Skincare: 7 Steps to Healthier, More Beautiful Skin

Josie Beachcomber PJ Set

Confession: I never truly cared about skincare until about a year ago. Sure, I washed my face daily and always used moisturizer, but that was really the extent of my "skincare" routine. I was always more of a makeup girl if you know what I mean (love a good eye shadow palette). Thankfully I'm blessed with clear skin. However, now that I'm in my late 20's I'm noticing fine lines, wrinkles, pores, and blemishes more than ever. Insert immediate panic mode. Wrinkles?! Say it aint so! Unfortunately that's life sister! So it was time to jump on the skincare train, and I was on the hunt for the best possible products. Like most people, I tried out various brands that people recommended but nothing really caught my attention until I was introduced to Beauty Counter. I was on a trip in Mexico with a group of bloggers, and one of the girls brought up the topic of parabens and toxins in skincare. I named off a few things I was using regularly, and she basically told me what I was putting on my skin everyday was awful for me. Well, that was alarming! I've always been somewhat of a health junky, and the fact that I was putting toxins and parabens all over my face daily was terrifying.  I mean that sounds just as bad as smoking doesn't it?! Both sides of my family have cancer and diseases that run deep, so I am at risk for those myself and always try to be health conscious for that reason. I eat mostly organic foods, workout 5+ times a week, have never smoked, and overall I just try to be mindful of what type of life I'm living. Now, it's easy to say "okay, I'll make the switch to safer products for that reason." But what if the products don't work or aren't that great? Then ultimately you'd probably end up going back to what works right? At least that's what I would do. I decided to give Beauty Counter products a try and to my surprise they do actually work! And they work really well. The beauty behind this (see what I did there?), is that I have the luxury of having a platform like this to spread the word! So, that's what I'm doing today. I'm not here to tell you to immediately change all of your products to safer products, or to tell you that I use all BC products (because I don't), but more of less to educate you on some of my favorites! The way I see it, every step you take in removing something that isn't good for you from your life, is one step in the right direction. It's not realistic to say throw everything away immediately and never look back, because let's be honest, I love my eye shadows and I'm not ready to give those up haha. However, the simple fact that I made some significant changes in skincare and makeup products feels really good! Plus, I'm obsessed with them so that's an added bonus. Let's get started! 

You should always layer your skincare products from thinnest to thickest for maximum results, so you'll see this is the order I go in when applying my routine. 

1. Makeup wipes // If you're a makeup wipe fan, these are amazing! I've been using the Neutrogena makeup wipes my whole life and still love those (especially when traveling or on the run), but if you're looking for a safer option these are fantastic and get the job done equally. I like to use one of these before washing my face to help get all of my makeup off, however, if you're using the cleanser (next step), you really don't have to use these as that helps remove makeup in one swoop. If I'm in a hurry and don't have time to do the whole routine (aka I'm rushing to the gym) I'll just run one of these over my face and complete the rest of the routine later!

2. Cleanser // This is hands down the best cleanser I have ever used and I've tried tons, y'all! I recommend this to everyone. It comes in both a cream cleanser and an exfoliator and I use both. I typically use the cream cleanser daily, and the exfoliator once a week. As I mentioned above, both of these take your makeup off completely so it also serves as a makeup remover while cleansing your face. It doesn't leave my skin dried out, and the exfoliator isn't too rough to where it agitates my skin. Everybody who has ordered this, has raved about it 

3. Toner // I use these rejuvenating toner pads next. They have a mixed fruit acid complex and vitamin C in them to reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and they also tighten my pores nicely. I swipe these over my skin after the cleanser and you can cut them in half if you're using both sides for longevity. 

4. Mist // Again, this is another favorite product of mine! I use the No. 3 Balancing Facial Mist and it is life changing! I actually let a friend borrow it recently and I truly missed it. I use this to prep my skin before makeup and to help restore moisture. However, it can also be used to set makeup! It is formulated with charcoal powder and clay so it helps reduce any redness, absorbs excess oil, and refines skin texture. They make several different kinds of mist depending on your skin needs which you can find here. 

5. Serum // I layer this anti-aging rejuvenating serum under my moisturizer to help with hydration, skin tone, and wrinkles. It's not greasy at all, lightweight, and has proven significant increases in firmness of my skin! I love this stuff. 

6. Moisturizer // Okay, so while I didn't have an actual routine until about a year ago - I did always moisturize! Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! It's hands down the best thing you can do for your skin. I actually don't use a Beauty Counter moisturizer. I have super dry skin, and haven't been able to find one for my face that I like a lot. So I just use Jergens Natural Glow daily. I do however, love the body butter and body lotion from Beauty Counter.

7. Oil // Another product I love! Prior to trying Beauty Counters oil, I always used Kiehls Midnight Recovery, which I still really like but Beauty Counters oil is extremely comparable, provides the same results, and it's toxin and paraben free. So I made the switch here! When I first thought of putting oil on my face, I thought it was crazy. Surely it would make me oily, no? Nope! It doesn't. It actually has a reverse effect, and is one of the best things for my skin! I put a few drops of the number 3 balancing oil on my face at night, however, you can use it during the day too! Since I do this at night, I put it on alone - I don't need a moisturizer for this because this actually makes my skin feel silky smooth and like a babies butt. So I don't need it! If you are using it during the day though, I would recommend layering it under your moisturizer for maximum results! Your skin will feel nourished like you've never experienced before, trust me. 

That's it! I know it seems like a lot, but it honestly takes less than 5 minutes and it will make your skin glow beautifully in addition to slowing down the aging process! If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me, and if you're feeling extra adventurous - give this mask a try, it's life changing! I also wanted to add that if you're planning on spending over $100 I recommend signing up for the Band of Beauty Membership. It's $29/year, you get a free full size body scrub (which is to die for), free shipping on orders over $100 and a 15% product credit on every purchase, so the benefits far outweigh the $29 cost! PS: Any of these items also make a great Mothers Day gift! 

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Pops Of Red + A Life Update

Tiered Ruffle Top // Side Slit Pants (similar here) // Block Heel Sandals // Handbag // Earrings // Bracelet 

Hi friends, happy Sunday! This was a big week for me, well - it's really been a big month in general for travel, change, and life overall. If you follow me on social media, you probably know I've spent the last three weekends traveling to Miami, Dallas, and Las Vegas with Charleston this weekend. What a lineup! I'm exhausted just typing that. Dallas and Vegas were firsts for me, which was exciting, however I don't think I'll ever need to go back to Vegas, ha! I'm a pretty chill, grab dinner and drinks and then go home kinda girl, and Vegas was on another level. Granted, we were there for a bachelorette so it was to be expected and celebrating my girl and her upcoming nuptials was a must!

I attended my first RewardStyle Conference, otherwise known as #rsthecon on social media, in Dallas last week. It was such a cool experience! My trip was cut short due to the bachelorette overlapping, but the two days I got to experience were a blast. It's a whirlwind weekend full of meeting all the faces you see on social media daily, chatting with brands, learning about upcoming changes with liketoknow.it and the app (if you have the app, follow me in it for all my outfit details), and attending socials. The app is such a cool thing to have in my opinion. I used liketoknow.it in college and would always have to wait on the emails to be able to shop, so I wish we would've had the capability to just look up the details immediately like you can now! They also released a "wish list" function where you can save items you like but aren't ready to purchase just yet to your wish list and return to them later without having to look up the influencer again. So helpful!

Earlier this week I mentioned I had a life update for you guys, so let's get on to the big news - I know you're waiting! I finally decided to leave my corporate job! This is something I had been torn with doing for awhile now. I was in sales for one of the best companies out there, made new best friends, hit many milestones, and the job itself was fun and had it's perks. But at the end of the day, my heart was somewhere else, and that somewhere else was The Cheeky Been. It's really hard to put into words what that feels like, I had never experienced a passion like this one until now. I constantly had this voice telling me my corporate job wasn't for me anymore, but I was honestly scared to listen to it.  I had been there for five years, it was comfortable, and "safe". But as we all know, you have to take a risk sometimes or you'll always wonder "what if." So here I am guys! Taking a risk and praying for the best! Your support of this little blog of mine means more than you'll ever know, and I only hope to continue to serve you in every way possible.

With that being said, if there's anything you want more of or something I don't talk about here that you'd love to hear about - please send me an email, leave me a comment, or a DM! I love hearing from you, and your feedback is gladly accepted.

As for this outfit, I originally wore these pants in NYC back in February and got so many compliments on them that I couldn't wait to style them again for spring! Unfortunately, they sold out but I found a pretty comparable pair which you can find here. My top is also a best seller, and super cute paired with jean shorts for those warmer days. It kind of reminds me of that sweet "all American" girl - perfect for Memorial Day weekend too!

And just like that, I'm signing off and wishing you a happy Sunday evening! PS: It feels so good to not have the Sunday scaries for the first time in a year. Raising a glass to that! Cheers.

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Healthy Eating Habits: A Look at My Personal Food Diary

Sports Bra // Leggings

 Alright girls, here's a topic of conversation a lot of you have been asking for! Healthy eating. Let me start off by saying I am not a registered dietitian or doctor, so everything I am laying out today is based solely off my own personal experience. If you're a girl on the go, this blog post should be helpful. I'm the queen of let's eat healthy, but I don't want to clean up a big mess, and I also don't want to be cooking for hours. Convenience is my jam! 

So with that being said, I meal prep on Sundays and eat a lot of the same items during the week. Meal prepping is life changing, ya'll! I'm always ravenous when I get home from work, so if my meal isn't already prepared and ready to be warmed up I typically end up snacking before dinner - and let's be honest, it's probably not the "healthiest" snack. So the best thing I could do for myself was have my meals prepared ahead of time. But what if you don't have time on Sunday? Listen I get it, it was the story of my life last year, and the majority of this year thus far. There are tons of meal prepping services out there that focus on tailored health needs like paleo, gluten free, or just simply healthy eating! I get all of my dinners through Ro (my trainer) here in Charlotte. Meal prep is a service he offers in addition to training and I can't rave about it enough! 

So let's talk about what my days actually look like. Monday-Friday I wake up at 4:45 AM, I'm at work at 7:45 AM and I get home around 5:30 PM. Because I start my days so early, my metabolism gets a kick start and I'm already starting to get hungry around 8:00 AM. I typically workout on an empty stomach in the mornings because I have a hard time eating when I first wake up, but after the gym I tend to feel really hungry so I try to eat breakfast around 8:00 AM. As I mentioned above, eating the same things multiple times in one week doesn't bother me, so on Sundays I will cook enough breakfast for me to eat through Wednesday. Unless it's the weekend I normally eat one of two things for breakfast: smoked salmon on a GG cracker or an egg white souffle. Below are the ingredients for both!

If you haven't heard of GG crackers, believe me when I say you need them! If you're a fan of locks and bagel but hate all the carbs in the bagel, these are a game changer. We love to do Sunday brunch, but it's tough to eat healthy. So, I'll grab a couple of these and throw them in my bag, order locks and bagel at the restaurant and then switch the bagel out for these crackers. They are high in fiber and low  in calories, keeping you fuller longer. They also make it so easy to hit your fiber goal for the day! I usually eat three crackers at a time with one serving of smoked salmon. If you absolutely have to have cream cheese, try substituting for Kite Hills cream cheese like spread. It's made of almond milk and is all around a healthier option. 

If it's an egg white souffle morning, I mix three egg whites together with spinach, boars head Cajun turkey (i just shred it), mushrooms, and onions and bake them in a little white ramekin for 20-30 minutes on 350 degrees. These are so easy to make, and taste delicious. I ran out of egg whites in the picture above, so that one has two egg whites and one regular egg, which works as well! 

Breakfast:

Locks & Bagel:

Smoked Salmon

3 GG Crackers

Kite Hill Chive Cream Cheese style spread

Shallots

Capers 

Egg White Souffle

3 Egg Whites

Boars Head Cajun Turkey shredded

Spinach

Onions 

Mushrooms 

Lunch can be tricky. I'm in sales which means we eat out with clients over lunch daily. In order for me to know exactly what I'm eating, I always stick to a plain salad. Lots of times items on a menu look healthy, however there are tons of ingredients in the dish that aren't listed under the meal description on the menu. A prime example of this is what they cook the items in, lots of times it's butter adding tons of hidden fat to a meal that traditionally should be healthy! So while it sounds boring, I always order a salad with mixed greens or spinach, cucumbers (they hold a lot of water), avocado (healthy fat), quinoa (high in fiber), chicken, and blueberries or strawberries. Skip the cheese! Another easy health hack is to always order the dressing on the side. For me, avocado provides enough moisture to where I only need a tiny bit of dressing. But if you do need the dressing, Balsamic Vinaigrette is your best option. Dressings are loaded with calories and fat, so while your salad is healthy the ranch dressing poured all over it is basically the same as eating a cheeseburger on the side. I like for all of my meals to have healthy portions of protein, fat (healthy fats like avocado), fiber, and greens. 

Lunch

Salad with Grilled Chicken

Mixed Greens or Spinach

One breast of Chicken

1/4 of a Cucumber

1/4 cup Quinoa

Handful of Blueberries 

 1 Tablespoon of Garlic Expressions or Balsamic Vinaigrette

Half of an Avocado

As I mentioned above, I'm always hungry right after work. This is most likely due to how early I start my day, and the fact that I eat lunch relatively early (11:30). So, all of my dinners Monday-Thursday are meal prepped and simple. If you've never made diced sweet potatoes, girl you're missing out! They are my favorite side and again, super easy (I wasn't kidding when I said I like easy). I buy the sweet potatoes already diced up from Whole Foods, put them in a bowl and coat with 1 tablespoon of Avocado oil, toss so all the potatoes are covered, and then lay them out on a lined baking sheet and sprinkle some Himalayan sea salt over them. Then, I bake them for 20-30 minutes on 450 degrees in the oven and they come out like pure crispy goodness! Added perk: it makes your house smell divine too. We almost always use asparagus, broccoli, or broccolini as our vegetable. I love broccoli and broccolini for the gut health it provides and it tastes delicious sauteed with a little lemon and garlic. If you aren't a fan of sweet potatoes, you can sub these out for cauliflower rice from Trader Joes as well. 

Dinner

Chicken with Asparagus or Broccoli and Sweet Potatoes

1 breast of chicken

1 bundle of Asparagus, Broccoli, or Broccolini

3 cups of diced Sweet Potatoes

1 Tablespoon Avocado Oil

Himalayan Sea Salt 

Snacks. Oh how I love them! I need a snack around 10/10:30 AM and again around 3:00 PM. I get these little protein bites from Ro as part of my meal prep with him, however, the recipe is a secret so I'm not 100% sure what's in them. If I had to take a wild guess, its oats, protein powder, almond milk,  a banana and maybe vanilla extract or nutmeg? I make a similar recipe which you can find here! Outside of the protein bites, almonds are another great option and if you have a serious sweet tooth - these are to die for and what you see pictured above.

Snacks

Raw Almonds

Hard Boiled Egg

Hummus

Protein Bites

Protein Shake

Energy Balls

This post was definitely longer than I intended it to be, so if you're still reading I commend you! I would love your feedback on whether or not these are helpful, and if you're interested in seeing more in the comments below! Have a great week!

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My Master Closet Reveal

  

I am so excited to be sharing my closet reveal with you guys! We have been in our new home for a year and a half now, and the master closet has been a topic of conversation for us from the start. To be  honest, I simply have way more stuff than what can actually fit in our current closet, so part of the frustration was simply coming from the fact that I needed to purge. I'm one of those people that has a really hard time purging things that have only been worn once, and I tend to tell myself I'll wear it again even though I probably won't. But, I'm proud to announce that my team started a whole new Instagram page just for that! So if you're interested in my almost new/gently used clothes - check out @shopcheekybeen on Instagram. 

There are a few projects around the house I have been itching to do, but my closet was my main priority. Mainly because Shane and I were bickering over the total disaster it was becoming on a weekly basis, and that alone was driving me nuts. I told myself the second our wedding was over and my expenses could shift a little, the closet would be my first order of business - and so it was!

As I mentioned above, it's small - especially for it being a "master" closet. Not only that, but it's also poorly designed in terms of organization. So, insert Whitney Hahn of California Closets! Whitney of California Closets Charlotte came over to my house one afternoon to take a look at the situation, and immediately went to work on a design that was not only functional, but also pretty to look at and emulated my vision for the space. I was really impressed by how quickly she could draw up an Autocad design that totally brought my ideas to life!

(Before and After: The wall to the left of the entry way to the closet0

(Before and After: The back wall of the closet and what you face when walking in)

         

(Before and After: My shoe wall! This is where I had all my shoes arranged)

 Once we nailed down the actual design, I met her at their showroom to pick out hardware and finishes. It was so helpful to be able to see all the options on an already finished design in the showroom! I knew I wanted a white closet (our walls are Benjamin Moore Revere Pewter, so white provides a beautiful contrast), and gold hardware - but the knobs for the drawers were my favorite final touch! 

The entire process was so much easier than I anticipated. Installation took about six hours and both installers were friendly, professional, and detail oriented! Overall, I'm so happy we chose to work with California Closets and would recommend Whitney Hahn to anyone looking to redesign their space. So much so, that I have actually paired up with the Charlotte location to offer $100 off your next project when you mention The Cheeky Been upon booking an appointment by phone! 

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*In partnership with California Closets

Free People Boho Bodysuit

Denim Skirt // Floral Top // Handbag // Heels // Tassel Earrings 

Spring, is that you?! Although the temperatures in Charlotte don't indicate signs of spring, the flowers sure do! I drive past this wall of Azaleas around this time every year, and every year I have to stop and get a picture in front of them! They weren't quite at their peak yet in these photos, but I guarantee by the middle of this week they will be stopping people dead in their tracks!

I have a ton of warm weather trips coming up, so I'm shopping for mainly summer clothes at this point - which is how I came across this floral bodysuit. The second it popped up on my screen I knew  I needed to add it to my current collection of yellow. I don't think I've ever really worn yellow, or been drawn to it until this year, and now I can't seem to get away from it! Maybe it's because it reminds me of warmer days and sunshine? Who knows. But what I do know, is that you need this whole get up. It's so perfect for brunch with the girls, a lunch date, or really anything summer related for that matter. Personally, I've always got my eyes peeled for a good brunch outfit. So we will jut file this one away under "must wear to brunch." The top runs true to size (I'm wearing a small) and so does my jean skirt. If you don't own a jean skirt, invest in a good one. They never go out of style, and they last for forever. If I can wear it season after season for years to come, it's worth it to splurge on one of quality. Quality over quantity, always!

I hope you girls are having a good week so far! I'm headed to Miami this weekend so I've been busy squeezing in workouts, meal prepping, and planning out my outfits. I always plan my outfits way too last minute, so I'm actually proud of the fact that I'm doing it proactively this go around - feels good!

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