11 Beauty Rituals I Swear By

Sponsored: “Disclosure: This post was sponsored by Pantene through their partnership with POPSUGAR. While I was compensated by POPSUGAR to write a post about Pantene, all opinions are my own.”

Since I blog mostly about beauty, it’s no secret that I have some beauty rituals that I swear by.  If you have been around my blog for long enough, you probably have them drilled into your head by now because I am annoying like that. But, if you don’t know, pretend you are at coffee with me, sipping a latte, and I am giving you the 411 on what I do to keep myself from looking like an absolute wreck.

I have three kids… I have to try harder these days.

1)    Sleep Time: Getting sleep might sound like a no-brainer as I am sure we have all experienced the aftermath of a sleepless night in the form of dark under-eye circles. But I think we often forget how important getting sleep is for our overall health, including the healthiness of our skin. When we sleep, our bodies heal themselves. One of the ways they heal themselves is by producing melatonin, which acts similarly to an anti-oxidant; something that fights against fine lines, wrinkles, and age spots. Sleeping also encourages the growth of collagen-producing cells, which help maintain your skin’s elasticity.

2)    I Love Skincare: Did you think I wouldn’t mention the absolute importance of a skincare routine? Washing your face is not enough, and if you aren’t even doing that… pretend I am giving a look of complete disapproval. As your friend, and since we are hypothetically sitting down for coffee, YOU NEED TO TAKE CARE OF YOUR SKIN! Do you hear me? Get some flipping skincare! Get an entire regimen; we are talking about your face here. And make sure that includes a cleanser, serum, lotion/cream, and an SPF.

Are we clear now?

Moving on.

3)    Get Strong: I am not going to lie, working out is not what I look forward to doing in life. But, I know that if I want to enjoy the benefits of a healthy body, working out is part of the game. It’s an essential beauty ritual that I do 3-5 times a week, and I have to push myself. Like I said, I don’t like it, but I do like the way that I feel when I know my body is getting strong. (And, I can’t afford a butt lift… so squats are my new best friend if I want to look like J-Lo one day.)

4)   Hair Care: First off, my hair is blonde, and not blonde in the natural kind of way. Since I am trying to #twin with Gwen Stefani and rock platinum, I dye my hair every 6 weeks. To say my blonde locks need extra TLC is the understatement of the century. So to keep my hair strong and break-free, I need hair care products that keep it healthy. If you are in the same boat as me, try washing your hair with the Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Shampoo and Conditioner to help with dry hair. This duo has a Pro-V formula that gently cleanses and nourishes hair with moisturizers to help keep overly processed hair hydrated from tip to root.

p.s.- If you find yourself in a time crunch and don’t have time to deal with those annoying fly aways, just smooth them down using a tiny dab of the Pantene Pro-V Daily Moisture Renewal Conditioner.

5) Stay Hydrated: How often do I talk about the importance of water for the overall health of your skin? Probably a lot. So, let me tell you again. You need to drink 8, 8oz cups of water daily, my friends, especially if you drink coffee like I do. Drinking water helps keep your largest organ, the skin, functioning at it’s best. When your skin is functioning well, it looks hydrated and plump, and it allows your skincare products to work more efficiently.

6) Whiten Teeth: There is something about having white teeth that just makes me feel better about life in general. Not only do I use a whitening toothpaste daily, but I use a teeth whitening device once a week to maintain my pearly whites. Discolored teeth happen to the best of us from drinking coffee and sipping wine. Fortunately, you don’t need to see a dentist anymore to take care of your beverage aftermath; there are great teeth whitening kits that are available for at-home use.

7) Eat Clean: You know the saying, “you are what you eat.” Well, I don’t totally believe that, but there is some truth to it, too. For instance, I notice that when I eat lots of salty things (chips and salsa are my downfall), my skin puffs up and looks super dull. Also, breakouts happen when I eat greasy food. So, I make sure to keep a healthy diet of vitamin packed super-foods like kale, carrots, nuts, and blueberries. Eating clean helps my body function so much better, and all of those extra vitamins keep my skin glowing naturally.

8) Manicured nails: It might sound silly, but when my nails aren’t painted and looking glam, I get insecure-hand-syndrome. Don’t believe me? Here’s a story.

It was a cold wintery day, and I ran to my favorite coffee shop. I went to pull out my credit card and hand it to the clerk. I looked down, and to my horror, saw that my black nail polish looked like a balding man. My fingers did the shy dance as I tried to shield my nails from the guy at the cash register; I didn’t want him to see my shame. It was a scary moment for us both.

So, yeah, one of my beauty rituals is to get my nails done. I get them shellacked, and I love it.

9) Dress with Purpose: When I wear clothes that fit well, are on trend, and represent my style, I feel like I’m put together and can conquer the day. When you dress with purpose and don’t just throw on a your husbands t-shirt and your old shorts, it gives you more confidence, and confidence to me is a beautiful thing.

10) Brows on Fleek: You already know that I am obsessed with makeup and love to wear it. But I always say, “bad brows make a good makeup, look bad.” Honestly, it’s true, and I am only telling you from experience as mine use to be shaped into that of a Nike sign. SO, one of my rituals is to take care of the shape of my brows. That means getting them waxed every month and keeping them up in between. Brows are important and can make or break your makeup. So, take care of them, my friends… take care.

11)    Wear a Smile: Smiling is one of the best beauty tricks there is. Being a kind and generous person that others are drawn to and want to emulate is beauty at it’s best. Essentially, you can be doing all of the beauty rituals in the world, but if you miss this one, the rest doesn’t look so good.

What things do you do in your beauty routine?

Have a great day!

xo, Kendra