[First Dibs Theory] Why You Can't Skip The Pre-Poo if You Have High Porosity Hair

Wash days can get arduous at times.  I pretty much used to block off an entire day to make sure I included all the necessary steps.  Obviously, my hair benefited tremendously.  Then eventually, I made the executive decision to shorten the steps a little for the sake of saving time.

One of the casualties of my new "minimalist" wash day regimen was the pre-poo step.  For a while, things seemed to be going ok.  But then I came to the realization that my hair was struggling.  It was always frizzy, coarse and couldn't hold a style to save its life.

Eventually, I came to the startling conclusion that I was suffering from low porosity hair.

Immediately, I sprung into action by acquiring a bunch of new hair products and incorporating various techniques to combat frizz.  Some of it worked and some didn't.  Of everything I've incorporated so far, one technique seemed to have an immediate effect.

The One Technique that Ensures that You Manifest Consistently.

Typically, I like to dedicate the last 3 months in the year on focusing on goals that I haven't yet achieved.  Since we're entering a new decade soon, these next three months are pretty important.  Recently, I realized that there were some areas where I've been slacking.  So now I've got to really raise my focus to make up for lost time.

For the next few months, I'd like to be manifesting in a big way.  Sounds great, but words mean little if there's no action to back it up.  To make sure that I experience real results, I plan on implementing a strategy that practically guarantees successful manifestation.

The One Factor The Keeps You Young, Beautiful, & Healthy for Lifetime

Beauty routines can get complicated. I'm slightly embarrassed when I think about how many beauty related products I own.  I've amassed so many products because a complete beauty routine has so many moving parts.  We have to focus on creating glowing skin, healthy hair,  remember to eat well....the list goes on.

At times, I feel like maintain a comprehensive routine gets overwhelming and I fall off completely.  Today I asked myself a powerful question.  I wondered if I could boil my beauty routine into one fundamental practice that could support all of my beauty goals both inside and out.

This Hydrating Ingredient is 5X More Moisturizing than Hyaluronic Acid

Once I was finally able to defeat my acne, I thought all of my skin's problems were behind me.  But, the older I got, the drier my skin became.  Dry skin sucks because that's when the signs of aging start to appear.  Suddenly, I can see tiny little cracks and lines appearing on the surface.  Not to mention flaky skin which is the absolute worst.

After deciding that I've had enough, I sought to find the highest moisturizing products on the market.  My search lead me to hyaluronic acid (HA).  Specifically, I fell in love with Hada Labo's range of hyaluronic acid products.  These HA focused moisturizers are sensational.  In fact, I recently added to my collection with an HA product that literally feels like a sheet mask in a bottle.  I'll dedicate an entire article to this product because it's that amazing!  But, for now, I want to let you in on another find that I stumbled upon less than 24 hours ago.

The reason why this product is so interesting to me is that the hero ingredient was found to be 5X more powerful than our beloved hyaluronic acid.

How to Turn Your Meals into an Anti-Aging Powerhouse

I try to stay consistent with taking supplements, but sometimes it's hard.  Of all the supplements in my regimen, I have the hardest time staying consistent with consuming enough collagen.  That's because the daily intake requirements are kinda high compared to typical supplements.

Not to mention that most collagen experts actually recommend that we take more than the recommended dosage (aka collagen loading).  Collagen is highly abundant in the body, but it starts to decline each year after the age of 25.  When we take 2 scoops of collagen peptides, we help the body restore some of its reserves. But, if you're looking to experience external beauty benefits, it's important to stay consistent and consume enough collagen to make a difference.

I absolutely want to bet better with my collagen intake. But couldn't find a way to easily fit it into my lifestyle until now.

Brighter, Glowing Skin is Possible with this DIY Anti-Aging Mask.

Another summer has come and gone.  How did you do with wearing sun protection?  Were you a good girl who applied sunscreen religiously every day?  I wasn't.  I tried my best things didn't work out as well as I would've liked.  Because sun damage takes a while to appear, we may think we've gotten away with skipping sun protection here and there.  But, even though we don't see it, the damage might still be there.

Even if the signs of sun-related aging don't show up for years, we still experience hyperpigmentation from increased sun exposure.  Perhaps a little skin brightening might be in order....and I have just the thing could help produce brighter skin while helping to minimize sun damage from summer.

Forget Microneedling. Micro-Channeling might be the Next Big Thing in Flawless Skin.

Lately, when I come across beauty secret reveals on IG, I'll sometimes see tools and procedures that were little known now becoming mainstream.  I love it when beauty innovations become commonplace.  This helps bring the prices down as more companies strive to get a piece of a booming market.  We saw this happen with LED masks. When LED first entered the beauty market, a mask costs thousands of dollars and only a few celebrities had access to their very own anti-aging mask.  Now, these masks are very accessible and even drug store brands like Neutrogena have thrown their hat in the game.

Another skin-changing beauty invention that I'm a huge fan of is microneedling.  After developing a skin routine that controlled my acne, my focus immediately turned to the obvious acne scars that were permanently engraved in my cheeks.  After a series of microneedling sessions, my skin began to look normal again.  My goal of going foundation free was quickly becoming a reality.

Now, a new procedure has appeared on the horizon. Some believe that this procedure might be an even better version of microneedling.   It's called micro-channeling and I can't wait to tell you why it's so awesome.

The Absolute Easiest Way to Stay Lean.

I wanna share something with you.  It's probably something you've heard before but I'm sure someone needs to hear this again.  We're coming up on fall and winter.  I dunno about you but cold-weather season always means that I'll be slowly packing on a few pounds.  This year I want things to be a little different.  I'm tired of trying to shed extra weight when summer rolls around.   Instead, I want to discover the secret to staying lean and implement that habit into my life.

What's the secret to staying lean, you ask?  Well, I'm happy to share it with you.  And, best of all, this secret is much easier than you can imagine.

Find Your Fuel! Use These Motivation Triggers to Fuel Massive Action.

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I had two conversations this weekend, different people, that were very similar in nature.  Both women hold professional positions and both felt as if they were underappreciated financially. They also felt that their supervisors weren't listening to their valid work-related concerns.

Basically, they were both unhappy with their current work situation.  As I listened to their grievances, I connected to the emotion and passion each of them held about wanting to change their current situation.  The reason I could relate is because I was once in their position.  I too was unhappy with undesirable work conditions.  But the worse things got, the less I complained. Instead, I opted to take a different approach.  After realizing that the passion I felt was valuable fuel,  I redirected my anger to create something amazing.

Try This // The Abundance Attraction Technique that No One Talks About.

When we talk about attracting abundance into our lives, we're often told to do things like visualizing ideal outcomes, repeat affirmations, etc.  Today I'll bring you another technique that has worked for me time and time again.

Yesterday, morning at 9:00 am sharp a car pulled into my driveway.  Parked outside was a woman ready to perform maid service.  Typically, my maid appointments occur later in the day but yesterday was different.  Because of her early arrival time, she was done before noon.  As soon as she left, I felt ready to get to work.  Within minutes I received an idea that, if executed properly could generate tens of thousands of dollars in revenue.  Not taking my inspiration for granted, I drafted some emails hoping my idea will actually come to fruition.

As soon as the email was sent, I did a little bit of self-reflection.  Where did this burst of motivation come from?  Why did I suddenly have this genius idea that could produce greater abundance?  What happened?

The Best Anti-Aging Advice You'll Ever Receive.

From time to time I like to touch on the topic of anti-aging.  Most often, I tend to highlight beauty or nutritional products that help slow down the hands of time. But today, I'd like to share one anti-aging tip that might be the most powerful of them all.

I developed this anti-aging theory after watching a sports documentary.   The program featured interviews from several ex-athletes 25 or more years after their glory days.  Some of the guys looked like they never played sports a day in their life.   A few of them looked, and seemed, amazingly young and fit for their age.  

Once the program ended, I racked my brain to identify what could be the reason for the difference in the two groups.  I've bounced by theory around with a few friends but wasn't sure if I had any valid points.  But a recent viral video further supported my hypothesis so I'm ready to share it with everyone!

How to Make the Next Decade The Best One Yet!

 I can't believe summer is almost over.  Since we're now in the back half of the year, I thought it would be a great time to do some reflection.  What makes this year interesting is that it marks the end of a decade.  A new decade is like the start of a new era.  I don't know about you but I want the next 10 years to be even better than the last.

So how do we make that happen?

The Ordinary's Salicylic Acid Clay Mask is Coming for Your Acne Breakouts

I love clay masks. But, instead of using them regularly, I find myself reaching for masks only when their service is needed.  Typically that means that my skin is ultra congested or I have a few breakouts that need to be addressed immediately. 

The clay masks I own are pretty good.  But they aren't at the level they need to be.  What I truly want is a clay mask that contains active ingredients that address multiple skin concerns at once.  Thankfully, the folks at The Ordinary have the ability to read minds.  'Cause they just launched an affordable mask that has the power to transform your skin.

This is How to Still Enjoy Carbs on Your Weight Loss Journey.

There's this girl I follow on social media.  She's a successful entrepreneur who's constantly growing her brand. Although I don't follow her very closely, I can say that she's had an amazing journey over the years.  But, there's one thing I notice....every so often she's discussing a new diet plan to help shed some of her excess weight. 

One time she consumed mainly vegetable juices.  Recently she decided to go keto.  But the last time I visited her page, it seemed as if simple carbs had entered back into her life in a big way.

I don't fault her. Carbs are a tough food group to eliminate.  They're filling, satisfying and taste so good.  It's nearly impossible to give up carbs long term. But losing a decent amount of weight requires some form of carb management.   Since the keto diet is so popular, many are opting for carb elimination.  Eliminating carbs works!  But is almost 100% temporary.

You will reintegrate carbs back into your life....and you will likely gain all the weight back once you do.  The true key to weight success, in my opinion, requires carb management, not carb elimination. 

Here's Why Body Balms Are Your Next Must Have Beauty Purchase.

Sometime last year I started to amass a small collection of balms.  Not lip balms, the kind that comes in little canisters meant to be used on the body.  I bought them 'cause I knew it was the right thing to do.  But, honestly, I had no clear purpose for them.  Because I didn't really think of how to put them to use, they pretty much just sat around.

Now I'm realizing that I'm allowing potentially great products to go to waste but I can't let that happen. So I did a little brainstorming today and came up with a bunch of specific ways to utilize body balms in my beauty routine.