The Power of "Me" Time

I can't get through my daily life without regular doses of "me" time - to read a crappy novel or write or try on all of my lipsticks to see if I still like them. I know I've said it a lot lately, and I promise to stop after this, but life has been challenging over the past few weeks. And I've not helped matters by neglecting all the little things that make me feel centered and able to face the world.

I know, I know. That sounds melodramatic. But when my roots are showing (to the point that I now know what my natural hair color is - no thanks!), my manicure is a mess, my legs are flakey and my face is broken out - all at once - that's drama.

I've been putting off a haircut and color, getting a pedicure and facial, waiting for that perfect time. I finally gave up on trying to schedule time to go get all of that done. Instead, I turned my bathroom into Spa a la Sara. Here are the products I used today that have me feeling more like myself.



From left to right, we have -

* Proactive Solutions Refining Mask- Affectionately called "poop face" by me and my husband, thanks to the intense sulfuric scent, it's not the most glamorous product in my arsenal. But is it one of the most effective. One application and my face is already smoother and less irritated. I know that by tomorrow, the breakouts will be gone too.

* Mario Badescu Rose Hip Mask* - this pale pink cream mask adds a shot of moisture and eliminates redness, leaving my face feeling plump & soothed.

* Clairol Perfect 10 haircolor in 5A (Medium Ash Brown) - I love the color my stylist, Juliet at Terrace Hair, creates for me. It's a gorgeous chocolate brown. But in a pinch, I can always count on a box of Perfect 10. I go for an ash brown to cut out the natural red tones in my hair. It comes out even and shiny. And no more gray roots!

* Garden of Eden Exfoliating Body Wash - Garden of Eden is one of my favorite St. Paul beauty boutiques. In addition to a variety of brands ranging from Kiehls to Crab Tree and Evelyn, they also have their own house label of products that can be customized with your own personal scent. Their exfoliating body wash works like a charm without roughing up my skin. And I can't get enough of my super-charged Almond scent!

* Jergens Original Body Lotion - I've tried a million different body lotions and always come back to Jergens. For one thing, I've never found a better almond-based scent. It moisturizes perfectly and can be had for about $5 in any drugstore. So I can slather it on with abandon.

As for my manicure, I picked a SpaRitual shade called Weathered the Storm. I picked it up on super clearance at StormSister, and love the ladylike rose color.



So here I am. Calm. Happy. Ready to take on whatever this coming week hands me. (Sigh) It feels good.

*Mario Badescu gifted me this product. I've since repurchased it on my own.