January 2020: Month-in-Review

What I'm Loving: January always feels like a time of renewal, so I've been primarily dabbling in new skin care and beauty products. My highlight this month is definitely the GloPro by BeautyBio. This amazing little device has completely altered my skin's texture and tone. I ordered it when we were stuck at the airport in August 2019, as we waited to board the last flight out of Florida with Hurricane Dorian looming. QVC, one of my favorite places to snag great beauty-buys, was having a Today's Special Value ("TSV") and I was able to purchase it on 6 easy-pays. After the second use, I was completely hooked. Now, the GloPro does contain microneedles to facilitate this incredible skin transformation. If you know me at all, personally or virtually, you're well aware that I HATE needles. I literally pass out in the waiting room of LabCorp, before I even walk into the room. My mom was shocked to hear I'd even entertain this product, but low and behold, here we are. You don't really feel the needles. It's much more of a tickle, and I've actually have come to look forward to my weekly treatments (GASP!). The science behind the GloPro is as follows: The microneedles create microscopic, surface-level wounds to the face. In turn, those wounds require the body to heal them, which results in new cell production and a renewed, glowly appearance from increased collagen. After months of use, I've seen a significant difference in those baby fine lines starting to form around my mouth and brows, as well as the texture. Just this week, I had a little pimple on my chin, and after a treatment on Monday, it's almost non-existent.

I had two other beauty favorites this month - Beekman 1802 Cleansing Wipes and Native "Grapefruit + Bergamot" Deodorant. First off, the Beekman wipes are life-changing. Never again will I reach for a Neutrogena or drugstore brand wipe. These wipes are full of moisturizing goat milk and good-for-you ingredients, in addition to being cruelty free and clean beauty certified. I use them in the am to hydrate and cleanse my face from any residue that accumulated on my skin overnight, as well as in the evening, when I need to take makeup off. I will say, however, that these wipes are not the best at removing mascara. I'll still use my holy grail Purity for that.

Secondly, I've been a user of Native deodorants for several months now. I made the switch to natural deodorant long before it was trendy, so I've experienced quite a few duds over the years. Native consistently delivers protection, but I do think you may have varying levels of protection depending on scent. In addition to the "Grapefruit + Bergamot", I adore the "Coconut Vanilla", so if you're looking for a place to start, go with that one. Regardless, I recommend applying it morning and night to ensure happy armpits all day long.

What We Did: This month swooped in with a vengeance because both my hubby and I came down with a stomach bug. His was much worse than mine, but we spent a large portion of our weekends disinfecting the house. Speaking of our house, if you've been following for the last few months, you'd know that we are still living with the kitchen reno from hell. The cabinet company ultimately shut its doors last week, filing bankruptcy, so now we are left to (literally) pick up all the pieces. I am personally trying to look at this as an opportunity to make the kitchen remodel better than it would've been originally. We're working with a new cabinet retailer to match pieces and are interviewing alternate contractors to get fresh ideas on how to rectify, complete and better the project. I try to keep you all update to date on my Instastories, so be sure to follow along here (IG: @thesassysuburbs).

Looking Forward: Happily, we'll be fitting in some travel in February...plus, it's my birthday month! I'll be 29 this year, and boy, do I have a lot to reflect on as I enter the last year of my twenties.