The kids are back in school, vacation time is over, and you finally have a little time for yourself. Aside from catching up on whatever projects you laid to rest while wrangling your kids all summer long, what's next on your list?

I'm planning on picking up a couple of good books and making a dent in my "Want to Read" list, catching up on some work, and getting back into some kind of a workout routine. But I also definitely want to take care of myself with some great beauty treatments! Read on to see some of my top beauty treatments that I think you should try out. 

I recently had the opportunity to visit Dr. John Martin's office in Coral Gables and receive a hydration facial. I had a great experience and great results from the facial.  Especially after all the sun exposure, pool water, and sunscreen, my skin was in some desperate need of TLC. I had Microdermabrasion, extractions, masks, and radio frequency done, and I could definitely see and feel the difference in my skin just a couple of days afterwards! I would definitely recommend a facial at Dr. John Martin's office! 

Years ago, I did laser hair removal on my face and underarms, and I had really great results. Another area I had wanted to do for a long time was my bikini line. Since you can't have sun exposure for two weeks before or after treatment, now is the perfect time to get it done! Semper Laser in South Miami has some great deals. I've gone once and have already seen the results of my treatment - I'm sure after my 8 treatments I'll be good to go! 

Is there any better way to relax and indulge? Book yourself a massage and add a scrub or exfoliation and a soak. Your skin will be in heaven! Take advantage of Miami Spa Month and the great prices available before it ends in a couple weeks! 

What else are you looking forward to now that your kids are back in school? 

Take it easy, mama. 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

Summertime, especially in sub-tropical climates, call for extra special beauty products. Add in to that being a busy mom (being busy and a mom goes without saying, but you get it...), and I need products that do double and triple duty. ​I've rounded up some of my favorite hair, skin, and makeup products for the summer and put them all together in this post for you. Keep reading to find out how I adjust my beauty routine for the summertime. 

The constant sweating, the humidity, the pool and the beach are all wreaking havoc on my hair this time of year, so there are a few products I really love that help to keep my hair in tip top shape - that plus regular visits to my stylist for trims! 

1. R&Co. Television Perfect Shampoo & Conditioner - They have this awesome fresh smell and are really gentle on my hair. 
2. R&Co. Death Valley Dry Shampoo - The smell of this stuff is soooo good. It's like a dry shampoo and hair perfume in one. Dry shampoo in the summer is a must - I'm sweating 24/7 and this is the only thing that saves me from looking like a wet mop half the time. 
3. OGX Lavender Luminescent Platinum Oil - This stuff smells amazing, too (seeing a pattern here?). I use this before blow drying my hair - a tiny bit goes a long way. It's got UVA and UVB filters to help protect hair from sun damage. 
4. Redken Pillow Proof Blow Dry Express Primer Spray - This is also something I use to extend the life of my blow-dry. It helps my hair keep it's shape, and it's what my hairdresser uses, so you know it has to be pretty good! 
5. Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair Veil - Another product I use to protect my hair when spending a lot of time in the sun!

1. Selah Skin Studio Milk & Honey Cleanser - I've told you guys about Selah before - they are local and make everything themselves. Their Milk & Honey Cleanser is so gentle and leaves my skin feeling so good. 
2. Selah Skin Studio Repairing Serum - Perfect for when I've gotten just a little too much sun, but also good for everyday. This stuff gives me that glowy feeling we all want for our skin. It also helps prevent breakouts. 
3. Sephora Collection After-Sun Mask - Another great one for those days you spend in the sun. Gives your skin a boost and soothes it. 
4. Sephora Collection Lip Mask - Lips don't just get dry and mistreated in the winter. Sun exposure can dry them out plenty, too. This mask hydrates your lips and makes them feel plump. Use it right before applying your makeup. Trust me on this. 
5. Mary Kay Clear Proof Acne Treatment Gel - Sweat, sunscreen, more sweat... all lead to, you guessed it - major pimple problems. This stuff does a good job of targeting the pimple and not drying out all the skin around it. 
6. Origins Energy Boosting Gel Moisturizer - Long summer days mean short summer nights. But my kids still wake up at the same time, so I feel like I'm perpetually in need of an energy boost during this time of year. This moisturizer is light but gives my skin a much-needed boost while keeping it hydrated. 

1. Rodan + Fields Radiant Defense - Think of the best tinted moisturizer you've ever used. This stuff is 100 times better than that! It has excellent (buildable) coverage, SPF, and I have pretty much cut out using foundation altogether because of this stuff! 
2. Neutrogena MoistureSmooth Color Stick, Classic Nude - Those beat up lips again? This stuff feels light, doesn't flake, and keeps lips feeling supple. The classic nude is the best shade of nude I have found in a long time! 
3. Tarte Rainforest of the Sea 4-in-1 Setting Mist - This stuff is good! It preps, primes, and hydrates your skin, but it can also help refresh your makeup during the day. Smells yummy, too! 
4. Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray - If you have an event, you need this in your life. Especially in the warmer months when makeup tends to melt right off. A couple of spritzes of this and your makeup is set all night. 
5. Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer - This is my favorite concealer. If I use no other makeup during the day, this goes on to cover my undereye circles and brighten up my eyelids. It's not too thick but it provides excellent coverage. 
6. Lancome Hypnose Doll Lashes Mascara - I love this mascara because it doesn't flake, but I also don't need paint thinner to take it off. It makes my lashes look beautiful, just like - you guessed it - a doll's lashes! 

There you have it! All my summer beauty faves in one place! 

Enjoy! 

Xoxo, 

​Jenise

For a little while now, I have toyed with the idea of letting my hair grow out naturally and not covering up my gray hair. Two years ago, my mom underwent this transition and she looks amazing and she is happy. Ever since I watched Stacy London on What Not to Wear, with her white streak against her black hair, I was intrigued by the notion that a patch of graying hair didn’t necessarily need to be covered up. 

I started getting gray hair when I was 18, and ever since then, I have been working hard at covering it up. Over the last few years, it has gotten worse. I had been going to get my roots done every 3-4 weeks, and I started doing them at home to save a little money. By a week after I had dyed it, sparkly white roots were already starting to pop up. At two weeks, it was time to color my roots again. 
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And I’m over it. 

I’m over the constant upkeep. I’m over people staring at me for the patch that grows in right over my right eyebrow, where I love to part my hair. I’m over covering up something that is completely and totally natural. 

Having kids and becoming a mother has given me a confidence I didn’t have before. Something about growing a human and sustaining it makes you realize that there’s a lot of things that we put importance on that aren’t really important. Plus, I have this notion of how I want my children to see me as they grow up, and of how I want them to see themselves and others as they grow up. 

In particular, having a daughter has made me hyper-aware of the limits that we as women put on ourselves. Don’t gain weight, don’t get wrinkles, don’t get too skinny, don’t let your gray hair grow in. I want my daughter to grow up knowing that her beauty is defined ONLY by what SHE considers beautiful. And what better way to show her that than to live it? And truthfully, I think it will be positive for my son to grow up seeing that beauty isn’t just thin and blonde and with a full face of makeup. 

Does this mean that I’ll never dye my hair again? I don’t know. Honestly, I know that this is going to be a test of my will and patience. I’m going to give it a shot. I’ve already spoken with my stylist and we have a plan to help camouflage the growth a little so I don’t have a hard line of growth. I know I’ll come up against some comments - I’ve already had a few people tell me that I’m too young and I’m crazy.
 
You want to know what is crazy to me? That we rely so much on antiquated standards of beauty to tell us who or what we should be, when we are defined by so much more than that? Why is it that men are considered sexy with their salt and pepper hair, and as women, we are considered to be aging prematurely? (And ladies, find yourself a man who tells you he’s growing his hair longer because he wants to match his hair to yours - yes, he said that.) 

You know what else is crazy? Thinking that my hair color is what defines me. I am defined by SO much much more than the color assigned to me by genetics.  And at the end of the day - it’s hair. If I hate it, I dye it again and start over. 

Does your gray hair make you feel gorgeous? ROCK IT. Does red lipstick make you feel like you run the world? YASSS QUEEN. Does a fresh face make you feel your best? HELL YES. Do you feel better with a little shot of Botox now and then? THAT’S ALL YOU MAMA. 
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It’s time to redefine what beauty really is. So many companies and brands have started to move towards this idea that natural is what is beautiful, but there is still so far to go. Our children will be bombarded with images of what is deemed to be beautiful from a very early age, and it’s up to us to give them the images we want them to emulate. At the end of the day, I don’t care if my daughter dyes her gray hair or doesn’t wear makeup. What I want her to do is be comfortable in her own skin, and do things because SHE wants to do them, not because anyone else tells her she should.

At the end of the day, our confidence is what makes us beautiful anyway.

Do you momma. Because I think you're gorgeous as you are. 

xoxo, 

​Jenise

We've already established my love for jeans. I have tried and tried and tried to break myself free of my denim habit, but it's just not happening, people. Jeans are easy and they are versatile and I really do love wearing them, so I'm not going to fight it anymore. 

And if you love jeans, then you should go ahead and wear them too! Once you find your style, you'll be much more confident in your skin and in your clothes. 

I also really love a good tee. But it can get boring for sure to wear a plain old tee day in and day out. So one way that I change up my look is by finding tees with fun details, patterns, or materials. PinkBlush has really cute maternity clothes, but they also have non-maternity women's clothing, plus-size clothing, and kids' clothing. 

This tee from PinkBlush is perfect for when I want to add an extra little something to my look. The black and white stripes are really cute, but the lace detailing on the sleeve really adds a little something extra.  The tee is actually pretty long, so it can be worn with leggings as well (my requirement for being able to wear leggings is that the shirt I'm wearing them with must cover my butt - and this tee does!). It is also the softest, comfiest tee, and I know I will be wearing this over and over again. 

​It's perfect for running around all day with the kids because it doesn't ride up, but it is also easy for me to nurse Chloe in it!  I actually wore this exact look out to dinner this weekend, but I could easily dress it up with heels and a big sparkly necklace or dress it down with leggings and sneakers. That's what I love about simple pieces - their versatility is always worth a little investment - and PinkBlush has a great selection of versatile tees like this!

Since I get asked all the time, here's a link to my beach waves tutorial on IGTV!

xoxo, 

​Jenise

Here's the second look in my denim experiment. You can find the jeans and tee linked here. Since fall is in full swing everywhere but Miami, I'm going as fall as I can without sweating my butt off. A colorful plaid shirt in the thinnest flannel possible is a good way to bring in a classic fall look. The booties with a tiny heel are perfect for running errands, and the camel color is so classic that I can definitely see myself using these for years to come. And the tiny bag? Big enough to fit my phone, chapstick, my keys, my credit card, and a shopping list. The perfect bag for when my kids are not with me, ha! (Maybe for Thanksgiving errands or Black Friday shopping?)

The shirt, the shoes, and the bag are all from Gap. I've linked similar styles below.  This is honestly a really comfy look and one that I can put on year after year and feel like I'm in the spirit of fall.  

Photos by Sasha de Almagro

xoxo, 

​Jenise

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