Beautiful Superfoods

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Going into my freshman year of college I resolved to change up my lifestyle in favor of a healthier one. Not to say that I was a totally unhealthy person beforehand, but my eating habits and physical activity probably was not top notch. Each student on campus had access to at least one fitness center on campus and is equipped with a meal plan that provides an endless array of possibilities. But those possibilities also include foods and snacks that are maybe not-so-good for you. Along with all of the other research I did for classes, I also focused some research on nutrition and what was best for consumption. I was amazed at the kinds of effects that these foods not only have on internal health, but also, externally, how it can be a part of your beauty routine.

While I certainly sing the praise of health foods overall, there are some that I won't even go near—get that kale and tofu away from me! But that's the thing: you don't need to be the big bad super foods monster. Pick and choose. What do you like and what will be best for you? Here are some of my favorites:

- Blueberries: This is my ultimate. I could snack on bluebs for years. I think I get this from my mother actually. It's one of those things that we have in common. I've read that these little blue orbs help to fight against premature aging of skin. Happy I started early! Blueberries are great for getting your brain up and going, and get you ready and focused. I actually make sure to have blueberries in whatever I am eating for breakfast the morning of a job interview!

- Olive oil: Not necessarily a food, but it is a staple in my food prep process. Anything that goes into the skillet or is roasted in the oven is accompanied by a healthy amount of olive oil. While it is great for you internally, you can also use the oil on your skin and in your hair if you're in need of some moisturizing. I would use it if

- Yogurt: Call me crazy, but I actually love a bowl of plain Greek yogurt (with some berries and granola mixed in!) Yogurt has a ton of calcium, which is wonderful for your bones of course, but also your nails!

- Dark chocolate: While I certainly go for the Dove dark stuff, I'm talking about some high cacao chocolate. Both my roommate senior year and I had a stash of bars containing at least 70 percent cacao. Dark chocolate is great for your skin and helps to keep it hydrated!

Nuts.com shares a few more ideas about some great super snacks that do wonders for your skin, hair, and nails. Check out this neat graphic!

You can also do a little bit more research on the greats like goji berries, matcha green tea, cacao nibs, and chia seeds.

<3 Ashley

What superfoods do you include in your diet for their health AND beauty benefits?

Save the Face

So far this season is proving to be hot, hot, hot and humid, humid, humid! With Mother Nature deciding to turn up the heat my face is definitely feeling it. Feeling what exactly? Way too oily for my taste, that's what! I will say that I am not the biggest authority on beauty; my make-up is typically limited to mascara and lipstick. However, there is one thing that I care about during these hot, sticky months and that is my skin.

When the weather gets humid and the sweat starts to drip, I make sure that I ALWAYS have blotting papers and misting spray on hand in order to clean up and touch up. No need to get super fancy with these products: I tote around Clean & Clear blotting papers and Evian Facial Spray--these got me cleaned up on a super hot day when I was going from work straight to a concert with a friend. I use the papers to remove some of the oils and then spritz my face with the mist before I touch up my make-up. It doesn't take me too long to do and it saves me from feeling yucky for longer than I really need to.

<3 Ashley

How do you treat your face in the summer?

Head on Over...

...to visit Jennifer's blog, Beautiful Little Fools to see my answer to the question "What is your favorite nail polish brand/color?" along with the answers from a few other great bloggers as well!

You can also check back to my recent post about spring manicure ideas to put the polish to good use!!

<3 Ashley

So what is your favorite nail polish brand/color?

Spring Manis

There are many similarities to my own personality and that of a small child. One of those shared similarities is that I am attracted to colors--shapes too but for now let's just stick to the color one. I like to associate a lot of things with color; like emotions, holidays and seasons. We are in the middle of spring and my brain just wants to see pastels everywhere. One of the best places to see the mark of the season is on our nails. Pastel manis for everybody! Here are a few of my favorites:

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<3 Ashley

How do you like to dress up your nails in the spring?

Winter Skin

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If there is one thing that makes the winter the absolute worst for me (besides ice on the sidewalks and erratic drivers) it is winter skin. You know winter skin, right? The itchy, bumpy, dry skin that only appears when the temp drops below 40 and there is no amount of lotion that can salvage what has been damaged. For the past month I have been living in constant discomfort. As I told my roommate the other day when she asked me why on earth I am so crabby anymore, "I'm sad and itchy. Sorry for not being chipper!"

I know that there are supposed to be ways to combat this wintery curse. Take lukewarm showers, drink plenty of water, moisturize, etc. Aside from the lukewarm showers--come on...it's already cold outside can I really be expected to do this?--I have stuck to these rule pretty well. However, my legs are still suffering. This is what happens to me: everything is fine except for my legs, they like to be difficult.

I am counting down the days to the beginning of the spring and the beginning of my skin's healing process.

<3 Ashley

Anymore tips on how to combat winter skin? 

Routine & Despair

So this is probably and indication that I am psychotic...I don't know; you be the judge. I have a morning routine (this is normal) I wake up, do a few yoga stretches, hop in the shower, have breakfast, get dressed and leave for the day. Last night I had to stay up a bit to do some work for today and thought that maybe if I took a quick shower I could wake up a bit later. So I showered.

This morning I did not have to shower so one crucial part of my routine went over looked: I did not wash my face. I usually do this in the shower while I am letting my conditioner soak in. However, since a shower was not part of my routine this morning, my face got no love. I realized this halfway during my walk to my first class; my face felt oily and just uncomfortable. Then I started to worry about it...then it felt more oily. I splashed some water over my face in the bathroom but the knowledge that I forgot is just making me squirm. Does this happen to anyone else? Just me? Am I the only one that thinks routine is going to be the end of me because of reactions like this?

<3 Ashley

How hard do you stick to routine?