Beauty Blast: Serious Skincare Glycolic Gommage

We all want bright, youthful-looking skin. Am I right? I seriously doubt you've ever looked in the mirror and appreciated a gray, ghostly face staring back at you. Oh the horror. Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! Bloody Mary! During the colder months my normally luminous skin starts to lose its luster. There's not as much sunshine or warmth to stimulate that golden glow. I end up looking like a dirty penny or the old silver that sits in your parents' china cabinet desperately in need of polishing. But not only do I need to shine up, but I need a scrub down to restore my skin. Enter Serious Skincare Glycolic Gommage.

This stuff is the real deal. It's an exfoliating facial that gets down deep into your pores and cleans. Glycolic Gommage scrubs your face below the surface and clears away the oils and grit your skin collects throughout your day to day business. It removes all the things makeup wipes and normal face washes just can't do. After it cleanses, the mask polishes your skin. It's really easy to use. First you should wash your face and then pat dry. Apply Glycolic Gommage to your face in a thick layer. Be sure to avoid your eyes and make sure the layer is even. You will feel it tingling immediately, so you know it's already working its magic.

Allow the facial to dry for at least ten minutes. That's just enough time for me to enjoy a glass of champagne. Before you rinse off, get your fingers wet and massage your face. The mask will start to crumble off. This is the final exfoliation. Now you're ready for a full rinse. When you're done pat dry and go about your usual after cleansing routine. My skin feels as soft as a baby's bootie. And talk about a glow! Serious Skincare's Glycolic Gommage is a steal at just under $40. Why spend hundreds of dollars when you can pamper yourself like this at home.

Red Velvet Kitty

Cold weather, clouds, and darkness. My entire wardrobe has gone from brightness to nearly all black in the just one month. I've also noticed that my face is starting to lose its color too. No, no. This will never do. Although I love deep autumn tones, my beauty habits don't need to turn grey and boring. I was digging through my closet the other night and I found this great pair of cheetah print heels with scarlet stems that inspired me. Why not try a sort of spicy red with a hint of pink on my lips? Rich golden honey-kissed skin, messy brows, tempting eyes with a flirty red velvet pout. Yes please.

Normally I just wear a bit of gloss. It's easy and never gets old. But a red lip is so classic. It can take any outfit and automatically kick it up a notch. Now I know what you're thinking. How do you find the perfect shade of red? This decision not only has a lot to do with your complexion, but also your mood. I like to think of it as "The Hunt for Red October". You don't want something too springy but you also don't want a red tone that does nothing to complement your face. I stray away from reds with too much blue that will make me look more dead than alive. I also wait to put on lipstick until I'm fully dressed. You've got to make sure the red matches your clothes, right.

For this look, I literally grabbed an affordable lipstick from a drugstore when I was heading out for the night. The color is Red Velvet by Wet n Wild, and it's perfectly priced when you just want to try something but don't want to invest too much money. It stays put so I don't have to reapply between cocktails. Like with any other bold color, keep the rest of your face simple. I always do a bit of bronzer on my cheeks and my eye lids, a little black eyeliner on my lower lashes and then lengthening lash mascara. Throw on this cute little kitty mask, and I'm purrfect. See how just the right red lip can make such a difference. Kiss-kiss.