The Blush Blonde

Wednesday, July 13, 2016

What to Wear: City Day Trip

My Mom and I are heading into New York City for the day to walk around, eat some amazing food, and see the Rockettes New York Spectacular. It is going to be hot, hot, hot in the city today and it took me two minutes to decide what to wear. Since it took no time to pick out my outfit it made me realize that there are a few pieces that are perfect to wear when you're taking a day trip to NYC, or really any other city, in the summertime (I work a similar look in Baltimore!). Below I'm breaking down my summer city day trip fashion essentials for you.

Romper- A romper is the perfect thing to wear for a day trip; it's super easy to throw on and you only have to deal with one piece all day. Not to mention it's cool and breezy for warm summer days. You'll be really comfortable, but look fashionable and on trend at the same time.

Sunglasses- Sunglasses are an absolute must to shield your eyes from the sun. The sun not only damages our skin, but our eyes too so it's important to protect them. Large sunnies, like these, will help to keep the sun off your eyes and skin around your eyes too.

Converse- I have this pair of slip on Converse and they are incredibly comfortable. I can walk around in these all day without any aches, pains, or blisters, which is important when exploring a city. The other great thing about these is that they keep your feet covered and clean!

Studs- Studs are an easy accessory to wear when you're exploring. They're lightweight and you'll forget you're even wearing them while you're out and about!

Just put together this simple look and you're fashionable and ready for your day of fun! What do you love to wear for a day trip?

Make sure to add me on Snapchat - @kthomp22!

Tuesday, July 12, 2016

Tuesday Ten: Beauty Sleep

Who doesn't want to wake up looking gorgeous? I mean #iwokeuplike this anyone?! Well the good news is that one of the best times to work your beauty magic is when you're sleeping. By doing a few easy things before you hit the bed you'll not only wake up looking better, but you'll make your life easier too. Below I have a my ten favorite sleeping beauty hacks and I promise that if you follow these these super simple steps you will wake up looking even more beautiful!

1. Put your hair up.

I highly recommend putting your hair up at night before going to sleep. When you put your hair up, whether in it in a bun, ponytail, or braid, you keep your hair out of your face and stop the oils and products in your hair from sitting on your skin all night. By doing this you prevent breakouts and keep your skin cleaner. Just make sure to use a non metal hair tie (I actual prefer scrunchies for nighttime), keep your hairstyle loose, and not to put your hair up in the same spot every night to prevent breakage.

2. Wear a sleeping mask.

I am totally and completely in love with sleeping masks! They have really changed my skin for the better and are a must have product for me. Sleeping masks are gentle treatments that are meant to be left on the skin for long periods of time and therefore they do not contain any harsh ingredients. They're great for hydrating and repairing skin while you sleep. Cleanse your face like normal and then smooth on a thick layer of a sleeping mask, allow it to soak in for about ten minutes before getting it bed, and wash off in the morning. If you're looking to try one out I recommend starting with these, and if you're ready to commit to a larger size this one is my absolute favorite.

3. Treat your hair.

Since you typically sleep for several hours at night it is the perfect time to put a treatment in your hair to help with split ends, dryness, or other hair issues. While you sleep your hair has plenty of time (much more than if you were to do this during the day!) to soak up all the benefits of the treatment you put in. I love putting coconut, jojoba, or olive oil in my hair before bed, but make sure to change your pillowcase in the morning when you do this! If you don't want to put oil in your hair this is a great alternative and depending on how much you put on it doesn't have to be washed out in the morning (it will also make your hair smell really good!).

4. Spot treat.

Have a pimple? Before bed clean off the area after moisturizing your face, I like to take a little witch hazel on a q-tip and clean the pimple, and then apply a spot treatment. By treating a pimple before you go to bed you're giving the medicine ample time to penetrate the zit and get the medicine deep within the pore to help clean it out. This is my favorite spot treatment and this is another great option.

5. Combat dark circles.

Apply an eye cream for dark circles at the end of your skincare routine to help treat and prevent dark circles. This allows the cream to absorb and work its magic all night, which will lead to optimal results. If you're looking for a good eye cream for dark circles check this one out. Also if eye puffiness is something you struggle with in the morning place another pillow under your head while you sleep so the fluids that cause puffiness can drain from your face.

6. Condition your lashes.

Since you're not wearing any makeup while you sleep it is the perfect time to condition your eyelashes. Conditioning your lashes helps to prevent breakage by strengthening them. This will help your lashes to grow longer and maintain a fuller look. While there are plenty of lash conditioning treatments you can purchase I like to use jojoba, castor, or coconut oil, or even Aquaphor on my lashes.

7. Help your brows grow.

I think we've all had a bad experience with our eyebrows before and whether they were made too thin, were uneven, or any other mishaps occurred we've wanted our brows to grow back quickly. The best way to get your brows to grow is with castor oil, which promotes growth! Just massage some castor oil into your brows and the surrounding areas every night to help your eyebrows to grow. I've used this trick on several occasions and it really does work. It also conditions your brows and strengthens the hairs.

8. Smooth your lips.

For me putting a thick lip balm on is a necessity at night. My lips are really, really dry and the only way I can prevent them from cracking and bleeding (even in the summer) is to smooth on a thick layer of this every night before bed. By putting on lip balm you hydrate and smooth your lips so they look better in the morning. A lip mask is also a great way to moisturize your lips while you sleep and I recommend checking this one out.

9. Put on body lotion.

Do you want super smooth skin on your body? Put on a layer of lotion on every night before bed. The lotion will condition and soften your skin while you sleep so you'll wake up to soft and smooth skin.

10. Moisturize your hands and feet.

Hands and feet tend to get really dry so putting lotion on them at night can help to repair that. I like to put a layer of a thick cream on my hands and feet before bed and the slip on a pair of socks and cotton gloves. The socks and gloves help to keep the moisture in and ensure that your hands and feet get a really deep conditioning.

What are your best sleeping beauty secrets?

Make sure to add me on Snapchat - @kthomp22!

Today I'm linking up with Tutu Tuesdays, and Confident Twosday.

Welcome to Tutu Tuesdays a linkup with The Blush Blonde and The Fairy Princess Diaries! Linkup whatever you'd like and make sure to do a little mingling - our goal here is to create a community of bloggers where we can all connect, find new blogs, and support one another. We love new friends, supporting other blogs, and meeting fellow girl bosses!

There are just a few rules we ask you follow to join in on Tutu Tuesdays:

1. Please follow both Jordyn and me, your lovely hosts, on Instagram and/or Bloglovin.

Kristin: The Blush Blonde | Bloglovin' | Instagram

Jordyn: The Fairy Princess Diaries | Bloglovin' | Instagram

2. Link to your specific post, not your blog's main page.

3. Grab our super cute button or share a link to Tutu Tuesdays in the post you are linking up so everyone can know about the party!

4. Have fun and mingle with other bloggers that have linked up! Like I said we want everyone to make new friends!

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Monday, July 11, 2016

Skincare 101: Skin Type

The most important part of skincare is deciphering your skin type. Without knowing this you're essentially blindly taking care of the most visible part of your body - your face. Once you do know your skin type though you can go about building a skincare routine to properly cleanse, tone, moisturize and treat the skin on your face. Using the right products will yield better results and get you that glowing skin we all want so badly!

My skin has changed a lot over the years and I have actually been three different types at various points in my life. In middle school I had oily skin, then in high school through early college I had combination skin, and the last few years I have developed very dry skin. Realizing that my skin type changed from combination to dry was the key to clearing up issues I had been experiencing and to get my skin looking great. While I'm usually pretty good at noticing changes in my skin I came to the realization of how dry my skin really is when I worked with an esthetician for a facial. If you can get to an esthetician or dermatologist they are wonderful at helping you identify your skin type. If you cannot get to one or prefer to do it yourself below, I am breaking down the five different skin types!

You have NORMAL skin if...you have small pores, rarely breakout, have no major sensitivities, your skin is balanced (neither oily or dry), and have few imperfections.

The basic product you should use are...a gentle lathering cleanser, an alcohol free toner, a moisturizer with SPF, and a nighttime moisturizer.