For the last few years I've wanted to change my hair. I have been wearing the same style for about 6 years and I was struggling with growth because I was putting SO MUCH HEAT on it! I decided I was going to put much less heat and way chemicals and start wearing a more natural look. So, when COVID-19 hit and we all were required to stay home and work from home, I decided there was no better time to do so. I've tried so many shampoos and conditioners to clean my scalp and hair so when Formulate reached out I was more than happy to try! And I'm so glad I did!
I've tried so many shampoos and conditioners to manage my dermatitis but most of them just made it worse. A lot of shampoos and conditioners have sulfates and parabens that are detrimental to the health of my scalp and my hair. The beauty of Formulate is that it's customized for exactly what you need. I was able to choose the ingredients for my products as well as the sent! I am partial to shampoos and conditioners that have a beautiful strong scent but that can be a struggle when you're looking for products that are going to help make your hair and scalp healthy. Those scalp cleaning shampoos usually smell like chemicals. YUCK.
So, after two full weeks of using the products I am more than happy to say I'm a huge fan! After each wash my scalp feels so clean and my hair is so soft! As a matter of fact, after I shampoo I've never felt my hair softer.
The process is incredibly easy. You'll download the app, answer about 10 questions, and within a week you'll have your very own shampoo and conditioner. You can even set-up your subscription for auto-shipping. Which is perfect if you are an everyday washer! It's just way too easy! I have to say my favorite question I answered was based on the climate where I live. I never really thought about how the air quality would affect my hair. But now I will definitely consider it moving forward.
So now it's your turn! I'v partnered with Formulate to give one of my readers their very own set of products! Click here to enter a giveaway! You have until October 19th to enter!
I'm so excited to hear about your results, so make sure you enter! Good luck!
So what's the new normal? I've often considered what this new normal is going to look like moving forward. What's it going to look like for single parents, families with multiple children, or single people? I mean I can definitely imagine what the grocery store outings will look like moving forward. Probably not much different than what they are now. But my main concern is how are we all going to interact with each other? What will socializing look like when we're able to socialize again?
I'v also considered what getting dressed is going to look like. Currently my new normal has been nothing but lounge outfits and leggings. I'm definitely not complaining however, prior to the quarantine my leggings were mainly for the gym. I never wore them as an everyday outfit, unless maybe they were my favorite bike shorts from lola getts that I dressed up with a blazer or over sized sweater.
So this is my new normal. Bralettes and leggings with the occasional switch out of my bike shorts! And I'm not mad at it! Now I understand why athleisure has been so popular in the last few years. It's comfortable AF!
So be prepared if you see in the streets this will be my uniform until otherwise notified. LOL!
It's about that time! A few times a year Sephora hosts their big sale. This is the best time to try new products and stock up on your favorites! I always take advantage of the sale to do just that! You'll use code SPRINGSAVE to save 20%, 15%, or 10% during your respective time frames. There is no better time than now to try new products that will help you take care of your skin and refine your make-up routine. I've made a list of my favorite items, as well as some products I'm excited to try and I wanted to share!
I use this polish 2 to 3 times a week. It makes my skin feel so smooth and I think my makeup even applies a lot better. It's a little on the pricier side, so definitely use the sale to take advantage of this product. Lancer skincare products are top of the line and I've seen a major difference in my skin since I have started using this polish.
All of the products from Farmacy Beauty that I have used and still use are amazing. I have very dry skin on my hands so this product is one of my faves! It was originally sent to me in a PR package and I fell in love then. It is a tiny bit oily so I usually use it at night, giving it time to absorb into my hands. I try to keep it on my nightstand, and it's definitely one of my go-to favorites!
This lip balm is a non-negotiable for me. I always have it on hand! I've actually given a few as gifts to some of my friends and they also love it! If you're someone who suffers from chapped lips this is an amazing product. Your lips will stay moisturized and soft. Some lip balms can dry out your lips, and this one won't.
Since the pandemic and the quarantine we've all had to wash our hands a lot more! In the past few weeks my hands have started to crack. I needed something to keep in my purse and around the house to help with the cracking. Kiehl's always has great products so I tried their hand salve and I love it! Its perfect for everyday usage.
This is a new product for me. I'm super excited to try it. Based on the reviews I've been reading it's excellent to clean your skin. Allegedly, you can feel the dry skin coming off of your face as you massage it into your skin. I'm very excited to try this one!
When I get blemishes non my face I know I'm not supposed to pick at them but I totally do! Whenever I do I end up with dark spots around my face. I was previously using a product that you can use all over your face however, I would prefer to just do spot treatments. So I figured I would test this one out! Stay tuned for what I truly think of it.
As I get older I've started to notice dark circles under my eyes. It could be that I just need more sleep however, I think I might be aging. (Hopefully very gracefully!) I bought these eyes masks a few weeks back in a small pack and they are great! I've seen a difference in 2 weeks! I put them on at night when I'm getting ready for bed and you can feel the tingling and cooling under your eyes. I would also suggest using them in the morning when you wake up to help with the puffiness under your eyes as well.
This one is a GOOD ONE! I literally use it EVERY SINGLE NIGHT! I don't have an issue with chapped lips however, I do love the way this feels. It is the softest most moisturizing lip mask ever! Plus it's a fruity flavor. I even have travel versions of this that I keep in my desk at work and in my travel cosmetic bag. When the weather is dry or I sleep with my heater on, I don't wake up feeling dry. I keep this by my bed and put it on every night. When I wake up my lips are nice and soft.
I am definitely a lipstick fanatic. I must go through so much lipstick lip stains, and lip crayons. This liquid matte lipstick is by far my favorite. It does not dry out your lips like some other lip stains or liquid mattes do. And the color is truly long lasting! Here are a few of my favorite colors-Heartbreaker, Famous, Trophy Wife, Spice Girl.
So in addition to lip stains I've been loving lip glosses. Typically I'm not a lip gloss kind of girl but these lip glosses are so soft. Plus I love Rihanna, so yeah...I often times wear glass when I'm on the go or sometimes on top of a lip color I want to spice up a bit. My favorites are FU$$Y and Hot Chocolit.
I haven't been into eyeliner since my 20s, but I wanted to try this and it is well worth it! I typically use black eye shadow with a slanted brush if and when I feel like I need a liner. This liner has a super pointy tip and the product goes on so well. Usually when I am going to work or just out with friends I'm wearing a strip of false lashes so this camouflages the lashes well! Plus it stays all day and doesn't smudge.
When it comes to setting powders I have two favorites. I alternate between the HUDA BEAUTY Easy Bake Loose Baking & Setting Powder Powder and this one! I love this one because the color match is so good and well.. Rihanna.
I've said this once before, but if Rhianna doesn't make another album it will be OK with me! Her make-up products are amazing! I love her eyeliner, her lipsticks, setting powders, and now her foundation! This pro filt'r foundation is insane! My favorite part is that it's truly long lasting. A lot of foundations will wear off or change color after wearing it for a few hours, but this truly stays on my skin. Plus my concealer, blush, and highlighter all stay throughout the day on top of it!
This will be my first time using the product and I figured with as much as I love a good contour moment why not, right? So stay tuned for what I think of this one!
Frangrance
CHANEL COCO MADEMOISELLE Eau de Parfum Intense I've kept this fragrance in my collection since college. I know this is a bit of a strong fragrance for a young college girl, however I've always felt that it was so elegant. It's absolutely one of my favorite fragrances.
A friend of mine, who knows I love fragrance, gave me this beautiful scent or Christmas. I was immediately in love. It's subtle but yet very sexy. There is a powdery warmth to the scent so when I want to be noticed but not "in your face" noticed this is my go to scent.
So a few years back one of my cousins was wearing this perfume and I was immediately obsessed. This is definitely the sexiest perfume I own. In recent years I have liked more strong and rich fragrances and this one is rich and smoky mixed with damask rose. Every single time I wear this fragrance someone asks me what I'm wearing. This is definitely one to try!
Deep breath......get ready for a long post. Traveling has always been a passion of mine. When I was younger I took my st airplane ride as a 13 year old 8th grader. I went with my classmates on the annual 8th grade trip to Washington D.C. and ever since I have been obsessed with traveling and seeing the world. So in January I decided I was going to take a solo trip to Paris. I'd been to Paris one time before so I wasn't too worried about getting around town or occupying myself for 4 days. When I decided I was going to take this trip I knew and wanted to make it cost effective as possible because I was definitely planning on doing some shopping while I was there, and there was no one to split accommodations with. So I took advantage of airline miles and found an amazing deal on Expedia for my hotel. My plane ticket was only a $160 round trip with direct flights and my hotel was about $850 for 4 days. Not too shabby considering I was about to spend 4 days in the city of lights exploring and having an amazing experience! DAY ONE
I left Los Angeles at about 11:45 a.m. on Saturday January 18th and arrived in Paris Sunday January 19th at about 6:30 a.m. It was a long 9 and a 1/2 hour flight but well worth it! I have to say that traveling internationally is not as hard as it would seem. Most airports have the customs process down to a science. The lines move very quickly and you pick up your luggage, then you're waiting for your taxi within 40 minutes. I originally was planning to take an Uber into the city but because of the construction I ended up taking a taxi....which was a flat rate of €55. (OUCH!) When I got to the hotel my room was not ready. By this time it was about 8:30-9:00 a.m. and check in was not until 1:00 p.m.. So the hotel was a gracious and gave me coffee and a croissant and I waited for my room to be ready. I took a quick walk around the area which was steps from the Arc de Triomphe and then went back to the hotel for a light breakfast. I was able to check in and get settled by About 9:30-10:00 a.m.
Pro Tip: When traveling alone you will always meet people, so don't be afraid to talk to people. Most of the world speaks English and strangers are curious and intrigued by the idea of someone traveling alone so they will ask you questions and provide advice on what to do in the area. After the museum I wanted to look for candles. France is also the land of scents so I knew I would be able to find some luxurious candles. I had done a little research and I planned to go to Cire Trudon in the Saint Germain neighborhood. Cire Trudon has been around since 1643 and whenever I see these candles in the U.S. they're very expensive (because they are imported) and quite luxurious! When I found the candle shop I was mesmerized. It was a cute store on a small side street and it smelled amazing. When I walked in there were candles arranged beautifully around the store and the woman behind the counter was so kind and generous to me. She gave me free samples and made suggestions on the candles that I would like based on the types of scents I told her I was into. I left with 3 candles and couldn't wait to get home to burn them. By this time it was time for a late lunch. I stumbled into a restaurant around the corner called Le Comptoir. It was delicious. The menu was in French so I looked around to what the locals were eating and just pointed to something that looked delicious! I ordered marmite de daube de joue penneet carrot, which translates to beef cheek stew pot with penne and carrots. It was delicious! I had a glass of red wine too of course!
Pro Tip: If you plan to travel to Paris be prepared to take the metro. The streets are small and there is so much traffic. The metro is the most efficient and cost effective way to get around town...it's cheap! €1.90 each way! I was running a little late to my museum tour but I was able to catch up with the group. The tour guide walked us through the museum providing details on each of the masterpieces. I am so amazed by the amount of artwork in the museum and the amount of knowledge these tour guides have to have. I saw Van Goghs, Monets, and Manets, as well as so many beautiful sculptures. It was so cool to see all of the artwork I've only seen in history books.
After the museum I had time to kill before meeting up with a new acquaintance for coffee and crepes. So I headed to Sèzane to check out their store. A friend of mine told me about the brand so I of course I wanted to see! It was a beautiful store with amazing jewelry, shoes, handbags, and beautiful sweaters and jeans. I left with only sweater....because my luggage was getting heavy. Later on the evening I met up with a new acquaintance for coffee and crepes at Breizh Cafe. They were great. Honestly I'm not the biggest crape fan however the jam that was on these crepes was unreal! And the coffee was delicious! Strong and good...just how I like it!
Pro tip: Don't be afraid to talk to the locals! You never know who you may become life long friends with. If anything, you will definitely get some great advice on where to go and the best restaurants to try! After meeting with my new acquaintance I headed back to the metro tor dinner. On my walk I discovered an amazing chocolate store, Chapon Chocolate. I picked up a few treats for friends and family and headed to dinner.
Ok so here's the deal. I'd been looking forward to eating at James Bun since I booked my ticket! so, when I made it there I was so excited! I ordered Pho and Bánh mì and the waiter looked at me like I was crazy! I told him that I traveled all the way from Los Angeles to have this meal so set your judgment aside! He laughed assured me he wasn't judging and served me my food. It was perfect. It was a cold night (again) and the soup hit the spot! I immediately went to my Google Translate app and told the Vietnamese cooks that the meal was delicious! They laughed and said thank you!
After dinner I hopped right back on the metro and headed back to my hotel and I was in for the night.
I had been to this museum on my previous trip to Paris, however I had only seen one exhibit. This time I wanted to make sure I saw as much as I could in addition to the current exhibit they had. So I started at the bottom and made my way all the way to the top. I had originally picked up an audio guide but then decided not to use it. There were about 6 floors to the museum. Or which I thought! Turns out that there was a whole other side of the museum I didn't get an opportunity to see. Quite frankly I could have stayed longer but I was pretty tired. Exploring 6 very detailed and vertical floors of a museum can be a bit exhausting. Plus this was day 4 of museums....I was tired. The temporary shoe exhibit at the museum this time was very interesting. They showed shoes from so many different cultures and for so many different purposes. Even down to the sneakers and the high heels that we wear today.
After the museum I went for lunch at L'entrecte De Paris for lunch. I had the most delicious steak and frites ever! And of course a glass of red wine because...DUH!!!
Once I finished lunch I made my way to the center of the city to do more exploring. I went into a skate shop and picked up a T-shirt for a friend and discovered Indira, a great turban and jewelry store, on my way back to the metro. I ended up spending about 35 to 40 minutes in the store just chatting and talking about the merchandise with one of the employees. I left with one turban and as soon as I got on the plane I immediately thought that I should have left with two!
I left the turban shop and headed to the metro. I again was killing time until I was ready for dinner so I went for coffee and a pastry. Ok so here is the deal. There is something about the pastries in Paris. I don't know if it's the ingredients, the water, the air,or what but every single pastry I had in this city was amazing! The chocolate in the croissant I had this day was unreal!! It was perfect. The croissant was warm, soft, and so buttery. The chocolate was even melted perfectly. My mouth is watering just thinking about it!
When I finished my coffee and pastry I decided to go back to the hotel for a while. If anything I wanted to drop off the 2 bags I had and relax for a moment before heading back out for my final night in the city. I decided to take a long walk through the area on my last night and ducked into a couple of stores just to browse then headed to Le Souffle on a recommendation from one of the employees in one of the stores. I was still pretty full from delicious pastry however I managed to finish the amazing ham and cheese souffle. The American couple next to me recommended the chocolate souffle for dessert but I just couldn't fit anything else in.
After dinner I slowly walked back to the metro station and headed back to my hotel . There was a convenience store across the street from my hotel so I grabbed one last individual bottle of wine and was in for the night. Pro Tip: Keep your clothes half packed so your final day is not spent making sure you have everything. There is less of an opportunity to leave something if you are always putting your belongings in your luggage. The next morning I got up and got ready. Made sure there was nothing left in my hotel room and headed out the door. I made my way to the front desk and called my Uber. My final ride through the city was amazing. It was still dark so the city was lit. I felt a little melancholy as I leaving the city of lights and headed home. Everybody I spoke with in Paris was so nice and kind to me. I've taken many solo trips before, mainly for work, but this time traveling alone to another country was an experience for the books! I didn't once fee lonely or like I should have someone with me. I did exactly what I wanted to do with no compromise.
If you've never traveled by yourself before take a chance and buy that plane ticket. Book that hotel . I read something on-line a while back that said something liked, you can always make more money but you can never make more time. XX, Courtney
It's the time of year when we're all clinging closely to our friends and family. We meet for holiday lunches, brunches, happy hours, and dinners. It's the time of year when we give gifts to show we care and remind ourselves how much we love the people around us.
I chose this scenery for my Christmas picture for a reason. I wanted to share how much these words have meant to me. This year has really forced me to lean into my faith. There have even been times this year that I leaned so hard on my faith, that if I didn't I don't know how I would have gotten out of bed some days. I will continue to lean in to my faith and trust that there is a plan.
I wish all of you a very Merry Christmas and hope all of your Christmas wishes come true!
Now that Black Friday is over, I thought I would share some of my favorite items for Cyber Monday.
I've spent most of this year focusing on myself, so I thought it would be nice to share some of the items that make me feel good. These could be great gifts for people in your life, or just really great gifts for you! It's always feels nice to Treat Yo-self!
I've put together lists based on the things I focused on this year. Increasing my physical activity, taking care of my skin, being comfortable in my own space, cooking at home, taking batter care of my hair, traveling (OF COURSE), and up-ing my make-up game!
Tomorrow I go back to work after being away for two weeks. It's been an interesting time away. In my previous post I mentioned going away for my birthday and this year I didn't. I challenged myself to stay home and spend time with myself. I've decided I don't wanna do that anymore. Well...at least not so much time by myself. Now, don't get me wrong nobody loves me more than me, but I probably should have gone somewhere with the amount of time I time took. Welp, when we know better, we do better.
Here's something I did do while I was away from work...I did things I wanted to do that nobody was really interested in. I went to a couple of museums, worked out, and I bought myself something nice. So I can't complain.
The good news is that tomorrow I go back to basics. Or back to reality? Back to my normal routine of my nine to five work schedule with clear expectations of what my weeks will look like.
Is it just me or have you been looking forward to the summer all year long. This year in Los Angeles we've hide a lot of rain and I have been looking forward to swimsuit season since January. It felt like we were having a monsoon for three months! I know I know that is completely an exaggeration however for a Southern California girl, one drop of rain on the ground means we all need to pull out our parkas!
Recently I've been taking advantage of summer sales at a few of my favorite online clothing stores via EBates. If you're unfamiliar EBates, here's how it works. You shop at your favorite stores and get cash back! It's that simple. It's free to sign up and if you're already doing most of your shopping online then this is perfect for you. The best part is, if you already have accounts with your favorite retailers all you have to do is log-in to your account from the EBates website or the app. Plus, you can always take advantage of the sale the retailer is having at the time! And each quarter you get a nice check, direct deposit, or PayPal deposit from EBates! Viola!
Honestly, I was super skeptical at first but I figured why not and took a chance. When I got my check for $10 at the end of three months, I was shocked! IT WORKED! So, if you are interested in checking out EBates, take it from me....It is worth it!
Here is a list of my favorite places to shop via EBates...but you can honestly search just about anything!
ASOS
Banana Republic
Old Navy
Target (I know right!? I use my RedCard too!)
Shein
Lane Bryant
Soma
Foot Locker
Happy shopping and let me know when you get your first check!
As we get closer and closer to the official first day of summer, I have to remind myself to pull out all of my dresses! Summers in LA can be unbearable so knowing that my closet is stocked with pieces that will help me stay cool and remain stylish is perfect.
Not only does LolaGetts have amazing athleisure, but they make dresses too! I'm so ready for the hot weather that is fast approaching because I know this dress will get plenty of use.
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