Skin Care Timeout

My littlest one just turned one and it seems that slowly, but surely, I am catching glimpses of being able to get back to some beauty routines that I have very much missed since the arrival of baby number three. Although I have always been able to maintain my daily skin care regimen, I haven’t had much time for the extras … until today. Thank you Skin Care Sunday! I finally was able to take advantage of a few extra minutes in the peace and quiet of my bathroom to indulge in a little pampering. This mommy was in desperate need of a skin care timeout.

Today’s Skin Care Sunday post is brought to you by Avon’s Clearskin Pore Penetrating Black Mineral Mask. 

This mask continues to be by far one of my favorite ways to treat my skin well. The mineral mask is comprised of oil-absorbing mineral clays that act like a magnet to help remove pore-clogging oils. Suitable for all skin types, this masks goes on black and transforms to a light grey color while providing a tingly/cooling sensation.

Once the mask is completely dry (usually takes 10-15 minutes), simply rinse and pat dry. My skin is left soft, smooth and refreshed. Package instructions recommend using this pore penetrating mask 2-3 times a week … but let’s be honest, right now I’m lucky that I got to indulge in this at least once this month.

I’m not the only one that loves this mask. It receives a 4.7 star rating based on 73 reviews in my Avon eStore. Get your hands on this product or read more about it and the other top-rated skin care options Avon offers by visiting www.azmakeupmaven.com.

Please note: I am not paid by Avon to promote their products. I am an independent representative with Avon and always give an honest review of how I feel about products from our company, good or bad. Any reviews written are my personal opinions only. I purchase all my own products unless earned through a special representative incentive through Avon.

Avon Deals and Steals of the Week

Oh my goodness there are several coupon codes, discounts and other deals live right now over in my Avon Store!
Keep reading … you don’t want to miss out on these.

Swing on over and check it out: www.youravon.com/rluedemann

1. Labor Day Sale! – EXPIRES TODAY (midnight EST)!! – September 3, 2014 

FREE SHIPPING on a $20 order plus save up to 60%

Use code: LABORDAY14

 

2. Just For You! – Expires September 7, 2014 

Save 20% on any $50 order! 

Use code: AVONDREAMS

 

3. FREE mark. Dreaming of Jasmine 2-Piece Gift Set with a $50 Purchase While Supplies Last! 

Item will automatically be added to cart once $50 is added to bag.
Channel your inner romantic with a blend of jasmine petals, peach and vanilla! Our luxurious 2-piece gift set includes: Body Scrub and Hand Cream ($18 value)

 

My Picks of the Week

Dare to Be Bold with Explosive Volume! You’ve got to get your hands on our new
Big & Daring Mascara. Save 22% with the introductory price of just $6.99.
This is one of my new favorites in my beauty bag. 
PLUS… I will send you a FREE Eye Makeup Remover Lotion for every Bold & Daring Mascara purchased as a special Thank You for shopping Avon with me. 

 

Welcome FALL with our Limited Edition Bubble Baths!
Save 25% with a special price $5.99.

Fresh Orchard Apple – Fresh-picked green apple with sparkling pear and creamy muguet.

Sugar & Walnut  – A deliciously warm blend of creamy vanilla caramel, brown sugar and walnut.

 

Treat Your Feet from Heel to Toe! Buy 1, Get 1 for Get 1 for 99¢ on all
Avon Foot Works Products. Save up to $7!

 

Special offer on Avon Advanced Techniques Hair Care.
Stock up with any 2 hair care products for just $5.99 

 

Shop Now!

 

Back-to-School Baking

It’s hard to believe its back-to-school time already! In fact, we’ve already been in school for almost three weeks here in Arizona and boy has it been a busy three weeks. Not only did my husband return to work from summer vacation and resume his duties as an assistant principal at a high school … my baby boy (and first born) started kindergarten. How did I cope? By baking of course! 

Back-to-School  can often be a shock to the system after summer break, so I decided to make some goodies for my husband’s staff to help them get through their first day of school. Afterall, chocolate makes everything better and I was super stoked to test out my new Brookie Pan that I had ordered from Avon. What makes for a better treat than a chocolate chip cookie baked inside a moist, chewy brownie? 

 

This pan was so easy to to use and made a great dessert within a dessert that can be used for gifts, potlucks and other special (or really any) occasions. Since it was the night before the first day of school I made it even simpler by using pre-packaged brownie mix and ready to bake cookie dough.

 

After spraying the pan with some baking spray to prevent sticking I began by filling the bottom of the six molds with brownie mix. 

After the molds were half full I placed the chocolate chip cookie dough in the middle and then topped off the molds with the rest of the brownie batter. Off to the oven they went!

 

Oh my gosh! They turned out so great. While baking, they made my house smell delicious and once they came out of the oven, it was all I could do to keep my husband and my kids away from them. I have to admit they were pretty hard to resist – especially in my current pregnant, sweet tooth state. They fell right out of the pan and cooled pretty quickly. Because I just plopped the pre-made in the middle as they came packaged, the cookies maintained the square shape they came in. If you would rather have round cookies within the brownies, you can bake the cookies before placing them in the Brookie pan with the brownie batter.

 

After the Brookies had cooled, it was time for the final touches. I wanted these to be a cute little back-to-school gift for the staff, so I printed out some festive gift tags and packaged them in treat backs. My husband got home that night and said his staff thoroughly enjoyed the Brookies. Mission Accomplished! 

If you like to bake and are looking for something new and inventive, I would highly recommend adding the Brookie Pan to your kitchen. Interested in learning more about the Brookie Pan or getting your hands on one for your own baking pleasure, visit www.azmakeupmaven.com

Please note: I am not paid by Avon to promote their products. I am independent representative with Avon and always give an honest review of how I feel about products from our company, good or bad. Any reviews written are my personal opinions only. I purchase all my own products unless earned through a special representative incentive through Avon.

Fashion Friday Find: Get in The Groove and Get The Look For Less

From summer maxi dresses to fun and funky nail art, the chevron trend seems to have taken over summer fashion. Why not jump on the chevron train with a great summer handbag? I plan to and I can’t wait to get my hands on the mark. Get In the Groove Handbag! 

I love it when I can look fashionable and save money at the same time!

Find this Friday Fashion Find and more at www.azmakeupmaven.com.

Back in the Face of the Day Game

I haven’t been feeling very well lately and it’s been a while since I’ve put on a full face of makeup. However, today I did and it’s amazing how much it improved my attitude. I actually feel put together and ready to face the day. So of course, I had to document my Face of the Day and share it with you. CHEESE!

 

Being that I haven’t worn makeup in a while, I figured I would ease in with a fairly natural look with some added color on my lips. Here’s what I used to achieve today’s look.

Listed clockwise from left to right I used the mark. chic frills powder blush, Avon ultra color absolute lipstick in tea rose, mark. neutrals on the dot eye color compact and Avon mega effects mascara.

You can learn more about and purchase all of these products by visiting www.azmakeupmaven.com.

Please note: I am not paid by Avon to promote these products. I am independent representative with Avon and always give an honest review of how I feel about products from our company, good or bad. Any reviews written are my personal opinions only. I purchase all my own products unless earned through a special representative incentive through Avon.

Impromptu Beauty Day

I love unplanned beauty days! One of my BFF’s came over this morning to enjoy breakfast and some girl time. Really I invited her over to provide a distraction as it was the second day she would drive home to an empty house after dropping her twins off at kindergarten. My kids are both still at home with me, but I can only imagine the emotional wreck I will be next year when I have to take my son to his first week of kindergarten.

After enjoying coffee and blueberry pancakes we decided to have some fun and pamper ourselves. First up? A new mineral mask from Avon that I had been dying to try. Both of us loved the mask and I love my friend even more after she let me take, and post, these silly pictures of us during the beautifying process. Avon’s Clearskin Pore Penetrating Black Mineral Mask (available at www.azmakeupmaven.com) is designed to draw pore-clogging dirt and oil like a magnet, leaving your skin smooth and clean. A special feature of this mask is the ability to “see” it working. The mask goes one black, but dries to white to let you know when it’s time to wash it off.  My skin did feel soft and clean after rinsing and I am looking forward to trying this again.

Next up …. A Little Bit of Nail Art Fun! It’s back to school week here in Arizona and what better way to celebrate than with a fun nail look that students can relate to. Here’s my version of the notebook doodle manicure. I even incorporated my husband’s and my initials. 

Happy Hour Look of the Day

TGIF! I’m off to meet the hubby for happy hour with his coworkers. For the evening out I thought I would spice up my look with an understated, but colorful cat eye. To achieve this look I used an Avon Extralasting eyeshadow pencil in shimmering sand as a base on my lid. I then lined the upper lash line with Avon Glimmersticks Chromes in Ultra Violet to create the cat eye effect and following that up with my Avon Extralasting Eyeshadow Pencil in Aquamarine on the inner half of the upper lash line. I finished the eye look off with Avon’s innovative new Mega Effects Mascara. Cheers! 

Want to get this look? You can learn more about the products listed above by visiting www.azmakeupmaven.com

My Avon Makeup Maven Journey

What a whirlwind of makeup fun and exploration my life has been since earning the West Regional Makeup Maven title from Avon in January. This year has been filled with trips to New York City, creating YouTube tutorials, giving presentations, creating pictorials and conducting makeup classes. I am having so much fun stepping out of my comfort zone and encouraging other women to do the same with their makeup choices. I am so thankful to Avon for broadening my horizons and providing me with the “expert” knowledge and confidence to inspire others to have fun and spice up their makeup routines.  

I am so looking forward to finally having a blog to share my beauty journey as I really dive into the beauty world, experience new products, have fun with nail art, share beauty tips and create beautiful makeup looks. Please feel free to comment with questions or topics you would like to see included in this blog.

Here are some highlights from my recent trips to New York City …
My first trip to NYC in February included a tour of Avon’s Global Research and Development Center, a Master Makeup Class with Celebrity Makeup Artist Paul Innis, cocktails with Avon’s CEO, a surprise photo shoot and other fantastic training. I even had a chance to see Newsies on Broadway!

I was thrilled and honored to be invited back to NYC once again in March to be a part of a Video Shoot to create training materials for other Avon Representatives. What an incredible opportunity to share beauty tips, marketing technics and other tidbits on how to grow a profitable makeup business. We had a blast on set and enjoyed getting to meet Avon’s New Global Celebrity Makeup Artist Lauren Andersen.