Hoppin’ On The Hype Beast

by with One Comment community

that slippery slope between trendy and tragic

You know the one. The poppin’ hype beast that bops around trying to lure you into its current with promises of virality and relevancy … enter every Instagram and internet meme of 2020. Oh and the above photo of Acey and I paying homage to Megan Thee Stallion, “we can’t talk right now, we’re doing hot girl shit”.

My job as an over-sharer means I get to share my experiences, my advice and my choices with you even if you don’t want to hear about it and I love my job. Something I’ve always struggled with though is my desire for authenticity versus the world’s desire for accessibility. Full transparency, I’m not all sunshine and rainbows all the time, I have crummy days. I’m not all buttoned up and proper all the time, I love lounge wear and swear words (I actually accidentally dropped the F bomb in a Zoom meeting and turned bright red… to my relief the Producer was chill). I’m not perfect, sheesh I hope no one actually thinks that of anyone. So I guess I should tell you this now… I. am. but. merely. a. human. bean. <— this is not a typo. I’m a bean.

So my thing is, trendy or not, if it doesn’t work for me than I can’t work for it. Not the brand, not the hype, none of it. That’s why I’m so passionate about the brands that I work with, because they choose me and I choose them right back. Let’s be real though, in the beginning I said yes to ALL the things because you’ve gotta start somewhere. Here are some of the trends we saw in 2020 and how I tried to make them relevant to my life. lolz…

With a perpetually changing algorithm and every platform launching a ‘Stories’ feature, you can imagine how frustrating it could be for your job to ‘highlight’ trends when some of them feel quite tragic. I actually deep dive into this topic all about IG here… be ready for my Ted talk. The greatest thing though is that we can choose to participate or stand by, and the magical thing is that we’ll all do it so differently that there’s room for everyone. I choose collaboration over competition, highlighting my friends, brands I support, and focusing on discoverability and creativity.

authenticity vs accessibility

2020 made us feel a lot of things. We had some very mooky days where we didn’t know our butts from our brains or what day it was. I mean, we didn’t put on pants for almost a year. But some things that I really loved seeing and participating in was community and connection. A bright spot in all of it was just that. And the activism and solidarity from last year, I’m proud of us for being real human beans to one another and I hope this year brings more of that.

My advise is that we hop on the hype beast when it makes sense and don’t feel pressure to when it doesn’t. WAP and Animal Crossing just didn’t make sense to my life so I couldn’t talk ’em… hbu?

So tell me, what do you want to create and what inspired you from 2020’s Pandora’s box of ‘most popular trends’?

BEAUTY CORNER: MUST TRY SKIN CARE PRODUCTS!

by with One Comment beautyget the lookholidaysreviewsskin carewellness

There’s one thing we can thank 2016 for, upping its makeup game! Thanks to Instagram videos, trend upon trend, and each of our inner makeup artists, we now have “highlighting on fleek” and weird tools to apply contour with . . . like hand mixers 😉

I’m pretty adventurous when it comes to trying the new ‘it’ look, but using kitchen utensils during my makeup application is where I draw the line! LOL I’ve also tried a lot of different skincare regimens this year and the products featured today are on my must try list!


Ole Henriksen’s Feel the Difference perfecting face mask – perfect for those monthly breakouts! See what I did there 😉 It’s rich in antioxidants, goes on cool, and the borage & linseed oil help to repair

Glossier Priming Moisturizer – containing hyaluronic acid, you know it’s immediately one of my favorites!  This super light cream allows for you to build up to the amount of moisture you need without it becoming heavy

Glossier Super Bounce – again with the hyaluronic acid! I love this ingredient because it’s the plumping agent in your skin that transforms the cells from raisins to big ol’ grapes! This serum is the key to perfect makeup application

Algenist 360 eye serum – free of sulfates and parabens, you can apply this eye serum around your ENTIRE eye! Ground breaking if you have hooded eyes like me! Most eye creams intend to thicken up the skin under your eyes as this is where it’s the thinnest, hence we age there there quickest booo! But not this one, it’s brightening, hydrating, and should be renamed to ‘bags be gone’ haha



Colleen Rothschild Extreme Recovery Cream – this has easily become one of my holy grail products. For dry, dehydrated skin, this silky moisturizer offers that deep hydration it really needs. It feels rich but is never heavy, goes on creamy and is absorbed quickly. It’s created with anti-aging properties, wrinkle fighting ingredients, and is free of parabens and sulfates. What’s not to love!

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm – this lil pot of magic heats from a balm to an oil in the palm of your hand. It removes all makeup, dirt, and oil lickety split! You won’t even need to cleanse your skin once more after removing it with a warm cloth or cotton round. And if you’re wondering if it leaves behind any residue or greasy traces, I’m happy to report that the answer is no

I’ll continue to try out all the latest and greatest products and report back on what I love, what I believe works, and things I recommend for you. So let me know what you’d like for me to review next <3

 

90’S TRENDS THAT ARE BACK!

by with No Comment fall fashionfashionget the looklifestylelook book

The 90’s are back in a BIG way babies! I know I’ve said that before in previous posts and in videos but it’s true! I’m sooo excited about it that I’m dedicating an entire post to the time in fashion when parachute pants, pointy bras, and pagers were the shit!

Denim on denim! Remember that one time Britney and Justin wore full out matching denim outfits to the AMAs?! Yes it was 2001 but still! Not that denim could ever be out of style, but when you see denim layered with sheer tights (minus the one pant leg rolled up), denim skirts paired with crop tops, and denim jackets complete with patches . . . you know that if they were out of style, they’re back! And don’t forget the overalls, just ummm not with one strap down 😉


Chokers! If I’d known that these chokers would be back I would’ve kept all 193 of the ones my sister and I had in high school! They were wayyy cooler than the ones you see today IMO. Now you’ll find them all fabrics, all colors, and the bolo is my personal favorite. Remember the plastic tattoo chokers that we’d stretch over our heads and sport every day? Ya those!
screen-shot-2016-09-27-at-2-20-21-pm

ALL the kicks! Doc Martens, Adidas, Puma, Chucks, high tops, all of ’em! The pink Docs are for Corinne because she has this exact pair and I keep telling her that she’s the coolest! The Adidas came in different colors, what was your favorite? I had the black and white ones and I have them now too, which feels silly like I’m in High School again but they’ve become cool again so there’s that. I had Converse too, but the Walmart kind. Being there were 3 of us and we all wanted starter jackets, track suits, and cool shoes, my parents opted for the less expensive options.

Instead we got starter jackets from teams we’d never heard of (like the Leprechauns), metallic felt pajamas, and knock off Converse- which much to our saddness, was NOT metallic and peeled easily. Thanks mom and dad, we contribute our resilience to our childhood and having to defend ourselves and our rando knock off jelly shoes.

They say that all trends come back into style, we rotate and recycle all things because that’s the way of fashion. So long as mismatched leg warmers, side ponies, and shoulder pads don’t come back, we’re all good!

What are some trends coming back into style that you’re loving?! Or hating?! 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

fallshoes31

Fall look 2: The Line Dance and The Off Duty Ballerina!

by with One Comment beautyfashionfoodlifestyle

Hello! Welcome back for part 2 of 6 of our #StayingOnTrend&StickingToABudget Fall inspired look book! Each week I’m taking one makeup trend and one hairstyle trend that you’ll see this Fall and putting them together with a full look! Today is a sleek and simple look, taking the top knot and the smokey eye and pairing them together for a casual business meeting. 


The ‘line dance’ makeup look is just like your everyday liner look, which ever you choose as your go to- it’s just a bit heavier and more consistent in form, with pencil on top pencil on bottom, or liquid on top liquid on bottom. Whether you wing it out, make the line thin or thick, it’s all about the liner and less about the rest of the face. I opted to go with my pencil kohl liner on both top and bottom, and per the usual I would wing it out a bit at the ends but this time I didn’t. Instead I smudged it with a slanted brush and swept a golden brown color under my bottom lashes, kept my lips pretty neutral, and also unlike me, I PUT MY HAIR UP! Like what?! 

Yes I totally put my hair up today! I’m a hair down kinda girl….everyday. But this ‘off duty ballerina’ is just a top knot, clean version of a bun. More sleek, less loose pieces, more spray! It took me about 30 seconds to achieve this top bun and about 30 pounds of hairspray 😉 I used my fingers to comb through my hair pulling it all up in a pony tail and then by method of ‘twist, turn, tuck’ I achieved the look you see here 😀 Then I popped on my Free People head piece and my hair and makeup was done! 

For my outfit to go with this hair and makeup look, I kept it casual and comfortable with my JustFab jumper and jacket, and my Calvin Klein snake print pumps. Best day look and in under ten minutes from head to toe, I think I’ve accomplished the impossible! For the tutorial on this look, head on over to my beauty channel here where I show you step by five minute step just how to get this look, and all under $20! I used all drug store brand makeup with the exception of my eye liner which is from Makeup Forever. For the life of me I couldn’t find my Revlon one bah!

Makeup items for this look: 
Sonia Kashuk Luminous foundation in Buff Chamois
Pro Conceal concealer in light 
Makeup Forever eyeliner pencil in Zero
Physicians Formula Shimmer Palette
Loreal Voluminous black mascara by Miss Manga
ELF contouring blush and bronzing powder duo 
EOS lip balm 
Dove hairspray

Thank you for sharing part of your afternoon with me! Happy Fall makeup happenings and I’ll see you next week for ‘Bare Minimum’ and the ‘Gym Sleek’, oh yes….the gym sleek. Let’s do this!


Bear hugs, 

Jess

Metallic1

Fall Trends: The Metallic Touch and the New Wave- On Trend On A Budget!

by with No Comment beautyfashionfoodlifestyle

So I’ve been evoking Fall weather to come around sooner than later with my wishful thinking and playing ‘layered dress up’ in this L.A. heat!!! There are just so many things I love about the Fall season beyond pumpkin spiced EVERYTHING, cooler weather, and the holidays of course. I love Fall fashion…I love layering, I love finding my own style among all of the styles that come out that’s unique to my personality. I am in no means a professional stylist, I won’t even claim to know what I’m doing, but I do know what I like and I know I like to stay on trend and on a budget! 

I researched forever, the new styles in both fashion and beauty that we can expect to see this Fall season. Taking it from “the runway to the hallway” as I like to call it, I got SO inspired to combine them, two at a time and show you using all drug store brand makeup products. You can use whatever brand or product you have or love, but I just want to show that you can totally stay on trend and stick to a budget. Thank you Glamour, Cosmo and the umpteen other places I googled and searched to find these for you all. I was a research machine! The Metallic Touch makeup look will be everywhere this Fall season, it’s just adding a touch of shimmer to your look. Whether it be to your eyelids, the inner corner of your eyes, or even your lips which I did here. You choose how you want to glimmer and so I chose all three! And the New Wave hairstyle, another popular one for this Fall season is a spin on classic bohemian wave look, but with a bit more polish to it. If you want to see how I did this look head on over to my channel here and watch how I combine both looks to bring you this! 

 I had an event to go to this day so I wore this hair and makeup look with a very classy sophisticated dress that I’ve had for a while but didn’t know what do to with. It’s this blue chiffon, sleeveless, A-line dress that features this high neck ribbon tied back.  I belted it with this beaded belt from Francheska’s boutique, wore navy blue tights underneath, and for my shoes I wore my daughter’s Oxfords from Aldo’s in Ox Blood (she’s the coolest). It’s a very sophisticated and chic look, I pinned my hair back for a different look than I’m used to and headed out the door! 

For my makeup: The Metallic Touch

Maybelline Fit Me Foundation stick in 220
Maybelline concealer in Buff Chamois 
Revlon ColorStay eyeliner in Cocoa
Loreal Miss Manga voluminous mascara 
NYX eyeshadow pot in Top Notch 
Rimmel Glam Eyes liquid eyeliner 
Physicians Formula shimmer strips palette in Warm Nude 
Maybelline Fit Me blush in Medium Pink
NYX lip liner in Natural #810
EOS lipbalm

For my hair: The ‘New’ Wave 
Dove pure care dry hair oil 
Dove hair therapy hair spray
Con Air 1 inch barrel curling iron

For specifics on who when where why and how, head on over to my channel, it’s a quick 5 minute look that you can do to feel beautiful, stay on trend, and stick to that budget! That’s a triple threat if I ever did see one! I hope you enjoy this look, this is look ONE of SIX. So next will be the ‘Off duty ballerina’ paired with the ‘Line Dance’ makeup look, the ‘lashes out’ and the ‘braids and twists’, the ‘glow getter’ and the ‘pony tails rule’, the ‘bare minimum’ and the ‘center stage’, ‘color theory’ and the ‘gym sleek’, and the ’60’s Inspired’ paired with the ‘Mod Squad’ makeup look. I cannot wait to show you these looks and my spin on them. I’m also pairing each tutorial with an outfit so you can see how I wear the look out and about, what my Fall fashion will look like when I do these looks, and how easily you can do them too! 

I’m really excited for this series and to share them with you, so thank you so much for reading, and happy Fall season to youuuu! *me evoking Fall again*



Hugs, 

Jess