MY HOLY GRAIL - DHC CLEANSING OIL

Happy Sunday Lovelies!

One of my goals this year is to bring you all new content every Sunday night! My blog is something that truly brings me so much joy and when work and life get crazy it is the first thing to get put on the back burner... not this year though! With 2018 being my year of balance - I'm making it a priority to find the time each week!

Today I realized I hadn’t posted a beauty related post in over a year and due to the fact that I work in the Beauty Industry, I felt it was well overdue! Working in the industry definitely has its perks one of which is having the benefit of getting to sample the latest and greatest beauty products on the market. Honestly, if it wasn’t for my job I don’t think I would have ever discovered the Japanese Skincare Brand DHC.

I had always suffered Mild Acne in Florida, however, when I first moved up to Chicago I swear my body freaked out and I developed some pretty nasty acne all over my cheeks and jawline… my dad literally asked me “Lauren… Did someone hit you in the face?” “Nope… that is just my acne… but thanks for the confidence boost!”…. Love you Dad! Ha!

I’ve come to love a lot of DHC’s products but I honestly swear by DHC’s Deep Cleansing Oil and will tell anyone that will listen how much I adore this product. I know what you’re thinking “Why would I want to rub oil all over my face if I already have oily/acne prone skin.” Well what you might not know and what I definitely didn’t know was that most of the time our skin over produces oil because the skincare products we are using are stripping natural oils from our skin.

Source: DHC Skincare

The DHC Deep Cleansing Oil does an amazing job removing every last bit of makeup off your face and leaves your skin feeling squeaky clean without feeling tight and dry like most facial cleansers. The one weird part about this product is that you use it on dry skin and heat the oil up in your hands before applying it all over your face. I only need two pumps and all my makeup just melts right off.

I'm currently on my 5th bottle of the Cleansing Oil with no end in sight! If you get a chance to try this product or feel like you need a mixup in your current skincare routine I highly recommend this oil!

If you have tried this product comment your thoughts below!

2018: FINDING BALANCE

If you have been following my blog for a while you know that every year I pick a single word to focus on for the year as my New Years Resolution. 2016 was my year of "YES" followed by 2017 which was my year of "ME" - you can read more about that HERE.

Which leads me to 2018... I sat around a lot thinking what I wanted my word for 2018 to be and then as I was sitting at Dinner with my parents at Chilis (I know what you're thinking... but my family can't turn down their 2 for 1 Margarita deal). I decided my 2018 New Years Resolution to be "BALANCE". 

I'll try to use a balance beam example as a metaphor to why I chose the word Balance for 2018. When you're a little kid and you're walking on a balance beam for the first time time you might sway to the right or sway to the left and fall off, however, after you "practice" a couple times you're GOLDEN! Next thing you know you're strutting across that 4 inch beam like it's your job.... All it took was a little practice to PERFECT your balance. 

I like to think this is the same in regards to "balance" in our personal lives. No one really "practices balance"... they might sway one way and then sharply sway the other way. I often see this as well when people say they are gong to start working out... all of a sudden your friend has done a 180 they are saying things like "I can't eat grains, dairy, berries, sugar, meat, etc." and in your head you're left thinking "well what does that leave... air?" and then you see that same friend in 3 weeks and more often than not they are right back to their normal eating habits. I like to think the reason a lot of people fail in goals sometimes is because they try to achieve them with no reference to balance. What I love about people that can achieve true balance is that sometimes they might fall one way or the other but in the end they find themselves back at equilibrium.

Which leads us to 2018....  am I going to get it right and have the perfect balance between all aspects of my life "i.e work, family, friends, health, travel, etc." probably not... but I know that if I make it a priority and practice balance and focus on being more cognitive when I am swaying to the "left" or "right" I will catch myself more often than not and in turn end 2018 as a person who has much better balance between all aspects of my life.

If you have never tried picking a single word for your New Years Resolution I challenge you to do so! In my mind it is so much easier to focus on one consistent word/theme for a year versus trying to juggle multiple goals and resolutions and in turn losing track only a few months in.

I just have this feeling that 2018 is going to be my best year yet! 

COACHELLA DAY 2

Another Coachella post only 5 months late! If it wasn't for me being on Express.com this morning and seeing that my Denim Jacket and the backpack I used during Coachella were on sale I probably would have delayed this post another month or two... but I love you all and wanted you to be able to get the sale price I wish I had paid! 

I wasn't able to find my exact top as we all know if you see something you love at Forever 21 it won't be there tomorrow but I did find something pretty similar below. My shorts are Goodwill Levi's that I bought back in High School and distressed myself (#Blessed that they still fit!) Only one more Coachella outfit left to post! Hopefully it doesn't take me another 6 months to get that one up! 

BEGINNERS GUIDE TO ESSENTIAL OILS

If you know me you know that I talk about Lauryn Evarts from The Skinny Confidential at least once a day. I honestly talk about her like we have known each other since childhood haha. If you have never read her blog head on over and send her some love! I promise you won't regret it!

It was through Lauryn that I was introduced to the idea of Essential Oils so when my Aunt randomly gifted me an Essential Oil Diffuser at Christmas you would have thought I had died and gone to heaven! Low key think Mama Wynne thought I was 100% losing my mind when I immediately began RAVING about all things essential oils... she was probably like "Where did my daughter go and who is this hippy in my house!"

You can purchase the Essential Oil Diffuser my Aunt got me HERE. I personally love this one because it has a timers of 30-minute, 60-minute, 120-minute, or 180-minutes making it perfect for when you want to run essential oils before bed. It also has 7 color-changing lights - I personally love turning it to the red lighting option which is so relaxing and perfect for unwinding after a long day.

Recently, I have been posting my essential oil diffuser on my Snapchat and I've honestly lost count of the amount of people that have reached out asking "What is that?" or "Where did you get that?" So I thought I would do a Beginners Guide to Essential Oils! I'm still learning so much about all the different types of oils and their unique benefits but wanted to share a few of my personal favorites with you all today.

If you are just getting started with Essential Oils I would get this starter pack from Amazon HERE. It has all the basics and they are the perfect size to get you going and help you learn what you like.

Eucalyptus

• Eucalyptus is probably my favorite essential oil. I suffer from bad allergies and love diffusing this to help open up my sinuses.

Lavender

• Lavender is probably the best essential oil for beginners! It is great to diffuse right before bed and helps your mind and body relax!

Eucalyptus + Lavender

• I've been getting a little fancy and mixing a few drops of my eucalyptus and lavender oils together at night and it has become my new favorite!

Tea Tree

• Tea Tree Oil is great to diffuse if you want to clean the air in your home. It has antibacterial properties that help sanitize your space. Due to its antibacterial properties it can also be used for acne that is developing! I just add a tiny drop on any acne I feel coming to the surface and it gets the job done! 

Peppermint

• Peppermint is great for headaches! You can either add a couple drops to your temples or diffuse with your diffuser! 

Sweet Orange

• Sweet Orange is a new love of mine! I have loved starting my Sunday's with Sweet Orange in my diffuser. It is the perfect oil to start your day with - I also love it because the orange scent reminds me of Florida and I'm partial to anything that reminds me of my hometown! 

I hope you found this post helpful and I've made the idea of entering the world of essential oils a little less intimidating!

BIG SWEATERS, MESSY HAIR

       

It is that time of year again in Chicago where the days of summer bliss are behind us and the cool fall air is starting to settle in! Being a Florida girl at heart it is always hard to kiss away the summer sun, however, I have always loved fall weather and big comfy sweaters! One of the beauty brands I work for threw a party last Friday in celebration of their 10th birthday and when my work bestie Meme showed up with bundles of eucalyptus for the party I immediately screamed "Photoshoot in the alley way NOW"! Safe to say all the girls in the building laughed at us but hey... I will never pass down a good photoshoot prop when I see one!

I have been loving this sweater from Express recently! It has big bell sleeves and hangs off the shoulder effortlessly. The jeans I'm wearing are from American Eagle and they are hands down my favorite "boyfriend" jean on the market! I would buy 100 pairs and wear them every day if it was socially acceptable! And I can't end this post without giving myself a mini clap on the back for my braid that day #BarefootBlondeHairGoals achieved. I swear I was sleeping when the rest of the world magically learned how to do every braid in the book... I'll rock the OG classic braid all day everyday with pride until I can up my game!

Can't wait to share more of my favorite fall looks with you all soon!