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Loving the Skin You're In

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I have always been an all-natural kind of girl, with palm trees, ocean waves, and sandy toes on my mind. I feel more myself with little to no makeup, a blow out or beach waves that look effortless, and high-waisted Levi's for that all-American, undone look. Like most girls, I cared about what I looked like growing up, but I didn't spend too much time getting ready or analyzing my appearance. I truly believe my parents' love and encouragement was a vessel in protecting me from low self value, and believing that I was a daughter of Jesus aided in focusing on developing lasting memories and friendships, rather than becoming consumed with the physical. Yet, I was very challenged on this mindset and perspective when my life took an unexpected turn. My calendar paused, my career path changed, and my platform increased after a night of injury in 2011. I was hit by a plane propeller; the blade cut into my brain and the left side of my body, resulting in the loss of my left eye, left hand, and half my head of hair post brain surgery. In retrospect, I clearly see how I easily submerged in destructive comparison after this life-altering experience. I felt depleted of beauty, but my foundation remained the same. My mom and dad's love and encouragement became stronger. My faith and trust in believing Jesus loved me grew substantially. Somehow my perspective of beauty shifted, though, and I believe one of the gifts of this tragedy was revealing to me the meaningless things that I apparently held so dear. What "bothered" me most about the outcome of this accident revealed what I held as very valuable. Did I let outward beauty define me? Yes. Did I cherish attention more than I realized? Definitely. I truly had to sit back and be still. I had to reassess my foundation. I had to refocus on what was important. I quickly came to realize that comparison is equivalent to worry; it only severely hinders and limits fruition. Plus, if we really think about it, wouldn’t life be boring if we were all the same?The Lord has brought such healing these last five years. He has restored in me a new kind of inner confidence that is rooted in where my identity truly stands, and I have realized the following to be true: physical beauty fades; attention is temporary and unfulfilling. Yes, my insecurities are a daily struggle. I often catch myself comparing not only to other people but to my "old" self. Grief is intertwined in it all as I miss my hand and my eye daily, but a lot of the hesitation in loving the skin I am in comes from wanting to hide what has changed. I have learned to be open about this struggle to my sweet husband, family, and friends, and I am slowly realizing that freedom comes from vulnerability . I am also seeing that beauty truly is in accepting the scars, in character, in the humility of freely being you, and in loving others well. I am learning to fully accept and value the path the Lord has put in front of me, and I am learning to view that path as beautiful.This series is in collaboration with some stellar ladies.  Be sure and check out their posts on Self Care too: Kat Harris, Tutti del Monte, Danielle Bennett, Kate Labat, Joanne Encarnacion, Nikia Phoenix, and Chelsey Korus.

images: felicia lasala

OUTFIT DETAILS

jacket (similar + similar) | denim | shirt | sunnies

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Beauty, Wellness Beauty, Wellness

Biossance: No Compromise Beauty

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I always get so excited to share with you the clean beauty products that we are testing and loving! My sweet friend introduced me to Biossance about a year ago, and I have been hooked ever since. It has truly revived my skin, and I think I know why. A little bit of their story: after the the scientists behind this skincare developed patented technology that allowed them to create an accessible treatment for malaria, they decided to use this same innovative technology to create combinations of powerful, effective, and sustainable ingredients to put on our faces. How amazing is that? P.S. I love their promise: "only the most trustworthy and powerful ingredients are used in our products because our standards for clean beauty are high, and our standards for ourselves are even higher." Yes and amen. Oh! And I am kind of obsessed with the mega-moisturizing molecule they use in these clean magical potions!

My two favorite products are The Revitalizer and The Nourisher. The Nourisher is the most lovely face oil that brightens your skin with an oil soluble Vitamin C that is 50 times more powerful than absorbic acid, fights free radical attack leaving skin with a healthy radiant glow, and reduces the appearances of fine lines and wrinkles. What is not to love? I use this in the morning and at night.Now for The Revitalizer AKA my all time favorite product. I love this so much because it can be used on your locks to prevent frizz, split ends, and dryness; it can be used on your body for extra hydration, and it can be used on your face to instantly hydrate and accelerate cell turnover. Side note: this is saving me in these dry winter months!

The sweetest bonus to every purchase on Biossance is that they donate $1 for every product purchased to Zagaya. It is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit that facilitates the eradication of malaria through collaboration around innovative and science-based technology. They envision a malaria-free world created through education, improved technologies, and access to the highest quality anti-malarials available.

 

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Our Staple Grocery Lists

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We are so excited for this post! Today Lauren and I are sharing our grocery lists- items that are staples inside our refrigerators, freezers, and kitchen cabinets. The items on our lists consist of things that we are constantly buying and buying again. We are very passionate about fueling our bodies with good-for-you ingredients so that we feel our best from the inside out, and the below items definitely do that for us! These are just the basic, regular items we are always buying, but of course there are specific things we need when it comes to trying new recipes and preparing certain meals. I personally do a lot of shopping at Whole Foods and Trader Joes, and Erewhon is Lo's grocery store home. The Thrive Market is another great resource! Take a look at the lists below and get Lo's outfit deets & links at the bottom. We would love to hear your grocery staples in the comment section, too! xo 

LO'S LIST

Organic bananas

Frozen organic blueberries

Organic kale

Organic mixed greens

Sprouts

Organic veggies - broccoli, brussel sprouts, carrots, peppers

Fermented cabbage

Organic sweet potatoes

Avocado

Lots of organic lemons!

Organic heirloom tomato

Mung bean chips

Salsa

Homemade bone broth

Grass fed and hormone free ground turkey

Organic and hormone free chicken tenders

Wild salmon

Coconut oil

Olive oil

Minced garlic

Fresh flowers

Forbidden rice

MELISSA'S LIST

Oranges

Avocado

Organic Spinach

Organic Kale

Hummus

Organic Cucumber

Organic asparagus (or brussels)

Brown Rice

Rice crackers

Almond Butter

Bananas

Frozen wild organic blueberries

Frozen Peas

Multigrain english muffins

Organic chicken

Wild Salmon

Organic Eggs

Wild canned salmon

Almond milk

OneCoffee pods

Rishi ginger turmeric tea

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OUTFIT DETAILS:

SUNNIES (c/o) | JACKET (c/o) | BANDANA (similar) | DENIM (c/o) | TEE | BOOTS (c/o)

images by felicia lasala 

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Clean, Safe, and Beautiful Lipsticks

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Lip color is such a fun accessory- we love playing around with colors depending on our mood and outfit. However, a lot of lipsticks unfortunately contain harmful and toxic ingredients. That is not very appealing, to say the least. We all deserve clean, safe, and beautiful lipsticks! That is where the brand, Kosas, comes in. Kosas lipsticks are made with the best natural ingredients like green tea, rosehip and grape seed oils. When we first heard about Kosas via goop, we were so intrigued, and once we tried out their lipsticks (thank you, Kosas!) we were totally sold. The lip color goes on so well, it's weightless, lasts, and looks so good. It's mind-blowing to us the harmful toxins that are in so many beauty and self-care products. We are so thankful for brands like Kosas, that make safe alternatives that are extremely effective and completely beautiful.Find Lo's outfit deets at the bottom! xo

images by felicia lasala

THE OUTFIT:

sunglasses | tee | jacket

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Melissa's Morning Smoothie

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Hey guys! Melissa here and I am sharing my morning smoothie recipe + my love for Moon Juice- a shop dedicated to a holistic approach to healthy living, including the most amazing medicinal ingredients to add to your morning smoothies.

What I personally love about smoothies is the variety of smoothies that you can make. I go through phases of what I put in mine and switch up what ingredients I use, depending on the day and my mood. The recipe I have going now is super good, so I just had to share. This smoothie includes three Moon Juice products- their Beauty Dust,  Ashwagandha, and H0 Shou Wu. Below are the ingredients + explanation of benefits for each Moon Juice product.

SMOOTHIE:

1 cup almond milk or water (or sometimes I do 1/2 and 1/2!)

1/2 frozen banana

A handful of organic frozen blueberries

Teaspoon of Ashwagandha from Moon Juice

Teaspoon of Ho Shou Wu from Moon Juice

Teaspoon (+ a little more) of Beauty Dust from Moon Juice (c/o)

Tablespoon of Spirulina (from Whole Foods)

--blend all together in a blender until smooth--

Benefits are below as described on Moon Juice's site- head there to read more! They do a great job at explaining each product.

Ashwagandha: calms the nervous system + soothes anxiety and improves sleep

Ho Shou Wu: encourages youthfulness, sex drive, + helps to balance hormones and give you a healthy glow

Beauty Dust: think glowing skin, shiny hair, and bright eyes

Moon Juice's collection of moon dusts is so amazing. You can add them to smoothies, water, or even your morning coffee. They have quite a few versions including spirit dust, brain dust, and more, but I have only tried the beauty dust so far and love it.

*feature image via moon juice

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Valentine's Day Wishlist

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We are big fans of Valentine's Day. It's such a sweet, love-filled day and we can't help to get giddy over it. Below is our Valentine's Day Wishlist- it includes a few girly items that we would love to receive + they make great gifts for your bestie, sister, or mom. Links are below to shop and feel free to send this link over to your guy...:) Ideas can be so helpful! XO

stranded dry shampoo powder

french girl lip polish

heart socks

voluspa candle

cream blush

kosas lipstick

love themed undies

slip silk sleep mask

+ the denim jacket featured in the main image :) XO

*featured image by felicia lasala

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Juice Beauty

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I truly believe that I was meant to discover Juice Beauty as I found out about the clean skincare and makeup company three different ways, at about the exact same time. I took that coincidence as a cue that I needed to give their products a try. I first learned about the brand via Anthropologie's website since they sell it, then I realized that goop's skincare line was created in collaboration with Juice Beauty, and then I found out that Lauren was interested in Juice Beauty as well. Long story short, the stars aligned and Juice Beauty was brought to my attention. At the time I currently only own one Juice item, their amazing concealer, but their mascara and creamy blush are on my next-to-buy list. I love that the Juice team is so passionate about clean, safe ingredients. Also, the concealer is very effective and does not cause me to break out. I have had quite the time dealing with some acne on my chin and it is so sensitive to concealers. I want to cover it up, but with something that will not smother it, irritate it, or make it worse. I have tried so many concealers out there, and finally Juice Beauty's perfecting concealer saved the day. It's such a relief knowing that it is free of toxins and harsh chemicals. Below are a few images via Anthropologie + Juice Beauty products we want to try.*image above via the juice beauty pinterest page via this blog post

concealer | pressed powder | cream blush | mascara | lip cream

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Clean Beauty Thoughts

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Lauren and I are big believers in using products on our face and skin that are not only effective, but safe, clean, healthy, and minimal. Last week we shared a collage of Lauren’s favorite safe beauty products (read) and today we are sharing two articles from goop that do such a good job explaining the importance clean beauty (read) and discussing 10 products that are clean, safe, and effective (read). These articles are a great first step to going clean in the beauty department. It can be overwhelming (and financially daunting) when you consider swapping out all of your beauty and personal care products, if they aren’t clean. However, the key is to do a little bit at a time. It’s also trial and error, figuring out what works for you. I started the process last spring, and am still always chipping away at it and making edits. It’s an ongoing process, so don’t feel like you have to do it in one big swoop. If you start a product or two at a time (tossing the toxic version and replacing what you need with a clean alternative) you will feel like you are making progress, without being overwhelmed. In addition to clean beauty, we also love natural beauty. When I started the transition last spring over to safe personal care products, I also edited my makeup routine pretty severely. I now wear a lot less makeup and thoroughly enjoy it. Not only does it allow my skin to breathe, but it also celebrates quality products over quantity, and most importantly it lets inner beauty shine. And bonus, it saves a heck of a lot of time in the morning! We would love to hear your thoughts on clean beauty and natural beauty below in the comment section // xo Melissaimage via goop

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Workout Plus Lounge

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Do you guys find yourself using workout clothes as lounge clothes, too? We do and we kind of love it. Clothes that function as workout plus lounge are so convenient. I find myself often being around the house in workout clothes, feeling comfortable, getting chores done, and then just heading out the door to the yoga studio or gym. On the way home, running to Whole Foods or picking up dry cleaning is no big deal, either. Versatility, comfort, style, and performance are all so important to us when it comes to workout clothes, since they serve more than one purpose. The active line from lou & grey, zella, alo yoga, lanston sport, outdoor voices, abercrombie's active line, and lululemon are a few amazing places to get workout clothes that are functional and chic. Scroll down for a list of a few favorite pieces // xo 

currently loving these active wear items:

these leggings | this crop top | this bra | this jacket

this sweatshirt | these tights | this tee | these pants

this tunic | this tank | these leggings | this crop |

this long sleeve crew | this hoodie | this tank

*images via lanston sportSave[show_shopthepost_widget id="2330055"]

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