Face

Face makeup can be one of the hardest things for people to grasp, not only is it tough to find the right color, it can be even more tough to apply it correctly.

Below I will show you two pictures, which one do you think is correct application?

To some this may seem obvious, but really look at these two pictures. What is the difference? 

Way.Too.Much.Makeup. You are already beautiful. Take away the eye makeup and lipstick and just focus on the face makeup. Candice's makeup (Right) is so close to her natural skin tone that it doesn't even look like shes wearing any. While Kardashian (Left) looks as if she's obviously wearing it due to extensive contouring. 

When picking out face makeup, your goal should be to even out your existing complexion, not cover all of it with the color you desire to have or bring out features that aren't naturally there. If this is done correctly, you shouldn't need blush at all because it wont wash you out. Southern girls have a knack for getting dirty in jobs or wet because we go to the river on the regular. If you were to get splashed in the face, what would your makeup look like? If the answer is raccoon or clown, you have too much on. Be natural, and be proud of it! If your problem with natural foundation is that it doesn't cover your acne, listen in now. 

Cover up: When covering up acne you have to be very careful! Too little makeup and you see right through it, too much and you highlight it even worse! Here's the happy medium I have found and use often:

• Wash our face before makeup application
• Use lotion (face lotion) to help smooth out any dry skin causing flaky makeup
• DON'T TOUCH THE LIQUID (Foundation or cover up)
• Once the area is smooth, use POWDER concealer to start the cover up process
• Apply starting with a teeny amount of powder around the edges then slowly work your way over the blemish.
• ***Make sure the powder you use is one shade lighter then your foundation***

My hope is that eventually you'll be confident enough to rock just cover up with no foundation! (That's what I do and man does it knock off some time)!

If you are looking for a good powder cover up to try I recommend Bare Minerals bisque in whatever shade you need!

If you have a hard time with facial makeup, try giving your local Sephora or Ulta a visit! They have professionals who can definitely help you find the natural look you'll love!

Teeth

White teeth are a must for what should be everybody southern or not!

Here's a look at my daily dental routine:

Morning:

• Brush teeth with toothpaste dipped in baking soda (there should be enough baking soda to cover the amount of paste on the toothbrush).
• Rinse mouth with peroxide (This has bleaching powers!!! But it does taste nasty so....)
• Rinse again with a regular mouthwash.

Night

• Floss (make sure that you are pulling the floss out against the edges of your teeth, not just pushing it down and up. It helps me to push it in then push it forward or backward before I slide it back up).
• Brush teeth with toothpaste dipped in baking soda (again there should be enough baking soda to cover the amount of paste on the toothbrush).
• Rinse mouth with peroxide (This has still has bleaching powers!!! But it does still taste nasty so....)
• Rinse again with a regular mouthwash.

Try to keep a regular schedule! Find what works best for you! Once you've brushed for the night though don't eat anything after!

Hair
Southern girl's hair is always on point, even the "messy" styles!

How do we do it?

Read below to find out!

• Start in the shower: Use a shampoo and rinse then apply conditioner but let the conditioner sit anywhere from 2-4 minutes (depending on how dry your hair is). Rinse your conditioner and pat dry your hair, (never tousle towel dry). 
• Product: Is your hair a little greasy? Add some sea salt "beach wave" spray, the extra salt will soak up the oil. Also invest in a dry shampoo, this will keep your hair looking fierce even in the most heavy humidity in the south! If your hair is dry, pick up an oil spray (argan oil works great) and only apply when your hair is wet (or else you'll grease up your hair like no other). I use some leave in product from Garnier in my hair!
• Try to shower at least every other day: I know it sounds gross, but showering every day actually increases your hair's grease production because you are washing away natural scalp oils forcing your body to produce more. 2nd day hair shouldn't look like second day hair though! Apply some dry shampoo and shake it all poofy again then style it with a bristly brush rather than a regular one. (You can also wear one of those awesome headbands if all else fails!).
• Learn to tease: Teasing doesn't mean dance moms hair! It just means being able to give your hair a little lift when it needs it!
• Hands off: Once you finish styling it try not to touch it throughout the day, your hands transfer oils aiding the greasy look.
• Box up your blow drier: I hate blow drying my hair! It makes it hard to work with and it dries your hair out creating breakage, If you've struggled with growing your hair to a longer length, it's probably because of over use of blow drying and other hot products.
• Limit hot products: I know sometimes you need to straighten or curl your hair but I try to limit my use to once a week if that! Over use can damage your hair plus chances are your natural hair will work better for styling then you think it will! 
• Watch your ends/length: Everyone seems to want longer and longer hair but there's a point when your hair is so long that it just doesn't look healthy anymore, take a look at your ends. Are they split? If so go in and have a trim! Don't be afraid to try something short! I've had long hair all my life and just recently cut it and I LOVE how much more manageable it is! It looks healthier too!

I hope these tips are helpful for you! Below I've uploaded some great hair style examples for living in the southern heat to stay looking classy!

Nails

One of the things Southern girls pride themselves on is a clean and put together appearance. What is one telling factor of cleanliness? Nails. Nothing says I'm a little messy like messy hands/nails. To keep your nails in shape, here are some southern hacks!

• Go nude: No not like with your whole body!! Just with your nail color choices!! Anything from a soft pink to a medium brown can be really nice on your nails! The best part is the closer you get to natural, the less obvious it is when it starts to chip off!
• Keep it short: Some of us southern girls work with our hands frequently (especially when it comes to our livestock!) so keeping nails short is a must! Another great thing you'll love about short nails is the fact that you cant break them and they don't snag! Which makes your manicure last longer!
• Order of manicure:
• Remove previous polish with nail polish remover
• Cut nails short/straight and file if needed
• If you're comfortable using a cuticle remover... do it!
• Wash your hands using a sugar scrub! (This can be as simple as about a quarter size pile of sugar slightly dampened in your hands) This will slough off the dead skin and leave your hands feeling soft and your nails receptive to polish!
• Dry hands well
• Apply a base coat! This will assure that your color goes on smoothly.
• Apply 2 coats of desired color
• Finish off with a top coat sealant to harden and finish your color!
• Let em dry ladies! Once they are for sure dry apply a lotion you like and your hands will be soft and ready to go!

See it's not so bad! Below I've uploaded some great color choices!!! Now go get your southern on!

These are my faves!

Now remember, the only thing better than having nice nails is having nice nails because you had someone do them for you! If you have the cash for a trip to the nail salon that's always a great option!

ACNE

Alright! So far all I've talked about are ways to get your skin looking nice before you put makeup on it. So I'll continue that today by talking about acne... eeew. Everyone hates it but everyone gets it and if your genes weren't good to you and you have a bad case of it chances are you've probably tried everything to try to medicate it. I have so been there! I wanna say starting about seventh grade I started breaking out and it just continued to get worse.. I tried EVERYTHING to try to get that smooth even complexion everyone else had but my face wasn't my only problem, genetically I got handed a fantastic case of body acne that kept my wardrobe options very limited. I was too embarrassed to wear tank tops or dresses without enough coverage for my back and shoulders. So if you're struggling YOU ARE NOT ALONE. Just before I went to college I had been researching online skin regimens like Pronexin and some over the counter medications (Which still didn't work for me I might add) when I came across a regimen called Exposed skincare. I thought what the heck why not I've got nothing to lose so I bought it and began using its two step body acne regimen. A body wash in the shower (Which smells amazing!) and then a topical cream that I pretty much rubbed all over everything when I got out of the shower. I kid you not, a little over a week into it I started to clear up! I would recommend this product to anyone struggling with acne anywhere! I purchased their face wash shortly after and results were very similar! No one should have to alter their wardrobe for acne so do yourself a favor and try it! It has been so freeing to feel confident in my skin and be able to wear whatever I want!

Heads up:

• It's a strong formula even though it's all natural, let it dry completely before putting on clothing or you will bleach it.
• Same goes for carpet and towels! Don't drop it on the floor and always wash your hands well after you apply the topical so you don't bleach out your towels!
• Don't be afraid to moisturize after using the product: like I said it can be very drying but adding lotion does not alter the results!
• Keep a log of your treatment with photos: They have a contest sort of thing you can enter for free product for a year for before and after photos!
• The bottles look small but it will last longer then you think! My bottle of body wash and two small topical creams lasted almost three months and I was rubbing it over my chest shoulders back and neck!
• Drink lots of water! This always helps clear your skin up b keeping moisture locked in where it should be!
• It actually comes with 2 of the creams even though only one is pictured.

Let me know how your results are!!!

Beauty Hack #2

Coffee?

I know what you're thinking, how does drinking coffee make me beautiful? 
WELLLLLLL I don't mean drinking it! I actually mean making a scrub out of it :)

Scrub Ingredients!!!

• Coffee grounds (I split open two kcup coffee cups)
• Olive Oil (A tablespoon, give or take some depending on how much coffee you put in it)
• Brown sugar (until it has that grainy scrubbish look)
• Almond Extract (This one wasn't on the actual ingredients list, but it improves the smell greatly!!!)

Put the scrub in a tupperware with a lid in your shower and use it after you shave. Then shave again (you'll thank me). The coffee scrub "wakes up your skin and allows the moisture from the oils you put in it to absorb getting rid of cellulite!!! Coffee also has properties for reducing and destroying hair follicle growth (shaving less often... YOU'RE WELCOME!)

For best results on thighs legs and buttocks cellulite, pair this regimen with squats and burpees! Yea they suck, but building muscle will also prove to tighten skin which reduces cellulite as well as stretch marks.

GOOD LUCK!!!!

Beauty Hack #1     Toothpaste

Toothpaste? What the heck is she talking about??? Well before makeup can even go on your skin to accentuate it, you've gotta get it looking fierce on its own! Toothpaste is the best acne hack I have ever found and it's super easy to use!

Steps:

1: At night, apply a small dollop of toothpaste (plain works better than the whitening kind) to your finger.

2: Dab it onto spots of acne only if you use it like a face mask you will dry your face out.

3: Let it sit on your face overnight.

4: Rinse it off in the morning with your normal skin care regimen!

5: The spot of acne should have 80%-100% less swelling and redness!

This hack is especially great if you have school pictures or an event coming up that you (of course) break out right before. If you've been searching for the overnight clearer skin hack, this is it!
Using this hack gives you the ability to cover up acne with much less effort due to its reduced size and color, saving you $$$$ in the long run in makeup!

Try it out for yourself and comment your successes!!

Hi ya'll! My name is Brittany and I LOVE beauty hacks! In the south we have a hack for everything and I can't wait to share them with you! My hacks will range from makeup to skin and hair care and everything in between! If you have any questions or requests feel free to message or comment them and I'll do my best to hook you up!

Get ready for some fun!!!

~Brittany J