Empties

Hi!

Another post today to help make up for my silence at the end of December.  Boy... when I have some vacation time, I sure do make the most of it.  What I mean is, I do NOTHING.. I make it my mission to rest as much as possible. 

Today I have a post about some skin care (not face) and nail care items I really like/love!  All shop links will be listed after all my chattering.. so if you manage to read all this, congratulations!  Or, you can always just scroll to the bottom!  :)

Moisturizers/Lotions

Love & Lotus Naturals
I'm not sure how I stumbled upon this company, but I REALLY love it.  The owner (Melissa) is a fantastic lady all around and I love the attention she puts into each product.  My favorite item from Love and Lotus Naturals is hands down the Whipped Body Butter.  I find the texture so smooth, and the scents are usually not too strong.  I also really like her Whipped Sugar Butter.

Whipped Body Butter: moisturizer after my shower.  I also keep a jar at work to use after hand washings.  I just love it!  My favorite scent so far is Raw Sugar Mandarin & Avocado.  Honorable mentions include: Tahitian Vanilla, Sandalwood Vanilla, Gardenia  I usually have 2-4 scents I alternate between.. these are some at varying levels of extinction.

Whipped Sugar Butter:  I like to use this both in the shower (it lathers really well.. just 1-2 tsp in my pouf does the trick) and after having filed my nails down.  It's got some oils in it so when I rinse off my nails don't look dried out at all.  It's great for getting the last little bits of filings and any rough areas near my cuticles.  My favorite scent is one called Drabarni, which was part of a limited edition Boho box.  So nice!  The scents I like on this are similar to the whipped body butters, plus a few others like Toasted Almond Snowcakes and Lavender & Manuka Honey.

Love and Lotus also offers other skin care items (face.. I have to sit down and decide which ones I want to try since she has some new items) and body care items (bath salts).  I've only used the bath salts once, and that was so nice.  I wish I had a bigger bathtub to enjoy it more often!

Perfect Paired Hand & Cuticle Cream (PPHCC) by Polish My Life
This product is new to me, so not quite close to being empty, but I LOVE IT.  It comes in a 2oz jar and is scented perfectly (I picked Coconuts).  Just a little bit will do the trick.  On me, it absorbs fairly quickly, within 2-3 minutes.  I will definitely replace this item when I run out.  It's a good size container to keep tucked in your purse, or on your nightstand.  I use this at bedtime and for a few days when I've applied nail wraps.  I've noticed that cuticle oils tend to seep underneath the wraps more often, which causes them to lift sooner than I want them to.  But, the cream is thick enough to stay where I want it and I can apply it carefully around my cuticles and then just rub into the rest of my hands.  The maker (Shaneka) also makes gorgeous polishes. I own several and highly recommend them.  Her creme formula is fantastic and most, if not all, are great for water marbling.

Oils

SweetBaby by Donna (cuticle/nail/skin care)
My favorite cuticle oil is SweetBaby.  The particular mix of oils in that one seems to work best for me as an every day/maintenance oil.  I found SweetBaby through a friend who knows the maker (Donna) personally.  I am so thankful for her recommendation!  My favorite scents are Warm Honey and Orange Creamsicle.  I also keep a bottle of her Heal-Thy Self oil and apply that in my scalp/hair as well as using on my naked nails.  Donna also makes a nourishing balm and I really love that, too.  That has been something I've used much more in the colder months.  I typically keep a roller bottle, but Donna also offers the oils in a brush pen (which you can easily refill!).  The shop is on vacation mode right now, but Donna announces restock events on her Instagram page.

Simply Pure by Bliss Kiss
This is another company I found as I was starting my nail journey.  Simply Pure oil is available in brush pens and dropper bottles.  It works OK for me on skin, but not as well as SweetBaby or the other oils in my post.  Even though it's not my favorite, I keep a supply because it's the best for the actual nails and it seems to work great in hair, too!  I apply the oil directly on my nails in between manicures for a quick hydrating therapy.  I also use this oil on both my hair and my son's hair (1-2 drops for him, 4-6 for me) after hair washing to help replace some skin/hair friendly oils.

Blissfully Nourished cuticle oil by Bliss Polish
This oil is the best one I've found for softening my cuticles.  Anytime I notice they seem to be a bit "thick" I use this oil and find that within a day they are much softer and pliable and look better.  It is wonderful for softening the rougher cuticles in my toes!  My favorite scent here is Coconut.  The maker (Yvette) usually switches up the scents on a monthly basis. Another one I've tried and really like is her Black Raspberry Vanilla scent.  The oil comes in a tube with a doe foot applicator, which I really like!  Oh, and Yvette also makes some pretty amazing nail polish!  While you are in the shop, take a look.  I have quite a few of her polishes and really like all of them.  Her new creme line is really nice and most colors are opaque in 2 easy coats (some in 1 coat!).

Nourishing Cuticle Oil by Polish 'M
If you've read some of my other posts, you know that Polish 'M is my favorite indie polish maker.  Newer to her shop is this fantastic oil.  I got a sample in one of the Polish for Pit Bulls duos and really liked that (that tube is long gone!) so I picked up a few more scents.  This a heavier oil combination, like SweetBaby, but contains some different oils.  After SweetBaby, this oil is my favorite for cuticle maintenance.  I really like the doe foot applicator so I can easily control how much or how little I want to apply.  The maker (Michelle) offers different scents with the changing seasons.  The one I'm loving right now is Brown Sugar & Chestnut, which was part of her fall scents.

Whoa!  That was a long one, huh?  I know what you must be thinking.. geez, girl.. that's A LOT of products!  Yes, it is, but I do like every one of them!  They each have a purpose in my routine.  The only one I use daily is the Love & Lotus whipped body butter.  The oil I use depends on the scent for which I'm in the mood, or if I need to soften, or if I'm wanting to do a super hydration for my nails.  When you consider that.. it's not so bad, right?  :)

What do you think?  What are some of your favorite nail care/skin care items? 

Thanks for stopping by!
XO,
Vanessa

SHOP LINKS:
Love and Lotus Naturals  IG@loveandlotusnaturals 
Polish My Life (PPHCC)  IG @polishmylife
SweetBaby by Donna  IG @workinggirlnails
Bliss Kiss (Simply Pure oil)  IG @myblisskiss
Bliss Polish  IG @blisspolish
Polish 'M  IG @creativenailchick