Are you feeling less than beautiful this season?  Do you need a few makeup tips to perk up your demeanor?  With the dropping temperatures it’s common to have a dull complexion, frizzy hair, and blotchy skin.  I’m here to share my favorite 10 tips {and products} to help you banish your winter beauty blues.  Are you ready?  Let’s get started!

1.)  Choose a new foundation.  As the seasons change so should your makeup…and I’m not just talking about colors.  As the cold weather approaches it’s important to choose a foundation that leaves your skin feeling dewier than the one you previously used in the warmer months.  I recommend skipping powder all together.  If you’re skin has a tendancy to shine here and there try CoverGirl’s mattifier.  It will tame the shine without settling in your wrinkles or drying out your skin.  This is one of my new favorite drugstore buys!  Products to try: Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse Makeup and CoverGirl TruMagic Mattifier.

2.)  Swap out your shampoo.  Most shampoos contain sulfates, which do a great job at cleaning hair so much so that they can also strip away important oils.  Using these shampoos will leave your scalp feeling itchy, flaky, and dry during the colder months.  Look for sulfate-free shampoos and moisturizing conditioners to keep your locks looking lovely.  Products to try:  Yes to Cucumbers, TRESemme, and Organix shampoos and conditioners.

3.)  Paint your nails.  A new shade of nail polish can brighten anyone’s spirits.  You could go with a natural or a bold polish, the choice is yours.  When removing polish use an acetone-free nail polish remover to help nails maintain their moisture.  {Check out my natural secret to beautiful nails.}  Products to check out: Sally Hansen Salon Manicure, Revlon, or Maybelline.

4.)  Ban the hot water.  Okay, if you’re like me and just can’t give up your long, hot baths, try substituting your regular bubble bath with a few drops of  bath oil.  You can also swap your old bar of soap for a moisturizing bar or body wash.  When you get out of the shower don’t try off completely and apply body cream all over.  Body creams are better than lotions.  The thicker and richer the product the more moisture it gives your skin.  Products to try: Olay moisturizing beauty bar or body wash and Gold Bond Soothing cream.

5.)  Cleanse gently.  Washing your face with a product that over dries it will cause your face to produce more oil, lots of it, leaving you with shine and if you’re like me, acne.  If you can stand creamy facial cleansers that don’t require rinsing those would be great to use during the winter.  {I personally can’t use them because it seems so wrong to have a creamy cleanser.  It just weirds me out.  I know that’s stupid but I can’t get past it.}  Instead, I opt for facial cleansing cloths that remove makeup and grime without rinsing.  Products to try: Aveeno Ultra Calming Makeup Removing Wipes, Yes to Cucumbers Facial Towelettes, or Oil of Olay Facial Cleansing Cloths.

6.)  Moisturize your lips.  The winter temps and wind can quickly chap and crack your lips.  Protect your lips with a nourishing lip balm, not the waxy ones, or enjoy a creamy layer of Vaseline Lip Therapy like I do.  {I know it doesn’t treat or moisturize my lips but it seals in moisture and well, I just like it.}  {Check out 15 Beauty Uses for Vaseline}  I also alternate between Vaseline Lip Therapy, Burt’s Bees colored lip products and Carmex.  I love all three brands so much that it’s hard to chose just one.  I keep one, at least one, in every diaper bag, purse, and if I’m honest…in just about every room of our house.  I hate to be without my lip products in winter!  Nobody likes dry lips, nobody.  Products to try: Vaseline Lip Therapy, Carmex, or Burt’s Bees lip products.

7.)  Hydrate while you sleep.  Indoor heat dries out the air in every home so grab a humidifier {or two} to help combat itchy, dry skin.  Products to try: Crane humidifier.

8.) Drink more water.  It’s no secret that water is good for you but many of us don’t drink the recommended 8 glasses a day.  Thinking about why I’m drinking water it a good motivation for me to continue to drink.  It helps flush out things that shouldn’t be there, keeps your body hydrated, and drinking water also helps improve the appearance of your skin.  Win-win!

9.)  Use a primer.  A primer will help protect your face and keep those blotchy spots at bay.  It also prevents a cakey look that can happen when makeup is applied over dry skin.  A good primer will help your makeup go on evenly and last all day.  Don’t forget to quickly swipe on a coat or two of your favorite mascara to make your eyes pop.  Products to try: L’Oreal Paris Anti-Redness Skin Primer, CoverGirl Bombshell Volume.

10.)  Sleep!  This advice isn’t specific to winter but it’s a good thing to be reminded of all year long.  Wanna know a little secret?  Beauty sleep is a real thing.  It’s true!  Our bodies repair themselves while we’re sleeping so not only is our mood improved with a good night’s sleep but so is our skin.

Because I love affordable beauty products all of the items I suggested above can be found at your local drug store.  The items I pictured above were purchased at my local Walgreens which has a great makeup aisle and incredibly friendly makeup department workers.  {They always have extra beauty coupons on hand, I love these ladies!}  Here’s a picture of my husband making a silly face while shopping with me in the Walgreens beauty department.

What changes do you make to your beauty routine during the winter months?  Also, what are your favorite winter beauty buys?  I’d love to know!

My family likes to save where we can so we can donate more.  We don’t donate to every charity out there but we donate too the charities that are closest to our hearts and several that our closest to our homes.  This month is “Missions Month” at our church and I’m priviledged to be able to serve on the missions committee at our church.  Our church believes in supporting local and national missions.  As our pastor frequently says, “The light that shines the farthest shines the brightest at home.”  The missions committee decided that the theme for this month would be “Let your light shine.”  As a way to shine our light we decided to give of our resources to two local charities.  Families are encouraged to bring donations for a local food bank and for a local pregnancy center.  I love both of these ministries and I enjoy shopping for charities.

A week or so ago I was contacted with the opportunity to Pack a Sack for Champions For Kids and I jumped at the chance.  Champions For Kids is partnering with Abbot Brand Products to bring nutritional non perishable foods to local food pantries and food banks.  I think it’s neat the way that it worked out because I would be buying food to donate anyway and now I get to promote a great cause and tell you about it.  If I wasn’t part of this campaign I wouldn’t have thought to have told you about my donation but now I can tell you how I donated and encourage you to do the same in your local community.

Being on the missions committee it was my job to help spread the word about this month-long campaign.  We’ve posted fliers, made announcements, added the details to the morning power point slide, and even handed out little key chains reminding people to shine their light.  We have a designated area in the church where people can bring non-perishable donations.

I went shopping at our near-by Walmart for items to donate.  First, I grabbed a few things I wanted to get for our home like Infant Advil (for my sick little one), an adorable mini-golf set (for her birthday coming up), and a new bucket and sponge so I can wash the thick pollen off of my car.  Secondly, I went to the tote section and picked out a medium size tote that I thought would be good to fill with food for the food bank.  Then I went shopping!  If you’re interested you check out my whole Walmart shopping trip.

Even when buying for others I’m still thrifty.  When it came to the name brand items that I’m uncompromising on and I buy faithfully for my family I bought those to donate and when I found a store brand item that my family loves I bought it instead of the name brand.   I used coupons, paired them with sales.  I spent as much money as I had budgeted to spend but this way my money went a lot further.

I really want my daughter to learn to be a giver.  I hope to show her example after example of how our family gives to others and is grateful for all we have.  I know it’s never too early to start leading by example but unfortunately my little sweetheart is down with an awful virus.  She wasn’t well enough to go shopping with me and wasn’t well enough to go to church to drop off our items.  Hopefully she’ll feel better soon and she can help us deliver the items to the food bank at the end of the month.

I know money is tight in every home, I know that.  Some of you may have a few hundred to give, others a few dollars, and some truly can’t give anything.  I understand, I’ve been in each of those places at some point in my life.  If you have the money to donate I want to encourage you to give to others less fortunate…especially the children in your neighborhood.

I don’t have to worry about shopping for new clothes for myself because I have enough clothes from last season to make due for now.  My husband is the same as me but our daughter is a different story.  She is growing like a weed!

Buying clothes for kids can sometimes be difficult.  You don’t want to sacrifice quality for cost.  Kids will be kids and will wear out cheap clothes but paying top dollar for clothes seems crazy when they grow out of them so fast.  That usually means I shop the clearance racks at stores that have better made clothes.  While I like shopping and I enjoy doing this, I don’t always want to leave my house to shop.  That’s why I am excited to tell you about a new online kid’s clothing store that is incredibly affordable with well made clothes!  I couldn’t believe the prices!

Together Cookie’s Kids and Social Fabric gave me $30 to spend at Cookie’s Kids so that I could review my shopping experience.  While I was excited about shopping at a new store I thought, “$30?  You’ve got to be kidding me? That won’t be enough for an entire outfit.”  Well, it was!  $30 bought two outfits and a pair of shoes!

Cookie’s Kids has an easy to navigate site, great prices, and brand name clothes.  Yep, you read that right, brand name clothes!  Carter’s, Ralph Lauren, & Young Hearts just to name a few.

I bought two outfits that I thought would be perfect to interchange with each other and a pair of shoes to match them both.  I bought the shoes in a bigger size than she wears right now so she can enjoy them in both Spring and Summer.  I was excited for her to try these on and I’m very pleased that they look just like I thought they would!

Isn’t she stylish?  This is the first time she’s tried on skinny jeans but I think she wears them well!  I love all the detail on these outfits.  This one has plastic rhinestone buttons and a cute front tied belt.  The other outfit has embroidered designs and a belt to match.  You can’t see the belt in the picture above but go to my Cookie’s Kids Google+ album to view that and more!

Are you ready to get shopping and see what deals you can find?  Cookie’s Kids also has adorable Girl’s Dresses, Boys Suits, and School Uniforms.

Follow Cookie’s Kids on Twitter and follow Cookie’s Kids on Facebook so you’ll never miss out on a promotion.

Happy Shopping!

I am a member of the Collective Bias Social Fabric® Community.  This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias and CookiesKids.com #CBias #SocialFabric. All opinions are my own!

Walmart has packs of Kleenex that have a $4 off coupon for Vudu.com.  Being a fan of watching movies I thought this would be a great opportunity to check out Vudu.com.  It’s a service where you pay by the movie and then stream your movie directly to your XBOX 360, Playstation 3, Roku, Android Tablet, Blu-Ray Player, iPad, computer, or other available options.  Vudu was easy to install and figure out.  You can sign up online or through your computer!  If you’re interested, I noticed that they are offering ten free movies when you sign up now.  You don’t get to pick which ten are selected for you but I found a few that I would like to watch in my ten.

If you’re new to Vudu you can either watch one of your free movies or buy a pack of Kleenex for a $4 coupon.  If you’ve already registered with Vudu you can still redeem the coupon found on Kleenex boxes.  To do so, head to Walmart.com/Kleenex.  Click through to redeem your code and then you’ll be redirected to the Vudu site where you enter the unique promo code found on your coupon.  Now all you have to do is choose your movie, grab your box of Kleenex {in case it’s a sappy movie!}, lean back and enjoy!

Isn’t it a clever idea to pair Vudu and Kleenex?  Not only do you need tissues for a sappy chick flick but if you’re sick you’re likely to need tissues and a good movie while you’re laid up.  I think it’s genius!

We went shopping for Kleenex at Walmart and left with them, a birthday cake, and a few Valentine goodies.  It was a fun trip and we went at a wonderful time of day.  It wasn’t crazy crowded like it normally is when I go.  I’ll have to remember to go shopping in the early afternoon next time!  Go here to see details of my whole Walmart shopping trip.

Disclosure:  I am a member of the Collective Bias® Social Fabric® Community. This shop has been compensated as part of a social shopper insights study for Collective Bias® and Kleenex® Brand Tissues #CBias #SocialFabric