10 Beauty Hacks for the Busy Woman

We all have been there- crazy day, tons to do, look in the mirror and "AHH!" things are not what they were that morning. I know what this is like- I am a full-time worker, a wife, a homeowner, a blogger, and I am working on starting a business. Every day is a busy one for me lately and I don't always have the time to primp and pamper as much as I would enjoy being able to. SO, here are my favorite beauty hacks to all you busy women trying to conquer the world and look rockin' while doing so :)

1. Chapstick is not only good for softening those lippies but an awesome brow tamer in a pinch! If you have some unruly brows, rub your ring finger in your chapstick then gently shape the hairs. Chapstick typically has beeswax in it which helps hold hairs in place. Bonus points if you use chapstick on your lashes too!

2. Lipgloss/ lipstick can make a great blush when you're hurrying. Rub your finger in your lipstick or dab a little gloss on your finger then gently pat on the apples of your cheeks. (Side note- simply patting your cheeks or giving them a light pinch will create a natural flush as well)

4. Use your finger to curl your lashes when your eyes begin to look tired. Simply place your finger below your lashes and press them upward. 

5. Lotion can be used to tame static-y hair. When your hair starts standing on end, simply rub some lotion all over your hands a run them through your hair.

6. A splash of cool water on your face in the morning can wake you up, but mid-day that's a little trickier to do. So, instead, wash your hands then run them under cold water. Dry them and press them to your face. This coolness will help sleepy skin wake up and get it's rosy on!

7. Use only waterproof mascara on lower lashes or skip it altogether. Any natural wetness from your eyes will follow gravity's rules and go down so when your eyes water in the slightest it can mess up mascara on your lower lashes and leave you with that lovely "dark circle" look. Not cute. Make it waterproof or don't use it, trust me.

8. Toilet seat covers make great grease blotters! Snag a CLEAN toilet seat cover from your work's restroom and tear off a small chunk and press it to any shiny areas of your face. The brown napkins from Starbucks work great for this too :)

9. Baby powder can make a nice "mop" for greasy roots. Simply dust some on your fingertips and run them through your roots to defy that oil!

10. Peppermint oil not only freshens breath and helps with digestion, but rub a little dot on your lips and you've also got an instant lip plumper! 

Now that you're ready to take on those crazy days looking like a rockstar, share some beauty hacks YOU love or comment below with requests for my next post!

...Vanessa...

Hair Love ( and why I've been gone )

I'm back!

I know it's been a VERY long time since I last posted to my blog. It's been a wild ride for me the last 8 months so I figured I'd update you all on what's kept me away for so long and then get right into the fun stuff!

So as I've mentioned in the past I was in my last semester of college when I started my blog. It could be seen as a mistake to start it in the midst of literally one of the hardest classes I've taken in all of my 6 years of college, but I'm kind of a go-getter and for better or for worse I decided there is no time like the present. I managed to graduate ( yay! ) in May 2014 and so began the whirlwind that took me away for a while.

I started a huge job that was very much out of my comfort zone... and my county! I was commuting 2 hours a day to get to work and ended up completely exhausted by the day's end. Then my boyfriend at the time proposed to me and we got engaged and decided (the way I tend to decide things) "why not get married in 3 months?!" Ha! I was running around like a chicken with it's head cut off between my job, trying to move my stuff to a new city, and planning for our wedding which, of course, was going to be in a location about an hour and a half away from my job. So by the time our wedding rolled around in September I had lost 10lbs from stress and was so sleep deprived that we slept for a solid day when we finally got to our honeymoon destination!

When we came back it was back to our full-time jobs by day and unpacking by night and on the weekends, until recently. Things have finally started slowing down for my now HUSBAND and I. So here I am 8 months later: graduated, married, moved, and working. It's been crazy!

Here's a few wedding photos I wanted to share with you all, courtesy of our Photographer Eryn Kesler :)

But, sometimes crazy brings you to realize what's important to you in life and one of the things I realized I missed like mad during all of this was my blog- getting to share with all of you and ( hopefully ) enrich your lives in one way or another. I've really been looking forward to the day I could get back on here and post to you all! So, I hope you all enjoy what I have to share about today!

Hair Love.. All about my hair-care routine

How you treat your hair really says a lot about how you regard it. Your hair needs kindness, gentleness, and love to grow. If you treat your hair with care it will surely love you back. I have recently started really taking notice to how I am treating my hair and how it is behaving in return. I went to my hair stylist the other day to get some highlights and after the process she looked at my ends and said "wow, girl, what have you been doing with your hair? It's loving it! It's in great condition- not a single split end!" I started to tell her about my hair care routine and she said "well keep doing that, more people need to do what you're doing."

It's true! My hair is loving the way I've been treating it and it's all quite simple! I wanted to share with you all my hair-care routine and some suggestions to keeping your hair healthy too. There's no obligation to do any of this, these are just my own personal choices and I wanted them to be available to my wonderful readers to use at their own discretion. 

1. Read the Ingredients

I've become a major label-reader recently. I no longer allow products that contain alcohol or sulfate to touch my hair. The reason being, both ingredients are incredibly drying and I don't want anything drying out my strands. So, taking this to heart, I took a peek through all of my hair products. Anything that had either ingredient- bye bye!

2. Avoid Over-Washing

As you all know from my TOXINS OUT BEAUTY IN post I only wash my hair about every 3 days. The reason for this is my hair used to get greasy really quick. I know, it sounds incredibly backwards, but I started looking into what might be causing the over production of oil and I found that actually your hair will do this when it's not moisturized enough. Makes more sense when you look at it that way huh? So I looked into what ingredients are drying to the hair (  see step one ), eliminated those, then started slowing down on the washes incrementally. It took a few weeks to train my hair to the point I only had to wash it every 3 days, but I was very persistent about it and now my hair has a much healthier oil production because I'm not stripping away the natural oils or drying it out. 

3. Coconut Oil

I have also begun a new step in my hair care routine which I am noticing has really been the kicker for my hair health. I like to protect the ends of my hair with coconut oil before every wash. 

Here are the steps to how I do this:

• I section my hair into two halves ( like pig tails ) then I rub coconut oil between my palms to melt it, then apply it to my hair from about my ears down avoiding my scalp. 

• I let the oil sit about a minute so it can really soak into my ends.

• I hop in the shower and rinse my hair and scalp with hot water to open up the cuticle and allow the oil to soften so it won't remain as an oily residue after I wash.

• I use my favorite sulfate-free shampoo found HERE and massage it into my scalp concentrating on washing from my scalp and out about 3 inches from my scalp.

•  I rinse my hair with cool water to close the cuticle of my hair and I let the shampoo run down my ends to remove any remaining oil

That's it! My hair is never greasy-looking after I wash it and the oil really protects the length of my hair from over-drying. The truth is you really don't need to suds your entire head of hair to get it clean unless you are using some really gunky products which I avoid using on a daily basis and reserve for occasional use.

4. Reconstructor and Deep Moisture Treatments

I recommend this step if  you...

• Have chemical treated hair.
• Live in a dry climate.
• Use styling products such as: mousse, hair spray, gel, or pomade.
• Use heat styling products such as: hair dryer, curling iron, or flat iron.
• Spend time in salt water or chlorinated water.
• Spend time in freezing or overly hot weather.

For chemical treated, heat styled, or regular exposure to salt water/ chlorinated water:

I recommend using a reconstructor in your hair at least once every two weeks because these hardships take a toll on the structure of your hair making it brittle, dry, and split. Reconstructors work to rebuild the proteins in your hair and restore it's strength. I use THIS ONE once every week since I've begun getting my hair highlighted again. It's important to towel dry your hair before you use it, then wrap it up into either a grocery sack or a shower cap. This will hold the heat in to keep your hair cuticle open and absorbing the reconstructor into it. I leave it in for 10-15 minutes then rinse it out with cool water.

I recommend using a deep moisture treatment 1-2 times per week in addition to using the reconstructor. I alternate between using THIS DEEP CONDITIONING MASK and using hot oil hair treatments which I talked about in my COCONUT BEAUTY post. 

When I have a salon appointment coming up I do extra hot oil hair treatments and reconstructing treatments and skip the deep conditioning mask for the week or two prior to my appointments. This gives my hair extra moisture and structure so the chemicals won't damage my hair to oblivion. I follow up the week after color treatments doing the same and so far I've been in luck with my hair holding up!

For those who live in a dry climate, spend time in freezing or overly hot weather, or use styling products in your hair:

Reconstructor may not be a needed step for you if this is all your hair endures. However, deep moisture treaments 1-2 times per week is a good idea to keep your hair moisturized in the dry, freezing or hot air, and/or use of crunchy products because all of these things can sap the moisture from your hair quickly. Remember, though, there's no need to apply deep moisture treatments to your scalp- your scalp will produce it's own natural oils to moisturize itself.

5. Air dry

I almost always let my hair air dry. It's an easy way for me to skip using heat and my hair is fine enough that it will dry on it's own in just a few hours.

6. Oils

After every shower, once my hair has air dried about 3/4 of the way, I like to rub argan oil and a macadamia oil between my palms and finger- comb it through my hair. They smell nice and give my hair a nice little sheen which I love! Plus the oils soak into my hair and keep it protected form harsh products, heat, and the elements. 

7. Bun It

After my hair is about 3/4 the way dry and my oils have been run through it, I like to take my hair and twist it up into a ballerina bun and secure it with a soft elastic ( the kind that have a knot in them... what are those called? ) then I sleep with it in a bun. 

8. Style it

When I wake up I take the bun down and my hair has a nice wavy texture which makes it easier for me to style in one of my preferred "lived-in" styles using some salt spray or texture powder to make it a little messy looking. :)

Is there anything you'd like to start trying with your hair that your read here? Is there any products or steps you swear by that I didn't mention here? Leave a comment below and tell me about it!

...Vanessa...

Toxins Out... Beauty In

My Natural Beauty Routine

It's June! That mean's Summer is on it's way! I feel like I have missed a majority of the Spring season with all of you, BUT I am back now, I am officially a college grad, and I'm lovin' the freedom baby! I wanted to give a quick little update- I am going to try to make Tuesday or Friday my posting day. I'll toy around with both and see which fits my schedule better, but, one way or another you will be hearing from me weekly (finally)!!!

Let's get down to it!

For years now I have been trying to stray away from taking in too many chemical-y foods and trying to eat pretty clean and natural. I'm no die-hard-organic-only-gluten-free-vegan, but I do like to keep my diet about 75% healthy. (Funny thing though- I found out recently I'm gluten intolerant. If you'd like me to talk about my adjustment to gluten-free living let me know in the comments below.) Anyways, sidetracked! So I've been trying to be careful with what I'm eating so I can stay healthy, right? But something I've neglected to be overly cautious about is what I'm putting into the largest organ in my body- my skin. Yes, your skin is an organ, and yes, it absorbs the chemicals you put on it just like your other organs do. I got a freaky weird rash thing and I realized a lot of the stuff I was reading about the possible causes pointed to chemicals being bad. Duh, right? So I began the re-thinking of my skin care routine- which I've always dubbed as terrific, but now can say is better than ever- and my skin is thanking me for it in more ways than one. So I wanted to share my secrets with you all and help some sistas out!

......

1. I always shower at night so that I can slather myself up with coconut oil after my shower and let it all absorb while I am sleeping. That being said, it's up to you what time of day you want to shower, night is just my personal preference. In the shower I like to wash my hair every three days with my sulfate-free shampoo which I talked about in my LOVELY LOCKS post. In between washes I use a super attractive shower cap to keep my hair dry ;).

2. After the hair is clean I use a big claw clip and hold 'er up so my body wash and such doesn't get on my hair- maybe a little bit of an OCD step but I don't care. 

3. Next, I remove any makeup I'm wearing with some extra-light olive oil which you can literally get at any grocery or drug store. 

4. Now, the face! I got this amazing face wash recently that I have been L O V I N G to death. I mean it's so good that my boyfriend wants to use it when he comes over (shhh... don't tell him I said that) it's amazing. It is the one and only DARK ANGELS BY LUSH *cue the heavenly chorus. This face wash is heaven on earth for people with sensitive, breakout-prone skin like me. It has charcoal in it to draw out impurities, avocado oil to condition your skin, salt to exfoliate- it's just everything good and all-natural-chemical-free in one little black pot. 


5. Gotta tone that beautiful face to balance your pH levels in your skin and remove any excess dirt and oil from your skin. I tone my face using diluted apple cider vinegar. I just pour some onto a cotton ball, run it under a light trickle of water and wipe my face and neck and sometimes even my back down. Apple cider vinegar is also great to use as a spot treatment for pimples. I just dip a Q-Tip into some vinegar and dot it on my breakouts a couple times a day and voila! They clear up in no time. 

6. When it comes to body wash I have always been in love with Dove <3 I've never had any issues with using this body wash and my skin stays so soft and supple. Along with cleansing, I always try to do a good exfoliation once per week to get rid of any icky dead skin. I love my TREE HUT SHEA SUGAR BODY SCRUB IN THE SCENT COCONUT LIME! The smell makes me feel like I've escaped to a cabana somewhere on an island. :) Heavenly.


7. I alternate between shaving a waxing depending on how brave and/or lazy I feel. When I wax I use NAIR BRAZILLIAN SPA CLAY WAX which is probably the easiest wax I've ever used because it's water soluble which means it'll wash off with water. No messy post-wax oil and painful scrubbing. When I shave I love to use my SCHICK INTUITION RAZOR and extra light olive oil. Beware though, you may need to take a dry cloth to the floor of your shower afterwards because the oil will leave residue on it. 


8. As I mentioned above, after my showers I like to slather up with my favorite organic coconut oil and go to bed. I put coconut oil everywhere- even my face! This makes my skin baby soft, I smell like a delicious coconut, and my skin has been clearer and I hardly ever get breakouts now!

9. Finally, I like to deem one evening per week my personal at-home spa day where I take a detox bath, use a face mask (my FAVORITE face mask is MASK OF MAGNAMINTY BY LUSH Love love looooove it!), do a hair mask, pore strips, fix up my nails, and sleep with cotton gloves and socks on over heavy cream to keep my hands and feet all soft. This is my way of tightening up any loose ends in my beauty routine each week and taking some time for myself to relax and reboot after a long week. I highly suggest it to everyone- especially any of you who are stressed. It literally only takes an hour and I feel so great afterwards. 

Hope you've enjoyed the read! Stay tuned for more posts from me <3

...Vanessa...

Rain Proof Your Look!

Tested & Approved by a Northwest Girl

With Spring hitting us full-blown, the rain is picking up here in the Northwest- One of the rainiest places in the United States! Growing up in this area I've had to learn a trick or two to keep my makeup looking fresh and avoid turning into the Joker from The Dark Knight...

Yeah... NOBODY wants that! I've prepared a few tips for you all so you can still have fun with makeup without worry of a sudden downpour destroying your masterpiece.

1. Prime that gorgeous face!

Just like a good coat of primer makes paint stick to the walls, a good quality face primer will keep that makeup intact through the rain. Primer works to "fill" the creases and pores on your face and create a smooth base to apply foundation, concealer, and eye shadow. I encourage you to try different primers to find what works best for you! 

My personal favorite is the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer (you can find it at ULTA or Sephora). It comes out green which is for correcting redness. Don't worry- it won't turn your face green!

2. Long-Wear Foundation

This will make the biggest difference in the appearance of your whole face. The last thing you want is your foundation to run and end up with streaks down your face. I have not yet come across a waterproof foundation, but a good long-wear foundation will last you through more wear and tear and RAIN than a regular wear foundation. I have picked out two long-wear foundations I have tested and loved and here they are:

Drugstore Option:

Revlon Photoready Airbrush Foundation 

Designer Option:

Makeup For Ever HD Foundation

3. Finish with powder!

Brushing on a dusting of translucent powder after applying foundation will not only set your foundation so it will stay put, but it will take on the job of absorbing the water that comes in contact with your face so it won't leave streaks where it hits. Honestly, I haven't found a translucent powder that I haven't liked yet. Some I've tested include Bare Minerals, Revlon Stay Matte, and Physician's Formula. 

4. Waterproof Mascara & Eyeliner

This may seem like a given but the hassle of trying to remove it is enough to deter a lot of people from using it... I used to be one of those people. When I discovered that olive oil and coconut oil both make removing makeup a piece of cake, I've switched to nearly always using waterproof on my lashes. Plus, I'm a woman and I will openly admit that sometimes tears escape my eyes over ridiculous things. Waterproof mascara will be your new best friend, trust me. 

5. Less is More!

All of the above tips are, of course, applicable to someone who wants to wear makeup. But in my many years of living in rainforest, I have decided that skipping makeup is the best way to ensure you'll still look beautiful when the rain hits. Because, although I love makeup and find it to be a blast, I still believe that there is no greater beauty than someone who is confident in themselves and happy with the way they look. The person within the skin will always shine through. I encourage you to look in the mirror every morning and think "I am beautiful". Even if you don't believe it now, focusing on the traits you like will bring your attention away from your perceived "flaws" as well as allow others to appreciate your beauty. Shine on beautiful!

A little note from me: 

Hey lovely ladies! I'm so sorry it's been so long since I've gotten a post up. As I mentioned in my last post, I am working on the home stretch for my degree in Human Development and I've had to place priority on my degree completion. I am happy to announce that three weeks from this Friday I will graduate college! I've spent the last six years of my life in schooling so I am ready to be done and be out in the world doing what I am made to do! Please be patient with my posting abilities over the next few weeks! I am so excited to be able to set up a posting schedule for my blog soon! I love sharing with you all! <3 

...Vanessa...  

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Lovely Locks

How to Get Shiny Hair

Hello Lovelies! I'm so sorry I've been absent from here for a while! Life gets busy as we all know and I so badly wanted to write a post but I needed to get through my midterms first so I can graduate this May! So exciting! :) Anyways, today I wanted to share with you all some of my tips on how to get super shiny hair. These are all things I have tried and have worked for me. If any of you have any tips you've tested and love please share it in the comment section below! I'd love to try your suggestions!

First off...

I love this photo of Rosie Huntington-Whiteley! I think she has absolutely gorgeous, super shiny hair! The beauty of shiny hair is it screams "Healthy!". If you use chemical treatments on your hair on a regular basis or are a big fan of heat styling you are placing great stress on your strands and can leave them looking tired and dull. So my first tip is:

Get It Healthy Girl!

I know how much fun dying your hair can be! I also know how absolutely HORRIBLE hair dye and bleach and chemicals can be for your hair. I know this because I used to be an avid hair dyer. One day I had a bad dye job and tried to fix it- ended up with fried orange hair that was snapping off like rubber bands. I ran to my hair stylist, bless her heart, and told her to chop it all off- I was starting over. She cut as much of the damage off as she could and then recommended I try a hair treatment that ended up changing my life. It's name is JOICO K-PAK RECONSTRUCTOR. It's in a bottle like this:

When I say I swear by this stuff I don't say it lightly. This stuff LITERALLY saved my hair from all falling out of my head. I did 10 minute treatments every day for a week then cut back to 5 minute treatments every other day and my hair literally went from the texture of rubber to my normal hair texture. It's miraculous! And it smells like delicious banana bread! Within a few weeks I was able to go in and have it dyed back as close to my natural color as possible and then I left my hair alone and never dyed it again. If you are battling damaged hair I highly recommend you try this stuff. It works by rebuilding the keratin proteins in your hair making it stronger, shinier, and truly healthier. If you want to go all-out, I recommend putting a halt on the dye jobs. It's a hard transition, but it's so worth the health of your tresses. 

2 Words: Argan Oil.

Before it's dry, before you style with heat- this stuff is amazing! I use it as a shine serum and heat protector and it leaves your hair looking like a gorgeous shimmering ocean. I got mine super cheap at Wal-Mart, I've had it for about 9 months and I have barely made a dent in the bottle. I love the Organix brand because it smells ahh-mazing and clean and I can rub what's left on my arms for soft skin too. The price is just unbeatable for the quality of it! This is what it looks like:

Sulfate-Free Baby!

When the whole "sulfate-free shampoo" trend started I thought it was a total joke. I figured it was just another ploy to make the cosmetic companies more money and I was not going to buy into it. Well, I tried it out just to see what the hype was and I can easily say I am now on the sulfate-free shampoo train and chugging along happily with my results! If you want to know more about why going sulfate-free is a good choice read HERE. 

Choosing a sulfate-free shampoo has increased my hair's body which is a big thing for someone with fine, straight hair like me, as well as increasing the shine factor by a huge margin. My hair has never felt or looked healthier in my life! I've tried out different brands and I've narrowed them down to my top two favorites for you guys- one is a splurge and one is a steal!

SPLURGE & FAVORITE:

Rusk Deep Shine Color Shampoo

I love this one because not only does it use natural dead sea minerals, but it also has color-protecting technology which is nice if you're in the sun or chlorine a lot! It smells sooo clean and nice- I love the smell!

STEAL & SECOND FAVORITE:

Not Your Mother's Way to Grow Long & Strong Shampoo

I bought this because the reviews on it were great! I have been growing my hair out for 3 years now and I wanted a shampoo that would support my hair health while growing it. I don't know if it has actually helped my hair grow but I know it has kept my hair strong while it's grown! And bonus- it makes your hair smell like candy!

I buy both of these at Ulta and I alternate using each every other wash. They're amazing and I highly recommend trying them out!

Hot Oil Treatments

I've talked about these in the past and I really do believe my hair is healthy and shinier because of them. You read more about these in my COCONUT BEAUTY post.

Hair Masks

Hair masks are great because they deliver nutrients to your hair. I love to make my own diy hair masks. I have tried many different recipes which you can find on my pinterest page linked on the right on my board Hair-spiration. My top 3 favorite recipes you can find HERE.

Drink Water!

I know I've said this in the past- well I'm saying it again! Water is the best hydrator for your body and hair since your body is made up of about 50-75% water! Drinking water hydrates your cells giving your hair the ability to shine naturally! Drink at least 8 8oz cups a day. I always carry a 1 liter bottle of water with me throughout the day and I know I have to drink two of those in a day to get my full water-intake. 

Eat Healthy

A diet rich in protein and fiber and low in saturated fats and refined grains will encourage hair growth and health as well as your body's health. Just think- your hair is attached to your body therefore it is fed from your body. What you eat will affect the health of your hair, therefore affecting your hair's ability to shine. Eat foods that are healthy for your body and you will receive shine payoff in your hair. 

Cold Rinse

I'd be amazed if you haven't heard this tip before but I figured I'd share it just incase since it works like a charm! After using your sulfate free shampoo & conditioner, rinse your hair with cold water before you step out of the shower. This helps to constrict the hair folicles- just like cold water makes your pores in your skin constrict- and therefore leaves it less vulnerable to damage and shinier!

Follow These Tips...

And let me know how they work for you! I'd love to hear any other tips any of you have tried and would like to share! I also am working on coming up with a regular posting schedule for this blog and probably in a couple months when I graduate I will have that up so you all will know when to expect to see something new from me on here! Don't forget to smile, beautiful! <3

...Vanessa...  

Comment below with requests for topics and/or tips and I will do my best to fill them!

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