Night-time Beauty Maintenance: An Essential Routine for Women in their 30’s

March 21, 2018

I don’t recall ever being as tired as I am most days after work, school pick ups and drop offs, homework, extracurricular activities, going to the gym, and managing my household. Taking care of me and making time for myself comes only after all of that is done an settled. I like to call the hour of 8:30pm to 9:30pm the “golden hour”.

During this time, I am truly off duty. I am not worried about tomorrow, I am not worried about what is not done from today, but I take this time to just appreciate the end of yet another day with my family. I use the golden hour for leisurely multitasking: TV time and skin care. While watching Green Arrow on Netflix (OMG – I love Stephen Amell!), I apply a half a dozen or so products to my face nightly. If I keep these at my bedside I am 100% more likely to use them regularly. Here is the step-by-step night time regimen I use.

Makeup Remover Wipes

I know I could just wash my face, but I have never been in the routine of doing this. I usually brush my teeth and hop into bed. But more than ever I need my skin to breathe at night. I keep face wipes at arms length to guarantee that I don’t skip giving my face a chance to breathe at night. Although I do not have sensitive skin or any true allergy to common ingredients, I love these make up removing wipes because they are inexpensive, or do not leave a soapy or filmy feeling on my skin after I have used them. Even baby wipes work well and are cost effective. I have tried a bunch of different make up remover wipes but have yet to determine if one actually works better than the other, so I usually grab whatever is economical. Night time skin cleaning is paramount for brighter skin.

Lash Boost by Rodan and Fields

My sisters and I swear by this amazing product by Rodan and Fields. As former Latisee users, we loved that we were able to get Lash Boost without a prescription. The product works similarly and have therefore has similar results- fuller appearing, more dramatic and appealing eye lashes. As a wearer of ‘falsies’ I love the ‘pop’ that your eyes get from having enhanced lashes. For the days I am not wearing my go to wispies, Lash Boost has my back. This is an expensive product, but fellow chicks get an exclusive discount or gift with purchase if you contact Dr. Erica Bennett at drericabennett@gmail.com. Trust me, this works. You’re so close to gorgeous natural lashes.

Under Eye Serum

I have cycled through several of these, most recently I used Advanced Night Repair from Estee Lauder which I had received as a gift. This product is intended to help with fine lines, puffiness, and dark circles. The serum has great reviews, and in my personal experience it seemed to hydrate well which helped with fine lines, but when it came to covering up my dark circles, I am not so sure. Once I finished up that little bottle I switched to a product from Rodan and Fields called the Bright Eye Complex and with a water base it promises hydration for the bags under your eyes. After using this for 10 days, you can see the before and after below, this product is a keeper and can be purchased a la carte from their list of products.

Castor Oil

Like many other children of the 80’s and 90’s I totally trashed my eyebrows trying to keep up with the thin eyebrow trends. The beauty gurus that I follow have given me hope to regain what is lost of my eyebrows with Castor oil. Castor oil has natural antibacterial and antifungal properties and is high in Vitamin E, minerals, proteins, and Omega 6 and 9 beneficial fatty acids. Its unusually high ricinoleic acid ratio which is what makes it beneficial to skin and hair. I am going to try this on my eyebrows as part of my nightly routine, I will keep you all updated on Instastories.

Lip Therapy

With winter almost behind us, I could not have survived without all the lip balms that I have scattered all over the house and in all my purses. My lips chap easily and require frequent hydration. Currently by my bedside is an argan oil-based balm that is unscented, organic, and simply divine. In my opinion, truly any balm is a good balm if you ask me. Just layering some hydration before bed can fix all types of cracked lips.

Hopefully you are already using some of these in your daily skin care routine. If you are not, consider this post a life hack to place beauty items by your bedside. Ladies, it is NEVER too late to take care of your skin. This is also a great way to use products that are cluttering up your counters — place them on your end table (NOT in the drawers). Believe me, seeing them will make you use them. What fun products do you use as part of your daily skincare routine?

Your Chick,

Rina

**Complimentary Rodan and Fields products were received in exchange for this honest review. Thank you to Dr. Erica Bennett for her generosity and engagement. **

Lifestyle, Parenting

Mean Mommies – Stop The Bullying!

March 7, 2018

Oftentimes, when we think of the word “bully,” we picture a small, sweet, little kid getting beaten up by a group of much bigger kids. He is outnumbered and not really looking for a fight. He looks fearful and doesn’t fight back much.

Bullying has changed these days — and I’m not referring to the trending topic amongst school moms hurdled around whispering during after-school pick-up. I’m talking about the type that not a whole lot of people talk about…mainly because it sounds pretty silly. I’m talking about the mom bullies. Mom bullies are the ones that are usually telling her own kid to not bully others, or are telling someone else’s kid to not bully — but she is the worst offender of them all. She talks the talk about “inclusion” and “kindness” but she’s the one spreading the toxicity.

She’s the one who intentionally organizes play-dates, birthday parties, and outings excluding others. Her intent is never to really target the kid involved, but the mom…she somehow excludes the kid to get to the mom. She has made her intentions a sport and will go out of her way to exclude the moms she doesn’t want around. She rotates friends — or best friends in almost a “flavor of the month” type fashion. She will approach another mom about an issue her kid is having with her kid in probably the most one-sided manner. She will accuse other kids of being mean while she’s blind to her own kid’s ways.

You would think I have a personal anecdote or an agenda in writing this…I don’t! In fact, I’m the wallflower that watches this all go down. I’m the observer — the one people don’t think that’s paying attention, but sadly I am. I see things others don’t. I see the pain and impact it makes on the kids. I see the concern on a kid’s face when they realize that everyone was invited but them. I see the mom’s that feel excluded, but hold their heads up so their kids don’t see her embarrassment.

Raising a child these days is hard enough — do we really need to bully each other to make ourselves feel better? Do we really need to use the little amount of time and energy we have left in our day dealing with the drama? Do we really need to show our kids that this is what adulting is all about? To one up another or put others down? NO!

Stop The Hate

Stop the hate — stop the mom bullies. Call them out and exclude them until they come around and show them what inclusion means by befriending her. More-often than not, these moms have been hurt themselves and this is their coping mechanism to shield herself from the potential haters out there. She needs the extra TLC and some time, but eventually she will come around. And if not…let it be and move on. Life is way too short for the nonsense — make it count!

And with that…cheers!

Komi

Currently Craving:

Fashion, Lifestyle

Evil Eye: Is It a Real Thing?

February 28, 2018

As an Indian-American, my thoughts and beliefs have been heavily influenced by my parents who immigrated from India over 30 years ago. I feel blessed to have grown up in a dual culture household — I often ponder the discussions we’ve had that were deeply rooted in my parents upbringing. When reflecting on my childhood, much of the “norm” in my household was governed by my parent religious and cultural background.

The Evil Eye

One of the most fascinating topics was the concept of the “Evil Eye”, also known as “Nazar”, in India. The idea is that unbeknownst to a person there is negative energy in the universe wishing malice upon you or your family. This negative energy can manifest in human emotions by way of envy. Both my children were gifted black bracelets to wear in order to ward off any bad thoughts or energy that might come their way. I was happy to comply, but I couldn’t help to wonder, “Is it possible that there really is an energy to fight off those who don’t mean well?” I didn’t want to take the chance to find out so I was happy to have them wear it. Similarly, in this world of social media, it’s often said not to show too much of your life or family for fear that others might look on and wish negativity upon you. As a spiritual chick, I have found over the years that I truly am a believer in the evil eye warding off evil spirits. Whether the evil eye actually wards off mysterious negative energy or not, the comfort and confidence I derive from the superstition is worth it.

I have received so many compliments on this blue and white sapphire necklace that I wear and it is only $32 !

Over the years, I have learned that this concept exists beyond Indian folklore. Latinos speak of “Malos Ojos” , Jewish and Islamic stories speak of the “Hamsa” or hand of God, and here in the US, we refer to the “Evil Eye” and have fashioned it into our culture as well through fashion. You can often find evil eyepieces to compliment a cute outfit. Accessories that are an ode to the energy theory are a way to feel protected from negativity. Why not, right?!? Even if only symbolically the Evil Eye concept is a reminder to remain positive and emanate that positivity to others.

Shop this an other evil eye swag that I have my eye on here!

Anyone heard of the Evil Eye? Would love to hear your thoughts, leave a comment below.

Your Chick,
Sonia

Lifestyle

6 Reasons Why You Will Love Vero – True Social Media

February 27, 2018

Honestly, thank you to the makers of Vero! This new app touts that it is the social media solution of the future and after hours of tinkering, here is what I have learned and think I will love:

Its a One Stop Shop!

Yup, its fully integrated. No more “click link in bio” – now images themselves are hyperlinked (bye bye “swipe up” feature). On Vero you can store your reviews on places, books, movies, etc. and integrate that into your actual story. Better yet, your posts that tell the story don’t automatically delete after 24 hours — Vero actually archives your memories into easy to access categories. This creates a comprehensive representation of who you are, the things you like and what you like to do.

No More Identity Separation

As a blogger/small business owner, I have personal Instagram page and a blog Instagram page. Now, with Vero, you can categorize your followers and share things accordingly. The categories are Follower, Acquaintance, Close Friend, and Friend. This is a MAJOR plus for me — for personal posts I can just share those with my family and close friends. For my blog posts I can share with everyone! But it can all be on one comprehensive and very personalized and authentic feed.

Some Familiar Features

You can still search for relevant hashtags and people similar to the way you would on Instagram. This is comforting when switching to a new platform. Hashtags are very useful for categorizing people, trends, and events as well as for searching for relevant posts.

App Aesthetic is Awesome

Instagram now seems very sterile with its white backdrop and locked-in features. Vero has a darker backdrop that makes pictures pop. The backdrops also adjust according to the image and is lighter for lighter images and darker for darker images. Smart framing for the photos helps enhance the viewing — isn’t that everything you want on a photo-based sharing platform?!

No Ads

Yup, you read that right, no more spillage from Facebook with sponsored ads and seeing posts you didn’t ask to see. This app will eventually require a paid membership (annual fee) but to see what I want to see, I think that is fair.

Post Are in Chronological Order

After Instagram changed its algorithm and started giving preference to more popular and engaged posts. On Vero you see things as they happen when they happen, IN ORDER!

So far, I am very impressed with Vero. Currently I use Facebook, Facebook Stories, Instagram, Instagram Stories, Trip Advisor, Email, and my blog to reach out to my followers. But with Vero I think I can merge a lot of these under one roof. Integrating my social media presence optimizes the way I present my brand — and helps manage my time. The more you share the more complete your story is.

So, what are you waiting for? Make the switch and download Vero App.

These opinions are my own and this post has been written purely out of the exhaustion I experience managing my brand across a variety of platforms. I see potential here, so I wrote this post. Time will tell if the Facebook juggernaut is just too big, but for now, I am willing to try something new.

Cheers,

Rina