My First Post Ever!

Hello All, wow this is my very first blog post and it seems exciting! First, I want to start off by saying how grateful I am to God that I get to be at home taking care of my baby and myself as well. I have been dealing with anxiety that stemmed from a horrible pregnancy but the road to recovery is here and I am ready to conquer it and hopefully it goes away in time for me to enjoy more of what life has to offer. The main reason I am here is to hopefully educate, inspire and most of all have fun with beauty in general.  I have loved doing hair and makeup for a very long time. I remember when I was in elementary school I begged my mom to go to the salon so they can trim my bangs (I wanted to be Selena so bad) and as I sat in the chair I just smiled from ear to ear the whole time. I love the experience of getting beautified as well as helping others to get glammed up because all of my friends and some family could tell you the countless time we, or should I say I, have spent doing their hair and makeup. We had fun doing all of it though because they always loved their end result.

I went as far as selling Mary Kay products once and it wasn’t quite what I expected. I liked the part where I got to go to people’s houses and try on different products and give them tips on application and what colors may work best for them. As far as the business went it wasn’t my niche and that’s okay because I still have a passion for beauty and always have. I am definitely one of those people who sits and watches tons of makeup tutorials and I won’t necessarily mimic them because every time I apply makeup on myself I don’t go in with a plan I just look at what I have and I work with it.

This blog is meant for me to share mine and others ideas (I would obviously give them the credit), my own tutorials across social media, what products I would choose and why, trends, and occasionally throw in some stuff about mommy life and some inspiring quotes. I will eventually start posting videos once I get the right equipment and educate myself on editing and making it all flow. This is a whole new experience for me as I have never really worked from home but I really would not mind making it this way and being my own boss. I could have started a business a long time ago but between getting my bachelor’s, working, family life and a boyfriend, the juggle was real. It would most likely have been in doing makeup for others. It is quite and art and such an awesome thing to do for others to be able to do their makeup because you have to work with so many different skin colors, textures, skin types, ages and it truly is work that you must dedicate to perfect the art.  I kind of want to shout out Nicole Guerriero (my favorite youtube personality/makeup guru) because I have watched so many of her videos and I love that she has fun with what she does and she has reached her goals and dreams I am sure far beyond what she expected when starting YouTube videos. If you haven’t heard of her or know of her please do yourself a favor and go watch a couple of videos, you won’t be disappointed. So I hope this is the start to a new business and a new venture all which I would love to say that I have started on my own but Im sure will take a village. I will write soon again hopefully next time more beauty related and less about me. Blessings to all of you.

 

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Waxing at Home

 

I know waxing sounds painful and uncomfortable to do at a salon let alone at home by yourself. The perks of doing it at home include saving money, hair takes longer to grow back, and you get to be particular because you are doing it to yourself. If you are taking the necessary precautions of cleanliness before during and after waxing there should be no reason why things take a left turn. With that being said let’s jump into the different kinds of wax out there: There is soft wax and hard wax. Soft wax is typically seen at salons and require to be pulled off the skin with a cloth strip. Hard wax is my favorite here’s why: You don’t need a strip to take it off just let it dry and pull it off. It’s the easiest type of waxing to do at home. Hard wax is versatile as it can be used on many different parts of the body and different brands promote these things but one thing that intrigued me was the brand of hard wax that promotes less pain! If you have been on social media lately and have seen videos on a dark blue wax that seems to leave no hair behind has been a popular choice lately. After a little research the name brand of this blue wax is called Cirepil. Cirepil is a great line for waxing and after care products but it is up there in price but for what it’s worth I’d wax my whole body (jk but it’s tempting). Another great line of waxing products is Gigi, I have personally used these and cannot complain because the quality is great and the price is even greater. After choosing whatever brand you desire for waxing, some tools you may want to keep handy are:

• A wax melter
• Tweezer
• Applicator sticks or popsicle sticks
• Baby poweder or corn starch (helps absorb any extra moisture before waxing)
• Soothing cream meant specifically for after wax care
• Towel (I personally like to keep one around because it keeps messiness to a minimum)

 

Some of the reasons why I prefer to wax over shaving is because razors irritate my skin as it causes hyper pigmentation, razor bumps so my skin is very sensitive to shaving and it is super uncomfortable because it gets itchy and its just not fun. A few other reasons I prefer to wax is the overall satisfaction that I don’t constantly have to shave every few days as soon as the hair comes back, the hair grows back slower and finer and it helps remove dead skin cells which helps brighten up that hyperpigmented area of skin. Lastly, I am going to put down some tips for waxing.

Tips:

• Exfoliate 1-3 days prior to waxing to remove any excess dead skin cells
• Clean the area well before waxing as well as your hands or you can wear gloves
• Don’t use the same applicator stick twice to reduce possible infection
• Don’t wax the same area twice to lessen irritation
• Compress area with hand quickly after waxing so it’s not as painful
• After lotion is necessary so irritation doesn’t occur and keeps the skin healthy
• Above all else Relax!! Breathe and learn! It is a process but one that can be easily learned.

Natural Look or No Make up Make up?

Recently I have been looking for no makeup-makeup looks or just the most natural look I can go for. In order to do that I was searching through YouTube and Pinterest for inspiration and found out that a lot of people are still using tons of makeup and products just to look natural and for the most part they did. I was looking for the simplest easy and out the door looks due to being a mother and just not having that extra time like I used to. I will say this, even makeup artists with nice even beautiful skin still cover it up in a foundation or build-able BB cream to hide imperfections for these so called natural looks. So it got me thinking: What should I do if I don’t want to slather on foundation or much other than moisturizer(with spf of course)? It suddenly dawned on me I clearly don’t have even skin, I break out every month from hormones and so to achieve this natural look what should I do? Duh! Update routines or find different products for my oily skin.

I don’t know about you but I am balling on a budget here, I absolutely cannot spend $20 on moisturizers or facial cleansers so there must be an even better way to do this. It all happens to be sitting in your kitchen cabinets or pantries. There is so much that comes from some of the most natural things we consume to be used on our skin and it can make a difference from a store bought product versus natural ingredients (not bashing products out there because there are so many awesome ones that some of us just can’t live without). Simply finding what natural ingredients that suit your skin the best in terms of balancing the skin’s ph, moisturizing, exfoliation, less sebum production and even what helps to lighten up dark spots and treating acne can make the difference between a product full of chemicals or a natural and possibly even less harmful.

For my oily skin there are simple things that I am doing currently that could be hurting me more than helping me and that is using toners with alcohol in it or using products that clog pores. The simplest things can be done for the skin for a healthier look and feel *hint: drinking water goes a long way because it plumps the skin*. In your own pantry or cabinets you can find skin cleansers, masks, moisturizing ingredients, makeup removers and the list goes on. I think everyone should try and find something that works for their skin type because it can be worth it and last much longer.

One of my favorite things that I have done is make a turmeric mask and I watched a video for the first time done by Farah Dukai. She must be the queen of using natural ingredients for your skin, hair, teeth etc.. you name it and she may just have a solution for you. My skin feels so good after doing one of those masks and helps with my problem acne (this may not be for everyone).

For now the most I go for an easy and simple look just concealer under the eyes and around my nose and blend it out and set it. It may sounds weird because it sounds uneven but I found my effective combo and I am so glad I did because I wasn’t sure about putting on even a medium coverage foundation on a daily basis. I use NYX hd concealer and it has a pink/peachy undertone so I use It first to conceal dark areas and I cover that with NARS creamy concealer and it blends well into my skin and brightens my under eye area giving me a more refreshed and awake look. Using the same sponge I will go over my eye lids with the remaining product to cover the veins and set it all with a little Ben Nye banana powder. Then I will fill in my brows, put on mascara and use a creamy blush to give it a natural flush. For the lips its as easy as Vaseline lip balm and I use the same creamy blush it’s a NARS matte multiple for cheeks and lips and it also gives my lips a natural pink color (my upper lip is dark so this helps me).

A Closing Chapter

 

On September of 2015 Stanley and I got our first apartment together. It was hard for me to make the decision right away on what apartment we wanted in a particular complex because I wanted it to be within a certain budget of around 800 for rent and this place had none that were in my range. I was strict with that up until we found an apartment that I saw and loved… it was perfect. We got a 2 bedroom for 850 although I wanted a one bedroom. Nothing seemed to be going my way but I went with it. We moved in and later in October of 2015 we got married. (side note: I really can’t help but cry as I type up this little chapter of my life that changed it forever). I worked a lot so it seemed I couldn’t enjoy myself as much as I wanted to and my husband was either at work or the gym. We had it easy going and made this apartment our own. I wasn’t pushy with decoration because I figured we weren’t staying for so long in terms of years because we had goals of saving up to move into a house. At first it was tough because somehow money wasn’t adding up until I got a couple of raises so we had it easier after that. We had an amazing time together and here in this apartment. We went to South Beach Florida for our honeymoon, in February we went to the Baltimore aquarium, in April we went to the Dominican Republic to visit my family and it was his first time there for a week. A month later we went to our first music festival known as EDC. We were literally having the time of our lives. That ended quickly when I found out I was pregnant and 6 weeks along at the end of July 2016 so we weren’t even married a year yet… 2 weeks later I saw my baby’s heart beat for the first time and I was still in shock that there was a growing life inside of me. What quickly turned into my happiness into a deep depression was Hyperemesis Gravidarum or HG for short totally ruined a lot of things. It basically affects 1-2% of pregnancies and plagues you with nausea and vomiting the entire time. While it eased into the 2^nd trimester it then came back with a vengeance on my 3^rd trimester late January. At that point I stood home not knowing if it was ever going to let up and let me have a normal pregnancy. I kept losing more and more weight because of my lack of eating… it’s just crazy how things happen. Basically in the beginning of my third trimester I was hospitalized every other week until I had my daughter late February 2017 exactly 2 weeks after my 25^th birthday. God was with me in the delivery room and the awesome team of doctors and nurses that made my life bearable as I had to be induced and gave birth so quickly although it was an 18-hour long labor she came out safe and sound and I have only God to thank. I had such a long and hard pregnancy that ended up with me developing anxiety so bad that I couldn’t kick it on my own. I wished and hoped and prayed so badly that it would go away but with time it got worse and I really feel that things happen for a reason. Eventually it led to me having to leave my high paying job. That high paying job was what also led to a lot of my anxiety because of the stress and the hours I had to work. I was in no shape to continue that path but I was thankful for the opportunity given. I haven’t been able to work since and have been going to a psychiatrist and a therapist. Long story short there was trial and error with medication but I’m on one now that seems to be working and I am very thankful that it is. (enter Tiana’s room sticker here)

A couple of months ago my mother in law asked me if Stan and I would consider moving back home and I didn’t have a problem with it because I had no choice. I said yes for the both of us…. Then Early June 2017 as I was starting to take one of my trial and error medications I was so sick I could barely function… I ended up moving into my in-law’s house a little early we weren’t set to move until end of July after Stanley’s sister got married and stayed there all through June up until today, July 9^th. I am now taking this time to pack up the apartment that started out our lives together. I love it here so much. It’s going to be an emotional roller coaster for me to leave this place. I set up my baby girls room just for her to have her own little space with her name on the wall and everything she needs in that room.  I’m so torn because I don’t know what I could have done differently to help myself in order to pick up the pace and get a job even if its part time anything helps when it comes to saving money and moving. I can’t help but look around my bedroom and remember the first few days that it took to move everything in, signing the lease and getting the keys, packing up my car with a ton of boxes. Elie falling off the back of the U-haul truck for being dumb and thinking he could hold on to it while it was moving (funniest video ever!) I remember Eric helping Stanley set up our dining room table, buying the appliances we needed, sleeping on the couches cause we didn’t have our bed set up yet and waking up at the crack of dawn because we didn’t have the blinds we needed for the double sliding doors to our beautiful little patio over-looking a piece of a huge pond and beautiful trees everywhere, geese and 2 swans. We loved every minute of our freedom, cuddling, watching movies, having our friends over, working out our tough times, the good times were very short lived but everything else I have got nothing but to be thankful that my baby girl is fine despite my lack of nutrition throughout pregnancy. I remember all her gifts from the baby shower we brought in. My  friend Alisen came all the way down from NY and helped bring some gifts over to the apartment and although I didn’t have the energy to go through it I still did because I knew my daughter was so blessed before she even came out into this world we live in. She is now 4 months old and getting so big and beautiful. (enter gift picture here)

I basically have 3 weeks left in this apartment and it’s slowly breaking my heart. I have gone through so much here from getting married to getting pregnant, then finally having my baby as well as adjusting to a new life as a mother. To top it all off I have the most wonderful husband in the world. He helped me get through some of my toughest times not only during my pregnancy but even after. He has seen me cry endlessly for the smallest things to the most stressful and he was always there to support me. So today when he told me “Babe, I’m definitely going to miss this place” then I said “I know me too but we have to think on to bigger and better, right?”. The mission now is to save up enough money to get a house and we are not sure yet where or how much we are willing to pay. I’d really like to pay down some debt and then I know for sure we will be able to save the adequate amount needed. But until I fully recover and find a job. I’m not going anywhere and that’s what’s killing me. I was always a busy body. When I was in college I worked, went out with friends whenever I had a chance, went to Stanley’s house every night even if I had homework to do while Netflix is on in the background playing some amazing show (the walking dead, breaking bad, pretty little liars etc.) I can honestly say this was a huge life adjustment to not come home and find cooked food like I did when I lived at my mom’s house but that’s what makes living on your own more interesting. You can cook and eat whatever u want, when you want.

Lastly, I just want to reel back into my journey here in this apartment. The memories here will last a lifetime, memories that Tiana won’t know or remember, but one that Stanley and I can look back and say we did it on our own and we can surely do it again. I love this place and it will always have a special place in my heart. I never thought I would have to move back home but you know what? I can’t complain. I am so blessed beyond belief in so many areas of my life that I absolutely can’t wait to see what my life will look like when Stanley and I finally buy a house. I can’t wait for Tiana to grow up in our own house and have all her memories stored there.  Here’s to the end of a chapter and opening a new one to Godly devotion, cleaning up finances and finally getting my house… It’s been real.

 

Blessings to all. Xoxo

15 Ways To Save Extra Money

There are so many things that we do regularly and don’t realize why there is no money left in the end. Living within your means and paying close attention to what you spend should never be a punishment. I personally feel like it’s a light at the end of the tunnel to see that money stack.

Personal Finance Queen

The sky is the limit when it comes to saving money. Make it fun and addictive – Do not look at it ad if you are punishing yourself. Make it a way of life. Similar to trying to lose weight. Losing weight is not a temporary mindset. It’s not something you do for a short period of time, then go back to eating all the bad stuff you like. (We know how that story ends). You must change your eating habits and be consistent.

There are hundreds of tips and tricks to save a lot more than what you are currently saving. However, it will take some discipline, a little work, and a frugal mindset. Here are 15 ways to immediately start saving some extra money:

1. Cut your cable bill (Get rid of the movie channels you are not watching and start using network streaming, Netflix, Hulu or YouTube).
2. Small…

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Coconut Oil <3

(photo credit to well-beingsecrets.com)

Coconut oil is not a new thing but it is a timeless one for sure. I have personally been using coconut oil consistently on my hair for the past 2-3 years and let me tell you what a difference it makes. When I was in college the oils and butters started to come out more and many people like myself were intrigued as to why these oils were so important. As I read more and more into it I think coconut oil stood out to me the most because of its many uses. One can cook with it, use it on skin, lips, hair, makeup removal, cleaning your face, mixing it with essential oils etc… So I liked the versatility it had so I had to try it out for myself and when I did I was not disappointed. I use it for my hair more than anything else because it keeps it so healthy and really dives into the hair cuticles and protect it from damage. I try not to use it on my face as much because my skin is oily as it is and I try to stay hydrated so I don’t have that issue but it is a very saturated oil so it can clog the pores.. I don’t know about you but I don’t want clogged pores or any more acne than there is on my face already.

When I was 23 I decided I wanted to get an ombre done and my stylist decided not to stick with the lower ends of my hair he went higher and left maybe 1-2 inches of my natural hair color to show. I wasn’t disappointed but I definitely didn’t expect it. The bleaching which I had never done to my hair before made my hair feel hard and not like its natural smooth texture. If coconut oil didn’t exist I don’t know what I would have done. I would leave coconut oil on my hair for at least a day or a few hours before I had to wash and dry it and til this day I still do it. It leaves my hair shiny, strong, and protects it well from heat. I try not to blow dry or straighten my hair as often so that really helps in delaying the process of getting split ends. That saves me tons of time and money to wait around at a salon.

Another use I have for coconut oil is using it to exfoliate my lips and my body. Mixing it with brown sugar is like the perfect combination and of course its all natural so it won’t hurt you. My skin is not very sensitive so I can scrub it well and it won’t leave marks behind. For my lips I like to take either a toothbrush to my lips with the mixture or just use my fingers but that can get messy. As for my skin I scrub it in really well to leave my skin feeling really soft in the end. To lock in the moisture I leave my body semi damp I barely towel dry it and I use Jergen’s lotion as well as baby oil. I could use more coconut oil but I like the sweet smell of baby oil. That’s just my preference.

That’s all for now guys. xoxo

A Little Personal

I didn’t really want to share too much about my personal life on here considering I started blogging to help me cope and not think about the things I go through on a daily basis. So I am deciding to let you guys in to a part of my life. For those of you familiar with anxiety and not just a little nervous when you have to make a speech in front of people, I’m talking full fledged affects my entire life. I hated it the moment I was diagnosed with it but it was  because I had a horrible condition during pregnancy and it’s called Hyperemesis Gravidarum (HG). HG turned my world upside down. Everything I used to enjoy, eat, drink and just anything in life period was taken away from me because I couldn’t do anything anymore. Once my second trimester came around I thought yess!! Im going to get better as I was able to eat more and still work even though the hours were ridiculous (50-60/wk). Moving on to third trimester HG came back and hit me harder than my first trimester. All the weight I gained I was only about 10-12 pounds away from pregnancy weight gain goal. So I went from 108-94 within 2 weeks. I couldn’t eat. I couldn’t do anything at all. I felt so useless and depressed beyond belief. So during this whole mess I was diagnosed with anxiety and ever since then I have read into every single possible thing I could do to get rid of it…. not a damn thing but medication and meditation. The first two medications I tried were horrendous so at this point I was already afraid to take the third one… so I waited a week to try it and to my surprise its been making me feel better. Not 100% but as time goes on I have my good days and my bad days. My biggest most irrational fears are not having control when I eat because when I go to swallow I fear that I may choke or gag on it. Now I have done nothing but try and try and try again to eat the foods i once enjoyed but I’m still feeling debilitated by this because I can’t seem to feel what I once felt for it. While I was plagued with nausea through out my pregnancy my body and my brain I guess keep me in a state of fear that I am still sick but I physically don’t feel sick anymore. It takes one little instance to ruin my whole day and honestly I’m tired of it. I used to eat whatever I wanted because I have always been skinny and never gained weight. In fact french fries were one of my favorite things to enjoy and I don’t get that mouth watering feeling that I used to get when I would smell the fried goodness being served.

A couple of night ago I took the higher dose of my medication as suggested by my doctor and yesterday I felt like complete crap! I couldn’t eat. I ended up taking my very last pill that I had of zofran because my anti anxiety wasn’t quite doing it’s job and after a while i felt relaxed and kind of hungry. For the first time the entire day. The one side effect I am afraid of is dizziness because it triggers my anxiety even more but im trying my best to stay hydrated so it doesn’t happen. Hopefully I have a better update in about 3 weeks when the good effects start to make their appearance. In the mean time this is what I’m going through on top of taking care of my baby. I have help all around me and I never refuse it. It just seems like there is never enough time in  a day to get things done but that’s mom life for you. I have felt worse than I do today and still managed to make it through the day. So I’m keeping positive thoughts and clear my mind of noise. Just do what I have to do and learn to deal with new triggers as they come. Hopefully this all resolves and goes away because I have never dealt with it before. For now I gotta go take care of myself. Blessings to all. 😘

DIY lip scrub

One of my favorite beauty routines is exfoliating my lips why you may ask? Because they tend to be dry and I have a bad habit of picking at my lip skin so whenever I put on matte lipsticks my lips look very uneven and not very hydrated.  So I look in my pantry and I make my own scrub using brown sugar and coconut oil. I either rub this on with my fingers (tends to me messy) or I use my toothbrush to exfoliate my lips with it. Afterwards my lips feel so soft, plump and smooth that I add moisture to it by putting on one of two of my favorite lip balms. One of them is the Vaseline rosy lils or the blistex medicated lip balm. But you can use whatever you like to add necessary moisture to your lips. 

(Photo credit: missinformationblog.com)

The end result smooth, kissable lips 🙂

 

Tips for Clean Skin

1. Don’t touch your face!! I personally know how hard that is but in reality we touch so many things in one day that have not been cleaned or sanitized in ages. Door knobs/handles, cell phones, remote controls etc… and we also (like me) pick at your pesky pimples therefore leaving bacteria on your face to muster up for your next pimple or breakout. Something else we also all do is when we talk on the phone we put that phone on our cheek and that alone causes lots of bacteria to transfer on to our skin. So whenever you can hold it away from your face or have a chance to use speakerphone do it! The less bacteria the  better.
2. Washing your face day and night. (This includes your neck) I know it seems like tedious work and every now and again we get lazy about it but this part of the real test to have clean and even skin. Whether you have dry, normal or oily/ combination skin we definitely want to remove the day off of our skin. Even if you don’t wear makeup through out the day, again touching your face doesn’t help that. Just like brushing and flossing twice a day its all you need. I tend to have oily skin mainly on my T-zone but that doesn’t stop black heads and white heads to pop up everywhere else. I like to keep that under control with spot treatment with benzoyl peroxide(find it at wamart equate brand for $3.47). If I didnt wash my face as often my face would be acne central. My skin is pretty oily so I’m no stranger to blotting sheets or powdering the areas that get shiny but washing really helps to keep the balance on your face. Also, after washing cold water closes pores
3. Moisturizing- I cannot stress moisturizing enough especially youngsters to not only prevent aging but also to keep the skin healthy looking and hydrated. Also, using  a moisturizer with spf can help prevent skin cancer and dry ness(don’t forget to do this with your hands when you drive). Picking the right moisturizer to me really felt like trial and error process because you think a product that is meant for your skin type is going to work and do what it says its going to do and then you don’t end up happy with the results. Shop around and see what works best for you. I am 25 and still looking for the perfect moisturizer the only thing that has come even close was the clinique combination skin moisturizer and a little bit goes a long way but it doesn’t have spf . But it has no spf in it so in the mean time i use cetaphil with spf 15(walmart cetaphil all skin types $11.47) but im always on the search for something new or that is meant for my skin. Moisturizing also helps balance your skin if its oily it won’t get as oily, if its dry it would stay hydrated. There is a multitude out there. And moisturizing can act as a barrier between your skin and makeup.
4. Drinking plenty of water! Most of us don’t realize how much water we are supposed to drink per day. You know the old saying 8 cups of water per day was the standard rule but It doesn’t apply to everyone. According to webmd.com you should be consuming a half oz to an ounce per pound so for me thats about 45-90 oz. a day(i know im tiny) but it truly makes a difference in your body and the way it functions. Helping your metabolism and keeping your skin plump and hydrated!
5. You are what you eat! Literally, you become what you eat. If you tend to be a healthy eater your skin and body reflect that. If you don’t eat or choose healthier choices your skin shows this through acne breakouts, oiliness on your skin but  I will not throw weight in as an issue because I can eat whatever i want and don’t gain weight (fast metabolism, everyone is different. Some people will gain weight where others won’t gain as much)but that doesn’t mean that sticking to healthier choices means  I am forever on a diet. It’s quite a challenge because that snack aisle can be pretty tempting! But by eating better or at least choosing healthier alternatives to eat you really save yourself a lot of trouble with skin care issues, health issues and you will look and feel so much better. I believe my body is my temple. When you nurture it, it shows.
6. Facials- these are quite amazing for your skin. It feels like you pressed the refresh button and its like a new, soft and hydrated face.Although they can get pretty pricey there are plenty of ways we can do these to ourselves. I usually go on groupon and try to find deals around the area although a DIY facial is not impossible (YouTube and Pinterest are a huge help). They really clean your skin, open your pores up and get rid of black heads, white heads, sebum and trapped dirt and oils. The massaging part brings blood to your face which provides nutrients to keep your skin glowing. As for the moisturizers and serums used during the process that really depends on your skin type.
7. Cleaning your sheets weekly. Need I say more. Your pillows and sheets can harvest bacteria as well and you  already know the rest.