5 Beauty Tips to Prep for a Big Event

With my best friend’s wedding just one day away, the prep leading up to it has been quite the ordeal! I’ve been prepping for not one, but two weddings, and I'm in the wedding party tomorrow, meaning photos, photos, and more photos. From skin to hair, nails and everything in between, there's a lot to think about before a big event creeps up on you. So how have I been prepping myself for the big day? Keep reading to find out, and make sure to read to the very end for a giveaway!

1. Plan your appointments accordingly

As someone with a crazy schedule (a 9 to 5, design school Monday to Wednesday nights), planning out my “prep” services leading up the the big day was key. That meant I had to stagger my appointments accordingly before the chaos of school began. It’s also important to schedule workouts in whenever possible (6AM workouts are basically my only option) to sweat out as many toxins as you can.

2. Pamper your skin

I’m always pretty good with my skincare, but lately, even more so. I’ve been layering on my favourite serums and almost always sleeping with some sort of sleep mask on top (retinol’s been on high rotation too)! I love using Gua Sha tools to circulate the blood in my skin, and allow it to absorb more of the product. My favourite sleeping masks are the Summer Fridays Jet Lag Mask, the Laneige Lavender Sleeping Mask and the Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Mask. 

For my body, I did a deep exfoliation followed by my favourite self tan. Self tanning has enabled me to maintain my colour without laying in the sun, and it’s God-sent! I’ve pretty much tried them all, but my favourite is Loving Tan 2 hour Express in Dark. Make sure to blend those hands and feet with a makeup brush!

3. Get your beauty sleep

Lately, I've been using my Slip silk pillowcase to avoid “crinkled sheet face” - yes, those lines can stay on your face! The pillowcase has been amazing on both my skin and my hair, so it’s double duty! Speaking of sleep, getting lots of it leading up to an event is in your best interest. You need to feel as well rested as you look, so deep sleeps are key.

4. Enhance your smile

It’s not something that’s always talked about, but attaining the perfect smile is always high on people’s lists. And to perfect that smile, the easiest thing to do is whiten your teeth! More often than not, people use whitening strips to get their desired result. But have you ever wondered why whitestrips tend to be a little painful? The reason is, whitestrips use a bleaching method that strips your enamel completely, making them even more sensitive than they were to begin with.

Over the last few weeks, I’ve been whitening my teeth with an at-home whitening kit called Smile Brilliant. This method is different than whitening strips. You send in a mold of your teeth to receive flexible trays made to fit your smile perfectly, then use a whitening gel designed to remove the stains from the surface of your teeth - one that doesn’t remove your enamel.

Because the whitening gel isn’t painful or uncomfortable, I’ve been wearing my trays for 1-2 hours at a time while watching tv, cleaning or finishing chores around the house. And because I’ve been travelling so much, I’ve taken them on the road with me too! A+ for being able to multi-task, am I right? 

Since Smile Brilliant is a safe method for whitening teeth without enamel removal, it’s a great option for anyone that wants stain-free teeth!

5. Invest in yourself

Last but not least, invest in yourself! You want to look and feel your best, so this is not the time to cheap out on yourself. Lash extensions are a great option for big events. Seeing as I’ll probably be bawling my eyes out tomorrow, fake lashes were definitely going to fall off my face (like they have at sooo many weddings I’ve been to). I like more of a natural-looking set, but they’re sure to stand out in the wedding photos at the same time. They dramatically change your face and you don’t need as much makeup once you’ve got them on. There’s just something about waking up feeling “pretty”, yenno?

To ensure my nails were fresh two weekends in a row, I decided to get gel extensions. The salon added an extra layer of Biogel on top of my gel polish, followed by a gel top coat, and they turned out perfect. Fingers crossed they still look as good tomorrow for the wedding!

And after practicing my speech... we’re officially all prepped! If you’d like to give at-home whitening a try, you're in luck! I’ve partnered with Smile Brilliant to give one of my readers a set of their own. Simply click this link to enter, and it could be yours! If you’d like to shop their site, use linneacarmen15 for 15% off your entire purchase. Keep smiling!

Xo 

Linnea 

Tooth Whitening Gel

6 Tips for Time Management

*This giveaway is now closed*

Between working, going back to school, eating healthy, spending time with friends, and ultimately, keeping up with life in general, time management is definitely necessary - especially at the beginning of the year.

Thanks to JORD watches, I’ve been able to keep up with the chaos-called-life (and look like it, too)!  They’re an amazing company that’s passionate about making quality, hand-crafted watches. I don’t know about you, but having a watch that pairs well with everything I wear helps me keep track of my time, and gets me where I need to go. And since 2019 seems to be “the year of organization”, I thought I’d share my tips on how I organize my time while reaching my goals. Read to the very the end, and you’ll have a chance to win $100 to shop at JORD watches (*enter HERE for the giveaway)! ! Without further ado, let’s get to my time management tips:

Plan ahead

Planning my week on Sundays has saved me time and time again. To make sure I eat healthy all week, I simply take a few minutes every Sunday to choose healthy meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner, go to the grocery store with a list (just stick to produce and protein sections!), then meal prep for Monday and Tuesday. By Wednesday, it’s time to cook my next few meals with the remaining groceries I have in my fridge.

To get my workouts in, I usually workout the same days of the week, every week. Scheduling workouts in your calendar keeps you accountable, and ensures you’re making time for your body.

If I were to slack off on the weekend, I’d probably be eating takeout almost everyday (gross), because I don’t have time throughout the week to sit down and pick out a meal, go to the grocery store, and cook the meal. That’s just unrealistic (unless I’m using a meal kit delivery service). Similarly, I can’t be at work on a random day and think, “Yeah, I’m gonna work out today.” I need to be in the mindset that I’m scheduled/booked to work out that day, otherwise I likely won’t go. Find what works for you, and just do it!!

Track your habits

To be mindful about my habits I like to take note of, I have my trusty bullet journal to thank. I’ve been tracking each habit with a W or L for everyday. It’s a great way to keep yourself accountable and remind yourself daily of your goals - because let’s be honest, you’re not gonna remember the half of them come Feb. 15! Plus, it’s way less clutter (physically and mentally) if you have them all on one page, so you’re not wasting time and energy writing them all over the place. These habits can be anything from drinking lemon water first thing in the morning, to not buying coffee/lunch, or simply remembering to take your vitamins!

You may think that writing things down is a complete waste of time, but research shows that writing notes on paper helps you recall the information a lot better than typing, and it drastically improves your understanding of what you’re writing down.

Prioritize your time

I’ve talked about using my colour-coded Google calendar before, but I’ll say it again. It’s so helpful to block time in your calendar for meetings, events, tasks, bill payments, cooking, and even “me” time. I also highly recommend saying no whenever you feel like you’re stretching yourself too thin. As much as I’d like to spend more time with my friends, sometimes, downtime is exactly what I need.

Learn to single task

Focusing on the task at hand is the best way to get things done - especially if you complete your gruelling tasks first! As a gemini, single-tasking is actually really difficult for me. I tend to start a task, get bored, and start a new one… all while leaving the other task for “another time”. This isn’t a habit I’m proud of, so I’ve started setting a timer to complete one task at a time, and it’s become a game-changer! It’s also a great way to find out what tasks take you wayyy too long to complete.

My productivity has increased tremendously since time-blocking, and it’s been so nice to have a beautiful watch to check the time during my tasks. Lately, my favourite watch is my Sier Arcadia watch. The one-of-a-kind dial is rough cut from black marquina marble and paired with rose gold hardware, making it so unique! And for a gemini who can never make up her mind, being able to decide whether I’d like to use the tan leather strap or the rose gold mesh strap is the BEST part - it suits any occasion no matter what.

Put your phone down

Because I work a lot with social media, my phone can be a verrry dangerous rabbit hole… but guess what! Nothing crazy happens if you ignore your phone for a few hours... the world doesn’t end, your friends won’t cut you if you don’t respond right away (or at least mine don’t lol)! So put down that phone, focus on the things you need to do, and keep screen time to a minimum. You’ll gain at least an extra hour a day, just watch.

Lower your expectations

With so many things on my plate, it’s pretty obvious that my expectations for myself are high, but if you can’t get everything done during the week, don’t beat yourself up about it. Prioritize it for the following week, and move on. Things don’t move unless you do, but you also have to remember to give yourself free time, too. Too much structure is never a good thing!

If you’ve read through all of my tips up until this point, bravo!! I’m so grateful to all of you, so to thank all of you for being here, I’ve partnered with JORD watches for a watch giveaway! Simply click the link below to enter to win $100 toward a beautiful JORD watch of your choice. You’ll also receive 10% off just for entering, so spread the news about the giveaway!

Enter HERE.

This giveaway closes on March 5, 2019 at 8:59PM (PST). Good luck!

xo

Linnea

*This post is in collaboration with JORD Watches. All opinions are my own.

Wooden Wrist Watch

Wooden Watch Giveaway: A Timeless Summer Accessory

*Thanks for your entries! This giveaway is now closed*

As the weather warms up, I can't help but gravitate toward neutrals, linen, straw and wooden accents - especially when it comes to summer accessories. You already know how much I love my woven straw bags, and I've found the perfect wooden watch to match them all!

My favourite wooden accessory

I recently stumbled upon JORD watches, and absolutely fell in love with their all-natural men’s and women’s wooden timepieces. My favourite of them all is the Cassia watch in Zebra and Ivory. It’s made of natural zebrawood, with subtle hints of gold detailing throughout the strap, and a domed sapphire glass face with classic roman numerals. The strap is dainty enough to be worn everyday, and you have the option to engrave the backplate, so you can customize it however you like.

Packaged to perfection

When I received my JORD Cassia watch, it was packaged ever-so-nicely in a beautiful wooden box, which can also be engraved to your liking. I especially love the tone of the box - it's a great neutral storage piece in my home!  

Unique graining

The colour of the zebrawood is remarkable, with different grains running throughout the watch. Because of its unique colour, it matches perfectly with all my summer outfits, and I can’t wait to wear it on my upcoming trip to Mexico. Bonus - it's water resistant too, so I don’t need to worry about wearing it by the beach or the pool!

Does this sound like the perfect summer accessory to you? Well, you’re in luck! I’ve partnered with JORD watches for a giveaway.

Enter to win $100 toward a beautiful JORD wooden watch of your choice by clicking the link below. You’ll receive a 10% off coupon code just for entering, so be sure to let your friends know about the giveaway!

Enter HERE.

This giveaway closes on July 22, 2018 at 11:59PM (EST), and all promo codes expire on August 5, 2018. Good luck!

xo

Linnea

Wooden Wrist Watch