In my house, we live with a 16-year-old girl. This means that we are the recipients of a lot of random information that none of us really has any context with which to respond. Things like, “Drake and Josh finally announced on Twitter that they have made up after their big fight!” or “Avengers cheese sticks are the only kind of cheese sticks that I am ever eating again!” A couple years ago, in the absence of any real reply to these statements, my husband started calling out “PSA!” every time Ally made one of her announcements. Needless to say, we have amassed a large collection of Public Service Announcements!

In the spirit of that, I thought I would start my own collection of PSAs on the blog. A weekly series of frequently asked questions, random information, musings on our lives as women, and hopefully some really helpful information on a wide variety of topics. Although, if you walk into the kitchen tonight and announce that you have found the perfect eye primer, this will most likely fall in the category of PSA for the rest of your family!

Are you really her mother?

I really am. Unless something strange happened and I hallucinated giving birth to her, then I really carried her for 9 months and have subsequently been her mother for the last 16 years. She finds the frequency with which we are asked this question very humorous. To her, I am just as old and irrelevant as everyone else’s 50+ year old moms.

 

My body has changed as I have gotten older. What do I wear when nothing in my closet fits me?

First of all, something in your closet fits you. So that is where you need to start.

Purge everything that no longer fits.

Don’t save it hoping for the day that you will lose 10 pounds, get plastic surgery, etc. If that day comes, you can buy the pieces that you need at that size. But it is much better to buy a few pieces that fit like a dream and make you feel great at your current size than to walk into your closet everyday and beat yourself up looking at the clothes that no longer fit and remind you of the goals you haven’t yet achieved. It’s ok to be a work in progress and love yourself no matter what your body looks like on your fitness journey or to just accept your older, wiser body and get on with living your life!

Take stock of what is left in your closet after the great purge.

What are you most in need of to update your wardrobe? Is it a great pair of jeans? Maybe new bras to pull the post-nursing girls back into their proper place? I always find that investing in a few great basics that can be layered under the jackets and blazers that you might already own can be a great place to start.

Set aside a few days to shop for those items and be prepared to try on A LOT of different things.

You have to kiss a lot of frogs to find your prince! Don’t try to restock your entire closet in one shopping trip, though. That will just lead to impulse decisions and buyers remorse. Take your time, take pictures of yourself in the dressing room mirror and focus on one item at a time. Alternatively, if shopping at the mall feels like a special form of torture for you, order a few things online from a company that has an easy return policy (Revolve, Shopbop, Nordstrom) and try them on in the comfort of your own home. This is my preferred way to shop for new clothes!

 

How do I find a good hairsylist?

This is a tricky one. I take my hair VERY seriously. And let me tell you, I have gone through some rough patches when it comes to hair color. Blonde is such a hard color to get right, and very often it ends up brassy and unfortunate.

So, my advice to you is this:

1. If you see a woman in your area that has great hair, don’t be afraid to ask her for her stylist’s information! She will be flattered by your compliment and you will be one step closer to finding a match made in hair heaven!
2. If you live in a city that has a local magazine or publication, search their online database for past articles reviewing the best salons in your area. I tend to lean towards going to someone at a larger salon vs. an independent stylist renting their own space. I have found that stylists who work at a larger salon are constantly exposed to new ideas, training classes on cutting edge techniques, and an overall vibe of collaboration.
3. If you have found a salon that you think may be a good fit for you, dig deeper and read reviews online. I like to comb through the reviews and find a name that keeps popping up from satisfied customers. If 40 women have all been thrilled with the results from a particular stylist, chances are you will be too!
4. Find the social media pages of the salon/individual stylist and look at their work. This is the best way to determine if someone is delivering the type of cut and color that you are looking for!

Perhaps most importantly, here is what NOT to do when looking for a great hair stylist:

1. Ask for the name of a stylist on a local message forum and make an appointment without doing your homework. I see this all the time on my local Facebook group. Women ask for a stylist recommendation and everyone jumps in with the random girl that does their hair that they just LOVE. But does the result actually look good? In my opinion, very often it does not. A recommendation alone cannot replace doing your homework!
2. Walk into a salon and asking for anyone there to do your hair. Unless you are indifferent about the results of your hair and you are completely zen about waiting for a bad situation to grow out, don’t do it!
3. Be afraid to break up with your old stylist! Trust me, I know how hard this is. I agonized over breaking up with my stylist and stayed for several months even when I knew I wasn’t getting the results that I wanted. But when I look at old pictures of my hair and compare them to my most recent photos, I know I made the right decision!

Brassy, orangey hair color with my old stylist:

Same guy….brighter, lighter hair courtesy of my amazing new colorist:

 

 

How do I keep my makeup in place all day?

The quick answer? Prime everything and use the right formula for your skin type!!

The detailed answer? There are many steps that I take to ensure maximum wear with my makeup, and I will give you a quick run down of a few of my favorite tips, tricks and products for today. I have extremely oily skin, so I have battled disappearing, runny makeup my entire life! I have tried just about every product and I feel like I have found the holy grail combination for making my makeup last all day. If you have drier skin, you will not need to use the same products that I use, but the technique and process for application remain the same.

Eye Makeup

• I always moisturize my eyes first with something lightweight and non-greasy so that my eyeshadow will still blend easily. I use either this or this to moisturize.
• Then, I use my holy grail primer to cancel out any redness on my eyelids and lock in the base for my eyeshadow. My daughter actually turned me on to this product and it has changed my life! Your eyeshadow will blend so flawlessly and will not crease!
• I set the primer with this powder all over the lid before moving on to my eyeshadow colors.

Face Makeup

• I use this lightweight moisturizer to prep my face. I find that it is perfect for my oily skin, as it hydrates but doesn’t clog my pores or make me break out. If you have drier skin, you may need a heavier moisturizer to prep your skin. I know that many people swear by this if you can stomach the price tag or this is a cheaper alternative that many people love for dry skin.
• Next, I use a primer that will lock my foundation in place all day. If I am wanting a matte look with maximum wear, I reach for this primer and pat it on my most oily spots. Please keep in mind, this primer is really meant for people with oily, shiny skin! I like to use this primer for times when I want a more dewy look and I think it is good for all skin types.
• Finally, using the right foundation is essential for keeping your makeup in place all day. I tell everyone, if you can only afford one expensive makeup product, make it your foundation! I am a die hard fan of the Lancome Teint Idole 24 Hour Long Wear Foundation! I apply it with a beauty blender and provides such beautiful, even coverage that lasts all day long! My dermatologist recommended this for me and I have to say, it has become my favorite product!
• I set my foundation using a big, fluffy brush with this powder and it provides an extra bit of coverage for a full-face look that I like!

 

And that will do it for this week’s PSAs! I hope you learned something new and please leave questions that you would like to see in upcoming PSAs in the comments below!

 

All the ❤︎,

Nicole