My Essentials Monday: Johnson's Melt Away Stress Body Oil & Jo Malone Red Roses Bath Oil

Since so many of my favorite bloggers are doing the Johnson's Challenge it keeps one of my favorite Johnson's products right on the tip of my tongue all the time. I can't tell you the number of times I've left a comment on a blog for someone to try it out. I can't let another minute go without telling you all about it. Ready for it? Here goes....

Johnson's Melt Away Stress line is fabulous, the scent is so relaxing and I truly do feel like it melts away stress. They claim that it's a lavender and chamomile scent but I don't pick up too much of the lavender, a huge plus for me who is allergic. I love the body wash, the body lotion, the thicker nighttime lotion and most importantly the massaging body oil. I've never been a big fan before mostly because body oils tend to leave me greasy. I've got a few of Sephora's seemingly discontinued dry oil sprays that I love but before Johnson's Melt Away Stress and I had a love affair I never would have touched them. The few that I tried before just did not work for me. They left me feeling like I had just wrestled another chick in hot oil and lost badly. Thankfully this one sinks into my skin pretty quickly so I can get back to my life in no time flat.

That's not the only use for it either. It's great for massages whether you're doing your own or letting a special someone have the honors. Or, if you're anything like me, you might want to try adding it to the bath. It's not specifically made to be a bath oil but it works amazingly well. Add a few squirts to the tub full of hot water. It will keep your skin from drying out as quickly so you can luxuriate in there for hours like I do. Just be careful when you get out, it can get slippery, and make sure to rinse down the tub right after use or you'll be left with that telltale bath oil ring. Then be sure to slather yourself in the night cream for even more moisturization.

If you're more in the mood for romance than sleepy sleep definitely check into Jo Malone's Red Roses Bath Oil. The seven types of roses are mixed with other ingredients to give them a perfect smell that is not overpowering on the senses. The complementary candle (perfect for the girl who likes to keep it coordinated) delivers a portion of the proceeds to Breast Cancer Awareness. Both are a little pricey at $65 but if you're a roses fan you're gonna wanna check it out.

My Essentials Monday Part 2: L'Oreal Skin Genesis and Garnier Skin Renew

This morning I talked about a new essential of my routine, Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum but now I wanted to share with you my regular skincare routines, the ones I've been using for a while and loving. Unfortunately the products are discontinued but I've had good luck tracking them down on Makeup Alley and at discount stores. To me they're pretty easy to find and definitely worth it in fact I already have a backup of a couple of the products.

Garnier Nutritioniste is an awesome brand that I highly recommend. They have a lot of products still in stores but my favorite, Skin Renew Daily Regenerating Serum, has been discontinued. I'm not really sure why, I love the stuff. I can't deny how good it smells, so fruity and sweet without being overpowering. I love it. Also, the texture of this product is amazing. It's a little thicker than other serums but goes on like butter. It sinks right into my skin and magically leaves me fairly matte. It leaves my skin feeling like silk and doesn't clog my pores or feel heavy. It's absolutely perfect, I don't even need to add another layer on top, it's that great. I should mention that adding another moisturizer and then makeup can be a little disastrous. I wouldn't recommend that but like I said you probably don't need to.

Another product that I can't live without is L'Oreal Skin Genesis SPF 15 Day Lotion. this one also smells like heaven but is more of a floral scent that doesn't sting my sensitive skin even in the middle of the winter. This product hydrates my skin and leaves it feeling powdery soft. I think it sinks in even faster than the Garnier and doesn't require another layer to quench my skin. It's also light enough to wear in the summer but hydrating enough for the winter. If I need a little extra moisture I just layer on something else on top with absolutely no issue.

Every Monday for the forseeable future I will be featuring my favorite products, my essentials if you will. If there's a product category you'd like to see me cover just let me know and I'll be happy to feature it just for you.

My Essentials Monday: Juice Beauty Moisturizers

Sometimes you just have to switch things up. A while back I got samples of Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum and Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer and I knew that a time would come where I would get around to fully trying them. Months and months ago I tried them a few times but never consistently enough to write up a review on their efficacy. Now I'm ready to change that.

You have to know that I love the serum formula. It feels so light on the skin and you can really feel it penetrating your pores. I don't know, maybe I'm crazy but I think these are my favorite types of moisturizers. They may not be as hydrating as something a little richer but they feel better on my skin. Of course during the winter they are no where near enough for me but they are my first line of defense, the first layer I put on my skin.

As far as serums go Juice Beauty Antioxidant Serum is great. The texture is like a more liquidy gel. I only had a small sample of this $52 product but a little goes a long way and that 1oz bottle will last forever. It makes my skin soft and smooth without the use of parabens and synthetic dyes and fragrances, in fact it smells quite delightfully of apples and sugar. It's refreshing and cooling on my skin. I could see myself using this on its own in the summer (which I did a couple weeks ago) or under moisturizer when the weather gets warmer. It's wonderful under makeup, it doesn't pill when you add layers on top, I love that!

Then it's time to add another layer to the skin to get all the benefits. Honestly, I find Juice Beauty Green Apple Antioxidant Moisturizer a little too greasy. It doesn't feel thick on the skin but I end up being shiny for days and since I have dry skin it's rare that I look shiny. I'm not sure why. I've never had this problem before. What do you think? In the future I'd probably use the serum with another hydrater over it because that doesn't seem to have the same effect on me. And just so we're clear I did this with and without the serum so it wasn't the combo but the moisturizer itself. Unfortunately, or perhaps fortunately for this product, it's no longer available on the Sephora website, I'm wondering if they may have discontinued it. I know that the stores do not carry the line but the website does have a few items.

Any recommendations for a moisturizer that is heavier but not pore clogging? Now that we're heading into the colder months my skin is starting to crave a little more moisture but I can't risk clogging my pores or using something irritating with age fighters in it. Any recommendations will be very much appreciated.