after I use it, I find myself not needing a makeup primer for my skin to stay fresh looking all day. In fact, I find my reactive redness lessened so much after using it, and my skin looking so young and bright and dewy that I'll often not use any makeup at all (which for anyone who knows me, that's just plain crazy talk!)


IQ Derma Firmaceuticals Firming Body Gel is what I slather on my thighs every morning and evening like clockwork. 

This stuff is seriously amazing. I would have never believed it and would never have bought it, but it was shipped to me as part of my Beauty Fix kit one month. I have been using it religiously for months, and it honestly works. Hand on heart. It doesn't get RID of your cellulite, but it reduces the appearance of it. Since I don't normally look at the backs of my own legs, I'm not sure when it actually started working, but one day I looked in the mirror over my shoulder and was totally blown away. Were those my thighs? Seriously, I never thought they could look that good again. Granted, they're still as big around as a beer keg, but at least they aren't all dimply! You have to use it every day, twice a day though. No slacking, or you won't get the results you want. It takes perseverance, but it's worth it.



 Noteworthy For Target Sweet Almond Scented & Flavored Lip Balm
I am a FREAK about going to bed with dry lips. I cannot even sleep if I don't put something on them. I have sleep apnea, so I tend to mouth breathe while slumbering, so if my lips aren't covered in something, they feel like kindling in the morning.  While I am now addicted to high falutin' and handmade balms, the stuff made by Noteworthy in Target's Dollar Spot is always good stuff. Don't be afraid to pop a buck down to try them out, because it's really high quality for the price. I would expect nothing less from my beloved Target.

Noah's Naturals Heal Thyself Aromatherapy Pillow Spray Lavender Patchouli

 I do not sleep well under the best of circumstances, but particularly not in a strange bed. Well, our last trip to visit the in-laws saw me tossing and turning all night and being dead exhausted the next day. Well, in El Campo Texas, the only place to buy anything is at (tossing expletives along the way....) Wal Mart. Now because of this spray I purchased there to try to relieve my suffering, I have to throw them a teeny tiny bone. Apparently this company makes stuff just for them, and I've used it every other night since. Stupid Wal Mart. I like to make my own (similar) spray, but if you're not in the mood to do so and you happen to be in that den of , well, whatever it's a den of, you could certainly do worse than to pick up some of this stuff for yourself.

Now if The Husband isn't in the mood to give me a massage, cause let's face it, most of us would demand one on a daily basis if we could, I like to use some of Target's Up & Up Cold & Hot Pain Relief Cream Extra Strength, which is comparable to Extra Strength Icy Hot Cream but cheaper. I even keep a tube of this at work. Granted, you're going to smell less like a fairy princess and more like a hospital, but it works! It also is great for rubbing on your temples when you have a headache and for helping unclog stuffed up noses. I love me some multitasking!