Month: August 2018

20 Sleep Hygiene Products For A Better Night’s Sleep

Post author By Jeanne Sager
Post date August 28, 2018

Are you getting enough sleep? Wait. Scratch that. Are you getting the kind of sleep you really need to wake up ready to kick some hind end every morning?
We’re going to go out on a limb and guess the answer is a big fat no. That’s why you’re reading this, right? Your eyelids are probably drooping, and you’ve most likely been guzzling caffeine since you woke up.

In one survey by the American Sleep Association, as much as 37.9 percent of respondents confessed they had unintentionally fallen asleep during the day at least once in the preceding month! Some 30 percent of us struggle with insomnia at least occasionally, and 10 percent of Americans say it’s a chronic condition.
We’re a nation of zombies, walking around with a giant cup of coffee in our hands to fight off the urge to take a midday nap.

Raising your hand with a guilty expression? Time for a sleep routine overhaul! Quick! Before your boss catches you catnapping at your desk, here are some ideas to improve your sleep hygiene and help you catch some serious ZZZZs.

Top off your comfort.

Up to 92 percent of Americans consider a comfortable mattress a must for getting a good night’s sleep. It’s no surprise, then, that an uncomfy sleeping space is going to keep you up at night and leave you drowsy by the time the alarm starts sounding in the morning.

If you’re tossing and turning at night on a mattress that’s lumpy or just doesn’t feel like it’s made for your body, you don’t have to head out and buy a whole new one. A memory foam mattress topper can help better distribute a person’s weight, conforming to their body to take pressure off the pressure points.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01MYN9K5B”]Linenspa Gel Infused Memory Foam Mattress Topper, $56.99 at Amazon[/link-button]

Treat your tootsies.

No one is falling asleep with feet that feel like they’ve been hanging out in the freezer section of your local Trader Joe’s, and for good reason.

Scientists have found that warming your feet when you’re ready for bed triggers your brain to think it’s time to sleep. This is because of something called vasodilation, basically dilation of the blood vessels.
Back in the old days, folks made this happen by slipping a hot water bottle under the covers at the foot of the bed. But you can do it even more easily. Stock up on these cozy animal socks to keep your toes warm so they don’t keep you awake.

P.S. Forget what they say about socks in bed harshing the mood. You can always take them off if things get interesting!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Women-Animals-Slipper-Slipping-Winter/dp/B07FXR9VVF”]Animal Fuzzy Socks, $16.99 at Amazon[/link-button]

Diffuse your mood.

Essential oils smell amazing, and a whole lot of people swear by them as a fast path to sleep. There’s even some solid science to back up the relaxation benefits. If you’re thinking about kicking off an oil routine to help you sleep, a diffuser can help get you there. A diffuser mixes essential oils with water and uses steam to disperse them in the air, so you can lie in bed and breathe them in.

With this nature-inspired wood grain diffuser, you can keep your favorite oil scents pumping out into the air while you sleep or turn it off when you feel like you’re ready to drift off. Not sure you want it going all night long? Thanks to the remote, you don’t even have to get out of bed to hit the off switch!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D48YL8R”]Essential Oil Diffuser With Remote, $20.99 at Amazon[/link-button]

Layer the lavender.

Lavender is a favorite with essential oil fans because of its soothing properties (and it is even considered to be a mild sedative), but lavender isn’t limited to oil form.

Dried versions of the flower can be brewed in a pre-bedtime tea, sprinkled in a warm bath to help you chill out, or even tucked in small sachets to be stored with your extra set of sheets for a boost of lavender scent when you’re ready to make the bed.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B016BHH0OE”]Organic Dried Culinary Lavender, $12.91 at Amazon[/link-button]

Spray your way to sleep.

There is absolutely nothing like the thought of sinking your head into a divine-smelling pillow to make you want to go to bed. You could wash your pillow and shams every single day to keep a laundry-fresh scent omnipresent in your bedroom.

Or you could take the easier route and stock up on a divinely scented pillow spray. This one boasts lavender and other essential oils for deep calming, and it’s free of all those questionable ingredients you might worry about, including parabens, phthalates, GMOs, sulfates, synthetic dyes and fragrances, propylene glycol, mineral oil, and petrolatum. So you can stop worrying and start sleeping!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/ThisWorks-Deep-Pillow-Spray-75ml/dp/B006VT8G1O”]This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray, $29.00 at Amazon [/link-button]

Cool off your head.

The National Sleep Foundation recommends your bedroom be no warmer than 67 degrees if you want to get a good night’s sleep, but even turning down the thermostat doesn’t help keep our bed linens cool. Flannel and cotton especially tend to warm up when they come in contact with body heat.

A silk pillowcase can help keep your head cool, and they come with an added benefit: Many hairdressers recommend silk pillowcases to keep hair from tangling while you sleep!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KDL108M”]Alaska Bear Silk Pillowcase, $22.99 at Amazon [/link-button]

Put some weight on (top of you).

Don’t worry, your body is perfect just the way it is. The only weight in this blanket is sewn right into the fabric. Why? Weighted blankets are believed to help us calm down and relax thanks to deep pressure touch stimulation—essentially, we’re soothed by the feeling of something lying on us.

A blanket is not a cure for a mental health condition, nor should it take place of a visit to the doctor if you feel that depression or anxiety is keeping you awake. But pressure has long been studied as a means to reduce anxiety, even for people who don’t have a diagnosed condition. At the very least, it could just help you feel a little bit warmer at bedtime!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Weighted-individuals-Sivio-Autism%EF%BC%8CSensory-Processing/dp/B0794MKBFK/”]Weighted Blanket, $57.99 at Amazon[/link-button]

Light smarter.

There are a whole lot of studies out there that warn us against bright lights when we’re trying to sleep. But if you’re someone who absolutely needs to read in bed in order to calm down, you need at least some light in your bedroom to see the pages.

This beside lamp lets you change just about everything about the light, from the angle it hits you to the color and intensity of the beam, so you can go from having a bright light in the afternoon when you need that boost while you put away your laundry to something dim and soothing when it’s time to settle in with a good novel.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00VUTAFR8″]TaoTronics LED Desk Lamp, $29.99 at Amazon[/link-button]

Block it out.

The light on your bedside table isn’t the only one that could be keeping you awake. Ambient light—from streetlights to sunlight—can also play a big role in keeping us awake too late or waking us up too early.

A set of pretty, printed blackout curtains can help curtail the call of the sun in the early morning and banish the bright lights from your across-the-alley neighbor’s place. This thermal set also adds a layer of insulation between the window and the bedroom, helping keep the room warmer or cooler, depending on the season.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/HLC-ME-Printed-Blackout-Darkening-Thermal/dp/B074N39PY1″] Arrow Printed Blackout Curtains, $34.99 at Amazon [/link-button]

Throw on a mask.

Even when you’re away from home, you need to avoid light leaks at bedtime. You may not be able to take your curtains with you on vacation, but you can slip a sleep mask into your carry-on bag.

Adjustable straps help you fit this sleep mask to your head so it won’t slip as you sleep and cost you some of your beauty rest, while the soft cotton padding keeps the mask from weighing too heavily on your face.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Lewis-N-Clark-Comfort-Adjustable/dp/B000LY3X7W”]Lewis N. Clark Comfort Eye Mask, $14.95 at Amazon[/link-button]

Be selective about your sounds.

Whether it’s the neighborhood cats putting up a fight or the neighbors crashing and banging when they come home late at night, all that extra noise is not conducive to a good night’s sleep.
White noise machine to the rescue! Designed to create soothing sounds such as ocean waves or falling rain (you choose what you want to hear each night) to lull you off to dreamland, the machine will also help block out all those ambient noises.

A 15-, 30-, and 60-minute auto-off timer helps save your energy bill and the planet too.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Premium-Sleep-Therapy-Sound-Machine/dp/B01LX27BQI”]Wave Premium Sleep Therapy Sound Machine, $29.99 at Amazon [/link-button]

Activate your alarm long distance.

In case you needed another reason to disconnect from your smartphone once in a while, it turns out they’re harming our sleeping habits.

The biggest culprit is the blue light, that slightly eerie beam emitted from the screen that casts a blue aura over our faces when we read our phones with the lights off. Blue light can actually prevent us from falling asleep, as it affects the circadian rhythms of our brains, tricking us into thinking we’re still supposed to be awake.
But wait, you can’t kick your smartphone out of the bedroom…it’s your morning alarm, right?

Not if you opt for a Bluetooth speaker that can be set up by your bed! Dock your phone in the living room, sync it with the speaker in your bedroom, and you’re all set.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Amazon-Echo-Dot-Portable-Bluetooth-Speaker-with-Alexa-Black/dp/B01DFKC2SO”]Echo Dot, $39.99 at Amazon[/link-button]

Kick out the clutter…

You may think you’re going off to bed without even noticing that pile of clothes on your dresser, the laundry basket overflowing with folded laundry, or your growing collection of half-used lotions, but it turns out all that clutter could be keeping you awake.
Scientists have even found a link between messy bedrooms and a poor night’s rest. Under-bed storage bins can be slipped beneath the bed to hide those sweaters until winter returns.

These organizers can also be stacked in a corner, where they’ll remain neat and out of the way.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Sorbus-Foldable-Organizers-Blankets-Bedrooms/dp/B071V5DQ56″]Sorbus Foldable Storage Bag Organizers, $24.99 at Amazon [/link-button]

…and stash your other stuff.

Of course, you still have things you absolutely need to keep on hand.

These honeycomb drawer organizers make everything easier to store and easier to find. Goodbye, bras hanging off the curtain rods!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00M7V8XWM”]KLOUD City Plastic Partition Bee Style, $13.48 at Amazon [/link-button]

Set the mood.

When movie makers want to indicate the star’s going to bliss out in some serious relaxation in their bed or bathroom, they always light a few (dozen) candles. There’s just something about a darkened room and flickering candlelight that screams “soothing.”
Make this part of your nightly routine with a set of flameless candles that can be turned on and left “burning” while you drift off to dreamland. Because there’s no actual fire, you eliminate the safety hazard that comes with the real thing, and you can also avoid the risk of any carcinogens that may come from burning a live candle.

The small light they emit also doubles as a nightlight if you wake up for a quick bathroom run at some point during the night.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Flameless-Candles-Comenzar-Batteries-included/dp/B074FV433D”]Flameless Candles With Remote Timer, $30.99 at Amazon [/link-button]

Cut the noise.

Snoring partners. Purring pets. The bedroom can be a surprisingly loud place once you’re lying down and trying to drift away.
Sometimes you just need something to cut the noise so you can get to sleep. These ear plugs are made from memory foam, so they mold to your ear canals, and reviewers tend to call them out for the quality of the foam.

Once they start to get too loose and let the sound in, just pop in a new pair!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B001EPQ86A”]Hearos Ear Plugs, $11.11 at Amazon [/link-button]

Wrap yourself up.

Don’t be put off by the name: You don’t need to be pregnant to take advantage of the bliss that is wrapping a pregnancy pillow around your body. If you struggle to find just the right sleeping position, a body pillow can help provide extra support as you roll around in bed.
Plus, everybody who remembers snuggling a stuffed animal in bed when they were small knows there’s comfort to be found in wrapping your arms around something cuddly at bedtime.

This C-shaped pillow wraps around the body, offering something to cuddle any way you turn!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/PharMeDoc-Pregnancy-Pillow-Jersey-Shaped/dp/B0798DDVN7″]PharMeDoc Pregnancy Pillow, $39.90 at Amazon [/link-button]

Bring the outdoors in.

The less stress we have, typically the easier it is to sleep, and there’s a lot to be said for getting some natural stress relief by getting outside in nature. But you don’t have to give up that feeling of spending time in nature when you head to bed at night.

Decorate your room with some greenery to bring the outdoors in. Bonus of these little succulents? Although they look pretty darn real, they’re fake, so they’re nearly maintenance free!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Decorative-Modern-Artificial-Succulent-Display/dp/B010UVQGA6″]Decorative Artificial Succulent Plants, $24.99 at Amazon[/link-button]

Sleep like a panda.

The shape and height of your pillow matter more than you might think.

Not only can a poor pillow force you to wake up with neck pain, it can also keep you awake or limit your restful sleep.
Bamboo pillows—yes, bamboo like the pandas eat—are designed to contour to your head and neck, providing you the support you need without putting a strain on your upper half.

For some people, a bamboo pillow can help reduce muscle strain and alleviate those aching pressure points.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Original-Bamboo-Standard-Shredded-Adjustable/dp/B078H7FTV9″]Original Bamboo Pillow, $34.99 from Amazon [/link-button]

Meditate on this.

Ahhhhhh. Is there anything more relaxing than some mindfulness-focused meditation in bed?

A meditation app such as Headspace or Calm is a science-backed path to better sleep, lowering your heart rate and helping direct your breathing, so your body can ready itself to go into relaxed mode.
But if you’ve ever rolled over only to lose one of your earbuds and been shocked back into reality, you’ve discovered the number one drawback to using a set of standard earbuds. A set of over-ear headphones can be difficult to sleep with because of the bulk, which makes it impossible to move around, especially if you’re prone to side-sleeping.

Try sleep headphones instead. Designed to wrap around the head like an athletic band, they stay right where they should be, so you can keep your mind on being more mindful.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01AY8G2JA”]CozyPhones Sleep Headphones, $17.97 at Amazon[/link-button]

Tags Commerce, social

Fresh Fashion Lifestyle

19 Easy Style Hacks Anyone Can Do With These Affordable Products

Post author By Jenna Jonaitis
Post date August 28, 2018

Beauty and fashion don’t have to be hard to come by. Even if you’re not a style pro, you can make yourself look chic and trendy without too much effort or investment.
With the right tips and products, your look will be fresh and full of personality. You’ll also save time as you get ready—whether that’s for work, day excursions, or evenings out on the town. Having beauty hacks and some go-to items that represent you is essential—because when we pretend to be someone else, we don’t feel our most beautiful anyway.

That’s why we’re sharing 19 style hacks that will save your look in a pinch. And they’re super easy, too. Anyone can incorporate these into their routine for a more beautiful, authentic style. So, go conquer your look, ladies!

1. Clean and refresh your hair—even when you’re pressed for time.

Ever wake up late and feel rushed in the morning? Or want to freshen up after work before your date night? Make dry shampoo your savior. No one will notice that you didn’t hop in the shower for a full cleanse.

A few spritzes of Batiste Dry Shampoo will soak up the excess oil and grease in your hair. You’ll be left with a fresher look and extra body to boot. A bonus? This shampoo provides a subtle fresh scent—nothing that’s too overpowering.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Batiste-Shampoo-Fresh-Ounce-199ml/dp/B00GMP4ZN0/”]Batiste Shampoo Dry Fresh, $14.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

2. Manicure your own nails.

Sometimes it’s almost impossible to find time in our schedules to go and sit for a manicure. But it’s not the only way to get stunning, polished nails that last.
Imagine watching your favorite Netflix show while you beautify your toes and fingers. Sounds pretty relaxing, doesn’t it? There’s no reason to even leave the house and drive to the salon. You can save time and money with your own Professional Electric Manicure and Pedicure Set.

With this equipment, you can file, smooth, buff, and shine your nails. You can remove cuticles and calluses on both your hands and feet. Your skin will be left soft, just as if you were leaving the salon. This particular model comes in 10 speeds, so you can choose how you want to do your nails based on the time you have. It’s also battery-operated with touch control.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F4KCK5I/”]UTILYZE 10-in-1 Manicure & Pedicure Set, $59.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

3. Let your flyaways be gone.

Different than frizz, flyaways are pieces of hair that stem off of and “fly away” from your normal, healthy strands. Flyaways are either broken hair or new bits of hair growth that emerge after some damage has already been done—usually caused by overly dry hair or chemical damage. If you blow-dry your hair frequently on a high heat setting or put your hair in a bun or ponytail often, you could be causing excess damage—resulting in flyaways.

But don’t worry, you can suppress these little fliers to get smooth, healthy-looking hair in a matter of minutes. NEUMA Smoothing Crème tames flyaways with a glossy finish. It won’t weigh down your hair, either, or make it look greasy. The best part is you can use it on wet or dry hair. If you lather it on before you blow-dry, it offers a layer of protection to prevent further breakage.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/neuma-NeuStyling-Smoothing-Cream-250ml/dp/B00JOR3IQ8/”]NEUMA neuStyling Smoothing Crème, $22.11 from Amazon[/link-button]

4. Add a pop of color and personality.

Dressing up for a big presentation or a night out with the girls? Choose a neutral outfit, like a black top and jeans, but brighten it with a spark of color. The contrast immediately builds texture and variation, which makes your outfit more visually appealing without being overpowering.

You can add zest to your outfit with your shoes, jewelry, a scarf, jacket, or even your makeup. We love this Clutch Purse, which is available in 11 different colors. It’s large enough to fit everything you need and comfortably drapes over your shoulder. You’ll wow your crowd with this super-trendy burst of color.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07D1GWFHD”]SUSU The Angelica Leather Clutch Purse, $49.95 from Amazon[/link-button]

5. Throw your hair into a quick, professional updo.

Whether you’re pressed for time or want a polished look for your day at the office, a smooth bun is an easy solution. The good thing is that buns never go out of style, and they keep your hair tucked back and out of your face for the entire day.
But don’t just settle for throwing your hair back into a random mess. Look extra polished by using a French Twist Bun Maker. It comes in six colors so you can choose the one that matches your hair color best.

In only a matter of minutes, you can create a professional hairstyle—from crown and donut styles to sleek ponytails. The tool helps keep your hair in the same position all day, without damaging your strands.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/French-Shaper-Fashion-Accessories-Styling/dp/B07G31C2W3/”]French Twist Bun Maker, $10.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

6. Enhance your eyes.

You don’t have to spend oodles of time layering your eyes with 10 different products to achieve a stunning look. With the right eyeshadow palette, you can create dark smokey eyes or a lightly enhanced tone.

The Too Faced Natural Matte Palette, for example, offers a range of natural tones that compliment almost every skin color. Play around with different color combinations until you discover your go-to look that can be done in seconds.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Too-Faced-Natural-Matte-Palette/dp/B00VF33E7M/”]Too Faced Natural Matte Palette, $27.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

7. Head out with wrinkle-free clothes.

No time to iron? No time to fret. You can actually spray your wrinkly clothes and have them look freshly pressed in minutes. Downy Wrinkle Release Spray Plus makes your clothes look crisp. It also refreshes them with a subtle scent.

That’s right: You don’t have to set up the iron, wait for it to heat up, and spend the time ironing your clothes. That’s pretty much a modern day miracle—especially if you’re traveling and need to pull something out of a suitcase and wear it on the same day.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Downy-Wrinkle-Release-Eliminator-Refresher/dp/B00UFG6260/”]Downy Wrinkle Release Spray, $11.34 from Amazon[/link-button]

8. Add a statement piece.

You’ve heard about statement pieces, but maybe you’re not exactly sure what that means. In general, a statement piece is an item in your wardrobe that’s interesting and eye-catching. It’s usually the first thing someone notices when they see you.
But that doesn’t necessarily mean the piece is vibrant and colorful…or massive. A well-executed statement piece is usually unique and matches the style of the person wearing it.

Plenty of accessories can serve as your statement piece—from a handbag to a piece of jewelry or pair of heels. The Kendra Scott Tassel Necklace is a prime example of a statement piece that adds personality to an outfit. You can layer it over a top or dress, making your outfit look trendy and unique all with just a simple touch.
[link-button href=”http://shopstyle.it/l/Repf”]Kendra Scott Pendant Tassel Necklace, $59.97 from Bloomingdale’s[/link-button]

9. Layer your look.

Build texture and variety into your outfit with several layers. Items like jackets, vests, and scarves make it easy to add contrast to an otherwise mundane look. You can even layer a skirt over leggings or tights or add a cross-body bag to your white shirt and jeans or pull a sweater on over a button-up shirt.

One of our favorite layering techniques is adding a simple, yet colorful scarf that enhances an outfit, like this 14th & Union Graceful Ginko Scarf. It can be worn in the spring, summer, or fall.
[link-button href=”http://shopstyle.it/l/ReqT”]14th & Union Graceful Ginko Scarf, $16.97 from Nordstrom Rack[/link-button]

10. Create beautiful beach waves in your hair.

Want to add body to your hair without a ton of work? Loose, wavy curls may be the way to go. You won’t need to spend an hour curling your hair, either. Yes, that’s right: Beach waves can be achieved in 10 minutes or less.

Using a curling wand like the Bed Head Curlipops Model, you can achieve the beach wave style with clean or second-day hair. Put all of your hair into a high ponytail. Select a one-inch section of your hair, wrap it around the curling wand, then release it. Continue loosely curling each one-inch section until you’ve covered it all. If you miss a piece, don’t worry. That’s all part of this loose, natural style. Once you release your ponytail, your curls will blend and flow together. Add a finishing touch with a flexible hold hairspray.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Bed-Head-Curlipops-Curling-Loose/dp/B007ISRNJS/”]Bed Head Curlipops Curling Wand, $15.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

11. Make your eyelashes pop.

One of the first things people notice about us is our eyes. And we spend a lot of time looking at people’s eyes when we’re talking and interacting. In other words, it’s definitely worth investing in quality mascara that actually does what it’s supposed to.
To boost your look with just a few strokes of mascara, be sure to use one that elongates your eyelashes and enhances your color tone. For example, if you have a lighter complexion with light hair, you may want to choose a brown mascara. For darker complexion and hair, opt for a black or very black shade. The idea is to make your eyelashes as vibrant as possible.

Choose a mascara that not only enhances your eyes but strengthens your eyelashes at the same time. The 3D Fiber Lash Mascara from TOULLGO offers big volume while delivering a dose of serum that makes them healthier, too.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Fiber-Lash-Mascara-Lashes-Hypoallergenic/dp/B007XGWQ2Y/”]3D Fiber Lash Mascara, $14.44 from Amazon[/link-button]

12. Mix and match prints.

Diversify your look by incorporating an assortment of prints and patterns. While it may seem counterintuitive to layer opposing patterns, it actually enhances each print’s different dimensions. It’s also a way to represent your personality or mood. Your patterns don’t have to be bright and wild, either. Neutral tones and simple lines can work just as well as bold prints.

New to prints and patterns? Start with something a bit more subtle, like this Hem Tunic Top from BaiShengGT. You can pair it with jeans or leggings and layer it with a patterned handbag or jacket.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/BAISHENGGT-Womens-Irregular-T-Shirt-Blouse/dp/B07BWB7FGS/”]BaiShengGT Women’s Mesh Irregular Hem Tunic Top, $20.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

13. Pull back your hair with a headband.

Unsure how to style your hair in a hurry? Want to add some color to your outfit? Throw on a comfy headband. Whether you’re running out on a shopping trip or meeting up with the girls for brunch, these Boho Style Headbands will make getting ready even easier. You can leave your hair down, tie it in a braid, or loop it back into a ponytail.

The spectrum of patterns and colors offers you plenty to choose from based on your style. You can even wear these headbands out for a jog or to the gym. They’ll keep your hair back while you break out a trendy sweat.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Women-Headband-Floal-Style-Criss/dp/B01FBWRT5U”]Boho Floral Style Criss Cross Hair Band, $9.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

14. Nourish your lips.

Whether you prefer a shiny or matte appearance, luscious lips are a vital component of a stylish look. A lip gloss that’s right for you will bring your entire face to life. That’s right: You don’t have to choose a vivid color or go super shiny.
Opt for a flattering shade that makes your lips look healthy and smooth. We recommend Pure Cosmetics Natural Hydrating Lip Gloss because it provides color but also nourishes your lips with jojoba oil, sweet almond oil, and vitamin E.

It also comes in 12 different shades—so pick the one that suits you best!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Pure-Cosmetics-Illumination-Natural-Hydrating/dp/B007THDTN2/”]Pure Cosmetics Natural Hydrating Lip Gloss, $17.95 from Amazon[/link-button]

15. Stock your closet with comfortable dresses.

What’s easier than throwing on a dress for a night out, a friend’s barbeque, or a day at the park? Not a whole lot.
Having a few favorite dresses will make your weekend and evening wear as simple as 1, 2, 3. Choose styles that flatter you, and include a range of patterns (if that’s what you like), or keep it simple with solid-colored designs.

Most importantly, ensure that the fabric is comfy. Consider having a few dresses for the office, too—ones that are professional but don’t sacrifice on comfort. Check out this V-Neck Wrap Dress from Beyove to start your made-for-you dress collection.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Beyove-Women-Sleeve-Comfy-Dress/dp/B071GTNHG5/”]V-Neck Wrap Tie Maxi Dress from Beyove, $24.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

16. Stop the frizz.

No matter if you’ve got curly locks or pencil straight strands, smooth, silky hair looks more stylish than a dried, frizzy mess.
Think you can’t achieve that look? Think again.

You can tame frazzled ends and unruly frizz to achieve the aesthetic of beautiful, smooth, salon-styled hair. Try a product like Revlon Uniq One All in One Hair Treatment to add shine and control frizz. It also helps to prevent split ends. The best part? It only takes a few seconds to rub into your hair after your shower.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Revlon-Uniq-One-Hair-Treatment/dp/B00GSWY2FS/”]Revlon Uniq One All in One Hair Treatment, $17.41 from Amazon[/link-button]

17. Say no to underwear lines.

Don’t spoil your look with your undergarments. Ensure you don’t have any obvious underwear lines when wearing a pair of pants, leggings, or even a tighter dress.

Invest in a few pairs of no-show underwear so you never have to worry about your backside again. Try a set of Seamless Bikini Underwear to see how you like the look.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/COSOMALL-Invisible-Seamless-Underwear-Coverage/dp/B0742XVM67″]COSOMALL Seamless Bikini Underwear, $23 from Amazon[/link-button]

18. Choose a complementary jewelry set.

Create some unity in your outfit with a single set of jewelry, such as a bracelet that matches your necklace. Your complete ensemble will be put together without requiring much time or thought.

Even something as simple as this Mariell Teardrop Necklace and Earrings Set can add class and cohesion to your outfit. Pair the jewelry with a simple dress or work top, and you’ve got a classy designer look.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Mariell-Shaped-Teardrop-Necklace-Earrings/dp/B01IFTDR98/”]Mariell Teardrop Necklace and Earrings Set, $25.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

19. Have a go-to pair of flats.

For a night out, a day in the office, or a morning shopping adventure, it’s important to have comfy, stylish shoes ready on a dime. Choose a pair that matches with nearly everything, like these black Ollio Faux Suede Comfort Ballet Flats.

You’ll always have something to slip on—and you won’t have to worry about your feet hurting. You can even take these on the dancefloor!
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Ollio-Womens-Decorative-Comfort-ZY00F55/dp/B079ZN4HQT/”]Ollio Faux Suede Comfort Slip On Ballet Flats, $26.99 from Amazon[/link-button]
Having the right items in your bathroom and closet will make your beauty and fashion routine easier than ever. You’ll have ready-to-go style that won’t require a lot of time, thought, or effort. Yes, we absolutely love style made easy!

Tags Commerce, social

Nosh Nutrition x Advice

What Is Greenwashing, And How Can You Fight Against It In Your Daily Life?

Post author By Meagan Drillinger
Post date August 28, 2018

It always feels good to make a healthy decision, whether that’s going to the gym, cutting out negative energy, or doing your part to help better the environment. We all try to be conscious of the planet and taking care of the world around us. Every little step helps and should (theoretically) count. But what if you found out that those allegedly “sustainable,” “eco-friendly” products and practices you were adopting were not as socially responsible as they seemed?
Welcome to the world of greenwashing. In case you aren’t familiar with this term, greenwashing is a company’s attempt to make its products appear environmentally sound, when in fact the products themselves are not green at all. Unfortunately, this practice is prevalent in many industries, from textiles and cleaning supplies to beauty products and food.
“Greenwashing is the … attempt to make something appear environmentally sound when indeed it is quite possibly not,” says Kevin Dixon, founder and president of Alterra Pure textiles. “Some are unintentional, some aren’t. Some are malicious, or others are from lack of understanding. It takes a few different forms. For many, it’s difficult to spend the time to gain the knowledge to know the difference between them.”
[pullquote align=”center”]“When you know what you’re looking for, it’s not easy for … businesses to pull the wool over your eyes.”
—Shannon Dunn of EcoBeautyEditor[/pullquote]
Examples of greenwashing include companies trying to leverage certain buzzwords in advertisements and on product labels, such as “sustainable,” “eco-friendly,” and “natural.”
“When you know what you’re looking for, it’s not easy for such businesses to pull the wool over your eyes. But in most cases, the general public doesn’t know what to look for on the labels, so they trust what they are being told by clever marketing,” says Shannon Dunn, founder of EcoBeautyEditor.
The sad news is that this is only detrimental to the company if consumers know to dig a little deeper and discover the truth, which does not happen as often as we might think. The only way to discern the reality behind the claims is to get educated about how greenwashing is used and how to see beyond the hype.

The Seven Sins of Greenwashing Companies

The way greenwashing works is often referred to as the Seven Sins of Greenwashing.
The first sin is the Sin of the Hidden Trade-Off, which is the claim that a product is “green” based on certain attributes—without giving deeper thought to the meaning behind them. For example, paper isn’t necessarily environmentally friendly if the wood it’s made from came from a sustainably harvested forest. The production of paper typically results in greenhouse gas emissions and/or chlorine use in the bleaching process, so deeper research is needed to determine which paper products are actually sustainable.
The Sin of No Proof is a claim that can’t be proven. There is no trace of these claims ever being substantiated, nor is there evidence of a credible third-party certification.
The Sin of Vagueness is an eco assertion that is so unclear that it is easy to misunderstand what it means. The most common example is the use of the term “all natural.” Mercury, arsenic, and formaldehyde are naturally occurring, but would you want those on your skin or in your body?
The Sin of Worshipping False Labels is exactly that: fake labels. They are meant to give consumers the idea that the product has been endorsed by a third party when no such endorsement (or third party) actually exists.
The Sin of Irrelevance is a claim that might technically be true, but it doesn’t actually have anything to do with a product being environmentally friendly. For example, a product that says “CFC-free” might intrigue consumers, when the fact of the matter is that CFCs are banned from all products by U.S. law.
[pullquote align=”center”]The Sin of Fibbing is an environmental claim that is a downright lie. And it happens more than you think.[/pullquote]
The Sin of Lesser of Two Evils is a claim that may be true within the product category but that doesn’t truly address the issue overall. Organic cigarettes, for example, are certainly the lesser of two evils, but is one option really that much better?
Finally, the Sin of Fibbing is an environmental claim that is a downright lie. And it happens more than you think.
“The intentional cases of greenwashing clearly benefit companies wanting to take a shortcut to appear sustainable or ethical, when in fact they haven’t taken all steps to reach that marketing claim,” says Danielle Jezienicki, director of corporate social responsibility for Williams-Sonoma, Inc. “This enhances their brand reputation or image with customers but runs a major risk of being discovered with negative long-term consequences as customers are more educated and interested in transparency than ever before.”

How do you know if a company is using greenwashing tactics?

There are a lot of great companies that are committed to making this planet a better place and that are getting their message across beautifully. Still, there are companies out there that are doing their best to deceive us by giving the impression that it’s environmentally sound to use or consume their products, when it’s really not.
“This is part of the issue—it can be difficult to spot a company that is greenwashing unless you do some research,” says Dunn. “I always like to know who is behind the company, what its history is, the mission, and, of course, why they choose to use the ingredients they do. If this information is not available or not clear, then it’s always a sign to me that some deeper digging is needed.”
According to the Greenwashing Index, one of the best ways to see if a company is greenwashing is to look at an ad and then look at the company as a whole. It’s a good practice to look on their website for information on their sustainable business practices. If you can find this easily or can find something else to back up their claims on the ad, that’s a good sign.
Another way to tell if a company is greenwashing is to google the company along with the word environment and see what kind of results you get. “This is far from scientific, but if consumers or environmental advocates have a beef with the company’s track record, something’s bound to pop up,” the Greenwashing Index reports.

How to Become More Aware of Greenwashing Tactics

The best way is to educate yourself. Sadly it’s not as easy as glancing at a label these days. It requires a bit more time and investment on your part to do your homework. That said, there are advocacy and environmental groups out there working tirelessly to bridge the gap so that going green won’t have to be a conscious choice anymore. It will be the only choice.
The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, works with a variety of private sector standards developers to create programs for eco-preferred goods and services, such as the ENERGY STAR, WaterSense, and Safer Choice labels.
Greener Choices is another organization working in the food space to educate consumers about which products support a sustainable food system. Its goal is to empower the consumer with information so that they can decide which practices to support. Labels include Fair Trade Certified, Certified Pesticide Residue Free, American Humane Certified, Rainforest Alliance Certified, etc.

How to Make Your Daily Life More Eco-Friendly

The first step is always to educate yourself. “Read the ingredients label,” says Sheridan Howie, coordinator of sustainability for Lulu. “Pretty packaging may mask a product’s negative effects.”
Howie gives the example of sunscreen, which may claim to be biodegradable but still includes harmful chemicals like oxybenzone, octinoxate, and methyl paragon. Howie recommends DoneGood as a great resource for finding environmentally responsible companies. They have a Chrome extension that recommends ethical, sustainable brands as you shop online. It even includes discount codes! (Ecolabel Index is also helpful to find environmental certifications.)
Still, there are practical everyday things that we can be doing to reduce our carbon footprint overall. “The easiest way to be more eco-friendly or waste-free at home is to avoid what I call NSU products, or non-single use,” says Josh Wadinski, founder of Plantioxidants, a line of beauty products that bridge the gap between luxury, health, and sustainability.
As Wadinski points out, “each time you order carry-out food, you typically receive plastic utensils, some form of carton, and a bag.” He recommends asking yourself how much of that you’re recycling and how much will you just throw away. Then prior to purchasing, consider asking the restaurant not to provide a bag or the plastic utensils.
He also recommends looking for products that indicate they are not from virgin materials and that they are entirely recyclable and/or biodegradable. “Our shipping boxes at Plantioxidants are made from entirely recycled cardboard and are biodegradable. Even our label is made from completely recycled materials and our adhesive for it is vegetable-based.” This means that even if you throw away the packaging, no harm is being done to the environment.
Other easy life hacks include turning off the faucet when you’re not actively using it (e.g., when you’re brushing your teeth), turning off lights in rooms you’re not using, setting air conditioning temperatures a little higher, and looking for every way possible to use fresh produce.
“Lastly,” Wadinski says, “use your dollar to make it clear that you work towards a waste-free life. If you love a product but you only see an abundance of wasteful packaging, don’t simply buy it. Email them, let them know your concern, and see what they can do.”
Identifying greenwashing tactics isn’t always easy, but there are steps you can take to educate yourself as a consumer and call out unethical marketing tactics while making the world a cleaner, greener place.

Tags search

Favorite Finds Wellbeing

These Are The Shower Habits That You Need To Ditch

Post author By Megan Senseney
Post date August 27, 2018

Showering is—and should be—a daily habit for most of us, and everyone has their own routine. Some people can’t live without washing their hair each day while others choose to skip a day or two, and the differences continue on from there.
However, did you know that some of the most common shower habits might not actually be that healthy? Believe it or not, some of the things you do every day while taking a shower could be affecting you in ways you’ve never thought of.
Check out this list to see if your shower habits are doing you more harm than good.

1. Washing Your Face

Without a doubt, it’s easier and less messy to wash your face when you’re already in the shower. However, despite the convenience, it’s actually not good for your face. The water that you shower in will typically be much hotter than what you’d wash with at the sink, and the high temperature can make your skin dry out very quickly.
Those with skin conditions such as acne or rosacea may also find that washing their face with hot water can cause excessive redness and irritation—it could even burst a blood vessel in your face if you wash too aggressively. Use a gentle cleanser and avoid washing your face in the shower, particularly if you have acne-prone skin or rosacea.

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends limiting face washing to two times a day, or as soon as possible after sweating, to prevent irritation of the skin. If you are going to wash your face in the shower, turn the temperature down to lukewarm and wash only with your fingertips (anything else is too rough), using a non-abrasive cleanser that doesn’t contain alcohol, like CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser for Daily Face Washing. (Get the formula for normal to oily skin, as their dry-to-normal formula contains alcohol.)

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/CeraVe-Foaming-Facial-Cleanser-Washing/dp/B01N1LL62W”]CeraVe Foaming Facial Cleanser, $13.29 from Amazon[/link-button]
The AAD also recommends applying moisturizer if your skin is dry or itchy. Give this Christina Moss Naturals facial moisturizer a try. The alcohol-free formula is good whether you have fine lines, patchy texture, normal, dry, oily, acne-prone, or sensitive skin, and it’s made with no harmful chemicals.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Facial-Moisturizer-Ingredients-Moisturizing-Anti-Wrinkle/dp/B00G0EJYFW”]Christina Moss Naturals Facial Moisturizer, $25.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

2. Not Washing Your Feet

You might be thinking that your feet make contact with plenty of water while you’re in the shower, so there’s no real reason to actually bend down and give them a proper wash. You’d be wrong, though.
Even if you’re not prone to smelly feet, think about how sweaty your feet can get throughout the day. Not only that, but if you’re known to walk around the house or outdoors without socks or shoes, you never know what you might be picking up along the way.
There’s no excuse for just letting the soap suds run down to your toes anymore—imagine what you’re bringing into your bed every night without giving those feet a good wash.

If you do struggle with funky dogs, consider giving them a regular soak in something like this Tea Tree Oil Therapeutic Foot Soak from Purely Northwest to help with odor as well as with calluses and thick, discolored toenails.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Epsom-Toenail-Fungus-Athletes-Stubborn/dp/B00H7KTEZ8″]Purely Northwest Tea Tree Oil Foot Soak, $13.16 from Amazon[/link-button]

3. Not Washing or Replacing Your Loofah Regularly

Be honest, how long has the same loofah been hanging in your shower? Months? YEARS? As it turns out, that can be terrible for your health. This video demonstrates why:

Consider treating yourself to a new sponge or loofah the next time you’re out, or create a cute and convenient place to hang the one you have for air drying.
Alternatively, nix the loofahs and sponges altogether and invest in a good set of washcloths, like this 100 percent–cotton AmazonBasics set of 24. You can use a new one every time and, once the week is up, put all your towels through a wash cycle using hot water to ensure that all the bacteria has been eliminated.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/AmazonBasics-Cotton-Washcloths-24-White/dp/B010S5VXKC”]AmazonBasics Cotton Washcloths, $15.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

4. Using a Soap Dish

Yes, that built-in soap dish is there forever, but using it for its intended purpose actually isn’t that good of an idea. The majority of people don’t use bars of soap these days but, for those who do, be aware that leaving a bar of soap in one spot could be encouraging bacteria to grow on it—bacteria that you’re then going to spread over your entire body the next time you lather up.
Gross.

If you have reasons for resisting the switch to liquid body wash, try finding a wire soap dish like this stainless steel, vacuum-suction soap dish from iPEGTOP (or one that has holes in the bottom) so any remaining water can drain away once you’re out of the shower.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B079M27SQZ”]iPEGTOP Soap Dish, $10.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

5. Using Scented Soaps

Yes, those soaps that make your bathroom smell like a tropical rainforest or a freshly-made vanilla cupcake do transport you to a place of olfactory luxury while sudsing up, but those very fragrances could be doing a number on your skin at the same time.
Anyone who notices their skin seems particularly irritated after a shower should look to their soap as the first culprit. Fragrances can irritate sensitive skin very easily, so it’s best to use something unscented to keep your skin in the best shape. Plus, you won’t have to worry about the scent of your soap mixing with the scent of your perfume to create “questionable” smells.

Try this Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap, which is Fair Trade certified, made with organic oils, and fragrance-free.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Bronners-Pure-Castile-Liquid/dp/B000HK1OOY”]Dr. Bronner’s Pure Castile Soap, $15.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

6. Showering in Hard Water

Some people may not even know how to tell if their water is considered hard, but figuring it out and taking steps to adjust it could save your hair and skin from a lot of damage.

When you're used to soft water in Scotland, and go for your first shower down in Essex with hard water: pic.twitter.com/bxdgFLv5ft

— Sarah Mackie (@lumi_1984) April 8, 2018

Hard water is defined by its high concentration of minerals like magnesium and calcium, which can end up making your skin break out or cause a layer of buildup on your hair. Those with dyed hair may even find that hard water strips the color out of their strands, or at least causes their tint to fade a little quicker.

If you’re unable to add a water softener to your shower, try incorporating a clarifying shampoo into your routine to remove any buildup caused by those pesky minerals.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Kenra-Clarifying-Shampoo-10-1-Ounce/dp/B000Z8ESJG”]Kenra Clarifying Shampoo, $11.25 from Amazon[/link-button]

7. Avoiding Cold Showers

Most people wouldn’t even dream of standing in cold water for more than a second, let alone taking an entire shower in water that’s anything less than steaming hot.
Still, cold water showers can actually be really beneficial for your skin and hair, and you only need 30 seconds under a cold stream to see a difference. A quick blast of cold water is said to improve your immune function, [linkbuilder id=”3967″ text=”increase your metabolism”], and increase the amount of stress you can tolerate.

In addition to speeding up your metabolism, a study done in 2009 suggests that regularly taking a cold shower could even help you lose weight over time.

8. Using Old Razors

For most of us, old razors aren’t something we thoughtfully replace on a regular basis. Instead, they just sit in the shower until we finally cave and get a new one. Razors, whether you’re buying replacement heads or the kind that are entirely disposable, are surprisingly expensive—so why throw one out after a certain period of time if it still seems to work?
Well, just because a razor is shaving off your unwanted hairs doesn’t mean it’s doing so effectively. If you notice that your skin gets red and inflamed after you shave, it’s because the blades are dull and it’s time for a replacement.

Maybe this Preserve Shave 5 refillable razor made with recycled materials and an ergonomic handle will do the trick.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Preserve-Refillable-Recycled-Materials-Assorted/dp/B019Y366KQ”]Preserve Shave 5 Razor, $9.81 from Amazon[/link-button]

9. Leaving Your Razor in the Shower

Remember how leaving your wet bar of soap in your dingy old soap dish makes it a breeding ground for bacteria? The same thing goes for your razor. There are plenty of nooks and crannies in your razor that make perfect spots for bacteria to hide, and the problem will only get worse when the razor is sitting in a warm, wet environment.
If you don’t actually want to store your razor outside of the shower, at least make sure that you hang it up when you’re done using it so it can air dry.

That’s an easy fix. Just get something like this OXO Good Grips suction razor holder, with a PVC-free suction cup and a hook that flexes to fit a variety of razor handle sizes.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/OXO-Grips-Suction-Razor-Holder/dp/B00EU6HBDY”]OXO Good Grips Suction Razor Holder, $7.99 from Amazon[/link-button]

10. Over-Exfoliating

Giving your skin a gentle scrub every now and then is a good idea, but doing so every day could actually be causing damage. For anyone who doesn’t know, your skin actually exfoliates itself by renewing every 27 days or so.
Anyone who chooses to exfoliate their skin every day is aggressively going after fresh skin cells, which can make your skin red and irritated as a result. It’s best to let some dead cells build up on the surface of your skin before reaching for your favorite scrub so that, you know, there’s actually something there worth exfoliating.

When you do decide to scrub—after waiting an appropriate amount of time, of course—feel free to use this microdermabrasion face scrub and mask from Era Organics, made with manuka honey and walnut. The product claims to remove blackheads, minimize pores, buff away dull skin, and moisturize.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Microdermabrasion-Face-Scrub-Facial-Mask/dp/B018H32LHQ”]Era Organics Manuka Honey Walnut Scrub & Mask, $17.87 from Amazon[/link-button]

11. Washing Your Hair Daily

If you notice that your hair always looks damaged and feels dry no matter what you do, it’s likely that your shower water is too hot and you’re washing your hair way too often. Unless you’re someone who likes to work out every single day, you really only need to wash your hair a few times a week at most—and those with curly or extremely coarse hair should try to cut that down to once a week.

For anyone who says that their hair is too oily to go without a daily wash, it could be the daily washing that’s causing that greasy sheen. Washing too often dries out your scalp, which makes it produce more oil to compensate. If you want to start shampooing less often, try using dry shampoo on your roots every other day. One of our favorites is Living Proof Dry Shampoo, which eliminates oil, sweat, and odor without the use of silicone. Have color- or chemically-treated hair? Don’t worry! This is safe for you to use.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Living-Proof-Perfect-Hair-Shampoo/dp/B0170GOCVO”]Living Proof Dry Shampoo, $17.96 from Amazon[/link-button]

12. Skipping Your Shower Post-Workout

If you like to work out late at night or in the morning before you head off to work, you may decide that you’re too tired or pressed for time to squeeze a shower in. However, working up a sweat can leave bacteria on your skin that will get trapped against you if you choose not to rinse it off afterward.
https://twitter.com/MichaelaW1111/status/997914381294952453
This could lead to a skin infection or, at the very least, some minor irritation or redness. Not to mention that you’d be going to bed or heading to work a sweaty, stinky mess.
Remember, just because you can’t smell you doesn’t mean others can’t smell you. At very least, take some time to wipe that sweat off with a clean washcloth or hand towel, or, better yet, just change your clothes. Throw some body wipes in your gym bag for a quick refresh on-the-go.

You might also consider carrying in your gym bag some Welmedix HomeCare PRO No-Rinse Cleansing Foam, formulated for the delicate skin of elderly people. The cleanser is pH-balanced and removes odor-causing bacteria anywhere on the body without stripping skin of its natural oils.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Rinse-Body-Cleansing-Welmedix-HomeCare/dp/B0744ZX2P6″]HomeCare PRO No-Rinse Cleansing Foam, $24.99 from Amazon[/link-button]
Apply this with disposable washcloths, like Member’s Mark Adult Premium Disposable Washcloths, which are alcohol- and latex-free and contain a nourishing formula made of natural botanicals, vitamin E, aloe, and chamomile for an irritation-free application. At 12 by 8 inches, these extra-large cloths will take care of your whole body.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Members-Premium-Disposable-Washcloth-Carton/dp/B01KY22LFU”]Member’s Mark Disposable Washcloths, $27.43 from Amazon[/link-button]

13. Reusing Dirty Towels

The logic seems solid: If you only use your towel when your body’s clean, how could it possibly get dirty?
This isn’t exactly the case, though. Yes, it’s alright to use your towel two to three times before you finally give it a wash, but that’s only if you hang it up to air dry after every single use. Just like your loofah, dead skin cells can cling to your towel and, when you don’t let it dry properly, there’s a big risk for bacterial growth.

Using the same towel for a week or more at a time could mean putting yourself at risk for bacterial skin infections—plus, they can eventually start to smell pretty bad.

14. Rubbing Towels on Your Skin and Hair

We can guess with relative confidence that you reach for your towel right after getting done with your shower, but there are a couple of different ways that people towel off.
Some choose to just wrap their towel around themselves and wait to air dry while doing other things—putting in contacts, applying moisturizer, brushing their teeth—while others immediately start to wipe that water away.

As it turns out, rubbing a towel against your skin isn’t the best thing for it, and dermatologists actually recommend that you use a patting motion to dry your skin. For anyone with long hair who likes to wrap their towel around their head like a cocoon, know that doing so could be damaging your locks, as well. Instead, use a microfiber hair turban and a wet brush to protect your hair from damage.
This turban is made of lightweight Aquitex microfiber, which will trap moisture in your hair while drying it gently in a way that minimizes frizz. Give that hair-frying hair dryer a rest!

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Aquis-Original-Patented-Hands-Free-Microfiber/dp/B0000UTUS8″]Aquis Microfiber Hair Turban, $20.99 from Amazon[/link-button]
For keeping your luscious locks free of hair tumbleweeds, you’ll want something like this Wet Brush Pro Detangle Hair Brush, which is ergonomically designed to give you a comfortable grip while you’re pulling away at those knots, wet or dry—whether they’re in a wig or extensions or hair growing from your scalp.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00XC03GK6″]Wet Brush Pro Detangle Hair Brush, $7.95 from Amazon[/link-button]

15. Skipping the Moisturizer

It can be pretty tempting to go lounge around after you’ve gotten out of the shower, and it’s easy to get sucked into things like reading a book or watching television before you finally start to get ready. However, you’re doing your skin a disservice if you don’t apply some moisturizer right when you get out of the shower.
Moisturizer is absorbed just a little bit better when your skin is nice and warm, and you’ll also want to replenish any moisture your skin lost from being in that hot water. Also, just like you shouldn’t be rubbing a towel on your body, don’t scour your face when drying it, either.

Puracy Organic Hand & Body Lotion, made with organic shea butter and vitamin E, is a vegan, fragrance-free moisturizer that’s also free from silicones, parabens, dyes, phthalates, formaldehyde, PEG, petrochemicals, and nut-based ingredients. Your parched, sensitive skin will eat it up.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Puracy-Organic-Moisturizer-Unscented-Moisture/dp/B00L9IWVIQ”]Puracy Organic Hand & Body Lotion, $13.29 from Amazon[/link-button]

16. Bathing in a Dirty Tub

Alright, so a bath definitely isn’t the same as a shower, but we have a reminder for those of you out there that take them.
Clean your bathtub every once in a while!
It’s a chore that few like doing, but it’s an important one. If you’re going to be sitting in a tub full of water for any period of time, you want to make sure that there’s nothing mixing in with your soak that you haven’t added intentionally.
This is especially true if you share a bathroom with other people—you might like your roommates, but you don’t really know what they could’ve tracked into the tub.

Tags Commerce, social

Conscious Beauty Lifestyle

The No-Holds-Barred Checklist Of Everything To Buy From The Sephora Beauty Insider Appreciation Sale

Post author By Maggie Tyson
Post date August 27, 2018

Sephora is about to host their Beauty Insider Appreciation Event and if you’re a Beauty Insider at Sephora, you should definitely get excited. (And if you aren’t a Beauty Insider, hurry up and sign up—it’s free!) In addition to holding the sale, Sephora is also updating their entire Beauty Insider program by adding new incentives and benefits for every level.
Regular Beauty Insiders who’ve joined at the free level earn one point per dollar they spend, get a birthday gift, and trial-size products and sets. VIBs, who must spend $350 in a calendar year to qualify will now earn 1.25 points for every dollar they spend, plus they’ll get a chance to try full-size products for free. Finally, Rouge members, who need to hit a thousand dollars a year to get in, will now get 1.5 points per every dollar, plus they’ll get a $100 Rouge Reward and those full-size products. In other words, there’s never been a better time to join Sephora’s Beauty Insider program.
Their Beauty Insider Appreciation Event started on Aug. 24 and Rouge members get 20 percent off everything in the store.
Starting on Aug. 30, VIBs and Beauty Insiders can shop the event; VIBs will get 15 percent off storewide, while Beauty Insiders will get 10 percent off everything.
Not sure what to buy? I picked out 60 of my favorite items from Sephora, ranging from skin and body care to makeup to the best tools. Go a little crazy—it’s on sale!

Where Soul Meets Body: Bath + Body

[sol title=”Rub it in, rub it in.” subheader=”Biossance 100% Squalane Oil”]
This squalane oil is made from renewable sugarcane and is one of my favorite picks to head-to-toe hydration.

The oil mimics the squalene (spelled differently!) that our bodies naturally make to add extra moisture into your skin, no matter your skin type. This is the best time to buy it since it’s normally a little pricey.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BOps83″]Get it at Sephora for $58[/link-button]
[sol title=”A cult favorite straight from Provence.” subheader=”L’Occitane Almond Smoothing and Beautifying Supple Skin Oil”]
This body oil is made of 50 percent almond oil, an intense oil full of omega 6 fatty acids.

The oil melts right into your skin, making it perfect for a post-shower treat, and helps it stay hydrated for up to 48 hours. Fantastique.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BDzXuN”]Get it at Sephora for $50[/link-button]
[sol title=”Shake your bum bum.” subheader=”Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream”]
The title gives it away: This cream is for your bum bum. Tighten up the appearance of that derriere with this cream that takes its inspiration from the beaches of Brazil.

It uses guaraná, a plant from the Amazon that contains caffeine. That caffeine works with cupuaçu butter, açaí, and coconut oil to hydrate, firm, and lift skin. Get thee to a beach: You’ll fit in just fine.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2w5lkLk”]Get it at Sephora for $45[/link-button]
[sol title=”When a model and a beauty brand combine forces.” subheader=”BECCA x Chrissy Teigen Body & Hair Oil”]
Grab this brand new body and hair oil from beauty giant BECCA and model Chrissy Teigen.

Chrissy’s collab with BECCA has been widely hyped and while reviews of this oil are mixed—some people just want more glitter and I understand that need—I’m definitely excited to get my hands on this shimmery product.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2MKmHZz”]Get it at Sephora for $42[/link-button]
[sol title=”Nose-to-toes with coconut and rose.” subheader=”Herbivore Coco Rose Coconut Oil Body Polish”]
In need of a good scrub down? You’ll love Coco Rose from the clean beauty babes at Herbivore.

The scrub uses virgin coconut oil, Moroccan rose oil, and sugar to gently slough off dead skin, leaving you with hydrated, fragrant skin.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2MH6vIw”]Get it at Sephora for $36[/link-button]
[sol title=”Whip it, whip it real good.” subheader=”Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter”]
The secret to soft skin heaven: Exfoliate with Coco Rose, apply one of those amazing body oils, and finish up with this Whipped Argan Oil Body Butter.

Josie Maran’s well known for her pure argan oil but lucky for us all, she’s whipped up (heh) this argan oil–infused body butter. Argan oil, shea butter, white tea extract, and avocado oil work together to moisturize, hydrate, and nourish tired skin.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BCpHCZ”]Get it at Sephora for $35[/link-button]
[sol title=”This mitt’s a hit.” subheader=”Sephora Collection Smooth Finisher Exfoliating Bath Mitt”]
I love a good mitt! Ideal for exfoliating scrubs pre-shaving and self-tanning, exfoliating mitts slough off dead skin cells without any drying soaps.

If you need some serious exfoliation, do a dry scrub with this mitt, followed by a scrub like Coco Rose. Just don’t forget to moisturize!
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2ocEpHb”]Get it at Sephora for $8[/link-button]

Becky Will Have Nothing on This Good Hair: Hair Care

[sol title=”Itch be gone!” subheader=”Briogeo Scalp Revival Charcoal + Coconut Oil Micro-exfoliating Shampoo”]
You read that right: exfoliating shampoo. If you’re dealing with a dry scalp, trust me, I feel for you.

This is an extremely unique formula that combines coconut oil and charcoal to detoxify, exfoliate, and soothe an itchy, dry scalp. Get those dead skin cells out of your hair to have the healthiest head ever.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o2KKoE”]Get it at Sephora for $42[/link-button]
[sol title=”Try a mask that actually works.” subheader=”Briogeo Don’t Despair, Repair! Strength + Moisture Leave-In Mask”]
The name says it all, really. When you’re experiencing damaged hair, breakage, and general dryness, Briogeo is back to the rescue.

If you’re constantly trying other shampoos, conditioners, and masks, and nothing’s working, this argan oil and algae–infused mask just might be the answer to your lackluster hair prayers.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o17chK”]Get it at Sephora for $28[/link-button]
[sol title=”When just one dry shampoo won’t do…” subheader=”Sephora Favorites Extend Your Style Dry Shampoo Collection”]
I was torn between which dry shampoo to include on this list—Living Proof? Amika? Klorane?—when I found this.

This six-piece set includes some of the most popular dry shampoos available: Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo, Bumble and bumble Prêt-à-powder Très Invisible (Nourishing) Dry Shampoo, Drybar Detox Dry Shampoo, IGK First Class Charcoal Detox Dry Shampoo, Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk, and Living Proof Perfect Hair Day Dry Shampoo. Try them all out for under $40 to find the one that works for you.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BCThZ0″]Get it at Sephora for $35[/link-button]
Rather try them full-size from the start?
[products ids=’1081664,1081665,1081667′ type=full]
[products ids=’1081668,1081669,1081670′ type=full]
[sol title=”All the Olaplex!” subheader=”Olaplex No. 3, Olaplex No. 4, and Olaplex No. 5″]
Olaplex is out here changing the hair game, and the Insider Appreciation sale is the perfect time to try it out for yourself. Though it’s traditionally been used by salon professionals during coloring sessions, they now have products available for public consumers to use at home. No. 1 and No. 2 are used in salons, but No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 are for sale at Sephora.
[products ids=’1081679,1081680,1081681′ type=full]
Their Hair Perfector No. 3 is a hair treatment that helps strengthen and repair hair, reducing damage. The No. 4 Bond Maintenance Shampoo moisturizes and repairs hair during the shampooing process, helping to eliminate frizz, breakage, and flyaways. Finally, the No. 5 Bond Maintenance Conditioner works with the No. 4 Shampoo to make your hair stronger than ever.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BFvgk2″]Get No. 3 at Sephora for $28[/link-button]
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BFvgk2″]Get No. 4 at Sephora for $28[/link-button]
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BGivWx”]Get No. 5 at Sephora for $28[/link-button]
[sol title=”Get it glossy.” subheader=”Ouai Hair Oil”]
The Ouai brand was founded by celeb hairstylist Jen Atkin who works with the Kardashians and is besties with Chrissy Teigen, and they all back her products, especially this hair oil.

If you’ve got frizzy flyaways (hello, fellow curly girls), this is the oil for you. It uses African galanga, ama oil, and Asian borage oils to seal in moisture and protect hair from damage, plus it has this incredible light botanical scent, thanks to ylang ylang, violet, gardenia, and white musk.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o51n32″]Get it at Sephora for $28[/link-button]

Baby, This Is What You Came For: Makeup

[sol title=”When you need lashes that look like falsies.” subheader=”Lancer Lash Serum Intense”]
If you’ve ever looked with envy at the guys and gals with long, lush lashes, let the jealousy dissipate: You can now have them for yourself.

This serum uses polypeptides, biotin, and panthenol to increase the appearance of lashes that are so intense, they’ll look fake.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2oaba85″]Get it at Sephora for $150[/link-button]
[sol title=”Try the foundation that will really make you glow.” subheader=”Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation”]
It’s a beloved foundation, with over 200,000 “loves” on Sephora’s site, but at $64, it’s really a candidate for an on-sale purchase.

Despite it being a medium-coverage liquid foundation, it has a natural finish and it’s lightweight, meaning it won’t look too shiny or overly matte. Plus it’ll last all day—and night.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BR1I39″]Get it at Sephora for $64[/link-button]
[sol title=”Get that highlight poppin’.” subheader=”Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette”]
If you couldn’t decide which shade of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder to get, Hourglass did you a solid by creating this palette with three of them!

This highlight powder never goes on flaky and somehow manages to give a soft glow to any skin tone.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o6rne5″]Get it at Sephora for $62[/link-button]
[sol title=”Spice up your life.” subheader=”Fenty Beauty Moroccan Spice Eyeshadow Palette”]
Rihanna did it again with this beautiful 16-shadow palette. Inspired by the colors and flavors of Morocco, these deeply pigmented shades are ideal for day and night.

Plus, as all the best palettes do, there’s a combination of matte, satin, pearl, metallic, and shimmer finishes so you can mix, match, and blend away.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o2maUF”]Get it at Sephora for $59[/link-button]
[sol title=”Build a good base.” subheader=”Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer”]
What’s the point of wearing good foundation if you didn’t build a good base? Enter Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer, one of the most highly rated primers on the market.

This oil-free primer will reduce redness and the appearance of pores and wrinkles, giving you a smooth canvas for your foundation of choice.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BEQ5Mo”]Get it at Sephora for $54[/link-button]
[sol title=”Finally figure out that whole contouring thing.” subheader=”Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Contour Powder”]
If you’re thinking about dipping your toes into the pond of contouring, you may as well do it right.

The Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Contour Powder is one of the best contour powders out there. It has a matte finish meaning you won’t end up like a disco ball, but the intricately designed pigments will keep you from having ruddy, muddy cheeks.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BAwsoN”]Get it at Sephora for $44[/link-button]
[sol title=”Pick up a pretty palette.” subheader=”Anastasia Beverly Hills Norvina Eyeshadow Palette”]
When the Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance palette dropped, it set off what some people might call a frenzy.

Now, ABH is back with a new palette named after ABH president Norvina Soare. Soare designed the palette based on what was looking for in a go-to palette, and after seeing the 14 shades (in matte, metallic, and duo-chrome finishes), we think it’ll be our new go-to as well.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BHN2TK”]Get it at Sephora for $42[/link-button]
[sol title=”Try some liquid gold.” subheader=”BECCA Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter”]
If you’re not the powder type, there’s still a highlighter for you in BECCA’s Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter.

It comes in seven colors, all with a shimmering finish to give you a glowy look with very little effort. Use it on the high points of your face or mix it in with moisturizer or foundation for all-over radiance.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BEbc1d”]Get it at Sephora for $41[/link-button]
[sol title=”Get #coverage with this #foundation.” subheader=”Huda Beauty #FauxFilter Foundation”]
The second foundation to make our list of Sephora must-tries is Huda Beauty’s new(ish) #FauxFilter foundation.

Inspired by the #nofilter hashtag on Instagram accounts the world over, this foundation works to even skin tone with full but natural-looking coverage. With 30 shades for (almost) any skin tone, everyone can get an airbrushed #FauxFilter look.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BFWEOO”]Get it at Sephora for $40[/link-button]
[sol title=”I see you, Frenchie.” subheader=”Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Radiance Perfecting Pen”]
Apparently, one of these highlighting pens is sold every 10 seconds! It’s famously a favorite for under-eye circles and skin discoloration.

If you wake up looking fatigued and nothing has eliminated those circles and bags, YSL’s Touche Eclat should definitely be your next purchase.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o0qh3M”]Get it at Sephora for $38[/link-button]
[sol title=”A foundation for every face.” subheader=”Fenty Beauty Pro Filt’r Soft Matte Longwear Foundation”]
Rihanna’s groundbreaking Fenty Beauty foundation comes in 40 shades, meaning there really is something for everyone.

From women who were born with albinism to women of color who aren’t traditionally represented in media or the beauty industry, Rihanna made sure there’s a shade of her foundation for all of them. The matte finish on this makes it perfect for more oily/combination skin types, but its medium coverage means it doesn’t go on too heavy.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BO3imm”]Get it at Sephora for $34[/link-button]
[sol title=”We stan a legend.” subheader=”Pat McGrath Labs LUST: Lip Gloss”]
If you’re into makeup at all and don’t have anything from the legendary Pat McGrath, check yourself.

McGrath has been one of the top makeup artists in the world for over 20 years and she’s set the standards of makeup quality at countless runway shows and editorial spreads. We especially love this LUST: Lip Gloss that gives off great color in three different finishes. Plus it doesn’t get sticky—Pat McGrath would never.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o1z99h”]Get it at Sephora for $28[/link-button]
[sol title=”Stunt on ’em like Rihanna.” subheader=”Fenty Beauty Stunna Lip Paint”]
They call it the new classic, the new Ruby Woo. It’s a universally flattering red that works on just about every single skin tone.

Fenty Beauty’s Stunna Lip Paint is a liquid lipstick that lasts up to 12 hours, and even though it’s matte, it doesn’t dry your lips out (at least not anymore than any other liquid lipstick). This shade was tested and picked out by Rihanna herself and truly looks good on everyone.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BEP1rS”]Get it at Sephora for $24[/link-button]
[sol title=”It’s the mascara you don’t want to tell Mom about.” subheader=”Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara”]
With a name like that, you kind of have to try it, right?

It’s Sephora’s best-selling mascaras and the best-selling “prestige” mascara in the U.S., thanks to its volumizing and lengthening formula that coats every lash in the blackest black pigment. You need just one coat for definition but each additional coat brings you more lush curls. Go on and try it—it’s better than you-know-what.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BAxtND”]Get it at Sephora for $24[/link-button]
[sol title=”The eyeliner that isn’t coming off.” subheader=”Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner”]
There are plenty of liquid liners on the market that perform well, and trust me, I’ve tried a lot of them. But once I tried Stila’s Stay All Day liner, I never went back.

The Black color is a true jet black that dries down matte without flaking. I’ve worn it swimming, showering, at weddings, and at funerals—it doesn’t move. And on my off days when I fall asleep in my makeup (a major offense, I know), it somehow lasts until the next morning. Plus the applicator is perfect for wings so sharp they’d cut a man—just how I like it.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2Lyvzwy”]Get it at Sephora for $22[/link-button]
[sol title=”A pencil in every shade of the rainbow.” subheader=”Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil”]
If pencil liner is more your speed, Urban Decay’s 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil is the one for you. This was one of the first “luxury” beauty products I bought with my own money in high school and 15 years later, it’s still one of my favorite tools in my collection.

These pencils go on creamy unlike traditional pencils which tug at the delicate skin around your eyes and they’re blendable for about 30 seconds if you want to get a smudgy, smoky look. After that, it sets and lasts all day. Plus with 35 colors, there’s truly a color for every look.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2Nlf7BD”]Get it at Sephora for $21[/link-button]
[sol title=”Get your brows on fleek (apparently we’re still saying that).” subheader=”Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz”]
Anastasia Beverly Hills was founded by eyebrow queen Anastasia Soare and her products are the best in the game for getting brows people are jealous of. I was torn between including Brow Wiz or Dip Brow on this list but I ultimately went with Brow Wiz because it’s so easy to use.

There’s a lot of pigment in one little pencil so you don’t have to use a lot to make precise strokes or fill in bare spots.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2o3luOV”]Get it at Sephora for $21[/link-button]
[sol title=”When the store brand does it better…” subheader=”Sephora Collection Cream Lip Stain Liquid Lipstick”]
This is a time when the store brand really knocks it out of the park. The Sephora Collection is makeup made by Sephora. It has a major spot in the store…off to the side, so most people seem to ignore it (a mistake in general). But if you’ve been skipping out on their liquid lipsticks, you’re seriously missing out!

These insanely pigmented liquid lipsticks are some of my favorite. In matte, satin, and metallic finishes, there are 90—yes, 90—shades available. (“01 Always Red” is one of my go-to reds, along with the Fenty Stunna!)
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2od9PwZ”]Get it at Sephora for $14[/link-button]

Sweatpants, Hair Tied, Chillin’ With No Makeup On: Skin Care

[sol title=”The Holy Grail.” subheader=”SK-II Facial Treatment Essence”]
No, it’s not cheap. Yes, it is worth it. This is the skincare product to end all skincare products. The definition of iconic.

The SK-II Facial Treatment Essence has been on shelves for over 35 years and it’s a favorite of beauty junkies, celebs, and estheticians alike. Use it regularly and you’re sure to see fewer wrinkles, less visible spots, refined skin texture, improved firmness, and more radiance. It’s made up of more than 90 percent pitera, a bio-ingredient rich in minerals, vitamins, and acids that work together to make you glow.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2obsbP0″]Get it at Sephora for $179[/link-button]
[sol title=”If you can’t make it, fake it.” subheader=”Sunday Riley Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment”]
If you hear “acid” and feel scared, don’t be. The acids in products like Good Genes are cosmetically elegant, meaning they do their job and leave no harm.

This treatment is ideal for post-toner application. The lactic acid will gently but effectively exfoliate dead skin cells while reducing fine lines and other signs of aging. According to Sephora, 100 percent of women said their skin looked and felt smoother and had fewer lines and wrinkles; 100 percent of women also said it was the best skin-plumping product they’d ever used. If you don’t have good genes, you can buy them.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2ofqkJ6″]Get it at Sephora for $158[/link-button]
[sol title=”Give your skin a little tender, loving care.” subheader=”Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum”]
This serum combines 12 percent AHA/BHA with raspberry extract, horse chestnut, bearberry, and white tea, all of which work together to exfoliate and reduce the appearance of pores, lines, and wrinkles.

This is a Clean at Sephora–certified product, meaning it’s made with clean, responsible ingredients. I love it for a post-toner treatment and sleep much better knowing its glycolic, lactic, tartaric, citric, and salicylic acids are doing major work on my skin while I sleep.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2LuAteb”]Get it at Sephora for $90[/link-button]
[sol title=”Maybe size doesn’t matter after all.” subheader=”Drunk Elephant The Littles”]
Ready to hop on the Drunk Elephant train, but not so sure which one will work for you? Try out The Littles bundle that gives you eight of DE’s most popular products.

In the pack you get the Beste No. 9 Jelly Cleanser, the C-Firma Day Serum, the B-Hydra Intensive Hydration Serum, the Umbra Sheer Physical Daily Defense Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 30, the T.L.C. Framboos Glycolic Night Serum, the Virgin Marula Luxury Facial Oil, Lala Retro Whipped Cream, and the Shaba Complex Eye Serum.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2LufhoE”]Get it at Sephora for $90[/link-button]
And if size does matter to you, pick them up full-size.
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[products ids=’1081706,1081708,1081709,1081710′ type=full]
[sol title=”This is the real #couplegoals.” subheader=”Sunday Riley Power Couple Duo: Total Transformation Kit”]
I really love when brands put together some of their best-selling products in an easy-to-buy power pack.

This Power Couple Duo combines the Good Genes Lactic Treatment mentioned above with the Luna Sleeping Night Oil. These two products together will increase radiance and evenness in your skin. You can alternate the products, do Good Genes in the morning and Luna at night, or layer them at night, depending on your skin’s sensitivity level.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2LwQhwK”]Get it at Sephora for $85[/link-button]
[sol title=”An at-home ‘facial’ that actually works.” subheader=”Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial”]
Okay, this is the last Drunk Elephant product on the list—I promise! But what can I say, they make great products.

This “facial” is an AHA/BHA mask that makes your skin feel like a baby’s (hence the name). I put it on for about 20 minutes once a week for a deep cleaning with results I can literally feel. Plus, since you’re only using a bit at a time, it’ll last you a long while, making that price a little easier to swallow.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2MTnxTW”]Get it at Sephora for $80[/link-button]
[sol title=”Interplanetary, megastellar, hydrostatic…” subheader=”Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil”]
And this is the last Sunday Riley product on the list! But it really deserves a place here.

The oil from outer space, this medicated dry oil will clear pores, treat acne, and smooth your skin for exfoliation you’ll love. It uses 1.5 percent salicylic acid to banish buildup and cleanse your pores. It leaves oily skin clean and smooth, but not greasy or dried out. If you’re dealing with breakouts, this will be your new BFF.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2odgDL3″]Get it at Sephora for $80[/link-button]
[sol title=”Better than any bento box on Pinterest…” subheader=”Tatcha Smooth, Poreless Skin Obento Box”]
Tatcha is making serious waves in the American skincare market. This Japanese brand is selling a trio of some of their most loved products and I highly recommend trying them out.

With it, you’ll get The Water Cream, an oil-free moisturizer that preps pores for makeup—or bedtime. You’ll also get The Deep Cleanse, a gel that lathers into a foaming cleanser and uses amino acids to remove dirt, oil, and environmental toxins. And finally, it comes with The Silk Canvas, a pressed silk balm to prime skin, blur pores, and make makeup last. If you’re interested in trying Tatcha for the first time, this is your best bet.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2C37wGT”]Get it at Sephora for $79[/link-button]
[sol title=”This cleanser is mint.” subheader=”Tata Harper Clarifying Cleanser”]
A foaming gel cleanser made for acne-prone skin, Tata Harper’s Clarifying Cleanser has almost 6,000 “loves” on Sephora.

This minty face wash goes from gel to foam to deep-clean pores, remove dirt and impurities, and give you a matte finish, without drying out your skin.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2obpf4O”]Get it at Sephora for $68[/link-button]
[sol title=”The ultimate in sunscreen technology.” subheader=”Tatcha Silken Pore Perfecting Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 35 PA+++”]
Try saying that five times fast.

This sunscreen, which has an American SPF rating and Japanese PA grading, is a lightweight mineral sunscreen that protects the skin from UVA and UVB rays. It tightens and blurs pres and smooths texture, making it an ideal makeup primer as well.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BQWCUk”]Get it at Sephora for $65[/link-button]
[sol title=”Is it a bird? A plane? cleanser? An exfoliator?” subheader=”Tatcha The Rice Polish Foaming Enzyme Powder”]
This exfoliant/cleanser/miracle-worker from—you guessed it, Tatcha—is yet another winning product from the Japanese giant. It comes in four different formulations for different skin needs:
[products ids=’1081713,1081719,1081720,1081721′ type=full]
But no matter which formulation you get, they ultimately work the same: The powder foams up when combined with water to create a non-abrasive physical exfoliant that uses rice powder and rice and papaya enzymes to soften, exfoliate, and make your skin 10x more touchable.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2oel34k”]Get them at Sephora for $65[/link-button]
[sol title=”Make like a rainbow.” subheader=”Herbivore Prism Exfoliating Glow Potion”]
I love a good serum and this rainbow-inspired one is too pretty to resist.

Its ingredients come in every color of the rainbow and combine with natural alpha and beta hydroxy acids for exfoliation, moisture, and a rainbow glow.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2Lu23bj”]Get it at Sephora for $62[/link-button]
[sol title=”Hello results, goodbye retinol. – OLE HENRIKSEN” subheader=”OLE HENRIKSEN Glow Cycle Retin-ALT Power Serum”]
This day serum is a retinol alternative, ideal for people who don’t want to—or can’t—use retinol.

Instead, it uses bakuchiol, a plant-based alternative to the ingredient. Plus the AHAs included will fight signs of aging, like wrinkles, lines, dark spots, and large pores.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BYaZWO”]Get it at Sephora for $58[/link-button]
[sol title=”Orange you glad you tried vitamin C?” subheader=”OLE HENRIKSEN Truth Serum”]
This is currently my favorite vitamin C serum among many other great contenders.

This anti-aging serum uses vitamin C and collagen to fight signs of aging and sun damage, plus it hydrates to give your skin a youthful, summery glow. And I love that look, even in the dead of winter.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2BQGdzl”]Get it at Sephora for $48[/link-button]
[sol title=”Double cleanse, you fools.” subheader=”Tatcha Pure One Step Camellia Cleansing Oil”]
Okay, now this is the last Tatcha product on my list (or is it?!) No really, it is. This two-in-one makeup remover/cleanser is ideal as a first cleanse in the double cleanse of lore. (And if you aren’t double cleansing, you should start.)

This oil is particularly great because of the Japanese camellia oil that has oleic acid, vitamins A, B, D, and E, and omega 3, 6, and 9 acids.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2MRJbYt”]Get it at Sephora for $48[/link-button]
[sol title=”Watermelon’s not just for summer anymore.” subheader=”Glow Recipe Watermelon Set”]
The much-hyped watermelon-based products from Glow Recipe are now available in a handy two-fer set.

Watermelon extract is rich in vitamins and amino acids and these products also use hyaluronic acid and botanicals to moisturize and soothe. The Watermelon Glow Pink Juice Moisturizer is an ideal daily moisturizer for oily and combination skin and an awesome serum for dry and sensitive skin. The Watermelon Glow Sleeping Mask uses all of those ingredients, plus AHAs to give you a morning glow you can’t fake with makeup.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2ocrLYJ”]Get it at Sephora for $45[/link-button]
[sol title=”These are the bomb *wink wink*” subheader=”Belif The True Cream Aqua Bomb and Moisturizing Bomb”]
These two products—sold entirely separately and made for different skin types—are one of the best products from Korean beauty brand Belif.
[products ids=’1081722,1081725′ type=full]
The Aqua Bomb is for normal-combination skin and offers intense hydration in an oil-free gel-cream formulation. The Moisturizing Bomb, on the other hand, is for normal-dry skin and uses a thick cream to moisturize and nourish dry skin. Both are perfect for day and night use and are truly the bomb dot com.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2PI7GWQ”]Get the Aqua Bomb at Sephora for $38[/link-button]
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2ocARVp”]Get the Moisturizing Bomb at Sephora for $38[/link-button]
[sol title=”Take on any environment.” subheader=”Shiseido Urban Environment Oil-Free UV Protector Broad Spectrum SPF 42 For Face”]
Whew, that’s a mouthful. But Shiseido has long been known as a great sunscreen brand.

This oil-free face sunscreen offers broad spectrum protection against UV rays, oxidation, and too much sebum production. It’s best for oily skin, but works with normal and combination skin types too, as it gives a matte finish without drying down too much.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2MWoj2u”]Get it at Sephora for $34[/link-button]
[sol title=”I woke up like this.” subheader=”Laneige Water Sleeping Mask”]
A sleeping mask? Say whaaat? It’s a “mask,” aka a thick gel or cream, that you put on your skin before sleep.

Let it soak in while you slumber and you wake up looking radiant. No effort hydration? Sign me up.
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[sol title=”Give your lips some love.” subheader=”Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask”]
Don’t forget about those lips! If you’ve got dry lips, the best time to take care of them is when you’re sleeping since, you know, you can’t mess with them too much.

Put on a thick dollop of this yummy lip sleeping mask and wake up with kissable lips with zero flakes. It’s my favorite for year-round hydration.
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All The Extras: Tools

[sol title=”Dry me down.” subheader=”T3 Cura Hair Dryer”]
This hair dryer is a digitally-controlled supertool for the 21st century. It’s ideal for all hair types since it comes with two different concentrators for different hair styles.

It, somehow, “enhances” the air with negative ions to quickly dry hair while also fighting frizz. If you’re in a rush, this lightweight hair dryer will be your favorite morning accessory.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2NmVh9c”]Get it at Sephora for $200[/link-button]
[sol title=”Better straighten up.” subheader=”Drybar The Tress Press Digital Styling Iron”]
If you love straightening your hair, you may as well get an incredible iron for it.

The Tress Press uses ions to fight frizz and titanium plates for serious shine. You can use it for quick straightening or wrap hair around the barrel for waves or curls. Plus with an automatic shut-off, you never have to worry about burning down the house again.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2LuvtWZ”]Get it at Sephora for $150[/link-button]
[sol title=”Get super scrubby.” subheader=”Foreo LUNA mini 2″]
Ditch the old Clarisonic. Throw away your crappy washcloths. Say goodbye to harsh brushes. The Foreo LUNA mini 2 is the best way to cleanse your face—I mean it.

This waterproof cleansing device can cover your entire face in two minutes for a deep yet gentle cleanse that really makes a difference. It’s small, smart, and soft, and while it’s definitely giving you slight exfoliation, the silicone is non-abrasive and safe for daily use. And look at all the pretty colors!
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[sol title=”I like the way you brush your hair.” subheader=”Amika Polished Perfection Straightening Brush”]
Shout out to my lazy girls! If the idea of meticulously separating, detangling, and straightening your hair section-by-section does not, for some reason, appeal to you, maybe try a straightening brush instead.

This one, from Amika, lets you brush through each strand of hair, detangling and straightening as you go, since it uses that negative ion technology and gets up to 450° F.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2ofRrUw”]Get it at Sephora for $120[/link-button]
[sol title=”Get the whole set.” subheader=”Sephora Collection Ready To Roll Brush Set”]
I actually love Sephora makeup brushes and they make up (heh) a good part of my collection.

This 10-piece set gives you all the essentials so you can replace your crap brushes or start from scratch. The set comes with the following cruelty-free, full-size brushes (and a faux leather brush roll for storage and travel): powder brush, complexion brush, concealer brush, blush brush, highlight + contour brush, fan brush, eyeshadow brush, smudge brush, blending brush, and angled liner + spoolie brush.
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[sol title=”They see me rollin’.” subheader=”Mount Lai De-Puffing Jade Facial Roller”]
Jade rollers are definitely trendy right now, but facial massage has actually been a critical part of Asian beauty routines for centuries.

This Xiyuan jade stone cools and depuffs the skin as you use it, and it’s double-sided for larger planes (forehead and cheeks) and harder-to-reach areas (under the eyes). Keep it in the fridge for an easy refresh!
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2Nm4v5q”]Get it at Sephora for $34[/link-button]
[sol title=”When it’s best to go simple…” subheader=”Tweezerman Stainless Steel Slant Tweezers”]
You don’t need anything too fancy when it comes to eyebrow tweezers, but you do need something that works. Tweezerman is, like, the queen of tweezers.

The slant design is a classic: It grabs every hair, no matter how small, and pulls it out without pain every time. Plus you get free sharpening for life.
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[sol title=”Be the girl with the curl.” subheader=”Shiseido Eyelash Curler”]
This cult-favorite curler never pinches or grabs at lashes, so no need to worry about lash loss here.

The edge-free design will curl every lash—even at the very corners of your eyes—from root to tip. Plus the pads are replaceable, so you can keep the metal base for, well, ever.
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[sol title=”Nothing beats the original.” subheader=”The Original Beautyblender”]
Many have tried and many have failed: There’s no use trying to replicate the original Beautyblender, because the OG is the best. Yes, it’s a makeup sponge for $20. Yes, that’s kind of insane. But of all the cheaper dupes out there, the original holds up the best.

Get it damp for dewy foundation application, dab it on under your eyes for flawless coverage, and spot highlight your cheeks to get a poppin’ glow every time. When you see how quickly the others wear out, you’ll see it just makes sense to invest in the best.
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[sol title=”Bobble, baby.” subheader=”Invisibobble SLIM The Elegant Hair Ring”]
Hate dents in your hair when you throw it up into a messy bun for the third time this week? (Girl, I feel you.) Try an Invisibobble!

It has a ridiculous name, but this spring-y hair tie, reminiscent of an old phone cord, will hold up the thickest of hair—without leaving an ugly dent or pulling out hair.
[link-button href=”https://fave.co/2NjA142″]Get it at Sephora for $8[/link-button]

Tags Commerce

Lifestyle

Hairstyle Mistakes That Age You (And Products That Can Keep You Looking Younger)

Post author By Amber Petty
Post date August 27, 2018

We’ve all met the nice lady with the hairstyle that hasn’t changed since 1985. Though perhaps it was cute for its time, it’s not exactly a youthful look.

Turns out that dated hairstyles aren’t the only way to add a couple of years to your appearance. Whether you’re trying to cover emerging grays, experimenting with at-home coloring, or testing out a trendy style, read on to see if what you’re doing is keeping you young or adding a decade to your look.
To find out the most flattering hair tips for any age, we spoke to Glennis McCarthy, a regular jill-of-all-trades. Seriously, she’s a comedian, voice-over artist, licensed manicurist, and hairstylist, and she is now pursuing an advanced degree in all things hair. Also, she’s really cool and nice. Just an additional fun fact.
McCarthy spills all the beans about how to keep your look as young as possible while still being daring with your hair.

Using the Wrong Color for Gray Hair

Grays can happen at almost any age. And if you want to cover them, McCarthy recommends choosing a hair color carefully. For a home coloring session, make sure your product of choice says it’s “formulated for grays.” If it’s not meant for grays, you won’t get the color saturation you’re looking for, says McCarthy.

Why does gray hair need special hair color? Well, the hair is typically more coarse than the rest of your hair. Plus it’s much lighter, so the product needs to be extra strong to penetrate the grays and give you the coverage you want, according to Real Simple.
The magazine even recommends using two types of hair color—your regular color and one that’s a shade darker. This ensures that the stubborn grays suck up all the color and give you the natural look you’re after.
L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Hair Color promises 100 percent gray coverage, has received solid reviews, and comes at a sweet low price of just eight bucks.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/LOr%C3%A9al-Paris-Excellence-Cr%C3%A9me-Permanent/dp/B004INIW1Y”]L’Oréal Paris Excellence Creme Hair Color, $7.99 from Amazon[/link-button]
If you’re looking for more of the luxe at-home experience and are open to spending some extra cash to achieve it, you might go for John Frieda’s Precision Foam Colour, which also offers total gray coverage, and its non-drip foam formula saturates the hair for an easy and thorough color soak.
This one received a five-star rating from 78 percent of its reviewers, as opposed to the L’Oréal Paris formula, which received five stars from 72 percent of its reviewers.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/John-Frieda-Precision-Colour-Blonde/dp/B0073SBKLK”]John Frieda Precision Foam Colour, $26.98 from Amazon[/link-button]
If you have a lot of grays, you may want to go to a pro for the best results. In a salon, your hair will be pre-treated with a peroxide solution. This softens up the hair and makes it more receptive to the coloring product, according to Real Simple. Then the stylist can use a customized concoction to give you the perfect color.

Not Matching Your Hair Color to Your Skin Tone

Maybe you saw a picture of Christina Hendricks in a magazine and thought, “That’s the exact red I’ve always wanted!” But before you run out to get copper locks, make sure your ideal hair color matches your skin tone.
Sure, that red looks lovely on Hendricks, but if you have a different skin tone, it might be a poor fit. Having a hair color that doesn’t match your skin tone can be unflattering and actually make you look a little older.

McCarthy says you can figure out your skin tone by looking at the veins in your hands. “If they’re a bluish tint, [your skin tone is] cool. If it’s a greenish tint, that’s warm,” she says. Then pick a hair color that complements your tone.
“For warm, try strawberry blonde, red, brown, or black. For cool, try ash blonde, brown, or black with blue or violet undertones.” You can have any hair color you like, just make sure it works with the warmth or coolness of your complexion.

Not Knowing Your Hair Type

If you’re thinking about coloring your hair at home, you need to get familiar with your natural tresses. That means you should learn a little about hair levels and tones before you pull out the coloring kit.
Check out the video below for a quick overview.

As explained above, knowing your natural level and tone will give you a more realistic idea of the hair colors you can achieve. And when your hair color looks good, you look younger.
If you’re interested in getting a closer look at the technical side of levels and tones, check out The Hair Colour Book, a guide to the theory of hair coloring by famed hairstylist Peter Regan. Written for hairdressers in training, the book covers these topics, along with the color wheel, racial differences in hair, controlling warmth, and gray coverage.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Hair-Colour-Book-Practical-Colouring/dp/1720845697″]The Hair Colour Book, $19.99 from Amazon [/link-button]
Speaking of hair type, if you’re a curly girl, there’s a lot more to learn, down to a number and a letter (literally, there’s a curl spectrum).

Curly Girl: The Handbook was created by Lorraine Massey, a curl expert featured in Allure, InStyle, Lucky, Seventeen, and The New York Times.
It will help you determine your curl type and the right daily routine to keep them at their bouncy best.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Curly-Girl-Handbook-Michele-Bender/dp/076115678X”]Curly Girl: The Handbook, $11.17 from Amazon [/link-button]

Keeping the Wrong Part

When’s the last time you parted your hair differently? It’s probably been a while. And though the part in your hair is one of the easiest hairstyle changes to make, it’s the one we make the least often.
InStyle recommended keeping a side or off-center part for the most flattering look. They find a center part to be harsh, and though celebs like Kim Kardashian can pull it off, it might not look so good on someone who didn’t spend hours perfectly contouring their face.

Any style that feels overly strict or harsh tends to be aging.
If you love your center part, you probably have a great face for it. But if you haven’t experimented with a new part for a while, it might be time to switch it up.

Being Scared of Bangs

If you’re worried about lines on your forehead, the easiest way to instantly erase a few years is to get bangs! Bangs always look youthful, and although they can be a little annoying to maintain, they’ll hide lots of wrinkles.

Feel free to leave your forehead lines out for the world to see (we all have them!), but if you’re insecure about your brow lines, bangs are a super easy solution. There are lots of bang options out there, so for the most flattering look, pick bangs that best fit the shape of your face.
InStyle recommends thick, gently arched bangs for round faces and side-swept bangs for a heart-shaped face.

If you’ve got an oval face, the magazine said to get whatever bangs you want—all styles work for the oval shape.
Feeling bold? Into the DIY haircut? Make sure you get the right tools, like this full hairdressing set. Your bangs won’t know what cut them—but you will! One-hundred percent 440C Japanese stainless steel.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01F78GP1C”]Barber Hairdresser Scissors and Thinning Shears, $24.99 from Amazon [/link-button]

Keeping a Hairstyle That Hasn’t Changed

Remember the lady with the 1985 hairstyle? Well, nothing ages you more than keeping your hairstyle the same for years on end. It automatically makes you look like you’ve lived through a bygone decade, and people will start doing the math on your actual age.

Now, if you’re into any kind of retro look and you want that Farrah Fawcett style, go for it! But if your hair hasn’t changed in the time that four presidents have come and gone, then it’s time to try something new.
A new look doesn’t have to be drastic. Even just a trim, parting your hair differently, or wearing it curly instead of straight will freshen up your overall appearance. Plus, it’s exciting to try something new. And remember, if you don’t like the change, you can return to your classic style whenever you want.
Speaking of classic styles, don’t let us talk you out of mixing it up, so long as you can pull it off (and, of course, you can!). Want to try out a vintage look? Go ahead and bring it back, but put your own spin on it.
Something like this 1940s Hairstyles book, complete with hundreds of vintage illustrations, photographs, and diagrams with instructions on how to replicate the styles, should offer you plenty to work with.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/1930064004″]1940s Hairstyles, $20.07 from Amazon[/link-button]

Trying to Look Too Young

Desperately trying to look super young is a surefire way to look older. That doesn’t mean you can’t try youthful looks, but you don’t need to go overboard. Basically, if you’re over 30, don’t feel obligated to make yourself look like an 18-year-old Instagram star.
Remember butterfly hair clips?

If hair wraps and butterfly clips weren’t the coolest thing for you growing up then you did it all wrong

— KELLY PALENCHAR (@kpalll_) January 4, 2018

For those of you who don’t remember that trend, butterfly clips were popular with middle school and high school students for about six months in the late 1990s. I vividly remember watching a soap opera during that time and seeing an over 40-year-old woman wearing a full head of butterfly clips. The woman was gorgeous, but by trying to look 15, she looked like a desperate 50.
McCarthy insists that this doesn’t mean you have to go with “mom appropriate” hairstyles as soon as you turn 25. Just make sure that you choose a hairstyle because you love it, not because you think it’s what the kids are into these days.

That said, some women who are bold and rocking it give a big hair flip to the notion that age should dictate anything about their fashion choices, as the photographer Ari Seth Cohen illustrates beautifully in the Advanced Style blog, a project dedicated “to capturing the sartorial savvy of the senior set.”
For some truly inspiring content, check out the photographs in Cohen’s books, Advanced Style (2012) and Advanced Style: Older & Wiser (2016).

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/157687592X”]Advanced Style, $19.86 from Amazon[/link-button]
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1576877973″]Advanced Style: Older & Wiser, $22.42 from Amazon[/link-button]
If you haven’t seen it yet, the documentary based on the blog is also a treat.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Advanced-Style-Ari-Seth-Cohen/dp/B00OC0I06K”]Advanced Style, $4.99 to rent or $9.99 to buy from Amazon [/link-button]

Lacking Confidence

This is really the biggest mistake of all, because you can do whatever you want with your hair so long as you have the courage to rock it out, as the darlings of Advanced Style have shown us.
“Confidence and joy go a long way in making you appear more youthful than any hair color or style ever will,” says McCarthy.

So if you’re 80 and you want hot pink hair—do it! We definitely don’t want anyone to think that there are rules once you become a “woman of a certain age.” If you want to break all the rules laid out in this article—go right ahead! Confidence makes any hairstyle look amazing.
Unfortunately, confidence isn’t exactly a switch that you can turn on and off. It also can’t be entirely dependent on external factors, like whether the people around you admire you. (Many people will not approve of you throughout your life, for whatever reason.)
True confidence has to come from within, and it must be cultivated.

Nathaniel Branden, PhD, a psychotherapist and writer who made the study of self-esteem his life’s work, put it like this:
“Self-esteem has two interrelated aspects: It entails a sense of personal efficacy and a sense of personal worth. It is the integrated sum of self-confidence and self-respect. It is the conviction that one is competent to live and worthy of living.”
According to psychiatrist, philosopher, and writer Neel Burton, MD, low self-esteem is linked to mental disorder and distress and may have its origins in trauma (often stretching back to childhood), poor health, and the general sense of not being in control.
There are a number of things you can do to nurture a strong sense of self that will empower you with a sense of competence and help you work through issues that may be blocking your ability to feel worthy.
Glenn R. Schiraldi, PhD, has written some workbooks that might be helpful, depending on what you’re dealing with. His books have been translated into 16 languages, and he has trained clinicians worldwide on various aspects of resilience and trauma.

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Simple-Solutions-Building-Self-Esteem-Self-Doubt/dp/157224495X”]10 Simple Solutions for Building Self-Esteem, $15.83 from Amazon[/link-button]
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Self-Esteem-Workbook-Glenn-Schiraldi-PhD/dp/1626255938″]The Self-Esteem Workbook, $17.08 from Amazon [/link-button]
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Resilience-Workbook-Essential-Adversity-Harbinger/dp/1626259402″]The Resilience Workbook, $18.53 from Amazon[/link-button]
In the end, there is only one hairstyling rule that matters: Enjoy yourself. Just as we’ve all met the lady whose hair hasn’t changed since ’85, we’ve also met the grandma rocking a platinum bob who looks better than anyone 40 years younger. Have fun! You’ll look beautiful.

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Tags Commerce, social, Update

Happy Home Lifestyle

Turn Your Bedroom Into A Feng Shui Sanctuary

Post author By Katie Martin
Post date August 26, 2018

Once upon a time, back when I was a single gal, my bedroom was my private oasis; it was my getaway from lousy jobs, roommates, and sometimes just life in general. From the paint color I meticulously chose in the aisle at Sherwin-Williams to the bedding I scored during a Pottery Barn clearance sale, I designed my bedroom to be an inviting, calming space.
Even though I had no idea what it was back then, I was trying to create a feng shui bedroom: a place of positive energy where I could recharge. The ancient Chinese practice of feng shui goes way deeper than picking out paint colors, though. Here’s how to get a feng shui bedroom, according to the experts.

What is feng shui?

The term feng shui gets thrown around a lot to describe things that have a soothing effect, but the practice of feng shui goes so much deeper. It’s actually the ancient Chinese version of geomancy, the practice of using the earth’s energy to place structures and buildings to promote good fortune.

“Feng shui is an ancient Chinese art of moving energy, or chi, in order to create harmonious surroundings that enhance the balance of yin and yang energy both within a person and their surroundings,” explains feng shui expert Michelle Cromer.
Western feng shui has evolved over the centuries, Cromer says. Four thousand years ago, she explains, “the classical practice of feng shui was an outward-to-in approach emphasizing environmental aesthetics like geography and topography. But Western feng shui has simplified the process into tangible results.”

How to Create a Feng Shui Bedroom

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, Americans spend almost 10 hours per day on personal care, including sleep. That’s at least one-third of your day! Between snoozing, getting busy, and relaxing, though, we probably spend much more than a third of the day in our sleeping space, which is why creating a feng shui bedroom is so worthwhile, even if you can’t feng shui your whole home.
“In feng shui, chi, or energy, enters and exits through all of the windows and doors of any space,” says Cromer. Before designing any feng shui bedroom layout, you’ll want to take note of where your bedroom doors and windows are located. Their location will make a big difference in how you position your bed, which is the most important aspect of a feng shui bedroom.
[pullquote align=”center”]How you position your bed is the most important aspect of a feng shui bedroom.[/pullquote]

Place your bed in a commanding position.

For the best flow of energy, place your bed in a commanding position—a powerful spot where you can clearly see, but are not in front of, the door. Put simply, the feng shui commanding position is all about putting you in a position of power, regardless of what room you’re arranging.
For example, in your office, you don’t face your desk away from the door toward the wall. Instead, your desk should face out, looking toward the door, putting you in charge when people enter your office. In a nutshell, that’s what you want in your bedroom. So what does this look like exactly?

Place your bed against a wall.

Ideally, position your bed against a solid wall that will provide a strong background to ground the room’s energy, diagonal to the entryway. The perfectionist in you might cringe, but in a feng shui bedroom layout, your bed doesn’t need to be centered on the wall. In fact, you want as much space between you and the door as possible.

Try to avoid placing your bed on a wall with windows, says Cromer, as windows allow the flow of energy into the room that could create a feeling of vulnerability. In a commanding position, you want to ground as much of the energy into your bed as possible.

Less is more.

Once you’ve found the commanding position for your bed, continue to ground the room with the rest of your bedroom furniture, and remember: Less is more. Place large furniture, like a dresser or chest, directly opposite the bed if possible to counterbalance the strong, grounded energy of the bed.

Choose a bed with space underneath.

This will allow energy to flow through the room. “We are intimately connected to the energy of our bed,” Cromer tells HealthyWay. “The energy needs to circulate around your body when you sleep, which is not possible if the bed goes all the way to the floor or if there are objects under the bed.”

Don’t place a mirror in front of your bed.

“Mirrors in feng shui have unique abilities. They can double or reflect energy, and they can be used as a water feature since they have reflective properties,” says Cromer. “Mirrors that face a bed can cause restless sleep.” Keep in mind that according to Cromer, TVs are also considered mirrors “since they have the same reflective properties.”
[related article_ids=18513]
If you must have a mirror in your room—if it is attached to an existing piece of furniture, for example—Cromer suggests covering it at night with a pashmina so as to keep that energy out of the room as you sleep.

Anchor your bed to the floor with a rug.

“Feng shui really reminds us about the importance of a balance in life,” says Laura Benko, author of The Holistic Home: Feng Shui for Mind, Body, Spirit, Space. “The softness of a rug balances out the cold, hard floors.”

Aim for symmetry.

“Symmetry is a simple way to achieve visual balance and harmony. Since the bedroom can be a reflection of the partnerships between the people living in the home, its symmetry is critical,” Cromer emphasizes.
To achieve symmetry in the bedroom, Cromer says that both sides of the bed should look identical. If you have a nightstand on one side, you should have one on the other. Likewise with lamps, candles, chairs, and other objects in the room.

Don’t let your room get cluttered.

“Staying organized and having a clutter-free home is crucial and one of the major principles in feng shui,” says Cromer. “Clutter robs the inhabitants of vitality and slows down opportunities and creates health issues. Clutter stops the flow of energy and this has an impact on our internal energetic flow.”
To cut down on clutter in your bedroom, give Swedish death cleaning a try (it isn’t as ominous as it sounds, I promise).

Remove EMF pollution.

Electric and magnetic fields (EMF) are invisible fields of energy emitted by electronic devices, like microwaves and cell phones, and they can negatively impact your chi in a big way, says Cromer.
To keep EMF pollution at a minimum, try to keep devices—like your phone and other screens—out of the bedroom. If that’s not possible, then charge your device as far away from your bed as possible, Cromer advises.

Feng Shui Colors

In feng shui, different colors are associated with the five feng shui elements: earth, water, wood, fire, and metal. Colors, then, are ultra important in setting the feng shui tone for your bedroom. But if you’re waiting for a feng shui expert to tell you exactly what color to paint your room, you’re out of luck; there are no right or wrong feng shui bedroom colors!
Essentially, you want your room to feel safe, secure, and serene. For me, that color is a pale, beachy blue. But for you, that color might be a warm, earth-toned terra cotta.

The only color you don’t want in your feng shui bedroom? Too much red, says Benko. “Fiery tones of red and orange are too stimulating for rest and relaxation. Keeping the bedroom in white, creams, pastels, or muted colors [is] more conducive to a good night’s sleep.”
But that doesn’t mean red is completely off limits in your feng shui bedroom. According to Cromer, if your room needs more passion, pops of fiery reds, like in your rug or decor, can add just the right amount of emotional energy.
As for decorating, feng shui is all about simplicity, but that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your own style. “Feng shui of today is not about a banal palette of neutrals; it’s not about using zen-like decor, nor is it about filling your home with culturally rich tchotchkes of Foo dogs and dragons,” says Benko.
Instead, for feng shui decorating, think about what moves and inspires you. Don’t clutter the walls, but place a few carefully chosen pieces of art that represent positivity, creativity, and good energy.

Feng Shui on a Budget

“Feng shui is never about spending a lot of money,” Benko tells HealthyWay.
“Because feng shui is the art of placement, repurposing items a person already has is normally all it takes,” Cromer adds. “Painting a room or a wall is oftentimes the only expense a person may have when incorporating feng shui into their space.”
If you don’t want to spend a ton of money, but you still want an in-home oasis, here are Benko’s favorite tips for getting a feng shui bedroom (and they don’t cost a dime!):

Declutter, pare down, and surround yourself with only the items you absolutely love and use regularly. Get rid of items that are broken, in disrepair, or that you feel obligated to keep.
Get fresh air circulating. Let the sunshine in and keep your surfaces clean and clear.
Make your bed every day. It sets the tone for a prepared day and will give you a mental health boost.

Picking and Choosing Feng Shui Principles

“Good feng shui starts from the inside out. The changes you make in your space will support the changes inside of you and vice versa,” says Cromer. “So I don’t believe in bad energy, only misplaced energy.”
Cromer says you shouldn’t worry if you can’t go all the way with a feng shui bedroom because you rent or your bedroom doesn’t have a lot of options for rearranging furniture because you won’t be creating “bad” energy within your home. You can still create a feng shui oasis in your bedroom with these simple tips:

If you rent, you don’t have to be stuck with the bland, beige paint your landlord chose. Use peel and stick paint (I like TemPAINT) to get the feng shui bedroom color of your dreams.
If your bed can only be positioned against a wall with a window, or if your bed cannot be placed flush against a solid wall, recreate one by placing a folding screen or decorative room divider behind your headboard to help anchor the bed.
Get organized to keep clutter at bay behind closet doors. Invest in inexpensive closet organization so you’re not tempted to throw all your clothes on the chair (you know what I’m talking about, ladies).

[pullquote align=”center”]“Good feng shui starts from the inside out. The changes you make in your space will support the changes inside of you and vice versa.”[/pullquote]

Benefits of a Feng Shui Bedroom

Not a whole lot of scientific research has been done to prove whether feng shui actually does have health benefits. But it would seem that many of the individual tenets of feng shui actually are beneficial to your health.
For starters, feng shui eschews clutter and disorganization. While it didn’t involve feng shui specifically, a study conducted by researchers at Indiana University found that individuals with tidy, clutter-free homes were more active and healthier overall than messier individuals.

Feng shui principles hold that blues, greens, and earth tones are more conducive to calming environments—and they may make you more productive as well. Another study, conducted by Nancy Stone at Missouri University of Science and Technology, found that students who studied in rooms painted red performed poorly on assigned tasks compared to students who studied in blue carrels.
[related article_ids=1247,19578]
Additionally, a study out of UCLA found that women who live in cluttered homes have higher cortisol levels, which Stanford University reported led to a decline in self-esteem. (On the other hand, the UCLA study showed that the women who had a home they described as “restorative” actually lowered their stress levels.) People with higher self-esteem, according to one study, tend to have more satisfying romantic relationships. So it’s not too much of a stretch to say that a feng shui bedroom may even help improve intimacy between you and your partner.
Cromer says that the practice of feng shui works because it can help make sense of our energy flows. The bedroom is one of the most important rooms in the home, so creating a space where you can momentarily block out life’s stressors and soak up all the positive energy your feng shui bedroom oasis has to offer is critical self-care.

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Health x Body Wellbeing

Female Viagra Is Here—Kind Of

Post author By Katie Martin
Post date August 25, 2018

You can’t turn on the television without seeing a Viagra commercial. You know the ones: An older man and a woman who is noticeably younger end up in the bedroom after a date, all thanks to Viagra. Or maybe you recognize the commercials for Cialis: two older adults holding hands…while sitting in separate bathtubs. Every time one of those commercials comes on, I wonder when we’ll see a commercial for female Viagra.
I’m still waiting on the commercial, but it turns out that the future is now: Female Viagra is a real thing. Well, kind of.
Surprised? Me too. I had no idea that a female libido enhancer had been on the market, let alone for almost three years. But does it work? Here’s what I found out.

What is “female Viagra”?

Viagra is the trade name of the drug sildenafil citrate, which treats erectile dysfunction by increasing blood flow to the penis so that a man can get and maintain an erection during sex.
Recently, Addyi (the brand name of the drug flibanserin), has been nicknamed “female Viagra,” because it’s the first-ever pharmaceutical treatment for women’s sexual dysfunction.
[pullquote align=”center”]“The days of marginalizing women’s sexual dysfunction are numbered.”[/pullquote]
But as it turns out, Addyi has little in common with Viagra. While Viagra treats a physical problem by stimulating blood flow, Addyi treats women’s sexual dysfunction by actually altering your brain chemistry.
According to a clinical review of flibanserin, women’s sexual desire is affected by many things: hormonal changes, psychological factors like stress, and comorbidity of other medical conditions, to name a few. (But we already knew that…)
Originally, flibanserin was created to increase serotonin levels in patients with major depressive disorder, but during clinical trials, female patients reported increased libido as a side effect. Based on further clinical trials specifically testing the drug’s effect on women’s libido, flibanserin was approved by the FDA in 2015 under the trade name Addyi to treat women’s sexual dysfunction.
Addyi, which is created and manufactured by Sprout Pharmaceuticals, is now marketed and prescribed for pre-menopausal women who suffer from hypoactive sexual dysfunction disorder (HSDD). HSDD is classified as a chronic lack of interest in sex, and it affects as many as one in 10 women.
Sexual desire isn’t just governed by hormones or stress levels; our libido is also impacted by the neurotransmitters dopamine and norepinephrine, which increase sexual desire, and serotonin, which inhibits desire. It’s not yet fully understood, but when your brain transmits too much serotonin, your libido can drastically drop.
Addyi works as a serotonin modulator to increase the flow of dopamine and norepinephrine while reducing serotonin levels to increase libido and sexual desire in women.

Sildenafil, aka Lady Era

There’s another drug on the market that you may come across if you google “ladies Viagra,” “female Viagra,” or a similar search term, and this one actually is female Viagra.
It’s called Lady Era, and it’s the trade name of the women’s version of sildenafil. Sildenafil treats women’s sexual dysfunction in a way that’s similar to what Viagra does for men: It increases blood flow to the genital area. In men, this results in an erection, and in women, sildenafil may help increase lubrication and sensation during sex.
Before you buy Lady Era, though, you should know that it’s not FDA approved. Addyi is the only drug currently approved by the FDA to treat female sexual dysfunction.

Does Addyi work?

“In the face of scientific evidence, the days of marginalizing women’s sexual dysfunction are numbered,” Cindy Eckert, CEO of Sprout Pharmaceuticals and founder of The Pink Ceiling, tells HealthyWay. “Addyi will be a key factor to leveling the playing field by cutting through that unscientific societal narrative to a data-driven discussion.”
But exactly what does the science say?
According to preliminary drug trials (which were annoyingly named after flowers, because you know, we’re women) that were conducted in 2012, Addyi increased the number of satisfying sexual events (SSE) participants had and decreased their distress caused by sexual dysfunction.
[related article_ids=1002508]
But when you break down those numbers, the little pink pill may not be the cure-all for women’s sexual dysfunction it claims to be. A more recent 2016 study found that while, technically, women do report more SSEs per month while taking Addyi, the number of SSEs participants experienced only increased by an average of 1.5 times per month—while also increasing associated side effects like dizziness, nausea, and fatigue.

Side Effects of Flibanserin

Since flibanserin was initially created as a drug for major depressive disorder, it’s not surprising that women taking flibanserin for sexual dysfunction experience many of the side effects associated with selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Those include dizziness, nausea, somnolence (excessive sleepiness), fatigue, and dry mouth.
But women taking flibanserin can also experience more serious side effects, most notably hypotension and syncope, especially if flibanserin is combined with alcohol or some antifungal medications. In fact, Addyi comes with a black label that warns women to avoid all contact with alcohol while taking the drug. For a drug that is supposed to be taken every day, that’s a pretty tough pill to swallow (excuse the pun).
Because Addyi has only been FDA approved for three years, perhaps the biggest risk of taking flibanserin daily is that the long-term side effects on your brain and body aren’t yet known. But research is promising that Addyi, while incompatible with alcohol, may be safe to take in combination with other serotonin modulators.

Why Addyi Is Important (Despite Efficacy Rates)

HSDD is now grouped under Female Sexual Interest/Arousal Disorder (FSIAD) in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) that mental health professionals use to help diagnose patients. And that’s a big deal for a couple of reasons.
[pullquote align=”center”]“Ultimately, Addyi is giving women the same access to medication that men have had for decades to treat their sexual dysfunctions.”[/pullquote]
Even though HSDD and subsequently FSIAD were introduced in the DSM three decades ago, little progress has been made toward actually treating the condition. That’s why a drug like Addyi is so important, says Eckert.
“Addyi is a groundbreaking first. For the millions of premenopausal women who have distressing low sexual desire, finally there is an FDA-approved treatment option,” says Eckert. “Addyi has opened the doors to a conversation on what’s happening for women in the bedroom biologically that, until now, has been loaded with myth and misconception. Ultimately, Addyi is giving women the same access to medication that men have had for decades to treat their sexual dysfunctions.”
And despite concerns over efficacy, Eckert says that the number of satisfying sexual events women have while taking Addyi is an average, and that the number of satisfying sexual events many women who responded positively to Addyi was much higher. “Many responders had four to six more [satisfying sexual] events,” Eckert asserts. “Regardless of that nuance, and this I want to say empathically, it’s HER CALL. For a woman who is struggling with the life impact of HSDD, just one more event can be profoundly meaningful. Women all over the country have shared their stories with me, and it’s their inspiration that fuels me to keep fighting for Addyi to be accessible to any woman who needs it.”
Eckert is right; the pink pill may not be right for every woman struggling with sexual dysfunction. But Addyi has not only started a conversation about women’s sexual health that should have begun decades ago, but it has also given women a choice when it comes to their own sexual desire (or lack thereof). And that is something every woman can get behind.
[related article_ids=17847]

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Life x Culture Lifestyle

24 Influencer-Recommended Products That Will Help You Level Up Your Whole Life

Post author By Linsey Stevens
Post date August 24, 2018

The influencer: We often think of her as an enigmatic, superhuman maven who’s life is so different from our own that we just can’t even. Whether her kind insights have gained her guru status in our hearts or we find ourselves choking back a bit of jealousy when we see perfectly lit shots that are definitive proof of another woman knowing her angles better than we ever will (while erstwhile waking up puffy-eyed day after day), the bottom line is influencers know their stuff.

Just as we’re the master of our own domains (from our professional lives and family dynamics to our creative passions and the causes that motivate us), these women have hard-earned insights on the products that can take our fitness, self-care, and noshing routines to the next level.
These 14 influencers—from Morgan Haley to Laura Scott—told HealthyWay these 24 items are some of their favorite finds. Read on to see whose influence can help you find just the right stuff for stepping into your power.
[sul title=”Jules Hunt of Om & the City” subheader=”50k Instagram Followers”]
Jules is a yoga instructor, blogger, and founder of AWAKE | The Space—a New York City–based collective that aims to bring women together for “creative workshops, talks, movement, and more.” Her work, which prioritizes human connection, is clearly inspired by her awareness of and openness about her own struggles with body dysmorphia—something so many of us can relate to.

A post shared by jules hunt 🌵 atx (@omandthecity) on Aug 11, 2018 at 9:55am PDT

In addition to being head-over-heels for her pup Luna and actively promoting “local businesses, sustainable initiatives, and healthy habits,” Jules also gets behind:

1. A Next-Level Deodorant

Jules told HealthyWay Vapour Organic Beauty’s AER Next Level Deodorant is her go-to. The gel-to-powder stick comes in three scents: Lavender Myrrh, Palo Santo Blood Orange, and Ginger Grapefruit. The astral labels have us instantly intrigued, and we appreciate the fact that they’re formulated with plant ingredients including wildcrafted myrrh and organic oregano and holy basil.

Like many natural deodorants—including Schmidt’s (my go-to)—Vapour’s AER is formulated with baking soda, which helps absorb sweat and neutralize odor. Unlike your run-of-the-mill, grab-it-at-Whole Foods deodorant, however, AER’s botanicals and the fact that all Vapour’s products are cruelty-free, certified vegetarian, and made under a single roof in Taos, New Mexico, make this a truly luxe, and decidedly feel-good, addition to your morning routine.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Vapour-Organic-Beauty-Deodorant-Lavender/dp/B076CR63LT”]Get it on Amazon for $24[/link-button]

2. A Little Jar of Love Bugs

Probiotics, prebiotics, macrobiotics—they’re everywhere. Of course, decision fatigue sets in when it comes to picking one, whether you’re ordering online or buying local.

Jules recommends LoveBug probiotics, which come in more than half-a-dozen different formulations, including an option for immune support during cold season, one addressing yeast overgrowth, a prenatal probiotic, and multiple tiny tummy digestive aids for littles.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/stores/node/12678344011″]Get them on Amazon for $22.95 and Up[/link-button]

3. Something for Living Your Life Like It’s Golden (Golden)

Jules told us she reaches for Live24k’s Golden Fuel Golden Milk Turmeric + Collagen Blend when she wants a turmeric boost. This blend contains collagen from grass-fed sources, plus organic turmeric and black pepper, and is free of sugars and gums. 🙌

What’s more, this product was developed by another influencer who’s worked with HealthyWay, which brings us to…
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Golden-FuelTM-Turmeric-Collagen-Blend/dp/B078X5T2M3″]Get it on Amazon for $29[/link-button]
[sul title=”Minna Lee of Living Minnaly” subheader=”15.5k Instagram Followers”]
The founder of Live24K and the blog Living Minnaly, Minna Lee is a nutrition coach and certified personal trainer. Like Jules, she’s made a space for herself by opening up about her health and wellness experiences—particularly caring for herself in light of her Hashimoto’s thyroiditis diagnosis and struggling with disordered eating.

A post shared by m i n n a l e e (@livingminnaly) on Aug 16, 2018 at 7:30am PDT

Of course, both Jules and Minna are fans of turmeric, too. Here are some more of Minna’s favorite products:

4. Saje, Not Sage

“I’m addicted to all of Saje’s essential oils,” Minna told HealthyWay, going on to say that she likes to put them in a diffuser and use them topically. Lucky for us, the brand offers their blends in roll-on applicators and dropper bottles, plus they have multiple diffuser options and aromatherapy hand soap.

Another influencer, Sammy Eason of the lifestyle and momming blog Mother of Chunk, told HealthyWay she loves Saje’s Head Soother Kit. The collection includes three essential oil blends that come in unique applicators so you can roll, mist, or wand your headache away (or at least into gentle submission). They’re 100 percent vegan and are formulated with natural ingredients including oils from flowers, herbs, and seeds—no synthetics or dyes.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Saje-Aromatherapy-Peppermint-Essential-Natural/dp/B078BCLRRS”]Get it on Amazon for $39.95[/link-button]

5. Something Grand

Or gran, that is—Kari Gran. Minna said she uses this cleansing oil for a nighttime double cleanse. Not familiar with the benefits of the double cleanse? It might be time to brush up, because this product is made specifically for washing your face before bed, which can be taken to a whole new level if you know what Minna’s up to and why.

If the possibility of balancing your skin’s natural oil production isn’t enough to pique your interest, there’s also the fact that Kari Gran products are handcrafted in Seattle, are cruelty free, and include the good stuff like wild harvested and organic ingredients.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Kari-Gran-Organic-Cleansing-3-38/dp/B00JOOYFEK”]Get it on Amazon for $35[/link-button]

6. A Whip for Your Lip(s)

In addition to Kari Gran’s cleansing oil, Minna has another favorite Kari Gran product. “Her lip whips are to die for!” she told us back in the spring, when a poppy color like Radiant would’ve been perfect.

With fall coming on, we’re feeling rich tones, like Marsala or Jeannie. Of course, Peppermint Naked is a good option for rocking a perfectly hydrated nude lip year round.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Kari-Gran-Organic-Whip-Marsala/dp/B01JV530JW”]Get it on Amazon for $23.79[/link-button]
[sul title=”Payton Sartain of Hustle + Halcyon” subheader=”58k Instagram Followers”]
Payton Sartain—freelance model and fashion, fitness, and lifestyle influencer—is a transplant to L.A. from the Lone Star State, so who better to direct us toward skincare products that’re souped up with the SPF we need?

A post shared by PAYTON SARTAIN (@paytonsartain) on Aug 16, 2018 at 5:25pm PDT

The woman knows how to rock a swimsuit and loves to go makeup- (and pants-) free, which means she gets us and gives us something to aspire to. Here are her skincare picks:

7. A Spritz of This

Okay, more of a spray, considering Payton recommends Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Sheer Mineral Spray Sunscreen with SPF 50+ protection.

This product is formulated with biotin, tea, and Indian gooseberry extract. Water babies and anyone venturing out on a hot day with exposed skin will appreciate that it retains its sunblocking power for 40 minutes in the water or extremely moist, aka sweaty, conditions.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Dr-Dennis-Gross-Skincare-Protection/dp/B00DDVS8EI/”]Get it on Amazon for $48[/link-button]

8. For Busy Bees

Payton recommended this BB cream from Burt’s Bees—and it’s a perfect pick for busy bees, since it will help you moisturize and protect your face even if you’re looking to be as close to makeup- (and pant-) free as possible.

With SPF 15, beeswax (of course), jojoba esters, and sunflower seed oil, this is a moisturizing option that’s meant to firm, conceal, and smooth skin, whether you want a little coverage for blemishes or fine lines and wrinkles.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Burts-Bees-Cream-Medium-Ounces/dp/B015Q4ME12″]Get it on Amazon for $8.24[/link-button]
[sul title=”Artist, Yogi, and Activist Jah9″ subheader=”83.6k Instagram Followers”]
“Jazz on Dub” artist Jah9 is one of the creators I truly relish following on Instagram, and I actually got to meet her during her 2018 tour, so I’d be remiss not to include a Jah9 pick in our influencer roundup.

A post shared by Jah9 (@jah9online) on Jun 1, 2017 at 1:55pm PDT

When interviewed by HealthyWay, she focused more on her spiritual and cultural interests than making product recommendations—sharing (in the tongue-in-cheek way only a lyrical poetess can), “I am reading Her-Bak: The Living Face of Ancient Egypt, watching my herb trees grow, and listening to my intuition more and more.”
Thus, our Jah9 recommendation is some fresh-pressed vinyl for the record player you treated yourself to that really is so much more than a glorified piece of nostalgia.

9. “Things That Make Your Body Feel Good”

The official editorial review for this album points out that “Jah9 specializes in feelings. Her unique vocal delivery spins a narrative thread that attracts fans of reggae and other genres to a new space along the musical landscape.”

If you aren’t familiar with reggae or dub, you owe it to yourself to experience Jah9’s powerful beats. And who doesn’t need to be reminded of the importance of the healthy things (like staying hydrated, working it out on our yoga mats, and eating well) that make our bodies feel good? Cue the needle and give yourself permission to celebrate.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Feelings-Jah9/dp/B07DXS3RFT”]Get it on Amazon for $12.98[/link-button]
[sul title=”Jess Jones and Wendy Lopez of Food Heaven Made Easy” subheader=”51.5k Instagram Followers”]
Dietitians, diabetes educators, and BFFs Jess Jones and Wendy Lopez have their nosh game down as evidenced by their beautiful food photography and all the healthy, accessible recipes on Food Heaven Made Easy.

A post shared by Wendy & Jess (@foodheavenshow) on Mar 28, 2018 at 9:55am PDT

That said, they’re also passionate about skincare and beauty products. Here are their recs:

10. Back to Basics

With all the extract-, peptide-, vitamin-, ester-, and whatever-other-ingredient-packed lotions, creams, and serums on the market, sometimes it’s nice to evade the extras and moisturize with a single-ingredient option. Jess recommends Desert Essence 100% Jojoba Oil for Hair, Skin, and Scalp.

Desert Essence is a trusted and easily accessible brand, and Jess told us, “I don’t use anything on my skin but this…I even wash my face with it.”
Personally, I like to moisturize my legs with it immediately after shaving—especially on rainy days when I’m planning to wear a dress or skirt. True story: I have a weird thing about the feeling of my lotioned legs getting wet after the lotion was supposed to dry. Moisturizing with natural oils means no regret-worthy “lotion slime.”
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Desert-Essence-Organic-Jojoba-Oil/dp/B000Z91JAQ”]Get it on Amazon for $7.96[/link-button]

11. Eye Like It

Wendy’s a fan of Zuzu Luxe liquid eyeliner, as are over 250 other people who’ve given the product 4- and 5-star reviews.

The eyeliner comes in not one, not two, but seven different colors, which means you can keep it classic with Raven (aka black) or get artsy with the copper-toned Luxor or bright blue Azure.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Zuzu-Luxe-Liquid-Eyeliner-Raven/dp/B002H6SVMY”]Get it on Amazon for $15.59[/link-button]
[sul title=”Morgan Tyler of the Southern Yogi” subheader=”507k Instagram Followers”]
Morgan Tyler started out a swimmer and is now one of the most influential yogis on Instagram. She’s a woman who knows about starting over: She got a degree in vascular ultrasound, pivoted, worked as a barista, went through a divorce, and—not too long ago—switched to a new Instagram account where she promotes her wildly successful Ab’Asanas.

A post shared by Morgan | @Ab_Asanas (@findingmorgantyler) on Jul 25, 2018 at 3:07pm PDT

One of the things that’s grounded and comforted Morgan during these (very relatable) changes? Tea, and more specifically, dessert tea from Tazo and Bigelow, which we can definitely get behind. She told HealthyWay she can’t travel without buying these two options:

12. Something Yummy (And a Little Nostalgic)

Bigelow describes Morgan’s number one pick as “Yummy Caramel Tea,” but officially it’s called Salted Caramel.

Each retro-looking box of goodness contains 20 individually wrapped tea bags in foil pouches, meaning it really is perfect to travel with, as air and moisture are locked out until you’re ready to pour yourself a cup of caramel brew. Note that this blend contains black tea, meaning caffeine.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Bigelow-Tea-Salted-Caramel-bags/dp/B00O7UCA2U”]Get it on Amazon for $6.99[/link-button]

13. Do blondes really have more fun?

Well, we can’t really ask a tea that, but this Butterscotch Blondie blend from Tazo does come in delightful packaging.

Considering that it contains black tea (so quite a bit of caffeine) and hints of sugar-free, sweetener-free butterscotch and vanilla, it has the potential to fuel a good time for any tea lover—regardless of your hair color.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Butterscotch-Blondie-Dessert-Delights-filterbags/dp/B074ZHMKXL”]Get it on Amazon for $6.38[/link-button]
[sul title=”Triathlete Nicole Loher” subheader=”14.5k Instagram Followers”]
Nicole Loher’s IG bio reads, “I run. a lot,” which is true.

A post shared by Nicole Loher (@nicoleloher) on Apr 15, 2018 at 5:39am PDT

But she does so much more than that, like working as the global digital editor at Christian Louboutin, teaching at NYU, and giving those of us who are caffeine free an influencer-approved tea recommendation.

14. Loose Leaf, Caffeine-Free Tea in a Smart-Looking Tin

Nicole and (going by the Amazon reviews) a lot of other smart ladies are fans of this complex tea brought to you by Rishi, which means seer or sage. Fitting, considering the recommendation comes from an NYU professor…

The Turmeric Ginger Ayurvedic blend is hot with a sweet finish, thanks to the inclusion of ginger, licorice, and Meyer lemon, which are all organic. According to Rishi, the pungency of the ginger root in this tea is well balanced, which is something we can aspire to as we pour ourselves a cup.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Rishi-Tea-Turmeric-Ginger-Ounce/dp/B00AR6Q5JC”]Get it on Amazon for $9.79[/link-button]
[sul title=”Remy Park of Veggiekins” subheader=”84.5k Instagram Followers”]
Vegan, gluten-free recipe developer and yogi Remy Park maintains an Instagram feed so chock full of yoga poses, good eats, and thriving houseplants that Senior Editor Taylor Geiger admits it leaves her green with envy.

A post shared by Remy Morimoto Park ⋆ nyc vegan (@veggiekins) on Jul 19, 2018 at 11:41am PDT

In addition to curating a uniquely vibrant feed, Remy’s extremely knowledgeable when it comes to clean beauty, cruelty-free fashion, and living green. Naturally one of her favorite products combines the best of eating fresh with preventing food waste.

15. A Hug for Your Favorite Fruits and Veggies

What better way to say thanks to your fruits and veggies for all their natural deliciousness than by helping them last as long as possible rather than throwing spoiled pomegranate, tomato, onion, or other halves away?

Remy recommends Farberware’s silicone Food Huggers, which will help you do just that without generating any plastic waste.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00OQ3PQ5G”]Get them on Amazon for $8.95[/link-button]
[sul title=”Tori Simeone of TorrSim” subheader=”10.2k Instagram Followers”]
Tori Simeone is a Tone It Up Trainer, Pure Barre instructor, and certified holistic health coach, meaning she knows a thing or two about taking care of her body.

A post shared by TORI • SIMEONE (@torrsim) on Apr 5, 2018 at 3:25pm PDT

She’s also outspoken about how she invests in self-care: from taking solo getaways to whipping up new meals that feature adaptogens and enjoying time at home.

16. Coconut for Days

Tori is a fan of Kopari—and not just because of their “let’s grab life by the coconuts” approach to creating products that “make you look gorgeous with ingredients that make you feel great.” She actually told HealthyWay that Kopari is among her favorite finds because she loves the women behind the company and that supporting brands that are made with love from the beginning is something she loves.

Personally, I’m down to try their organic coconut melt because…massages.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Kopari-Organic-Coconut-Melt-Moisturizing/dp/B06XB8V8MF”]Get it on Amazon for $34[/link-button]

17. For Cultivating Your Green Thumb

When HealthyWay interviewed Tori back in May, she was reading Rose Ray, Caro Langton, and Ro Co’s House of Plants: Living with Succulents, Air Plants and Cacti, a hardcover that features gorgeous photography by Erika Rax.

Considering that I had to turn the baby succulent my sister bought me a few months ago over to my husband in hopes that he can nurse it back to health, I could probably use this read—and I know I’m not alone. The book covers knowing, nurturing, and sharing your plants and is full of images that will inspire you to step up your plant mama game.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/House-Plants-Living-Succulents-Cacti/dp/0711238375″]Get it on Amazon for $11.91[/link-button]
[sul title=”Shona Vertue, Personal Trainer and Author of The Virtue Method” subheader=”295k Instagram Followers”]
Aussie influencer Shona Vertue has 10 years of experience teaching yoga and working as a personal trainer—plus an impressive library of workout videos, including Senior Editor Taylor’s morning fave: the Vertuous Quickie, which she acknowledges is a clever name that serves as a testament to Shona’s wit.

A post shared by Shona Vertue (@shona_vertue) on Apr 3, 2018 at 7:41am PDT

In addition to inspiring people all over the world to get in shape, Shona knows the realities of working a 9 to 5 office job, struggling through tough breakups, and looking for inspiration from without to nourish the soul within. Thus, a recommendation we can all benefit from, especially on the rainy days.

18. What’s love got to do with it?

Well, everything, considering the book Shona told us helped her survive a tough breakup is titled Essays in Love. It’s written by Alain de Botton—a British-Swiss philosopher who believes in Art as Therapy (yes, my I-got-my-undergrad-in-philosophy-and-like-to-collage interest is piqued). Shona’s take? “I feel forever indebted to this book.”

[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Essays-Love-Picador-Classic-Classics/dp/1447275322″]Get it on Amazon for $10.66[/link-button]
[sul title=”Certified Health Coach Nikki Sharp” subheader=”353k Instagram Followers”]
Nikki Sharp’s IG feed is all smiles, but her blog goes deep about having struggled to recover from multiple eating disorders—and how that journey’s involved incorporating meditation, journaling, and colorful foods into her everyday life.

A post shared by Nikki Sharp (@nikkisharp) on Mar 27, 2018 at 8:02pm PDT

Nikki also notes that she started seeing exercise as a reward, not a punishment, and that shines through, especially in the many IG pics and videos in which she’s striking powerful yoga poses in stunning settings. Still, when it comes down to it, she makes it clear that life is first and foremost about the heart and mind, which makes these books, which were on Nikki’s bedside table back in May, all the more interesting.

19. “A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life”

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: You’ve probably heard of it before. It’s a No. 1 New York Times Bestseller with over 3 million copies sold (at least one of them to Nikki!) and over 4,000 reviews on Amazon, which is a lot.

AmazonPeople say the book has changed their lives, made them better partners, and allowed them to appreciate the world more. Clearly Mark Manson—the blogger and entrepreneur who penned The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck and Models: Attract Women Through Honesty, has earned himself a spot on many a nightstand.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Subtle-Art-Not-Giving-Counterintuitive/dp/0062457713″]Get it on Amazon for $14.99[/link-button]

20. Something to Catch on to

Contagious is another New York Times bestseller that Nikki recommends. This read, by Jonah Berger—a professor at the illustrious UPenn Wharton School of business— is “a world-renowned expert on word of mouth, social influence, consumer behavior, and how products, ideas, and behaviors catch on.”

Considering the warp speed at which our lives, screens, likes, and clicks are moving, these are ideas worth exploring.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Contagious-Things-Catch-Jonah-Berger/dp/1451686587″]Get it on Amazon for $10.70[/link-button]

21. Are you willing to question everything (even if it’s just for a few minutes a day)?

The intro to Break the Norms: Questioning Everything You Think You Know About God and Truth, Life and Death, Love and Sex is written by none other than the Dalai Lama—which definitely says something about this pick. Chandresh Bhardwaj, the book’s author, is a meditation instructor and “seventh-generation spiritual healer” who’s trained in the tantric tradition.

In addition to writing and teaching, Bhardwaj founded the Break the Norms non-profit, which seeks to create meditation communities “in every corner of the world with the purpose of awakening the divine consciousness within them, pulling them away from pre-programmed expectations of lack and loneliness, and facilitating a culture of abundance, gratitude, and self-awareness.”
If you’re interested in exploring meditation and spirituality and the value of mentorship and devotion, this book belongs on your bedside table, too.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Break-Norms-Questioning-Everything-Think/dp/1622035410″]Get it on Amazon for $8.85[/link-button]
[sul title=”Laura Scott of a Little Bit of Lacquer” subheader=”139k Instagram Followers”]
Harvard MD, dermatologist, and mama Laura Scott doesn’t pull any punches when it comes to sharing her thoughts on skincare, social justice, and momming. In addition to sharing glimpses of her life with her beautiful husband and three energetic daughters, she also gives her followers regular doses of real talk about self-care and the changes she’s working to enact in the world.

A post shared by Laura Scott MD (@lauralacquer) on Jul 20, 2018 at 2:17pm PDT

We appreciate that during a HealthyWay interview she put the dermatologist’s stamp of approval on a very accessible product that has been familiar to most of us since we were littles.

22. Worth Its Weight in Gold

Laura told us, “I am obsessed with Dove Beauty Bars—old news for any dermatologist since we always recommend their sensitive skin bar.”

She recently discovered their scented bars and said the Go Fresh Revive beauty bar was her spring 2018 favorite.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Dove-Fresh-Revive-Beauty-Cream/dp/B07G2T1CYP”]Get it on Amazon for $12.10[/link-button]
[sul title=”Nutritionist and Functional Medicine Practitioner Jennie Miremadi” subheader=”34.7k Instagram Followers”]
Intellectual property attorney turned integrative health and functional medicine practitioner Jennie Miremadi made a big impression on HealthyWay intern Abby Piper back in June. “Jennie gives her clients the tools they need to create lasting change,” wrote Abby. “She believes that by looking at food together with biochemistry, physiology, spirit, and psyche, we can achieve true wellness.”

A post shared by Jennie Miremadi, MS, CNS, LDN (@jenniemiremadi) on Dec 28, 2017 at 8:21pm PST

Of course, we all exist at the crossroads of biochemistry, physiology, spirit, and psyche, and we can really enjoy and make the most of this when we drop in and dedicate ourselves to good self-care. For many of us, this is directly connected to making responsible, sustainable, cruelty-free purchases and using products that put a little pep in our step (or bounce in our bob?). Jennie’s product recommendation definitely checks those boxes, and then some.

23. A Hair Ritual

You might expect a nutritionist to give tips on the best food-related products, but Jennie actually shared that she recently discovered La Tierra Sagrada’s Dry Shampoo in brunette and loves it.
“It’s not only made from completely natural ingredients like cacao, lavender flower, and he shou wu—it’s also brown so it doesn’t make my dark hair turn white, which happens with most other dry shampoos.”

All La Tierra Sagrada—or the sacred earth—products are designed to facilitate “intentional ritual around our hair care.” Their luxe dry shampoos are available in blonde and brunette.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Tierra-Sagrada-Natural-Shampoo-Brunette/dp/B07F1DRFD4″]Get it on Amazon for $48[/link-button]
[sul title=”Activist and Amma Emily Baldoni” subheader=”161k Instagram Followers”]
Emily Baldoni is another woman whose creative work and family life I adore following. She’s the founder of AMMA—a company that’s “working to elevate the experience of motherhood” and is launching a brand new breastfeeding wrap—and the wife of Jane the Virgin star (and big-time activist) Justin Baldoni.

A post shared by Emily Baldoni (@emilybaldoni) on Aug 2, 2018 at 12:18pm PDT

In addition to all the goodness the Baldoni family is putting out into the world, Emily also has great taste in reads. When HealthyWay interviewed her earlier this month, she said that she was getting ready to re-read a book that’s loved by many and has had a big impact on my creative life, too.

24. Something Magical 🦄

Emily calls Big Magic by Elizabeth Gilbert—as in the real-life Liz played by Julia Roberts in Eat, Pray, Love—“a fantastic book about creativity,” and she’s exactly right.
Treat yourself to a little mental exercise as you reconnect with your innate creativity and see if you can get on board with the idea that ideas are out there in the world, waiting to come to fruition through you.

I recommend picking it up in hardback. The cover alone is worth it.
[link-button href=”https://www.amazon.com/Big-Magic-Creative-Living-Beyond/dp/1594634718″]Get it on Amazon for $14.22[/link-button]

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No Gym Required Sweat

Yes, Goat Yoga’s A Real Thing—And I Tried It

Post author By Joni Sweet
Post date August 23, 2018

Goat yoga—no doubt you’ve seen photos of people doing plank pose with happy baby goats on their backs as you’ve scrolled through your Instagram feed, but it’s hard to imagine the reality of this fitness craze. Do the goats bounce off the backs of yogis? Are they trained to join you in Downward Dog? Do the goats poop on your yoga mat? (C’mon, I know you’ve wondered.)
As a novelty workout enthusiast, I had to learn more about goat yoga. Those baby goat yoga pictures were just too cute (and delightfully ridiculous). So when the staff at the new DoubleTree hotel in Vail, Colorado, recommended I try the local goat yoga class during a recent visit (they had a free shuttle to take me there, after all), I signed up without a moment of hesitation—and with a ton of anticipation.

Goat Yoga: Too Cute or Carried Away?

The four-legged yogis were relaxing in their pen when I rolled up to Vail Stables on a sunny day in the mountains. Snuggled up in groups of five or six, they looked at ease, having just finished up another baby goat yoga class a half hour earlier. Of course, it was just about time for the goats to hit the mat again—this time with me.
Six other students and I spread out our mats and waited as the yoga instructor opened the gates. With a bit of encouragement from the teacher, more than a dozen goats ran into the outdoor yoga studio and started coming right up to us. They sniffed our water bottles, chewed our hair, and even nestled their heads in our laps as we gushed, snapping pics of every adorable moment.

The goats began to settle down, mostly in big piles around one or two students, just as the “workout” kicked off. As with a typical class, goat yoga started with lots of steady breathing (yes, it did smell a bit like a farm—though not necessarily worse than the foot smell at some studios) and gentle stretching. After some light breathwork, I was seriously ready to get my yoga on with these goats.
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To be frank, the workout didn’t get much harder than that. Sure, we did a bit of planking and the occasional Downward Dog (with a gentle pet of a goat as you entered the pose). But I quickly realized that goat yoga’s really about one thing—the animals—and the teacher encouraged us to embrace every minute of that. During my goat yoga class, it was clearly 100 percent fine to spend the entire session cuddling up next to the goats just enjoying their presence if that’s what a yogi wanted to do.
And it was pure bliss.
About halfway through the class, it hit me: Goat yoga’s not about poses and moving your body—it’s a valid reason for grown-ups to go to a petting zoo. Why do we need an excuse to hang out with goats? Simply petting animals has been proven to elevate our moods, lower anxiety, boost relaxation, reduce loneliness, and provide a happy distraction from the stresses of everyday life. If goat yoga’s the best way for the average person to get some animal therapy, so be it.

Toward the end of the goat yoga class, most of us gave up the facade of being serious on our mats. Pretending to practice yoga for the camera with the docile goats in our arms or on our backs was simply more fun. And we were all okay with that.
Would I try goat yoga again? It’s possible, but I wouldn’t actively seek it out. Usually offered for between $30 and $50 per class, goat yoga is too expensive for repeat visits in my opinion—but priced acceptably for a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Plus, I rely on yoga to work up a sweat, and I’d rather not always do so while goats are doing their usual goat things (running, chewing, licking, and yes…sometimes pooping) around me.
With that being said, if you want to play with a bunch of adorable animals and laugh until your belly hurts, it’s definitely worth trying goat yoga at least once. You’re guaranteed to leave class with a smile, and with memories that last forever. And you can even pretend you actually exercised—we won’t tell.
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Want to try goat yoga for yourself?

Those baby goat yoga pictures keep popping up in your social media feed, and you can’t take it anymore: You need this experience. Where can you try goat yoga?
Well, if you happen to be in Vail during the warmer months, you can’t go wrong with a class at Vail Stables. The helpful instructor was totally in tune with creating a fun-filled goat yoga experience, and I highly recommend checking it out.

If you aren’t near Vail, there are also goat yoga classes all around the country. Depending on your locale, here are a few places that might be right for you:

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