Do you guys remember that show Popular?

It ran from 1999 to 2001 and was about two stepsisters (one popular, one not) who were rivals. It was on around the same time that Freaks & Geeks had its only season and one time, both casts went head-to-head on a celebrity episode of Family Fued. Classic!

Anyway, for some reason a quote from Popular always stuck with me. In one episode, the stepsisters are in a battle for the bathroom (naturally) and in attempt to get the popular sister (played by Leslie Bibb) out of her way, the "not" popular sister goes:

"Why do you need so many products? With all the lotions and potions you use, it's a wonder your face doesn't just slide off down the drain."

What a burn!

I'm not sure why I remembered this quote. I don't even remember much about the show at all, aside from this line and the Family Fued episode. It's probably because I liked beauty products so much and thought lotions & potions was a fun name for them. At that point, I didn't have a lot of access to lotions, potions, or even fun smelling soap for that matter because I was in 5th or 6th grade and my parents were still doing their best to keep us wholesome. They were also of the opinion that Popular was toxic television, which may or may not have been true. In any case, I thought lotions & potions could turn me into the girl I wanted to be.

Of course, lotions & potions could not turn me into the girl I wanted to be and unfortunately, I didn't realize this until about age 22. So where does that leave me today? Well, I know it's what's on the inside the counts (blah, blah, blah) and I'd rather someone tell me that I'm funny than pretty.

But beauty is fun. I think of vanity is an art form, or at least creative expression. And I'm a grown up now so I can play with lotions & potions as much as I please!

So without further adieu, here are my spring 2018 oooey-gooey beauty favorites!

Face Wash

I don't switch up my face wash very often. I don't even usually try out the face wash samples I get in my Birchbox. Since I use Retin-A, my skin is pretty sensitive, so I try to use only simple, gentle, natural cleansers. Buuuuuuttttt, I got a sample of It Cosmetics' Confidence in a Cleanser Skin-Transforming Hydrating Cleansing Serum (what a mouthful!) with a haul of Sephora products I ordered for my wedding. I'm not sure if it was the enticing name or the innocent-looking light yellow tube, but I decided to give it a go. I love it. It's gentle, it's hydrating, and it works for my skin. I went and got a full-size bottle from ULTA last week.

Face Lotion

You may have read my post about The Frosting Lotion from a while back and guess what? I'm still using The Frosting Lotion (which is actually called Era Organics 10-in-1 Face Moisturizer Cream) because it's the best I've ever had. It's natural, it's light, it's healing, and it smells like all the good things in the world.

Eye Cream

I wasn't always an eye cream gal. Part of me thinks it's just expensive lotion in really small containers. However, since I'll be wearing somewhat heavy makeup for my wedding and events surrounding my wedding, I've learned that moisturizing your under eye area goes a long way in preventing creases in your makeup. Every beauty queen knows the holy grail of under eye cream is the GinZing stuff from Origins. However, in that same Sephora box where I got a sample of It Cosmetics' face wash, I got a tiny little sample pot of Olehenriksen's Banana Bright Eye Crème which has snuck its way into my current favs list. Maybe it's a really good product or perhaps I just like that is has the term "banana bright" in the name, but either way, it's part of my current routine.

Beauty Oil

I've been working my way through a bottle of jojoba oil over the past few months. I got the Leven Rose brand from Amazon and have been very pleased thus far. I try to use it nightly on my décolletage and neck and apply it every other night on my face. I also use it for chapped lips, little cuts, and ingrown hairs. It's pretty affordable, lasts forever, and is just a really good all-purpose beauty oil.

Makeup Remover

I definitely think oils are the best way to get makeup off your face. Oils dissolve everything and make your skin all dewy. The Ultimate Makeup Remover Wipes from RMS Beauty are the best, in my opinion. They are just like regular face wipes, but the only ingredient on the cloths is coconut oil. They're a little spendy but great for travel. You just warm the little packet between your hands for like 5 seconds and then wipe the day off your face. And of course, I still swear by organic olive oil for day-to-day makeup removal and nightly cleansing.

Overnight Mask

I'm not a huge fan of face masks, but I am partial to the overnight kind that you don't have to wash off. I got a sample of Juara's Java Plum & Avocado Nourishing Mask in my Birchbox several months ago. I decided to give it a go and put it on my face before bed every other day for a week or two. It could have been a coincidence, but my skin was hella moisturized, smooth, and just all around glowy during that time. Needless to say, I was suckered in so I shelled out $38 for the full-size product as a bridal present from myself to myself. Sometimes I use an overnight mask before I go to a 6:00am barre class because I don't need SPF that early in the morning.

Anti-Aging Cream

Retin-A, obviously. Retinols and more specifically, prescription retinols are the only type of product that will actually reduce the look of fine lines and aging. I went into more detail about my Retin-A prescription here.

Body Wash

I try to always get organic—or at least somewhat natural—body wash these days because I don't want anything that may irritate my sensitive lady parts, you feel me? I've used face wash as body wash before (a la Schmitty from New Girl) but this is an expensive and kinda silly habit. I recently tried out this stuff by The Seaweed Bath Co. from Amazon. It's vanilla-citrus flavored, which is manly enough for Joe, believe it or not! We both smell super fresh these days and enjoy sniffing each other.

Shampoo

As you may know, I've been proudly lathering up with dandruff shampoo for the last few years. I have some favorites, but I actually switch them up every time a bottle runs out. I'm currently almost out of a bottle of Selsun Blue and after that, I think I'll be back with the classic Head & Shoulders. I guess I'm pretty boring in the shampoo department.

Conditioner

My mom has been using the Aussie 3-Minute Miracle "cream rinse" since before I can remember. Do all moms call conditioner cream rinse? Whatever, it's good stuff! I recently got the huge pump bottle of this conditioner. It sits on the floor of our shower (because it doesn't fit anywhere else) and I use a little bit right when I hop in the shower (to let my knots really soak) and a little more after I shampoo. It smells nice and is serious enough to get out all my tangles. Joe likes it too!

Dry Shampoo

If you have brown hair and have not yet discovered brunette dry shampoo, well honey, it's your lucky day! Dry shampoo is great and all, but no one wants to look like they're wearing a powdered wig or wonder Is that gray hair or just dry shampoo? right before they head out the door. Enter Batiste Hint of Color Dry Shampoo: Medium & Brunette! This stuff is The Bomb. It wicks oil from your scalp, smells pretty okay, and matches light to dark brown hair colors. They have a can for redheads too! For traveling, I like Klorane's Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk: Natural Tint. It's similar to Batiste, but it's the only brunette one I can find in a travel size.

Sunscreen (Face)

So I used to be a sun-addicted tanning troll, but in recent years, I've come to my senses. As you know, I'm beauty oil-obsessed and sunscreen is no exception. I really like Supergoop's Sun-Defying Sunscreen Oil Broad Spectrum SPF 50. Sephora has a baby size for only $12, which lasts me a few months. L'Oreal has an SPF 30 sunscreen oil dupe that's actually pretty good too. I also like to rub a little Kiss My Face SPF 30 onto my nose (kinda like a surfer) and mid-forehead area on top of the oil because those are the parts of my face that get the reddest throughout the day.

Sunscreen (Body)

For slathering my whole body with SPF, I would prolly have to say that Sun Bum is my favorite. It's natural(ish), smells like bananas, and comes in cream, spray, lip balm, after sun lotion, tattoo sticks, and lots of cute travel sizes. Practice safe sun, kids! It's the cool thing to do. (Seriously, though.)

Body Lotion

Right now, I'm really feelin' Sol De Janeiro's Brazilian Bum Bum Cream. It comes in a cute little orange tub and tightens and smoothes your skin. Joe went into Sephora to buy me my [modest] wishlist for Valentine's Day—dream guy, amiright?!—and asked them for the phonetic pronunciation of the Bum Bum Cream. He said they laughed at him because apparently, it's pronounced like "Boom Boom." Who knew!? When I'm not using fancy Brazillian gifted body lotion, I really just like Eucerin Advanced Repair Dry Skin Lotion. It's not the most natural stuff out there, but it's kinda like a mix of Vaseline and regular moisturizer and I think it's the most hydrating drug store body lotion besides straight coconut oil.

What are your favorite lotions & potions? Comment below!

And seriously, raise your hand if you remember the show Popular.