Tag: advice

5 Survival Tips for Winter 2020

Posted on by The Style Cake

I’ve done one of these posts a couple of years back and I really think the tips could help get anyone through the perils of winter! This year, winter came out of nowhere, well, not really but it had been pretty mild considering I live in Michigan and then BAM! Snow, wind, cold, cloudy days and looooonnnnngggg nights! I usually have an easy time until the end of January hits and then I’m struggling to get through winter lol.

1. Let’s start with recreation. It can be human nature to simply stay in the bed, stay on the couch and binge watch tv or read, eat and become immobile. In reality, we were meant to discover, explore and venture out. To encourage mental health, getting out of the house is very important! Isolation is not healthy! Not even for introverts! Go grab a coffee at the local coffee spot, visit the library or art gallery or hit a winter festival. Grab a bite to eat at a local inexpensive restaurant nearby your home. Take a cooking class, go to your local hardware store and complete a project for the home. There are a plethora of options to choose of things to do besides sitting in the house the entire season of winter and this is coming from someone who hates winter!

2. Besides just getting out of the house, getting completely away from your environment and going on a weekend vacation is enough to revitalize your mind and body for a couple of months! Maybe visit a quaint town in your state and unplug from social media and technology. Take in the sights and feed your senses without any interference!

3. Body care is so important during this harsh time of the year. It’s easy to slack on skin care in particular because the sun isn’t shining through the cloud but sunscreen is still needed. As is moisture! Continue to drink plenty of water to hydrate the skin. Likely, the winter has plenty of dry moments so water will feed the body moisture from the inside to prevent cracking from dryness. Beyond that, below I’ve linked a few things I love to use for body care during winter months. One is a lip product, body and hair products and facial care products. Check them out below!

A. Chapstick Total Hydration 100% Natural (Eucalyptus Mint)

B. Koils By Nature Nourishing Hair and Body Butter

C. DDF Ultra Lite Oil Free Moisturizing Dew (Spf 15)

D. Vitamin D3 and Vitamin K2

E. Carol’s Daughter Wash Day Delight (Water to Foam Shampoo) [My new ABSOLUTE FAVORITE HAIR PRODUCT AND I WILL DO A DETAILED REVIEW SHORTLY! ;-)]

4. Let’s talk ducking and dodging colds, flu and other healthy efforts. One thing leads to another, right? Well, you NEED hand and body cream in the winter especially because hand washing is still important! How else can you avoid getting sick and stay in good health?! Starts with handwashing first! Since I already gave you a suggestion for dry cracked hands, I wanted to share what I like to keep on hand for immunity and health below!

A. Zarbee’s Naturals Elderberry Immune Support

5. Lastly, reorganize your life! This could include examining your personality, organizing closets and storage spaces, refreshing or learning new skills and/or working on your body and health more in depth. Have a person that you’ve been allowing in your life but they are dragging you down or isn’t supportive? Maybe it’s time to rethink your association. I’ve been doing a lot of rearranging myself, it takes work but it’s worth it! Decide to save money, go back to school, fix your credit or purge things while keeping only what you need! Taking the time to invest in yourself will take up a ton of your time and help you survive a possible tough couple of months in the cold!

My FAVORITE Face Primer

Posted on by The Style Cake

I know, I know. It’s been soooo long since I’ve had my tail on here. I’m slowly moving back into blogging so please give me time lol. I thought since I’m making my way back, I’d let you guys in on what I’ve been loving. Now normally, I would do an entire list of favorites but that seems so impersonal sometimes. I dunno. I am WAY past due to review some products I received from Juice Beauty but I’m telling you it was worth the wait.

I generally like to really try products for quite a bit of time before I decide whether I love or hate them. That being said, I’ve been using the Juice Beauty Illuminating Primer and it is the only primer that I not only use but plan to purchase in the future. Now, coming from someone who may keep it a bit too real (so I’ve been told), that says a lot! I am helplessly in LOVE y’all!!!

So let me give y’all the scoop:

This primer feels so luxurious on the skin. It frankly reminds me more of a lotion than a primer. Primers can feel a little too silky, making you feel as if when you apply your foundation, it will slide right off your face. I actually hate primers like that. I also feel these primers give you that “hot” feeling in the summer…which brings me to my next bit of info. This primer is so light that you seriously don’t feel it on your face. If you like to “feel” your primer, this is not for you. I hate a clogged pore and I feel this primer is best for those concerned with not having an oil slick on their faces as well as for being able to maintain a great skincare routine. I am so into skincare right now so this does IT for me. It leaves a subtle glow, likely due to its iridescent, pearl-like color. I am a caramel color and this primer does not make me look ashy. Now, there have been some primer that promise to give you a glow that leave an ashy film on the face depending on the skin tone. With this primer, you get a great amount per bottle and I totally feel it’s worth the price. There are other primers that are super cheap but they just don’t measure up to this primer by Juice Beauty. You can use a liberal amount of this primer without worries. I’ve forgotten to put on moisturizer and I was still okay. There was no difference in the performance of my makeup than when I wear primer. It’s very moisturizing and has nothing but quality ingredients.

Some things to keep in mind are that you won’t get a ridiculous highlight with this primer. While it has a subtle glow, the focus is on great skin not on having a gleaming highlight. Also, this is not a primer with a super thick consistency. It’s made to feel like nothing is on the skin when you apply makeup. It’s made to be moisturizing on the skin so if you forget to wear a moisturizer or need a primer in a rush with not a lot of time for a million products, this will do the trick. The first ingredient is aloe vera. Can’t get better than that! That takes me lastly into this: it’s wonderful if you have sensitive skin! I am apart of the sensitive skin club and let me tell you, I have only been using this product under my makeup and when this bottle is done, I’ll be buying another one. I know I said my previous point was my last but I’d like to add that this is also the only primer where the quality of the bottle matches the contents and price. My bottle cap stays on. Yeah I know you’re thinking it may not be that important but the cap staying on the bottle prevents the pump nozzle from getting broken which in turns saves me headache of trying to get the darn primer out of the bottle. Plus, you’re not cheated on it looking like there’s more than there actually is.

Overall, I love this primer so much because I think all skin types can use it, even sensitive skin and it’s not a strong scent to it. The scent is barely noticeable. The bottle isn’t slippery so it won’t go flying out of your hand…that has happened to me before and you can knock someone out with a flying glass bottle. Would I recommend this primer? By now hopefully you know I certainly would! It’s a phenomenal primer and my fave of all the primers I’ve tried and I’ve tried a ton! So go ahead and get a sample of you still not convinced but let me tell you, I want paid to do this review and even if I were I’d have to tell you if I hated it. I love to spread a good word lol!

Why I Needed a Blogging & Social Media Break…

Posted on by The Style Cake

I swear I never thought I’d get back to the point of being excited about blogging again. Quite frankly, blogging had become more of a chore and pretty much a bore…no “bars” intended lol.

If you’re a blogger of any kind, I think you can probably relate to how ruthless the blogging world can be. Since I hate drama and am content in my own little bubble, putting myself “out there” got me more than I bargained for. I expected more comraderary from fellow bloggers but ya’ll competition is real out here…even if you’re not competing. I won’t spend much more time on that negativity but to say with real things going on in life, I couldn’t fathom letting trivial bits of pettiness and mean girl personas to move me in any way. I had to focus on getting me back to my best self.

In the midst of blogging, I think I neglected myself more than I realized. Truth is, I neglected myself a ton! I spent a lot of time researching info, growing my Instagram and social media influence and that left little time to really take care of me. I’ve talked about some health issues I have before and not putting myself first was having a negative effect on those pre-existing issues. The oxymoron of it all is that all you saw was me writing about what I was wearing, my skin, my self care solutions. Sadly, I let…myself…go.

As if my own self sabatoge wasn’t enough, our family suffered a few losses last year. One loss this year. Yes I said a few and then one. Mentally, everyone who loses a loved one needs time to reflect and gather themselves to be emotionally fit to move forward. That’s just reality. When you have children, you need more time because children need consoling and nurturing. Ours (hubby’s and mine) are at the age where they are “aware” and have questions, legit ones, about the situation surrounding the death. After they are “okay”, us parents need to usher into self care.

I’m currently on that journey of self care. I suffered extreme hair loss, skin flare ups of all kinds including hives, acne and eczema, headaches, joint and muscle pain and more things that I’ll not have to mention because the above is enough. I had to get these things in order and fast! To resolve these issues calls for more than just some sort of salve or serum. Deep research, medical help and just re-acquainting myself with my body again was essential. Now while I am still in process, I am discovering other fruits that need pruning or plucking from my life. Not that they’re necessarily bad but they provide no enrichment or “nutrition” to me as a person or to my life.

Folks…rid yourself of people, habits, so called goals, mindsets, platforms, loves and hates that don’t help you to be a better person. We grow physically but mental health and growth is just as important…actually more important. Social media is social. It’s not essential in order for us to survive. If IG was shut down for good, if YouTube was outlawed, where would that leave you? I had to ask myself if I was too deeply enthralled with something that encourages faux realities. I actually became a part of it. I looked like I took better care of myself that I actually did. That’s the long and short of it. And look, we all neglect ourselves from time to time but I was extreme. I saw problems and put them off making excuses of not having time. Buy out time. (I got that straight from the Bible lol.) It will cost time from something else but its worth it.

Where am I now? Well I am still a blogger and I have some posts that will be coming out but I am pacing myself. I don’t have to post a new look every day or every three days. I’ve decided on once per week. Maybe a lookbook in between. I’m working on my social media plan but it can not overtake my life. Perspective is important and I’ve put things in perspective.

That being said, I am working on some things that I will share a little later. Hopefully, you guys will be as excited as I am about them!

Feminine Care & Hygiene + Update!

Posted on by The Style Cake

I know I have yet to talk about this subject but I think there are some girls out there that may not have anyone to share valuable information about hygiene. It doesn’t seem like there should be much to this subject but feminine care can make a huge difference in you being comfortable and healthy!

What name do you use for your lady part? Coochie? Pocketbook? Couichewa? Butterfly? The best name to call it? Vagina! The pet names are cute and all for pillow talk with your hubby but in order to get aquatinted with proper care, you may need to refer to your lady parts in the accurate name. Seems stupid but guess what? Getting used to knowing all of your private last parts will help with learning your body as well as being able to easily identify potential or existing problems. There are doctor sites as well as health organization sites that show all your parts in that delicate and private area. Be sure to get acquainted.

I’m simply going to address cleanliness and in-between-showers-care so that those parts are always “fresh” and cares for properly. So the mistake that some women make is using soap or body wash to clean the vaginal area. Unless the washes and/or soaps are pH balanced, these will cause problems after continued use. These problems can include foul smells, itching, dryness, infections and unwanted discharge that indicate issues. Our vaginas are self cleaning on the inside so there’s never a need for douching. THAT actually throws off the pH balance and wreaks havoc as you clean out the good bacteria that helps keep your vaginal area healthy!

I recommend using My Honeypot vaginal cleanser. It’s pH balanced and contains all natural ingredients that won’t harm you. It’s not your typical lathering cleanser so don’t be surprised that you don’t see tons of bubbles. Instead, it’s a foam based cleanser that leaves you refreshed without drying you out.

For those times that are in between showers, grab the wipes. I love the lavender ones…they offer a tingle and warms you up! wink You can use these to wipe off after using the restroom, during menstrual periods and/or simply to be refreshed. I love these wipes and definitely recommend them. All in all, I hope that you guys are able to try the products out and hopefully this enlightened anyone that doesn’t know how to go about feminine hygiene. If you have questions or comments please feel feel to leave them below! Talk to you soon!

Update: The Honey Pot “Moisture” seems to have been discontinued. Just as well, Target now sells this brand’s line of products (cheaper than on the company’s site) and I purchased my next bottle there. I opted for “Sensitive” to replace the first one I tried. My body has been thanking me ever since I’ve been using these products!

Click HERE to try it out for yourself!

The Style Cake 💋

Goals! 

Posted on by The Style Cake

Plenty of us have things we’d like to accomplish. I’m finding more and more as the years go by, I’m reflecting on if I’m satisfied by my accomplishments. The verdict is: I’m not at all satisfied! I have some traveling that I would like to do, projects I would like to bring into fruition as well as some health goals I’m reaching towards that I’d like to accomplish. 

Nevertheless, I took time to reflect and plan on my next moves. While I won’t be sharing any of those goals here, I would like to encourage everyone reading to reach for a your goals. Let those goals be motivators for getting up in the morning. I have so many things that I put on a list that I wanted to conquer this year and I’ve done quite a few! I’m so proud of that! Moving forward, I am focused on not my fails but my progress…no matter how seemingly small. 

In the near future, you all will see my goals as I accomplish them and I will be sure to elaborate on them them. It is important that we not get frustrated at what seems like a fail. Each failure teaches us a lesson that can’t be learned any other way. Using focus, turn attention to all positives. Positive people, friends, thoughts and productive actions all help in gathering the gusto to check off those goals. 

Ignore the people that tell you that you can’t, the thoughts that take your confidence down and avoid procrastination. Don’t put off doing something because you’re afraid to fail. The weather isn’t always true to the current season but each season comes like clockwork! Things may not go right during a certain “season” in your life, leaving you to battle through treacherous storms but don’t put off your goals because of it. Makes accomplishments despite those storms.