Micro Needling Patches // The Evolution of Sheet Mask Proven to Fight Wrinkles

The other night I had a conversion with a friend who was in the process of researching botox as an option to treat her forehead wrinkles.  While botox is an effective solution for dealing with (and preventing) wrinkles, it's expensive.  There's also the unwanted side effect of looking like botox face from overuse.  Botox might work but I like first seek out more natural solutions.

As luck would have it, I happened to stumble upon a treatment option that is much more natural, and less expensive than botox.  Best of all, this product is readily accessible and was shown in studies to help reduce the appearance of wrinkles.

How to Ensure that Your Life Thrives in 2020.

This weekend I randomly jumped on a life-changing Instagram session.  Her intention was merely to catch up and share some life updates but something she said really struck a nerve.  At one point during the Live, she talked about how her life was now thriving and how life was good before but now she was experiencing a new level.

Once the Live ended, I did a little self-reflection and asked myself, "am I thriving?"

The honest answer....."no."

Don't get me wrong, things are good.  But good isn't the same as thriving.  With a new year coming soon, I'd like to set myself up to thrive in 2020.  Let's talk about how to do that.

Justine Skye's Morning Beauty Routine + The Product that Gives Her That Glow.

If I had to compile a list of all the women who I think have amazing skin, Justine Skye would absolutely make the list.  I've been patiently waiting for the day when her skincare routine was fully revealed.

That day has come.

Elle reached out to Justine for her to give us a glimpse of her morning wakeup routine.  After reviewing the video a couple of times, it seems pretty legit.  Justine pretty much rushes through the products she used and doesn't take time to fully explain the names of each product used.  That leads me to believe this is an #unsponsored reveal of her actual skincare faves.

Best of all, I've stumbled on a couple of recommendations that I'll probably add to my own collection.

Quantum LOA -The Art of Manifestation at a Masterful Level

Most of us have been familiar with L.OA. principles for a while now.  If you've practiced the Law of Attraction, you've probably manifested some wonderful outcomes into your life.  I enjoy incorporating the Law of Attraction but I think it's time crank things up to the next level.

How will we do this?

By practicing Quantum Manifesting.  Basically, it's like a more powerful version of the Law of Attraction by introducing the principles of quantum physics.  Although the concept may sound complicated, it's actually pretty easy to execute if you know the fundamentals. 

Found! My *New* Morning Gua Sha Routine.

When it comes to low-tech facial tools, the gua sha has got to be one of my favorites. I loved picking it up, while bored, and completing a series of strokes to get the blood flowing.

Where I messed up was that I didn't have a dedicated routine to follow.  As a result of that, I found myself using my beloved gua sha less and less.

Then things changed when I logged into YouTube, recently,  and was greeted with a video recommendation that would get me back on track.

How an Electric Tea Kettle Is Elevating My Wellness Routine.

Years ago, my brother's fiance bought him a fancy electric tea kettle for his birthday.  As a tea connoisseur, this gift made perfect sense.  Although it was a great gift, I thought spending over $100 for a specialty tea kettle was over the top.

Recently, I asked him how he and his fancy tea kettle were doing.  To this day, he still claims that it's one of his favorite and most prized possessions.  When he wakes up in the morning, there's hot water waiting for him at a specific temperature the creates the perfect cup of tea.  I snickered at his adoration for an overpriced electronic and continued to boil water the old fashioned way.

Not long ago, my husband interrupted my work asking if I had something on the stove.  Suddenly, I remembered boiling water to enjoy some tea.  Unfortunately, I had forgotten all about it and allowed the water (once again) to completely evaporate.  Begrudgingly, I came to the conclusion that I probably should cave in a get a tea kettle that would prevent me from falling into the same predicament over and over.

Best decision I ever made.

The Future of Glowy Skin is Now (*also try this DIY technique*).

I'm excited to share some new hydration tips for dry skin season.  The tip I have today is a great one.  Coincidentally, a new product launch gave me the inspiration to give this method a try and I loved it!

My skin is especially sensitive to the drier air so I become desperate for ways to keep the moisture from escaping the surface level.  Most of us know that oil is an excellent means of keeping our hair and skin moisturized.  Although it doesn't moisturize directly, oil is like a powerful ally in the war against dryness.

Let's talk about a quick DIY that you can try today to create your most hydrated, dewy skin by blending oil with an unsuspecting product for an ideal pairing.

Are Soft Yellow Nails the New Nude?

Remember when you searched high and low for the perfect shade of nude polish?  That was a fun time but those days are over.  Chances are that you have a few varieties of nude that you love and wear over and over.  I'm guilty of always requesting some type of nude nail every single I walk into the nail salon.

It's time to do something different.  Nude nails will always have a place but maybe it's time to modernize it a little.  I'm here to propose that we experiment with a nude nail alternative that's universally flattering on brown skin.

//Face of the Day// The Sheer Red Lip

Years ago, I was wary of wearing a full-on red lip.  Part of the issue had to do with the fact that finding a flattering shade of red was darn near impossible.  Things are very different now as I've amassed a modest, collection of beautiful red lipsticks that can be worn for any occasion.

Honestly, I'd love to wear a red lip on a daily basis.  But because I'm an entrepreneur who's dressed down on most days, a bold red lip isn't as practical as I would hope.

Enter...the sheer red lip.

To me, a satiny-rouge lip is the everyday version of the bold red lip we all know and love. 

[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.