Before I leave to travel and any semblance of materialism and/or routine falls apart, I wanted to share a few things that have added a little sparkle to my life recently. I can't wait to share more favorites in the future, I absolutely love to share about things that keep me happy, inspired, and productive. Nothing super fancy, just things that spark joy in my day. I hope they do the same for you. em
I'm really not a "skincare routine" person...like, I have a skincare routine, and I really care about my skin, but I HAAaaATE gimmicks. I don't like spending my money on facial serums that are
a) full of chemicals or b) just a generic oil with fragrance and a huge price-tag. I keep my routine super simple and minimal, two qualities that also keep it very inexpensive. Even though my skin has been so happy looking and feeling since changing my skincare habits almost 3 years ago (Subscribe to my YouTube channel for this story), I noticed that the college grind had my skin lacking the bounce and glow that I'm after. This stuff though, this is where it's at. The ingredients are pretty dang great, the smell is so mild and orange-y, and the slimy-water texture melts right into your skin without any stickiness. Basically, one gram of Hyaluronic Acid can hold six times its weight in water, meaning that it plumps your skin using the water in the air (so long as you live in a place with ample humidity, Lord knows we've got enough here). I am loving it.
To go along with my swanky new serum above, I went with a fragrance and color-free aloe vera gel. This has been so effective as a top coat on my hydration concoction; I layer it over my Hyaluronic Acid serum and under my oil/spf regimen and it gets my skin SO PLUMPED. It is also so cooling and calming for your skin and I find it to be so refreshing in the morning. Any minimal-ingredient aloe will do, here a few I would love to try:
I have been a coconut oil fiend for my dry hair, applying it all over my head the night before I shampoo as often as I can remember. I stopped being as impressed by the results and decided to pick up a little bottle of this Jamaican Black Castor Oil to change it up. Ya know, keep things spicy. This stuff is GOLD. It goes on so smooth, smells great, and leaves my hair very soft and manageable after a wash. Smear this all through your hair, throw it in a bun overnight, and tell me you don't love it.
THE SMELL OF THIS STUFF. It is a spa treatment in a bottle. The ingredients? Who the hell knows. I personally don't have sensitive skin and kind of use whatever I like the smell of on my body. This body wash is so fresh smelling and reminds me exactly of Mentholatum (that stuff in the little green plastic jar that your grandma always had around? I love it.)
Also, the green leaves are my aesthetic. I can't find this exact body wash on Amazon but here is the same scent in another brand that I love.
This SUGAR lip balm by fresh has been my holy grail since I picked it out 2 months ago. The Fig shade reminds me a lot of A Different Grape by Clinique (my all-time favorite lipstick shade) with a glossier, more shimmery finish. Just as a bonus, the packaging is so sleek and high quality.
I've been watching a little James Charles lately and sisters, I have eyebrow envy. I started out with an eyebrow powder/pomade combo; this resulted in a stage makeup look that actually drew a tear to my eye. For the past few weeks I have experimented with an eyebrow pencil but still found the look to be a bit harsh. I was on the road to hopping on the bandwagon and ordering Glossier's Boy Brow, but HONEY she's expensive. I stumbled across this NYX brow mascara at Target and praise be, it's exactly what I was looking for. I apply the PROOF IT waterproof brow primer to keep my brows set in place and to add a fluffy texture when I brush them up with a spooly. Next, I apply the brow mascara and voila: fluffy, perfectly untamed, slightly tinted brows. If something new makes its way into my tiny, tight-knit makeup circle, it's kind of a big deal.
My hair is in a bun. Now, yesterday, tomorrow, that's just how it is. If you wear your hair up and are still using those tight black hairbands that live on your wrist 364 days of the year, please reconsider. Those things broke, tangled, and tore my hair until the flyaways were too much to handle. These scrunchies are so thick and fluffy, giving every updo character and volume. They have never tangled my hair, creasing is majorly reduced, and breakage is not something I notice as much anymore. The pack comes with 18 scrunchies for under $8. I think these would be so sweet for a family with little girls, a dance team, or components of a party gift bag, but they're also perfect for athletics or everyday wear.
Last but not least, the sweetest candle. Sand & Fog is a brand that I always find at TJMaxx and I. Am. Obsessed. I try to only buy the ones I absolutely love and this one smells exactly like Raspberry Pez candy. The packaging on these candles is so pretty and totally reusable...an aspiring minimalist who is drawn in by packaging, what could go wrong?