Be Willing to Celebrate Your Beauty

My entire life I have never been one to get too much into makeup or skin care products. Yes, I wear makeup, but that daily routine consists of a little concealer, eyeliner, mascara, and some foundation powder. The {kind of} gross truth, is that I've also *never* had a skin care routine, and rarely was even washing my face before bed. When I asked a friend about her regimen, her response was, "Ashley, you MIGHT want to start washing the makeup off your face before bed....just a thought." Okay, okay, I finally have realized that I need to redo how I take care of my skin. 

As I approach thirty, I'm not going to lie to you and say that I don't care that I am aging. The truth is, I DO care. Where did my twenties go?!? Why didn't I appreciate my smooth and line-less skin in those years? There is nothing wrong with getting older, I believe that. And I wouldn't go back and turn the clock, even if I could, because all of my years hold massive stories of wisdom and growth. But I'm discovering now more than ever, that without good skin care products, I'm also not really doing my skin any favors.

Willing Beauty approached me at THE perfect time, because I had literally been searching for something GREAT to try. As I said, I never had a good regimen to follow; a routine that I could get in the hang of repeating. Which is why I am LOVING the HY+5 products that they sent me. The regimen includes: 

Do Over Nourishing Cleanser

Two times a day, I use the cleanser. Yup, you got it, I finally have gotten in the rhythm of washing my face before getting into bed, and again in the morning when I wake. I don't wear makeup daily, especially now that it's summer; but I still like to make sure I get the daily grime off and this cleanser feels so good on my face.

Daydream Illuminating Day Moisturizer

Would you believe me if I told you I have NEVER used a moisturizer? Well wait, that's not 100% accurate. Back in my high school days I had terrible cystic acne and went through this god awful strong dosage of Accutane. My skin was so red and dry, for a short number of months I used a generic moisturizer. But literally never since then, and that's been what, fourteen years ago?! This moisturizer from Willing Beauty is NOT heavy, and my biggest perk, it doesn't leave my skin oily. 

Partner in Time Age-Defying Night Serum

This product along with the night cream, are my two favorites. It was designed to improve the elasticity of skin as well as to diminish the appearance of fine lines, After two+ weeks of using this system, my skin feels firmer and definitely smoother!

Get Set SPF 30 Tinted Primer

A primer that I put on before applying makeup, AND, if I don't wear any that day, I've been applying anyway. Hello, I live in Kentucky and with our incredibly hot and sunny days, I'm all about protecting my face. Like I've said, I haven't been good about this until now--I really think it's because I have this whole regimen that I've gotten better about caring for my face. I lay out the products on my bedside table, and it's just easy to follow the steps and remember to do them daily. 

Sleepover Replenishing Night Cream

I apply this cream immediately following the night serum, and every morning when I wake, I swear my face feels SO freekin' soft. This replenishing cream consists of moisture attracting molecules and stimulates collagen. 

You can read more about Willing Beauty's story here, and I really encourage you to do so. While they gifted me with my products, this post is not sponsored; I just love them THAT much! I am definitely hooked on the HY+5 challenge, and firmly believe that these will be long term products for me. Anyone else not the greatest at self care? Well, I say it's time we change that, don't you?? Be willing to celebrate your beauty, inside and out!

**Thank you, Willing Beauty for these amazing products!!**

Brows + Beauty: A Day with Dollface

When my girl Chelcey texted and asked if I'd be down for an afternoon of self-care and coffee, you better BELIEVE I said hellz YES! We booked an appointment with Jess, founder and licensed esthetician at Dollface Brows & Beauty, and got in right away. Jess moved here from NYC, and after just five minutes of shooting the breeze with her, I felt like I had known her for wayyy longer. Chelcey and I sat side by side, had our brows tinted and tweezed, and left feeling like new women! 

Located right in the heart of NULU (and next to Please & Thank You), this quaint and cute shop is just what you AND your eyebrows need. Make it a girls day, a YOU day, a no-title-necessary day, and give Jess a shoutout. And seriously, how fabulous is her space?!

Here's some shots of my process [Chelcey snapped these and I took those above of her!]:

I have never had my brows tinted before and honestly had no idea what that meant prior to this day-date, but Jess explained everything to me and seriously, I LOVE them. I had been filling them in lightly for the past few months or so because I've noticed they've gotten SO sparse and haven't grown in correctly since all my thyroid issues? And they look 100x better now. Thank you, Jess, and thank you, Chelcey for a fun Saturday! 

True Beauty

I was recently asked a question that I have since, pondered a lot: "If you could give your daughter one beauty tip, what would it be?"

Well, before I could answer this, I had to first decide, what IS beauty? The answer ranges so diversely for all of us. And with social media so prevalent, we have the ability to control how we want ourselves to be portrayed. What you think is beautiful, I might not. But I think even in our differences, we can come to a common ground: beauty is the heart. What's your day-to-day look like? Do you love others well? Do you treat those around you with love and respect? What is your heart thinking? If there was a way we could see it outside your chest, what are the types of things it would be filled with? Jealousy, anger, resentment, conceit, lust, selfishness, pride... I think we all agree that those are not beautiful characteristics. 

So then, what do I want to teach my children about beauty? I have two toddlers and I want to teach them both very similar things, but I have to say that there is definitely more of an emphasis on how my daughter will learn this concept and that she will learn much of it from me. This makes sense, not because my husband is absent or hands-off (he is such the opposite of that!) but because every single day she watches me very intently. At two-and-a-half, she watches me put on makeup and mimics everything I do. She uses the powder brush across her cheeks, she pretends to put on mascara and to straighten or curl her hair. She is observing every single thing I do to get ready. As she grows older, my intent is to teach her that beauty is not the products she puts on--these things are okay; clearly, I enjoy wearing makeup, but they do not define her. I want her to find beauty in her strength, her laughter, her joy, her adventurous soul. Because if at the end of the day, she grows up and only thinks she is beautiful by the worlds' definition, I have failed.

I want my daughter to know that over the years, she will endure many changes. Whether she has children of her own or not, her body will go through so many transformations. She never knew the Ashley before babies. She doesn't yet notice my stretch marks, nor does she know that they are a part of me that didn't used to be. Will she fear marks of her own? Or will she see that her mom can love herself in spite of them, so she then can too...At two-and-a-half, she doesn't see fault. She doesn't know about numbers on a scale and she isn't yet insecure how clothes fit. As she grows, I want to help her embrace the fact that though her opinion of those things may change, her heart holds the most beauty.

As a toddler, her heart is so sweet. She is sensitive and right now, has many fears that she is working bravely to overcome (like her paranoia of bugs!) She has a servant's heart, replying with, "Sure!" and "Okay!" when asked to do a chore. She has the desire to make people happy, to love us and her brother well. She adores to be held and to cuddle- last night as we rocked, she stroked the sides of my cheek so softly as I sang her nightly lullaby. What will her heart be when she is five? What will she be as a teenager? Outward beauty is subjective; the texture of our skin, it changes. Some of us get stretch marks, others don't. The composure of our hair, that changes too. Our body types--all so different, so unique. But our inward beauty, I pray that still shines. I hope that even when she questions the body she is given, that she will thank her Creator for giving her such a beautiful and strong heart and soul.

It is no small task, raising a daughter. She will forever look to me, with her inquisitive hazel eyes; and when she does, I pray she sees a woman who encouraged her to pursue her passion, who helped her use her voice in times of weakness and who loved the heck out of her every step of the way. My one beauty tip that I give to my daughter then, is to start with simply seeking a beautiful heart.