Welcome to a new year and a fresh start! Today, I’m sharing a Get Ready With Me (GRWM) experience featuring the gorgeous Alter Ego Mishaven Palette. This palette has been my go-to for creating soft glam looks that feel perfect for kicking off the year with a little sparkle. But this post isn’t just about makeup—it’s about life, emotions, and finding ways to push through when you’re in a funk.
Life Updates & New Year Reflections
Let’s be real—this year hasn’t started the way I hoped. I’ve been feeling emotional and stuck in a bit of a funk. The post-holiday blues and the pressure of New Year’s resolutions have been weighing on me. In this post, I’ll talk about how I’ve been processing these feelings and what I’m doing to reset my mindset.
The Mishaven Palette: A Makeup Therapy Moment
Makeup has always been therapeutic for me, and the Alter Ego Mishaven Palette is a standout. Its versatile shades make it easy to create looks that go from everyday chic to full glam.
This palette is not only affordable but also a great alternative to higher-end brands.
Tips for Getting Out of a Funk
While makeup is my creative escape, here are a few other tips I’ve been leaning on to feel better:
Journaling: Writing down my thoughts has helped clear my head.
Self-Care Rituals: Whether it’s a face mask or a walk outside, little things matter.
Setting Small Goals: Achieving even tiny tasks boosts my motivation.
Final Look & Thoughts
After creating this look, I felt a sense of accomplishment and calm—a reminder that self-expression can be a powerful tool for healing. Check out my full GRWM video on YouTube here to see the step-by-step process and hear more about my journey.
Shop the Mishaven Palette
Interested in trying the Alter Ego Mishaven Palette for yourself? Shop here and let me know your thoughts!
Thanks for joining me on this little journey of makeup therapy and life updates. I hope this post inspires you to embrace creativity and give yourself grace as you navigate the highs and lows of life.
Disclaimer: The products featured in this video and discussed were either sent to me for review consideration or purchased with my own money. Affiliate links are listed throughout this post.
Your skin is a significant part of your body and can impact your overall health more than you may realize. Good skin is generally seen as a sign of youth and beauty, but it’s important for more than that. As well as being a part of your everyday beauty routine, taking care of your skin is also a lifestyle choice that can improve your general health and well-being.
However, a skin condition can make your skin harder to deal with. This can impact your self-esteem, but it can also affect your health or be a sign of an underlying condition. Here are some common skin conditions and how you can treat them.
General Skincare Advice
No matter what your skin situation is, everyone could use general advice and a good skincare routine. If you have a healthy routine to start with, then you might be able to clear up some minor skin conditions without having to take any special care. A good skincare routine can also hold off the aging process and keep your skin looking clear and youthful for longer.
The first thing you need to do is find out what type of skin you have. Everyone is unique, and that means that everyone’s skin is different as well. However, you can categorize your skin into four basic skin types. These are:
Normal skin, which is the ideal balanced skin type.
Dry skin, where you don’t produce enough sebum (skin oil), which can make your skin look dull or dry.
Oily skin, where you produce too much sebum, which can make your skin look greasy or shiny.
Combination skin, where you have patches of both dry and oily skin.
If your skin is unbalanced, then it can make it less healthy. Once you know your skin type, then you can change your products and skincare routine to accommodate it.
Cleansing & Moisturizing
Everyone should at least use a cleanser and moisturizer twice a day (morning and night, preferably), but your skin type might change this. For example, someone with dry skin would benefit from moisturizing more often to keep their skin hydrated and healthy.
If you have sensitive skin, then use products designed to be kind to your skin. Ideally, even if it doesn’t irritate your skin, avoid using harsh chemicals on your skin as they can dry it out. This includes makeup, which can do more harm than good.
Consider the food that you eat as well. Some foods contain nutrients that boost your skin health and healthy fats. You should drink plenty of water to keep yourself hydrated and your skin looking supple and healthy, rather than drying out.
Finally, you should always see a doctor or dermatologist if you’re worried about a skin condition. They can give you targeted advice and medication. Also, changes in your skin can indicate health conditions. For example, a mole that changes color, size, or texture, can be a sign of skin cancer. Getting it looked at and treated sooner rather than later is always better.
Treating Eczema
One of the most common skin conditions out there is eczema. Eczema is characterized by dry, irritated skin. It can range from dry patches that can be easily treated with a basic moisturizer, to a far more severe issue with painfully cracked and inflamed skin. More serious eczema flare-ups can lead to infections as the skin breaks, either due to scratching or cracks.
Eczema can also damage your self-esteem, as it can look unsightly as well as uncomfortable. Facial eczema, for example, can be very difficult to deal with. The skin on your face, particularly around your eyes is sensitive, and it’s impossible to hide a flare-up on your face.
The most common cause of a flare-up is exposure to an irritant. This might be perfume, makeup, or anything else that comes in contact with your skin. Even some moisturizers can irritate your skin if you’re sensitive to some of the ingredients. Pay attention to what irritates your skin and avoid it as much as possible.
Harsh & Cold Air Make It Worst
Cold air and harsh conditions can dry out anyone’s skin and can be especially bad if you have eczema. Protect your skin in the winter, keeping it warm and dry. Another common cause of an eczema flare-up is stress.
If your skin is flaring up and you don’t know why you may be anxious or stressed. See if you can change your lifestyle and, if necessary, speak to a therapist. If your eczema isn’t calming down with home treatments, then visit your doctor or dermatologist.
Acne
Acne is one of those skin conditions that’s seen as an ordinary part of life. For many people, it is. You get spots as a teenager then, as you get older, you outgrow them for the most part, other than the odd one every now and then. Acne, like eczema, can often be treated using over-the-counter treatments.
However, some people have to deal with acne for far longer, or they have very severe acne that doesn’t go away no matter what they do. This can be damaging to your self-esteem, as well as being uncomfortable, and it can even be a sign of an underlying issue.
While it’s tempting to wash your face repeatedly, this can do more harm than good. Use a mild cleaner and wash your skin about twice a day, for best results. Use water-based cosmetics and skincare products. Avoid a lot of makeup as, while heavy foundation can cover acne to a degree, it often makes the problem worse in the long run. Remove what makeup you wear before bed.
If your acne still won’t come under control, then you should see a doctor or a dermatologist. They will give you medication to deal with the acne, although it can take a few months to work. Women can have acne flare-ups when they undergo hormonal changes, such as when the menstrual cycle.
It can take a while to get your skin to where you want it, but it’s worth the effort to feel comfortable and confident in your own body.
You Are Not Alone
Regardless of age or skin type – anyone can experience various types of skin conditions. If you’ve been on this site a while, you know that I suffer from Eczema. But, how we treat our skin, care for it and the environment we live in are all contributing factors. My hope is that this post helps you a bit if you are experiencing any of these.
Disclaimer: This is a collaborative post. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links are posted throughout. Feel free to read my Disclaimer Page for details and information on sponsored posts, affiliate links, and more.
Happy Valentine’s Day Fam! Whether you’re planning a date night out with your bae or having a little quiet evening with a home-cooked meal, treat yourself and get…
Happy Tuesday Fam! I know I have been a bit MIA lately and honestly, June is a major struggle for me in the mental health space. But, now that we are in July and I’m ready to get my shit together… I figured I would share an update. Click on the video and check out what I’ve been up to… as well as a Grey Hair Journey Update.
The Hawaiian word: Wala’au (vah lah ow) in Hawaiian means to talk; speak; or to start a conversation. Come hang out and talk story with me.
Disclaimer: The products featured in this post were purchased with my own money, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links can and may be posted throughout.
Happy Thirsty Thursday Fam! Today I’m sharing with you my thoughts on the Duvolle Radiance Spin-Care System. I’ve been using this system for over a month and I’m…
I have been using the Pixi Beauty Rose Infused skin treats for well over a year now and I realized the other day, that while I photographed them, I didn’t share my thoughts on these products yet. So, today – I want to talk story with all of you regarding the Pixi Beauty Rose Infused Collection.
The Pixi Beauty Rose Infused Skintreats collection includes a variety of products to treat your skin. These Rose Infused products help to purify, soften, and strengthen the skin as well as add much-needed moisture. I have tried most of the products in this particular skintreats line (thanks to Pixi Beauty) and while I’m a huge fan of Pixi skincare products, this line is still one of my faves.
Rose-Infused Goodness
Mists
Rose Makeup Fixing Mist: Set your makeup with a soft-focus finish. This Rose Makeup Fixing Mist is suitable for all skin types and prolongs makeup wear, keeping it from moving, melting, and settling into fine lines or pores. This fixing mist is infused with rose water and green tea to comfort, protect, and balance your skin for a fresh face. You apply it after makeup to set and hydrate your face and can use it to refresh your makeup during the day. Ingredients include Rosewater, willow bark extract, and green tea to really hydrate, soothe and balance your skin.
Rose Glow Mist: Looking for a dual-phase elixir that leaves the skin with a gorgeous, natural glow – this one is it. It’s my favorite go-to when I need to moisturize my skin and I love using it when I’m in a rush and don’t have time for a full skincare regimen. This glow mist is packed with 7 flower oils, essential fatty acids, and antioxidants. It improves elasticity and provides free radical protection. Use this mist before makeup to help calm the skin as well as create a moisture barrier or after makeup to set for a natural dewy finish. While it is infused with rose, the fragrance is not as overpowering which makes it easy to use. Ingredients include Rose Oil, Argan Oil and Avocado Oil.
Tonic anyone?
Rose Tonic: If you’ve been following me a while, you may know that the Pixi Beauty Glow Tonic is one of my favorite products and I use it pretty much daily. But, enter Rose Tonic, my new favorite! If the Pixi Glow Tonic is too harsh for your skin then you will want to try the Pixi Beauty Rose Tonic on for size. It’s a naturally soothing tonic that is rich in nutrients to help tone, balance pH, minimize redness, and calm skin. It rehydrates and replenishes as well as refreshes the skin. The toner is rose hydrosol based to help neutralize and hydrate the skin. It normalizes hydration levels and gently removes any impurities. I use this tonic during the day and the glow tonic at night. With ingredients like rose flower extract, elderflower and chamomile to keep the skin feeling soft, soothed, toned, and brightened.
Rose Oil Blend
Rose Oil Blend: Probably one of my all-time favorite oils. This luxurious blend of ingredients is ultra-nourishing and rejuvenates, restore sand renews skin’s luminosity. Infused with a powerful complex of youth-preserving oils to help improve skin’s elasticity and glow. This oil leaves the skin feeling comforted and smooth to the touch with a gorgeous luminous glow. Ingredients include sweet almond, rosehip, jojoba, pomegranate seed and rose geranium oils. All of these to nourish the complexion, tone and balance the skin. I originally started using this oil a few years ago and it is still one of my absolute favorites, my skin loves it!
Essence and Balm
Rose Caviar Essence: With concentrated flower oils suspended in this weightless serum-essence, you get fresh botanicals to nourish, hydrate, and restore your skin’s brightness. This beautiful essence melts onto your skin effortlessly, leaving your skin soft, refined, and toned. Formulated with antioxidant-rich natural oils like rose flow oil, it moisturizes, balances and heals, while brightening and restoring. Ingredients include rose flow oil, anise extract and mulberry extract.
Rose Flash Balm: The 3-in-1, oil-free, quick-absorbing formula you NEED! This balm instantly moisturizes and brightens the skin. You can also use this as a revitalizing mask or primer to prep the skin for a perfect makeup application. This balm is radiance-boosting and the ultimate pick-me-up for tired, lackluster skin. It helps to reduce the signs of fatigue in a flash. I apply a thin layer of this daily for a boost of moisture, especially on days when I am absolutely exhausted. At night, I use it as a mask, blended with my Rose Oil Blend and leave on for 5 minutes. It allows my skin to get a jump start on hydration and is perfect to reduce redness and soothe my skin. Ingredients include rose water, rose extract and olive leaf extract all to balance pH, infuse antioxidant-rich goodness, soothe and smooth.
Cleanser & Ceramide Cream
Rose Cream Cleanser: This cream cleanser nourishes your skin with mineral-rich mud. It cleanses as it helps to strengthen and soften. The cleanser is infused with a variety of soothing and gentle ingredients. Rose flower oil, avocado oil, chamomile and aloe vera are what make up this cleanser. This cleanser is perfect for all skin types, even sensitive ones like mine. My skin loves it and I love that I can use this every day without sensitivity.
Rose Ceramide Cream: Looking for deep hydration for your skin? This ultra-rich cream is infused with ceramides and rose oil to hydrate your skin. It’s perfect to give the skin a healthier, more supple appearance and feel. It includes antioxidant-rich botanicals to help improve the skin’s elasticity while protecting against environmental aggressors. I use this product often, especially now during the summer months when I spend a lot of time outdoors. The formula is rich and luxurious and offers my skin long-lasting nourishment. It helps to fortify your skin and protect against free-radicals and I love that it quickly absorbs into the skin. Ingredients include rose flower oil, ceramide, and probiotics.
Makeup Melting Cleansing Cloths
Makeup Melting Cleansing Cloths: I haven’t been using cleansing cloths or wipes lately. But when I do, these are it. I find that these do the job while leaving my skin feeling soft and smooth. These wipes take off makeup quickly and conveniently (even waterproof formulas) in one easy step. Each cloth is very soft to the touch and feels great on the skin. It is infused with chamomile and grape seed oil to help calm. The wipes leave the skin feeling clean and balanced. The wipes have ingredients like grape seed oil to break down makeup and glycerin to trap moisture in the skin. These wipes are gentle and soothing. The chamomile is calming and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. These wipes are perfect for travel and are suitable for all skin types.
I LOVE the Rose-Infused line
As you know, I’m a huge fan of Pixi Beauty products (check out some of my past features here). The rose-infused line is absolutely no exception. When my skin is freaking out, I tend to pull for these products first. I tend to use these to help soothe and calm my skin when I need it. These products can be used daily for me without having the worry of it drying out my skin. Each product provides my already sensitive-dry skin with much-needed hydration.
Looking to try reasonably priced products that offer a luxurious feel and experience? I highly suggest checking out Pixi Beauty’s rose infused skin treats. The collection offers a product for each skincare need and it’s perfect for sensitive skin. Each product featured in this post is a favorite and I highly recommend them.
*For a full list of ingredients in each product or to purchase any of these yourself, visit pixibeauty.com
Disclaimer: The products featured in this post were sent/gifted for review consideration/feature. All opinions are my own, 100% honest & unbiased. Affiliate links may be posted through out.
Happy Happy Tuesday friends! Over the last month or two, I’ve been seeing the Glamnetic Magnetic Lashes ads all over Facebook and Instagram… even Tiktok. I’ll admit that…
Hi Friends! Today we are talking about powder dip nails. I’m sharing my thoughts on DoubleDip Nail products and dip powder. In the late 90s, I tried a…
Happy Tuesday friends! We are officially on Summer break and excited about it! While most of Hawaii is starting to slowly reopen again, the family and I are still heeding precautions and social distancing as much as possible. But, there have been a lot of changes in our immediate circle and I’m gonna share them with you today. A few weeks ago I posted an image on Instagram with “new hair”. I stated that I would update as to the reason for it and this is that long-awaited post. I have decided that I’m going to be transitioning to grey hair and let my natural hair grow out. Today, I share that with all of you.
Grey or Bust?
If you’ve been a long time follower of my Blog or YouTube channel, you may have noticed that my gray roots (or even the lengths of my hair) show often. Sometimes I cover them up, sometimes I let them go – but after months of thinking this over, I’ve decided I would give gray a try. Let me start by saying that having darker hair and trying to go grey is not easy. Did you know that you need to lighten your hair to go grey? Well, I certainly didn’t know that before I jumped to the thought that I could go all grey first and let the natural stuff grow out.
Watch the video where I explain it all
I filmed a video for my YouTube channel explaining the process which you can watch here, or embedded below.
Fall and winter of 2019 up until March, I had bright red hair, which you can see from the images below. I love red hair and anyone who has been following me a while knows that it’s my go-to Fall/Winter color and has been for years. But red doesn’t easily leave my hair or wash out as simply as it does for others. I can keep the red in my hair for over 6 months without it fading or washing out, even with semi-permanent dyes.
Red hair for Fall/Winter Months. As you can see from the photo on the left, my grey hair had already been gracing my roots.
After removing the red semi-permanent hair color
After removing the red, I was left with a warm brown shade (still a little red hue) and as you can see, my roots have greys.
I removed the red from my hair (or at least I thought I did, more about that in my video), and thought I was left with my brunette hair after removing the color. Well, turns out that the red did not remove from my roots and I was left with a pinkish/red hue to my hair. I digress and made it work.
First few bleaching attempts. I had hoped that I could leave the dark roots since it already had grey, but that didn’t work too well.
In this photo, you can see what my hair looks like with the grey peeking through. While being on quarantine, I did not color over my grey at all. While I did remove the red with Color Oops, I technically hadn’t added color to my roots since January. So my roots have grown out during the last four months.
Taken after the second stage of bleaching and toning.
With change came damage
I used a number of different products to achieve the lighter-toned bleached hair. Quick Blue and Ion Sensitive Scalp developer in 40 volume seemed to do the trick and get it pretty light, but I did have to do this three times. Of course, you can see how much it damaged my hair in the process.
This image was taken about 2 days after lightening my hair to the lightest I could get it. As you can see, I still have length, but my hair is dry, frizzy and my curls are stretched out and dead.
Of course, after trying to lighten my hair dramatically (probably about 8-9 shades), I had a lot of damage. Even if I used Olaplex (thankfully I had #1 and #2), I still had damage and dry areas. But, I’m also thankful my hair didn’t just fall out. I did go in and cut off about 11 inches of hair to revive not only my curl but hopefully breathe life back into my hair after basically killing it.
Some of the products I used to achieve my current hair color
Some of the products used to achieve my current hair shade include:
Ion Color Brilliance Sensitive Skin 40vol developer
Ion Color Brilliance Bright White Cream Lightener
Quick Blue Hair Bleach
Wella T14 and T18 Toner
Ion Violet Gray Semi Permanent Hair Color
Ion Titanium Permanent Hair Color
Clairol Silver Lights Shampoo & Conditioner
ColorLux Silver Color Changing Shampoo
Color Oops (to remove the red)
Before chopping 11 inches off
Before chopping off 11 inches of hair, as you can see, my hair is stringy and dead. while I do have a hat on in this image, you can get a good idea as to the color of my hair after the bleaching and toning process and before I cut it.
After wearing my hair long for about 2 days (maybe 3), I struggled to work with it. The dead ends and lengths of my hair were so damaged that it tangled consistently over those few days and I just couldn’t get my curls revived to a healthy look. I loved the color, but struggled with the damage. After trying to make it work a few days, I decided I needed to cut it. I took off a total of 11 inches from the length of my hair and then went in and did a light dusting of the ends. (see below)
My hair after cutting 11 inches off. My curls seemed to bounce back some and it didn’t look or feel so dry and stringy.
Since cutting my hair, I have been wearing it down much more often and satin scrunchies have been the only hair tie to pull it all back. While you can still see some brownish-red near the roots of my head, I’m really liking the color so far. As you can see in my video – there are areas that really took on the gray (near my neck and ends of hair), but I’m liking it this light.
Wearing my hair down more!
I have been embracing wearing it down as much as possible because I don’t have to worry too much about demarcation right now. I took the photo below, today so that you could see how my hair looks after a few weeks.
Taken today 06/09/20
Overall, I’m excited for this journey. I know that it won’t be an easy one, especially since I was called out on having gray hair before in the past. But, I’m going to embrace this change and transition to the best of my ability. It may not be easy, but such is life. I’ll be updating along the way and sharing my progress here as well as on my YouTube channel. If you’re a fellow grey hair/silver sister, I’d love to hear from you. Let me know in the comments or feel free to reach out via email.
Have you heard of Mukama Botanica? I love trying products that come from businesses here in Hawaii and I’m excited to share this brand with you. If you’ve…
