Ever since the temperature has dropped, my skin has been in desperate need for a remedy. It had become dull and dry and my normal skincare products were just not doing the trick. The other day, when I went to Lush to buy a gift for a friend, I came across Oatifix Fresh Face Mask. It is an all natural face mask made from oatmeal and bananas specifically for dry skin. It comes in a little container and is made fresh in the store.

The Lush Oatifix Fresh Face Mask costs about $6.95 and a little goes a long way. The lady at the store told me it was good for about six uses but I have used it about that many times and have barely made a dent. I absolutely love it. Within the first day my skin was noticeably softer and brighter. I have been using it for about a week now and my dull, flaky skin has been completely rejuvenated. Another plus is that it smells amazing! Since it is an all natural product, it is also great for those with sensitive skin.

The two possible downsides with this product is that it needs to be refrigerated and it sometimes doesn't stick well on skin. The oatmeal is a little bit clumpy and has a tendency of falling off. Also, if there isn't a Lush store nearby, it can be difficult to ship due to the fact that it is perishable.

Overall, I love this product. I would definitely recommend it as a solution to the oftentimes brutal effects winter has on skin. Not only does it moisturize your skin, you see the results of it almost immediately.

Lush Oatifix, lushusa.com, $6.95 for 2.1 oz.

I have been on the hunt for the perfect facial moisturizer for years.  I tend to have combination skin that is neither overly oily nor overly dry, but somewhere in between.  However, with many of the moisturizers that I have tried in the past, the left behind residue caused my face to feel more oily than normal.  In addition to excess oil, my face would also have a tendency to breakout when I applied any facial moisturizer.  I had tried many brands, from expensive to the not-so-expensive, and nothing seemed to work for me.  Eventually, I began skipping moisturizing completely because the side affects that my face experienced were not worth the wrinkle prevention.  Then, one day, an idea dawned on me inspired by my body lotion.  I use Aveeno body lotion because I feel that it is the best skin hydrator that I have ever used.  The formula is non-greasy, and my skin will feel soft for days after using Aveeno just once.  I wondered, if Aveeno makes such a killer body lotion, maybe they make a facial moisturizer too?! As it turns out, Aveeno makes the best facial moisturizer I have ever used, and it's called Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer.  The lotion contains salicylic acid to fight blemishes, and a soy complex to help even skin tone and texture.  The formula is also noncomedogenic, meaning that it won't clog your pores (yaay!).  If you're on the hunt for an amazing moisturizer, I encourage you to try this one -- it worked for me and converted me back to being a daily-moisturizing believer!

Aveeno Clear Complexion Daily Moisturizer - 4 oz, target.com, $14.99
The BEST facial moisturizer ever!

Aveeno Active Naturals Daily Moisturizing Lotion - 18 oz, walmart.com, $9
My favorite body moisturizer!

As the end of the semester approaches, I begin to realize that I need to stock up on my favorite beauty products I can't buy in the Czech Republic. (or don't want to pay twice as much for them) I thought I would share:

1) Rae Cosmetics Climate Control Mineral Tint SPF 20

Rae Cosmetics Climate Control Mineral Tint SPF 20, raecosmetics.com, $39

Hands down, this is the best foundation I have ever used. It was recommended to me by one of my chaplains in residence (one of the perks of attending a Catholic school?) about a year ago as the single most effective product that resists sweat in extreme heat and humidity. Or when you work out. The Texas-based company somehow managed to create a lightweight foundation that feels great on my skin and stays on even after an intense hour or two at the gym. You can order it directly from their website at raecosmetics.com.

2) bare Minerals READY™ SPF 15 Touch Up Veil

bare Minerals READY SPF 15 Touch Up Veil, bareescentuals.com, $22

My skin is not extremely sensitive, but I still like using products that are mineral-based. This is one of the few finishing powders that do not feel heavy on my skin and still reduce shine like they are supposed to. I buy mine from Sephora, but you can also order it directly from bareescentuals.com.

3) Buxom Buxom Lash Mascara

Buxom Buxom Lash Mascara, sephora.com, $19

I wear contacts and have trouble finding mascaras that do not irritate my eyes, but still perform well. This is my winner so far. It is supposed to be volumizing, but I think it does a better job at lengthening and defining eyelashes. Either way, this is great mascara if you want natural-looking lashes. You can get it in any Sephora store.

4) Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum

Josie Maran Argan Oil Hair Serum, sephora.com, $30

My hair is naturally wavy and it gets frizzy at the slightest sight of humidity. I used L'Oreal Professionnel Liss Extreme serum for a long time before I discovered Josie Maran's line and while they both do a great job at keeping my hair smooth and shiny, Josie Maran's Argan Oil makes my hair feel softer for a longer period of time. Since you only need a little bit, the bottle lasts a long time! Again, you can get this from Sephora.

5) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula with Vitamin E, drugstore.com, $4.99

I use this on my face, hands, and feet before I go to bed. It makes my skin feel extra smooth in the morning! Plus, you can buy it virtually anywhere.

Anything you cannot live without?

Lately I've been thinking a lot about my skin, what works for it and what doesn't. I've never had horrible skin but I've never had pristine, flawless skin either, and let's face it... we ALL want flawless skin. In the past few months though I haven't even been suffering from what I like to call "period zits." (Is it just me or does your skin break out the week before during and after your period too? And yes I realize I just listed three out of the four weeks in a month.)

These past two months my skin has been better than ever, and although I'm thrilled, I can't help but wonder why. Everyone's skin is different, and for me it has been a struggle finding products that really work for me.

For about a year I have religiously used one specific product for spot treatment and can say I will never buy anything else. You want to know the best part? This product costs $1.00. Seriously. That is not a typo. Meet my skin's best friend:

e.l.f. Essential Zit Zapper, eyeslipsface.com, $1

The zit zapper is made with 1% Salicylic Acid and also contains Witch Hazel. Sometimes the roller application will get stuck but based on the price and effectiveness, I definitely don't mind.

In addition to this gem of a product, I have also changed my face wash in the past few months with fantastic results. With some other face washes I've bought, it felt like only the surface of my skin was getting cleansed but any dirt or oil settled into my pores was left behind. I don't know if that was actually the case but after switching face washes, I feel like it may have been.

L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Anti-Breakout Facial Cleanser, walmart.com, $4.50

The main reason I love this product is the scrublet. Its tiny and soft rubber bristles go beyond the surface of my skin for a truly clean sensation. This product also contains Salicylic Acid (2%) for fighting breakouts and the scrublet works to exfoliate skin, keeping dead skin cells from clogging pores.

These are the only two products I use for fighting breakouts and having found them I can say without a doubt they have made a huge improvement on my skin. I wish I could say these products will work for everyone but skin is very fickle and unfortunately what works for me won't work for everyone. I spent years looking for my perfect combination, and now that I have it, I wish I could tell my teenage self and save myself from years of bad skin. Although that obviously isn't a possibility, I am now so grateful I never settled on a product that didn't give me the result I wanted.

My advice would be, no matter how frustrated you get with your skin, if a product isn't working for you keep trying new things. Someday (hopefully) you will find your miracle combination too.

For most of you who live on the East Coast, you have probably never heard of the eco-friendly mineral make up called Mermaid Minerals. I was first introduced to the Mermaid Minerals products this past August at a convention in Las Vegas, Nevada where I had the pleasure of meeting the Mermaid Minerals founder and CEO, Patti Oriot.

Although Mermaid Minerals has beautiful eye shadows, organic skin care products, and cruelty-free brushes, like most mineral make-ups it tends to be a bit pricey. The prices are also higher because the company is privately owned -- it's still trying to get its feet off the ground but has recently branched out to home party sales. Although I do own a few of their mineral and glitter eye shadows, I have not had a chance to try them yet. I have, however, tried their fabulous make up remover as well as their baked mineral blush.

Natural Mystic Eye Make Up Remover, mermaidminerals.com, $12

What I love most about their eye make-up remover is that it doesn't leave my skin feeling oily after I use it. Even though I've tried previous make-up removers that are labeled as "oil free" they still left my skin feeling unclean. I don't have that problem with the Mermaid Minerals make-up remover. It is also listed on their website that it's a great product for contact lens wearers, which is always a plus for me as bits of make-up often get stuck to my lenses. And one other thing, I don't have to use a lot of it -- even  though the bottle is only 4oz, it goes a long way! The other product that I've tried from Mermaid Minerals is their Angelic Splash Baked Mineral compact. From the moment I first tried it, I immediately fell in love with it. It's now one of my make-up musts and I just love it.

The above photo is a close up of the Angelic Splash Baked Mineral compact. Unfortunately, I have to ration myself with this product because it sells for about $38. While the price makes me cringe, I just can't seem to buy a $10 alternative at Target. Although Angelic Splash is the compact of my choice, there are four other Baked Mineral compacts to choose from: Antique Beige, Mega Beige, Dover Beige, and Simply Beige. What I love about my compact is that it feels light against my skin, and it also leaves me with a healthy looking and beautiful glow.

Baked Mineral Compact, mermaidminerals.com, $38

The brush that I use to apply it is a simple feathery blush brush, but Mermaid Minerals sells their own "Whisper" brushes that range from $9 to $12 a piece. They also sell a full brush set that goes for about $22. I definitely plan to try one of their brushes in the future. Anyway, I recommend this product to anyone who loves mineral make-up or anyone who loves to wear face bronzer. The picture above is what the compact looks like, as well as the brush I use to put it on (my brush is a cheap one from Walmart). When I first bought the compact from Patti, she also told me that if you don't want to use the compact as a simple "face only" blush, you can take a smaller blush and use the colors individually as eye shadow.

The above photo is an actual before and after of my skin with the Angelic Splash on it. As you can see, the blush not only makes my skin shimmer and glow, it also helps to make it a little less pale (since I'm considered "Fair" or "Ivory"). But I'm sure that the baked powder would look great on any skin tone since it has a variety of shades baked into it. I'd also like to point out that it washes off fairly easily and it doesn't make my skin feel oily as other bronzers or foundations do. Overall, I think that Mermaid Minerals products are amazing. They may not be cheap, but their quality is what matters. Not only are their products natural, organic, and vegan, they are also gluten free. I can't wait to try out more of their products in the future!