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Friday Favorites | Get Ready with Me Essentials

Simplify your morning beauty routine with some of our favorite products for hair and skincare! Join Anne for this get ready with me edition!

Happy St. Patrick’s Day!

Do you celebrate the wearing of the green?

We shared a delicious dessert for a St. Patrick’s Day dinner plus ideas to set a really pretty table for the holiday if you want to do something special for your family.

But ever since our friends stopped hosting their annual St. Patrick’s Day party, we haven’t really done a lot to celebrate the holiday.

Anne and her husband recently finished binge-watching a really sweet show on Apple TV called Trying.

It’s heart-warming, and funny, and sometimes a little poignant.

They can’t wait for the next season to come out!

Have you watched any shows lately that you’ve loved? Tell us about them in the comments below.

Our book club is reading The Social Graces by Renee Rosen this month. It’s set in the gilded age and details the dynamics between Mrs. Astor and the Vanderbilts.

Old money vs. new money.

If you enjoy historical fiction, be sure to check it out!

Anne’s going to be sharing her secret for squeezing in more reading time at the end of this post…

This week it stopped feeling like spring around here.

We even had some freeze warnings!

Oh, and AnnMarie’s furnace for the first floor of her house stopped working.

Ugh.

It’s so not fun having to spend money on things like that.

Even though she’s been bundled up to keep warm, she’s been busy decorating her house for spring. Wait until you see how it looks!

She’ll be sharing it with you next week.

Speaking of things that aren’t fun, Anne spent several days this week migrating our passwords to 1Password and then changing them all because of a security breach.

Hundreds of passwords.

Talk about tedious!

Seriously, though, we highly recommend using a vault service like 1Password to protect your data.

On the Blog This Week

Do you ever see cute craft ideas and think to yourself, “I could make that!”?

So do we!

We take pictures of ideas when we see them, but usually those ideas don’t make it past those photos…

But this week, we actually made an adorable craft project for spring or Easter decorating because it was so darn easy!

You’ve got to give this one a try too.

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Anne’s Faves This Week

A few weeks ago, AnnMarie shared all her favorite makeup products for mature skin.

This week, I’m sharing some of my favorites for hair and skin care.

A few years ago, I began training my hair to go longer between washes.

Funny thing is, the less I wash my hair, the healthier it’s become.

There are a few things I consider absolutely essential as my hair and skin mature.

Warning: I took these pictures with no makeup so you can see how some of the products help!

Conair Hot Air Styling Brush

Woman styling her hair with a hot air brush.

Every time I shower, I let the hair around my face get damp, and then I use my Conair Hot Styling Brush to dry those spots and give it some lift.

I love that this brush also tames my frizzies and gives my hair a nice smooth look.

You can also use the brush to give your hair a little bend and style.

CHI Thermal Protectant Spray

Woman holding a bottle of CHI heat protectant spray.

As I’ve gotten older, my hair can’t tolerate heat the same way it used to. I was noticing some frizz on the ends and breakage.

I started using CHI Thermal Protectant Spray before styling my hair and it’s really made a difference.

The spray helps to protect my hair from heat damage and breakage.

And it also helps it hold the curl longer when I decide to break out the curling wand.

Klorane Dry Shampoo

Woman spraying Klorane dry shampoo into her hair.

The other key to washing my hair less often is Klorane Dry Shampoo.

I’ve tried other dry shampoos, and they all either left a sticky residue on my hair, or they built up on my scalp and ended up looking like dandruff flakes.

This dry shampoo is paraben free and doesn’t leave behind any white residue.

It’s infused with oat milk and it adds body and volume.

My hair actually looks better by day 3 than it does the day I wash it.

You’re not gonna believe how many days it’s been since I washed my hair…

I’ll tell you at the end of this post!

Matrix Brass Off Hair Mask

Woman with colored hair that isn't brassy.

I color my hair because I’m not quite ready to have random patches of gray which is how it seems to be happening for me.

For some reason, my hair would always get brassy within a few weeks of coloring, even when my stylist uses an ash brown

Until now.

I know part of it is because of not washing it as frequently.

The other part is using a combination of Brass Off Shampoo and Conditioner and . Matrix Brass Off Hair Mask.

These products actually deposit some blue on my hair which takes away the brassiness.

It also provides some more hydration.

About Face Peach Fuzz Razors

I’m kind of doing this out of order.

Those hair pictures were taken after doing my makeup.

Now it’s time for the rough bits!

Woman using a peach fuzz razor on her face while getting ready.

For some reason, the older I get, the more peach fuzz my body grows.

I’ve started using these About Face Peach Fuzz Razors a few times a week to remove that fuzz.

Not only does this make my foundation go on more smoothly, but it also does a great job of exfoliating my face.

I think there’s a reason why men’s faces tend to age better than women’s: all that shaving!

Dr. Brandt’s No More Baggage Eye Cream

Woman holding a tube of Dr. Brandt's no more baggage eye cream.

I’m blessed with some wonderful little pouches of skin under my eyes.

And dark circles.

As I get older, they’re becoming more pronounced.

I’ve found that Dr. Brandt’s No More Baggage Eye Cream really helps to minimize them.

It takes about 20 minutes for it to take effect.

The tube costs about $40, but it lasts for a year, so I consider it totally worth it!

Aquaphor Healing Ointment

Woman holding a tube of Aquaphor ointment in front of her face.

My lips also seem to get drier as I get older.

The best thing I’ve found, hands down, is Aquaphor Healing Ointment.

It’s inexpensive, and it keeps my lips super soft.

I use it at night and in the morning, and sometimes more often during the winter months.

It’s also great for chapped noses when you’ve got a cold or allergies!

My Favorite Mary Kay Skincare Products

About ten years ago, I started using Mary Kay’s skincare line thanks to my good friend from high school, Susan.

She’s a wealth of information, and a makeup artist, and she shares all kinds of tips and tricks (plus some humor and inspiration) for us “seasoned sisters” on her TikTok account: Scarbro Fare

I use the complete VoluFirm line daily (face wash, serum, day cream, night cream, and eye cream).

Mary Kay skincare products and Aquaphor ointment and peach fuzz razor on a bathroom counter.

I ended up signing up to be a consultant because then I can buy my products at a great discount.

Every morning, I start with Mary Kay Timewise Volufirm Serum while my face is still damp from the shower.

Next, I apply Mary Kay Volufirm Eye Renewal Cream both below and above my eyes.

Once they’re dry, I finish with my Mary Kay Volufirm Day Cream.

Side by side comparison of a woman after morning
 skincare routine.

It’s not perfect, but I think there’s a noticeable difference between before and after my routine.

Especially since I haven’t done any makeup yet!

Oh, and that hair up there?

It’s on day 6 since being washed.

I tend to go 7-10 days now between washings, and even though my hair had been thinning, recently my stylist had to thin it!

It’s been years since I’ve needed her to do that.

Kindle Paperwhite

And now it’s time for me to share my secret for reading more.

Kindle paperwhite on a bathroom counter with skincare products.

I love to read, but I don’t have as much time to do it as I’d like.

One way I make more time to read is thanks to my Kindle Paperwhite.

It comes to the bathroom with me every morning and I manage to read a chapter or two while I’m getting ready!

I love that it lies flat and that I can “turn pages” with the tap of a finger.

If you’re looking for a way to find more time to read, I highly recommend using a Kindle as a simple way to work in time while you’re getting ready.

What have you been shopping for this week? Have you found anything amazing?

We’d love to hear about it….just leave a comment below!

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Collage of products for hair care and skincare for a get ready with me blog post.

Sources: Conair Hot Air Styling Brush | Klorane Dry Shampoo | CHI Thermal Protectant Spray | Matrix Brass Off Hair Mask | Dr. Brandt’s No More Baggage Eye Cream | About Face Peach Fuzz Razors | Aquaphor Healing Ointment | Kindle Paperwhite

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