When I started blogging seven years ago, the only topic I covered was fashion. I was coming straight out of an internship at a major fashion house in NYC, and I only wanted to chat about all things clothes and accessories. Over the years, I’ve expanded to a few other verticals: including travel, lifestyle, and beauty.
Admittedly, I’ve never considered myself to be a beauty expert. However, fashion and beauty go hand-in-hand, and I’ve been fortunate enough to try a ton of skin, hair and beauty products over the years. When I say a ton, I mean an excessive amount. Here are the beauty tips and tricks I’ve learned over the years by trying out all the things!
MY FAVORITE BEAUTY TIPS AND TRICKS
Keep Your Eye Creams in the Fridge
I was introduced to eye cream because of this very blog — I’ll never forget the first brand that sent me one to try (it’s still the same eye cream I use daily!) I really needed eye creams when I was juggling my full-time job and this blog. Often, I would run on maybe 4-5 hours of sleep, and if I skipped a few too many days of eye cream, dark spots became visible under my eyes, and I looked pretty exhausted at all times.
How can you make your eye creams even more potent? Store them in the fridge before use. The colder your eye cream is, the more effective it is at deflating puffy areas.
My Secret for Strong Nails & Glowing Skin
I’ve chatted about this on my Instagram Stories before, however, here’s the scoop for those of you who don’t watch them. My nails have always grown oddly fast. They can grow an inch in about 4-5 weeks, which is nuts. I like to keep my nails semi-long (a half an inch is my ideal length!), however, despite the fast growth, my nails sometimes broke after doing normal activities like the dishes, moving product around for photo shoots, picking up packages, etc.
I decided to give IoniCell for Women a try, and over the last month, my nails have gotten stronger. I’ve gone three weeks without getting any major breaks or chips in my nails — score! This product also may improve hair appearance and luster and helps stimulate collagen for healthier skin. My skin has a fantastic summer glow right now — almost to the point where I don’t need highlighter! I’m also hoping it will help my dry, damaged hair as well.
Face Oils = Perfect for Oily Skin
I had a few brands send over some face oils last year to try, and at first, I was incredibly hesitant to give it a shot. I have combination skin, and my T-Zone gets very oily, especially in the summer. I thought using a face oil would make my t-zone even oilier, but boy was I wrong. I’ve found that face oils do a better job at moisturizing my skin than some of the lotions I have, and don’t add any extra shine. I like to layer on a face oil before putting on sunscreen since they’re full of antioxidants and lightweight.
SPF is Important (Even if you Don’t Get Sunburns!)
My skin is pretty dark, and I’ve never been sunburned in my life. However, when I was younger, I thought I was immune to the effects of the sun because I never got burned — HA! What was I thinking? I’ve learned over the years that even folks with the darkest skin can get skin cancer, and I need to protect myself.
Another reason to use SPF? It’s one of the best anti-aging products out there. Since I’m almost 30, I’m trying to prevent any signs of aging while my skin is still in good shape. Also, I get a few back/chest acne breakouts during the summer, and if I don’t treat those areas with sunscreen, then I notice dark spots on my skin. This is why its a must for me!
What are your biggest beauty tips and tricks?
Thank you to IoniCell for Women for partnering with me on today’s beauty tips and tricks post! All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Photos by Tom McGovern
