Bedtime Ritual

I've never been a fan of lotions nor lip products — I think it was because as a kid, I've always been cajoled by my mom nonstop to always put lotion all over my body. Legs, arms, knees, feet, hands. Lip balm on the lips. She never faltered in reminding us three girls these things before bedtime. Unfortunately, I realized that the more I was pushed to do something before, the greater effort I exerted in avoiding them at all costs. I distinctly remember the one time she slathered lotion all over me, I was disgusted at the greasy and oily feeling it left my body that I vowed never to touch that gunk again. With lip balm, I always felt the discomfort of talking when wearing it for fear of tasting it. I was a weird kid, I know. But those things stuck with me growing up that I never really saw the need in them...until now.

Fast forward 10+ years later, here I am sharing some of my bedtime buddies with you which includes the stuff I vowed never to touch my skin before. First up is the L'Occitane Shea Hand Cream which has created a stir around the beauty blogosphere sometime back for being an HG-material hand cream. I was completely satisfied with my Tony Moly Age Stop hand cream as I reviewed months back but after having tried this one, I was turned. I still use my Tony Moly during the day but generously slather on this L'occitane one every night before sleeping. I swear to you that overnight my hands transformed like I've never felt it before. Even my husband didn't want to believe it at first —dismissing it as overpriced and overhyped. But he too was delighted after feeling my softer, smoother hands. My cuticles have improved as well, no dry bits emanating every other day or so. Truly a miracle worker for me.

This next one is an all over body butter that I slather on more on my feet than anywhere else in my body. Bath and Body Works Twilight Woods Body Butter is part of the popular brand's signature collection. I've never seen it being sold here in the Philippines despite the many outlets that carry the brand. It was a present from a friend in the U.S. and thanks to her, I was introduced to yet another miracle worker. I have dry areas on my feet that keep on coming back despite my daily use of Lush's Lemony Flutter before this. A few days into using this, my feet's dry bits and pieces have miraculously disappeared. I've been missing out a few nights on using this as well but the dryness hasn't reappeared. It has a very musky, woodsy smell with a hint of vanilla that may be too strong for some but I actually love. It's also a plus that my husband is the one who applies this onto me every night with a free foot massage every time! 

I've tried Chapstick, Blistex, Carmex, Vaseline — and the one that came closest to vying a spot in my heart was Carmex though I never pushed through with the relationship. Randomly, at a bazaar I went to last year, I was drawn to this local brand called V&M Naturals that sells organic cosmetics. Browsing through their products, the one that caught my fancy was their selection of skin care items containing emu oil, an oil believed to have great benefits for the skin. Wanting to try out something, I opted for the lip balm which many of their clients hail as their Holy Grail.

The ingredients are pretty simple — avocado butter, avocado oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, castor oil, jojoba wax, peppermint oils, beeswax, vitamin E, titanium dioxide and of course emu oil. I love the smooth buttery feeling upon application as well as the cool minty peppermint kick that follows in a few seconds. What surprised me is how this little thing worked in a matter of minutes! Half an hour later, I felt my absurdly dry lips smoother than ever. I even found myself reapplying it every time I remember just because I love the feeling it leaves my lips. With this, I don't think I'll look at another lip balm ever again. After 2 months of usage, I don't know if I'm dreaming but I do believe my lips have regained its healthy pinkish color. To add to this, I can now wear matte lipsticks without the horrible, disgusting look on me before when I had such dry and sad lips. 

Lastly, my least favorite but an essential part of my nightly ritual for at least 40 weeks — Palmer's Cocoa Butter Massage Lotion for Stretchmarks. I haven't see any signs of stretchmarks *knock on wood* yet despite being 38 weeks into my pregnancy but I am scared of them. So I have my husband slather this on my tummy and thighs just for safety. Prevention rather than cure, right? It has a cocoa scent that I didn't particularly like but have grown accustomed to.

That's it for my nightly rituals before dozing off. This is sans my face products which is a whole other entry! How about you guys — what are your bedtime buddies? ❤