DIY Tassel Banner

Happy Monday! I have a fun little diy project for you all today! How to make a tassel banner! They are really easy to make but they can take a bit of time. There are also a couple of different ways to make them. I have tried them all but I will discuss my preferred method! Remember, you can create one to be as big or as little as you would like. Also, keep in mind the colors of your celebration so that it matches your party. Keep reading after the jump to learn how to make this festive little banner!

Julep Maven November

Happy Thursday my beauties! 

I do not know about you, but something about receiving a package in the mail makes me so happy. As most of you know, I am a huge fan of IPSY bags ($10 a month beauty subscription. You can learn more about ipsy here or here.) Today I am actually going to talk to you about a different monthly gift to myself! I am a Julep Maven! If you want to sign up or check it out you can do so here. Anyway, I love this particular subscription box because the products are really good quality. The nail polishes are 5-FREE meaning they are free of formaldehyde, formaldehyde resin, toluene, DBP, camphor, and animal ingredients or byproducts making them also vegan! I am all for companies that take time to develop the quality of their products. They also carry other beauty products such as makeup and skin care products. Their monthly subscription costs about $25 and are nail polish heavy. Occasionally you will get different products but 75% of the time they stick to nail polish. The other thing I like is that you have the ability to earn points, and quickly. You can redeem the points on many things but I like to use them to get a free box and save myself $25 every couple of months. I also like how around the 20th of each month they allow you to go in and edit your box if you do not like some of the things they chose for you. You can swap polishes for different colors or completely different products. I am actually really impressed with their lip products as well. I love the lip crayon in cardinal! So pretty! Oh, another thing I LOVE is the box comes the 1st of the month. (Sometimes it may be a day or so late depending on what day of the week it falls on and if there is a holiday, but overall it is usually on time!) When you first sign up, there is a beauty bio you fill out which helps you choose what kind of box you will be receiving. I get the classic with a twist box but do opt for switching out colors occasionally. You also have the opportunity to shop for other items. You are not limited to just your monthly box. Lastly, my favorite part of all-- all products are full sized products. No samples here!!! 

Today I decided to have my nails start matching the season and opted for Michaela. She is part of the Boho Glam style collection. She is a deep purple/almost black color with fine glitter. I am wearing it in the photo above. The flash does bring the purple out more than it appears normally. Okay, so I want to hear from you! Do you have a favorite subscription box or are you a julep Maven too? Let me know! Enjoy the rest of your evening!

Xo, Chris

Workout Wednesday : Fire Hydrants

Happy Hump Day lovely humans!

I don't know about you but my life is busy! My schedule is jam packed with things I have to do. However, one of my goals is to never let my health become a second priority. So, I try to find the time to get a work out in and if I can't find the time, I MAKE it happen! That is why I love the 21 day fix program. It just takes 30 minutes to complete, and you end the workout feeling depleted. That means it works! Some days I feel extra motivated and add in some extra moves to the end of my workout. If you want to try something new, try this out! In the video I show the moves but let me try and break them down for you. Do each move for a minute and then repeat on the opposite leg. Stretch your wrists before starting and between each set. 

First up are Fire Hydrants! These may feel funny to do but they are effective. If you will like a puppy using a fire hydrant to.. You know... Then, you are doing it right! (Sorry for the visual) Start on all fours and then, life one leg until it is parallel with the floor. Make sure it is bent. Then, come down and repeat until the minute is up. Tip, keep your back straight and your abs engaged. Never let the working leg touch the ground. The next move is the Hamstring curl: start with one leg lifted and parellel to the ground straight out behind you. Try to keep the thigh of your leg from moving and just move from the knee down. Bend until your leg makes a right angle with itself and then come back to the parallel line. Looks easier than it is! It will burn!! Lastly you can do simple leg lifts as shown or rainbows where you cross over to the opposite leg. These 2 moved can be done with a straight or a bent leg. 

*Add ankle weights or a resistance band to make it a bit more challenging only after you mastered the moves with proper form

Let me know if you try it. #buildingbootiesonedayatatime

Let's crush this week! 

Xo, Chris

Clean Your Brushes

Happy Beauty Tuesday!! Today I wanted to talk to you about makeup brushes. Do you notice that after a while, they stop applying makeup so smoothly? Well, it's because they have to be cleaned!! I do a deep cleaning once a month and spot clean every week or so. The easiest way to clean them is using a gentle shampoo mixed with an antibacterial soap. I know this is weird but.... I take a small bowl and pour a little of bath and body works antibacterial gentle foaming soap, a little bit of Johnson and johnson's baby shampoo, a splash of rubbing alcohol and a little bit of coconut oil. I then double the liquid by adding water and stir it up really nice. I find the coconut oil does a great job of removing the residue from the brushes. So I dip a brush (one at a time) into the mixture and then swirl it on my hand to remove the makeup. I rinse with clean water and repeat until I stop seeing makeup come out of it. Then I squeeze the excess water out and shape the bristles. Lay it down to dry.

Tip: never wet above the bristles (the ferrule) because it can loosen the glue and make your brush fall apart sooner than it should. This is why I lay them flat to dry because if you stand it up the water will leak into it as well. It takes a couple of hours to dry completely but once they are you can reuse and they feel like new! To spot clean I have a mixture of witch hazel, water and baby shampoo in a spray bottle. I shake it up really well and spritz it on a brush I've used for the week then wipe on a paper towel. I hope this helps you! I know the brand sigma sells a really cool brush cleaner. They actually have a few different types. I might purchase one in the future but for now this works for me. 

If you have a question, let me know. I want to hear how you clean your brushes! Post below

I hope you have a fabulous and squeaky clean day!

XO, Chris

New month, new goals! Day 1

Happy November 2nd everyone! Okay, so now that the novelty is starting to fade from my engagement (who am I kidding it will never fade hahaha), it is time to get to work! I officially started another round of the 21 day fix extreme today! Good news is, it is on special this month along with the original 21 day fix and my other fave DANCE program CIZE! This time, I am doing the countdown to competition meal plan to really push myself. Keep reading to see how day 1 is going so far. Also, I provide my day 1 meal plan :)

Me taking a break on the floor to catch my breath after ploy fix extreme!

DIY Glitter Jars

Happy Sunday beauties! So, I usually spend my weekends crafting. I love to help friends and families with party decor especially candy stations and sweet tables! Today I am going to show you a really simple project that looks super fancy and is really cheap to do! Glitter glass jars!

Keep Reading after the jump!