My favorite products of 2010

Chicago has been good for me.  Not only am I more confident, I also take better care of myself than I ever have before. Inspired by all the beautiful women around me in this bustling city, I'm much more into skin and hair care and less of a hot mess.  So I thought I'd share my favorite products of 2010...

1. CHI Hair Products are the best and smell amazing too! Every time I wash my hair, I spray on the Keratin Mist to protect my locks from heat and environmental damage. The Silk Infusion is great for calming fly-aways and makes your hair so smooth.

2. Redken Heat Styling Thermo Actif Spray- This product is a godsend. My curls used to never hold up in the Midwest humidity until I found this amazing product.  Now, I spray it on my hair before I curl it and afterwards too. It's great!  

3. Oil Of Olay-Let's face it, the thought of looking older makes all of us shake like a Chihuahua. The ProX skin care system is fantastic, and constantly voted #1 by women. The moisturizer is not thick, which is perfect for acne-prone skin like mine.  I also recommend the serum...it makes your skin feel like silk!

 4. Aquify Contact Solution-My baby blues tend to be sensitive, especially in the winter. This solution is so mild, it never irritates my eyes. My optometrist brother-in-law highly recommends this solution.

 5. Philosophy Lotions and Sprays- One day I literally stopped a woman on the street and asked what scent she was wearing. She told me it is Philosophy's Amazing Grace. I also love Inner Grace. You'll feel so pretty wearing it!

 6. Sally Hansen Nail Polish- For about 1/2 of what you'll spend on other polishes, the Insta-Dri series is great. Look at these cool Shrek inspired colors! You usually only need one coat, and they dry quickly, so less down time is a huge bonus.
(From left to right- Mint Sprint, Snappy Sorbet, Lickety-Split Lime and Brisk Blue.)

 7.  MAC Eyeshadows- If you don't buy anything else I've mentioned, you have to buy Mac Eyeshadow! They are great! The highly pigmented shadows are virtually fool-proof, and look great blended. My personal favorites are Vanilla and White Frost for the brow bone, and Green Smoke and Silverthorn for the eyelids.

 8. Roc Multi Correxion Skin Renewing Serum- Serums are the bees knees of skin care, and should be a staple in every 30+ woman's skin care routine. This product has retinol in it which is a must for helping wrinkles. (It will burn a little, but that means it's working!)

9. Clairisonic Mia Face Brush- Recently during a facial, the esthetician told me it doesn't matter how many fancy face creams I buy, they won't work if I'm putting them on dead skin. She told me every woman should have a Clarisonic face brush to remove make-up and exfoliate the skin. Clarisonic boasts that it removes 6 x as much make-up than just washing alone. After you use it, your skin will feel great! Warning: You may break out a little when you first use it, because it brings break-outs to the surface.

For more tips and products, check out my friend Amber's blog at http://amberdentcook.blogspot.com/.  She's absolutely beautiful and loves products, and she's willing to share great finds!