CURRENT SKINCARE LINEUP

I’ve completely revamped my skincare routine this year with new, (mostly) clean products. The results I've seen have been incredible- my skin feels amazingly smooth and looks bright and glowy. It also feels great knowing that I've eliminated a lot of harmful and toxic ingredients. Would you be interested in my day/nighttime routines with these? I can share that in some future posts if you want to see how I use them. Let’s get into the lineup! 

CURRENT SKINCARE LINEUP 

+ MAKEUP REMOVAL - The one product in the lineup that I’ve been using for years is the Boscia Make-Up Break-Up Cleansing Oil. This product is one of the best makeup removers I’ve used. It’s an oil so it emulsifies with water to break everything down, even stubborn eye makeup. It’s also very gentle and cleans without stripping the skin.

+ CLEANSER - During a recent Dermstore sale, I purchased the Joanna Vargas Vitamin C Face Wash. I was curious to try this out because vitamin c has a ton of great benefits for the skin. That combined with lots of other antioxidants and hyaluronic acid make this cleanser great for cleaning, brightening and plumping the skin. So far, I love the results. It leaves my skin feeling fresh without being too harsh or drying. It also smells yummy and has beautiful, sleek packaging. 

+ ESSENCE - Before purchasing the Agent Nateur Holi (Water), I had never used an essence. If you're unfamiliar, it's essentially a "water like" product that you use before any other products. It helps to prep your clean, dry skin to better absorb your skincare regiment. The Holi (Water) Essence is made with Rose, Pearl and Hyaluronic Acid to help with skin texture and tone, target fine lines and wrinkles, combat dryness and so much more. After applying, I immediately notice a tightening sensation on my skin. It's also a great universal product that can be mixed with oils, moisturizers, etc. 

+ VITAMIN C - Vitamin C has a plethora of positive benefits for the skin, especially when it comes to anti-aging. I've been using the Agent Nateur Holi (C) Duo. It's a unique vitamin c formula that is powder based. To activate the product, it must be mixed with a liquid. I mix with Holi (Water) but regular distilled water can also be used. 

+ MOISTURIZER - My skin gets dry very easily so a great moisturizer is a must. The TATCHA Dewy Skin Cream is my new favorite. It feels very rich and thick which leaves my skin feeling hydrated and silky smooth. 

+ FACE OIL - I love using face oils on their own and to seal in other products. My current go-to is another Agent Nateur product, their Holi (Oil). They classify it as an oil/face serum because it contains lots of amazing ingredients + different oils to benefit the skin. I've found it to give a fresh, radiant glow to my skin. 

+ SPF - Okay, I lied. I've also been using the Colorescience Sunforgettable Total Protection Face Shield for a few years now too. It's amazing! What I love is that it has SPF 50+, it's a physical sunscreen (it physically blocks and reflects the sun versus chemically absorbing it) and it has a slight tint that blends in seamlessly. This prevents any sort of white cast that often results from physical sunscreen ingredients (titanium dioxide + zinc oxide). I've also noticed that it absorbs well and doesn't leave my skin looking or feeling greasy. I hate the look + feel of a shiny, greasy complexion that a lot of regular sunscreens can give. If you're looking for a good face sunscreen, this one is very light and dries down well to a beautiful finish. 

If you could only keep one skincare product, what would it be? I want to know your best of the best! 

I love sharing my picks with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

JUNE WEEKEND RECAP!

What do your weekends normally look like? Mine seem go go go but I'm always left feeling like I don't get much done. Maybe we're getting at something here... ;) I was looking through some previous posts for blog inspiration and I came across some recaps sharing what I did in previous weeks, on date nights, etc. The crazy thing is how much you start to forget in a short amount of time. 

I was reading the things I just did a few short weeks + months ago and having lots of "Oh yeah!!" moments. It was nice to go back through and relive these moments. I've decided I want to try and do these regularly- while they tend to be more of a food diary, I know I’ll loving looking back on them one day. Hopefully you like reading them too :) 

My Saturdays usually consist of Chick-Fil-A breakfast and working in the afternoons. Normally once I get off my boyfriend and I will have a dinner + movie night, however he was on the road traveling back from a day trip this past weekend. I ended up meeting my parents and sister for dinner at one of our favorite local Mexican restaurants! I ate my weight in choriqueso and had my favorite steak taco. Honestly- chorizo is a game changer. If you can handle a little heat, it adds amazing flavor! I love it in queso and on tacos. So so good. If you could only pick one, would you pick queso or guac? I lean a little closer to queso but I love guac when it’s done the right way.

I do my best to stay off of Tik Tok but it won Saturday night-- I stayed up WAY too late mindlessly scrolling. I swear it's like a vortex! On a more productive note, I also started The Enneagram Type 4 book I just purchased in my Summer Book Haul. If you missed the haul, I picked up some new reads for summer with a mix of personal growth and light romance. I can’t seem to ever get out of a sporadic reading habit so buying new books helps me to feel more inspired. If you’re not familiar, it’s definitely worth researching your enneagram personality type. A lot of them have overlapping traits but on two different tests, I scored a Type 4. I’m interested in learning more about it and myself in the process. I‘m still at the beginning of the book but I will definitely share my thoughts if you’d like. 

Sunday was very low key but I had a fun day. I made pancakes for breakfast (this is my favorite mix- super yummy & affordable) with bacon & one fried egg. The past few months I’ve completely jumped off the healthy train. Normally I’ll let myself eat whatever on weekends but I’m hoping to cut back in July. I guess it’s a good thing I have no vacation plans this year?? No beach body needed 🤪 

I went to another red light therapy session and then my boyfriend and I went to see the new Fast & Furious 9 movie. I loved being back at the movies!! It’s one of my favorite things to do and I hadn’t been in forever. It was fun seeing the movie after rewatching all of the others recently. We ate WAY too much popcorn and candy but still ended up at Chili’s for dinner. If you’ve been sleeping on the white spinach queso, it’s life changing. So so good. I’m telling you my life mostly revolves around eating! Maybe I should become a food blogger... LOL. 

That pretty much sums it up! What did you do over the weekend? 

I love sharing my weekends with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

SUMMER READING | JUNE BOOK HAUL

That new book feeling is unbeatable! While I should be better about reading unread books I already own, I always feel more inspired and excited to dive into something new. I remember feeling the same as a kid. Anytime we would go to the library or bookstore, I would always want to bring home eleven different books to dive into! I was definitely better about getting through them all back then but with summer here, I wanted to stock up on a few new reads. I have a mix of fun, romancey books and some self-help/personal growth titles I’ve had my eye one. 

SUMMER BOOK HAUL

Atomic Habits by James Clear

After months of being on my wishlist, I finally picked up Atomic Habits by James Clear. I'm always interested in self-improvement and growth, both interconnected to our daily habits. Once set, it can be difficult for us to change bad habits and develop positive ones. On the upside, I think the reverse applies as well. I know that once I get into a routine and in the habit of doing something for long enough, I can usually stick with it. The trouble is the doing it for long enough part! Hoping this will be an insightful read with new tips + advice. 

The Enneagram Type 4 by Beth McCord

Within the past year, I've become fascinated by enneagrams. I took several quizzes and discovered I'm a Type 4! Everyone in my personal life was surprised to hear I was Type 4 (The Individualist) which I found funny because one of my Type 4 traits is feeling misunderstood by others. The irony, right?? I was excited to find this book all about Type 4 (you can find all other types here) to learn more about myself. 

Freed (Fifty Shades of Grey) by EL James

Obviously I was going to get this. I had no idea up until a few weeks ago that Freed was being released. I think they must have kept it on the DL? Maybe I've just been out of the loop. If you're a Fifty fan, Freed is Fifty Shades Freed told from Christian Grey's perspective. I've always thought the original series is best, however I still enjoy these! At this point, it's almost nostalgic and the perfect vibe for summer. 

Get Good with Money by Tiffany the Budgetnista Aliche

I discovered this a few months ago on the new releases list under Business/Finance. I love learning new ideas and perspectives when it comes to money so Get Good with Money grabbed my eye. I haven't followed any of Tiffany Aliche's content before so I think this will be a great starting place. 

Greenlights by Matthew by McConaughey

Another one that's been on my wishlist is Greenlights. I love McConaughey-- what a diamond in the rough of Hollywood celebrities he is. Seemingly so, anyways. Of course he's talented in his work, however I respect his personality, character and integrity. I've watched and listened to a lot of interviews and podcasts episodes he's been apart of and he just has a special charisma. His book Greenlights is his spin on a memoir sharing his life, stories, and lessons. 

People We Meet on Vacation by Emily Henry

This has summer reading written all over it! This follows a pair of two unlikely friends who had a falling out and decide to reconnect for a summer vacation. Based on the synopsis, it seems like it will become a "friends to lover" scenarios so we'll see. The book has received a lot of praise, however I've also heard some mixed reviews. I'm always in the mood for a light, breezy romance so I'm excited to dive in. I know that Emily Henry's first book Beach Read is also highly praised, however I haven't read it either. 

What's on your summer reading list? Drop it below!

I love sharing new books with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

FIRST IMPRESSIONS ON DERMAPLANING AT HOME

A few months ago, I picked up an at-home Dermaplaning set. If you're new to Dermaplaning, the process entails using little razors to exfoliate hair, dirt/debris and dead skin off of your face. The exfoliation process is said to help products absorb better into the skin, give a more radiant finish, smooth the skin, stimulate collagen while reducing the appearance of fine lines + wrinkles and reduce pigmentation. Dermaplaning can be done professionally or at-home. If you choose to go the at-home route like I did, you can choose from expensive devices to very affordable like these. 

Initially I was under the impression that dermaplaning razors were used solely for hair and dead skin removal. I've always had a little bit of peach fuzz above my lip that I one day decided I wanted to get rid of. After using it for the first time, here are my first impressions.

+ Using the device is both simple + virtually painless. For obvious reasons, I was a little nervous at first about shaving my face with a razor. Happy to report that it doesn't hurt when you do gentle, downward strokes. If you go too fast, you can scrape your skin but I didn’t experience any cuts or bleeding.

 

+ The hair removes easily and leaves the skin feeling soft and smooth. I did experience a little bit of redness afterwards. 

+ Personally, I didn’t see a lot of dead skin or debris coming off. I'm sure this varies person to person or by the device used. In a lot of photos online, there is a dramatic amount of hair/debris that you see being removed from the dermaplaning. While I could see some of the hairs on the razor, it was nowhere near the amount that others have shared. Again, this is likely due to variances in the amount of hair/dead skin that each person has. 

+ After 5-6 days of using the razor, I noticed some of the hairs growing back. This seems pretty standard in comparison to a regular razor, however for some reason I expected it to be a little longer? I am trying it again tonight so we'll see what happens. 

Overall, I’m happy that it worked how I wanted for removing peach fuzz and some wild hairs. I don’t notice any different in terms of wrinkles, however I’ll be interested to see any longer term effects from that and the collage claims.

What are your thoughts on dermaplaning? Have you tried it? I love that the concept is super easy! Would you want to see a tutorial on how I use it? Once I’ve tried it for a little longer, I can do an update on my thoughts & a how-to if you’d like! 

I love sharing my picks with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)

5 SELF-CARE ACTIVITIES THAT WON'T COST YOU ANYTHING

It seems like the older you get, the more stress and day-to-day worries there are. I know I’ve been guilty of worrying about the future, whether I’m doing enough, dwelling on setbacks and negative experiences, etc. It can become too much sometimes so finding time to do things and care for your self is essential. When we take care of ourselves, we feel better and are more equipped to handle these everyday stressors. The great thing is there are some easy, effective ways to do this that are free and easy. 

+ TAKE A BATH

For all of you shower snobs, bubble baths are life changing. Everyone always give baths a bad rap but they are my number one way to unwind at the end of the day. There is something therapeutic about soaking in hot bubbles and having some time to just relax. With my favorite bath time essentials, it’s heaven!

+ WORK DETOX

Something I've made an effort on this year is trying leave work at the office. For years, I've always found myself bringing work home and catching up on things late at night or on my off days. While I still do this on occasion, I've challenged myself to shut it off once I leave work. This helps me to utilize my time away and have more of a work-life balance. Not only does this lower stress, I feel better mentally and emotionally. 

+ VEG OUT 

Nowadays, I find myself rarely watching tv or movies. Lately my boyfriend and I have been watching movies on Saturday nights, however any other time of the week there always seems to be something more important to do.  That being said, there isn’t much I love doing more than vegging out with a favorite movie and snacks. It gives you time to escape the day-to-day and detox. While it doesn’t always feel time productive, that’s the point! Check out 10 Throwback Movie to Watch on Netflix and Disney+.

+ GOODBYE, SOCIALS

Some days, social media becomes exhausting. Whether you're posting content or consuming, IMO it eventually begins to feel a little repetitive. Negativity is also never too far away and even just seeing/reading that can affect my mood. We all love it, however it's good to spend some time off of it as well. I'm guilty of checking my Instagram feed constantly (partially out of habit, partially out of boredom) so at night time, I usually get to a point where I try to stay off and do something else to relax. 

+ QUIET TIME

I work and interact with a lot of people daily so having some alone time is a must for me. Whether it’s on my lunch break or right before going to bed, I take time to just be with myself. 

What is your favorite self-care practice? LMK! 

END OF THE WEEK THOUGHTS

Hello Friday! I originally planned today's post to be my thoughts on blogging for six months... then I realized I've only been blogging for five 😆

I'll save that post for next month so here are some of my random, end of the week thoughts!

*FULL OUTFIT POST ON THIS LOOK HERE*

I realized yesterday that July is right around the corner. I always feel like a broken record saying this but can you believe we're approaching JULY? The holidays/fourth quarter are the busiest time of the year at my job and we usually start prepping for that in July/August. With summer just starting and it being so hot, I'm not ready for it yet! It seems so far away but ends up being a blur-- I know I'll look up and we'll be in October in no time. 

On a different note- I managed to knock most things off of my to-do list for the week. I shared the list in Monday's post here if you missed it. I didn't make it to get my eyebrows threaded + I still need to update my budget. Other than that, feels good to get things done! It seems like it all never ends which is why it's nice to prioritize a few things at a time.

If you follow my stories on IG (you can find me @TheKristenDiary), I've also been trying out a new mattress topper this week. I haven't been sleeping comfortably for the past few months so I decided to get a new one. Hopefully I don't need a new mattress... I think I'm long overdue on that one but we'll see. I ended up purchasing this one from Target. It's super affordable-- around $50 and great reviews! I've only slept on it for three nights now but so far, so good. It's memory foam so it feels supportive and cushy. 

Not too much else has happened... my boyfriend and I did go to one of my favorite local spots for dinner last night. That might be the highlight of the week! ;) They have amazing pizzas & desserts with a really cool, eclectic atmosphere. We split a white pizza and some yummy cake!

Do you have big weekend plans for Father's Day? Holidays are always causal in my family but I'm sure we will all go out to eat somewhere with my Dad. I hope you have a fun + relaxing weekend! 

HEALTHY SNACKS HAUL

Do you get excited buying snacks and groceries?? I love it! I’m excited to *hopefully* begin turning a new leaf this week with cleaner eating. I don’t know if something changed after turning 27 this year, but I can feel an internal mindset shift. I want to actually start taking action towards being the best version of me (instead of always just saying I want to).

One of the ways I’m starting with is choosing better options and alternatives for my everyday essentials + food. I’m in the middle of what I hope will become a gradual transition to a better, healthier lifestyle. Rome wasn’t built in a day so I’m easing myself into things. That brings us to today’s post— a Healthy Snacks Haul. 

I should probably add a "Healthy (to me) Snacks Haul" edit to the title. The world “healthy” looks different to everyone— to me, it even takes on several interpretations. For example, I consider buying Annie’s Cheddar Bunnies as a healthier alternative to my beloved Cheez-Its. Does that give it the same healthy meaning that broccoli has? Of course not. Being a better alternative or having cleaner ingredients are factors I consider to be "healthier" but not everything is automatically a healthy choice just because it’s organic. The same thing goes with calories-- not everything "low calorie" is always healthy either. That’s okay with me. It's also okay to eat the Cheez-Its if you want them. I’m all about moderation- I want to do better but I'm also confident you'll still find me pulling up curbside at Chicky. These are just some healthier options (baby steps) I'm trying to incorporate. Always a work in progress!

I’ve been on a pretty big snack kick lately so I thought I would start by trying some better options to see what I like. I found these items at a local natural foods store & my Target but they are also all online so I’ll link them for you. My strategy is starting with the types of things that I eat now. Like I mentioned above, I love Cheez-It’s so I decided to try the Annie’s White Cheddar Bunnies. On paper, being organic with no artificial flavors or synthetic colors makes them a "healthier" alternative. We'll see how they taste!

For other savory snacks, I also grabbed a box of Simple Mills Fine Ground Sea Salt Almond Flour Crackers, Skinny Pop Microwave Popcorn and a bag of Pistachios (one of my favorite nuts). I also snagged a bag of my beloved Goldfish Pretzels-- they might not be considered healthy but I think pretzels are a better option to regular chips and I love the salty taste.

For sweet treats, I snagged another bag of the Good & Gather Dark Chocolate Almonds, Siete Churro Strips, Siete Grain Free Mexican Shortbread Cookies and a box of Cascadian Farms Cinnamon Crunch Cereal. The dark chocolate almonds are a current fave I've been repurchasing-- they are so good. It's a yummy snack/dessert that I feel a little better about eating. They're addicting though!

That's the line up for today! I'm excited to try these out-- hopefully they are yummy. Sometimes more natural/healthy items don't stand up to the unhealthy snacks in taste so you know I'll keep you posted.  I'd also love to know if you've tried any of these and/or if you have any recommendations for healthyish/healthier snacks. Comment below or message me on IG (@TheKristenDiary)! 

I love sharing my hauls with you all! Should you click on or make a purchase through the links in this post, I'll earn some money to keep on shopping! Pretty cool, huh? :)