Archives for September 2019

Over 40 Anti-aging Skincare Routine

September 25, 2019 Beauty, Uncategorized 7 Comments

I can’t believe that I have not shared my anti-aging skincare routine with you on the blog yet! What?! This is something that I am extremely passionate about! I have shared in Instagram stories, but not not here! This is crazy! So let’s get to it!

First off you need to know about my skin. I am 45, so that means I came from the generation of no sunscreen as a teen/20 something. I cringe at the memories of me slathering my skin in baby oil, baking in the sun and hopping in tanning beds several times a week – yes, I splurged on the monthly membership plan! Ughhh… if I only knew then what I know now.

My skin is sun damaged, clearly (read above) as well as oily in the t-zone. Extremely oily! So, keep this in mind as you read through my routines and see what products I am using. Most are for all skin types.

*this post is not sponsored in any way. These are my true and honest opinions. This post contains affiliate links.

** You can click on the products in the pictures to shop.

Morning Routine

Steps:

Cleanse – I use either the Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel or the Fresh Strawberry Exfoliating Wash. No rhyme or reason as to when I use either. I just grab when I feel that day. Both are so good and do different things. I like options!
Tone – I always use a toner and my favorite is the Caudalie Vinopure Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Primer . Toners help to close pores and restore the ph balance of your skin. It also helps to reduce impurities from entering your pores.
Prevent – my favorite is the Skinceutical Phloretin CF which states from their website: A patented daytime vitamin c antioxidant face serum that delivers advanced environmental protection and diminishes the appearance of fine lines and discoloration. I used to use, the Skinceuticals C E Ferulic, but this left my face feeling little oily. If you have dryer skin, chose the Skinceuticals C E Ferulic. It’s an amazing product!
Moisturize – I can’t say enough out the Peter Thomas Roth Peptide 21 Skincare line! It’s so good! I love the PTR Peptide 21 moisturizer because it is lightweight and helps with fine lines and the texture of my skin.
Eye care – I have been using the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex under my eye cream and I love it. It helps to moisturize without feeling cakey, thick or goopy. I use this under my favorite eye cream to date which is the Colorescience Total Eye 3-in-1 Therapy SPF – this is magical! It is an anti-aging eye cream that improves signs of dark circles and wrinkles, plus it brightens, is your concealer and has SPF! Like I said, magical!! Note: You do not need to use both and sometimes I don’t, but sometimes I do, so I thought I should share that with you.
Suncreen – I always use a facial sunscreen! Always! My favorite that I have used for years is the EltaMD UV Clear Broad Spectrum SPF 46. It lightweight, oil-free and does not clog your pores. My makeup goes on beautifully with this.

Nighttime Routine

Steps:

Cleanse – the first thing I do is remove my eye makeup with the Bi-Facil Double-Action Eye Makeup Remover. This is the best makeup remover that I have tried. It’s worth every penny. I recommend getting the largest size as it saves some money. Then I use the Peter Thomas Roth Anti-Aging Cleansing Gel or a few times a week I use Kate Somerville ExfoliKate® Intensive Exfoliating Treatment for a deeper clean. It’s like a 2 minute facial! Perfect for during the week.
Tone – I always use a toner and my favorite is the Caudalie Vinopure Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Primer . Toners help to close pores and restore the ph balance of your skin. It also helps to reduce impurities from entering your pores.
Treat – I either use the Peter Thomas Roth PRO Strength Retinoid Peptide Serum, which is amazing! It helps with fine lines, wrinkles, pores and uneven skin tone. This stuff works! I also use the Peter Peptide 21™ Amino Acid Exfoliating Peel Pads . I use these pads twice a week and they really work to exfoliate your skin! Especially my nose erea.
Moisturize – I use the same moisturizer at night. I love the PTR Peptide 21 moisturizer because it is lightweight and helps with fine lines and the texture of my skin.
Eye care – I use the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye Supercharged Complex every night under Skinceuticals A.G.E Eye Complex which targets severe signs of again (that comes right from their site)! This is the best night cream I have found to date.

There you have it! That is my current anti-aging skincare routine!

If are interested in my favorite skincare tools, I will be making a post about those soon. Until then you can see what they are in my Sephora Favorites Blog Post.

I am always trying new products and these are the best that I have found to date!

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5 Fall Style Staples Under $50

September 12, 2019 Style, Uncategorized 2 Comments

I was given the challenge of sharing 5 fall wardrobe staples under $50. Let me tell you that this was no east task! It was so hard to narrow down what I wanted to share! There were so many staple pieces that I wanted to include, but refrained and stuck with 5. Even as I write this I am wishing I could have included more…

5 Fall Wardrobe Staples under $50 - Everyday Holly

But… in the end, I did sneak in one more item. One more won’t harm anyone, right?

** Styled option picture links may include pieces over $50, but the staple pieces are all under $50. This post contains commissioned links.

Here we go….

#1 White Long Sleeve Top

A versatile long sleeve white top will go with everything. The key is finding the right one! As you can see this one is perfect! It checks all the boxes!

Soft
Comfy
Versatile
Not see through
Long enough to front tuck or knot
Long in the back to wear with leggings
Thumb holes
V-neck
Free shipping & returns

#2 Black Denim

Top | Non-ripped Jeans | Ripped Jeans | Denim Jacket | Booties

I am lover of blue and black denim, but as I was only able to pick 5 items I went with black for this challenge. Black denim can be dressed up or down, is slimming and will go with every color! These black jeans are only $30 and they are so good! They come in short, regular and long lengths and several versions. I will link them all for you, but I am wearing the Rockstar mid-rise super skinny’s in 0 short.

#3 Booties

Top | Spanx | Denim |Booties | Hat

Well, it is your lucky day! These booties are 60% off now, so they fall under the $50 mark! Woohoo! I paid more, so I am a tad jealous. I love these so much I bought them in both cognac and black. They have on trend pointer toe and the heel height is just right. They are so comfortable, too.

** If you happen to love leggings, make sure to check out my 11 Ways to Style your Spanx for some style ideas.

#4 Military Button Down

White Top | Olive Military Top | Burnt Orange Military Top |Jeans | Booties

A military button is such a great staple piece for the transitioning season of spring and fall. It can be worn on it’s own or you can have in on hand by wrapping it around your waste in case it gets chilly. Or, just wear it is light second layer. I have one with me at all times so I can through it on if needed. This one is super soft and feels so good next to your skin.

#5 Denim Jacket

Another must have is a denim jacket. It can be worn over dresses, rompers, or with jeans. It’s a nice outer layer that is warmer than the military button down, but light than a regular jacket. I’ve had this one for years and I love the feel and weight of it. It’s a classic! Mine is over $50, but I linked up several ones that are great!

Bonus item – Animal Print Mules

Snake Print Mules | Leopard Mules

For those of you that prefer a low heel, I included these mules. These are so good. I own them in snake print and leopard. I wore the leopard ones on your trip to Europe and we walked 10 miles plus a day and my feet never hurt! They are that good! They also come in solid colors and a flat version.

Well, that sums it up!

I hope you loved some or all of these items!

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Faster Way to Fat Loss – Honest Review

September 2, 2019 Health & Fitness, Uncategorized 3 Comments

Faster Way To Fat Loss FWTFL Honest Review Before and After Pictures

Here you will find everything you need to know about FASTer Way to Fat Loss. I will keep it short, sweet, and to the point!

** please note that all opinions and results are from my own personal experience. I am not a coach or a personal trainer. This post is not sponsored, but does contain affiliate links.

FASTer Way to Fat Loss Facts:

What is FASTer Way to Fat Loss?

FASTer Way to Fat Loss (FWTFL) is a sustainable lifestyle program that uses nutrition, intermittent fasting and workouts to lose fat and increase muscle. It is an online program with a personal FASTer Way Certified Coach. Your coach will teach and guide you through the program and be there for you for the duration of the program.

How Does it work?

You sign up for the 8-week program and you get immediate access to the FWTFL portal with all the workouts and meal plans and you are added to your coaches closed Facebook group for your specific start date.

Your first week is prep-week, which is where your coach will teach you everything you need to know about the program, calculating your macros, intermittent fasting and the details about the workouts.

The remaining 7 weeks your coach guides you through the program. Your coach will motivate you daily and have daily check-ins to give you tips, reminders and help you along the way.

So, when your 8 weeks are done, you roll right into membership where you can continue on your FWTFL journey. It will keep you motivated, accountable and you will continue to have access to the amazing workouts. You can cancel if you don’t want to continue on with membership.

How much does it cost & whats included?

The 8-week program is $199 and here is what you get:

Personal Certified FASTer Way to Fat Loss Coach
Immediate access to the FWTFL Portal that includes
- meal plan w/suggested food broken into carb/fats/proteins
- sample cookbook
- home workouts
- gym workouts
Access to your coaches closed Facebook group dedicated to your round
- live trainings
- daily motivation, tips, tricks
- accountability

How to sign up?

Signing up is super easy. But, the most important part is getting a good coach and signing up through her personal link. My coach is Jocelyn James and she is amazing! She keeps her groups small for personalized attention. You can join her group here. If you don’t sign up through a coach and sign up directly from the FASTer Way site you will get put into a very large group with an unkown coach.

What type of workout equipment is needed?

The FWTFL program includes both home and gym workouts. If working out at home you will need handheld weights and access to a sturdy chair or bench.

Can I drink coffee?

Yes! Even though you are fasting in the mornings, you can still drink coffee and tea. If you like creamer FWTFL recommends Nut Pods to help keep you in your fasting state. And, if you like sweetener they recommend Stevia. I drank my BCAA’s every morning. This one is the only one approved by FWTFL. It does not have any artificial sweeteners. Tip: it tastes delicious ice cold, but warm, not so much!

Can I drink wine?

Yes! Yes, you can! Just make sure it fits into your macros!

Is there anything I can’t eat?

FWTFL would like you to eliminate gluten and dairy from your diet. I have gluten intolerance, so I don’t consume gluten anyway. As for dairy, I chose not to eliminate this from my diet. I love cheese!

My Opinions on FWTFL

The PRO’s:

Flexability – I am able to eat what I want as long as it fits into my macros
Carbs – I am able to eat carbs! And, lots of them! I am eating things that I have been depriving myself of for years like like rice, pasta and bread!
Fats – on low carb days, I get to eat so many delicious fats- bacon!
Food variety – I get to eat so many different types of foods.
Not restrictive – yes, you can have wine, cocktails, ice cream! You can eat all.the.things in moderation and as long as fits into your macros.
Progress not perfection mentality – it’s not the end of the world if you have a bad day! Move on and do better tomorrow! I had plenty of days like those!
It’s sustainable! This is not a crazy diet where you can’t wait to be done and go back to eating normal. You are eating normal! In fact, I am eating more now than ever. I am just eating smarter.
Personal coach – I would not have been able to do this without Jocelyn. I messaged her so many times and she was always there for me. She is amazing! She helped me dial in my macros after realizing something was off.
Accountability – having daily check-ins are so helpful! There were days that I missed, but it’s okay! Again, progress not perfection.
Workouts – I love the workouts! They are easy to access on any device and there are demonstration videos with modifications for each move.
Knowledge – I have learned so much about food! And, how to eat better and smarter.

The CON’s:

I personally didn’t have any cons, but I have heard of a few from others…

Failure to sign up with a specific coach. If you sign up directly through the FASTer way site you will be thrown into a large group leaving you with no one-on-one personalized coaching. Again sign up with a coach, here is the link for Jocelyn’s group.
The need to track macros – again, I personally didn’t find this a problem. But, it can be time consuming to have to input your food daily and some people don’t like this part. I repeat a lot of meals, so that makes it so much easier.

My Why

The main reason that I decided to try FWTFL is because I watched several women on Instagram go through the program. I saw how much they loved the program and I was witnessing results with my own eyes! I saw that they were eating a lot of food and they were shrinking before my own eyes. And, they seemed to really love it!

What I wanted to gain from this program:

learn how to eat correctly – portion and calorie control and learn how to calculate and eat for my macros.
lose fat
tone up by body
find something sustainable so I could maintain the fat loss and stay toned beyond the program.

I felt that I achieved all of the above!

My FWTFL Results

I did not intend on writing a blog post about my FWTFL experience, nor did I intend to share my before & after pictures. BUT, when I find something that works and something I love, then I have a desire and need to share! If I can do this program and achieve great results, then you can, too!

My end result was a loss of 5.4 lbs and about an inch all over by body with a total loss of 12.75″. I think you can see the most difference in my week 3 progress pictures, but I actually lost the most weight during weeks 3-6.

*My round was 6 weeks. FWTFL upgraded the 8- week program after I started my round.

Conclusion:

I believe that you can learn everything you need in the 8 week program to achieve continued results.

At $199, that’s only $25/week for a personal coach, meal plan and workouts! It’s a no-brainer if you ask me!

The VIP membership portion, which I have not tried or signed up for, seems pricy to me at $99/mo.

In my opinion, if you are self-motivated, you can continue forward on your own without the VIP membership program. You have already been intermittent fasting, have learned to eat properly and for your macros and how the workouts correlate with the eating days.

BUT, if you are someone that needs a accountability, then you can stay in program as a VIP member. You will have your coach cheering you on and holding you accountable in a Facebook community with other VIP members and you will have complete access to all the workouts, meal plans and all the FWTFL portal contains.

Are you Ready???

Signing up is easy! Just click here to join Jocelyn James group! It will be the best decision! Trust me!

If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below or email me!

PS – Make sure to follow my on Instagram! I share FWTFL meals and snack ideas. I also have a “FWTFL Food” nightlight where I share recipes with all the macro details.

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