This is one of my favorite spots to sit because it means in a few minutes I will enter a space that is just for me. A space that takes care of my mind and body with the help of my incredible acupuncturist Brooke @vetiveracupuncture. I have been going to acupuncture off and on for 6 years mostly when I was ready to get one of my babies out or to help them flip but over the last 15 months it has been a part of my (semi) regular routine. I have gone for support during my pregnancy with Ingrid to help her flip and to help encourage her to join us Earth side, as part of my early postpartum days to support healing, for the pain and numbness experienced in my shoulder/arm due to breastfeeding and now for support as I work to balance my hormones and gain control over my anxieties.
All I can say is make time for things that support you whether you are a mother or not. I am working at it and each postpartum period I have to re-learn this and put it back into action. Sometimes it happens easily and other times (like currently) it takes time and a constant reminder that it is important. That I am important. That my mental and physical health is important.
If someone hasn’t told you today or you’re not feeling it you should know that you’re important too.
This is not a sponsored post. I received no compensation.
I have been testing out natural deodorants for years now and have found very few that work for me, whether it’s a matter of staying fresh all day or a scent that I like enough to repurchase. I feel like every month I am either testing out a new natural deodorant or I am simply going au naturale. Until now because I have finally found a deodorant that I want to buy in bulk.
Ursa Major is a Vermont based company who is creating amazing natural skincare products that are free of nasty chemicals. Their products are 98-100% natural, they use organic ingredients when possible and their products are gluten free and cruelty free. They also make the best natural deodorant I have ever tried.
Ursa Major’s Hoppin’ Fresh is pretty new to the natural deodorant scene. It’s honestly the first natural deodorant that I get really excited to wear because I know it’s going to work. It even claims 24-hour protection and let me tell you, I believe it. I have worn this all day including a gym workout and it has left me feeling (and smelling) fresh without having to reapply.
The deodorant is filled with ingredients including eucalyptus, hops and kaolin clay that help to protect against odor causing bacteria. A bit of aloe is added to help sooth sensitive skin as well and I personally think it helps counteract the baking soda because I haven’t found the urge to itch my pits at all and often natural deodorants with baking soda have me scratching all day.
Now the scent is the only thing that I think might be a little more of a hit or miss for people. I personally really love the fresh, herby smell of eucalyptus, ginger, rosemary, grapefruit, chamomile and lemon but and I find that it doesn’t stick around or negatively interact with other scents that I might choose to wear. However I would love to see Ursa Major come out with more scents that work just as well as their Hoppin’ Fresh Natural Deodorant.
Overall I’m over the moon and I just can’t stop talking about this deodorant to friends, family and other gym goers. I am thrilled to finally find an amazing natural deodorant to share with you. My natural deodorant investigation isn’t over yet because I know there are still a bunch I have never tried before but I can guarantee I’ll have a Hoppin’ Fresh on hand at all times.
Do you use natural deodorant? Why or why not? What is your favorite natural deodorant?
*I occasionally receive products for sample. I am choosing to share this product with you because I truly love it.
When I was a pre-teen through my teenage years I was all about wearing makeup for special occasions like a school dance or party. In the earliest of days, makeup was a whole lot of glitter and those metallic lipsticks that were popular in the 90’s and seem to be making a bit of a comeback now. As I grew older I did my makeup on occasion and it was usually dark, moody and included purple liquid eyeliner that I had picked up one time at Sephora. Then something happened and I just stopped wearing makeup unless it was for a holiday party or an event. Add in two kids and my focus on myself has been lacking so makeup was on the bottom of my list.
Over the past year it has been a goal of mine to put more time and effort into myself. While I still struggle with this I have started to focus on doing things for myself that make me feel more confident, motivated, and just plain good. For me that has been purchasing new clothes that fit and fit my style and also focusing more on skincare and makeup.
For me, makeup is something that makes me feel put together and makes me feel more confident. I don’t wear makeup to be someone else or to alter the way I look but rather to enhance the way I look and because it is fun. I love the way it feels to spend 5-10 minutes on myself. I like the way I look when I wear a little mascara and concealer and yes I am concealing the dark circles under my eyes not because I don’t want you to see the results of a sleepless night but because it is something I use to help me feel more awake and put together.
Makeup helps to make me feel more powerful and more compose. And when I feel these two things I also feel more productive. When I get dressed and spend a few minutes on myself I find that I get much more done in the day and my day is usually a bit better. Feeling good about how I look on the outside and doing it for myself makes me feel better about life and I come to realize how truly important it is for me.
How do you feel when you spend a few minutes on yourself in the morning? Does it change how your day goes? I could easily stay in yoga pants with crazy hair all day and some days I do but when I really want to feel motivated, put together and ready to take on the world I take 5-10 minutes to really put myself together even if that means just putting on a clean pair of jeans, a t-shirt and swiping on some mascara.
Lorna Jane has done it again. As you know I love her clothes and I’m obsessed with my MNB planner so of course I was thrilled to hear she is releasing a new book –Inspired.
In this inspiring coffee table book you can expect to find
Honest & authentic advice from Lorna Jane Clarkson on finding your personal style, dreaming big and balance
Nourishing recipes that look almost too good to eatp;
A glimpse into the inspiring LJHQ office
DIY beauty recipes like you’ve never seen before
Exclusive Q&A’s and features from iconic women who INSPIRE us
Chapters include: It starts with Believe, Dream Big, Style, Beauty, Happiness, Life at Lorna Jane & more…
Fill in this blog prompt mad lib for a chance to win a copy of Lorna Jane’s new book, Inspired! Get our own copy of the;mad lib here –> #LJInspired MadLib Template, fill in the blanks with your own answers, and make sure to share your link, tagging @LornaJaneActive @FitApproach and hashtag: #LJInspired #SweatPink in all of your shares!
Love IG as much as I do? Join me starting on Monday, July 13th for a fun 5 day #LJInspired Instagram Challenge hosted by @FitApproach & @LornaJaneActive.
Here are the daily prompts:;
Day 1 (Monday, July 13th): How do you dream big? #sweatpink #LJInspired @FitApproach @lornajaneactive
Day 2 (Tuesday, July 14th): What’s your fave healthy swap? #LJInspired #SweatPink @FitApproach @LornaJaneActive
Day 3 (Wednesday, July 15th): Who inspires you? [Tag 2-3 friends!!] #LJInspired #SweatPink @lornajaneactive @fitapproach
Day 4 (Thursday, July 16th): What does happiness mean to you? #LJInspired #sweatpink @fitapproach @lornajaneactive
Day 5 (Friday, July 17th): What makes you an #LJInspired girl? #sweatpink @LornaJaneActive @FitApproach
And don’t forget to join me (and@FitApproach @LornaJaneActive) on 7/21 from 5:30-6:30 pm PT for a fun #LJInspired #SweatPink Twitter party for another chance to win prizes & a copy of Inspired: https://www.facebook.com/events/852624931491346/.
[bctt tweet=”I’m joining @FitApproach @LornaJaneActive for #LJInspired Twitter party on 7/21 (5:30-6:30pm PT): http://on.fb.me/1HIR2y2 #sweatpink “]
This post is sponsored by Lorna Jane. All opinions are my own.
One of my goals this year has been to do things for myself that make me feel good and one of those things is taking a few minutes and I mean just a few to do my makeup. I don’t feel like I have to wear makeup and most days I don’t but when I do I feel confident, put together and ready to take the world on. It’s crazy that just a little bit of light makeup can do all that but really it does.
Today was one of those days that I decided that makeup was necessary because I had a blogger networking event to attend. I wanted to feel confident and pretty and put together but I also didn’t want to be too done up so I went for a fairly natural look. Keep reading to see what I used to create this look but first I’ll scare you with my naked face – BTW this is fair warning!
BOO! Did I scare you? Sorry! See below for my after photo.
A little less scary right?
What I used to get this look (FYI I am no beauty guru):
Mineral Fusion Mattifying Primer*: This step is completely optional but I have been trying out this Mineral Fusion Primer lately. I decided to go with the mattifying primer with Summer in mind because I have combination skin and Summer is when my oily skin likes to make it’s appearance. I am still on the fence as to whether I like this primer or not but I’m going to give it a few more tries before I say yay or nay. I have to say it did seem to be helping in keeping my makeup looking nice today though.
W3LL PEOPLE Narcissist Foundation Stick: I lusted after this foundation for months before finally taking a plunge to buy this foundation because it’s on the pricy side. I’ll be honest the fact that I was able to get a Groupon to my local Pharamaca that made it half price really sealed the deal. Anyways I LOVE this foundation and definitely will repurchase in the future. The coverage is generally light to medium with the ability to build up easily. Of course today I was going for natural so I just did a light layer.
Everyday Minerals Eye Shadows*: I chose to go with She’s True, a pure white, across my entire lid and up to the brow bone. I went back in with She’s Artistic, a golden sunshine yellow, on just my lid. I finished of the outer corner with She’s Laughter, a light charcoal brown, and I brought that into the crease for a little added depth. Don’t you love the names of these shadows? These colors made for a really nice natural eye look – perfect for my event.
Under Eye Concealer: After wiping away the fallout from my mineral eye shadow I used a bit of under eye concealer. Right now I am using an old one from Physician’s Formula that I have had for far too long and probably shouldn’t be using anymore but I don’t have anything else and mama’s got dark circles for days. I am on the search for a really great natural one so any suggestions would be appreciated.
W3LL People Bio Brightener Stick:I put a bit of this on the corner of my eye to brighten it up, a little on my brow bone and on the tops of my check bones. I actually didn’t like this highlighter when I initially received it in a BirchBox months ago but I have grown to love it. This tiny pot has been going strong for months now and I use it to highlight the high points on my face. I like that it gives a little bit of a glisten without being over the top. Once this little pot is gone I’ll buy the full size because I like it that much.
Pacifica Stellar Gaze Mascara in Supernova*: I finished the eyes off with a little big of mascara. I’ll be honest this is my favorite mascara but I have it so I am using it up. It’s okay for a few hours but I find the brush to be too fat and there is a bit of fall out after a few hours. I am curious how the water-resistant formula is – if you’ve tried it let me know in the comments below.
Mineral Fusion Sheer Moisture Lip Tints*:For my blush I dabbed on this lip tint to add just a light bit of color on my cheeks and then I also used it on my lips to give them just a little color.
As I navigate my way through skincare and makeup I am attempting to follow a natural route or at least most of the time natural and always vegan/cruelty free. I have to say it’s been a bit of a learning curve because natural makeup, especially mineral eye shadow can be a little bit of a challenge to work with versus conventional makeup. That being said I have found a few products that I have really been loving and honestly a few I like but am still searching for new and better products. While I realize that beauty/skincare is a new topic for my blog it’s something I am very interested in and I want to share my journey with you. I hope you enjoyed this post and will enjoy future posts.
What is your go to easy “no makeup” makeup look? Or do you prefer to go all out?
New to iHerb? Use coupon code SST123** for up to $10.00 off your first order.
Disclaimer: This post contains no sponsored content. Occasionally I am sent products for review but they will only be featured if I truly like them and use them regularly. If these appear in a post they will be marked above with a “*”. Everything else has been paid for by me! Affiliate links will be marked above with “**”.
Skincare has become really important to me over the past eight months and while I’d like to say that I am religious about doing an extensive night routine the truth is most nights I am rushing to get my face cleaned so that I can hop into bed and hopefully get a few hours of sleep. So unless I am wearing a full face of makeup or I have the forethought to do my full skincare routine hours before bedtime this is my current nighttime skincare routine.
First I start with one of these facial towelettes from Pacifica. I use the Essential Makeup Removing* wipes (you can find these at Ulta) for those days when maybe I put on a little bit of tinted moisturizer and mascara but nothing else. I primarily use the Purify Coconut Water Cleansing Wipes which I have been buying for months now at Target (side note there is 5% of Pacifica items with the cartwheel app right now until 5/16/15- not sponsored just noticed when I was flipping through the app the other day.) Both of these wipes are super gentle and easily take off the day. I also love the coconut smell they both have.
Next I go in with eye cream, serum and nighttime moisturizer. The Palmetto Derma eye cream I got as a deluxe sample in one of my Goodebox’s and I have simply been using it because I have it. I like it fine but it honestly hasn’t ‘wowed’ me so I won’t be repurchasing it at $44+ so when I run out I’ll be adding in a new eye cream – any recommendations?
After that I go in with my Lotus Wei Quiet Mind Serum* and I put this all over the face, down my neck and behind my ears. This serum smells of geranium, lemon and coriander and combined make a super relaxing sent. This serum (there is also an elixir, mist, and perfume) is a balancing serum made of flower essence. It is suppose to dissolve a busy mind, mental chatter, restless sleep, physical tension (especially neck & shoulders) and over-analyzing. I have been using it regularly for about a month now and I have been feeling more relaxed at bedtime and more rested despite Alder’s need to be nursed all night.
Lastly it is time to hydrate with my Weleda Iris Hydrating Night Cream**. I have combination skin (this cream is good for dry to combo skin) so this has been working well for me especially as the seasons change and my skin tends to get a bit drier. I love how easily is sinks into the skin and it leaves my skin soft. That being said as the seasons change and we get closer to summer my skin ends to get more on the oily side so I’ll probably be swapping this night cream out in a few weeks for a more combo to oily skin formula.
So that’s it! This is my Quick Night Skincare Routine which usually takes me all of three minutes to do. What does your nighttime skincare routine look like when you just can’t be bothered to do a full cleanse?
Giveaway
Now on to the giveaway! I have a fun box filled with Pacifica makeup and skincare items for you. I will be mailing this out myself so I am limiting this giveaway to US residents as it will be sent UPS. The giveaway will be open until 4/30/15.
Disclaimer: This post contains no sponsored content. Occasionally I am sent products for review but they will only be featured if I truly like them and use them regularly. If these appear in a post they will be marked above with a “*”. Everything else has been paid for by me! Affiliate links will be marked above with “**”.
I have to tell you I wrote this post back on Tuesday but the back end of my blog went crazy and just when I clicked “save draft” I lost the entire post. Feeling defeated I gave up on rewriting the post that night so I had to wait until Thursday. Anyways here it is. P.s. If you didn’t catch my first post click here to read before moving on to this one.
Since having Alder (6 months ago!!!) I have really been focusing on myself and my needs because with two children it’s too easy to get wrapped up in just them all the time. Don’t get me wrong, I love my children but I have learned that to be a great mom I also need to take care of myself. I started with getting Birchbox because honestly I didn’t have any idea what to buy myself so I figured I’d start with samples and it has really helped me to become more familiar with different self-care products before investing a ton of money into them.
Since starting with Birchbox, I have really hit my stride and started to find products that work for me. I haven’t settled into one specific brand and have really been enjoying learning about new and different beauty and self care products. I am also learning about so many different products that I had no idea about, I mean who knew that using oil to take off makeup is a thing or that other oils can actually help balance your pH to help PREVENT breakouts. I’ve really taken this head on and I am really loving taking time for and taking care of myself. I am lucky to have a husband who humors me as I enthusiastically talk about all the new things that I have learned and I even convinced him to get his own Birchbox.
More important than learning about all kinds of new products, I have really learned a lot about myself. I can’t tell you how amazing just washing my face and putting a moisturizer on in the morning and at night can make me feel. I have been taking 10-15 minutes per day to focus on my skincare and I just feel so much better and I recharge myself at night and prepare myself for the day ahead in the morning. I know it sounds crazy but I honestly haven’t done even these little things for myself in ….ever? I know it’s terrible but I have always been one of those people who washes their face in the shower and you could maybe find me using a makeup wipe on the rare occasion but 9 times out of 10, I would just go to sleep with my makeup on.
Speaking of makeup, I have really started to get into wearing it again. When I was in college and in my early 20’s I used to wear makeup regularly but over the past few years I haven’t worn any. It’s not because I am anti-makeup but because I haven’t wanted to invest any time or money into it. I’m going to say this upfront, I wear makeup for ME. I like taking a few minutes for myself and putting on a little makeup and just feeling put together and just a bit of better version of myself. I don’t wear it for anyone else or to hide me, I just like to highlight my best features and it feels good.
On place I recognize that I really need to improve is with my clothing. Seriously, this is my biggest self care flaw and it is something that bothers me every week. My husband is so put together and always looks great. I, on the other hand, just look like a hot mess. I have the hardest time buying clothes for my postpartum body, regardless of what I tell myself. I have bought myself some clothes and have received some as gifts for my birthday but overall I haven’t really invested much into new clothes and am down to about 15 total items that fit. I am feeling frumpy and blah but it’s so hard to invest in a size you don’t want to be and know you won’t stay in. So my goal for this Spring is to complete my race that I am currently training for and I am going to do a Spring/Summer shopping spree after the race in mid-May.
So what does this mean for RWT? I plan on sharing more skincare and beauty of RWT. This will not be the focus of RWT by any means but I think that it is an important part of living a healthy life. It’s taken me years to realize this and I want to share what I am learning and what works for me, with you. I don’t want to oversaturate RWT or my RWT Instagram with skincare and beauty so I have created a separate account @runwithbeauty.
Giveaway
Let’s kick off this new adventure with a giveaway of some of my favorite items as of late. I have curated this box filled with some samples that a few lovely companies have sent me and a few items (for one, the Tata Harper samples) that I purchased. This box will be sent by me. Giveaway is open to US residents only.
Fill in this blog prompt mad lib for a chance to win a copy of Lorna Jane’s new book, Inspired! Get our own copy of the;mad lib here –> 
