MAN POST: The Things He Steals From Your Vanity Table

I was standing in the shower this morning, singing away while enjoying the piping hot water, and bent down to grab my morning cleanser.  I picked it up and the first thing I noticed was that it was almost empty.  That's odd, I thought to myself, since I'd clearly purchased it not even a month ago.  I thought that maybe it was me just using way too much product.  As it turns out, it wasn't me who was using too much at all!  IN FACT, Allan was the one enjoying my cleanser too. 

Men want to look as good as we do however, they are less inclined to purchase the products themselves.  This means that if a product is in the shower, or in the medicine cabinet and will do what they need the product to do, they will "borrow" it from us.  Here's a list of your products he's most likely to use:

1. Hand Cream - I don't know about your man but Allan gets dry hands all the time.  ( I think it has something to do with his mountain biking...).  Either way, he is CONSTANTLY stealing any, and all, of my unscented hand creams.  Allan's pick is Eucerin Repair Hand Cream 5%.  According to him "it doesn't have a funny smell and you don't have to use too much for that dry feeling to go away."

2. Lip Balm - I have had 10's of tubes disappear without a trace.  Since I always check my pockets before I put my clothes in the washer, I know it's him stealing them.  Allan's pick is Blistex Lip Medex in the pot, not the tube.  He likes how it "tingles his lips and how long lasting the product is.  Oh, and it feels like it's actually doing something while on my lips."

3. Sunscreen - I love that he is as skin-conscious as I am!!  I always wear sunscreen and used to use a non-scented one that Allan would always steal.  However, since I've been wearing a lot of tinted SPF moisturizers lately, he's obviously been leaving them alone.  Allan's pick is Clinique M Protect SPF 21 Moisturizer.  He loves that "you can kill two birds with one stone.  I don't have to put on two products which saves me time in the morning and allows Christina to use the bathroom for longer."  Thanks, Allan!

4. Cleanser - This is a given.  I am going through twice as much product BUT at least he is actively cleansing his face.  Because a man will hardly ever wash his face at night, a good cleanser kept in the shower (for mornings) is an absolute must.  Allan's pick is Clean & Clear Morning Burst Cleanser.  He enjoys this one because "it smells citrusy and is tingly on my skin.  Plus, it comes in a pump, so it's easy to use."

Allan says that "guys want to keep it simple.  So the less products a guy can use, the better.  If a guy has to put on six different products before he shaves, it's a waste of time and energy."  So, I say keep items around the house that he can use easily, or better yet, buy your man some of his own items so he stops using yours!  (By the way, Allan, thanks for your help!!!  Love you)

XO

Bar Soap for Your Face???

I can almost guarantee that every person here has used bar soap to cleanse their face at least once. Ha, I know I have.

My first encounter, aside from using Dove Bar Soap as a child, was with Clinique's Facial Soap. Looking back, I realize I didn't give this product a fair shot. At the time, I was beyond obsessed with any cleanser that came out of a pump and thought that bar soap was much too simple for my "under 14 year old" skin. I used to watch my mother use this soap and even though she had (and still has) fantastic skin, I instantly decided that bar soap wasn't for me. And, to be honest, this was my last encounter with facial bar soap.

Ummmm, until last week I guess.

I was, again, in the States with my friend, checking out Rite-Aid. (I love this store so much. Do they really carry anything different than Canada? No, but the store never seems to be busy and it's really cheap too.) While looking through the skin care section, I saw a little and very lonely looking facial bar by Neutrogena Naturals. It was on sale for $4.39 and since I'd just recently read a magazine article about Kristen Bell, who is now the new face of Neutrogena Naturals, really loving this product, I added it to my cart.

Now the Neutrogena Naturals Face & Body Bar is made with both avocado and olive oil (2 great ingredients known to nourish your skin) and best of all, the entire naturals line is void of chemical sulfates, parabens, petrochemicals, dyes and phthalates. So, in other words, they really are natural products. I was so eager to try this bar out that as soon as I got home from the States, I washed my face. First impression was the smell. It was nice, crisp, fresh and very apparent was the lack of chemicals. (Very nice for a change.) The soap lathered up extremely well and didn't feel harsh on my skin. Sometimes, cleansers can aggravate my skin for no reason and this one did no such thing. And perhaps the biggest plus about this soap is that it washes off completely. There wasn't any residue left behind and my skin felt very clean and moisturized.

I've been using this soap ever since that day and my skin looks and feels so much cleaner than it used to. I never thought I'd say this but I'm officially a fan of a facial soap bar and highly recommend this brand. Have any of you ladies tried this before? Have you ever used a facial soap bar?

Ciao