the thigh gap

Feet together… thighs apart. ugh. It used to be collar bones and hip bones and now... it's the thigh gap. If you haven't heard of or noticed the thigh gap before, you will now {sorry}. 

 A small space between your thighs is apparently the next best thing to clear skin, shiny hair, and a small waist. I think the thigh gap has become such a craze since leggings have become pants. 

Now that some spring break diets have started {for some smart crazies}, how can we get that gap?!

{Id be cool with her abs, too}

Robyn Lawley is an Australian model {who is stunnnnning} but is on the opposite end of this spectrum. Her thighs "kiss" and she is proud of it. This curvy voluptuous model has an important message that everyone {thigh gap or not} should listen to. She said, "I want my thighs to be bigger and stronger. I want to run faster and swim longer. I suppose we all just want different things, but women have enough pressure as it is without the added burden of achieving a “thigh gap.” ... We have the power to change perceptions about body image—and we have the power to stop harmful trends like the “thigh gap."

1. Kim Kardashian

2. Beyonce

3. Hillary Duff

4. Jennifer Lopez

5. Jennifer Lawrence

6. Tyra Banks

7. Kate Winslet

8. Hayden Panettiere

What do these eight beautiful & in shape women have in common.. NO THIGH GAP! Not to beat a dead horse… but… you can be beautiful without the gap.

There are a few ways to help you achieve this highly coveted space between your legs but a lot of it {unfortunately} is left to genetics. Most often, you can't have a great a$$ and a thigh gap... it's only fair girls, you really shouldn't be able to have it all. 

Iffffff, you still want to give the thigh gap a shot… here are some exercises we have collaborated that can help you achieve this look. 

If you are giving the thigh gap a shot: good luck & may the odds be ever in your favor

If you are thinking "hell to the no!": MORE POWER TO YOU.

xo

Skin care routine

In a recent post about random products that are good for your skin I listed a few things that are probably around your house that you can easily implement into your skin care routine! After trying a few different combinations of these products I have found the perfect combination of products that I really love. Keep reading if you are interested in seeing how I combined the previously mentioned products!

As previously mentioned using these products can leave your skin red or irritated for an hour or so after using them so I recommend doing these things at night when your skin will have time to recover before applying makeup. 

MY ROUTINE:

Remove make up with an olay face wipe {4-in-1 daily face cloth} before using any of these products. Removing makeup from the skin is like starting with a clean slate and will allow the products to actually clean your skin and get into your pores instead of simply removing the makeup. Once my skin is free of most of my makeup I cleanse my skin with my cleanser recipe.

My cleanser "recipe": Combine a quarter size amount of Cetaphil cleanser with two drops of lemon juice and gently apply to skin in circular motions. Rinse off with luke warm water.

Now that my makeup is definitely all gone, the next step is to exfoliate. Your skin type and sensitivity will determine how often your skin should be exfoliated. Some people can exfoliate daily without any irritation and some can only exfoliate once a week. With my skin so dry at the moment I have been exfoliating every other day.

My exfoliator "recipe": Combine 1TBSP of baking soda with a few drops of warm water and a drop of Vitamin E oil. Rub this combination all over your damp skin {avoiding your eye area} in circular motions for as long as you feel necessary {don't exceed 5 minutes}. Once you are done exfoliating rinse your skin with luke warm water and make sure none of the baking soda granules are still on your skin. 

Now that your pores are open and clean, use some kind of toner to do a last cleaning and close the pores to avoid dust or dirt getting back into your pores. My favorite toner at the moment is by simple and it is a "soothing facial toner" that is 100% alcohol free.

I apply this with small gauze pads as they are not as absorbent as cotton balls. I was noticing a while back that a majority of my toner was being absorbed by the cotton ball and wasting the product before I could even apply it to my skin. 

Once I have toned my skin I like to apply a moisturizer Vitamin E combination to help moisturize my skin and reduce acne scarring. The moisturizer I am IN LOVE WITH right now is the Clinique "moisture surge extended thirst relief" it is quite pricey but it is so thick and it absorbs straight into my skin which I love. If you go to any Clinique counter they will give you a sample to try before committing to the product. I use about a dime sized amount of moisturizer and a TEENY TINY drop of vitamin E oil. The oil is incredibly thick and sticky so you really only need a small drop. Before applying the combination to my face I rub the moisturizer and oil together in my fingers and then apply all over my face.

After applying the moisturizer {and letting it soak in!} I apply a combination of baking soda and lemon juice to any pimples or problem areas on my face. Depending on how many blemishes you have on your skin will determine the amount of "zit zapper" that you need but make sure the consistency is thick and pastey. I leave this on my skin all night to help reduce inflammation and clear out my infected pores.

When I wake up in the morning I use my cleanser recipe to remove the "zit zapper" and any dust, dirt, or bacteria my skin has accumulated throughout the night!

Thanks for reading xo

*none of the above photos are our own*

Not-So-Common Products For Your Skin

If you are anything like me, this crazy polar vortex {huh?} that has been encompassing the country has left your skin and lips very dry. I have been researching many different kinds of natural exfoliants that can help with acne as well {two birds, one stone}!

The first not-so-common products that I have discovered is baking soda it has TONS of uses beyond what you expect in the kitchen.

• Baking soda can be used as a face wash when combined with warm water, it will create a thick paste that is perfect as a gentle cleanser. 
• When rubbed into your skin in gentle circular strokes it also acts as an exfoliant. If you have dry skin at the moment this is the perfect way to help rid your skin of dead cells and dry skin. If you already have a cleanser that you love {or you need a little more strength than just water}, add a little baking soda to the cleanser before washing your face. 
• Last but not least I have found that if you leave the thick paste {of water and baking soda} on your face for 5 to 10 minutes it acts as a face mask; helping fight acne and remove black heads!

Next up, lemon juice! The acidity in lemon juice is perfect as a natural astringent to help unclog pores.

• Use lemon juice as or in your cleanser. Consuming lemon juice orally hasn't been proven to be as effective as direct application to the skin. 
• The acidity in lemon juice also acts as a natural exfoliant as it helps remove dead skin cells and unclog pores. This is the perfect exfoliant for someone whose skin is too raw to use any kind of exfoliator with texture.

My new favorite is Vitamin E. Vitamin E is a fat soluble vitamin which means it can easily cross the cell membrane and and absorb locally. I bought pure Vitamin E oil at CVS or Walgreens for less than $8.00 and it will last me FOREVER. I have been using it for about 3 months now and you can barely tell I have used any at all.

• Vitamin E {like many other vitamins} is great not only just for acne but for your body in general. Vitamin E is associated with healthy skin and reduced inflammation.
• Vitamin E has also been proven to help reduce scarring {including acne scarring}.

Using these products can leave your skin red or irritated for an hour or so after using them. I recommend doing these things at night which will allow your skin time to recover before applying makeup.

So many makeup videos so little time....

So with a bunch of new found time {that I should be using to study...} I have spent a ridiculous amount of time watching makeup videos on YouTube. This newly found addiction has caused me to kill my computer battery {numerous times}, spend copious amounts of money on makeup {because if they use it... I HAVE to have it}, spend countless hours in Sephora, and lose sleep because I have to keep watching. I want to share with you a few of my favorites at the moment and hopefully you think they are as awesome as I do! With that being said, I have warned you about how addicting this habit can be.


Proceed with CAUTION....

So, if you have continued this far down you, {like me} want to know more about this crazy world of makeup. I began watching makeup videos by Carli Bybel {her youtube channel is here} and it is completely her fault that I became so addicted. She is such a sweet person {because we are such bffs now} and is so incredibly talented.

She uses all kinds of makeup from EVERYWHERE. Being the makeup snob that I am {well used to be}, I always thought the key to doing your makeup well was to have expensive makeup and top of the line brushes. Carli {first name basis} has makeup of great quality and most of it she finds at drugs stores for not much money. She does, however, use quality brushes that can be pretty pricey. One of the things I love about Carli is that she shows drug store alternatives to any of the pricier products she is using in her videos {including brushes}.

{Carli is also very talented when it comes to hair! So if you are looking to learn some more things in the hair department, she is your girl!}

If you check her out on YouTube you will see that she does use quite a lot of makeup and it is frequently pretty dark. I always take what she does and alter it slightly so it not quite so much. 

The next makeup queen I fell in love with {sorry Carli, I'm cheating...} is Jaclyn Hill. Her videos {youtube channel here} are mostly makeup focused. She works at MAC so she mostly features their products but if she likes another brand {drugstore brands included} she is not afraid to tell you. I am a MAC lover {just like Jaclyn... bffs} so if she says she loves another brand more... I have learned to take her word for it. 

Since Jaclyn's eye shadow tends to be VERY dark {recently}, I mostly watch her foundation and contouring videos. 

She is a HUGE sigma brush fan, so I just had to try them out. I tend to either buy cheap cheap brushes {less than $15} or expensive brushes {over $35} because I'm usually in the mood to spend $$$ or I'm not. BUT, Jaclyn has taught me to buy brushes that are right in the middle. The first two brushes I ordered were the ones she uses in most of her contouring videos because {like I said} if she uses it... I HAVE to use it. I have found that the brushes are awesome and are of great quality. I am a total Sigma brush addict now and I have a feeling if you watch Jaclyn's videos you will be too! 

Last but definitely not least is Lauren Curtis {youtube channel here}. Lauren is a blonde {like me}  so she typically does makeup that is lighter and therefore more flattering on me {opinion}. She, like Carli and Jaclyn, is extremely talented and has caused my vanity to be full and my bank account to be empty. 

One of my favorite videos from Lauren is her Makeup Do's and Dont's. I would definitely recommend watching this video because it really is incredible how she can make herself look so drastically different and just how important it is to know how to do makeup. 

Her contouring videos are also really helpful because they are less dramatic than Cali and Jaclyn's and they go into detail about where all those colors and shades go on your face.

Well, that's a wrap on my fave YouTube famous makeup artists. Hope you enjoy watching their videos and learn from these incredibly talented gals. If you find any other makeup artists on YouTube that you love, PLEASE post in the comments below {need to keep feeding my addiction}.

xo

The Perfect Fall Nails

Fall is full of boots, socks, and sweaters but the perfect way to pull together any fall outfit is with a great nail color. Finding the perfect red, a deep enough purple, and a grey enough grey can be quite the task so we have created a collection of all of our favorite fall nail polishes.

Let us know what your faves this season are!!!

xo
PS

Not your typical fall layering

Fall layering isn't just for sweaters... stacking and layering bracelets is also just as important. Finding the perfect series of watches, bangles, and bracelets is essential for the perfect arm candy! Here are some images to inspire you:

Everyone stacks a little differently but we enjoy arm candy with a variety of texture, color, and size but we like simplicity at the same time. To create this effortless but unmatching series of bracelets it is a good idea to stay with the same color metals throughout {gold or silver?}. It is also smart to only have 4 or 5 pieces {in our opinion} because it gets overwhelming and tacky looking when you see a girl with her entire forearm covered in bangles and bracelets.

It is also essential to find one {Yes, only ONE... well, okay maybe two} statement piece in your series. Have a stunning watch or a gorgeous bangle and then mix and match with some less expensive pieces throughout. 

Here are some of our faves on the more expensive side:

An awesome place to find inexpensive arm candy elements is groopdealz.com. We were recently sent a super cute bracelet with some serious bling. The bracelet {while on the deal} was only $2.99. The deals usually last only one week so you have to get the items while they are on deal. They change them up pretty regularly so keep checking!

This bangle is on groop dealz for only 6 more days!

Francesca's also has some fun bracelets that are SUPER affordable. They are very hip with the trends and when you are paying about $9.00 a bracelet it is very reasonable to buy some new ones with the seasons. They also usually are doing a buy one get one 50% off deal as well!

Alex & Ani is also a company which makes bangles with initials, horoscopes, greek letters, and much much more. These bangles are the perfect addition to your set of bracelets and they are very personal as well. 

And... if you like monograms {like us} here are some adorable monogram bracelets

Etsy link here

Only $12.50!

Hope this helps you with your stacking this fall. Comment below with feedback, we love to hear from you. 

xo