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Hi, I’M MEG.

I live in West Hartford, CT with my husband Chris and our baby girl Nell. We love classic American style and bickering about whose turn it is to unload the dishwasher. Glad you stopped by!

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meg@forthelonghall.com

What's in my Medicine Cabinet

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I always laugh a little when I get requests for my hair/skincare routine. I've always struggled with my skin and tend to be my own worst enemy - I over analyze every pore and always make things worse. Acne, dryness, aging, sun damage... as I get older I realize how much my skin has gone through and I've made a concentrated effort to improve my routine.

Both my skin and hair took a beating from pregnancy and now post-partum hormones. I've made a concentrated effort while I have a bit more time on maternity leave to take care of myself and was generously gifted a few spa treatments. At my most recent facial the aesthetician told me that my skin was extremely dry and I finally realized that perhaps my acne-prone skin was self-inflicted because I wayyyy over-dry it! Anyway, I've been using a lot more moisturizing products lately and I've seen a great improvement in my skin. Here's what's currently in my cabinet!

Cleansers:

My friend Julie told me a few years ago that I should "pre-cleanse" to take off all of my makeup before using my actual cleanser. Sounds like an extra step but OMG what a game changer!! At night, I use Origins Makeup Removing Jelly before cleansing with Fresh Soy Face Cleanser in the shower. In the morning I use Dr. Dennis Gross All-In-One Cleanser and Toner (I LOVE his products and this was recommended for me during my last facial). It's also a "dry" cleanser which I love for the morning - I feel clean and refreshed but not dried out before putting on makeup, etc.

I also picked up a small size of Tata Harper's Regenerating Cleanser on the recommendation from a friend and so far I really like it! It's got a little "grit" to it so I may start using that a few times per week to exfoliate. I only got a small size first because I'm always hesitant of uber-expensive beauty products; especially when they are all natural (sorry being honest). I've had so many bad experiences with brands like Juice Beauty that I end up hating and then I'm stuck using a whole bottle out of guilt.

Serums:

I became a cult fan of Origins High-Potency Night-A-Mins Skin Refining Oil when I was pregnant and I'm still using it. I actually use it in the morning before my moisturizer because it's super light and absorbs right in. At night I use Kiehls Nightly Refining Micro Peel. I found this via customer service chat with BlueMercury while searching for a pregnancy-safe replacement for their PowerGlow pads and I love it!

Asterwood Naturals Hyaluronic Acid is my tried-and-true best friend - in the winter I use it at night and mix it with my moisturizer in the morning. In the warmer months I used it as my final serum (always layer serums thinnest to thickest - this is my thickest!). I found this brand on Amazon and it's my absolute favorite. It's also only $16.90 for a huge bottle!

Moisturizers:

In the morning I layer Darphin Intral Redness Relief Recovery Balm over my serum. This is a pricey one but like I said, I've been kind of beating up my skin and this has REALLY helped with redness and sensitivity. It's got a green tint to it which also helps under makeup. 

At night, I use Blue Mercury's M-61 Hydraboost Cream if I'm feeling really parched or Dr. Dennis Gross Hyluronic Marine Oil-Free Moisture Cushion as a lighter option (especially if I haven't worn makeup that day and don't need to double cleanse). I used to use moisturizers for oily skin and swapping to more nourishing creams has really decreased my breakouts.

Eye Creams:

I never thought I needed eye cream until I had my makeup done a few months ago and saw my lines up close - YIKES! In the morning I use Laura Mercier's Flawless Skin Repair Eye Serum because it doubles as a highlighter. This is my second bottle of this and each one lasted me a full year! I'm sure you're probably supposed to replace it before then or something but for $83 I will intentionally stretch it ;) At night I've been trying Dr. Dennis Gross Hyluronic Marine Dew it Right Eye Gel and I LOVE it. Super light and not too pricey. I hate super thick eye creams that melt into my eyes overnight, yuck.

I also have to admit that I'm a die-hard LashBoost user. It's the real deal and was the first product I re-ordered after I stopped breastfeeding! My friend Julie is a very discreet R+F rep (she doesn't slam your FB feed and lets me order only when I need things) so feel free to reach out if you want to try it. ((FYI I am in no way affiliated with Rodan and Fields nor do I get any referral action, etc. (she doesn't even know I'm including her here)- I am just a Lash Boost fan.))

Hair Finishing:

I live for Oribe's Superfine Hair Spray and their Dry Texturizing Spray (I use it as dry shampoo). I used to use their Gold Lust products but now I spend all my money on cute swaddles instead - these are the two products that I can still justify!

That's just about it! I am also a huge fan of face masks but I will do a separate post about those as I'm still trying out a few new ones. Let me know if you have any suggestions or questions in the comments!

Building + Maintaining a Classic Minimal Wardrobe

Nursery Tour

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