Besides sleep, I have found a new obsession! And, I'd have to say that lack of my first obsession is what lead me to my second obsession....CONCEALER!
I am 31 weeks pregnant this week and completely exhausted! Everyone is currently battling a cold in our house and sleep has been extra-limited of late- and for some reason (pregnancy, probably) the sleep I am getting, just doesn't feel as restful as it once did. Sad, but true. I wake up and my eyes look like I've been staring into the sun for hours- red, and dry, and puffy. Yuck!
So, a quick fix? Concealer! I know many women hate using it because it can look a little "pastey". First of all, make sure the concealer you're using is only one shade lighter than your skin-tone. Second, be sure to cleanse and moisturize properly. My third tip, is purely my own- I dab the concealer on (using the wand-type of concealer) to the areas I need to "brighten" and allow it to warm on my skin for a few seconds before I try to blend it. I find that this helps it blend more smoothly- thus avoiding the "pastey" look that can sometimes appear. It makes such a big difference- really!
So much so, that using concealer has gone from a "special occasions only" part of my routine to a DAILY part of my routine. Is it part of yours?
3.07.2012
2.22.2012
Time Management and Hair Management...yes, they go together!
I remember in high school, I was the girl who had to wash her hair every.single.day. In the morning, not at night. And I styled my long, straight hair, every day- usually with rollers. All to put it up in a cute, swinging ponytail. What? Rollers to put it in a ponytail? Crazy, the things we'll do with time and energy on our hands. I so would not have spent that energy in such a wasteful manner had I known how little of it I would have at my disposal almost 15 years later!
So, as a mom, who rarely wakes up before my kids do, getting myself ready in the morning has become a challenge. I find it hard to find the time to get in the shower, much less wash and dry and style (whew!) my hair!!! But, I think I've finally figured some things out....not how to get my almost-4-year old to go to bed without a fight...no, no...that would be too difficult...but, I think I've nailed how to get a good head of hair for a few days.....And here's my process...
It starts with freshly washed hair on Monday morning. I put a "movie" (a show) on for the kids, they watch it on my bed, and I do my hair. I make sure every little piece is perfect! I use some product (Royal Spa Awapuhi Mousse) to help give my ultra-fine hair some "grab" and I take the time to do it well. This usually leads to a full face of makeup, too- so, if you catch me on a Monday, you got lucky...I actually don't look like a Zombie!
Tuesday....usually, my hair still looks good! If I need to or want to, I may run a fat curling iron over the ends to get my slept-on-hair evened out again, but usually, I don't need to. It's usually fuller, too, from sleeping on it.
Wednesday is a wash day, typically, but, not necessarily. I have also gotten pretty hooked on using a dry shampoo to soak up extra oils and to add some *umph* to my roots. I LOVE this product- smells AMAZING and works great!
So, as a mom, who rarely wakes up before my kids do, getting myself ready in the morning has become a challenge. I find it hard to find the time to get in the shower, much less wash and dry and style (whew!) my hair!!! But, I think I've finally figured some things out....not how to get my almost-4-year old to go to bed without a fight...no, no...that would be too difficult...but, I think I've nailed how to get a good head of hair for a few days.....And here's my process...
It starts with freshly washed hair on Monday morning. I put a "movie" (a show) on for the kids, they watch it on my bed, and I do my hair. I make sure every little piece is perfect! I use some product (Royal Spa Awapuhi Mousse) to help give my ultra-fine hair some "grab" and I take the time to do it well. This usually leads to a full face of makeup, too- so, if you catch me on a Monday, you got lucky...I actually don't look like a Zombie!
Tuesday....usually, my hair still looks good! If I need to or want to, I may run a fat curling iron over the ends to get my slept-on-hair evened out again, but usually, I don't need to. It's usually fuller, too, from sleeping on it.
Wednesday is a wash day, typically, but, not necessarily. I have also gotten pretty hooked on using a dry shampoo to soak up extra oils and to add some *umph* to my roots. I LOVE this product- smells AMAZING and works great!
Thursday is definitely a wash, dry, and style day and then the cycle repeats. Not only do I get nice hair out of this, but, from washing it less often, it's healthier, too.
Lastly, just like a nice polished, made-up face can pull together an entire look, doing your hair is the same. I have been guilty for a long, long time, of just throwing my hair up in a messy pony tail just to get out of the house. But, now that I have figured out this system (and my hair no longer goes in a pony tail), I am so much happier! It's fun to style, it looks good, and, it doesn't really take much time. Not nearly as much time as washing, drying, rolling, and putting in a ponytail did....I still can't believe that....Anyway, do you have any time-saving tips that help you get through the week looking great? Please share with the rest of us! :)
2.06.2012
Valentine's Day Giveaway!!!!
Alright ladies, I think it's time for some fun!!!! I am hosting a giveaway! I didn't do nearly as many of these in the past year as I'd planned (got a little distracted), but I hope to surprise some lucky followers with great beauty products on a more regular basis this year!
Up for grabs is:
Everyone who completes those simple steps will be entered into the drawing for the prize- the winner will be selected completely randomly using Random.org. The giveaway begins now and is closed to entrants at Midnight EST on February 8th! So hurry! Enter- and snag yourself some new loot just in time for a fancy night out on Valentine's Day!
Share with friends, and as always...Be WELL! :)
Up for grabs is:
New Beauty Magazine Winter/Spring 2012 Issue featuring the 100 Best Products of the Year
Motives Paint Pot Mineral Eye Shadow in Instyle
Motives Lip Shine in Sweet Spice
A $40+ product value with tons of invaluable info!
How you get it:
1) Like Custom Beauty Club on Facebook AND leave a note on the wall!
2) Send me an email at nicjoniec@gmail.com with your email address and I'll sign you up to receive product emails (only 2-5 per year), no spam, promise!
3) Completely optional, but, I'd love for you to follow me on Twitter, too, at CustomBeauty4U if you have a twitter account! But, that's just for fun! ;)
Everyone who completes those simple steps will be entered into the drawing for the prize- the winner will be selected completely randomly using Random.org. The giveaway begins now and is closed to entrants at Midnight EST on February 8th! So hurry! Enter- and snag yourself some new loot just in time for a fancy night out on Valentine's Day!
Share with friends, and as always...Be WELL! :)
1.30.2012
Feeling Slightly Human Again- What it takes:
As a mother to two young children (nearly 4 and 2) and expecting another little one in the coming months, there are many days that I don't make it out of my pajamas anymore. I'm exhausted! As comfy as PJs are, it doesn't make me feel too great knowing that my husband left me in the morning looking the same as when he came home...10+ hours later! (Now if that doesn't scream, "hey hot stuff!!!!" then I don't know what does!!! :) )
Over the past few months, I have definitely put myself on the back burner a bit. Let's face it, between house hunting with 2 toddlers every weekend, having a very rough 1st trimester, holidays, and moving on December 17th, there was so much on my plate that keeping up with any recommended beauty regimen was just not happening. That being said, I have polished myself back to a shiny new woman and this is what it took:
1) a very good exfoliation - face & body....very simple- I actually just used a soft washcloth one night to clean my face very gently. No scrubbing, just nice circular motions using a cream cleanser that is already designed to emulsify the skin. I used a fine pumice on my feet, knees, and elbows to smooth out rough patches of dry skin (after soaking to soften the skin first). Then,
2) religious daily moisturizing day & night- including my face and body. This weather reaks havoc on my skin. Anywhere undergarments rub instantly causes a dry patch that hurts and the eczema on my face gets worse. Even with proper hydration, my skin is just zapped. So, I've been using a dry skin moisturizer day and night all over my body and finally, am seeing improvement. I've been pretty dedicated to using my facial moisturizer too that has chamomile and lavender extract to help calm the eczema and provide soft, healthy skin.
3) eyebrow waxing - so, I seem to have misplaced my most-beloved tweezers in the moving process so, I was using a really sucky pair to try to keep up. Even with the 3-way mirrors (thanks to the old owners for that unfortunate view) in our bathroom, and ultra bright lighting, the eyebrows quickly got a little squirrelly...until this weekend....phew! What a great difference!
4) while totally not a necessity, a pedicure does wonders for my mind, mood, and feet and that was the final touch for me. It's a half an hour of not talking to a single soul (unless you want to)...everyone knows what they need to do so there's no need to think....just relax and enjoy and voila! Pretty toes!
While I could use a hair appointment still, in general, I feel so much better! Not one of those things took more than a half an hour but they have given me so much peace and hopefully...a renewed energy for changing out of my pajamas every morning...for me AND my hubby's sake! :)
Over the past few months, I have definitely put myself on the back burner a bit. Let's face it, between house hunting with 2 toddlers every weekend, having a very rough 1st trimester, holidays, and moving on December 17th, there was so much on my plate that keeping up with any recommended beauty regimen was just not happening. That being said, I have polished myself back to a shiny new woman and this is what it took:
1) a very good exfoliation - face & body....very simple- I actually just used a soft washcloth one night to clean my face very gently. No scrubbing, just nice circular motions using a cream cleanser that is already designed to emulsify the skin. I used a fine pumice on my feet, knees, and elbows to smooth out rough patches of dry skin (after soaking to soften the skin first). Then,
2) religious daily moisturizing day & night- including my face and body. This weather reaks havoc on my skin. Anywhere undergarments rub instantly causes a dry patch that hurts and the eczema on my face gets worse. Even with proper hydration, my skin is just zapped. So, I've been using a dry skin moisturizer day and night all over my body and finally, am seeing improvement. I've been pretty dedicated to using my facial moisturizer too that has chamomile and lavender extract to help calm the eczema and provide soft, healthy skin.
3) eyebrow waxing - so, I seem to have misplaced my most-beloved tweezers in the moving process so, I was using a really sucky pair to try to keep up. Even with the 3-way mirrors (thanks to the old owners for that unfortunate view) in our bathroom, and ultra bright lighting, the eyebrows quickly got a little squirrelly...until this weekend....phew! What a great difference!
4) while totally not a necessity, a pedicure does wonders for my mind, mood, and feet and that was the final touch for me. It's a half an hour of not talking to a single soul (unless you want to)...everyone knows what they need to do so there's no need to think....just relax and enjoy and voila! Pretty toes!
While I could use a hair appointment still, in general, I feel so much better! Not one of those things took more than a half an hour but they have given me so much peace and hopefully...a renewed energy for changing out of my pajamas every morning...for me AND my hubby's sake! :)
1.17.2012
Altered Beauty - then & now
I've recently become a HUGE fan of Pinterest! If you don't have an account there yet, leave me a comment with your email address and I'll personally invite you! It's a great place to, yes, waste time, but, ... it's wasting... while enriching your life, if that makes sense. ... And organizing your life. So, anyway, send me your email address. You'll be glad you did.
So, on Pinterest, I have come across some really thought provoking quotes and images regarding body image and how our perceptions of these things have changed over time. Take a look:
While I am not, and should not be, the judge of what is "hot" or not, it is very interesting to see the change.
What do you think is ideal? Or do you think it is different for everyone? I've read so many comments on pictures such as the one above where people bash the "skinny" girls for being too skinny and "unhealthy". Then I see quotes like this one, which I love:
So, on Pinterest, I have come across some really thought provoking quotes and images regarding body image and how our perceptions of these things have changed over time. Take a look:
While I am not, and should not be, the judge of what is "hot" or not, it is very interesting to see the change.
What do you think is ideal? Or do you think it is different for everyone? I've read so many comments on pictures such as the one above where people bash the "skinny" girls for being too skinny and "unhealthy". Then I see quotes like this one, which I love:
Very interesting when you put it that way, huh? What do you think?
9.15.2011
Post-Partum Blues
It's been a while since I blogged and while I have so many ideas in my head, my toddlers don't allow me much time (or energy at the end of the day) to finish what I start. I have 3 baskets of clean laundry that still need folding...but here I sit, writing to all of you instead! :)
Over the past few weeks, I am astonished by the amount of ladies I have met that have felt comfortable enough to open up to me about struggling with some post-partum baby blues. I try to refrain from using the whole "D-word" because it's a little intimidating, BUT, call it what you call it, the feelings are still the same. From women who adopted their little ones, to women who had quick and easy, to long and hard labors, so many women grapple with these overwhelming feelings once they become parents. And, while I don't believe women specifically, are alone in these feelings, I am not addressing (in this post, anyway) the symptoms of post-partum struggles in men.
From my many discussions recently, I have found some common "issues" that cause us women to feel a little (or a lot) blue:
Over the past few weeks, I am astonished by the amount of ladies I have met that have felt comfortable enough to open up to me about struggling with some post-partum baby blues. I try to refrain from using the whole "D-word" because it's a little intimidating, BUT, call it what you call it, the feelings are still the same. From women who adopted their little ones, to women who had quick and easy, to long and hard labors, so many women grapple with these overwhelming feelings once they become parents. And, while I don't believe women specifically, are alone in these feelings, I am not addressing (in this post, anyway) the symptoms of post-partum struggles in men.
From my many discussions recently, I have found some common "issues" that cause us women to feel a little (or a lot) blue:
- physical changes brought on by pregnancy and/or delivery- for some its the extra skin in the tummy area, or the the lack of tone, others its the recovery from a tough delivery, and for others it's the lack of personal time to achieve a put-together look.
- emotional rollercoasters - it's not a myth- those post-pregnancy hormones are no laughing matter! Well, maybe one minute they are, and the next they are full-blown tears, and then anger, and doubt, and well, you see...a whole slew of feelings arise from the mere hormonal changes, not to consider the...
- emotional bond that is so fresh and new and overwhelming between the mother and child. Many of the women I talked to said they never expected to feel so much responsibility and doubt about their capabilities as a mother.
- And, sort of the "umbrella" to under which all of the others fall, every single mother I met said they felt like they lost who they were.
I have to say that the first and last symptoms were the most common for me. I was a such a different body shape after my first, and I had these preconceived notions that I would just fit into the clothes in a few months after I had the baby. That was not the case and therefore, I had a closet full of stylish, cute clothes that I couldn't wear. In addition, I had a really tough birth the first time around and, in hindsight, think I probably had a little post-traumatic stress because of it. I remember feeling like I couldn't remember who I was before I was a parent. I couldn't wear the clothes I liked, so, I was forced to wear the clothes that fit. In my opinion, nothing looked good. Nothing resembled "me". And, I had no time to do my hair, makeup, or any other the other things I once enjoyed....No blaring music while I cleaned, because - OOPS, Baby's sleeping! No long bubble baths because- BABY needs feeding! No running to get a pedicure because- "Inevitably, the baby is going to NEED me!". Some of this was self-imposed- like the baby NEEDING me...I often felt like I couldn't leave because I chose to have this baby and I needed to be there, 100% of the time. And while I still feel that I should be there most of the time, I no longer feel guilty about putting the kids in the kids room at the gym for an hour, or leaving to go grocery shopping in peace, or to just go OUT without them for a bit. I still think about them a lot when I'm not with them, but I have started to find myself again. When I am on the treadmill at the gym, I BLAIR my favorite songs because that's when I can! I feel great afterwards! It puts me back in touch with "me" and what I like, not just what my kids like. Going to the gym automatically makes me want to eat healthier during the day because I don't want to undo what I did! And, over time, it's helped me lose weight, feel stronger, and more toned. When I get home, I take a shower, do my hair (if I can, time is still an issue), but I always do my makeup. It's my "happy pill". It makes me feel good! When I am wearing makeup, I look in the mirror and feel like I look healthy. I don't immediately see the dark circles under my eyes or the lines creeping up, I see a put-together mom who is, in little ways, putting herself first. The little ways add up to big ways and eventually, the clouds clear, and you're able to enjoy yourself, the beautiful babies who are a huge part of you (but don't make you), and the process of re-creating who you are each and every day.
So, if you haven't already, go put on a clean shirt, spritz some perfume, put a little gloss on, play your favorite song, put on a great outfit (even if you're staying home! It's not a waste if it makes you feel good!).... I promise, you will really enjoy it! :)
Every situation is different and some women experience a more serious form of baby blues than others. Not all of us will need professional help to emerge from post-partum depression, but some will. If you or someone you know thinks that they are struggling and needs help, listen. There is no shame in talking to someone that can help you/them feel better.
8.26.2011
Fall Color Preview - NAILS!
Ok, so, a little later than previously promised, but my little cherubs have been extra needy lately. For one, I now have a potty-trained 3 year old and this requires a lot more bathroom cleaning (ew!) and then the little lady is going through her own thing...Not sure what it is or if maybe it's Irene-related, but she's a little crankster lately. Talk about crying! My ears are still ringing and they've been sleeping for about 10 mins! Anyway, let's get to the fun stuff and the reason you're here (it's certainly not to read about my kiddos!)...
FALL COLOR! Yep, I can already feel the change in the air and when you walk into Macy's all of the fall stuff is out! Think: rain coats and clogs and jeans! It's almost that time! Here're the colors we're expecting to see a lot of this season!
Nail Colors:
It's gonna be a "nude" Autumn. Skin-toned nail colors are all the buzz on the runways around the world. With Chanel launching it's line with graphite, quartz, and peridot inspired hues and Jenna Hipp with her "nude" line, muted colors seem to be in.
But for you color-loving ladies out there- have no fear, I did find another set of trends that defy the muted palettes above- DENIM and Crackle nails! Chanel, Dior, Zoya, and a few other brands have there own "denim" hues and Avon & OPI are both setting the stage with "crackle" nail laquer. Very cool stuff! See below:
One thing I have learned from researching these nail trends is that longer nails are not as popular as shorter, nicely shaped nails like the ones above!
Hope you enjoy!:)
FALL COLOR! Yep, I can already feel the change in the air and when you walk into Macy's all of the fall stuff is out! Think: rain coats and clogs and jeans! It's almost that time! Here're the colors we're expecting to see a lot of this season!
Nail Colors:
It's gonna be a "nude" Autumn. Skin-toned nail colors are all the buzz on the runways around the world. With Chanel launching it's line with graphite, quartz, and peridot inspired hues and Jenna Hipp with her "nude" line, muted colors seem to be in.
But for you color-loving ladies out there- have no fear, I did find another set of trends that defy the muted palettes above- DENIM and Crackle nails! Chanel, Dior, Zoya, and a few other brands have there own "denim" hues and Avon & OPI are both setting the stage with "crackle" nail laquer. Very cool stuff! See below:
One thing I have learned from researching these nail trends is that longer nails are not as popular as shorter, nicely shaped nails like the ones above!
Hope you enjoy!:)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)