Beauty Quips: The Blog

There comes a point when your beauty routine needs a little editing. Not necessarily because something is wrong with it. Maybe you simply have too much. Too many products you bought because everyone was talking about them. Too many things you meant to try. Too many half-used bottles and tubes taking up space because you keep thinking, “I should really use that.” And then there are the products you reach for without thinking. The ones you replace when they run out. The ones you would notice if they disappeared tomorrow. Those are the keepers. After spending some time figuring out what actually works for you, the next question is a pretty natural one: What is actually worth keeping? And I'm not just talking about decluttering your bathroom cabinet. I'm talking about building a beauty routine that earns its place in your real life. Start With What You Actually Use Here's an easy place to begin. Forget what you own for a minute. What did you actually use this week? Look at your...

The Beauty Routine That Fits Your Life There was a time when I thought a good beauty routine meant doing everything. Cleanser. Toner. Serum. Eye cream. Moisturizer. SPF. Then makeup. Primer. Foundation. Concealer. Powder. Bronzer. Blush. Highlighter. Brows. Eyeshadow. Eyeliner. Mascara. Lips. And somehow, we were supposed to do all of this before breakfast. Somewhere along the way, beauty became less about taking care of ourselves and more about keeping up. New products. New trends. New routines. New “must-haves.” Another expert telling us what we absolutely need to be doing. But here's the thing I've come to believe: A beauty routine isn't successful because it is complicated. It's successful because it works for you.   Your routine should fit your life Maybe you have twenty minutes in the morning. Maybe you have five. Maybe your mornings are peaceful and predictable. Or maybe someone is asking where their shoes are while you're trying to remember whether you'v...

Who Made the Beauty Rules? And what happens when we stop following them? There are a lot of rules in beauty. Some are written on product labels. Some are whispered between friends. Some are handed down from one generation to the next. And some of them? We have absolutely no idea who made them. At some point, many of us learned that certain colors were “too much,” certain hairstyles were “too young,” certain makeup belonged to certain ages, and taking time for ourselves was somehow a luxury we needed to earn. We learned that beautiful meant polished—but not too polished. Natural—but not too natural. Youthful—but apparently not so youthful that anyone thought we were trying too hard. It's exhausting. And maybe it's time we questioned a few of those rules. Who decided shimmer has an expiration date? I'll go first. Why exactly does getting older mean we have to stop having fun with makeup? Sure, our skin changes. Our preferences change. The products that worked beautifully at 2...

There’s something about the end of summer that makes us want to hit the reset button. The calendar starts filling up again. Mornings get busier. Schedules change. And suddenly that leisurely summer beauty routine—or lack thereof—needs a little structure. But before you decide you need an entirely new makeup bag, a twelve-step skincare routine, and a bathroom counter full of products, let’s pause. You probably don’t need more beauty. You need a better routine. A good beauty routine should make your life easier, not give you another list of things to accomplish before breakfast. Start With What You Actually Do The best beauty routine isn't the one that looks impressive on Instagram. It's the one you will actually do on a Tuesday morning when you're running late, your coffee is getting cold, and someone needs something from you before you've even found your shoes. Start by looking at your current routine and asking: * What do I use every single day? * What products make ge...

There is something about the start of a new school year that makes everything feel like a fresh start. New pencils. New notebooks. New routines. New schedules. And, if you're a mom, a teacher, a homeschool mom, or anyone whose calendar suddenly gets a whole lot fuller in August…possibly a desperate search for the snooze button. This week feels especially fitting for me because homeschool officially begins in our house on Wednesday, and I've already stepped back into my role as a paraeducator. So yes—back-to-school is happening in my world, too. And it has me thinking about something we don't always put on the back-to-school checklist: How are we going to take care of ourselves while we're taking care of everyone else? A New Season Doesn't Have to Mean a New You I love the feeling of a fresh school year. There is something hopeful about sharpening the pencils, organizing the supplies, opening a brand-new planner, and thinking, This year, we're going to be so orga...

Clean Slate: Why Healthy Skin Starts Before Your Cleanser By Heather | Beauty Quips There are nights when my skincare routine feels like a little luxury. Then there are nights when I barely make it to the bedroom before remembering I still have makeup on. If you're anything like me, you've probably experienced both. The truth is, healthy skin isn't about having a ten-step routine or a cabinet full of expensive products. More often than not, it begins with one simple habit: Taking everything off at the end of the day. Throughout the day, our skin collects more than just foundation and mascara. Sunscreen, oil, sweat, pollution, and everyday dirt all settle on our skin's surface. Even if you aren't wearing makeup, your skin has worked hard all day. Giving it a clean slate each evening is one of the kindest things you can do for it. Why Cleansing Matters While we sleep, our skin naturally goes into repair mode. Removing the day's buildup allows your nighttime skinca...