And just like that, I’m back!! I hope you all had a fabulous summer, because the chilly, pumpkin-spiced, fall weather is definitely upon us! I thought I’d start of this new year of Healthy as Heck with a fall beauty favorites rundown in honor of my favorite season!

If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook, you may have caught a glimpse of a rare selfie that I posted last week:

I’m not really a selfie kind of girl… but sometimes I get into playing with new products and when I find some that I like, I feel that it’s important to share the details with other Mama’s like me!

(p.s. if you are interested in any of my other favorite products – be sure to check out my Favorite Things Page!)

Quick disclaimer: I am not a makeup artist nor am I the most knowledgeable person when it comes to make up.

What I am is a super busy Mama who spends most of her days in a messy bun, under-eye concealer and mascara (maybe even mascara from yesterday?) while running around in workout clothes from her own activities to those of my kiddos. When I do actually put myself together, I like products that are easy to apply and look effortless.

And that brings me to all my current favorite products!

Scroll through the below lists to find the products that I relied on for this look and that I use for any other rare occasion when my husband gets to see me showered and dressed in anything other than my leggings, sports bra, and t-shirt!

Fall Beauty Favorites for Skin Care:

So let me be real honest before I give you these products. I am horrible about taking care of my skin. Always have been. I was blessed with a great complexion and that has made me horrendously lazy when it comes to my skincare routine (hello girl that goes to bed with all her makeup on and who may or may not just retouch it the next day… yikes! I know).

BUT, since I am now pushing 40 and those years of being slack with my routine are catching up on me, I decided that I really needed to crack down on my skincare this year. I’ve done lots of searching, talking to friends, and trial and error before landing on some products that I currently can’t live without.

Right now, I’m obsessing over:

• Cetaphil Skin Cleanser – This is the first cleanser I’ve used where my skin actually feels really good afterwards. No tightness at all. Just clean and smooth skin. It’s a noticeable change from anything I’ve tried before and has me actually wanting to wash my face at night (if I’m too lazy for a full wash, I also love their face wipes!)
• Mad Hippie Vitamin C Serum – For awhile I was using a MUCH more expensive Vitamin C Serum but then I came across this one on Amazon and it had such good reviews I thought I’d give it a try (or what really happened is that I accidentally hit the ‘buy now’ button when I was looking at it… but it worked out for me, because I love it). My skin is just as bright and glowy as it was when I was using the higher priced version and this one is all natural, vegan, cruelty-free, GMO-free, AND currently scores a safety rating of 1 by The Environmental Working Group’s Skin Deep Cosmetics Database. All good checkmarks in my book!
• Olay Micro-Sculpting Cream – I have a love-hate relationship with moisturizers. My skin is really sensitive to them and I have had a hard time finding one that I both love and doesn’t make my skin break-out. Olay has always been a good fit for my skin and this one has the added benefit of helping out with those pesky aging issues like fine lines and wrinkles. I instantly noticed my skin looked more hydrated and, over time, I think it has helped reduce some of the fine lines I have in my forehead and smile. My hack: I can’t use a lot of moisturizer without sending my skin into a tail spin, so I buy the trial size and it lasts me a long time. It’s a big money saver since good creams are not cheap! If you are more of a slather it on good and thick kind of girl you may want to go with the regular sized jar!
• Kate Somerville ExfoliKate Intensive Exfoliating Treatment: This is my splurge item! I am obsessed with this stuff. My skin feels and looks so smooth and pretty after this treatment. I slather it on in the shower and then wash it off once I’m out and dried off. It’s super quick and easy, which this Mom appreciates very much. Once off, my skin is slightly red and warm for a few minutes, but I can immediately tell a difference. I use this 1-2 times per week and it’s worth every penny.

Fall Beauty Favorites for Make-Up:

• Dr. Jart Premium Beauty Balm SPF 45: I’m leading off with the big one here! This stuff has changed. my. life. I hate foundation and refuse to wear it (my only exception was when I was performing on stage and foundation was a necessary evil). I hate how foundation feels on my skin and the heaviness of layers of make up. BUT, again, as I’m getting older, I’m finding it necessary to blur out some imperfections. I searched and searched all the ‘best of’ lists and reviews before deciding to purchase this one and I have not been disappointed. This BB cream is NOT HEAVY like most others. It feels more like a moisturizer and it offers just enough coverage to make my skin look fantastic. It leaves a slightly dewy appearance which I didn’t know I would fall in love with. As an added bonus, it has anti-aging properties and contains an SPF of 45 so you don’t need an additional sunscreen (this is awesome for a girl that never wore sunscreen on a regular basis… did I mention I was lazy when it came to my skin?!)
• Glo Under Eye Concealer and IT Bye Bye Under Eye – For this Italian girl, finding a good under eye concealer has been a life-long process. But these two have made a huge difference for me. Either of them on their own are fantastic for normal daily wear, but if I’m headed out for something more fancy layering the Glo on top of the IT concealer has been a total game changer. My dark circles have never looked so good!
• Pure Cosmetics Nude Collection Eyeshadow Palette: What’s the worst thing? When you find something you love and it’s a limited edition item that is super hard to find. I use this palette, literally, every day. I even use it to fill in my eyebrows. It has the prettiest shades of browns and is my go-to for a soft daytime look or a smokier evening look. If you can find it on Ebay or Poshmark, grab one!
• Tarte Tartiest Pro Glow Palette – This stuff. It feels like angels should sing when you open this palette. It’s so pretty and looks even better on your skin. For day to day wear, I sweep on the lit and fire bronzers. For evening, I had some contour with the sculpt and strobe highlighter. It’s just perfection and is just the right shimmering touch to finish out your look. I even sometimes throw some on before I go to the gym if I just want to add a little sparkle to my day… because, who doesn’t love a little extra sparkle now and then?

Bonus Favorite Product:

I couldn’t finish this post without mentioning this Revlon One-Step Hair Dryer and Volumizer Hot Air Brush. It’s not a beauty product… really… but if your hair looks good, doesn’t everything else? My best friend had been using this forever and I kept telling her how gorgeous her hair was looking. I think she told me to try this out multiple times before, months later, I finally decided to break down and purchase one.

If you are looking for a salon-looking blow out that you can actually do on your own (without rollers and round brushes and straining to get to the back of your head and sweating like you just ran a marathon…), then you need to try this. It actually cut my styling time in half and requires significant less use of my straightener, which is a huge plus for the health of my hair. Oh and… it’s currently on sale! Run, don’t walk to your computer and let Amazon deliver this little angel to your house tomorrow. You will not regret it!

Happy Shopping everyone! Don’t forget to follow me on Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest! And if you try any of these products, send me a message on any of those platforms or leave a comment below and let me know what you think!

As always, Stay Healthy as Heck, KH