Let’s set the scene: You have a night planned with the girls, the boy, co-workers – you name it and naturally, you start your preparations for the evening approximately five hours before you’re due to leave the house.

Okay, not all of us are that extreme but preparations are in order for the night to impress or just frankly, because you want to look like you have your sh*t together. Don’t we all.

For nights like these, I plan out the activities of my preparation which happen to all take place in the bathroom. These include the following: showering, exfoliating, applying lotion then makeup, drying and styling hair, etc. However, you definitely have to choose your shampoo/conditioner combo carefully if you know how it makes your hair appear when dry. Trust me, I’ve experimented with a handful of brands and I know the ones that make my hair stick to my head or frizz up like a lion.. NOBODY GOT TIME FOR THAT, especially on date night.

If you’ve dealt with a similar situation or dilemma, time to look into a new date night essentials kit that I consider my saving grace – C.O. Bigelow. Thanks to my friends at ShopAtHome, I got to try out these six awesome C.O. Bigelow products that not only smell amazing but also greatly satisfied my needs when it comes to prepping away.

First, I treated myself to a deep shampoo and conditioning treatment using C.O. Bigelow’s Not Your Ordinary Shampoo & Conditioner. What’s great about these two is their versatility of appealing to all hair types. Personally, I couldn’t get enough of how great they smelled. Like a blend coconut, vanilla, shea butter and anything else light and cozy – that’s how I would describe it.

When I conditioned, I made sure to leave the conditioner in for two-four minutes – as the instructions stated – in order to let it deeply set into my hair. As that was going on, I took the time to assure my skin would be as soft as can be..

And how do you get soft skin that also smells like lemons? By using C.O. Bigelow’s Lemon Sugar Body Scrub, duh. Just kidding because to be entirely honest, I wouldn’t have thought to go this route the first time around – I’m used to the whole shower wash & loofah combo.

But using sugar scrub is so much easier! Plus, it didn’t leave my body looking tomato red like the loofah normally does. I also applied this while shaving to get that extra soft leg effect. Once dry, my skin smelled lemony and smooth all on its own. But in order to lock in that scent and softness – as well as my tan I received during the day – I turn to the art of lathering with lotion.

Lotion is great for several things but in my case, I rely on it to prolong my tan and keep my skin from appearing chalky and dry. It also doesn’t hurt to have a nice, natural smell come with those perks. There are some lotions out there that say they do this, but end up deceiving you either by having to reapply or having your skin go into total protest mode. For those of you with sensitive skin, I feel for you. I also encourage you to consider C.O. Bigelow Lemon Body Lotion if you’re looking for that perfect blend of lemons, softness and label guarantee.

I took a risk, a big risk, and applied this then unfamiliar lotion to my face to see what would happen – yes, I did this for you guys and my review. Much to my relief, not one under the skin or surfacing blemish appeared! I think it’s because this product is so light that it didn’t set into my pores as much to set off a storm of disruption. However, if you know your skin and how it reacts to very basic or prescription lotions then apply at your own risk or not at all – I don’t want anyone yelling at me :x.

Last but not least, it’s time to take care of those chapped lips. This is another issue I’ve struggled with because no matter what lip balm or scrub I’ve tried, I never felt satisfied knowing the chapped-ness would reappear in 24 hours. When I tried C.O. Bigelow’s Rose Salve and Mentha Lip Shine, I was relieved to know the product would stay on my lips or act long-lasting once I was out for the night. No one wants flaky lips and it becomes uber annoying to constantly reapply the gloss. People might think you have an obsessive habit, or maybe I just think that’s what people will conclude.

The Rose Salve is not only for lips, but can in fact be used on the face, elbows, cuticles, knees and just about anywhere you can appear chapped. If you do happen to be out and need a quick touch up, be thankful this little tin can fit in your purse and last longer than your basic hand lotion.

The Mentha Lip Shine feels cool on the lips and makes you feel fresh, literally. You get a great, glossy shine for a longer period of time and get a minty sensation all the while.

So if you’re stuck in a rut and looking for ways to step up your date night prep, consider C.O. Bigelow products the next time you get ready. The natural ingredients that go into these products alone work their magic and actually last the time they are expected to perform. As a lady with limited patience, I’m all about it.

Oh and if you’re wondering what I looked like once all the prep was done, please see my look below. I happened to apply all six of these towards an early morning blog shoot the next day and was very pleased with my overall appearance as a result of their use.

See the full outfit post here.

(Linked up w/: Fashion Friday, Friday Fab Favorites, That Friday, Welcome To The Weekend, Fashion Item Friday,Passion For Fashion, Favorite Fashion Friday, Casual Friday, Friday Frills)

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