Beauty

Favorite Makeup Products for Moms

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Hello!

Mornings can be busy between getting yourself and your children ready, eating breakfast and rushing out of the door. I am someone who does my makeup daily before going to work, but it is not something I want to spend a lot of time on. These are my favorite “staple” products in my makeup routine that I use on a daily basis.

Makeup Ideas for Busy Moms

  1. Clinique Even Better Foundation- If you are looking for a good foundation with medium, buildable coverage I recommend Clinique’s Even Better Foundation. It is great for combination skin, has SPF and is long lasting.
  2. Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer- This concealer is light-weight, but also has nice coverage. It is easy to blend and works well for under the eyes and for any blemishes.
  3. Ulta Translucent Setting Powder- This is a fine setting powder that does wonders for setting face makeup. I use this on the long days I know I need a little extra staying power.
  4. Mac Paint Pots- These can be used under eyeshadow as a primer or alone. I like to use the color Groundwork as an all over eye color during the work week, when I IMG_5652don’t have time to do a full eyeshadow look. It gives a nice wash of color and is long-lasting.
  5. Tarte Maneater Vol. 2 Eyeshadow Palette- I don’t do my eyeshadow everyday, but this is the palette I reach for the most when I do. It has a nice range of matte and shimmer neutral shadows. It has a matte black too which is nice to use for eyeliner.
  6. Benefit Goof-Proof Brow Pencil-  Goof-Proof makes doing your eyebrows quick and effortless. It is easy to blend and use, and is much more forgiving (rightfully earning the goof-proof name) than other brow products. If you make a mistake it wipes away without making a big mess.
  7. MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick-This has been my go-to lip color for the year. It is a perfect natural, mauve color that is perfect for everyday looks and for work.
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Beauty

Remedies for Dry, Chapped Lips

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Do you struggle with dry, cracked lips? Every winter, I have a consistent problem with my lips cracking and peeling. It seems like no matter what preventative measures I take, it’s never successful. I have tried many different products and while some seem to work while the product is on my lips, my lips never fully “heal.”

Dry winter air can wreak havoc on skin and lips. Add moisture and help them heal by following these 8 remedies for dry, chapped lips.

Here are a few tips to keep your lips nice and hydrated:

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Beauty

Why I Quit the Curly Girl Method

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Why I "quit" The Curly Girl Method when it was no longer working for my wavy hair and what I do instead to keep my hair healthy while still using some heat. #CGM #Curlygirlmethod #curlyhair #wavyhair #natural

Wavy and Curly hair seems like such a science to figure out how to style. Over the years I have tried so many products to perfect my hair. When I found the Curly Girl Method a few years ago, I was so excited to finally have a guide on how to care for my hair. 

Okay, so I didn’t quit all aspects of the Curly Girl Method completely, but I did change my hair routine when the Curly Girl Method wasn’t working for my hair anymore. Let me explain…

My Hair Journey

I guess I should rewind and share a little bit about my hair journey. I have had curly/ wavy hair for my entire life. After years of straightening, curling and messy buns, I went “natural.” Even after years of embracing my hair, I still didn’t feel like I had it “right.” On good hair days, I loved my hair. But I had a lot of not so good hair days too where my hair looked flat, lifeless and frizzy. Then my hair after pregnancy was a whole new challenge. I felt like my hair changed to a weird mix of wavy on top, almost straight on the bottom with a few curls mixed in. I tried to make it work for a year and a half before I needed a refresh and cut 6 inches off my hair and started using heat again.

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Beauty

How to Prevent Frizzy Hair

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Hello!

Today I wanted to share 10 tips to prevent frizzy hair. My hair is wavy and has a lot of frizz, especially when it’s humid. My hair goal lately has been to wear my hair natural and to get it healthier. These are some ways I prevent frizz.

How to prevent frizzy hair

  1. Avoid heat whenever possible. The key to frizz-free hair is moisture and using heat dries hair out. This was a tough one for me. I used to straighten and curl my hair all the time, but now wear my hair natural on most days.
  2. If you choose to use heat on your hair, keep the temperature down. If your hair is fine, you need a lower temperature than someone with thick hair.
  3. Moisturize- find a good deep conditioner to use regularly. I try to use a deep conditioner once a week and have noticed quite a difference in my hair.
  4. Use sulfate-free shampoo. Sulfates are harsh on hair and can strip hair causing it to be dry. Sulfate-free shampoos are more gentle, but still get hair clean.
  5. Avoid silicones in your hair products. Silicones are tricky because they can make hair appear healthier, but they also stick to hair and can be hard to wash out, causing buildup. Cowashing or sulfate-free shampoo may not be tough enough to wash silicones out. Over time, they will weigh hair down.
  6. Use a microfiber towel or an old t-shirt to dry hair instead of using a regular towel. And make sure to scrunch the hair with the towel to dry it instead of rubbing.
  7. Rinse your hair with cold water at the end of your shower. This helps to close the hair cuticle.
  8. Sleep with your hair in a scrunchie. I like to sleep with my hair close to the top of my head. It helps to prevent frizz and tangles. Regular hair ties can cause hair breakage if they are to tight, but a scrunchie works well and is a bit looser.
  9. Sleep on a silk pillowcase. This is good especially if you move a lot in your sleep. Cotton pillowcases can cause frizz when your hair rubs on it.
  10. Trial and error to find the best products for you hair.      That doesn’t mean spend a ton of money on hair products, but give a couple products a try and see what gives the best results. You may need to try the same product with different amounts or in different ways.

What have you tried to reduce frizz?

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Beauty, Teaching

Interview Makeup Tips

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Hello! I hope everyone had a fantastic weekend. Over the last year I have had a handful of job interviews and meet and greats with school districts. After you have prepared yourself for how you are going to answer common questions and you have researched the company a bit, the next part is preparing your look. I finally accepted my dream job as a Kindergarten teacher over the summer. 

Interview Makeup tips
 1. Allow extra time to get ready. Rushing to get ready in time is stressful and you don’t want to go into an interview flustered. Not only what you say is important, but how you look is important too. You only get one first impression.

2. Keep your makeup on the natural side. You don’t want your makeup to be a distraction. For my fav makeup, I used a medium coverage foundation with a Beautyblender and used a concealer to cover any blemishes and under my eyes. I used a light hand to apply a mauve toned blush and a light bronzer.  I made sure everything blended nicely into skin. 

3. For eye makeup, stay away from a dark smokey eyes and limit the amount of glittery/shimmery eyeshadows. I used neutral colors from my Tarte Maneater Palette to add a little bit of color to my lid and to contour to my crease. I applied black eyeshadow to my upper lash line and I blended a light brown eyeshadow on my lower lash line. I used an eyeshadow to highlight the inner corner of my eye as well. Apply a layer or 2 of non-clumping mascara. 

4. Be yourself. If you normally wear a red lipstick, go for it. I would stay away from anything too bright because it shouldn’t be a distraction. Make sure to exfoliate your lips the night before to prevent dry or flaky lips. I wore a nude- Mac’s Velvet Teddy.

5. For nail polish I used a light grey. I would avoid dark color polishes only because it is more noticeable if there is a chip. I painted them the night before and used a good top coat to avoid any chipping.

6. For my hair I curled it by wrapping it around a 1′ curling iron. I have been wearing my hair mostly natural, but curling my hair looks more polished and interview appropriate. Again, wear your hair in a style you will feel confident in.

Overall, the goal is for you to feel comfortable and confident with your look. Confidence will show when you are in your interview.

Good luck, Thanks for reading!

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