Misconceptions About Beauty...

Hello Everyone!
    So I haven't posted in ages and I thought I should share why. This is a little hard for me to do, because this has been a great platform and one of my favorite ways to express myself, but I've changed.
    To me, beauty has been an outward experience and something superficial. I bought so much makeup and spent so much time obsessing about outward appearances. If a product claimed to make you perfect, I was quick to buy it in hopes of becoming prettier. I'd put so much makeup on my face because I honestly believed myself as I am to be not good enough for people without it. How messed up is that? And the reason why so many people buy into this, it because of advertisements and the social obligations women feel to be perfect from them.
    We surround ourselves with magazines of photo-shopped images of women and set that as our #goal. What we don't see is the hours of hair/makeup, editing, and processing that goes into making the models look like that. Now, models are naturally very beautiful people, and I don't want it to seem like I'm shamming them, because that is the exact thing that I'm trying to speak against.
     Why is it that men feel not obligation to present themselves the way women do? Sure some guys spend more time on a good outfit or hairstyle, but it's rare when you find a guy who takes it to the extreme that women do. It makes me sick when I think about the social obligations women feel to look a certain way. Don't get me wrong, personal care and hygiene are important things as they are apart of taking care of your body, and should be encouraged. The problem is enforced beauty standards that are shoved down women's throats from young ages.
     I started wearing makeup when I was either in seventh or eighth grade. The reason why I did it was I saw such beautiful women on the internet and in magazines that my oldest sister would get, and if I wanted boys to like me, I thought I had to make myself look like those women. I never thought when I was younger that I was beautiful as is. I thought I needed to improve myself to get other peoples approval. I wanted to be as perfect as all the icons out there who looked amazing. So as a young girl, with barely any skin issues, I caked up my skin with concealer, powder, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara, and lipstick. I didn't need it. I was perfectly beautiful without it.
    Fast forward to my freshman year of high school. I had horrendous skin. I never wanted to leave the house without makeup on because I was so very self conscious. I felt that I wouldn't be accepted if I didn't look my best that I could. How horrible for a young tee to feel that she in herself wasn't good enough to go out into public without dousing herself in makeup. Screwed up misconceptions about beauty, huh?
     I went to dermatologists to have them help my horrid skin that I had given myself from caking everything on at such a young age, and then trying to fix it myself through products that "promised" to make my skin "perfect" (X-Out I'm looking at you). I went  on antibiotics and topical treatments galore. I still use some RX products, but I refuse to take pills anymore. Sure I might have slightly clearer skin if I did, but I don't want my body to not be able to have it's own natural antibodies because I want to look better. But throughout most of my high school life, I believed that I needed products to make myself prettier, and when that wouldn't work, I searched for approval in guys.
    I'm, to say the least, ashamed of how I've thrown myself into flirting throughout the years, with guys I didn't even like that much, just because I was searching for something that made me feel beautiful. I didn't know when I was younger that the only person who can make you feel truly beautiful is yourself.
    If I had realized this when I was younger, I would've saved myself so much heart ache and stress. I hated myself for so long because I didn't know that I was beautiful. I went through fazes of not wanting to eat to make myself smaller and more acceptable. Slathering on eye shadows and so much makeup to make people "like" me more.
    I remember in middle school, I liked this one boy, who was quite superficial and because of that, I put all these clothing labels on myself. I cared more about how I looked then how I treated people. I'm not the nicest person all the time, and I have a bit harsher of an exterior because I built up so many walls when I was younger, just because in my head I needed other peoples approval.
    What I was searching for, was my own approval, and I'm only just now getting to that point where I truly believe that I am good enough for my self. So I haven't posted anything on this site because now I see it as something I used to find more approval. I tried using superficial items to give myself more value. It's crazy because now I'm getting rid of so much of my makeup just because I've found that I don't even use most of it, and I don't need it either. I'd so much rather spend money on things I actually want or travelling or something that actually makes me feel happy.
     I still love makeup, don't get me wrong. It's fun and it's something nice to have, but gone are the days that I feel I NEED to wear makeup. If I want to, I will. The truth is, your true friends and the people who actually know your heart, could care less if you wear makeup or not. Something that's really helped me learn this, is my relationship with my boyfriend. He could care less if I was or wasn't wearing makeup and guess what, he still thinks I look great when I feel like crap.
     So right now I'm not sure if I'm going to continue blogging. It's been a fun thing and sometimes an obligatory thing, and I'm not the same person I was when I started this blog. But, if this is the last thing I share, the one thing I want to get across to all of the thousands of people who have viewed my blog is this: Don't let companies who are trying to make money off your insecurities define your beauty for you. Figure out for yourself what you think is beautiful, and don't let someone's opinion dictate how you see yourself. Treasure the beauty that is yourself and honor the body that God has given you, because what your looking for in all the superficial things is approval, when all that matters is approval from yourself. Please allow yourself to view your natural self as beautiful and priceless no matter what anyone else says about it. Don't go through years of looking for approval and heartache from not "measuring up". Take matters into your own hands, and regain control of what you think is beautiful. You are under no social obligation to look a certain way. You are loved, beautiful, and priceless just as you are.
Love you all,
Grace

What Doing A Month of Yoga Taught Me

Hello lovelies!

While I am not new to the blogging world ( I have a beauty and make up blog), I am new to creating something that is deeper in content. I love beauty, health and wellness, fitness and everything in between. But I have always wanted a lifestyle blog, where I share things that I find interesting. So here I am, sharing on an experience that I thought was very helpful for me.

As a fitness enthusiast, I have always pushed myself to work extremely hard. I was and still am in love with HIIT (High Intensity Interval Training), but I noticed that while I was gaining muscle mass, I wasn't really feeling the best about myself. My body felt much tighter than normal and my flexibility was very limited. Sometime in February, I decided that throughout the month of March, I would do yoga everyday.

It seemed daunting at first. Would my muscles still develop? Would I gain weight during this month? With these questions zooming through my brain, I allowed myself to do 15 minute workouts on top of my yoga routines. I did this mainly so that I would still be working on the muscle groups that I thought were important and also so that I'd still be progressing.

With that premise I began my month. Not expecting too much, but looking forward to gaining flexibility. However, I learned a lot more than I thought I was going to, which is the entire point of this post. So without further a do, here are a few things that doing a month of yoga taught me.

1. Patience

I always used to just power through my workout, trying to get through it as fast as possible. I never wanted to be working out for too long, and at the beginning of the month, it was insane to think about doing even a 30 minute yoga video. Through this month, I learned to have patience with my body, how to allow myself to linger and enjoy every moment that I was working. It gave me a deeper sense of patience with things that would sometimes irritate me.

2. Letting Go

After a long and stressful day, I would often keep all those emotions bottled up and it would just fester in my mind. It's so unhealthy to carry the previous days stress around with you and it can really weigh down your whole mood. I learned through this month to let go of that stress and anxiety for at least half an hour every day. It's so nice to just let go of things that are hurting you mentally.

3. Resting Is Okay

I swore that even if I took a one day break from working out that it would set me back. Even doing a stretching routine wouldn't be enough because it didn't push me to the point were my muscles were exhausted. This past month, I really learned the beauty of allowing myself to rest and rejuvenate. Although I found some yoga routines that really made me sweat, it still didn't make me feel stressed.

4. Working Out Doesn't Have to Be a Chore

I honestly never felt during this month, drained or annoyed that I had to get a workout in. I went into every routine excited to try something new and looking forward to seeing how my body felt afterwards. Nothing about it felt forced or strained, it was just something I wanted to do.

5. Just Breath

There is something so good about just allowing yourself to take a moment and breath. One of my favorite poses in yoga is savasana, which is the final pose and the end of every yoga routine. Basically, you're letting go and simply pressing every limb into the ground and breathing. Taking the time to just focus on your breath and letting go of the day's stress is so beneficial. I found that I felt so much better at the end of every routine, because I  spent a moment reflecting and allowing myself to just breath.

6. Yoga is a Workout

I learned that yoga, while not often thought of as a workout, is so beneficial for strengthening your whole body. There are so many exercises where you use your core strength to twist or to bring your body into a certain pose, which builds so much strength in your abdominal muscles; Going through  chaturanga builds up so much arm strength and tones up that whole flabby underarm area, which is a problem area for so many women; Leg strength is also increased as you spend so many moves in a lunge or squat. My idea that this month wouldn't tone up my body, was completely false.

7. Setting Intentions

When you start a routine, you are often asked to set an intention for your practice. Whether that is just simply allowing yourself to be present or that you're going to really commit to the practice, you set that goal. I've found that while setting an intention on the mat is extremely helpful, setting intentions in everyday life is also amazing. Throughout the week, I tell myself that today will be a good day, I pray for patience and grace for people and I find that it really helps to change my perspective on the day.

This past month of yoga was so good for me that I'm doing it again! This time around I'm increasing my normal workout time and finishing off with a good yoga routine. I really encourage everyone to try out yoga as it is so good for your body. You'll feel so good after a routine, even if you only practice a couple times a week. If you are interested in doing a month of yoga, I recommend making a schedule for yourself to stay on track and choosing the practice before the day of, so that you always know what your doing for the day.

That's all I have for today. Thank you for reading and allowing me to share some of my thoughts with you. Have an amazing day and hopefully I'll have more to share soon!

Grace

This is from my new blog on wordpress. Check it out at gracesmusingsblog.wordpress.com 

Ulta and TJ Maxx Haul

Hello lovelies!
    I know that my posting of lately has left much to be desired, but with this being my senior year of high school drawing closer and closer to completion, my time has been spent working on my pre calculus course which will been done thankfully next week, and also working at the store by my house. Thus has been my glamorous life for the past few months. I'm hoping that once summer comes around again that'll I will be able to post a lot more frequently! Anyways. The other day before youth group, I decided I wanted to hit up the new TJ Maxx and Ulta by me. I love when new store branches open up because each one is so unique and you find little gems that you may have not in other ones. So I'm just gonna list what I got a little bit about why.

Calvin Klein One Summer Perfume/Cologne: I've looked at this before and decided to try it out. It's a bit stronger of a scent, so if I end up not using it, I'll probably give it to my boyfriend since he'd probably like it.

Alba Fast Fix Concealers: I saw these two and decided that I mine as well see if Alba does a good makeup product, so the experimenting with this is going strong.

Elegant Dark Wood Hair Brush: My old hair brush had broken a long time ago, and I liked the shape and weight of this brush so it's the one I decided to grab.

Smashbox Primer Water: Praise the Lord in Heaven because I have been wanting this primer water for ages and I'm finally just now getting it because it was half off at the new Ulta. I snatched this little sucker up and coughed up the money for it. This is probably the highlight of my haul.

Not Your Mother's Way To Grow Conditioner: I've used this conditioner before and since I liked it then I thought I'd give it another go around. It makes my hair really soft and very manageable after my shower.

Maybelline Concentrated Eye Crayon in Gold Rush: I picked this up because my boyfriend's school dance is coming up very soon and I needed a long lasting gold color for the look. I had been playing with the idea of using one of the NYX jumbo eye pencils but decided against it since they last all of and hour on my oily eye lids.

Revlon Colorstay Overtime Lip Color in Forever Pink: I was really looking forward to this product, but I've been trying to use it and make it work but there are a couple things I cannot get past: 1) This product is very frosty, the finish has so much silver glitter in it it take me back to when I was ten 2) The product really sinks into the lines and dry patches of my lips in a super unflattering way that makes me look like I haven't moisturized in decades. 

     That's it for my haul! I hope that you enjoyed this post and hopefully I'll have more coming your way in the next couple of days! Until then have a Happy Easter and enjoy the lovely spring weather  that is finally coming our way. If you have any recommendations of what you would like to see next on Grace's Musings, please leave it in the comments below or PM me at graceashipley@gmail.com (business inquiries only please)

Grace

How To Remove Stubborn Mascara

Hello Pretty People!
   For me, removing makeup is a very soothing process. I like to make myself a cup of tea, turn on some of my favorite songs on Spotify and go to town removing every last bit of makeup from my face before going into my normal cleansing routine. Today I'm coming at you with a quick look into how I remove my makeup, with a special focus on how I remove even the most stubborn mascara with one easy step. Sound interesting? Let's jump into it! ( And yes, it's finally warm enough again to take pictures outside!)

    So my skin goes between being the most sensitive thing in the world, to  super tough and macho: nothing can touch it or make it sensitive. However, that usually only happens once the weather gets a little warmer, and even then I try to be super gentle with it. I've been on a quest recently to find the best makeup remover wipes out there, and so far I've found two that my skin really likes. Neutrogena makes a really good wipe, but my skin cannot deal with the original formula. The one that I find is the gentlest, is the Night Calming Wipes. They make the skin feel nice and soft, and it doesn't make my face burn or tingle in the slightest. Currently though, I've discovered a love for the Simple Cleansing Wipes, which are even gentler on my skin than the Neutrogena ones, making me a big fan.

    Before I even come close to removing any face or lip makeup, I always remove my eye makeup. I love waterproof mascara, and honestly the more waterproof, the better for me. However, by the end of the day it can be quite tricky to remove. I've found that using coconut oil removes my eye makeup SO well. I like to warm it up in a spoon with my blow dryer ( I know, so classy right?) and apply the liquid coconut oil to my lashes first. I like to gently massage the area and work the coconut oil into my lashes and around my eye. I do this until I feel satisfied with how much I look like a character on American Horror Story.

    Finally after doing that for about a minute I use my makeup wipes to remove all the oily residue. I find that after using the coconut oil, I can look quite like a panda bear, so it's best to just swipe away the remainder, so as not to freak anyone out. The Simple makeup wipes do a really good job of removing the rest of my makeup and even if I get a little in my eye, it doesn't hurt at all.
 
    Once that is done, I'll go into my normal skincare routine for nighttime. If there is any remaining eyeliner on my tight line, I'll go in with an oil balm and a q-tip to remove the last of it. Right now, I'm using the Shara Shara Acerola Moist Oil Balm, which also works as a great lip balm and cuticle softener.

    Like I said earlier, I really enjoy taking off my makeup, almost as much as I love putting it on. For me it's nice to see just my face after a day of wearing makeup. I feel like I can fully breathe once my makeup is off, and it feels so satisfying at the end of a long day. Do you like removing your make up? Tell me in the comments below and feel free to leave any post suggestions as well! I hope you all enjoyed this post and until next time, stay beautiful!

Grace

Bon Vivant Bontanical Mask Pack Sheet Mask Review

Hello pretty people!
     I know, I know, yet another sheet mask post. I don't know what it is, but I'm addicted and I feel the need to share my sheet mask addiction with you all. These are pretty fresh off the market, and I'm excited to share my thoughts on them, as  they are the most unique and some of my favorites to date. The Bon Vivant is a skincare  brand that teamed up with Memebox to create three special sheet masks, and let me tell you: they are life. Let's jump into this! (information given is from the Memebox website :))

1. Clarifying & Hydrating Rose

Claims: Damask Rose water is the primary ingredient. It deeply replenishes moisture and nourishes while revitalizing for a brighter and clearer complexion.

Ingredients: Rosa Damascena Flower Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Allantoin, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer , Glyceryl Caprylate, Caprylyl Glycol, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tromethamine , Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fragrance

Going through the list, I pinpointed some ingredients that I like in this mask:
Damask Rose- Vitamin A and C promote a brighter and clearer complexion and the natural estrogen properties restore elasticity and vitality.
Panthenol- Renews skin cells and moisture barrier.
Allantoin- Calms stressed skin.
Birch Sap- Balances water/oil levels in the skin
Hyaluronic Acid- Locks in moisture
Trehalose- prevents moisture loss

Scent: This mask has a light rose scent, which is extremely pleasant for me, as I love anything rose scented.

Texture: The texture is very watery and it feels light on the skin. It also absorbed very quickly into the skin once applied.

My Thoughts: When I first applied it, it felt very tingly on te skin, but eventually it began to feel nice and cooling. It didn't feel very heavy on my skin, and supposedly the sheet mask material is made from rose petal fibers, but either way, the mask fit very nicely on my face. The next day my skin looked pretty darn good and it felt much more hydrated. The night before I had had tiny litttle acne bumps, and there seemed to be less than there was the night before. Overall I really liked this mask, although it did make my skin a little red, but that's why you should always use masks at nighttime anyways.

Rating: 4/5
I would've liked this a little better if not for the slight burning sensation when you first apply it, but I do plan on actually purchasing this mask again in the future.


2. Soothing & Hydrating Aloe

Claims: Deeply replenishes and moisturizes skin and calms sensitive skin as Aloe is the main ingredient.

Ingredients: Aloe Barbadensis Leaf Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Allantoin, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer , Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tromethamine , Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Fragrance

So the ingredients are primarily the same for this formula and really only differ in that Aloe is the first ingredient. The other ingredients that I pointed out earlier also have the same benefits in this mask, but I'll still give you a brief little description of Aloe benefits:

Aloe- High in water content which keeps he skin supple and moisturized. It also soothes stressed out or sensitive skin.

Scent: The scent is a light fresh and clean scent, almost like those natural cleaners you get at the store, but less chemically.

Texture: The consistency is a little thicker and more of a watery essence type compared to the very watery texture of the rose mask, although it still absorbs nicely into the skin.

My Thoughts: Feels good immediately when applied to my skin and it doesn't feel heavy on the skin, similarly to the rose mask, except this one claims to be made of aloe fibers instead of rose. It felt very soothing on my skin and had a slight cooling effect, making my experience very calming and relaxing. The next morning by skin looked less irritated and red, and also seemed to be better moisturized than before.

Overall rating: 5/5
I really really enjoyed this sheet mask as much as the rose one, and even a little more as there was o stinging or slight burning sensation, which is why it maintains an extra point.


3. Pore Tightening & Sebum Control Mint + Tea Tree

Claims: Peppermint leaf water is the main ingredient in this mask and Tea Tree oil is great at alleviating troubled skin and flaking. Together this is great for cooling and tightening pores, while also replenishing and adding moisture to the skin.

Ingredients: Mentha Piperita (Peppermint) Leaf Water, Glycerin, Methylpropanediol, Butylene Glycol, Trehalose, Sodium Hyaluronate, Melaleuca Alternifolia (Tea Tree) Leaf Oil , Betula Platyphylla Japonica Juice, Allantoin, Panthenol, PEG-60 Hydrogenated Castor Oil, Ammonium Acryloyldimethyltaurate/VP Copolymer , Glyceryl Caprylate, Xanthan Gum, Carbomer, Tromethamine , Disodium EDTA, Ethylhexylglycerin, Phenoxyethanol, 1,2-Hexanediol, Fragrance

     Also this mask has the same basic ingredients and benefits for the skin as the rose and the aloe masks, this one differs only in the peppermint leaf and tea tree, so I'll share a little bit about them:
Peppermint Leaf- Cools and calms troubled skin while tightening enlarged pores.
Tea Tree- Controls Sebum and reduces flaking.

Scent: It smells a little bit like a musky mint scent, so imagine like a B&BW men's mint body spray, and that's the scent (although not as overwhelming).

Texture: The consistency on this mask is the thickest out of the three, with a bit more of a sticky texture that feels more like a serum than anything else, although it still has that slight watery texture that the other ones have.

My Thoughts: This mask is really nice feeling on the skin. You can feel the cooling of the mint and tea tree, which is once again, very relaxing for me. I'm still a little skeptical, but the sheet mask claims to be made from mint leaf fibers, and it feels nice and form fitting to my face. I was a little wary at first because whenever a product claims to help reduce skin flaking, I scoff a little bit. In the colder months, by skin becomes this flake monster, and the dryness is hard to combat, but this mask delivered and the next morning my skin look AH-mazing and flake free.

Overall Rating: 5/5
I love this mask for my combination skin type and love that it takes care of all of my skincare needs as well as there is no tingly sensation that accompanies it.

     That's it for todays post! As always leave me any questions or comments you have in the comment section and I'll get back to you asap. I highly highly highly recommend these masks for anyone and everyone to try out, but always keep in mind that what works for me, might not always work for you. Until next time, love y'all!
Grace

Setting Beauty Intentions

Hello pretty people!
    Today I'm coming at you with a bit different of a post. It's still about beauty, yes, but it can easily crossover into all areas of life. It hit me a few days ago that I live a pretty passive way with my life. I get into routines or slumps in a way. I go day to day in a monotonous state, doing a routine just because it's what I do. This applies to everything from going to work, getting ready in the morning, eating the same breakfast for convenience sake, to doing a certain amount of studying on a particular night. I'm working on switching that up in a lifestyle way, but I also wanted to make similar changes in my beauty routine as well. Little things like taking a cold rinse at the end of a shower, or taking vitamins, or just switching things up whether it's the makeup I wear every month or the toothpaste I use. It may seem trivial, but it's just small changes that I think will one day help me to set intentions for when I'm an adult.
    This being a beauty blog and all, I thought I'd share a little bit about the changes in my beauty routine that I'm making and sharing them with you. So just keep in mind, these aren't drastic, life changing moves that I'm making now, it's simply something that get's me in the habit of doing things because I want to.
The few things I have chosen to do for now are:
Showering in colder water
Brushing my teeth with baking soda
Going to bed earlier
Wear less base makeup
Take immaculate care of my skin
Do a month of yoga

    That's all I have for this post! I know it's a pretty short one, but I just haven't really felt a ton of inspiration lately, besides from this one topic. It would be so incredibly helpful if you all left post requests in the down bar so that I can really produce content that you will all want to read. Until next time!
Grace

Memebox Haul: Nail Polishes, Sheet Masks, etc.

Hello Pretty People!
     Hello everyone! Today I have a haul, and let me just tell you right now that I have a ton of sheet masks.... With Memebox, you get free shipping if you spend $30 USD, so while I mainly just wanted to try out some Pony X Memebox Nail Polishes (expect a review), I figured I could get free shipping by picking enough sheet masks. So let me just show you everything I got for around $33 USD!

Lador Sleeping Clinic Ampule
Lador Scalp Scaling Spa

Pony X Memebox Nail Polish in Blooming Bouquet, Summer Love, Meteor Shower, and Wormhole

2x Dr. Troubex Sparkling Mask Daily Soothing Treatment

Soo Ae Donkey Milk Skin Gel Mask Pack Healing

Tosowoong Pure Deep Sea Water Mask, 2x Pure Snail Mask, 2x Aloe Mask

Bonivant Botanical Mask Pack Rose, Mint + Tea Tree, Aloe

    That's all of my haul! I hope you all enjoyed a little sneak peak into what you can be expecting in the next couple of upcoming posts :) As always if you have any questions or request leave them for me in the comments down below and I'll get to them ASAP. Until next time, love y'all!
Grace