Philosophy Shower for the Cure and Ahava Hope Blossoms Bath Salts

We've all gotta bathe, it's an inevitable part of life so why not do it with a little charity on the side. Personally, I love a good old fashioned bubble bath, light some candles, don a face mask, do a quick body scrub but even if you're not the bath type of girl you can still do your part to raise money for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Take a look at my top picks for bath and shower.

I happen to be a huge Philosophy fan and the 3 n 1 shampoo, bubble bath and shower gels happen to be a Holy Grail product for me. I don't think I could live without them so never make me okay? It could get ugly. I've never had the opportunity to sniff Shower for the Cure but online reviews say it's a clean, fresh scent that doesn't interfere with perfume. Sounds great to me. Philosophy never disappoints me so I'd be happy to give this one a go. Since it's described as so light and fresh how could you not love it? I guarantee it will make your skin soft, not irritate even sensitive skin and foam up nicely even in hard water like mine. The only thing I can't promise is that you'll ever want to get out of the bath or shower. Don't look for this at Sephora, it's exclusive to Ulta and retails for $20.

If you're a bath girl, how do you feel about bath salts? I have to admit I have ZERO experience with them. How sad is that? I think Philosophy and Victoria's Secret Bubble Baths have my bathtub on lock but that doesn't mean I don't have a little room in my life for something a little more exotic and adventurous and I can't think of a better place to start than Ahava Hope Blossoms Bath Salts for the simple fact that it's for charity. Let's get a damn cure for breast cancer so it's one less thing for us to worry about as we get older. With my family history of female heart disease I think I'm screwed as it is, let's take breast cancer out of the mix. Since this one is a white floral scent I know I'll be all over it. It takes pass me the salt to a whole new level. Pick up a 32oz jar for only $22.

Take a soak, relax your mind and body and make a charitable donation all at the same time. Can't beat that!

Philosophy Purity Made Simple and DHC Deep Cleansing Oil

Yesterday I promised a post on my current skincare regime and I was not about to flake on that promise. Today we'll be focusing on my current favorite cleansers with future posts on moisturizers, exfoliators and treatment products like masks and acne products.

You know there are the "right" things you're supposed to use on your skin. You may have heard Cetaphil over and over again in the press but I didn't like the milky consistency of this product, I wanted something with a little more lather that was still simple and bare bones. Enter Philsophy's Purity Made Simple. This cleanser is it, the holy grail of gentle yet affective cleansing. The simple scent doesn't irritate my skin but I don't find it particularly pleasing either. It's not gross just a slightly herbal scent that does nothing for me, somewhere between cucumber and dirt. I'm hyperaware of scents in products and even I can barely smell this one, I just picked up on it when I was looking for it.

I love the lather I get with this one and my skin is left feeling clean but not stripped. Hours later, even without moisturizer, my skin is still silky smooth. You can't get much better than that! And since a pea sized dab is all you need a bottle will last you quite a while. Best of all you can get a 3oz bottle for $10, a steal with such a luxury product. 3 oz might not sound like a lot but I assure you in cleanser you'll be able to ration this stuff without missing out.

When I'm in dire need of a deep clean without drying out my already dry skin I like to start with DHC Deep Oil Cleanser. I know, I know, it sounds scary but really, I swear on my life it's not. Oil cleanser is actually great for oily skintypes as well as dry. It dissolves makeup and leaves my skin soft and not at all greasy. Since I like to follow it up with my regular cleanser or a bit of exfoliator I swear you won't notice any leftover residue. At night I've been known to not finish up with another cleanser and therefore I have a little bit of oil left on my skin that sinks in by morning for a healthy complexion.

This product is also super affordable at just $4.95 for a 1 oz bottle. If you frequently wear a lot of makeup I definitely recommend that you look into it for effective and gentle makeup removal. It allows you to skip the scrubbing and even works wonders on the eyes without clogging them with oily residue.

Now it's your turn. What do you use to cleanse your face? Do you have a different AM and PM regimen or do you stick with the same routine morning and night?

Philosophy Amazing Grace 3-in-1

I just don't get it, never have, probably never will. Why do certain scents just not work with my body chemistry, why do they always turn me off when I want to like them? Take musk for example, my mom wore white musk for a while and the scent alone just made me feel claustrophobic. Same with overly powder-y scented perfumes and deodorants, I just can't get on board so for that reason alone I tend to lean towards fruitier scents and you can't pry my Secret deodorant out of my hand, all of the fruity gel scents smell so amazing.

Enter Philosophy's 3-in-1s. I adore them. They are my favorite treat. I have so many you might call it a collection. They range from fruity to floral and even edible scents. Mmm. Just last night I bathed in the dreamiest tangerine scent imaginable with Begin Again. The only scent I've encountered that I didn't immediately fall in love with was Amazing Grace. Many women swear by this scent and other "Grace" lines. I however, just don't love this musky floral, they don't resonate with me. For my money I want something fruity, something good enough to eat. But, as usual, the poem on the bottle inspires me. Just the words Life is a Classroom, make me ready to learn something, to embrace everything I learn in life.

Amazing Grace is available in a Eau de Parfum and Eau de Toilette, 3-in-1 (shampoo, shower gel, bubble bath), hand wash, lotion and cream, perfumed body butter and in a "firming body emulsion" which is just Philosophy's way of saying body lotion. If you are a fan (or know someone who is) you simply must check out the Mother's Day limited edition gift set containing a 3-in-1, body butter and spray fragrance in the scent.

Happy New Year

Happy 2011! Let's hope the year brings everything we were wishing for in 2010. Out with the negativity, it's time to be positive and start with a fresh slate. That's where Philosophy comes in.

A favorite Christmas present of mine (if I really had to narrow it down) was Philosophy's Begin Again shower and bath gelee. It's tangerine scented and, wow, I didn't know they could make things smell that delicious. Love! But the scent isn't even the best part, nor is the lather or really anything beauty related at all, it's the poem on the front of the bottle. I'm a sucker for the written word, I'm a writer, my man's a writer (the best one I've ever heard) and it seems appropriate that words can move me and inspire me. I know it sounds corny but hear me out. Listen to this and tell me you don't think it's exactly what you needed to hear at the beginning of a new year.

You took the right road and ended up in the wrong place. Begin again. You reached the top of a mountain only to find yourself at the bottom of a new one. Begin again. You dotted every 'I' and forgot to cross your 'Ts.' Begin again. You loved with all of your heart and it got broken anyway. Begin again. You won the race but they gave first place to someone else. Begin again. You followed your North Star and ended up at the South Pole. Begin again. You achieved a big dream. Dream again.

See, inspirational stuff. I think everyone can find something in there that speaks to them. Whether you lost your job in the financial crisis, ended a long relationship or just lost your way in life, you can begin again. Pick up the pieces in 2011 and make this the best year yet. You deserve it. And, oh yeah, live beautifully.

I found Philosophy Begin Again at Marshall's and frequently (read: most of the time) buy my supply at Marshall's or her sister store, TJ Maxx. It's definitely worth checking out if you love the line as much as I do.

Philosophy Purity Made Simple One-Step Facial Cleansing Cloths

I've made it my mission to test every *affordable* makeup remover wipe on the market. I love these things. I am perhaps the laziest chick on the planet (not to mention my sink is covered with beauty products, towels, discarded clothes and the water takes an hour to get hot) and I rely on these babies every single night. I know it's not the best for my skin but it's better than nothing and that's exactly what I would do if I didn't have these suckers.

I've filled the top drawer of my bedside table with makeup remover wipes, all brands and price points (as long as they are semi-affordable). They run the gamut from Equate, the Wal-Mart name brand, to Philosophy and everywhere in between. First, I'd like to share the results from Philosophy.

Purity Made Simple is the cleanser I use currently. I use so little of it, and it's so concentrated, that I've had it for a while. I already have my next pick lined up and waiting, Bliss Fabulous Foaming Cleanser. I had high hopes for this one because of the greatness of other Purity products. Please keep in mind I only had one sample to try out, however it didn't hinder the results.

These wipes are not the best I've ever used but they are not the worst either (that honor would go to the Neutrogena ones that smell like lavender, those were the product that helped me realize I was allergic to lavender). The size is great. These are a little bigger than your standard wipe. They had the same scent as the other Purity products which is a scent I don't happen to love. Many of the other wipes have scents that I do love and therefore get a higher rating in my book. I'm a sucker for things that smell good, even if they don't work quite as well as their less desirably smelling counterparts.

I found that these wipes stung my face a little and I don't usually have a problem with any other wipe. It wasn't a harsh stinging, not uncomfortable but noticeable. They also left my face a little drier than I would have liked. A lot of makeup wipes leave my face so soft and hydrated that I don't need to use moisturizer after using them, these did not. My face was rough with dry spots. Now, I can't say for sure if these wipes caused it or only helped me notice it and my guess would be that they just cleaned so well I had to make a slight trade off.

All in all these are an okay product. For the price I would choose something else as these are the higher end of the budget. If you love the Purity Made Simple scent and have oily or combination, heck, even normal skin you may just love these. Tell me what you think!