Tuesday Tips: Beauty Tips

Today I'm sharing some of my favorite beauty tips that will help you maximize your natural look! If you've read my daily wear page, you already know that I'm big on skin care. Taking care of your skin, especially now that winter is coming and the weather is colder, is so important. This means having a daily routine that works for you. Because everyone has different skin, it's important to try a variety of products until you find what works best. It took me a while to find the right mix of products for my skin. It was definitely worth it though because I've been following the same skin care regimen for probably over a year now. You can find my daily routine here. In addition to my daily routine I also do the following: 

FACIALS

Getting facials on a consistent basis truly makes a difference in the way your skin looks and feels. They keep your skin healthy and hydrated and they can also be the perfect "me time" activity. Setting aside this time to not only relax, but also take care of yourself can be really rewarding. I know facials can be costly, but if you make them a priority and work them into your budget, you won't be disappointed. Because your skin will have a healthy, natural glow, you won't need to wear as much makeup. For me, being able to go natural is such a good feeling!

DERMAPLANING

More recently, I started to get into dermaplaning. Dermaplaning is a safe and effective way to exfoliate the epidermis (the outer layer of skin) and get rid of fine vellus hair (aka peach fuzz). This process works wonders! It leaves your skin soft and smooth and your products work SO much better because all the dead skin is gone! This is a service offered by estheticians, which can also be costly since you can't do it yourself; however, you only need to do it about every 4 weeks. Dermaplaning in combination with facials will truly make in a difference in the health of your skin, how your products work, and how much makeup you need (or don't need!) to use!

LASH TINTING

My natural eye lashes are super light, but also super long. When I don't have mascara on you can barely tell I have any which is annoying because I feel like my eyes look tired and incomplete :( If you also have this problem, I have your answer! Getting your eye lashes tinted makes all the difference! Your natural lashes will now be darker, making them visible without tons of mascara! I especially keep up with this in the summer time because that is when I wear the least makeup. It lasts about 3 weeks for me until I have to get it done again.

BROW TINTING

I never had an issue with the color of my brows until recently when I darkened my roots. Because my hair was darker I felt like my natural eyebrows didn't match. Well there's an answer for that.. Brow tinting! Just like the lash tinting, brow tinting darkens your brows, and for me, made them the same color as my roots. This is also an amazing service for anyone who is naturally blonde and has super light brows. Instead of always having to fill in your brows, get them tinted!! I'm telling you it works wonders!

So now let's review.. Facials, dermaplaning, lash tinting, and brow tinting can all enhance your natural look! Your skin will be healthier and you will find yourself wearing less makeup on a regular basis! You may feel like you only need one of these services, or maybe you think you would benefit from all of these services. There might be a specific reason or time when you want to get these services done. And even though these services can be costly, anything that helps you feel beautiful and confident is worth it! You just have to prioritize and work it into your budget. Or... since the holidays are coming, you could ask for gift certificates to a salon or spa that provides these services. That would be a win win situation because you're getting it as a gift and you're also treating yourself! 

I get all of these services done at Studio 21 Beauty Bar. If you are in the South Jersey area I ABSOLUTELY recommend going here! The girls are amazing and they know what they're doing!

If you have any tips to enhance your natural look, please share them in the comments below! I'd love to hear them!

xo

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Tuesday Tips 2.0

Happy Tuesday ladies! I hope your week is off to a good start. The rain is finally gone and the sun is shining so I'm a happy camper :) This is my second Tuesday Tips post (hence 2.0) and it's all about cleaning.. Ugh yes, cleaning. I've learned that there are two types of people in the world: people who love cleaning and people who hate cleaning. Raise your hand if you're someone who dreads cleaning like I do! The thought of taking time out of my day to clean makes me cringe. There are so many things I'd rather be doing than cleaning (online shopping, working out, catching up on TV shows, even homework). But.. once I get in the mindset to clean I do it, and I do it well. If I didn't do it well then it would just be a waste of time, right? I also have to admit that I feel great after I clean because I did something productive.

The three main cleaning tasks that I struggle with are cleaning my room, cleaning my car, and cleaning my makeup brushes. When all three of these tasks build up and have to be done at the same time I get really stressed out. Recently, I've been trying to complete these three tasks on a weekly basis, at the least. It's been working so far.. well kind of. 

First let's talk about cleaning your room. My problem is that once my laundry is done and folded, I have piles and piles of clean clothes that sit on my floor for days. Why don't I put my clothes away right after they're folded? I don't really have an answer for that. It's just a task that I avoid. When these piles of clean clothes get combined with clean clothes that I try on and then take off and don't hang back up, it creates a disaster. Then I have clean clothes in piles and clean clothes just thrown around. Then, I can't remember if the clothes thrown on the floor are clean or dirty! What a mess. I've come to the realization that putting my piles of clothes where they belong right away is obviously super helpful. I've also come to the realization that hanging up clean clothes after trying them and changing my mind is also helpful. (Who would have thought, right?) Moral of the story: avoid a messy room by putting your clean clothes away, right away! I promise it helps and if you get in the routine of doing so you won't have to dread cleaning your room. 

Second, let's talk about cleaning your car. I'm always on the go. Whether I'm going to class, work, or Rob's, the mess in my car can build up pretty quickly. My mess consists of clothes, shoes, and trash (water bottles mostly, some protein bar wrappers, and the occasional banana peel, gross I know). SO. To avoid a messy car, I take my trash out EVERY DAY. I keep plastic bags in my center console that way I can throw my trash in the bag and only have one item to carry since my hands are usually full when I get home. Even if I have to make a second trip out to my car to get my trash or extra clothes that made their way to the back, I do it. It's worth it knowing the next time you get in your car you won't have an even bigger mess to clean. Moral of the story: take the trash out of your car every day and take out any clothing items before they build up. 

Last, let's talk about cleaning your makeup brushes. This is a task that most ladies forget to do on a regular basis, myself included. Who really feels like cleaning their brushes and waiting for them to dry? Not me. Especially when I know they won't be dry by the time I need to use them next. What a pain right? Cleaning your makeup brushes on a weekly basis would be ideal, but since timing is a big part of it, it's hard, I get it. What I've been doing is writing a reminder to myself in my calendar to clean my makeup brushes. This helps me because then I am able to look at my schedule and pick a day where I know I probably won't wear makeup, that way I don't have to worry about them being dry or not. (And yes.. you read that right.. I don't wear makeup every day.. it's important to let your skin breathe so it can stay healthy!!) This cleaning task is so important because if you neglect your brushes, product and bacteria will build up and cause your face to break out which no one wants. I currently clean my makeup brushes with warm water and baby soap. It works like a charm and leaves my brushes feeling smooth as ever! If I don't have baby soap I will use my face cleanser, that works just as well. In the past I have used makeup brush cleanser from MAC, but I think it's overrated. Moral of the story: clean your makeup brushes as often as possible, even if it's once a week, to avoid breakouts and product build up on your brushes. 

I hope you enjoyed this post and now feel somewhat inspired to clean on a regular basis rather than avoid it for as long as possible! When you get in a routine, cleaning will become less work because the mess won't be as big. Just remember: clean your car, clean your room, and clean your makeup brushes! If you have any cleaning tips that make the process easier I'd love to hear them in the comments below! 

xo 

Tuesday Tips

Happy Tuesday! So I came up with the idea that every once in a while I'll do a "Tuesday Tips" post since this is a LIFE & style blog. Today's tips are geared towards getting back on track when you're having a bad day. It's easy to feel overwhelmed once in a while when you have a lot going on. Falling out of your routine can throw off your balance and things can start to get messy.. At least that's how it gets for me. Preventing this from happening would be awesome, but you're bound to have a bad day (that could turn into a bad week) every once in a while. So when this happens there are a few things that I found that work for me & hopefully they will work for you too!

*One thing I do when I'm having a bad couple days is remind myself to have a positive mindset. It's easy to let one negative thing that happens in the morning affect your whole day. When you start getting down on yourself it makes it harder to regain control. Then you just want to cry because it seems like things can't get worse but then they do. So, when something bad happens you just have to tell yourself it happened and there's nothing you can do except move on. Thinking positive through negative times will help you get back on track because you're in control and know that today can be a good day, it just depends how you look at it!

*Another thing I do when I feel like things are getting messy is make a brand new to-do list. Sometimes I'll make a to-do list for the day. Other times I'll make a to-do list for the week. Then there are times where I make daily to-do lists for the week ahead. The thing about making a to-do list is that it allows you to physically see what you need to accomplish and when it needs to be done by. As you make progress you can check things off which is a great feeling because you know you're being productive. During school I like making daily lists for the week ahead because it creates a plan for me. I've always been a planner so knowing what I'm going to do and when I'm going to do it helps me have a good flow to my days. Having a cute notebook (like the one in the picture above from Marshall's) is just an added bonus! 

*Having "me time" is also important when you feel like you're off balance. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in everything that's going on in our lives that we forget to take time for ourselves. And taking care of yourself is the most important thing you need to do! Easier said than done, I know. For me, I LOVE exercising. Whether it's going for a run, lifting, or doing yoga, being active allows me to clear my head and get the negative energy out. Of course there are days when I'm busy or tired or just don't have the time to fit in a work out, but I don't let it get me down.. the next day I'm back at it. Everyone is going to have something different that they prefer to do for "me time" and that's perfectly okay. All you have to do is make time for an activity that allows you to regroup and you will start feeling better in no time!

Well, that's all I have for you today! I hope you liked this post and feel inspired :) if you're having a bad day today, just know it will get better! Think positive, make a to-do list, and don't forget to add me time! If you have any tips to help get back on track after a bad day leave them in the comments below! 

xo 

P.S. I also want to wish the happiest of birthdays to my pretty Lauren! I love you mama!