Jet Set

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This past week has been a whirlwind! I flew home from Arizona on Monday night and today I am flying back out to the mainland. I haven't been as consistent with blogging as I would have liked but I have a month break from my yoga teacher training and so I am trying to fit in as many adventures I can into this month! On Wednesday, my neighbor Denise and I decided to explore Chinatown in downtown Honolulu and it was so fun. My favorite thing to do is to go to a new place and people watch and so I was totally in my element. :) Here are some photos from that day! 

PS- I have gotten so many inquiries on Instagram about my dress! I couldn't find the exact dress online but I found some other super fun over the shoulder dresses that are linked down below. <3 

I hope you all are having a wonderful weekend! I will be blogging lots more soon! 

-Lauren

Travel Diary: Sedona

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This past weekend, my best friend and I had the best weekend up in Sedona, Arizona. We both work for an amazing company, Rodan + Fields, and the company treated Jenna to pick a luxury weekend vacation of her choosing! She chose to go to the beautiful Sedona and she picked me as her guest! It also happened to be her birthday weekend and so we had lots to celebrate. We spent tons of girl time drinking wine and overlooking the beautiful view at our resort, we had a spa day, went on a jeep tour, shopped in the town, and aimlessly drove and explored new places. We also seamlessly listened and danced to the new Selena Gomez and Kygo son on repeat. It was basically the best weekend ever. 

During the trip, I had a lot of time to reflect on life and everything thats happened over the past two years since starting my skincare business. I have grown personally and professionally so much and I would have never been where I am now without it. I would have never have met Jenna or my many other friends I have met through this company and there's no way I would have been able to go on such an incredible trip. Hard work truly does pay off and I feel like this trip was just a small example to me that we can truly do anything we put our minds to and work hard in!

No matter what you do, I hope you do it fully and with everything you've got! It is the most incredible feeling to wake up each morning and know that you are doing EXACTLY what you are supposed to do. If you aren't doing that now, set some goals for yourself and your future and so eventually you can start doing what you LOVE!

I'd love to know, what is something you have ALWAYS wanted to do but never have been able to? Comment below and let me know! 

Have a great day everyone!

Lauren

Minimalistic Makeup

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I don't know about you but I used to be a makeup hoarder. I collected eye shadows, lipsticks, eye shadow brushes... you name it, I had twenty. I was always on the search for the PERFECT foundation or the perfect mascara, or my "signature" lip color. I spent so much money and was never content in my findings. I wore makeup because I wasn't confident in my natural skin. I had blemishes to cover up and rosacea that left my cheeks red at all times. Once I found Rodan + Fields Skincare  my rosacea healed and my acne went away. It was AMAZING to be able to walk out of the house makeup free. Over the past two years my idea of "makeup" has changed dramatically. When we were packing our things to move to Hawaii, I found drawers and drawers of old makeup, barely used, that I didn't need anymore. I decided to cut my losses and throw it ALL away. It was so freeing. 

Most days I don't wear any makeup at all. When I do wear makeup, I have a few products that I like to use. I have a little more makeup than this, but honestly, I don't use much. Embarking on a minimalistic life and freeing myself from the possessions I don't need has been such an amazing journey! I highly recommend it. :) 

PS. you should go through your makeup every 6 months anyways because products can expire fast and nothing is more gross than 10 year old lipstick! (been there, threw away that).  

 

 

MY MUST-HAVES:

1. Mineral Peptide Power in Medium and Bronze :

I cannot say enough good things about this powder. It is lightweight and gives an even coverage that looks NATURAL! My favorite part about it is that it contains amino acid peptides which protect your skin from the sun and other environmental factors! I use the Medium for all over my face and then the Bronze as a bronzer. It has SPF 20 in it and so this is a must-have in my beach bag and way easier to apply then face sunscreen. 

2. Mac Painterly Paint Pot : 

I have been loyal to this product since highschool. This paint pot is just a nude cream shadow that I put on my eyes instead of eye shadow. I put it on my eyelids before putting on eyeliner or mascara and it gives my eyelids just a little bit of brightness!

3. Revlon ColorStay Eyeliner :

Not gonna lie, I found out about this gem from Joanna Gaines on Fixer Upper! I don't wear eyeliner often but when i'm going out on a date night, I will line only my upper lash line with this. Its inexpensive, doesn't smear, and stays all day! I use the brown/black shade. :) 

4. L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara:

This is another favorite of mine that I have been using since highschool! I love how it lengthens but also thickens your eyelashes. My favorite part about this mascara is the WAND! Its so unique and works super effectively. :) I remember in highschool I would go through so much of this mascara and would have to buy a new one each month! Since I've been using Lash Boost though, my lashes are already so long and thick that I just put one quick coat of this on and i'm good to go! 

Thats it- My makeup routine is very simply these days but thats how I like it! I hope this was helpful for you and that you can try some of these products out! I would also encourage you to go through and minimize your own makeup collections. If you need help with your skin and want to be foundation free, just send me a quick e-mail and I can help you find something that works for you! 

Have a great day everyone!!! 

Hugs + Kissees

Lauren

Lauren's Guilt-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

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Since coming to Hawaii, I finally have my own kitchen after being married for two years! I have been having so much fun learning how to cook. Every week I love trying new recipes and putting my own spin on the things that I make. I love making every ingredient count in improving my health. I view my food as energy: everything I put in my body is either sustaining it and keeping it healthy, or depleting it. I try to not eat things that I know aren’t adding to my health and so I substitute a lot of ingredients when cooking my favorite meals.

I am a sucker for a good chocolate chip cookie and am known to having one too many for dessert. :) I adapted this recipe from my mom’s original cookie recipe as well as others I have found online. This recipe is gluten-free and dairy-free (if you use Carob chips rather than chocolate chips). I also substituted regular sugar for coconut sugar which is MUCH healthier for you and is low on the glycemic-index!

This recipe has been tested by my husband, neighbors, and friends here in Hawaii and they all seem to love them and don’t even realize that they are “healthy”! I hope you try this recipe out yourself and loves these cookies just as much as we do! If you make them, take a pic and tag #kisseecookies!

Ingredients:

1 ½ cup all-purpose gluten-free flour

½ teaspoon baking soda

½ teaspoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon Himalayan sea salt

½ cup organic coconut oil

¾ cup coconut sugar

1 egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

½ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

½ cup carob chips (optional: you can just use 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips if you don’t have carob)

 

Instructions:

-Preheat oven to 350 Degrees

-Mix together flour, baking soda, baking flour, and salt into a bowl

-In another bowl (with an electronic mixer) mix together coconut oil, coconut sugar, egg, and vanilla

-Once well blended, add the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and continue mixing until smooth. Add in the chocolate chips last.

-Spoon tablespoon amounts of cookie dough onto cookie sheets and bake in the oven for 7-9 minutes.

 

Enjoy!!

Lauren