How to Get Out of That Beauty Rut

Hello Beautiful Ones!

As humans we are creatures of habit. It used to baffle me that even though most of my college classes had free seating plans (meaning you could sit wherever you wanted) my classmates and I would inevitably sit in the same seats every time. And if someone dared to sit in a different spot it threw everyone into a tissy (does anyone even say tissy anymore?! ). The point is, it's very easy to fall into a rut and the same goes for your beauty routine. Believe me, I definitely own infinite versions of the exact same coral pink nailpolish shade (oops!). So how can we expand our beauty regimens without going too far out of our comfort zones?

Lord knows I still haven't completely mastered the art of mixing up my beauty routine. Why mess with something if it works right? But the thing is that I wear makeup as a way of expression and because I like it (I strongly believe that you should only wear makeup if you want to, not because you feel that you need to wear it to please society), but if I'm wearing the same products or colors over and over it can get boring. Of course along with being creatures of habit we humans also tend to dislike change. So here are some of my tips for pushing yourself (gently) out of that beauty rut.

1.) Ease into it Slowly.

I know this one seems a little silly, but I'm serious. If you make a drastic change it is likely that your routine loving brain will reject it more strongly. So maybe just try one new thing in your daily routine. For example, you could use a dark brown mascara instead of black or pick a lip tint in the same shade as your normal gloss. Eventually you can work yourself up to trying and using other colors and products more often.

2.) Rotate through your products.

You know that super cute top that you forgot you even owned because it's living in the depths of your closet? Well the same thing can easily happen to your makeup. If you're like me then your organize your makeup and beauty products so that the ones that you use the most often are the most accessible. That makes sense, but it also makes it easier for you to use the same things over and over. So try every week (or whatever interval of time you want to use) to just change the placement of your products so the ones you use the least are at the front. You might find that the blush you completely dismissed and threw to the back of your drawer actually looks really lovely on you (And if it doesn't maybe it's time to clear it out). 

3.) Do a product swap.
Have a friend or family member that also has a stale beauty routine they'd like to shake up? That's perfect! Get together and swap some of those products you never use. Remember that old saying? One person's trash is another person's treasure. You probably have some things that you thought were going to look fabulous on you but just didn't. It might be perfect for your BFF though! My sister and I give each other dibs when we're cleaning out our makeup collections. So much better than throwing it out. You could even make a party out of it (any excuse for a party is a good one)! Of course you should avoid swapping certain products like mascara that shouldn't be shared!

4.) Crack out those samples.
If you are like me then you have a pile of free makeup and beauty samples that have been tossed to the side because it wasn't as convenient as using your full sized products (I'm lazy ok?). But some of those samples could actually be a holy grail waiting to be discovered. Makeup brands and stores will typically give you samples of their pricier products in an effort to entice you to buy the full sizes. So often you're getting something pretty great. If you shop at Sephora at all I would suggest enrolling in their Beauty Insider program. It's free and you can always get an extra free deluxe sample with any $25 purchase online (just be sure to check out the weekly specials section on their website). Plus, you get a reward point for every dollar you spend and you can save up your points for extra rewards.

Well there you go. My tips for breaking out of the dreaded beauty rut. I'd love to hear your own tips if you have them! We can help each other stay fresh and new (giggle)!

XO- Brittney

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Monday Musings: The Significance of Dying My Hair

Hello Beautiful Ones!

I think it was sometime around 7th grade when my naturally blonde and curly hair started fading to brunette. I was horrified. Honestly, it was like I was having some sort middle school mid-life crisis. I know that sounds pretty crazy, but it starts to seem a little less ludicrous when you look at the kinds of things that we all use to describe and define ourselves: our jobs, our relationships, our hobbies, and our possessions. You know what I'm talking about: "Hi I'm Joe I'm a doctor and a husband who golfs on the weekends and drives a Ferrari." All of these things influence who we are, but they aren't inherently us right? But sometimes they feel like they are. I guess that's why my changing locks had 7th grade Brittney going into panic mode. I had lived my whole life up until that point as a blonde and now suddenly I wasn't one anymore. Insert the blonde hair dye.

I continued dying my hair blonde all through high school and through most of college. Seriously, besides the times when I didn't make it to the salon in time and my roots starting showing, I was a perpetual blonde. But eventually all those trips to the salon began wearing on me (and my wallet). So that's why spring break of my senior year of college I found myself sitting in a salon chair while my stylist mixed up the brunette hair dye. I felt this weird nervous feeling in the pit of my stomach even though I had dyed my hair many times before. This one felt different. Probably because I had never actually seen myself as a brunette.

But why was that such a big deal? Did my hair color really matter that much to me? Those are the things I was thinking about while I waited for the chemicals on my head to do their magic and make me a brunette. When my stylist finally finished up and spun me around in the chair so I could get a look in the mirror I was shocked. It was me... but brunette. I mean duh that was what I had asked for, but it was still a shock. I kind of hated it. In fact, I would have gone straight back to the salon the next day to change it back to blonde if it hadn't been for my family insisting that it looked great.

Eventually, I fell in love with it too. But it wasn't until quite some time later when I realized why it had taken me so many years to embrace the brunette. I think it was because it took me that long to embrace my true self. I know what you're thinking: "Ummm, Brittney your hair color doesn't define your personality." And you would be totally right, but what I'm saying is that I had to be able to 100% embrace and love my true self on the inside before I could embrace and love my true self on the outside.

I've always been pretty shy and introverted. It was in college where I finally found my groove. I threw myself into my passions and surrounded myself with people who supported and accepted me for who I was. What I'm saying is, I realize now that I was kind of wearing the blonde hair as a mask. I think we can all have different masks that we wear: our hair color, our clothes, our attitudes, our makeup, and the list goes on. Once the mask came off it was really scary, but also really liberating. Don't get me wrong, I had some really good times in that blonde hair, but at this point in my life I've never been happier.

You are who you are despite what your hair color is: blonde, brunette, purple, green, or whatever. But if you are wearing some sort of mask in your life I hope you have the courage to take it off, because I have a feeling that you are really going to like what you see.

XO- Brittney

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Beauty Products That Will Help You Hang On to Summer

Hello Beautiful Ones!

Can we just talk for a minute about how it's already mid-August? Like, how did that happen?! Fall is seriously going to be here before we know it, but as always I'm living in complete denial. Summer will forever be my favorite season (and you can't make me change!). Last year around this time I wrote a post about some beauty products that will help you hang on to summer (you can check that out here if you want). Since that's still one of my favorite posts I figured I would bring it back. Don't fix what's not broken right?!

Lush Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

Let me just start by saying that the smell of this product is worth it all on it's own. I know that makes me sound like an actual crazy person, but I'm serious. The smell that hits you when you open the trademark little black pot will instantly transport you to having a cocktail on the beach (sign me up!). The ingredient list includes sea salt, avocado, coconut, lime, and vodka. Yes, I said Vodka. Besides smelling like actual heaven, it's also a great scrub. There are some thick minerals of sea salt in there that do a great job of exfoliating your skin. It's perfect for scrubbing off any dry skin before you shave. This is a little on the pricier side at $21.95 for 4.2 oz., but like I said: totally worth every penny (On a side note: we finally got a Lush store in my city, so it's safe to assume I'm always broke).

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray

I've said it before, and I will say it again: Not Your Mother's is one of my favorite drugstore haircare lines of all time! They make seriously good stuff at a super affordable price. My hair is on the thicker side and naturally curly so sea salt sprays usually work well for me, and this one is no exception. Again, the smell is amazing. It's like someone put coconut and sunshine in a bottle (that makes sense right?). What's really great about this spray though, is that it gives you a nice amount of texture without being sticky. And the best part? You can get it at the drugstore for only $4.79!

Tarte Park Avenue Princess Contour Palette

This is a little palette that I've had for a while, but that I've found myself reaching for a lot recently. It features a full sized bronzer on one side with a half blush/half highlight on the other side. The bronzer is in the shade Park Ave Princess and is a pretty light bronzer, but it works really well on my fair skin. It's also very easy to blend, which I appreciate (bronzer has always been my makeup nemesis). The blush is the shade Posh which is a light pink. You literally can't go wrong with a light pink blush. And finally, the highlight is the shade Champagne Gold which is sort of a white gold. The highlight is not super pigmented, but I feel that it does give you a nice little warm glow. It's so handy to have all three of these products in one little sleek palette. Who says you have to lose that summer glow?! Oh and you can get this palette for $34, which is a great value for everything you're getting.

L'oreal True Match Lumi Liquid Glow Illuminator 

I picked this up at the drugstore recently (full review here), and I've found myself using it a lot. I have the shade Rose Gold which I can only describe as a mix between a bronzer and a highlighter. It gives you a nice glow with a little shine mixed in there. You can wear this all over you face for serious glow or in targeted areas. I usually apply a little to the top of my cheekbones, above my eyebrows, and on the bridge of my nose. I think this would be the perfect product to help you transition into fall while not completely giving up that glow. You can get it for $12.99 at the drugstore. 

Lucky for me it's still 90 degrees here in Nebraska so I don't have to give up my beloved summer quite yet. How do you plan to hang on to summer?

XO- Brittney

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Dealing with Adult Acne

Hello Beautiful Ones!

I will be the first to tell you that being an adult is pretty awesome (ok, not the bills), but there's something pretty great about being able to make your own choices and finding out that you actually are capable of taking care of yourself. Amazing right! You know what's not amazing though? When your acne prone face makes you feel more like 14 than 24. Today we're talking about dealing with adult acne.

I will be the first to tell you that acne is not fun at any age. I've been dealing with it since I was a teenager, but I was always operating under the assumption that eventually I would grow out of it. If I could just survive high school I would be fine (we all just pretend high school never happened anyway, right?). But that's not what happened. In fact, it was pretty much the exact opposite. By the time I was a sophomore in college my acne had gotten much worse and was completely out of control. Not only was I breaking out constantly, but the pimples were becoming large and painful. Also, my extremely oily skin was no match for makeup. Attempting to cover up my acne just didn't do much good.

I tried nearly every treatment I could get my hands on including Proactive and just about everything offered at the drugstore, but nothing could handle my acne. I found a few things that worked for a while, but it was like my skin would eventually wise up to my tricks and the acne would return in full force. That's when I finally scheduled an appointment with a dermatologist.

My dermatologist started my on a regimen of an oral antibiotic and prescription topical cream. The improvement was gradual, but also pretty amazing. There was just one little set back when I was allergic to the first antibiotic (let that be a lesson to all of you to keep track of your allergies, yikes!). But once we found an antibiotic that worked for me my skin improved greatly. I was no longer getting those painful pimples, and I didn't feel like I had to cake on makeup just to go outside.

I took a little break from the dermatologist when I moved cities, but now I'm back on course. I'm once again taking an oral antibiotic and using a prescription topical cream. My current dermatologist suggested the Cetaphil Oil Control Foam Wash. I've been using it for a couple months now and I really like it. It's an extremely gentle cleanser that helps keep my oily skin under control.

I'm not advocating that you absolutely have to turn to medicine or prescriptions to cure your acne. That's the thing, everyone's skin is different. You just have to find what works for you. I also want to be very clear in saying that the acne on your face doesn't make you who you are. I promise you, you are beautiful just the way you are! But, with that being said you shouldn't have to deal with painful acne, or feel self conscious that people are only looking at your acne and not you. I've finally found something that works for me and I just wanted to share!

Here's to being adults (while still acting like children)!

XO- Brittney

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