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Hey There, Chelsie

Salt Lake City based Life & Style Blog - Pursuing a Vibrant Life

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Beauty + Health

3 Ways to Reduce Adult Acne with Zapzyt

This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network. All opinions are my own

Looking for ways to improve your skin care routine and tips on how to reduce adult acne? Check out ZAPZYT products and these three other ways to help improve your skin! http://primp.in/z3STjBgmnq // #ad Hey There, Chelsie

I know I’ve talked about this before, but over the last year and a half, my skin has done a complete 360 turn on me and it’s been super frustrating, to say the least. I very rarely had to deal with acne besides the occasional little pimple, but ever since our move to Louisiana, my skin has just thrown a fit about pretty much everything. I’ve been dealing with a lot of painful, cystic acne, uneven skin tone, and texture. It’s definitely been a shot to my confidence at times and really frustrating because I haven’t been able to fix it overnight.

However, over the last 6 months, I have made some changes to the way I’ve treated my skin that has drastically reduced my adult acne. It’s still not back to where it was before, but I’m really happy with the improvements it’s made, and I contribute it largely to the following three factors:

1. Reduce the number of products in your routine

One of the biggest mistakes I first made when trying to combat my adult acne was to add more products to my skincare routine. I kept piling on serum after serum and mask after mask, sometimes using up to 10 products before bed.

I wish I could go back and say “WOAH GIRL, that’s a bit excessive! Calm the heck down!” The answer isn’t MORE skin care products. It’s actually less! I decided to cut out almost all of my products for a period of time to see if that would help my skin calm down and recover. I decided to limit my night-time skin care to a cleanser, moisturizer, spot treatment, and a gentle serum every 2-3 nights.

My day time routine was cut back even more to a more to just a pore cleanser and daytime moisturizer. That’s it.

Once a week, I would do one face mask that focused on either adding moisture or improving my skin tone.

I didn’t worry about eye cream or anti-wrinkle serums, or three different types of drying lotions for my blemishes. I just returned to the basics when it came to my skincare routine and man, did it really help. I went from having 6-10 painful cystic blemishes a week to 1-2.  It was such a relief to only have to worry about treating a few painful blemishes instead of stressing out about my whole face.

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Spring 2017 e.l.f. Cosmetics – first impressions & reviews

Soooo funny story. I filmed this video before we closed on our house/moved into it. Which means this footage is over 4 months old…*insert monkey emoji with hands over face.* I wasn’t going to post this at all, but after sitting down and looking through the footage, I realized that all the information/first impressions are still accurate and hopefully helpful. So, even though a lot of these products were released in the spring (or have been around a little longer) they are still available to purchase now and I hope that this information will help you

e.l.f. cosmetics is one of THE most affordable makeup brands out there. When I first started getting into makeup, I thought that affordable makeup meant crappy makeup, so I stayed away from e.l.f. for the longest time. Don’t worry, though. I have seen the error of my ways and have come to the light. e.l.f. has a lot of amazing products for some great prices. While they aren’t all hits, they do have some high-quality products that I feel every girl should have in their collection.


In case you aren’t in a place to watch a video with audio/you would rather read the cliff notes, I’ve included some of the most important reviews below:

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Makeup Vanity Necessities: The HiMirror Plus

This post is sponsored by PRIMP Network. All opinions are mine and mine alone.

This past weekend, Dustin and I have been working our bums off to give my beauty room/office a major overhaul and redesign. If you’ve been around HTC for a while, you’ll know that the previous owners of our new house decided to paint all the walls this awful tan color with green undertones. After consulting with my Instagram Fam on stories, I finally committed to a paint color for my office and I can HAPPILY say that the yucky color is gone! My office is starting to really come together and I’ve been spending all week organizing my desk and vanity, hanging shelves, and decluttering.

I’m planning on doing a full office reveal and vlog in the near future, but I wanted to take some time to talk about a new product that came in the mail just in time for the big office/beauty-room redesign: The HiMirror Plus. This product has been a fun addition to my makeup vanity and is so innovative and different from anything else I’ve tried, so I wanted to give it a full review to anyone who may be in the market for a new vanity mirror.

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Five Favorite Products + Playlist – June

***Affiliate Links may be used in this post at no extra cost to you!

It’s been quite some time since I sat down and shared my favorite products as of late, so I’m stoked to be sharing some today. Since it has been so long, I can say that I’ve been using all of these products for over 2 months (minus my hat, which I just picked up) so I have really put these things to the test. I love trying new things out and sharing my thoughts because I know how overwhelming it can be to try to figure out what products to buy/put your money into. Hopefully, I can help out in that department just a bit!

I usually have a fail product to share as well, but I really couldn’t think of one this time around. I guess that’s a plus, right? Anyway, here are my five favorite products (+ a playlist, to makeup for not having a fail!) for June:

Five Favorite Products:

itCosmetics Bye Bye Makeup Melting Balm – I’ve always used the tried and true Neutrogena makeup wipes to take my makeup off at night, but over the last few months, I felt like they just weren’t cutting it anymore. My skin has had a hard time since moving to Utah and has been incredibly dry and the wipes seemed to be irritating it even more. Plus, they would always snag in my eyelash extensions when I tried to take off my eye makeup and pull them out. No fun.

I was so stoked when It Cosmetics sent me their Bye Bye Makeup Melting Balm because it looked like a product that might work better for me. It has not disappointed. This stuff literally melts my makeup right off my face when I softly rub it into my skin. After I wipe it off with some cotton rounds, my face feels SO moisturized and calm. Plus, this stuff is gentle on the eyes and easily takes off my eye-makeup without bothering my extensions at all. In fact, I think my extensions retention has gone up since switching to this product as my primary makeup remover.

ItCosmetics Bye Bye Makeup Melting Balm review // Hey There, Chelsie

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10-Minute Summer Makeup Tutorial with Suzanne Somers Cosmetics

*This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network. All Opinions are my own. 

Easy 10-Minute no-makeup makeup tutorial for summer featuring a review on Suzanne Somers Cosmetics // Hey There, Chelsie

I was really excited to see so many requests come in from my recent reader survey for more makeup reviews and tutorials. I’ve talked before about how makeup has become a huge creative outlet for me; I’ve never been crafty, but I somehow can make colors blend together pretty well on my face. Anyway, I’m excited to bring a makeup tutorial and review to the blog today.

Suzanne Somers Cosmetics

Today, I’m going to be reviewing the Suzanne Somers cosmetic line Suzanne Organics, along with sharing the step-by-step process I took to create this easy & effortless summery makeup look. You may recognize Suzanne Sommers from her time on the show Three’s Company or from the infomercials for the Thigh-Master. Recently, though, after a cancer scare, Suzanne decided to create a cosmetics line that cut out excess chemicals and focused on organic and natural ingredients. Being a fellow cancer survivor, I can get on board with that initiative and definitely wanted to give these products a try.

My go-to look during the summer is usually a really quick and simple process. I like to focus more on having a healthy summer glow instead of intricate eyeshadow looks when the weather is warm! I also love to show off my freckles, so I rarely put on a ton of foundation (if any at all) and go really easy on the eyes. I put together this look using products exclusively from Suzanne Organics and am sharing my thoughts on the products, plus the step-by-step process below:

10-Minute Summer Makeup Tutorial featuring Suzanne Organics cosmetics // Hey There, Chelsie 10-Minute Summer Makeup Tutorial featuring Suzanne Organics cosmetics // Hey There, Chelsie

10-Minute Summer Makeup Tutorial

First – I applied the Golden Tan Serum on my face to use as a primer. Since I spend half my day inside a corporate office and the rest of my day in my home office, I don’t get to be out in the sun that much. I’m also a lot more careful about sun exposure because, you know, I had cancer and don’t want to give it another reason to come back. But, I love having a summer glow and decided to give self-tanning a try with this product. I started out with just my legs in case it went south but thankfully, this self-tanner did not make me look orange at all, mainly because it’s a serum that gives a gradual glow instead of a drastic change. I liked that this product added some warmth to my skin tone without looking fake. Plus, it was gentle enough to use on my face without causing any irritation and it has a silicon texture to it, so it doubles great as a primer for foundation.

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My Journey to Becoming Healthier: The Beginning

Opening up about my journey to become healthier and why I'm starting now (after neglecting it for 11 years.) If you are a cancer survivor struggling with wanting to take care of your body, this post is for you // Hey There, Chelsie

 

When I was going through the process of being diagnosed, the one thing that my dad kept saying to EVERY doctor we saw was: “Besides her leg hurting, she is as healthy as a horse!” It was a little annoying to hear him say repeatedly because clearly, something was wrong with my leg. But, looking back at it now, I don’t blame him because he was right. Because, back before cancer entered my life and tore apart my body, I was pretty dang fit. I was almost 16 years old, I was an active soccer player and marching in the high school band every weekend. I ate relatively well, I could run a fast mile, I was at a decent weight, and I rarely got sick. I was pretty dang health, you know, besides the fact that I had a 6-inch tumor growing in my leg.

Of course, after a year of chemotherapy and three reconstructive leg surgeries, the last word anyone would use to describe me these days would be “healthy.” Yes, I’m almost 11 years cancer free and I haven’t had any major issues health-wise recently, but I’m still far from being healthy. The truth is, I haven’t tried to take care of my body or my physical health in 11 years, minus that one month that I went soda free. I would talk about it once in a while, try to cut out some sugar, but inevitably would give up and fall back into my habits.

At first, I didn’t take care of myself because I physically couldn’t. With a new leg pieced together by donner bone, metal rods, screws, and titanium plates, it’s hard to even get up out of bed in the morning. But as my leg healed, I started using my leg as an excuse to not take care of myself. I was mad at my body for betraying me, I was frustrated that I was stuck in a body that didn’t feel like mine, and I didn’t want to put effort into taking care of it. 

It’s like driving a comfortable Ford Edge Limited for your whole life, (you know, one with heated leather seats and Bluetooth,) and waking up one morning to find that you have to commute in a 1993 rusted Oldsmobile with transmission problems. Not only do you mourn the loss of your comfortable and familiar car, but you now have to try to take care of a car that doesn’t want to run. After trying a couple times, it’s easy to say “whatever, I’ll just run it into the ground because it’s never going to drive like my Edge did.” That’s where I was at for the last eleven years – running my Oldsmobile into the ground because it wasn’t the Edge I grew up with.

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Worth the Hype? BeBe & Bella Skincare

This post has been sponsored by the PRIMP Network. All opinions are my own

Worth the Hype? Bebe & Bella Skincare - get 20% off your order here: http://primp.in/Kw3hleP02N #ad #BeBeBellaPRIMP // Hey There, Chelsie

A few months ago, when I was in the midst of my major skin meltdown and not getting the results I wanted with just my skincare, I decided to try something different. I decided to cut out as much excess sugar as possible from my diet for two weeks and only drink water. I thought that maybe my skin issues went deeper than the surface and that maybe what I was putting into my body was contributing to the painful cystic spots I had all over my face.

Sure enough, after two weeks of no cookies, candy, and soda, my face started to clear up. I knew then that I needed to start taking better care of myself because my skin was a visual representation of how much disregard I was giving to my body. I also wanted to do some research into some skincare that targeted more than just topical solutions.

Worth the Hype? BeBe & Bella Skincare // Hey There, Chelsie

Introducing BeBe & Bella:

BeBe & Bella is an innovative skin care brand because their product go beyond just products you put on your skin. Their skin care line also includes probiotics, which enhance the skin’s protective moisture barrier and improves digestive health. Like I learned earlier this year, what I put in my body matters just as much as what I put on my skin.

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The Best of #myvibrantlife & 5 Favorite Things February

Wet n Wild Photofocus Setting Spray Review // Hey There, Chelsie

March is flying by already, it seems. Between this whole house buying process, increased hours at work, and getting ready to move, I feel like March is already over! I’m exhausted just thinking about it, but I’m grateful to be so busy and preoccupied during this month, because, as many of you know, it’s pretty a pretty complicated month for me.

Anyway, I finally sat down and got to write out some thoughts about some of my favorite products that I’ve been using over the last few months. So I’m coming at you with the February edition of 5 Favorite Things and the best of #myvibrantlife! I don’t have a fail this month, surprisingly, but don’t worry. I’m sure something will disappoint me soon!

5 Favorite Things

Wet n’ Wild PhotoFocus Setting Spray 

I’m a huge fan of MAC’s Fix+ and the Urban Decay De-Slick setting spray, but man, those sprays expensive. I’ve been on the hunt for an effective, but more affordable setting spray for months and I finally found an amazing contender with the Wet n’ Wild Photofocus Spray.

This spray does an amazing job of setting down my powder and gives a beautiful blurred finish to my skin. I do notice a significant increase in how long my makeup lasts throughout the day when I use this product, as well. And for 5 bucks, you just can’t beat the price.

Wet n Wild Photofocus Setting Spray Review // Hey There, Chelsie

I will say that the first bottle I bought has a really awful spritzer. It would spray the product out in big drops instead of a fine mist. I ended up putting the product in an old UD spray bottle so I could have a better application. However, the second bottle I bought had a much better spray pump, so I think I may have gotten a dud, or Wet n’ Wild just made some improvements to the packaging.

Regardless, this is a great affordable setting-spray product for those of you looking for a spray that won’t break the bank.

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3 Beauty Upgrades I’m Loving So Far in 2017

3 Beauty Upgrades I'm Loving So Far in 2017 // Hey There, Chelsie

I know that we’re basically through February and that the new year is in full swing, but I wanted to chat about some of the changes I’ve made since 2017 started that I’m digging a ton right now. The new year always brings lots of plans for change and I’ve been busy making some changes in my life (big and small.) I can’t wait to share more of these with you in the next couple weeks, but I wanted to start today by sharing 3 beauty changes I’ve made since the New Year that I am LOVING!

Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant 

At the beginning of the year, I got to collaborate and participate in a photo shoot for a boutique here in Utah. It was such a fun project and it really helped me step outside of my comfort zone and showed me how far I had come in terms of self-confidence. However, the one thing I still struggled with during the shoot? B.O.

I’m always open here (probably too much at times) and I know that we all have those moments where we realize we reek. This was a moment for me. I know I put my deodorant on that morning, but I had gone to work, and then went straight to the shoot afterward. I had changed clothes several times and was feeling a bit warm in a tight space. I was so embarrassed by how much I smelled that I went into the bathroom and doused myself in hairspray just to cover it up. I’d rather smell strongly of hair product than B.O. After that shoot, I decided it was time to upgrade my current deodorant and find a new solution.

3 Beauty Upgrades I'm Loving So Far in 2017 // Hey There, Chelsie

Enter the new Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant. Dove Advanced Care Antiperspirant offers 48 hours of odor and wetness protection plus added skincare benefits of Dove ¼ moisturizers and NutriumMoisture for softer, smoother underarms. So, not only am I reducing the amount I sweat and having longer odor protection, but my underarms are smoother and less irritated altogether. This is a huge relief since my skin has taken a huge hit since moving to dry Utah and was getting really red and tender after shaving.

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Double Messy Bun Hair Tutorial & Monat Review

It feels SO good to be able to sit down and share a hair tutorial today! I used to be so insecure about my hair because of how weird it grew back after chemotherapy, but blogging has really helped me move past that. Even though I don’t have perfect hair, I do HAVE hair (which is saying a lot considering it all fell out at one point) so I’m happy that I can celebrate that and share some tutorials with you on HTC!

Double Messy Bun Hair Tutorial - an easy way to take your messy bun to the next level! This hair style takes minutes to acheive and looks effortless & put together at the same time! // Hey There, Chelsie

Double Messy Bun Tutorial

Starting at my temples, I gather the top of my hair towards the top back part of my head. I make sure I leave my bangs and some hair out to frame my face, and then loosely secure the hair into a messy bun. I keep the hair loose because I want to be able to tug the hair around freely to form the right kind of shape and to be able to add some volume to my roots by “pushing” the bun up on top of my head.

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6 Fast & Effective Acne Products

affiliate links may be used in this post at no additional cost to you
PR Sample – products have been sent to me in exchange for my honest review.
6 Fast and Effective Acne Remedies and products. If you struggle with acne blemishes, painful cystic acne or acne scars, I've rounded up 6 tried and true products that have improved my skin and helped me manage my acne // Hey There, Chelsie

I’ve never really struggled with awful skin growing up. Sure, I had the occasional pimple and I did have a weird bumpy texture on my cheeks, but it was manageable and something I never gave much thought to. I’ll be the first to admit that I never even took my makeup off during my college years and didn’t own a face wash. It was only after I really started experimenting and growing in the world of makeup that I realized I was doing some damage to my skin by not taking care of it. Around this time last year, I found a skincare line and routine that changed my life. I didn’t realize what I was missing out on! After consistently using it for a couple months, my skin was so smooth, so even and so fresh looking.

Further Reading: The Skincare Routine that Changed my Life

And then…we moved to Louisiana in April. And maybe it was the stress of the move or the lifestyle changes that came along with it, or maybe it was just because it was so hot and humid in the Deep South, but my skin had a major meltdown. I mean, it was a meltdown of epic proportions. I started breaking out all along my hairline, my upper lip, and my chin/jawline, and they weren’t your typical blemishes. They were VERY painful cystic pimples that swelled up under the skin but would take weeks to actually come to a head and then stay red for weeks after. My bumpy texture along my cheeks grew and expanded and my skin tone became uneven and dull. Unfortunately for me, my skin has continued to be in meltdown mode through our move to Utah and is still struggling now (although it does seem to be getting better, thanks to the products I’m about to share with you.)

My skin, which I finally had fallen in love with before our move, became a huge source of anxiety and insecurity for me. I spent days hunkered down in my apartment and going makeup up free, hoping that it just needed some air. I started throwing every skin care product I owned at it, multiple times a day, trying to help it, and that only made it worse. In a final act of desperation, I took a very rough shower exfoliator and scrubbed it all over my forehead, which made my skin raw, pink and angry. It was bad news bears.

When we got to Utah and my skin continued to freak out, I decided I needed to come up with a plan and really figure out what to do about it. That started with me going makeup free for a week and putting NO products on my skin, minus a very light moisturizer at night. I just felt like it needed a break from everything. During that week, I did a ton of reading and research into products that might help me get my skin back and put together my own regimen to try. I’m happy to say that things have gotten considerably better since using these specific products consistently over the last month. While these didn’t erase my zits overnight, things are definitely improving and my skin is looking a lot better.

6 Fast & Effective Products for Acne

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Easy Cranberry Smokey Eye Tutorial

This shop has been compensated by Collective Bias, Inc. and its advertiser. All opinions are mine alone. #MyPureRelief #CollectiveBias

Easy and Simple Cranberry Smokey Eye, a perfect makeup look for the holidays without being too complicated! // Hey There, Chelsie #ad #MyPureRelief

It’s November 3rd. Halloween is officially over. And you can bet your bottom that the Christmas music has started playing in my home and I’m NOT EVEN SORRY! This is my absolute favorite time of the year and I wouldn’t mind if time slowed down just a little bit so I can enjoy every second of it.

One of my favorite parts about the holiday season? Holiday makeup! There’s just something so exciting to me about taking the time to put my makeup on for a fancy holiday party or dinner. Maybe it’s because it’s an extra excuse to spend some time loving on myself. Maybe it’s because it’s an excuse to get creative and go all out without fearing what other people will think. Maybe it’s both. After all, this is my life and I’m going to live it as vibrantly as possible, with as much (or as little) makeup on as possible.

Anyway, I wanted to get ahead of the game and share a really simple but fun Holiday makeup look to start the month off right. I know that I used to get really intimidated by any kind of “smokey eye” makeup look, so I wanted this one to be as simple as possible to achieve. So, this look only uses 3 eyeshadows and doesn’t even include winged liner (although you certainly could put a wing on it if you want. You do you, boo!)

Before we jump into the tutorial, I first wanted to chat about a new product that I recently added to my beauty arsenal and that has been a game changer for me. Since moving to Utah, I’ve been really struggling with sensitive and irritated eyes. I’m not sure if it’s because there are different plants or pollens in the air or if it’s because I recently got eyelash extensions, but my eyes have been really itchy, red and all around sore. And, as someone who loves to express her creativity through her makeup, having sore eyes was not working for me!

Dustin kept telling me to go get some eyedrops and I first thought that was silly because eyedrops are for people with contacts! However, I recently learned that Clear Eyes® (already the number one selling brand of eye drops) just released a new product meant to help with irritated eyes. I picked up the Clear Eyes® Pure Relief™ Multi-Symptom, hoping that it would help out because it’s formulated for people with red, burning, itchy, dry, irritated, gritty or watery eyes. I’ve been using them for about a week now and I can say that they have brought considerable relief to my eyes when they get really itchy and irritated. So, if you’re struggling with some irritated eyes this holiday season but still want to rock out some serious holiday glam, be sure to give the Clear Eyes® Pure Relief™ Multi-Symptom drops a try. Right now, there is a 25% off offer on Cartwheel at Target, so make sure you jump on that asap!

photo-nov-02-8-33-02-am

Okay, let’s jump into the tutorial!

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