Idle Actions// What to do When You're Doing Nothing (to improve your life).

When I meditated daily, one of the notable side effects of this wonderful habit was an awesome awareness of my body.  On the flip side, when I'm not meditating on a regular basis, my mind consumes my full attention. Or, to distract myself, I direct my attention towards external distractions like consuming content online.

to combat this, I've decided to train myself to reconnect with my body by making good use of idle time. Ideally, I'd like to execute a series of activities that have some really positive benefits. I've been doing this for a couple of weeks now and so far it's been paying off.  Here's a short list of activities that I do during spare moments to help improve my mind and body.

IG Beauty Secret // Wake Up with Softer Lips Tomorrow.

One habit I really need to work on is executing the perfect evening routine. Preferably, one that will have me looking more radiant in the morning. My current ritual is pretty lacking so I figured that I should start small and build from there.

Over the past couple of months, I captured a couple of screenshots that might have lead me to the first step in my new nightly beauty routine.  This past winter I failed when it came to protecting the moisture level of my lips.  As we sleep through the night, we become increasingly dehydrated.  Upon waking, my lips were shriveled and dehydrated.  Not a good look.  I tried applying lip balms before bed but they just didn't seem to have staying power.   Turns out that I was using the wrong products.  Lip balms aren't the really ideal products to help seal in moisture overnight.

So what's the answer?

The Rich Get Richer // Working The System to Create Greater Abundance.

The other day I received a direct message on IG from a reader inquiring about whether I still believed that opening an American Express online savings account was a good idea.  After  I answered with a resounding yes, I quickly logged on my account for a quick check-in.  Months earlier, I moved a sizeable chunk out of my savings to pay off my student loans.  Since making that move, I've been hesitant to log back in to see the lower balance.

But, much to my surprise, I noticed that my interest payment was around the same as what I received just months before the recent withdrawal.  Confused, I searched for answers.  Within seconds I realized that, once again, the interest accrual rate had increased.  Since my money was earning at a higher rate, my interest payments were still a sizeable amount.

I consider this a huge win in the game of money & life.  Years ago, I read a book that encouraged its readers to look at making money as a game.  I have a natural competitive spirit so I gladly took on this philosophy.  So far, I've been playing the game pretty conservatively but I'm still being rewarded.  Eventually, I hope to make bigger moves. But until then, I'd like to share a couple of money rules that I follow which has consistently paid off.

How Tongue Posture Changes Your Facial Structure Making You More Attractive

Years ago, I got really interested in the topic of anti-aging.  The more I dug into the topic, the more I came to realize that aging is much more than skin deep.  After observing countless faces of all age ranges, I came to understand how much of a role our underlying facial structure plays in how young or old we look.

Not only do well-developed bones keep us looking younger, they also make us appear more attractive.  In society, the people who are deemed to be most beautiful (fashion models) typically have a highly defined facial structure.  If you're like most people, you probably think that a strong facial structure, chiseled jawline, and high cheekbones are solely the result of genetics.

I once thought that way until I learned of a thing called tongue posture.  What is tongue posture? Basically, it's a habit that can literally change the shape and attractiveness of your face.  Best of all, it's free and doesn't require the use of needles or fillers.

This Beauty Supplement Curbs Appetite & Helps You Reach Your Body Goals.

Eating non-stop throughout the day is one of the frustrating habits to have.  For me, it seems to come in waves. Sometimes, I can exercise incredible amounts of will-power when it comes to eating sensibly, other times, I eat well above my normal requirements.

Over the years, I've known friends who've sought out the help of supplements to aid with appetite control.  I've always stayed away from this approach because I have this perception that diet pills were dangerous or unhealthy.  Plus, many of them are meant to be taken for a short period of time. What happens when you stop consuming them?

Recently I asked myself if there was something I could take to help control my appetite when I'm out and about.  Typically, when hunger sets in while I'm away from my house, I make poor decisions.  My intention is to have something (healthy) that I can take to hold me over until I got back home.

 It didn't take me long to come up with the perfect solution.  Not only does this supplement keep me fuller, longer, it also helps to promote healthy hair, skin, and nails!

Stop Setting Goals, Start Raising Your Standards.

I spent the better part of the weekend cleaning the house for company coming over this week. Whenever I receive visitors, I invest a set amount of time to deep clean and declutter.  During the process, I realized how much I fell in love with the final outcome.  It felt amazing!

But then a thought crossed my mind.  Why didn't I clean my home to this level on a routine basis?  Why wasn't this my normal standard?

Professional MUA Shows Us How to Create the Glass Skin Bronze Look for Summer.

I'm so looking forward to summer.  I often find myself searching for inspiration on simple makeup looks made for summer.  Days ago, I stumbled on the perfect summer face. What made me fall in love is how this makeup look will work perfectly whether a day or night.

The finished product is stunning but what really sold me was that the entire face featured a single item.  And don't worry, this product is super easy to use even if makeup isn't for forte.  I was so inspired by the look that I'm going to try it this weekend!

Exercise Snacking // The Habit the Curbs Cravings, Builds Strength,and rivals the benefits Gym Sessions.

Lately, I've found it a bit difficult to make it to the gym.  I would love to work out 4 times a week but time just doesn't seem to be on my side.  Because exercise has so many benefits (and summer is fast approaching), I've been on the lookout for a hack that can give me similar results with less time investment.

Thankfully, I stumbled on the perfect solution.  It's called exercise snacking.  I don't want to be dramatic, but exercise snacking will probably change your entire life.

Break The Habit of Living In Auto Pilot.

Welcome to another Monday.  I used to think that Mondays were the worst! But now I've come to appreciate Mondays as an important tool when it comes to goal achievement.  Every single Monday marks the beginning of a new (work) week.  It's the perfect opportunity to set the direction for our week ahead.  If we aren't careful, this week will come and go in the blink of an eye and nothing will change.  

But that's not what we want.  We want to be able to affect the outcome of our week.  We want to have active participation in creating the life we desire.  Let's discuss exactly how to do that. 

Instagram Beauty Secret // Your New Holy Grail for Soft, Beautiful Hands (& Feet).

One of my favorite things in life is to jump on an Instagram live only to stumble on a beauty secret reveal.  I've come across some great nuggets while stalking IG lives.  One of my favorite instances was learning the power of using witch hazel in the war against acne.

Yesterday I stumbled on yet another amazing find that I can't wait to share with you all.

Try This // Sir John's Simple Tip for Dewy, Natural Foundation

I absolutely love learning new skin tips that I can apply right away and see results without having to run out and buy new products.  Last week I learned of a simple technique that instantly made my skin look healthier and more radiant.  This tip is so good that I've pretty much applied it every day since. 

Before I reveal this dewy skin tip, I want to preface by saying that I learned of this method from an article featuring Sir John.  If that name doesn't ring a bell, let me remind you that Sir John is Beyonce's makeup artist.  We've featured some of Sir John's tips here in the past.  I love his practical approach to makeup.  He's all about creating wearable, timeless looks.  Whenever Sir John shares a tip for a flawless face, I'm all ears.

Manifestation Tip // Turn Your Home Screen Into Your 2019 Vision Board.

A few weeks ago, a friend shared short videos of a Vision Board party she attended.  Every year, around this time, success-minded women gather together with a stack of magazines in hopes of piecing together various clipped images that represent their ideal life.

Vision boards became wildly popular after the release of the movie The Secret.  This movie came out over a decade ago. Back then, there wasn't any inspiration based social media or websites like Pinterest.  So, of course, magazine clippings were the most viable option.  In my opinion, using magazine images and gluing them to construction paper is an antiquated way to create a visual representation of your desires. 

Let's try a more effective option.

Have You Included Intense Moisture in Your Acne Fighting Strategy?

Typically, when one thinks about what to do to attack and eliminate acne, the first thought that comes to mind is how to dry out pimples.  Drying out pimples isn't necessarily a wrong strategy but is it the absolute best way to create healthy skin?

Perhaps there's a completely different approach that can both eliminate acne while promoting glowing skin at the same time.

Treat Yo' Self! The Systematic Process for Reaching All of Your Goals.

2019 is moving fast.  So how are you progressing on your goals?  Typically, the first month of the year provides us a glimpse of what's to come.  If you haven't made as much progress as you'd like, but you're really serious about achieving your goals, I'd like to introduce you to a system that just might make that possible.

Style Inspo// Transform Your Button Down Skirt From Simple to Sexy

I've been a fan of button-down skirts for ages.  I currently have at least 4 of them in my wardrobe.  The buttons act as a simple accessory that adds a little something unique to a plain skirt.    Recently, I've stumbled on to some major inspiration on how to completely transform your boring button downs in a modern and feminine way.

Halle Berry loves this Facial in a Box. Find Out What Makes it So Special.

It's kinda rare nowadays to find a beauty secret reveal from a celebrity that isn't an #ad or #sponsored.  So any time a super-celebrity gives us a glimpse of products they adore, we have to close pay attention.  Although Halle Berry had somewhat of a late start on social media, she's constantly inspired us with her commitment to maintaining a fit-focused lifestyle.  Halle's even let us in on the fact that she enjoys ample amounts of bone broth to help further slow down her aging.

Recently, Halle generously revealed her latest skincare obsession to the world and we have to talk about it.

Style Obsession // MonoChrome.

One style trend that I could never get into was matching sets.  For some reason, I hated the idea of wearing a printed top and matching bottom.  I thought that matching from head to toe was tacky, gaudy, and hard to execute.

But, recently opinion has shifted. Because I've fallen in love with the newer, more modern version of matching sets.  It turns out that I didn't hate the idea of wearing separates that coordinate as long as it's done in with style.

How the 60-Second Cleansing Rule is a Game Changer for All of Us.

Shortly after I wrote the article on transitioning to using acid-based cleansers, I received a comment that would change my entire mindset when it came to cleansing.   This is what the commenter shared:

My cleanser wasn't giving me glowing skin at first until I started using the 60second rule. You have to give yourself time to let your cleanser seep into your skin. Massage your cleanser into your face for 60 seconds then wash. 

This person had my fullest attention. Why had I never heard of this 60-second rule and what difference could this simple change make to my skin?

Be Inspired // The Visualization Process That Can Help You Manifest Your Life Long Dream.

One major factor that helped achieved goals in the past was visualization.  I was introduced to the concept of visualization after watching The Secret.  There's a brief moment in the movie where they ask you to see yourself driving your dream car....imagine your hands around the steering wheel, etc.

As I attempted to complete the exercise, I found myself struggling to create a clear image which left me frustrated.

That was a problem.

Because I couldn't fully immerse myself into the experience, I had a hard time engaging the power of visualization to help me manifest. Although visualizing didn't come naturally to me, I kept trying.  Eventually, I was decent enough to utilize mental images to help me realize intentions.  But, because visualizing still doesn't come naturally to me, I tend to utilize other LOA tactics instead.  Recently, I stumbled on a video that inspired me to become an avid visualizer once again.  The video features a woman who manifested her lifelong goal through the power of visualization. 

Let's dissect her visualization process so we can apply it for ourselves.

If My Cleanser Doesn't Give Me Glowing Skin.....I Don't Want It.

For the longest time, I gave absolutely no though or attention to the type of cleanser I used on my face.  After experiencing dermatitis related skin peeling, I finally started looking for gentle cleansers that didn't irritate my skin.  This was a suitable solution.  But after a while, I noticed the need to rev up my exfoliation routine because the extra gentle cleanser wasn't doing a complete job of removing dirt and oil.  If I neglect my exfoliating routine, my skin kinda goes haywire with congestion and breakouts.

Nowadays, I use the help of apple cider vinegar toner to help keep my dermatitis at bay.  So an extra gentle cleanser is no longer an absolute must.  So now I have the opportunity to experiment a little to find an ideal cleanser that'll help me reach my overall skin goals.