Tag: New Year

2020 Beauty Resolutions

Published on by Lee3 Comments

A new year always puts our previous habits into perspective. From major beauty investments, pulling off new makeup trends, or our favorite skincare products, we’ve definitely had our fair share of beauty experiments in 2019.  However, now that 2020 has arrived, our beauty forecast did too. A new year means a refreshed routine focusing on clear skin, the best brows (always), and lots and lots of self care.

Since our beauty routines are such a major staple in our lives, we wanted to share our 2020 beauty resolutions with you too. That way, you can follow along with us on our path to bolder looks, greener products, and great skin to jumpstart your new year. Scroll through to see our beauty resolutions that’ll have us conquering 2020…

1. Better Brows

Strive for greatness and perfect your brow game in 2020. Your brows, as you know, frame the windows to your soul, so we want you to be as religious as possible about having a foolproof regimen. Whether that means investing in microblading, getting them professionally shaped, or taking time to fill them in, put your brows first in your makeup routine. Your eyes {and the rest of your face, for that matter}, will thank you later.

2. Try a New Lip Color

It’s SO easy to get comfortable using the same color and wearing the same makeup look every day. We get it. Being comfortable in your routine is important. However, trying something new is the perfect refresh to your tried-and-true products. Even if that means wearing a new nude lip from a different brand or a bold and fierce berry hue, incorporating a new color into the mix always add a little adventure.

3. Focus on Your Skin

Your skin is the canvas and base for your makeup, so implementing products that will do your skin some good is your highest priority. Whether it’s anti-aging, acne fighting, or another skincare concern, find products that are going to treat your skin with the utmost care.

4. Stick to a Self-Care Routine

You’ve heard it before and you’ll hear it again: self-care is and will be an important staple in not only your beauty routine, but also the rest of your life. We have stressors all around us and they affect our hair, skins, nails, and overall health. Sticking to a self-care routine can create a more harmonious and focused part of your life that can help balance out all of the hectic points in your day.

5. Green-Out Your Beauty Bag

If some of your products have ingredients that you can’t even pronounce, it’s probably not the best product to be using on your body. There are a lot of amazing eco-friendly, green, and sustainable beauty products on the market, so take some time and do your research to find the ones that are a lot more beneficial to you {and the earth}.

What beauty resolutions are you going to try this year?

Let us know in the comments below—we love to hear them!

5 Ways To Make 2020 Your Best Year Ever

Published on by Lee3 Comments

With the start of not only a new year but a new decade, it’s time to awaken the goal-getter within you. Stop leaving things to chance, set goals, manifest your future, and most importantly dream big. We realize we may sound like a cheesy Instagram caption but trust us; it works, and we have studies to prove it. With 2020 forecast to be the decade of health and wellness, don’t get left behind… Here’s how to make 2020 your best year ever.

1. Set Goals, Both Minor and MAJOR

When it comes to setting goals, we like to split ours into two categories: little and large! Start with smaller more achievable goals, like walking to work more often or eating a handful of berries in the morning, this way you’ll continue to feel motivated when you achieve them. If you set yourself a goal like ‘exercise five days a week’ when you currently don’t exercise at all, you’re likely setting yourself up for failure. Instead, think: ‘I will do three activities a week that get my heart going!’ There’s nothing more disheartening than setting goals you’ll never achieve. So don’t set yourself the unlikely goal of never getting an Uber to work (those rainy days can be a b*tch). Once you start smashing your targets, build on them, and eventually, you’re more likely to reach more major goals. Remember, it was the tortoise who won the race – baby steps!

Then there are those major goals – your BIG dreams. When setting these, try to think about what you’d aim to achieve if failing wasn’t a possibility. It will help you get past those negative thoughts. Once you’ve outlined both sets of goals, write them down and move onto manifestation. It’s also helpful to give yourself a time frame to complete them and don’t forget to check in with yourself each quarter.

2. Manifestest Your Success

When it comes to manifestation, there are three typical standpoints: first, the doubtful – you’re seriously skeptical that manifestation can bring positive results. Second, the confused, and third, the firm believers and daily practitioners. Let us begin by explaining that manifestation is the transformation from thought into its physical equivalent, aka an idea or goal that becomes a tangible reality through the work of your own feelings, thoughts, and positive affirmations. It doesn’t translate from “I want a pink Lamborghini” into a pink Lamborghini springing up on your doorstep one day, rather it opens your mind to positive thoughts and brings about the dedication and motivation to achieve a goal and the success that will enable you to buy your own pink Lamborghini.

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To manifest your goals for 2020, start by letting go of any negative thoughts, feelings, and doubt that surrounds that goal. The best way to do this is by writing down your fears, for instance, my move to Dubai will fail, then alongside it, acknowledge the feeling but follow with “This feeling will not serve me.” Once you have eliminated those emotions, you can start to cultivate the positive and manifest your happiness with a clean slate. Begin by writing positive affirmations, for instance, “I’m committing to moving abroad and I will open my heart, mind, and body to new opportunities.”

Another helpful manifestation tool is a vision board, which can contain any aspect of your life including relationship goals, career goals or materialistic goals using pictures or even words written on a post-it. Once it’s completed, light a candle and manifest.

3. Practice Gratitude Daily 

The practice of gratitude, aka taking time to actively be thankful for what you have, may seem like a simple practice, but it’s hugely beneficial for your state of mind and even your physical health. One study showed that it’s been shown to reduce depression and increase happiness, while another study showed that it reduced aggression and increased empathy. In fact, we’ve noticed a definite impact on our mental health when we are practicing gratitude as opposed to when we let the habit slip; we have a more positive outlook and feel less anxious. Beyond our mental health, it’s also been shown to improve your physical health as people who practice gratitude are more likely to exercise and have frequent health checkups.

So, while you’re enjoying your cup of tea or coffee in the morning think of three things you’re grateful for; it can be anything from a tasty meal to having a supportive partner. Try to make them different each morning. Alternatively, saying them aloud at night by thinking of three things you were grateful for that day also works – it helps get past the craziness of your day and remind you of the positive things.

4. Meditate

We’ll be real with you; meditation is a habit that you have to maintain to reap the rewards but once you do, it’ll quite literally blow your mind. The added bonus? It can amp up your glow game as it boosts blood circulation, delivering more oxygen to your skin. It also helps you stay focused, calm, and more balanced and there are SO many studies to prove it!

One study examined the impact of an eight-week mindfulness and meditation course on a group of people and found that their ability to stay focused increased. Other studies have also shown that it makes you more compassionate and kind to others as you’re more considerate of other people’s emotions. Try apps like Headspace (they have a great 10-day free course) and Calm for helping you understand and practice meditation.

5. Get Active in the AM

It’s no secret that being active improves your mental, and of course, physical health. In short: it improves your mood, focus, and quality of sleep while lowering the risk of health conditions like heart disease or high blood pressure. Even if you commit to walking for thirty minutes a day or taking the stairs every day, you’ll start to notice a positive impact in weeks.

If you’re ready to go the extra mile, start by exercising in the morning. By working out in the morning, you’ll instantly increase levels of dopamine (the happiness hormone) while lowering levels of cortisol (the stress hormone), which spikes first thing in the morning. Not only will you boost your mood, but morning workouts kick start the process of neurogenesis; the creation of new brain cells. If the idea of dragging your butt to the gym each morning sounds hellish, try Flattummyco fitness app that provides simple, effective and quick at-home workouts. For a longer workout, flattummy app have 450+ workouts that is customized for your fitness level.

Let us know your 2020 goals in the comments below.

SELF-LOVE: How to Increase It

Published on by Lee2 Comments

Since time immemorial, poets, gurus, and philosophers have toiled to define the most potent and indispensable word in the human language—LOVE. Some have heralded it as the force that makes the world go ’round. Others have described it in terms of the pain it can cause when it’s not returned. It’s been used to denote the feeling a parent has for their child and that a lover has for their beloved. In truth, we hear about love all the time but don’t discuss as often as we should how important SELF-LOVE is—and more importantly, how it is the foundation for a healthy life, full of self-compassion. When we can establish habits, practices, and routines of self-love, we will find ourselves to be more authentic and honest, we will tend to enforce healthy boundaries in relationships, and we will be more grateful and compassionate.

PRACTICE SELF-CARE

To begin the journey of self-love, begin by implementing healthy routines for yourself. Be consistent! Go to bed at a decent hour and get six to eight hours of sleep every night. Establish a physical commitment, like walking 30 minutes a day, signing up for a workout class three days a week, or stretching and practicing breathwork when you wake up. Go grocery shopping and make healthy food choices every Sunday for the week ahead!

Create a routine that works for you and that you will be proud of. And when your head hits the pillow every night, congratulate yourself on how you honored yourself that day, that week, and that month, and see how much better you feel.

LEARNING COMPASSION THROUGH AFFIRMATIONS

One of the best methods for silencing the negative voices in our heads is to work with affirmations, especially guided meditations that can be listened to aloud. The gentle words of a healer can land deeply within our consciousness and replace the voices of those who damaged us. Over time, we can’t help but believe the new messages we are absorbing. There are many free apps on our phones. Or go online and Google “guided meditations”—YouTube has tons, and there is plenty of literature out there you can use too!

Looking into the mirror and reciting affirmations is likewise highly effective. Making eye contact with yourself and expressing love, appreciation, and respect may strike some as corny or over the top, but if that is your reaction, perhaps it’s time to give it a try. People who love themselves unconditionally can express self-love without making a joke out of it.

TRY:
– You are strong and capable.
– You are a lovable person.
– You deserve self-care and self-respect.
– You are beautiful inside and out.
I have lists of affirmations plus more information on self-love, self-compassion, and how to create healthy habits in my book, The Rewired Life.

Another extremely useful exercise I developed to help clients is called the Compliment Log. It’s a small journal you carry with you to record every nice thing that others say about you or you catch yourself saying to yourself. Being smiled at, invited out, hugged, or otherwise included/embraced also counts. If you do this consistently, you will be amazed by the changes in your perception. Suddenly, you may find the world full of benevolence rather than hostility. You will begin to accept your own wonderfulness and own it, no longer able to deny the evidence before you, all of which is attesting to your true value.

Erica Spiegelman is a wellness specialist, recovery counselor, and author of the new book The Rewired Life (2018) as well as Rewired: A Bold New Approach to Addiction & Recovery(2015), the Rewired Workbook (2017), the Rewired Coloring Book (2017), all published by Hatherleigh Press. Erica holds a bachelor’s degree in literature from the University of Arizona and is a California State Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor (CADAC)-II from UCLA. For more information, visit Erica’s website or follow @espiegelman on Instagram.

CALL ON THE ENERGY OF THIS SWAGGER-Y ANIMAL FOR COURAGE AND CONFIDENCE IN 2020

Published on by Lee2 Comments

We’re in for a huge dose of clarity in the new year, according to “Rock-Star Shaman” Alyson Charles. Yes, 2020 is all about clear inner vision, and Charles senses a masterful guide coming through right now to help make that vision a reality: the rooster. Consider this animal the confidence coach you’ve always dreamed of. Power moves and “I gotta be me” boldness? No time like the present.

Here we are and here we go! Not only a brand-new year but also a brand-new decade—and a newly activated energy system within us. And I’ll get right to it: It is go time for those of us here on divine assignments and Earth missions to activate and birth the New Paradigm (a new energetic time on this planet that embodies ancient truths of oneness, compassion, unconditional love, unity, and equality).

For those newer to the awakening path, you can expect an accelerated rate of understanding and internal alchemy, to see the purposes of this Earth life more clearly. You’ll also get new, bright glimpses of how your personal medicine, or your unique gifts, are here to be of service for the world.

For those who have been walking the hero’s journey for a long time, there is a deeeeep dropping-in, to feel the fullness of why we are here—deeper than ever before. At the same time, you’re being challenged to become one with massive missions and step forward with unshakable strength. We will have to be more steadfast than ever before to be leaders and stewards of where Source and Gaia (Great Mother Earth) are calling for the energies to go, in order to push the energetic parameters and grow the consciousness of the planet.

There are things you can do that will support you in being resilient and thriving in these new times, however. Keep these three things in mind:

1. Remember that no one else can tell you who you are

Change makes waves. Especially when energetic and parameter-expanding changes are happening at this magnitude, it will bring a lot up for people. Your medicine and mission may trigger others because human nature for many is to want things to stay the same, in their comfort zone or safe space. While it is very important that we operate from a place of integrity, it is vital that your truth and the knowingness of who you are and what you’re here to do remain the priority.

2. Do not let anyone shame you into playing smaller than you’re designed to

You must stay centered in your truth. Keep your head up and heart open, with your connection to Source, the Earth, and your inner wisdom strong and grounded. The more of us who stay in this powerful space, the more we can share about this space and support others in aligning with it as well, thus allowing the light and group consciousness energies to grow the way they are wanting to right now.

3. As vulnerable as it feels, evoke the courage to share your talents and stories

Remember that your worth is innate! It is not tied to how you perform, or the criticism you receive, or how many likes you get. What is vital is you being pure and true.

The other big theme for this year and beyond: showing the way to kindness, love, empathy, and compassion—while this big expansion is happening. It is imperative that we embody understanding and compassion for others’ pain or confusion. That allows us to hold the line in the high-vibration energy river and not allow the lower realm or fear-based energies to pull us down, especially while others may be triggered or may be in the first phases of “waking up.”

In summation, 2020 is about clear inner vision and knowing what you want, what you will initiate for your life, and how you are meant to be of service for the planet. Have confidence and trust that you are being divinely instructed, and you are also protected and supported in your assignment from the universe. When you choose to live your mission and and fully come into your power, that is how you are of greatest service.

2020 is about clear inner vision and knowing what you want, what you will initiate for your life, and how you are meant to be of service for the planet.

Choose yourself, instead of changing in order to get other’s approval or to make others feel comfortable. You will need to invite in and trust the next step and then the next step—without knowing where it’s all ultimately going, but having faith that you are being guided and called in each present moment. It’s all about flow, power, and trust.

Our first energetic guide for this new decade is the rooster, bringing medicines to support great confidence in sharing your uniqueness and your voice, so you can rise up and shine greater than ever before while embodying courage and kindness.

The rooster is also known to be a great protector, so call upon this divine being to really support you as you take a true, anchored stand in reaching your highest potential and truth—and doing it all with much gusto, greatness, and grace!

Alyson Charles, AKA Rock-Star Shaman, channels ancient, sacred knowledge and divine energy—in her words, “bridging wisdoms of Earth-sky for modern times”—through her work as a wellness guide to celebrities and CEOs. Charles merges her work as a conscious lifestyle expert, shaman, and international TV host with the world of media to share the most transformational products, practices, and tips to teach people how to awaken their power.