my beauty favorites right now!

I am very minimal when it comes to beauty, but once I find a product I love, I'll use it for as long as I can. Over the years, I've slowly transitioned the things I use on my face from all drugstore finds to some nicer, quality products. Part of that change has to do with getting older and appreciating a higher quality of things. And, because of this job, I am fortunate to get to try products out that sometimes I would have never known about on my own. Once I try something that works well for me, I'm a loyal customer. Here are my favorite things I've been using this past year (some new and some old favorites) and why I love them so...

my current winter beauty essentials...

With the extra dry and chilly temperatures this winter, I've changed up a few things into my daily routine. Since I've received questions about the various products I use, I thought it would be helpful to compile them all in one post with some current favorites!

ombre nail art!

Last week we showed you how to achieve the perfect confetti nail art, and today, we're back with Olive & June to show you how to master ombre nails! (It's easier than it looks, I promise!) Inspired by our Oh Joy For CALPAK Sunset suitcases, they'll bring those vacation vibes with you wherever you go... 

my winter beauty essentials...

I've always been very minimal about skincare and used the easiest, not-too-expensive thing I could find at the drug store. As I've gotten older, I have been okay with getting nicer products and allowing myself to spend money on skincare. Right before the holidays, I wasn't taking care of my skin. It was dry and sallow and all of a sudden, I could really see the effects of me not caring about my skin. I spent the two week break trying out products I had as samples, products that were given as gifts, and some that I had been wanting to try for a while. And, I finally (in a very adult way) put together a daily skincare routine for myself. Since it's also winter, my skin feels extra dry right now, so I added in items that are extra helpful for these dryer months. Since a lot of you ask me about skincare on my Instagram Stories, I have put together a handful of items I am using right now during this winter season!

Step 1: Cleanser. I have combination skin that gets oily in the T-zone, so cleanser is super important for me twice a day otherwise, I will break out. But in the winter, my skin also gets dryer faster, so I need something light that won't dry out my skin too much.

For daily cleansing, I use Glossier's Milk Jelly Cleanser. It's light and fresh and easy to use. If I have makeup on, then I like Banila Clean It Zero which removes makeup while cleansing the skin at the same time.

Step 2: Serum or Mists. Prior to this past year or so, I thought this was a complete crock created by the beauty industry to get you to spend more money on products. But what I realized for me, as I got older, is that a serum or mist adds another layer of moisture that our skin really needs to absorb. They don't serve as moisturizer on its own, but they do hydrate the skin which helps it look softer and more glowy.

I like these two—Glossier Super Pure Serum (which I use around my T-zone for helping with blemishes) and this Heritage Store Rosewater spray—for hydrating the skin.

Step 3: Moisturize. In the winter, I find that a lot of thick face lotions and creams make me break out. So I'd been searching for options that aren't too oily.

In the daytime, I'll use Glossier Priming Moisturizer before SPF for a bit of extra moisture. At night, I like First Aid Beauty's Coconut Water Cream—it's moisturizing without being too heavy or greasy. Finally, I have recently been OBSESSED with this Triple Protection Skin Tint by First Aid Beauty which has SPF 30 as my last step in the morning. I've never like wearing foundation and have rarely use it. But as I have gotten older and my skin tone has become less even, I find that this really adds a nice and even (yet light) finish that looks very natural. Finally, if your lips get really dry in the winter like mine do, I started using this Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask before bedtime.

Keep in mind, I am not telling you to go out and buy ALL of these things. I like all of these for different reasons and have narrowed my favorites down for you based on what you are looking for in your skincare routine! Let me know in the comments if you have any questions!

my 5 favorite beauty products for summer...

I'm not a big beauty junkie, but I definitely have my daily go-to staples. Here are my five favorites for every day use this summer...

1. Nars Orgasm blush—I know everyone has this blush, but it is still the best one I've ever used for my skin tone. It's the perfect rosy shade that allows you to go more or less intense depending on how much you apply, and the gold shimmer adds a really pretty texture. 

2. No. 07 Serum—I tried this for the first time for a sponsored post we did last year and have been obsessed ever since. It's made the texture of my skin smoother, and I love using it on a hot day as moisturizer because it's lighter than a typical face lotion.

3. Glossier Sunscreen—For almost my whole life, I have used the same Oil of Olay facial lotion with SPF 15. But I recently tried this one by Glossier which I love for summer because it's light in texture and has SPF 30 which is helpful during the summer months to give extra protection daily.

4. Glossier Cherry Balm—I put this on every morning before I walk out the door. It gives my lips instant moisture, but also a tint of color so I look somewhat awake before I head to work.

5. Lipstick Queen—This lipstick looks pale yellow but changes color once it touches the heat from your lips for a rosy coral that adds a punch of color without being too bold. I love how it changes depending on your shade of skin and looks slightly different on everyone.

Ok, so those are my summer favorites! I'd love to hear yours, too!

morning routine essentials...

Since you guys have been seeing my face up close and personal lately on Instagram stories and Snapchat, I've been getting questions about some of the products I use and wanted to do a post with some of my favorite morning essentials that help make me look somewhat awake during the day ;)

1. DryBar dry shampoo helps to keep my bangs and roots of my hair looking not greasy between washings.

2. I don't wear perfume but I love these light and fresh Anese elixirs especially on a hot day.

3. Nars orgasm blush is my must-have essential for adding some color to my face—it's the perfect pink with a nice flush of gold in there.

4. DryBar brush for my bangs (I usually just use my fingers to comb the rest of my hair so it doesn't get too fluffy).

5. I never believed in anti-aging serums until I tried this No 7 serum. It's made my skin softer and brighter, and I use it under my moisturizer.

6. For that pop of lip color, I like stain sticks because they're not too heavy while still adding color. My favorites are Glossier Generation G lip stain in Crush and Revlon Balm Stain in Sweetheart.

7. Finally (not shown), I currently have eyelash extensions which I love because it's a little bit of upkeep to make my daily routine so minimal—I don't wear any eye makeup at all unless I'm going out to a fancy evening dinner. These days, more and more people know how to apply natural-looking extensions that are safe and relatively low-maintenance. I won't go into this in too much detail unless you guys have questions about it but I had to mention it since it comes up a lot in direct messages and I did not want anyone to think my lashes just look like that naturally ;). 

If you have any other questions, feel free to ask!

how to feel young even as you get older...

Last month, I turned 37. And while I often joke that I am “so old” because of my numeric age, I always feel like I’m actually in my early 20’s. Now, that doesn’t mean I have the desire to stay up late and party like a young 20-something, but in my mind, I feel younger than I am. As I get older, I realize it’s the really simple things that keep us feeling young. Today, I’ve partnered with No7 to share my go-to tips for feeling young even as you get older…

1. Dance and sing without caring what anyone thinks - I used to really care if I had good rhythm and if my voice sounded okay to others. And what I learned was that I don’t have good rhythm and I’m actually pretty tone deaf. But worrying about what others think of my dancing and singing weighed me down and prevented me from just letting loose and letting myself express how I feel through something so fun and eternally youthful like dancing and singing whenever you feel like it.

2. Laugh at yourself - I’m not perfect. No one is. Sometimes we mess up. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes we say the wrong thing. Laugh it off and know that whatever it is will work itself out, and you’re going to be okay.

3. Take Care of Your Skin – It sounds obvious, but when you feel good about yourself, you feel younger. And your skin is the first thing you see every morning in the mirror. In all honesty, I really haven’t been that proactive with my skincare over the years, mainly because I didn’t want to admit to myself that I was actually getting older. But I recently tried the No7 Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum. The texture is amazing and has made my skin more supple and luminous. It’s become a go-to addition to my morning and evening routine, and I apply a small amount on my whole face after cleansing and before moisturizing for younger looking skin.

4. Go to Bed Two Hours Earlier - As adults, we often spend our evening hours doing bills and laundry or catching up on social media. And before you know it, it’s midnight and you meant to go to bed way earlier. Have you ever regretted going to bed early or have you ever hated feeling well-rested? Probably not. Sleep is one of the keys to feeling like you can go tackle the world the next day. So if you feel tired (like I often do), try going to bed two hours earlier. Chances are you might not be able to actually get to bed until one hour before but that’s still a whole hour more that you won’t regret.

5. Eat Dessert - Grown-ups go on diets. Grown-ups spend so much time obsessing over how they don’t look like they did in high school. Of course, be healthy and do what’s right for your body, but please also remember to treat yourself every once in a while. Because life is too short to (always) be counting calories.

How do you guys keep yourselves feeling young? 

*This post is in collaboration with No7. All words are my own.

{Photos by Casey Brodley, styling by Julia Wester}

business in the front, party in the back...

So there was this one morning (really, most mornings) when I woke up and could not get my act together to get showered or really do much of anything to my hair. A couple weeks ago, I share this really easy bobbi pin hairstyle with you. And here's one more! This is for those days that your hair is a mess and all you can do is put it up in a top knot or a ponytail and call it a day. BUT, no one needs to know how messy it really is if you just fancy it up a bit like so...

1. Put your hair up in a top knot, bun, or pony tail as you normally would. Then use bobbi pins to secure the back wisps up in multiple rows of "V"s. You can use one color or use two contrasting colors like we did for a fun contrast effect.

2. Place in the first bottom pin to hold the hair back in the spot you want it to stay in.

3. Add another bottom pin to create a "V" shape. Make sure to interlock the two pins at the bottom of the "V" by inserting the second bobbi pin into the bottom curve of the first pin so it helps lock them together and hold the hair even better.

4. Keep repeating until you have as many bobbi pins as you'd like. I find that 4-6 rows looks the best. Since you can't really see this as you go, you have to feel your way through it and then check your work in a double mirror. Once you try it a couple times, you won't need to look and will be able to tell just by feeling them as you go!

{Photos by Casey Brodley, hairstyle by Danielle Walch.}

a really cute way to use bobbi pins...

I have never been one of those people who spends a lot of time getting ready in the morning. I have a very simple morning routine that doesn't take very long at all, and I'm super simple with my hair and makeup on the average day. So I'm always looking for (and thinking about) easy things that I can do that look way fancier than they actually are. This post was supposed to be called, "How to make it look like you spent way more time doing your hair than you actually did." But that title was too long to fit in this post's header, so I had to shorten it. But here is a super simple way to make it look like you spent way more time doing your hair than you actually did. ;)

1. Pull the side of your hair up and back as you might usually when putting it half up. Rather than using just one clip, we'll be using four bobbi pins to secure it and create a decorative diamond shape. You can use one color or use two contrasting colors like we did for a color block effect.

2. Place in the first bottom pin to hold the hair back in the spot you want it to stay in.

3. Add another bottom pin to create a "V" shape. Make sure to interlock the two pins at the bottom of the "V" by inserting the second bobbi pin into the bottom curve of the first pin so it helps lock them together and hold the hair even better.

4. Add the top two pins from outside in to create the top of the diamond and complete the shape.

That's it! Easy right? I like having it on just the one side. It feels polished without being too fussy.

{Photos by Casey Brodley, hairstyle by Danielle Walch.}

{dollar store DIY} july 4th nails!

We have so many dollar stores in my neighborhood (seriously you can't miss them!). So I thought it would be fun to start incorporating some of the best under-cover finds from the dollar store into some colorful projects! First up, we're using tiny star sequins from the dollar store to decorate our nails for the upcoming 4th of July holiday! If you want a variation on the traditional red, white, and blue, here's our take with a pop of color and shine!

You'll need:
-silver star sequins (we found the silver works best with nail polish)
-clear nail polish
-glitter nail polish (we used this iridescent one)
-colorful nail polish (we used hot pink)
-a thin paint brush

Here's how:
1. Get the star sequins out of their packaging and laid out and ready to go so that you can quickly stick them on top of your base coat.

2. Apply a clear base coat to your nails. While still wet, apply the stars to the nail beds however you'd like.

3. Let dry, then apply an iridescent glitter coat. 

4. Use a thin paint brush to add dots in colors of your choice.  There are no set rules here, so just have fun with it!

5. Finally, apply a top clear coat to seal it all in.

{Photos by Casey Brodley, production by Julia Wester, hands by Angie Stalker. Drink stirrers by Anne and Kate.}