Summer Travel Beauty Essentials

I have traveled quite a bit this Summer and so I've spent a lot of time packing, unpacking, and re-packing my cosmetics bag! I think I have finally narrowed it down to my tried & true favorite products to have on hand while I travel! I like to keep it simple, especially while traveling and so I try to keep it pretty minimal while packing my cosmetics. Here are the top items that I think are crucial to have on hand while traveling! 

My Must-haves: 

1. Mineral Powder to keep you matte all day

This is probably my must-have #1 because there is nothing worse than having to reapply makeup throughout the day! If you have followed me for long then you know that I am obsessed with this Mineral Peptide Powder and I hardly ever use any other face makeup! It has SPF in it, protects my skin from the environment, and gives great coverage!

2.  Life-proof Mascara

When you travel, you need a mascara that can withstand long days in the sun, adventuring around a new town, and to make it through happy hour! I have tried a ton of different mascaras and Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara is by far my favorite. I love the volume it gives to my lashes and the tube lasts me such a long time! Totally worth the price, in my opinion!! 

3. A Moisturizing Deodorant

This may seem strange and TMI but when I travel to dryer climates, my arm-pits sometimes get irritated after shaving!  I'm not sure if this happens to you too but Native Deodorant is my all time favorite deodorant and its super moisturizing while also sweat resistant! 

4. Eye serum (ain't no one got time for under-eye bags!)

There's nothing like jet lag to bring out those under-eye bags. my Bright Eye Complex is my #1 skincare item when it comes to travel because it instantly brightens my under-eye and gets rid of any dark circles or puffiness! 

5. Self-tanner 

Since sun-protection is really important to me, I use R+F's Sunless Tanner to keep my tan game strong all year round. I often travel because of a wedding, special event, or a work function and so I keep self-tanner with me to help me get ready for an event! 

6. Dry Shampoo

I have been using Dry Bar's Detox Dry Shampoo recently and am LOVING it! Also- this is currently on sale for the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale and so if you were wanting to try out a new dry shampoo or texturizing spray you have to get this bundle before it sells out!! 

7. Hair Detangling Spray

My hair is hard to manage. It's like a lion's mane and taming it is out of the question. I've tried so many different brands of detangling spray and it's been so hard to find one that works but doesn't weigh down my hair! I just picked up this Verb Leave-in Mist from Sephora and have only used it a few times but I am already OBSESSED. It is so lightweight, doesn't have a heavy scent, and makes my hair so smooth and easy to comb! 10/10. 

8. Neutral eye-shadow

When I travel, I like to keep my makeup pretty simple and no-fuss. I always have a neutral eyeshadow palette with me s that I can still create numerous looks but don't have to think too hard! I am currently LOVE this Nordy Girl Matte Face & Eye set from the NSALE! I'm not sure how much longer it will be in stock but $44.50 for $202 value?! That's insane!!

What is one of your favorite products that you can't travel without?! 

Your friend,

Lo

Summer Adventure Playlist

Summer is finally here!! I spent a couple hours putting together my favorite summer jams and I am excited to share them with you! My playlists are notoriously known for being very random. haha! There is dance jams, folk jams, pop jams, indie jams, and a little of everything in between in this mix. This playlist reminds me of long road trips, beach bonfires, warm sunny days, and never-ending laughter with loved ones. I hope you love it! 

To go along with my random playlist, here are some random photos that have me dreaming of endless summer adventures... Whats on your summer to-do list?! 

Keeping a healthy lifestyle while traveling

Hey friends! Hope you all are doing well. I've been busy, busy, busy getting ready to head back to the mainland for a couple of weeks. I've been running errands, planning out our trip, and finishing work projects so that I am able to relax a bit while I'm away! I am not one of those people that can just pick up and go somewhere- I like to have a plan. When I travel, I make it a priority to continue living a healthy lifestyle because nothing is worse than coming back from a trip completely exhausted, and snug in all your clothes! 

Since this is the time of year where people are packing up and taking road trips, visiting family, and checking travel locations off their bucket list, I thought I would share my travel tips on how I stay healthy even while traveling and being outside of my normal routine! 

*These tips may seem kind of extreme to some of you who are more "go with the flow" types of people, and I envy you if you are like that! My body does not handle traveling well, AT ALL. I have had to do all of these things out of necessity because if not, I usually end up getting sick. I have found that if I stick to a routine, take care of myself, and commit to being healthy while I'm vacation, I come home refreshed and revitalized, not exhausted and sick! 

1. Strive to keep a morning routine

 I am my best when I stick to a morning routine! Even if my daily plans are uncertain, if I can keep a simple morning routine, I know that I will feel healthier, be more energized and my body will handle the stress of traveling better.  I try to take some time every morning to read, journal, and fuel my body with a ton of nutrients. The biggest way I do that is to bring my vitamins, supplements, and other easy-to-pack ingredients with me so that I can make matcha lattes and smoothies in the mornings! I They sell individual packets of collagen peptides and coconut butter now and so it makes it so easy to keep some of my favorite things on hand while I travel! I know that some mornings I won't be able to keep up and that is okay! But just striving to keep a morning routine helps me stay on track for the rest of the day. 

2. Show yourself some TLC before the trip

Before a trip, I try to take a couple days before I leave to take care of myself, build up my immune system, and organize my home so that I feel centered and not stressed while I'm away. I will sometimes schedule a facial or a massage, I do a bentonite clay detox on my feet, I make sure I have plenty of sleep, and I take extra Vitamin C supplements so that I will have a strong immune system for the plane flight. I also give myself PLENTY of time to pack so I'm not running around like a crazy person right before I have to goto the airport. Traveling and vacation are supposed to bring JOY and there's nothing that sucks out the joy in things more than stress and so I try to keep excess stress away at all costs! 

3. Don't overbook yourself and allow yourself to naturally adjust with the timezone

This is a huge mistake I used to make! I am the type of person that likes to seize the day and not waste any time and so I used to book all my trips up by the minute as soon as I arrived at my destination. What I failed to take into consideration, though, was that I wasn't letting myself adjust to the time change, which meant I wasn't getting very much sleep. Oftentimes, this would lead me to get sick a few days into my trip because I was exhausted and sleep deprived. You can't seize the day when you are exhausted and sick! Now, I plan ahead and give myself plenty of buffer in case I need to sleep in or go-to bed earlier. 

Ex: I'll be in California for two weeks and so for the first week I am there, I am not scheduling anything before 11am because Hawaii is three hours behind California and so if I schedule a breakfast date at 8am, thats 5am Hawaii time! Instead, I am going to allow myself to sleep in so that I am rested and able to do more in the long run! 

4. Be prepared with healthy snacks at all times

This is a big one. There is nothing like being in a new place and not having any food on you when hunger hits. My favorite snacks to bring on trips are raw nuts or almond butter! I also always bring  vegan meal replacement shakes with me In case I'm on the run and need a quick protein boost! 

5. Move your body and STRETCH every day!

Oftentimes when you travel, you are walking a lot. It is super important to keep moving your body but also to make time to stretch! Long flights and car rides can cause stress and tension on the body and so it is important to stretch it out! Just google a simple stretching or yoga video on YouTube and spend 10 minutes for yourself. Your body will thank you! 

Those are all my best travel tips! Obviously there are plenty of more that I could add but these are my tried & true methods for keeping up a healthy lifestyle even while traveling. I hope they help keep you healthy, happy, and balanced on all of your travels this Summer!! Comment below with where you will be traveling to this summer! I'd love to know! 

Live Well,

Lo

Products Mentioned:

Koko Head Hike

I've done many hikes here on Oahu but this one was one for the books...

A few weeks ago my friends and I decided to hike up Koko head which is basically just a very steep mountain with over a thousand stairs to climb up. I had heard about this hike so many times but was honestly super intimidated by it! Our friend Alex was in town and wanted to go on a fun adventure and so we thought, why not? It can't be THAT bad. 

It was raining that day which honestly turned out to be a blessing- I can not imagine doing that hike in the sun! The hike in itself wasn't too long but it was STRAIGHT UP. It seemed like we were climbing a ladder at some parts! I think of myself as being in pretty good shape, but dang, it was a rough hike! It is SO worth it and the top is so beautiful but there were definitely times during it that I wanted to give up. 

If you are ever in Oahu and are up for a challenge, I would definitely recommend doing Koko head! You may be super sore the next day but I promise the view at the top is so breathtaking that it easily makes up for it!

I decided to film the hike which was both challenging and hilarious! I am not the great at "vlogging" but I gave it a try! Please let me know if you like "vlogging" and if you would like me to do more of it!! 

Hope you all have an amazing day!!

-Lo

The Importance of Self-Care

One of the rituals that has completely changed my life in the past few months is practicing self-care. It sounds so silly and trivial but the effects of it have been profound. Self-care looks different to everyone and to me it also looks different every day. Somedays, it looks like making a cup of tea and reading a good book. Other days it looks like giving myself a spa day, taking care of my skin, and using my body brush and body oil. Yesterday, it looked like putting responsibilities aside and having a "paint day" with one of my best friends. Heather came over yesterday morning and I made us an antioxidant boosting smoothie and we sat outside in my front yard and just painted. It was so relaxing and calming. I could've sat on that concrete floor in my lanai all day painting with my watercolors. It made me realize that the simple things can truly be the most important things. We can heal ourselves by loving ourselves. How crazy is that. 

I want to encourage you that wherever you are in your self-care journey, spend 10 minutes today doing something for YOU! Take that drive out of the way to go sit at a park, sip your favorite coffee, listen to inspiring music, do ANYTHING that makes your soul come alive. 

If you need help developing your self-care routine, here are a few of my favorite products that I use regularly to show myself a little extra love! 

Aztec Healing Clay- I use this stuff to soak my feet in. (many people use this on your face but it can be too strong for it so be careful! If you need a great face mask, use this one) Bentonite clay is great for detoxing the body from radiation (which we get from our phones & computers every day) and for just giving your feet a little extra love! 

Body Brush- If you add only ONE thing to your self-care routine, it should be a body brush!! Use this to gently dry-brush your body before you shower to stimulate circulation & to shed dead skin! After I body brush, I exfoliate in the shower with this amaaaazzing microdermabrasion scrub and my skin feel so amazing and smooth afterwards! 

Rooibos tea- I have a cup of Rooibos tea every evening. No exception. This tea is a part of my night time routine every night and I absolutely love it. Not only is it warm & the most comforting caffeine-free tea your can drink but it has proven to have anti-inflammatory and antiviral properties that will boost your immune system! Its heavenly. Try it. 

Sesame Oil- On days when I need to give my skin some EXTRA love I will use put this oil all over my body after I use my dry brush. Sesame oil is great because its a warming oil but won't clog your pores. I put this all over my body and then hop in the shower and so when I get out of the shower my skin will be hydrated and soft but not oily! 

I would love to know, what is apart of YOUR self-care routine? Let me know in the comments! 

xo

Lauren