Five Friday Favorites

To be honest I should rename this to Five Friday Beauty Faves. I have basically spent all of my free time on subreddit pages and in drugstore aisles researching the latest and greatest beauty finds. Eh, next month I promise to live a little but for now let's get to it.

via laurelskin.com

1. Laurel Whole Plant Organics Almond Grain Mask
This is one of those brands I discovered by chance and in the best way possible. I was invited to a new-to-me Laurel event and was definitely intrigued. On the day of the event, I walked into a room filled with skincare addicts (ah, my people) soaking up Laurel's knowledge, the owner. She gave us the rundown on all things pertaining to her organic skincare and even gave us her Almond Grain Mask and treatment brush to try at home. Obviously, I ran home to test it out.

The line is alcohol- and water-free in order to preserve the ingredients and provide our skin with the highest degree of nutrients. Because of that, the masks need to be mixed with water before it's slathered on. It felt extremely therapeutic and forced me to be in the moment. The mask itself felt and smelled heavenly. It left my skin gently exfoliated and moisturized - none of that tight skin feeling. Another plus is that it has 10 active ingredients and left me with a glowing complexion (aka great for those hungover days).

2. IT Cosmetics Confidence in a Cream
Oof! I've been using this cream since early March and am absolutely in love with it. The cream itself looks thick and might feel a little rich but once it's on your skin it is so light and absorbs so quickly. The cream is great for all skin types, from oily to sensitive, and contains Anti-Aging Armour Regenerative Concentrate™ to reduce the look of pores, discoloration, line and wrinkles. The one thing I truly love about this is how quickly it plumps up my skin and hydrates my face. For mornings when I'm in a rush, I use a face mist, this cream, and BB Cream for that dewy fresh-faced look.

Top to bottom: Instant Age Rewind, Super Stay Better Skin, Dream Lumi.

3. Maybelline's Concealers
I'm a purveyor of drugstore brands and Maybelline is definitely one of those few brands that I consistently check out. The Instant Age Rewind is a great on-the-go concealer and perfect for quick cover-ups since there's no need for a brush or sponge. The applicator has a sponge-like tip which ensures the coverage won't streak when applied. As for the formula, it does a great job at making me appear well-rested. Their Super Stay Better Skin is a concealer I use for my acne and acne marks mainly because of its Actyl C ingredient which fades marks within three weeks. And finally, their Dream Lumi rounds out my perfect coverup squad. This bad boy provides seamless coverage and illuminates skin at the same time. I love using this around my eyes and as a base on days I decide to bake so it can look extra lit.

Top to bottom: radiance highlight, matte highlight, deep contour, medium contour, light contour, soft contour.

4. IT Cosmetics You Sculpted! + Heavenly Luxe™ Angled Radiance Brush #10
I'll admit I own almost every contour palette out there but still get that deer in the headlights look when it's go-time. So when I came across IT Cosmetics' You Sculpted! I felt like they made a palette for those of us wanting a little more direction. This palette is chockful of helpful tips and even has an informational how-to book attached to the back. The colors are gorgeous and the formula is velvety soft and stays put all day long. If you don't already have a contouring brush then I highly recommend getting their Angled Radiance Brush #10 as well. The brush is so well designed for contouring it'll make the process easy peasy for an air-brushed finish.

5. Glossybox Subscription
Back in May, Glossybox was generous enough to send me their May box. Definitely bad timing on my part due to fracture (eek) but their packaging and curated contents left such a mark on me I knew I had to share as my Friday Favorite. Each month beauty experts choose an assortment of high-end or boutique goodies to match your beauty profile. I didn't have a beauty profile set up but I can honestly say that I loved (& used up) the items in my box: Benefit's Roller Lash, Rituals Zensation (LOVED this!), Nioxin Cleanser & Conditioner, Talika Photo-Hydra Day Moisturizer, and Versaspa Tanner. The monthly subscriptions is $21 per month and well worth the deluxe samples. (Sidenote, I think this would make for a great gift if you're stuck in a rut). Intrigued? Check out the site here.

The Fourth Wall

Time to bring down the walls and get a little honest and get a little gritty. The past few months have been so difficult with a side of crying-in-the-shower moments. Ah, life. 

It’s no surprise that my anxiety is something that I deal with on a day-to-day basis and can at times be crippling. After 10+ years of living that pharma-life, I switched from meds to using exercise as a form of relief and have never looked back. But recently, my anxiety has gotten so out of hand due to seeing my finances become depleted within a two-month span.

Money isn’t one of those topics we like to talk about so openly, but shit, the struggle has been so real once April 29th roll around. And if we’re being completely transparent, one of the first things I said to my friends when they found me all mangled up was, “I don’t have insurance, how am I going to pay for this?”

Shortly after I fainted in the hot, musky jungles of Tulum.

It’s sort of insane how quickly our healthcare system can force us to choose between treatment or bankruptcy. Obviously, I decided to go with the latter, which was quickly followed by Miles’ emergency surgery. And if we’re being honest, my parents haven’t been able to support me in over 10+ years. So dollar ramen bowls have been a recurring staple in my kitchen.

There was just no winning this summer and so I dealt with it the only way I knew how. Lots of drinking (the worse choice by far), full-on crying sessions, long runs, and finally – hustling like no other. And by the looks (/budgeting) of it all, it’s going to be pretty tight through all of Fall.

After learning firsthand how horrible the health care system is in the States, I decided to stop dwelling on it and instead focus on how much I was able to handle on my own. It definitely sucks, but I made sure to make whatever needed to happen – happen. And that feels pretty awesome. As for the anxiety, it comes and goes in smaller waves. Not always fun but more tolerable than before.

Oh, and I’ve become a SUPER savvy shopper when it comes to sales and savings.

Photo by Lydia Hudgens.

Inside My Relaxing Rituals

Normally, when everything is so out of funk for me the best ritual that keeps me sane is putting pen to paper and just free-writing. The next best thing would be going out for a run. All I would need is a few minutes or a few hours to start feeling like my best self again.

via thesweetlight.com

Now imagine being told to not write or run, amongst other things. I honestly felt so lost for a few long weeks. And trust me, I tried writing (it looked like shit and hurt like hell) and then I tried running (but couldn't fit a sports bra over my head let alone tie my shoes). Feeling like a fish out of water I started researching a few ways or things to feel more at ease when everything was feeling uneasy. That's when I read up on rituals and started implementing the below things into my everyday life:

1. Starting My Day with Warm Lemon Water
As soon as I'm awake, I make myself a warm cup of lemon water. It's the first thing that enters my system and detoxifies my body. On days I'm feeling under the weather, the next magical ingredient is honey. I swear this healthy habit has helped me feel hydrated and tends to set the tone on what I eat. I'm also pretty positive it's one of the main reasons I've haven't gotten sick (yet). Here are 7 more reasons to add this to your daily routine.

2. Read (AM + PM)
While I'm waiting for my hot lemon water to cool off, I take a seat on my couch and read a couple of pages of whatever I'm reading. (The last few months I've been reading this great book called We Are Not Ourselves by Matthew Thomas). Knowing myself and my profession - I'll be on my phone and laptop all day so this really gives me a chance to have a no-screens moment. At night, it's sort of the same deal. No screens forty-five minutes before bed so I'll usually dive into my book before falling asleep.

3. Set an Intention
This might sound super cheesy, but it really does help set the mood for the day and add clarity to the clutter of our lives. If you're not sure of how to think of an intention, consider it to be the seed you sow for the day, week, month... You get the picture. My intentions tend to revolve around happiness or allowing myself to be open to success or change. It feels weird at first but you'll get over that quick.

4. No Devices at Night
THIS. We all need to do this. At least 45 minutes before bed - put the device or anything with a screen away. Not only will it help you sleep a shit-ton better, you'll slowly find yourself drifting off to sleep quicker. I'm definitely guilty of those late night Instagram scrolls but keeping the screens out of my bedroom made it feel more zen which I love.

5. Declutter & Prep
I've always been a planner and a neat freak so this comes naturally to me, but on those chaotic nights when I can barely breathe let alone declutter or prep -- those nights always haunt my following morning. For me, it simply feels great to spend a half hour tidying up, washing dishes, and getting rid of any crap I brought back with me or needs to get out of the apartment. Then I spend the next twenty minutes looking at my calendar and planning ahead. As in, prepping my lunch, coordinating my outfit, and making sure I have all the things I need for the next day. There's nothing better than waking up ready to take on the day or coming home to a clean + zen space. If you don't know where to start I totally recommend giving Marie Kondo's book a read.

I'll be honest, I've gotten so used to my new rituals, that missing one from my day kind of throws me off. Those days are few and far between, but generally, I'm a happier and saner person once I get through the shebang.

Are there any rituals you do that keeps you sane and motivated? Let me know in the comments down below.