Spring!

Hey, guys! I hope everyone is having a great March so far. Since winter is about to be long gone (except that it's still freezing here and there's still snow on the ground...), I thought it'd be nice to post some of the things we can all do to get ourselves ready for spring!

1. Spring cleaning... for your makeup bag.

I KNOW for a fact that I am not the only person who is guilty of just hoarding makeup. Most of the time, I just find it kind of wasteful to throw away makeup, especially if it's something that I love and I still have some left in the container. I'm one of those people who get every last bit of toothpaste out of the tube before I throw it away... However, we have to realize that products aren't made to last forever! According to WebMD, here's how long you should keep your beauty products:

Sunscreen (or anything with SPF) - until it expires, or three years, whichever one comes first
Eye Cream - three months, or sooner if it has changed color/consistency/smell
Body Lotion - a year, or sooner if it has changed color/consistency/smell
Mascara - three months (obviously, please throw away IMMEDIATELY if you've had some kind of eye infection...)
Lipstick - up to two years
Moisturizer and Liquid Foundation - up to six months

Now, personally, especially if I haven't opened the product, I won't necessarily go with the guidelines above. But, if I have opened a product, I would go with them just so that I'm not putting anything on my face that shouldn't really be on my face anymore... Plus, cleaning out your makeup collection will totally make room for pretty new spring makeup! :)

2. Drink enough water!

I know for sure that I am guilty of not drinking enough water on a daily basis. I keep trying to convince myself that coffee, tea and juice contain water, so I'm good. Technically. That's not the case people. Even though drinking plenty of water won't give you hydrated skin, it will prevent your skin from getting dehydrated. Plus, with hotter weather coming, you want to keep yourself well hydrated so that you replace the water you lose during perspiration, and help your body do its normal bodily functions. Keep your body happy and drink enough water!

3. Eat with the season.

cr: http://thegreenden.blogspot.com/2010/05/springing-food.html

To me, spring is kind of the season for open markets. I mean, the colors you see with the fresh fruits and vegetables are breathtakingly beautiful. Plus, they're all just really yummy. Face it; that's why we buy them. I will say that the peak of spring eating is not until late spring and into early summer, though. That's when you get the GOOD stuff, such as strawberries, apricots, radishes, sugar snap peas, rhubarb, etc.

If you have an iPhone, there is an awesome app called Seasons that will show you which fruits and vegetables are in season. If I'm not mistaken, I believe you can use this app in the US, Australia, Europe and the UK. If you're like me and just has a good ol' computer or laptop, you can check out Epicurious's Seasonal Ingredient Map. It's very nice because it tells you which ingredients are available in different states so that you get the freshest ingredients possible. I do apologize that I don't have a map for places outside of the US, but if you know of a website, please leave it in the comment section below. Sharing is caring! :)

4. Get that SPF ready.

With more sun coming, sunscreen is going to be very important. Whether you're out on the beach during spring break, or just taking a stroll and airing out those legs that have been covered up all winter, put on sunscreen. Not only do you want to avoid getting sun damaged skin, but you also want to put on sunscreen to prevent skin cancer.



The moisturizer that I use every morning--which is Lancome's Beinfait Multivital Daily Moisturizing Lotion--has SPF 30 in it, so I don't use a separate sunscreen. I have heard from multiple online reviewers that the Diorsnow UV Shield and Shiseido's Ultimate Sun Protection Cream are both very good. If you want a drugstore option, I've read that the Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock is also good.
For the body, I am honestly less concerned with the brand. I actually currently use Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion with SPF 55.


I suffer from eczema and I constantly have to use products that are really gentle. So, most of the time, I go for baby products. I've read reviews where babies with eczema or just really sensitive skin have had terrible reactions to this stuff, but I personally haven't. But then again, I'm not a baby...

5. Get your spring break on.



Okay, so this is mostly for me and people who are still in school. However, I do encourage everyone to just go outside and enjoy spring before the sweltering heat of summer comes, and we all have to crawl back into our air-conditioned happy places.

I AM VERY EXCITED FOR SPRING BREAK. For one, this will be my first spring break as a college kid. Secondly, I am going to New York!



Yes, that New York.

I'll be visiting a very good friend of mine who currently attends NYU, and I am super excited because I haven't seen her since last May. I am also excited about all the places I want to visit and all the stores I want to check out. I'll be sure to do a post on my NYC vacation and possible NYC haul.


So, I guess that's it. I hope every one is looking forward to the new season as much as I am. If you have any questions for me, or would like to recommend any product for me to try, please feel free to post in the comments section below. I'll talk to you soon!

-N