Make It A Good Hair Day

sorry, I can’t hear you over the volume of my hair

This post is in partnership with IGK however all opinions and images are mine of course, as always.

Do you ever notice that your hair just holds style better when it’s a bit dirty with a side of grungy? I swear if I wash my hair and then attempt to zhuzh it … it just doesn’t happen for me. But if it’s a bit dirty it holds curl better, volume is vavavoomin’, and I can manipulate it into submission ha!

I want you to know that it makes me happy to hear that you think my hair is perfect, it’s actually not but thank you! So I want to share with you what my typical hair styling routine looks like. We teach bootcamps on Zoom at least three times a week so the grunge effect is in full force on most days. On days that I wash it and it’s too clean I will hit it with some IGK First Class Charcoal Detox dry shampoo to dirty it up a bit today and give it some texture. Because the dry shampoo cools and cleanses, it’s actually perfect for days that I don’t wash my hair, and after today’s workout it definitely needed some detoxifying.

IGK just released this dry shampoo and their First Class shampoo and conditioner among others. Besides the scent being clean and light, this trifecta of products have been my hair care routine go-to for the last 5 weeks. Paraben and mineral oil free, they cleanse without stripping and condition without weighing your locks down. Here’s a lil video of me showing you how I apply the dry shampoo (and somehow manage to get it all over myself) and style my hair. You can’t take me anywhere I tell ya.

I hope this easy 5 minute tutorial helps move your hair styling routine right along. If you create this tousled beach wave look, TAG me on Instagram. If you use the code JESS20 at IGK, you’ll get 20% off your order <3

Happy hump day to you and cheers to some va-va-voomin’ hair! The bigger the better.

Chasing The Collagen

I once read somewhere that our skin begins to lose its ability to retain moisture in our 20’s. Couldn’t I have read that when I was still in my 20’s? Well I’m 39 now and I’m forever chasing my 23 year old daughter’s plump collagen cells… she’s got grapes and I’m trying to avoid getting raisins.

My esthetician told me years ago that exfoliation, hydration, and protection are KEY to cell turnover and collagen reproduction. So of course, I have a 19 step skincare system. Kidding! It’s only 5 *hail hands* and I have a tutorial coming next week to show you step by step how I do it. If you’ve been experiencing problematic skin because of all the mask wearing we’re doing, this will be so helpful. Today I’m focusing on skin healing and hydration which in turn will help with the chasing of the collagen. Here’s the skinny:

Morning Rituals – OSEA Malibu’s Gua Sha tool, oils and masks have been a staple in my skincare routine since I began talking about them in 2016. Their products are all natural, plant based, and gentle. I begin my mornings with their Gua Sha tool to reduce inflammation and promote circulation. The “wave” stimulates lymphatic drainage and is included in their Gua Sha Ritual Set. Their White Algae mask is hands down one of the most healing and hydrating mask I’ve ever used, it really aids in soothing my skin after I’ve scrubbed the hell out of it. Their Undaria Algae Oil you see above I use after every bath, I just warm it up between my palms and oil up my entire body after a Daughter Of The Land’s soak. A morning bath with their salts after our Zoom class helps my muscles so much and the oil helps with the lizard skin I’ve been experiencing this winter.

For the flare ups – between the mask wearing and the change in climate, my skin has been freaking out on me. After cleansing my skin I’ll use Dermalogica’s Clear Start flashfoliant. It’s a leave-on, flash-foaming exfoliant that I apply straight to my skin and it helps with current breakouts and helps to prevent future ones. Bonus, it brightens up any dullness in your skin so you can shine bright like a diamond

Hydration hydration hydration – have I mentioned how important it is to hydrate your skin? It’s right up there with a) wear spf and a hat b) exfoliate like you play in dirt for a living c) hydrate from within and externally. On days that we teach Zoom I wear Fre’s serum as it’s light and if I sweat my face off into my eye balls it doesn’t burn! At night after I exfoliate and tone, I toggle between mixing Weleda’s skin food + an oil (either from OSEA or Dermalogica’s overnight oil) to help thin the formula out. Kana’s CBD lavender sleeping mask is perfectly rich yet not too thick and I wake up to the dewiest skin in the morning. And if you know me than you know I tote around about seven different lip balms at any given time and this Tatcha lip mask is a staple. It’s ultra thick and glossy and just feels so good after a nice lip scrub (I use a sugar scrub).

I’ll let you sit with that routine and I hope it helps you if you experience problematic skin or issues with you face feeling like it’s lookin’ dull these days. Next time we’ll chat all about my step by step skincare routine and how quickly it goes!

What are some products you swear by for problematic skin issues and how are you chasing the collagen?

Put Yourself On A TIME OUT

This past week I’ve fully immersed myself into my work and a secret passion project of mine that I can’t wait to share with you. Side note: it’s weird when other people say ‘secret project’ and it’s still weird when I say it, but I promise it’s a fun one! And since I don’t see this slowing down for another week or two three, I thought I’d share with you what is keeping me sane throughout the process of sitting alone for hours, in a dimly lit room, with resources and research. Also, this is a plea for snacks.

Here’s the deal, I go go go and admittedly I am a WORKAHOLIC. Okay, fine, I said it. I love my work though, so it’s nice to be in the zone, like really in it. It’s also nice to come up for air from time to time and though I don’t break enough throughout the day, there’s one thing I’m like, really good at. Self care and putting myself on a time out.

I’ve even been really quiet on social media if you’ve noticed … if you haven’t noticed than maybe you’ve been really quiet too. Feels good right?! We can go a lil lot crazy when you work from home, secluded, with little interactions from other humans.

It’s completely normal to fully lose your shit

No matter where we are in life or in our careers, we’re go go go , we grind grind grind, we hustle hustle hustle. How could we not lose our shit right? *I’m feeling a bit preachy right now but as I currently write to you I’m in a top knot, on my couch, in my pj’s, at 4:28pm, having had only a pb&jelly sammich all day, and going going going… hence I’m feeling a bit preachy

So here’s a few things I love to do to put myself on a time out. It’s hard to do sometimes because you get so focused, but do it anyway. Even if it’s just ten minutes, or at the end of your day, hit pause and TIME OUT

 

get it out- write it out, scream it out, whatever you’ve gotta do to let the thoughts out, let em out. As human we like to play things on a loop until we can’t make sense of them as they are so then, oh wow, plot twist, our brain has formulated it’s own new ending to that story/conversation/moment/interaction

dance it out- ugh I love doing this so much. Do you watch my stories? Have you seen me break out into a mid day dance party? This is why! Our thoughts, moods, feelings all turn into energy and that energy can either be stagnant or it can be BIG and we can use it to shift our day.

SHIFT THAT SHIT

treat yo self- time out for real for some self care pampering time!- I’m all about that ‘me time’ pampering time! I love doing skin care masks, ya know, the ones that make you look crazy *insert The Office epi where Dwight is trying to perform CPR on the dummy* I love taking baths, having a few glasses of wine (who ever in life, do you know, STOPS after A glass of wine? no one that’s who), adding in some bubbles, turning on some tunes, and throwing in some relaxing bath bombs.

be still- gross I hate this one but it’s the most EFFECTIVE one! Being still, taking it slowly, doing some yoga, meditating, reading a damn book, going for a quite hike, all the things that settle your mind and calm your spirit. Do it. I promise you’ll get after it so much more focused afterwards.

and if you still lose your shit, that’s cool too. We’re human, it’s normal

What are some things you do to put yourself on a time out? I need to do more of this, more frequently, send your recs. Oh and the snacks too, this is still a public plea for those 😉

 

 

 

Self Care Sunday- My favorite skincare masks

Happy Sunday Funday! I love a lil Self Care Sunday so I want to share with you my favorite skincare masks <3 You can give yourself some lovin’ today or any day and these masks are luxurious and will give you a dose of that skincare self care xx

 

Glam Glow Supermud Clearing treatment – clarifying, clears pores, brightens skin. I use it once a week

Pixi glow mud mask – brightening and plumping, comparable to the Glam Glow but for half the price

Peter Thomas Roth cucumber gel masque – soothes sensitive, irritated skin. perfect for after a beach day

Osea white algae mask – hydration. Ultra moisturizing, super luxurious, I use this at least 3 times a week! (my favorite)

Ren glycol lactic radiance renewal mask – helps improve skin tone, texture, firmness and reduces the appearance of pores and pigmentation. Doesn’t irritate my skin and I swap this out once a week with the Glam Glow

O Cosmétiques purifying creme – gently exfoliates with 10% glycolic to rejuvenate your skin for a softer, more youthful look. I love using this twice a week as a moisturizer since it’s a multi-tasking super product! With all glycolic products, you want to ease into regular use and patch test. This one is ultra gentle and doesn’t irritate my skin

Patchology eye gels – plumps and soothes delicate eye area. I keep these babies in the fridge and use them at least 4 times a week ha!

Origins Hello, Calm Cannabis mask– hydrating, soothing, calming. When my skin is being a real asshole, I use this mask to calm it all down. Great for my hormonal breakouts and when I’ve exfoliated toooo much 😀

 

Have you been doing these Self Care Sundays with me? Self care every day baby but especially when you can take some time to mask…these are my favorite <3

 

 

 

Get UNREADY With Me – My Nighttime Skincare Routine

I am so fascinated by these ‘Get Unready With Me’ videos! I like to know what people are using on their skin, what are they putting in their hair, and what are they spritzing on their pillows! Lavender… that’s what!

Here is my current nighttime skincare routine, lets get ‘unready’ together <3

O Cosmétiques Gentle Cleansing Milk

Pixi Glow Tonic To-Go

OSEA Sea Vitamin Boost Elixir

Kate Somerville Retinol Vita C Power Serum

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Face Moisturizer

Laneige Lip Mask

Bare Minerals Ageless Genius Firming & Wrinkle Smoothing Neck Cream

 

Do you use a neck cream? Who even knows how to pronounce decolletage??? Ten points if you also sleep like a Geisha and don’t move at all ya lil sardine. 

 

 

 

MY MORNING SKIN CARE ROUTINE!

Throughout every season change, every temperature rise and fall, there are some staple products that will always remain. I’ll swap out a few products depending on my skin’s dryness level and if it’s prone to breakouts during that time but usually – this is the deal.

Listing out step by step, product by product, my current morning skincare routine. PS don’t be intimidated, it only takes a few minutes PLUS there’s two things here that aren’t technically ‘skincare’ products but I can’t. live. without. them.


1. Cleanse! so so so important. Cleansed skin, closed pores, and ready for your skincare and makeup routines. Milled finely enough I can use it daily, it’s ultra gentle and I alternate between this product and that Tatcha

2. Exfoliate! This is a big one! The most important one if you ask me. No matter your skin type, exfoliating will help to slough off the dead surface skin, promote collagen production, and remove dirt and impurities. You want all those good oils to be produced, even for already oily skin so DON’T skip this step. I can feel this Tatcha enzyme powder working immediately and am currently obsessed with this particular physical form of exfoliation

3. Tone and Hydrate! the Hydrating Essence Toner by Algenist is my FAVORITE and then I personally alternate between A) Vitamin C, which is incredible for your skin; it neutralizes free radicals, prompts collagen production, it’s light, and it absorbs quickly! And B) Hyaluronic Acid serum- which is already a naturally occurring compound found in our skin and it will take your face to a whole other ‘dew level’ babes!

4. Protect! I like to use this Purlisse cream to seal the deal and my Coola SPF or Fre SPF (depending on my type of day), which doesn’t feel to heavy on my skin. This may be too thick for your skin type but the Coola and Fre on their own are pretty light and they’re non irritating. ***remember that the UV radiation from the sun is the #1 contributing factor to aging and skincare problems so protect your skin and your eyes

5. It’s all about the eyes! Speaking of your eyes, my second biggest tip is to NEVER EVER rub or pull on your eye area. Pat gently with your ring fingers, in towards your nose. Pat pat pat! The skin around our eyes is the thinnest of our entire face, hence we age there the quickest! I personally like to just use my moisturizer around my eye area but if you’re going to use a specific eye cream, this is a natural one with light reflecting elements, it’s creamy and ultra rich

6. Don’t forget your décolletage! Just like with your makeup, bring your skincare products down your neck and onto your décolletage…that fancy word for cleavage. I absolutely love this advanced neck cream from Tula, it’s rich without being greasy, and it glides on and stays put. My other go-to neck cream is from Bare Minerals, it’s just so good- I’m on my 2nd tub

7. Beauty from the inside out! You’ve heard me talk about collagen like I talk about chocolate. I love it! I love these marine collagen sachets from Proplenish! I add it to a cup of warm water and lemon in the morning and if I add collagen to my coffee Vital Proteins IS THE WAY TO GO. I love the unflavored one, but the Matcha with some coconut milk …. O M G <3

8. My most favorite part y’all, the invisible accessory! If you know me than you know I’m all about scents….like to an obsession. I mean, the measures I take to tote around about 5 different perfumes with me AT ALL TIMES, yikes. PS I must really love you to share one of my signature scents with you. My other go-to is Le Labo’s Santal 33 or Another 13. They’re so expensive though that my daily is this yummy Givenchy

9. and 10. aren’t pictured, but exfoliating and hydrating my lips is something I do at least twice a week. And then I apply this nice thick and creamy lip balm by Laneige which feels luxurious af

And there you have it! My morning skincare routine … and some essentials in my morning that aren’t necessarily ‘skincare’ products but they ARE ‘can’t live withouts’.

Does this sound pretty standard to your morning skincare routine? Does it sound like too many steps? What’s the ONE thing you must do before you rush out the door? Please say SPF 😉 

 

 

 

 

Amazon Prime Day – What To Buy

In my best ‘Elf’ voice…”It’s Amazon Prime Dayyyy”!

Well not today but on the 15th at midnight on through the 16th you’ll be able to score some pretty sweet deals from your one stop shopping spot! There’s so much happening between the promotions and the coupon codes that I wanted to share with you what I personally recommend on Amazon Prime day and what to buy.

I’ll share my picks from Home Goods, Fashion, and Accessories. There’s gonna be a lot coming at you fast in the next few days leading up to THE day, so sift through all the things, pay attention to what catches your eye, and in the interest of Amazon not taking ALL your money … shop with a ‘need’ over ‘want’ mentality … unless it comes to the concerts! Then gogogo! Eeek!

FASHION/ACCESSORIES (Summer staples!)

I debated whether or not to photoshop out this 1998 unrecognizable tattoo then decided, we all make mistakes, we can’t photoshop them all out now can we LOL

If you thought I’d ever spend more than $100 on a pair of shoes you thought wrong 😉 I have a daughter in college who takes all my money so I found the best inspired styles for some of this season’s most popular pieces.

I chose the Golden Goose leopard print + ponyskin effect leather ($560… esscuse me) and the Hermes Oran Sandals in Blanc ($650… wuuut), so off to ‘destination dupe city’ we go! For a fraction of the cost you get almost identical styles AND you won’t be upset when you get them dirty. I mean the Golden Gooses already come dirty though so. Why would you want already dirty ass shoes…oh fashun. *** PS if you love the originals and you’re willing to pay the price, there is no judgement here! We all prioritize and budget differently <3

For under $40, the Golden Goose lookalikes are great, my only recommendation would be to size UP! And the Hermes twinsies are also under $40! Because OPTIONS, I found you these Steven Madden Greece sandals that’ll run you around $60 and these Sam Edelman’s in Saddle are just in under $90. Still a steal if you ask me 😀

Pieces you’ve seen me in lately that will always be in rotation are the usual suspects:

Mas Accessories: 

HOME GOODS

Faux plants– if you have a special gift for killing plants (even plants they say you can’t kill- ahem, cacti and succulents still do not thrive under my care) than this baby and this baby is for you

Vitruvi stone diffuser– the chicest most loveliest diffuser of them all they come in all kinds of beautiful colors

Sicilian blood orange diffuser sticks– if you’d rather not commit to adding water, dropping in oils, turning anything on… well than this is for you. Set it and forget it

Amber glass soap/lotion dispenser– reusable and versatile enough to go with any decor

Candle favorites- I burn candles in our home 24/7 and these are some of my favorites! Somethin’ abut Tobacco scented candles in the living room and Lemongrass in the bathrooms that are relaxing but also feel like a sexy speakeasy… emphasis on candles in the bathroom.

I honestly had SO  many things to share with you and I’d like to share some of my staple skincare/beauty products with you too – also on Amazon so I created a list for you! Which I’ll be updating as much as I can as we go along this summer. And don’t mind the list “name”… Amazon named it for me: ‘influencer jess lizama’, its top choice? It’s kinda like having a middle name you don’t like…ya didn’t choose it and ya can’t change it! Can we photoshop it out though?! ;)-

What will you be scooping up at midnight on the 15th?! I’m creating a wish list for myself, would you like me to share it? 

 

 

 

Keeping Your Locks Healthy: Easy Hair Care Routine

*This post has been sponsored by Palmer’s. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are my own.*

Do you remember when I cut my hair for the first time just a few months ago? It was the shortest it’s ever been back in December, and now it’s back to shoulder length! I’ve received a lot of compliments about how quickly it grew and how healthy it looks, so I wanted to share with you how I keep my hair healthy. This is my quick and easy hair care routine.

First, let me tell you about the state it was in before. It’s been over-processed since perms were a thing! It was dry, damaged, dyed, and mistreated. Even if your hair is the complete opposite of mine, though, and you have locks of an angel, you’ll benefit from each of these products because it’s all about moisturizing, repairing, and strengthening—in the most natural way.

For years now, I’ve used many of the Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Hair Care products. As you’ve seen in my most recent Self Care Sunday video, I love using the Deep Conditioning Protein Pack! I honestly have 3-5 of these packs in my shower at any given time. It’s easy to stock up on all the products in this line because the price points are so great. At around an average of $5, you can buy everything I’m using here at your local Target and Walmart.

I like to use the Protein Pack in two ways: 1) a hair mask in the shower and 2) as an overnight deep conditioning treatment. A way for me to multi-task is, after washing my hair with the Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Conditioning Shampoo, I’ll let the Protein Pack sit in my hair while I complete the rest of my routine. My “set it and forget it” method is to leave the Protein Pack in my hair while I sleep, and then rinse it out in the morning. My locks love both of these methods!


Like with all routines, to maintain the health of your hair, it’s all about consistency. So, I like to alternate between the Protein Pack and the Palmer’s
Coconut Oil Formula 2 Step Mask. A product that I’ve loved integrating into my routine is the Strong Roots Spray. I’ll spritz it straight onto my scalp wherever I have extra dryness or breakage (hello top knots!), rub it in, give it a minute, and then style per the usual.

Finally, I’ll seal my style in with the Hair Polisher Serum, which adds shine and that ultra silky softness. And there you have it! That’s my quick and easy five-step hair care routine.

I’ve raved about this brand for years because I genuinely love that I can always count on Palmer’s Coconut Oil Formula Hair Care product to be ethically sourced and made with fair trade certified organic extra virgin coconut oil. Major bonus: all of their products are also free of sulfates, parabens and mineral oil. All the things you want and nothing that you don’t!

So babes, the summer months are upon us and with the drier conditions, I’ll take all the moisture I can get!

Pssst, so what’s your secret to healthy hair?

           

 

Holy Grail Skincare

We’ve all been there…flopping into bed so tired and too lazy to take off our makeup…that’s bad, so so bad HAHA

I decided to have you hold me accountable for good habits by walking you through my ‘lazy lady nighttime makeup routine’ using my holy grail skincare products. I say ‘holy grail’ because these are the products I continue to reach for again and again, tried and true.

Indie Lee Brightening Cleanser • I love this cleanser! It allows me to not have to use my Clarasonic religiously because you know what, I get lazy and honestly the battery on that thing dies a lot and I forget to charge it so. But this is an enzymatic cleanser, it smells like strawberries, and it’s full of antioxidants. Those are the things that fight those free radical things that try to stick to your skin and damage it when you’re out living your best life. BONUS: this cleanser doubles as an exfoliating mask which will help smooth your skin texture and minimize large pores. Thank you for just getting it Indie Lee <3

Pixi Glow Tonic • On nights that I’m feeling lazy to head over to the sink to properly wash my face, I reach for this glow tonic which exfoliates and purifies your skin. Perfect for when it’s that time of the month for me and my skin is being especially problematic. It has glycolic acid and ginseng which improves circulation, and aloe vera which soothes. Love love this toner!

Thayer’s Natural Toner • After I cleanse my skin with the Indie Lee (or if I’m feeling super lazy and don’t want to walk over to my vanity for the Pixi) I’ll saturate a cotton round with this toner (which smells so good btw, lavender!) and gently go around my face with it until the cotton round comes up clean. It usually takes me 3-4 passes depending on how much makeup I wore that day. TIP: this toner comes in a travel size so I keep it in my gym bag and after a nice sweat sesh I wipe my face down quickly to keep breakouts at bay!

Shiseido Benefiance Eye Cream • Eye cream eye cream eye cream! I can’t stress enough how important an eye care routine is. The skin around our eyes is the thinnest of all our face, hence we show signs of aging there the quickest. So hydrate….and try to sleep like a geisha haha. And sleep on a silk pillow like this one! What I like about this eye cream is that it’s nice and hydrating which is why it’s my nighttime eye cream. I try to apply it at least 30 minutes before bed so I’m not just sleeping it off. My go-to daytime eye cream is from Kiehl’s as you can also apply it to your eye lids and it’s not heavy, perfect for wearing under makeup. This Benefiance has

Kiehl’s Hydro-Plumping Re-Texturizing Serum Concentrate • Love love love this serum which I purchased for flight preparation when we went to Tennessee for Thanksgiving. What does that mean? Your skincare truly matters before a flight, not during. This serum plumps dry, dull skin… haaallllo long flight sucking the life out of my face….not today! It intensively hydrates the skin to combat dryness and rough texture. Layer this on top of your serum and under your moisturizer. Top with a face oil.

Kiehl’s Daily Reviving Concentrate • And here’s that face oil! I’ve been talking about this face oil a lot. A little goes a long way and if you’re going to splurge on one item, I suggest this one. It’s so nourishing and luxurious, infused with botanical oils and all that antioxidant protection from those free radicals again. It doesn’t irritate my skin, it’s a beautiful primer under makeup for that dewy glow, and it calms my skin after I scrub the hell out of it with an exfoliant. I drop 3-4 drops onto my finger tips, warm it up, and then pat it into my skin. I also like to whisper to my skin while I’m doing that, “stay in youthfulness mkay love you”. Try it, it works.

Sunday Riley Tidal Brightening Enzyme Water Cream • I keep this lil baby in the refrigerator, it’s a water cream that delivers all the needed moisture with two forms of hyaluronic acid and tamarind extract. Perfect for hyper-pigmentation and fun fact: “Tidal increases hydration by up to 68 percent in as little as 15 minutes for up to 24 hours of continuous moisture.” Say wuuuuut! <3

Rose Quartz Facial Roller • All the rage today has been facial rollers. Ice rollers, derma rollers, and crystal rollers. Haiii I’m one of the skincare addicts that bought em all just to share with you which ones actually worked for me and which ones are worth the spend. I love the crystal rollers (I linked you to a mini one here for all my travel babes so you don’t have to purchase two) because they’re not crazy expensive and they do the job. They’re naturally cooling because of the stone stone roller which will also depuff facial tissue and tighten your skin. This feels so so good under your eyes after a long day and just feels luxurious on your face.

Micro-Roller • Derma rolling, micro needling at home, love it, gotta have it, addicted to it. Derma-rolling may sound intimidating, it’s taking a beauty tool with tiny little needles all over it and rolling it over your entire face. Okay I get why that’d be intimating. But I promise it’s not as scary (or as painful) as it sounds. Doing this to your skin created these micro-injuries on your skin’s surface which stimulates collagen and elastin production for plumper, glowy, more radiant skin. Not to mention it also allows for your skincare products to penetrate deeper into your skin’s layers. I did a lil video about how I derma-roll here for you. Do some research on it, see what you think, and please don’t go buying a derma-roller that has huge needles… no blood should be drawn…..now that sounds intimidating. PS I derma-roll 2-3 times per week but that’s my preference

Nurse Jamie Uplift Massaging Beauty Roller • A bit more on the price point but so worth it in my opinion. I keep this pretty by my bed, it’s the last thing I do before going to sleep after applying all my skincare products. It helps maintain healthy blood circulation, stimulates collagen, tightens pores, and promotes lymphatic drainage… have you seen the videos on this….I binge watched a ton of them before impulsively purchasing this roller. Really happy it worked out.

And there they are! I love sharing with you the things I do in real life and the things that actually work. High end or drugstore brand, if it works, it works. If you purchase any of these please let me know how you like them. Do you already have some of these in your beauty arsenal?

 

Let me know if there’s something that you do and love that I should try too <3 Have a beautiful rest of your week!