Have you been considering a beauty subscription to BoxyCharm? Take a peek at what I received and how I used it!
The January box contained five full-sized products as well as two Tatcha masks. And with the look I created, I used all of them! (Except the masks.)
This look is perfect for glasses and glam! I used my regular Anastasia of Beverly Hills dip brow pomade and Maybelline concealer to do my brows.
In the crease of my eyelid, I used Malibu, the dark hazelnut shade. On my lid, I used Heat Wave, the pinkish shade to the right of Malibu. And in my inner corner, I pressed a good amount of Treasure to really make sure it popped behind my lenses. Then with a liner brush, I smudged more Malibu into my lash line on both my upper and lower lashes, focusing on the outside corner. It darkened it up just enough to bring attention to my eyes without closing them in. (When it comes to wearing glasses, a lot of times, less is more!) Then, to finish it off, I put on mascara.
The real focus of this look is the GORGEOUS lipstick by Ofra! This beautiful shade, Havana Nights, not only is perfect for the winter, but it also feels amazing.
This is my second month of getting BoxyCharm, and I am in love! I have done beauty subscription boxes before. I have even done Ipsy. But because of the full size products, premier brands, and better curated content, the value in BoxyCharm is SO worth the additional ten dollars! Still not sold? Consider this: the Tarte palette alone retails for $36! That’s incredible! And on the rare chance I get something I’m sure I won’t use (haha) or something I already own, I know it will be quality products that will make amazing gifts to my girlfriends throughout the year. Win win!
Are you ready to check out more? Then go to BoxyCharm‘s website. I’m not an affiliate or anything like that. But if you do sign up with my link, we both get a little extra lovin’ from BoxyCharm as a thank you! So go check them out!
If we get right down to it, knowing a good thing from a bad thing is elementary, and the Christian walk is easily summarized in Micah 6:8, where all we must remember is “to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.”
Why then do we trip over ourselves when opportunity comes our way, wondering if it is from God?
It is good to consider and to seek godly council when a door opens. But you probably know that’s not what I mean. I mean the running around in our minds, our thoughts in circles, reciting “what ifs” and “but thens” until we’ve reasoned ourself in and out of agreement with the possibilities ten times over. It would be so much easier if a neon sign dropped down from heaven, flashing “Go here” with a handy directional arrow to save me the act of choosing. (Ya feel me?) So if something is good, and it could help people, how are we supposed to know how to move forward without a literal sign from heaven?
Remember, friends, that Satan is a clever deceiver. He knows better than to tempt the children of God who seek to walk with Him with outright rebellion. Recall his interactions with Christ in the wilderness? He tempted Christ with “good” things: to eat bread when he was hungry and to display His godhood, all things that are inherently not sin. But they would have been sinful to Christ, because it was against God’s plan.
After reading Fervent by Priscilla Shirer (the book inspired by the movie War Room), I had taken to the task of studying my weakness that the Enemy likes to exploit and curating targeted prayers against his attacks.
Only a few months later, I had the opportunity to utilize these battle planning tactics in order to help me better understand whether an opportunity was just a good thing or a God thing.
While there is certainly no “one size fits all” version of how God will direct His children’s paths, we can always count on Scripture to give us the principles we need to make righteous, eternally effective decisions. Remember, some things are good and lawful, but not expedient (1 Cor. 6:12). Dictionary.com defines “expedient” as “tending to promote some proposed or desired object; fit or suitable for the purpose; proper under the circumstances.”
In other words, good things aren’t always good for you.
I don’t know about you, but that takes a huge weight off my shoulders! Have you ever heard the phrase, “You might be the only bible someone may ever read.” A thought provoking concept, and it’s intent is good to be sure, but what an erroneous thought, that we could be as effective as the Living Word Itself in showing needy human hearts the condition of their soul and their relationship to the Creator! Or maybe you’ve heard it said, “If you can do it, you should?” Well friends, that’s not biblical. And yet, as for myself and many other Christian women, this tends to be the standard by which we fill our agenda.
Nursery ministry? Good. Visitation? Good. Cooking for our families? Good. Volunteering as a chaperone for youth night? Good. Writing that devotional for the ladies’ Sunday school? Good. Good, good, good.
And so on and so on. We fill our agenda up seeking to do good with this pseudo sense of responsibility and validation.
Good things aren’t always good for you.
As kindly as I can say it (and I do mean it to be a relief to you, friend!), God doesn’t need you. He doesn’t need me and he doesn’t need the church. He said the rocks would declare him if we didn’t! (Luke 19:40) It is a privelege and blessing that God will allow us to be a part of His kingdom building. I mean, think about it! We sinful yet redeemed, imperfect yet pardoned creations get to witness the miraculous each time God lets us be a part of his work. Remember, His burden is light! It should be a joy to do the work we do. Nothing will turn people away from the Truth faster than a sour Christian. (I mean, we all know someone who is suffering for the Lord and wears it on their grimaced face like some sort of badge. They mask complaining with a veil of false spirituality, and it sucks the life right out of you!)
It cannot be explained. That’s the beauty of God’s work. It is light. It is a cross. There will be suffering mingled with joy. But my favorite part is this: you only have to do what He asks of you! Listen again: what GOD asks of you. Not the church. Not religion. Not your own internalized expectations of what “good Christians” should do.
So here is the tactic I came up with for use in my own life. I encourage you to read Fervent before coming up with your own plan of attack, and feel free to print off this plan if it resonates with your spirit. Edit it, make it your own, etc. The Scripture and prayer are key, so don’t skip!
Battle Plan for Opportunity
I. Get alone (Edwards, Religious Affections; Ps. 63; Matt. 4:1; Matt. 14:23; Mark 1:35)
II. Make room for God (Ps. 46:10) Be still! Don’t spend your time apart doing all the talking. Invite God into this time with you.
III. Get specific – PRAYORITIZE! Tell God the opportunity that has come your way. Tell Him everything! What you are excited for, concerned about . . . God wants to hear it all!
IV. Cross-reference your calling You already have responsibilities. Does this enhance or improve your current priorities? If there is a conflict, are any of your current obligations not a true priority? Relational priorities: 1. God (Ps. 37:4) Am I delighting in God? 2. Spouse – am I displaying God to my . . . 3. Family 4. Vocation 5. Church/Community
What is your spiritual gift(s)? Does this align with that?
V. Confess sins Why do I want this opportunity? Who am I aiming to glorify? Are there any sins in my life that would prevent me from hearing God?
IV. Consult desires What do I really want? (Ps. 37:4)
Remember, fear does not equal doubt. Fear is a tool of the Enemy! Doubt is simply a yellow light. Slow down, get all the facts, and yield to the Holy Spirit.
That is what I have taped up in my prayer closet to remind me how to proceed when opportunity comes my way. I hope that you find it helpful.
Book Recommendations
For further study and learning to listen to God better, these three books have made a huge impact in my life.
By teaching you the ways that our Enemy seeks to weaken us, Priscilla leads you through soul and Scripture searching exercises to help you craft a plan of attack for each scenario before you encounter it. We are in a spiritual war. She helps me get serious!
In The Journey of Desire, John walks you through ways that God uses our desires to point us to Him – and the path He wants for us. With personal, discipleship like advice, John opens his heart and soul and gets straight the heart of desire.
If you’ve ever felt “thin, sort of stretched, like butter scraped over too much bread,”¹ it’s time to learn what sort of “yeses” belong in your life. This book was instrumental to me in learning to use my time to make the biggest difference without feeling overwhelmed.
I honestly highly recommend all of these books. They are full of invaluable information all sourced from Scripture. When I pick up these books, they all feel like I’m getting to sit down with a wise friend and learn over a cup of coffee. Have you read them? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
Tell me how you choose between good and best in the comments below.
Until next time,
¹ . J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring
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Whether you are a boss babe, a mom, a college student . . . wherever you are at in life, you can start changing your outlook today.
Let’s talk about WORDS!
I have made a life-changing habit of creating positive expectations that has turned my health and business around. And it’s important enough that I want to share.
If someone bumps into you and you spill your coffee, it reveals what was already inside the cup. Coffee spilled out because it was full of coffee. If bumps and challenges jostle your cart, what spills out is a great tool for knowing yourself better.
Ask yourself: what spills out when you get jostled by life? Stress? Anger? Jealousy? Defeat? Worry?
If it is anything but good, healthful thoughts, you know where to start!
This post may contain affiliate links. For more on that, check here.
Does that mean you can’t express an opinion? Of course not! Disappointment is sad, and it is something everyone of us will experience in life and in business. But commiserating is not healthy for you or anyone else. 💕 If you need to vent or have a listening ear, any leader will tell you to complain UP and praise DOWN! Talk to your leadership/manager to see how they would like to help you work out your disappointments.
What spills out is a great tool for knowing yourself better.
But venting (in the break room, online forums, work emails, or the home) is not a good business practice. You are a boss babe, a killah queen, a warrior princess. We all are. And we are in this together. 💕
If you want to express your feelings critically, also follow up with a solution so that it is constructive versus destructive. Here are some examples:
“I feel like in meetings we go over the exact same things that was said in the email. There are huge benefits to gathering collaboratively, but if we don’t get a chance to voice our input and share our experiences, the email is sufficient.”
“I have asked in the past if you would help me by putting the laundry in the hamper instead of on the floor. When you don’t, I feel ignored. When you do, I feel like we’re a team. What can I do to help without nagging?”
I totally am not scolding you, even though it might seem like it. I’ve been a Negative Nancy and didn’t even know it. You really do reap what you sow! Ever hear of self-fulfilling prophecies? So I’m telling you as a converted Positive Polly that you will be AMAZED at the GOOD things that start coming your way as if by “luck” when you change what energy you send out into the universe.
A good place to start is asking yourself, “This bothers me. What can I do to fix it?” And, “Is what I’m about to say leading me to a solution?” You might find yourself the million dollar answer!
“Whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on THESE things.” -Phil. 4:8 (emphasis mine)
It’s that time of year again. Depending on where you are in the world, you might be experiencing one of the more frustrating beauty hurdles of winter:
Dryness.
And it’s just dry everything!
Dry hair, dry scalp, dry skin . . . what’s gal to do? Well, after battling this beast for a while now, I’ve come up with a list of my favorite things for different winter issues.
This post may contain affiliate links. For more on that, check here.
First, you have to get rid of dry, dead skin. You can’t bring it back to life, but you can help it along so that your new, fresh skin below can really shine.
I stumbled upon this at Target and later spied it Ulta as well. To make it easier for you, I’ve got a nifty link to find it online, but you might want to check out stores just in case.
What’s good?
Delicate, uplifting scent
Lightly scented
Eco-friendly
Scrubs the flakes away
(Because the only thing that should flake in winter is snow.)
If you’re being price conscious, you can make your own scrub at home using things you probably already have around the house. A word of caution: some things should NOT go down the drain, like certain oils or coffee beans, even though they make great scrubs. Always check before it goes down the drain!
Psst! If body scrubs aren’t your thing, get a natural loofa sponge! Not only are they completely organic and biodegradable, but they’re great for cleaning and scrubbing around the house, too!
Together, the Flake Away and Righteous Butter make a killer combo! A real one-two punch, a hadouken to K.O. your winter woes!
Seriously, I’m pretty particular (i.e. picky) about lotions and anything scented. Not only because of my scent-triggered migraines, but also because of my “super sniffer” of a nose.
I have the sort of sniffer that makes going to the laundry aisle or anywhere within a two-block radius of Bath N Body Works or Yankee Candle a nightmare. (Anyone else feel me???)
But this. I couldn’t stop smelling it! It’s surprisingly complex, delicate, and just a joy to smell. The Righteous Body Butter is definitely one of my top faves!
At a pretty penny, this would definitely be considered an investment into your beauty routine and self-care regimen. It does say you can use on body, but because of the price, I like to save it just for my scalp.
It is scented with their incredible Melrose Place perfume, a delicate blend of bergamot, rose, lychee, and cedar wood, that makes me feel like I’m leaving an upscale salon in New York after a lavish treatment. It is classy, and for that reason, plus how well it handles scalp flakes, it is my first fave on the list for hair and scalp.
I’ve been using this since August 2018 and it has revolutionized my curly girl routine. It gets rid of all the buildup (and the flakes you just rubbed off) and leaves your hair a fresh, clean canvas for your next step. Cleansing properly is key to getting moisture in the cuticle of the hair where it is needed. If there is anything left on the hair, that lovely conditioner or mask isn’t going to be able to do it’s job.
This gets it done.
Simply scrub your hair, paying attention to the scalp, mid, and ends as separate areas to cleanse to make sure you don’t miss a spot. Just remember: “get squeaky clean.” Once you rinse out the shampoo, if your finger can squeak on the hair on your scalp, you’re done!
Seriously, you need this stuff. Not only is it amazing and the only thing I use now, but it is also a woman run business, and she specializes in natural hair. So go get it! Right now!
3. Scalp & Shampoo Brush by MAXSOFT
If you’re really struggling with a case of winter flakes on your scalp, get yourself one of these! Yes, I know they are sort of making a resurgence on social media, but they’ve been around forever. They are affordable and help make sure that you really stimulate and cleanse the scalp. And for around $8, it’s a good investment!
Pro tip: this is a great tool to help keep your nails in good condition!
Did you know? You should always do your masks before you condition! When you condition, the hair cuticle soaks up all the conditioner it can hold, making a masque simply get washed down the drain without getting the full benefit.
I use this hair mask and a gel heat cap to really open the hair cuticles and give this a chance to work. If you want a more consistent heat without having to put your cap back in the microwave, this is the best one out there.
The Shea Moisture Deep Treatment Masque is well worth the investment. It has lasted me for months with a once to twice a month regimen!
After you rinse that mask away, it’s time to leave a little sumthin’ sumthin’ on your hair to protect it during the heat of styling or the cold harshness of winter weather. That’s where this conditioner comes in. It has been the most effective conditioner to help me detangle. (And when your hair is down to your waist, you need all the help you can get!) I used to run out of hot water before I finished combing through half of my hair. But now with the Fresh Rinse and the power of my Brush with the Best, I get it done in less than half the time!
Scalp oil is going to be your best friend during winter. I love the Shea Moisture line of products, and this is no exception.
To use, part your hair into sections. In each part, place a few drops of oil onto the scalp, avoiding the hair as much as possible. Use the pads of your fingers to massage it in.
Depending on your hair needs, you can put this on prior to styling, fifteen to thirty minutes before your shower, and the night before wash day for a deep conditioning scalp treatment.
For all that is good and holy, please STOP putting those cheese grater things to your poor feet!!!
They are actually illegal for salons in many states to even use because of how dangerous they are! Medical professionals in the linked article suggest even using a nail file, which is basically what this bad boy is, except large enough to do your foot in a few strokes instead of hundreds. And since it is stainless steel, I keep mine in the shower ready for use!
Pro tip: for extra smooth results, first soak feet in a hot water bath filled with baking soda and a few drops of your favorite essential oil! Or, if you don’t want to science things up, here’s my favorite foot soak.
You know those dry, scaly cracks and crevices next to your nails that sometimes peel into the worst hangnail of your life???
You need this.
I’m bad at remembering to use it, but when I do, it is a world of difference! No more frustrated picking at my cuticles! No more bleeding!
Pro tip: I’ve started keeping mine on a table next to the front door. I give each nail a quick swipe and run it in a bit. With my hands occupied on the wheel, driving is the perfect time for them to soak it all up!
Hand lotion is a bit of a luxury for me, and I don’t normally notice it until I’m away from the house (and anything I can do about it). So my favorite lotions are small enough to drop in my purse and creamy enough to nourish my skin without any greasy residue. (Because eww.)
You’ll love this lotion by Tocca! You can snag it at Anthropologie, or you can use the link above.
So there you have it! My favorite ways to beat winter dryness from head to toe. In the comments, let me know what has worked for you!
Instagram is the premier platform for growing your tribe. Learn how to excel here!
Did you miss Part 1 or Part 2? Click the links to read the first eleven tips!
This is the final post to wrap up these tips, so let’s get right into it.
12. Use a business account.
Yes, I know. I didn’t want to switch from a personal to a business account, either. But the benefits to having a business account versus a personal are too valuable to ignore. If growth in your field is the goal, then utilizing a business account is going to be the most profitable.
By using a business account, you can use the available tools built right into the platform to see what engages your audience the most.
To do this, click the menu button at the top right of your profile page (the one that looks like three lines). Once you open the menu, you will have access to the “Insights” page. (Keep in mind, this is only available for business accounts.)
This will show all of your posts from the year, sorted by those with the most engagement at the top. As you can see in my example, the posts with most interactions (a combination of likes and comments) were images involving beauty and makeup looks. That means that my tribe prefers these posts by preference. With that knowledge, I can now deliver more of what audience likes!
By utilizing the free tools available to business accounts, you’ll be able to optimize your instagram to attract your tribe.
13. Define your niche
This one is the most difficult for me! I’m a jack-of-all-trades. There’s hardly a thing that I don’t enjoy pursuing and learning about! But if you are going to have a successful instagram, you are going to need to use some self-control and keep it on topic. (I’m preaching to myself the most!) It’s hard to narrow your topic down when you don’t know what you want. (More on that in the next point.) But once you know what you want to accomplish, you will know better what to share.
For example, if you want to build a tribe of people who love to sew, sharing images of your makeup looks won’t unite those people into a common purpose. If you have a lot of things to share that are in topics that aren’t laterally related, you can have more than one instagram! For example, I have a beauty and brand instagram, a personal instagram, a cosplay instagram, and an art instagram. While some of my followers might like all of those things, most people enjoy only one of those at a time. By dividing up my topic among those different accounts, I’ve helped tailor my content to my tribe’s need and interests.
14. Define your purpose
This is probably the most important aspect of all this training because it will be the north star of everything else you do. If you don’t have your purpose clearly defined, it will show in your feed.
Ask yourself,
a. What am I passionate about? b. What do I want people to know? c. How can I help in a way no else quite can? d. What would my friends say is my soap box? e. Who and what do I care most about? f. What are my unique talents and interests? and How do they fit into my passions? g. What do I want to do?
The last one is very important. You will never succeed at something you do not want to do. Your desire can be a guiding light to what you are meant to do. In Proverbs, we are told that our desires are placed their by our Creator. Wisdom is knowing the difference between innate desire and aimless lust. For example, you might desire a inspiring and creating healthy relationships. An aimless lust would be to make a lot of shallow friends, or to aim to have many people like you. It might seem like it temporarily fulfills your desire for deep and rich relationships, but in the end, it isn’t what you meant to have. Knowing your innermost desires intimately is the key to ignoring to wasteful wants.
You will never succeed at something you do not want to do.
15. Pimp your profile
Now that you have the meat and potatoes of your purpose and niche, you can finally get your profile prim and polished. So what makes a great profile?
Go to some of your favorite successful bloggers. While each has their own style, you will find some common building blocks that appear on each page.
a. Heading and niche in title b. Purpose statement c. Expected content d. Call to action
A. Heading and niche
Your account title will automatically default to the name you provided instagram at account set up, but you can change these easily in your profile settings. You can include your name if you wish, but definitely include content keywords. The name bar is searchable, so whenever someone is looking for makeup, my account will be somewhere on the list. It is also beneficial to help people associate your name with content.
B. Purpose statement
My purpose is “supporting and educating fempreneurs.” I want to help women feel confident about themselves, whether that’s how to apply the perfect lipstick or learning how to pimp their instagram. Make a concise, one-line purpose to help guide your content and attract your audience.
C. Expected content
What do you plan on posting to meet your purpose? What kind of posts can your followers expect? This is as beneficial to you as it is to your tribe.
D. Call to action
What do you want people to do, and what can you offer them? Direct them to a link to fulfill this action. Since instagram only let’s you have one link, I highly recommend Link Tree. Link Tree basic is free, allows you to have unlimited links, and is easy to use.
The same rules apply for links as the rest of your instagram. This is not place to link to my illustration portfolio. Everything here is related to my business. That might change in the future, but it is easy to edit and it updates immediately. Keep your links clutter free, on topic, and up to date.
And that’s it!
Way to go! If you follow these 15 tips, you’ll be well on your way to a better, more brilliant tribe of engaged followers on instagram.
Have questions? Comment below. Want to join a tribe of supportive women? You’re welcome to join the club!
Did you miss Part 1? Click the link to read the first six tips!
In the first post of this series, I discussed the first 6 of 15 tips to grow your instagram. Let’s jump right into the next five!
7. Engage your niche
Get to know your audience and other content creators in your niche. You probably already know you should do that, but how, exactly? Start by going into the hashtags of your posts and find other creators. Comment! Ask questions! It is best to spend five minutes a day getting to know other people. Are you a makeup blogger who admires someone artwork? Send them a message and ask if you can do a makeup look inspired by their creation! It is always flattering to see your content inspire someone else to create something more (But remember, ALWAYS ask permission and ALWAYS credit appropriately). By getting to know your community in the daily interactions, you will naturally thrive and grow organically.
ALWAYS ask permission and ALWAYS credit appropriately.
8. Interact with your audience
When you post, try asking your audience an open-ended question. (For a quick refresher, an open-ended question cannot be answer by “yes” or “no.”) Simple posts asking “Which is your fave? A or B?” or “Using one word, describe your day!” are effective because they require very little feedback from your followers. One word or simple answers are best for the casual follower. Be sure to reply and like every answer you receive on any of your posts. Your followers and their interaction are golden, so treat them like royalty!
9. Utilize Videos
Using video on instagram is a great way to increase engagement. It also allows your viewers to see a different side to you. I can’t give you advice on what to post in your videos, but I can tell you how to spiffy it up! First of all, youtube is a great resource for learning how to edit. My current favorite video app is InShot. For a few dollars, you can purchase the pro version and access many more features and eliminate their watermark from any saved files. If you have any specific questions about videos, ask in the comments and I’ll do my best to answer.
10. Add to your Story
Since the change a few updates ago, Instagram has jumped into the story-like format, mimicking the very popular Snapchat. Since this addition, almost all of the accounts I follow utilize this feature. It’s a great way to let people into things like “behind the scenes,” “a day in the life of,” and offer teasers for upcoming content. You can make announcements for your blog, go live for a demo . . . the sky is the limit! This is a great place to let loose and have fun. Unless your instagram is only about being comical or sarcastic, be consistent to a theme and keep your feed in accordance with your theme. In your Story, however, you can be whatever you want!
11. Use the available Tools
There are a lot of apps out there that are helpful to someone who really wants to take their instagram to the next level. In my upcoming Instagram Training, I’ll be taking you through a deep-dive of my favorites with live demos and more. But here, I want to focus on just a few. (Keep in mind that I have an Android phone, but most apps available for Android are also for iphone as well.)
For quick reference for hashtags, try a hashtag app! Hashme, All-Hashtag, and Display Purposes are all great places to start. Sometimes, you will get suggestions that are completely useless. That’s the downfall to automatic algorithms. But what they lack in perfection, they make up in ease. Simply weed out the ones you won’t use, copy, and (here’s the magic) paste it into your notepad app. That way, you don’t have to keep waiting and weeding out results. You can just copy and paste at the end of your post! Be sure to check the relevancy of your hashtags at least once a month and update your notepad “cheat sheet.”
That’s it for this post! Subscribe for part 3, the conclusion. If you want to dig deeper with direct mentorship, post prompts, photography tips, and more, then be sure to join my Facebook group to take advantage of my FREE training course!
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