2017 Visions

Hi all! I hope your 2017 is going well so far! I love this time because everyone (ok, not everyone-but most everyone) is excited & hopeful. We are recharged because it's a fresh start and I just really love this time. I think that you can have a fresh start whenever you feel like it, but still, it's that feeling of turning a new page and a new year that's so exciting! I have a lot of hopes & dreams & goals for 2017. I learned a lot in 2016 and I was ready to ring in a new year. Once 2017 arrived I was ready to take action and not mess around! So, one of the first things I did was make a vision board. I looked up some fun articles about vision boards and I took notes and everything! (I told y'all I wasn't messing around this year!) I went out and got some poster board, glue sticks, and double checked to make sure I had a good pair of scissors. I asked Corey if he wanted to join in on the arts & crafts class and he agreed! I seriously was thinking he would pass on this! But I'm so glad he joined in! It was honestly so much fun & actually really inspiring! It was fun to see what caught my eye and sparked my interest, what excited me and got my creativity moving. Some things surprised me actually. What's neat about it is, you cut out what calls to you. So there were some things I was surprised weren't on there when I was done & some things were very interesting to see were such a big part of my vision board. It was so much fun to cut & create & lay out your visions and it was also really fun to discuss our dreams, goals, and visions with each other when we were done. After reading so many articles on how to reach your goals, or have a successful dream or business, or how to kick off a new year right, or get inspired, or find your specific dreams & goals-they all mentioned vision boards. So I just had to do it!! Here are the tips I picked up to create a kick ass vision board!

-Think of the vision board more as a manifestation collage. You don't want to have an idea of exactly what you want to put on the board. Don't let your head get too into it. Just go for what attracts you & draws you in. So my suggestion is this-
         *keep a clear mind, maybe meditate and do yoga beforehand. I did, and it put me in the best mindset to create!
         *remember-your board will remind you of your truth, what you really want in life & what's
possible. So don't get in your head too much, just go with what you're attracted to & what brings you joy. I love lots of things & there were lots of things I looked at thinking that's what I "needed" to put on my board, but I simply asked myself, am I going to want to remember this forever? Does this bring me joy? And that's where I decided if it stays or goes!
          *Visualize your goals-when you visualize your goals before hand, it will help you really know what to put on your board or what direction you should go. This way your board will tell you that in order to attract what you truly want, you must see it, feel it, and embody it-these are a must if you really want a good vision board and it's a must when really trying to find out what you truly want.
          *Set the tone-like I said, I did yoga & meditation before. But I also lit some sage, a candle and played music we loved. Do whatever you need to clear your mind and help you clarify what you really want. This board is about what's important to you. So it's good to have no distractions so it's easy to identify what is really important to you.
          *Have lots of magazines-luckily I keep lots & lots of magazines. If I look through them or not, I keep them around and refer to them quite often. So these magazines were so handy! All the magazines were related to what I love and what inspires me, so this was very helpful!
           *Once you have your magazines- look, listen & scan them. See what catches your attention. Cut out words, colors, pictures, whatever inspires you, whatever draws your attention, whatever brings you joy.
           *Don't over think it-don't think too much about it, either you need it or not. My sign was, if I contemplated it too much, I decided it was a no. So, spend time on your intention & go with the flow!
           *Hang your board where you will see it every single day! This is something you need to see daily. This is your clear reminder of your true you & your dreams, goals, and intentions. This will set your mind right daily & inspire you. It's also great to look at when you're feeling defeated or lost, which happens from time to time. One of my main reasons for doing this board was to inspire me of course, but I really wanted to lay out my true self & my passions, dreams, and goals all on one big board. I wanted to do this because sometimes doing what I do gets tough. I love
what I do, but it's a tough road from time to time. Sometimes it's easy to ask why? Or it's easy to just say "forget it" and find a job doing something that's not your true passion. So for me, this board will inspire me, but it will also remind me of my love & passions & be that little reminder to stick it out, hang in there! You're doing what you love! So make sure to put your board where it will make the most impact on you.
          *See it, feel it, be it-now that it's done, refer to it often. Meditate about it, meditate about these images becoming real, it will get you excited. And more excitement=the more you'll want it, which means the more motivated you'll be to achieve it! That positive & motivated mindset will attract it to your life!

Another thing when doing your board- map out your pieces. I had different sections on my board for different areas in my life. I just sectioned off & started glueing! Corey of course, mapped it out, did mock layouts and really worked it out before glueing. I did not do that so much, lol. But it's totally whatever works for you! You can leave space or not on your board. It's totally up to you! It's your board, do what makes you happy!  Good luck & happy Board making!!!

Hi guys!! If you're reading this then guess what??? You made it through 2016!!!! One of the most challenging years that I can remember, right? I mean, it wasn't horrible for me-but it wasn't my best. Of course we lost so many amazing artists which are such a sad loss, but it's also been nice for the world to love & appreciate their talents one last time. Yes, tough year for our beloved celebrities. Weird year for so, so, SO many other things. I'm quite the positive person and I have to admit my demeanor, mindset, outlook on life & thoughts have not been as positive as usual. I found this year very challenging. That's the word I'm going to use to describe 2016- challenging, yet enlightening. There's the positive spin! I'm back!

I remember this time last year, I had put SO much work into "what's to come." I had prepped, planned, worked my butt off for all my hard work to fall into place-for it not to. It wasn't 2016 that failed me, it was me that failed myself. But I'm not going to say "failed" actually. This is where the "enlightened" word comes in. 

The beginning of 2016 I was totally hopeful, motivated, scared-yet positive, uncertain-yet calm about all the amazing things that were going to happen. I had a lot of great opportunities. I traveled and worked so much. Got to see some fun areas of the country I have never been to, went on some fun road trips with my husband, and really just went by the seat of my pants for the first 6 months of the year. Freelance is funny. You have all this free time, you get compensated quite well when you work, but nothing is every promised. So it's a really tricky situation. But the truth of the matter was this-I was doing what I loved. The schedule very open, flexible, lots of free time, yet unstable and sporadic worked for me. I got to go for 2 hour walks while listening to music, meditating, enjoying nature (which totally heals me by the way), I got to do yoga & meditation daily-my meditation practice was stronger than ever because my life was uncertain-I needed that break, that time to pray and be guided on where I should go next. My spiritual, physical & mental body was connected. But for some reason I never saw it that way. I only focused on the fact that my job, my foundation was all on the unknown, uncertain, unstable track-I told myself I have to get out of it. I'm crazy to keep doing this job. I completely lost sight of the fact that I was actually doing something I loved, that I am good at, this is what I'm meant to be doing, I know it. But I never reminded myself of that. I was staying busy, in demand, traveling this country all while doing what I loved and getting paid to do it! I was taking care of myself & my yoga practice was the best it's ever been, I had lots of free time to create and things were going well! But I got in my head too much and convinced myself that I was not making wise choices. I was setting myself up for failure and it was a scary uncertain road. I felt like I had to work 5 days a week to be a "real adult," I needed stability. In Freelance, I never knew when I would work again, or if I would even get another job. Yet i always stayed busy for 6 straight months in 2016, hell, i have stayed busy in freelance for over 3 straight years! I just really got in my head by July of 2016. I got in my head, i let the worldly thoughts get in my head, i let fear get in my head, and I lost sight of what I really wanted and the goals and plans that I had for 2016.

I quit it all. I quit makeup, Skincare, education, traveling, freelance, everything. I quit myself, and I lost myself. At first I wasn't too upset. It's hard letting go of what you know you're good at, and I never thought I would quit the beauty world. At first the stability and the newness of a steady paycheck were nice. I loved my job and I cared about it, the people I worked with, and it was fun. But it wasn't me. I appreciated the stability, but I also lost my need for yoga and meditation. I loved the regular hours and always being home on nights and weekends, but I lost making time for my blog and lost inspiration for trying out new products and writing about them. I really just lost a part of me. 

The thing I was running from the most, the thing I needed to change-was the one thing that made me, me. I'm an only child, and the travel that I once dreaded was actually a nice "me time" that I never noticed. I love to walk and look at nature, it's like it's my church. And I used to feel that way driving and seeing all the beautiful scenery. I missed it. The uncertainty of schedule that I desperately wanted to go away, was actually the thing that kept me practicing yoga, meditating & praying. Once stability happened, all the other stuff stopped. My positive mindset, my dreamer mentality, my go-getter, goal digging, dreams-to-reality, driven-mindset, gone. Now I'm not saying that a stable job is a dream killer. I'm saying it wasn't for me. The one thing I thought would "fix everything" didn't. I thought if I knew where my paycheck was coming from every week, I wouldn't have a worry in the world. But that was not true. I let go of me. I let go of myself and my dreams and my passions because I got in my head too much. 

It's hard to let go of your passions to do something safe & stable. But let me tell you, it's harder to let go of the stability and go back for your dreams. But, you have to. I loved my stable job. I loved the friends I had made, I loved everything about it. But it wasn't me. It's hard to swallow that pill. It's hard to realize that stability might not go with your passions, goals, and plans. I'm not saying quit your job and let Jesus take the wheel. No. But what I'm saying is, I looked over all that I had been given, I looked over all that my passions provided, to find that one little detail that I didn't have-stability. I let go of all my passions for that one thing, that I actually had all along. I have been a freelancer for over 3 years & stayed waaaay busier than I always thought I would. Just because I don't know what I'll be doing next month doesn't mean I'm not going to work. I just needed faith & I lost faith & lost sight of my dreams. 

2016 was enlightening to me this way-I got to go on that other side. I had that thought-"if I could only have _______(whatever you think you're missing)then everything would be great" and I actually got what I thought was missing, and realized I left everything else behind. It was enlightening to me because I realized this-some people need stability. They would rather know what their schedule is like every week, they want to know where they're getting that paycheck from every week, and they like that stability (word of the year for me). Then there's the people who would rather do what makes them excited. They want to just go for it and see what happens, follow their passion and have a leap of faith. Things will usually pan out and provide. It's totally scary and to me, I told myself I was childish for wanting that. But it's not. I always thought I was wrong for doing that route and there's no right or wrong. If you're driven by stability-you're not wrong. If you're driven by passion-you're not wrong either! People are wired differently and I don't have to be like everyone else. I can't compare myself to my friends who have a stable job at an office and get paid however much a week. We can't compare ourselves to anyone else. I am not "wrong" for not wanting the stable route & neither is that person who would never do what I do. I am not doing the wrong job because I don't know what I'm working every single week for the next 6 months. I'm doing what I love & I'm meant to do on this earth & that's all I can do is just follow what I know. 

What we can do is take a really deep look into what we do love, What we really do want, what really drives us, and that's something only we can answer-nobody else can answer that for us. That's why for 2017 I'm not doing a resolution-I'm doing a vision board. I'm going to remind myself of what I love, what I want, what excites me, what makes me truly happy & makes me feel good & accomplished. I'm going to be very mindful of what brings me joy & that's it. What brings ME joy-not what's supposed to bring me joy, or what I'm supposed to do, it's what I want & my purpose. Tomorrow I will give you steps on how to make your own vision board to take you into 2017 with guns blazing! 

Take today not to think about how crappy 2016 was or your failures. Think about your growth, what you've learned, your accomplishments and all the positives of 2016. Take that warmth & happiness and put it out there already for 2017, because 2017 is going to be great. 

Numerology believes that 2016 is a 9 year. 9 is a number of endings & completion. So just think that this year is done. You don't have to take any of 2016 with you. It's done, it is completed. 

2017 is a 1 year which means-new beginnings & creations. 

If you want to start over, if you've always wanted to create or do something and you've been scared. If you're still hanging on to something that brings you sadness or negativity or holds you back-let it go because 2016 is done & completed & 2017 is time for a new you. What better time to do it then now???? This is your sign!! Start fresh & renew & do what YOU want because 2017 is the year to do it! 

See ya 2016-it's been weird & enlightening! 

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The Eyes Have It

Hi all!! its October!!!! My favorite month ever!! Here's what I've been up to!

I try to use non toxic Skincare and makeup but I've never been too worried about mascara. I used Covergirl LashBlast forever, then I recently moved to every single Bobbi Brown mascara because I used to do makeup for them and I have so many of their mascaras. So I tried them after my covergirl ran out and I suddenly developed some sort of major irritation towards mascara. Couldn't wear any of the Bobbi mascaras an entire day, went back to covergirl and couldn't even wear that one anymore! So I started researching the harm of mascaras and here we go-read on!

So, I've been trying some natural mascaras. It's been quite a journey. I had no idea that this would be such a nightmare!! I know some of you sit there and think that there are a ton of great mascaras out there, and there are! But-I'm looking for a natural mascara.

Here are some hazards to your every day mascaras you can buy-

They contain parabens- I know y'all have heard about parabens. It's been a buzz word for a while and I still think it's an ingredient to look out for. Parabens are used as a preservative in a lot of cosmetics. A lot of people act like they are just used to hold things together, or as a hygienic preserver but they can also disrupt estrogen in the body. High concentrations of parabens have been found in breast tumors according to research from the University of Reading in the UK. Tons of your department store and drugstore mascaras (and by a ton I mean basically every single brand sold there) contain parabens. A lot of companies are going paraben free which is fantastic, but there's still other ingredients to look out for.
Aluminum Powder-this is rated high in toxicity on my favorite website (www.ewg.com). The Environmental Working Group sites that aluminum powder is a neurotoxin and is considered to be worse than mercury because is interferes with your nervous system. Studies have shown that long
term exposure to this neurotoxin can cause your body to stop excreting mercury so whatever mercury you are exposed to will make it even more toxic to your nervous system. Umm yikes!

Propylene Glycol-Of course the FDA says this ingredient is A-Ok. I do not. Mainly this ingredient can cause major irritations and be a huge issue if you're sensitive to makeup.

Retinyl Acetate (vitamin A Acetate)-once again, this ingredient is ranked high by the EWG. This ingredient can cause biochemical or cellular level changes. Literally this ingredient can mutate genes...wtf?!!?? This ingredient is banned in Canadian cosmetics...so why not here??? It's so bizarre I can't even comprehend it.

Formaldehyde-yes, that ingredient you have heard of from your biology class. Yes, that smelly stuff that preserved your frog you dissected. That's seriously all I can think about when I hear this

 ingredient and it's disgusting. I would never want to associate my experience dissecting frogs to applying eye makeup....just no. Obviously formaldehyde is a carcinogen. Unfortunately it's in tons of mascara and there are many different names used, which makes it even harder to know if it's in your mascara. I think that is so sketchy by the way. Why are there so many secrets in what we use on our faces??

Petrolatum-it's a thick, petroleum jelly that literally suffocates our healthy cells and then over time causes the cells to deteriorate and cause aging! What the heck!!! So using mascara with petrolatum can cause my eyes to age faster, no thanks!

Sodium Lauryl Sulfate-literally found in almost every single mainstream beauty, self care, cosmetics, Skincare product. One of the top ingredients that cause some of the worst allergic reactions.

So, as you can see. I don't want to use that stuff on my face!!! I would rather go with no mascara than risk these reactions from these ingredients. So, I've been trying out a few natural mascaras to share my reviews with y'all. Some were good, most were bad lol. It wasn't easy I'm not going to lie.

Ok here's some reviews-

Pixi Lash Booster Mascara-ok first, it isn't deemed all natural, but-it had a lower score on my "think dirty" app and I got it from some beauty box so I gave it a shot. Opened up the pretty little mint green tube, and liked it from the get-go! I loved the clean wand when I went to apply it. The brush wasn't
clumpy and gooey covered in tons of mascara. I put the mascara on and I have to say, it was really hard to see that I had any mascara on. When I went to apply a second coat my lashes had already dried together in weird little triangle clumps, so needless to say, I wasn't too excited about this mascara. By the end of the day I was so ready to get this mascara off!!!! It had clumped my lashes into those weird little triangles that every time I blinked it pulled my lashes. They literally felt like my lashes had been pulled up in a ponytail all day and by the time I got home from work all I could think about was washing off my makeup-which is totally unlike me. It's so rare for me to want to wash off my makeup so quickly. Makeup never bothers me, but this mascara did. Not only did it clump and pull my lashes all day, it smudged so bad!!! Every time I looked in the mirror I would have a shadow of where my mascara had hit. The smudging wasn't horrible, but I don't want to deal with that and neither should you! So-smudgy eyes...not great...when I went to wash off my mascara it wouldn't come off!!!! Like at all! I even used coconut oil, and I busted out my old products that I don't even use anymore (full on toxins lol) just to see if all those chemicals and junk would remove it...nope!! I used face oils, coconut oils, and 3 different eye makeup removers with no luck. What boggles me most is that it smudged under my eyes, but wouldn't wash off for days...such a mystery. So-that's a hard no on this mascara.

Next up was the Physicians Formula Organic Mascara-this little shiny, metallic tube looked promising. I've heard good things about this Brand's organic mascara but when I got to Target I didn't realize there would be multiple options. There was an Organic Wear Jumbo Mascara, a regular Organic Wear mascara-I don't know what the difference is, I got both. I was so excited to try this one. Let me just cut to the chase-I have never had a mascara smear so bad in my life!!!!! Both of them, not so great. Actually, horrible. I'm not lying when I say I never have an issue with smearing and all of a sudden these trials happened and it's smeared. Now the Pixi one smeared but this one like SMEARED!!!! I would wipe under my eyes throughout the day and my entire finger would be black lol. It was bad. So, by this point I was feeling a little defeated.

I tried Josie Maran's mascara and once again, went on nicely but smeared pretty bad on me. With that said-I gave it to my good friend who has serious eye issues when it comes to mascara and she swears by it! It's the only mascara she can use! So-with that being said, I love Josie Maran's products so if you're interested, I say give it a go!
www.josiemarancosmetics.com
Next up-Beauty Counter Mascara-I'm sure you've been hearing about this brand. I have too and I have been so curious! It's not 100% organic, but for me being a total freak about ingredients-I'm really pleased with this company and their "Never list" and the changes they want to see in the cosmetics industry so I'm a huge fan of the brand. So-the mascara. Things haven't looked so good guys. Every single brand I have tried before were not good. So I was a little weary after such bad luck before. But let me tell you-this mascara is awesome! It curls your lashes which I love. My amazing Shu Uemura eyelash curler finally bit the dust after 8 years so I haven't gotten a new one yet and Lordy I need one! But now I don't need one! This mascara curls, lengthens, and doesn't smudge!!!! It's a little tricky to remove but nothing like the Pixi one lol. Just use a little coconut oil or a cleansing balm and you're golden! So happy I actually found a non-toxic mascara that doesn't make me look like I got punched in both eyes by the end of the day!
www.beautycounter.com/andreaturner

Under both reviews of Josie Maran and Beauty Counter mascaras are the links to the website to buy them. Check them out if you're curious! I highly suggest it! It'll be one small step for beauty and one giant leap for your health! (Corny, I know. Not sure if it really works but it's late and it seems clever right now)

www.medicaldaily.com



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www.beautycounter.com/andreaturner

Argan Love

Argan Love

I have been wanting to post a blog about Argan oil for a looooong time! I know Argan oil has been a huge buzz word in the beauty industry (hello Moroccan oil hair products!) but, I've just started to notice this ingredient in Skincare just recently (and by recently i mean a year, I'm just way behind on blogging lol). I have always been a fan of Josie Maran. She was in Maybelline makeup ads back when I was just discovering my love for makeup. Now, she's this badass #girlboss with a hugely successful Argan oil Skincare & makeup line. She has major standards for her products, the ingredients, how their harvested, what her brand gives back, and of course she wants result-driven products that don't harm you or your health. So, the Josie Maran line is a total win in my eyes! Of course I HAD to try her products out!

If you've read this blog at all, you know I don't use toxic ingredients and I use my handy dandy "think dirty" app or the EWG website to check all my beauty & body products before I buy. So of course these babies I'm going to write about have checked out & are truly sitting on my bathroom shelf right now!


Josie Maran Cosmetics standards are:

-they use organic Argan oil
-all products are made with love
-they're vegan (woo hoo!!)
-no synthetic fragrances
-all natural ingredients
-cruelty free (another must for me)
-paraben free
-organic ingredients
-recyclable (gotta take care of Mother Nature people)

I love these standards! Not only do we have a choice to take care of our skin & our bodies & make sure we do not harm ourselves-now we can choose to support brands who also want to take care of our planet and those living in it! These are huge steps to making the world a better place!

Josie Maran Cosmetics main goal is to enhance natural beauty in all of us while enhancing the natural beauty of the world we live in. From harvest to production, Josie Maran makes sure they are consciously protecting & enhancing the beauty of our planet & ourselves. This company is also about empowering women. I mean how could you not want to support this brand!?!

Josie Maran Cosmetics gets all their Argan oil from an all-female co-op in Morocco. This gives women in Morocco an opportunity to get a job with a steady income with a fair wage in a decent working environment all while providing them literacy and other education opportunities to have the freedom to stand up against the traditionally male-dominated society.

Josie Maran Cosmetics also preserve the Argan forests where they harvest their Argan oil. The co-ops they work with provide responsible harvesting of the Argan oil to protect these forests. Josie also works to save the polar bears in a campaign she has with her Bear Naked Wipes. Every pack sold donates a portion to the Natural Resources Defense Council's Polar Bear SOS Initiative. She also donates 10% of sales from a limited edition product to the JMC's Model Citizen Campagin which highlights a different person who is out & about raising awareness. The proceeds will go to whoever that selected person's cause may be.

So as you can see, not only is she giving back to us. We do not need to worry about products we use harming us & potentially causing health issues. But-she also cares about the environment, empowering woman, making woman feel & look amazing, she cares for other causes & animals, and even the easiest act of us supporting this brand will help out too!

Josie Maran became more aware of toxicity of beauty products being a model for over 17 years. She got to work with the best hair & makeup artists around, but she also got exposed to the scary ingredients used in cosmetics. She wondered, did beauty products have to be bad for us? Well, apparently yes. She was told there was no way her products would be affective & have a luxurious feel without chemicals. Well, she didn't quit there. She continued to figure out a way to make this work and while she was in the South of France she was introduced to Argan oil. Josie referred to Argan oil as "liquid gold." And in 2007 Josie started her brand, Josie Maran Cosmetics & used her "liquid gold" as the staple to her products.

Like I said earlier, I had wanted to try her products because I was such a huge fan of her. But, like everyone else, I was worried about oils being too heavy for my skin. Now this was a while ago. These days I'll put plain extra virgin olive oil on my skin if I have to. Oils don't scare me one bit! But, to most people, putting an oil directly on the skin seems pretty scary. But trust me! It's not! It'll be one of the best things you can do!

I finally made the plunge and purchased a couple of Josie Maran argan oil starter kits at sephora while in Miami working last year. I was in Miami, my skin was really not acting right, and I was so over it. I was working for a high end Skincare brand at the time and was there to train & educate the counters and aestheticians. I have to admit, at about this time last year I wasn't eating great, wasn't sleeping enough, traveling like crazy, and my skin was majorly stuffing. I've had breakouts. I've had dry skin. I've had congested, oily skin. I've had redness & irritation. I've had dull skin. Well all of that put into one was basically my skin in miami. It was so dry, but so oily all at the same time. Being an aesthetician it's rare that I feel out of control with my own skin & in Miami, i did. My skin was just, blah. That's the only way I could describe it.

So last day of my Miami trip I'm shopping with my friend Tiffany. I hate to fly so spending lots and lots of money shopping was my coping mechanism. We went into sephora (which I never go to! I tend to avoid cosmetic stores because I am always in them working!) & I decided ok, I'm finally in one of these things-let's go check out Josie Maran's line! Made a straight run for it & immediately started playing. It was November while I was in Miami so all the holiday sets were out & I racked up! I was loving the lightweight consistency of the cheek tints & the foundation. The colors were beautiful, the finish of the makeup was beautiful. It was Like you had an immediate youthful glow. I loved it! Grabbed up one of the color kits immediately. Then I ran over to the Skincare side. I never use testers because I have seen first hand the lack of care & sanitation people use on these. But I couldn't help myself with the Argan milk from her line. I put a drop on the back of my hand (totally ok with that, I do that all the time) and I fell in love. My hand looked amazing! It felt amazing! So then I got the dropper, poured more in my hands & put it all over my face (totally not ok with that, I never do that at a store!). Immediately my face felt like it came to life. My inflammation calmed down, I felt soothed, I felt hydrated, it had a glow, it was soft, it was plump, it just felt amazing! I picked up that Skincare kit as well and the next thing I knew, I had spent $75 at sephora. Bam! That fast!

That was almost a year ago. I still use so much of her line. I'll write blogs in more detail highlighting one product at a time because they're so good. I just wanted to give you an overview of the brand as a whole first. I can't wait to share all my favorites from the line!!

Where to buy-www.josiemarancosmetics.com

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Why Natural Beauty?

Why natural beauty?

Hi guys! It's been a while. I have had so many changes in my life and I just now feel like I'm getting back into the swing of things. A couple of major changes have been my jobs! And yes, I say jobs. If any of you know me, you know I juggle about 7 different jobs. I worked as an aesthetician for about 5 different Skincare lines & a makeup artist for 1 line. I worked for all those lines in high-end department stores & high-end cosmetic boutiques and would travel all around the region to do facials and makeup for beauty events at the shops. It was fun, I loved educating, I loved my co-workers, it was fun seeing new cities but it was time for a change. I hated leaving home, I love being at home and being able to sleep in my own bed & actually see my husband as much as possible! I hated leaving my dogs, my garden, my regular routine. It's hard to take care of yourself on the road too. Eating is tough, traveling is tough on your body & my body especially doesn't handle travel well for some reason. I knew this was a job I loved & I was lucky to do for a long time. But it's a tough job. It can get stressful, it's hard to be away from home, it's unpredictable, and it's wearing on you. I knew this wouldn't be a job I would do long-term and I knew it was coming to and end soon. So, I decided to check out some different options and I was still scared to death to take a leap of faith and try something new. Even though my job as a freelance aesthetician and makeup artist was unstable & crazy & took me away from home, it's what I've done for 4 years now. I was told numerous times that Skincare & beauty is "what I was meant to do." My passion shines through when I talk and educate people. So why was I leaving again? On paper the job sounded great. Ooohhh travel! Oooohhhh makeup and beauty! Oohhh meeting new people! Yeah, all good. But, it was time to step down. I could tell I was done.

But now! Now I can truly write about brands. Any brand I want to! I don't feel torn or like I'm bound to a certain company. Now I can truly write about what I want to! I can focus on the good, the bad, and the ugly! I can actually write about toxins in Skincare and beauty and not feel like while I'm educating you on this knowledge that I'm also going against brands I represent. So now I have more freedom and can really educate y'all on everything!
One main principle I have on Skincare & beauty is toxins. The United States hasn't updated their FDA requirements for cosmetics since 1938....umm you guys. A LOT has changed since then. And I'm not just talking about changes in our country, think about all the new wacky ingredients and chemicals that we have developed since 1938. I think we might want to look back into these regulations folks. Europe has banned over 1400 ingredients. Guess how many we in the US have band?
11

Yes, 11. Guys. This is serious. And I don't want to hear people tell you that Skincare, body care, makeup, hair care, any type of cosmetics don't absorb into the blood stream. Because they do! If I can't perform a chemical peel on you while you're pregnant-then these products penetrate into the bloodstream, period. I have been approached by certain Skincare brands (that shall remain nameless) to represent them & sell their products. But-I do not believe in their chemically created ingredients to force cells regeneration. I've politely declined and told them I like more natural ingredients and I have been answered back to very condescending responses and talked down to because "it might not be linked to cancers" or it is "most likely not able to penetrate into the blood stream" and the response has been loaded down with a bunch of filler to basically trick you into thinking "wow! They used a lot of technical cosmetic words, they must know what they're talking about" nope! Not going to fool me!

I'm sorry. If there's a possibility that a product can cause cancer-I'm out. I don't care if you think I'm an idiot or not. I love my life, I'm not going to risk it to try some product that will thin out my skin and make me look like glass by the time I'm 35. Yeah, I'll pass.

I know this sounds harsh but it's the way I feel and these are just my personal thoughts on Skincare. There's too much false advertisements out there tricking people into thinking that what they're using is natural or good for them. Aveeno is not natural people. Kiehls is not natural. Aveda products (which are owned by Estée Lauder) aren't so great either folks. It's so deceiving and it's so unfair. They know how to package everything to look clean & pure and market it like it's "all natural." I get it, you don't want to look through ingredients and study harmful names to look for. That's why I'm here! I'm here to help. I love this stuff and there's new information everyday coming out. Hell, I just read about 2 brand new ingredients that companies have made up to basically combine tons of toxic ingredients into one super toxic name. What the heck is going on people????!!??? This is pure craziness that companies are literally making up names of things to hide more toxins behind it! It's time to start studying up on what we put on our bodies, face, skin, hair & nails & I'm here to help you!

I've got lots of blogs waiting in the wings here that I've already written giving reviews and info on some of my favorite natural brands! Stay tuned and I'll be sharing these every couple of days!

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All About That Balance

Happy Independence Day weekend everybody!! So this weekend is all about hanging outside, being with friends, grilling, drinking cool crisp cocktails, fireworks, and of course celebrating our great country's birthday & giving thanks and remembering all those who fought for our freedom. To me, I want to eat right and not just blow my healthy habits out the door all in one weekend all the while beating myself up for going crazy. But, it's also a holiday weekend to do all these things I listed above and I don't want to constantly think How clean a food item is, is this bad for me, or does it have gmo's and carbs...blah! Take some time off people!! That's what holidays are for! So that's just what I'll do! Here are a few tips that I follow for holiday weekends and time off!

1-balance! For breakfast I'll have a green juice or a detox juice and some fruit with lots of water. Keep it light and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!

2-modify! For a cocktail outside I will lighten up on the sugary options and go for cleaner cocktails that you can make.

This is what I'll be drinking this weekend:

Clean Margarita

1oz good quality tequila
3oz club soda
I like the juice of half a lime, but I like tart! Juice the lime to your taste

3-moderation! I know you hear that word all the time but it really works! Sometimes I just need a bite. If you're one of my friends or Corey all you hear me say when we go out to eat is I just want a bite. It fills that void of desserts or heavier options that weigh you down. A bite will do it! Now I'm not saying only eat a bite of food overall. I'm saying I take a bite of a cupcake, pizza, a burger, whatever. Then, the rest of my meal is more veggie heavy, healthier foods.

4-Have fun! Enjoy your free time and quality time with family and friends. Don't boggle your mind with calorie counting and clean foods lists. Just have some fun. I like to enjoy myself but I also like to remind myself of how I will feel after I binge. I want to make the most of my holiday weekend so sometimes certain foods aren't worth feeling like crap the rest of the day for.

Just be mindful in everything! Be mindful in your time with friends & family. Be mindful for your free time and extra day off if you're lucky enough to have one. Be mindful of the people who do have to work this holiday weekend & be thankful for them. Be thankful for everyone who has risked their all for us to have these celebrations. And just soak up the time you have with friends and family!




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Matcha in the Morning

I'm sure you've heard the word matcha lately. Matcha is seriously having a moment and I'm loving it! It deserves all the attention.

What is matcha you ask? Matcha has been a tradition of the Japanese culture for over a millennium. Matcha has so many benefits, which i will go over soon. Matcha is ground green tea leaves. The leaves are picked young so the leaves are rich & full of nutrients. These leaves are steamed, stemmed, and then ground into a very fine powder. So essentially you are consuming the entire green tea leaf (minus stems and vines of course).

Matcha is high in antioxidants. So it'll help your body fight against free radials, helps with anti-aging, and helps keep your body at the peak of health! Matcha also has very high amounts of EGCg (one of the most powerful catechins) which means it is a fantastic cancer fighter. Studies have shown that matcha has over 100 times more EGCg than any other tea. It's the tea of all teas!

Matcha gives you energy, but also calms you. I don't do well with a lot of caffeine so coffee usually makes me feel jittery and horrible. But, I do need some help perking myself up from time to time and this is where matcha is the perfect option. Matcha gives you energy & alertness but it also keeps you calm all at the same time!

Matcha contains L-Theanine which helps induce relaxation & sharpens your memory! Chinese Daoists & Japanese Zen Buddhist monks drink this amazing tea to help meditate while staying alert & it helps your concentration while giving you energy and endurance. That's why Samurai & my husband drink it, lol. I mean, Corey is close to a Samurai... My husband works outside all day doing landscape & pond installations and coffee is not what he wants to drink outside in the heat of Nashville. It makes him jittery and it's harsh on you. Matcha helps keep his energy and stamina all day while helping him feel calm and relaxed.

Matcha also increases metabolism and helps your body burn fat & helps lower your cholesterol. It also detoxifies the body because matcha contains chlorophyll which helps pull out heavy metals and chemicals from the body. On top of all these other benefits, matcha has antibiotic properties, potassium, vitamins, iron, protein, and calcium.

I used to add a teaspoon of matcha to almond or coconut milk & shake it up and drink. That simple! But, I was reading one my favorite bloggers page "Nutrition Stripped" and she had an blog post about a matcha latte. I have kept it on my phone for months never taking the leap to move into the latte realm and wow, I'm so glad I did! Her recipe is on her blog & it's easy & so delicious. Matcha latte mornings are the way to go! I get my matcha from a local tea place here called High Garden but you can order matcha online as well. Just make sure you get a good quality matcha. Here's to your health! I hope you enjoyed & I hope you try it out!

Naturallivingideas.com
Nutritionstripped.com


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