Beauty on the Go

Hey ya'll.

I'm in Texas right now, so that's a fitting greeting, right? Right. Basically, I'm traveling in a van towing a trailer across the United States for over six months. We hop from place to place every two weeks, often driving several hours a day a couple days a week to get to our next destination.

Up sides: I am traveling the U.S. and making new friends and seeing what there is to see.
Down sides: If I'm not careful I go around looking like a hobo.

With my short curly hair and pale as snow skin I've had crazy trouble looking presentable while on this trip. My hair seems prone to oiling up super fast no matter when I've washed it. It drives me nuts! As if that's not annoying enough, my skin does the same thing. It feels a little like they're conspiring against me.

So here's a couple tips for beauty on the go.

1) Invest in a spider clip, bobby pins, and simple beauty techniques
No matter long or short hair, bobby pins and a spider clip work wonders. Pull it up all messy like into the clip and pin down some fly aways and you've got yourself an instant classy laid back look. Learn some braiding and twisting techniques as well, it'll add dimension and intrigue to an otherwise drab look. If all else fails, slick it back into a tight ballerina bun or French twist. Chic and easy.

2) When you have the chance to shower, DO IT. 
Do not say no to a shower. When you have the chance, take it. 

3) Get some baby wipes
Use these to wash your face. Baby wipes are designed to be gentle on your skin, so these shouldn't make you break out and they'll help make it harder for dirt and oil to build up in your pores and create mass breakouts.

4) Take advantage of rest stops 
As unsavory as it sounds, go into that gas station bathroom and rinse your face with some real water. Make sure they have paper towels to dry your face off before you do otherwise that could end up really awkward. Also, bring a small bottle of mouth wash in with you. It'll make you feel so much better about the stinky snacks you're eating while on the road.

5) Wear comfy clothes on the drive. 
I have a pair of yoga sweats, leggings, and jeans that I love. You're going to be cramped in a small space for a large period of time, and you might be tired. You don't want tight material pinching your legs uncomfortably or bunching funny when you try to maneuver your way into a semi comfortable position to catch a nap. Wear a t-shirt you feel good in even after it's stretched a bit, and grab a jacket to throw on top or a scarf to make it an outfit when you stop to get out and stretch. Play around with what you have. Don't forget a pair of comfy shoes. I suggest a pair of easy slip on shoes. Seriously, take them off while in the car and then easily slip them right back on when you have to get out.

6) Get a good brand of dry shampoo that works for you. 
Dry shampoo absorbs oil and gives your roots a blast of volume. You can put it in the night before or let it sit in your hair for ten minutes the next morning, whatever works best for you.

7) Minimal make up 
I go without make up most traveling days. With how much I touch my face, or press my face against the window/pillow/seat, it rubs into my pores and causes nasty breakouts. If I want to look more than a ghost of myself I'll splash on some blush and a little brown eye shadow as eyeliner. Other than that, I go bare faced. If you're in a sunny area, spend some time tanning your face. It'll help bring out rosy tones in your skin and give you a more healthy glowing look.

8) Wash and moisturize your face 
Always wash your face at the end of the day. If you don't have running water, use a water bottle to wet a rag or something. GET IT DONE. You'll thank me later. Then, use a moisturizer of your choice.  Hydrate that skin.

9) Drink as much water as your bladder will allow 
Don't dehydrate yourself while you're on a road trip. It's worth the extra bathroom breaks to keep yourself hydrated. It's good for your skin, it's good for your body, and you'll feel good. Okay? Okay.

10) Exercise a little. 
Did you know exercise can actually help even out your skin tone? If that's not enough of an incentive, remember that sitting in the car all day hurts your back and can leave you feeling a little pudgy by the end of the trip. Avoid the worst of it! You might feel stupid, but when you're out of the car do some jumping jacks. Do some sit ups. Get out your wiggles. Stretch. Exercise!

11) Prepare to not care 
No matter what you do, you'll probably end up a little bedraggled. That's okay, own it! Look confident and nobody will question you (too much). Think of it this way: They're going about their average lives and you're on vacation. HA!

~La vie est belle, Bri~

All Things Pixie

Tips for Having a Pixie

Disclaimer: For those of you searching for pros and cons of a pixie, short hair is NOT easier than long hair, it takes ten times more effort! If you're going to cut your hair, be prepared.

Research
When I cut my hair, I didn't do the research that I should have. Things such as different ways to style your pixie at the length that it is, as well as how to grow it out, different accessories, etc. Check out Pinterest and Google!

Appearance and Confidence
I will start out by saying if you're getting a pixie, EMBRACE YOUR FEMININE SIDE. I know, that's a little backwards since you're cutting all your hair off, but as a girl with short hair, if you don't want to be mistaken for a lesbian, you will have to up your game in the make up and wardrobe department. Maybe this won't be a problem for you, but this was tough for me because not only was I used to wearing baggy t-shirts and little to no make up, I felt like my head was suddenly too small for my body. Once I got rid of  the baggy boy t-shirts for something more "feminine", I felt ten times better about how I looked.
I don't mean you always have to dress up and be "soft" all the time, I certainly didn't, but here are some suggestions for the days you just want to be pretty;
Defined eyebrows and some contouring in your cheek bones can make a huge difference in how you look and feel. 
Try some jewelry; dangly earrings, necklaces, and a couple bracelets to spice up an outfit and say "I'm a girl".
High heels and dresses or flirty skirts are also some fun options that you could take advantage of!
If you're more of a t-shirt kind of person, go for something more fitted with a couple accessories. Casual and comfortable, but still slightly girly.

Experiment
Try out different gels, hair accessories, clips, etc. If you have a pixie cut, you're probably on the spunky side so have fun with it! Don't let the world's expectations ruin YOUR haircut. Soft and feminine or spiked and spunky, you choose.

Well, there's my ten cents about pixie cuts out of the many posts about them across the interwebs. Don't just take my word for it, go do your research! YouTube, Pinterest, Google!

~La vie est belle, Bri~

IT'S FALL EVERYBODY!

Summer flew by, and I might as well be the first to say that a lot of my fitness goals weren't entirely achieved. Then again, they were just goals. And big ones, too. I'm not going to beat myself up about it because I'm still trying to meet them, it's just taking a lot longer than just the summer.

And there's the added plus of me sort of loving my body right now, too. Booyah. (Except for some slightly pesky love handles).

The days are getting colder and shorter. I'm so excited. This is honestly my favorite time of year. The colors are gorgeous, the air has that perfect nippy chill in it, and everyone gets all bundled up and warm during the easiest fashion time of the year. You can basically dress in leggings and an over-sized sweater with your hair in whatever messed up state you woke up in and you're in style and adorable. Seriously, who doesn't love that?

I myself have already worn a tunic-like shirt I got from Elle, leggings, and long purple socks underneath a pair of brown boots, a rusty colored orange long sleeve turtleneck with leggings and aforementioned brown boots, and the usual jeans and long sleeve sweater with my lovely and TOTALLY NOT UGLY Uggs. And yes, I did look adorable, thankyouverymuch.

Welcome to fall everybody.

P.S. Stay tuned for a post about my hair! 

 ~La vie est belle, Bri~

No Poo to you too!

I'm here to preach.

Just kidding. Sort of.

Most women have one small thing that they have control over, that they obsess with. I mean things like, the well being of your toenails, or they take pride in their tan, or their eyes. You get the picture. Me? It's my hair. My hair is my baby, and I take care of it better than anything else.

There are a lot of things I've done to take care of my hair over the past few years. My hair is(was) really damaged, because I went through this crazy hair dyeing phase a few years ago where I dyed the bottom layer of my hair cherry red. It was really cool, and I'd still be doing it if I wasn't 18. Oh, and if it hadn't completely destroyed my hair. ;) This required bleaching it often, and then depositing a highly pigmented dye onto my hair every few weeks. I didn't do it as often as I was supposed to, because I was concerned for my poor hair...when I stopped dyeing my hair, I went it to defensive mode with my hair, trying to repair the damage. I'm proud to report that my hair is pretty dang healthy now. That's due to a LOT of things that I do for my hair, but I'm gonna talk about only one of these things. One fairly new thing.

No Poo.

If you frequent the Beauty and Health boards on Pinterest, you probably know to what I'm referring. to clarify, it's no SHAMpoo.

The main reason I tried it is just because I wanted to try it. I'd heard a LOT of good reviews, and I thought, why not?

Here's MY results, take them for what you wish:

-My hair is considerably less frizzy/dry.

-My hair doesn't get as oily as quickly.

-My hair feels AMAZING.

-My hair doesn't get a post-shampoo funky smell.


Okay, dissection time. Pretend you're in highschool biology for a minute...

-My hair is considerably less frizzy/dry. Let me give you two thousand words or so on this.

I'm using this first picture as a "before" picture. This is the best representation of my frizzy hair. It wasn't always this frizzy, depending on the month, but this is a general idea of how frizzy my hair usually was. My older sister likes to call me Hermione, for this exact reason. My hair gets big. The biggest problem is cuz I like to let my hair air dry.

Noooow for my after pictures. *drumroll* This one is one I took on Saturday. Please notice how, not only is it significantly less frizzy, but my curls are a lot nicer.

And dis one I took like, 5 minutes ago, just for you. Funny lighting, my hair looks a different color. Forgive meh.

The basic idea is that my hair is a LOT nicer. I've been doing No Poo for about a month, and it's the only thing I've changed in my hair care, because I wanted to properly gauge it's effect. I'm still using the same hair toner, I take the same amount of Biotin, and I still use the same amount of heat on my hair. NOTHING else has changed. My hair has just decided to de-frizz.


-My hair doesn't get as oily as quickly. You'd think this contradicts the last one, since my hair isn't as dry anymore. The magic in No Poo is that it doesn't strip your natural oils, so they don't reproduce as quickly, therefore leaving you with less oily hair. My second day hair doesn't required ANY dry shampoo any more. Not even my bangs.


-My hair feels AMAZING. You'd have to come to New Mexico to attest to this one. Just take my word for it. It feels super soft. Even my ends, which are generally the driest part of my hair.


-My hair doesn't get a post-shampoo funky smell. I don't know if anyone else gets this smell. Maybe it depends on the shampoo, or the person. But occasionally, by the end of the day(rarely) or on second day hair, my hair would smell...funky. Like, not like it would STINK, but if you smelled it, it wouldn't be pleasant. I wouldn't let people touch my hair unless I'd washed it like, 10 minutes prior. Usually. My second day hair doesn't even smell. At all.


The only downfall I see to this, is that my hair doesn't have any nice fragrances from the shampoo, like strawberries or cucumber or Koala food. BUT I've heard you can put a few drops of essential oil on your hair brush, which will make your hair smell nice. Never tried this, but YOU could.

Last thing, my friends. My older sister is a cosmetologist and worked at a high end salon for two years before college. I called her to verify the idea behind No Poo, just to make sure it wouldn't be damaging at all. And she said that not only was it not harmful, that the science behind it made perfect sense and that it would be GOOD for my hair.

I was sold.

http://coderedhat.com/no-poo-method/

That's the article I learned from.

It's simple. You shampoo with baking soda and water, and then condition with vinegar and water.

It's amazing. You can thank me later.

The Wardrobe of a Lazy Bum

Yesterday I wore a green Front Site t-shirt that my parents gave me and an old pair of jeans (not pictured) that came from Old Navy.



Today I wore a purple t-shirt that I got from old navy and my trusty jeans from V.V.

And, I left my hair curly. And you couldn't imagine how many people were surprised that I have curly hair....I mean, seriously...

Anyway, I am tired. Good night.

Ick.

Today was an "ew" day, or at least an "ew" evening. By the time I bothered to take a picture of my outfit, it was 9:30 and I had gone a bike ride and gotten sweaty gross and yeah. Not attractive at all.

*grumbling to self* I should have taken Bri's advice. I should have taken my mother's advice, but noooooooo, I had to go do my own thing. *sigh*

I cut my bangs.

^^ That would be my severely annoyed face.

Someday, I'll have hair I don't hate.

Jeans: AE yardsale

Navy Lace Tanktop: Old Navy, stole froma friend

Linen Top Thing: Value Village

Doop de doop

Okay, so I decided that since it's cloudy I'd wear a long sleeved shirt. And I also want to look more mature because I *cough* have an interview for a job.



And I really need the job.



So, the pink undershirt and the pink over shirt I got from sister.
The pants are from VV.
And....I cut my hair.