MY FAVORITE BODY PRODUCT

I was first introduced to Sol de Janeiro’s Brazilian Bum Bum cream last fall while on a meeting in NYC. I literally died over how incredible it smelled and looked at the two PR reps in the meeting and said.. they need to make this stuff in EVERYTHING – even a candle. They laughed and said they’d let the founders know. Fast forward to about 6 months later and the line has done exactly that. Sol de Janeiro recently launched a lip butter, and their newest product, a body fragrance mist is set to debut this month at Sephora. Clearly, I’m obsessed as I have every single product in the line – including the candle. My favorite part? They make travel size containers of the bum bum cream so I’ve been able to bring it with me on all of my travels. If you haven’t tried these products out yet, you are totally missing out! Start with the bum bum cream and it’ll change your life – promise! 

DAILY DEVOTIONAL

A few of you have asked me to share more about my faith here on Style Cusp, and that really excites me! In the past, I’ve chosen to (for the most part) keep more personal things separate from Style Cusp (like faith, politics, personal life, relationships, etc.) since that’s really not what my blog is for. And ultimately, it’s going to stay that way. However, I started the Cusp Convo columns to have more conversational topics with you guys so am happy to open up about some of these areas where it’s appropriate. 

From time to time, I’ll share snaps that include an excerpt or paragraph from different devotionals and have always gotten such a positive response. Most recently, I shared one from Streams in the Desert and had tons of questions coming in about what book it was. Streams in the Desert is a 365 day devotional that has a verse paired with a coinciding thought or excerpt from another book, message, etc. It has proved to be one of the most encouraging and uplifting devotionals I’ve ever read. It was actually given to me as a 16th birthday gift from dear family friends. If you’re looking for something to provide daily encouragement, positivity, and hope, I highly recommend Streams in the Desert. 

I can do an entirely separate post on my favorite Christian books and devotionals if this is something you’d all be interested in – let me know! 

HAIR QUESTIONS

By far, the number one thing I am asked about or commented on is my hair. Thankfully, I’ve been blessed with long, thick, wavy locks (thanks mom!) and sometimes the styles or things I do just work for my own hair type. Recently, a snapchat follower asked the 3 below questions and since they’re pretty general, wanted to share them with you all!

Q: Where do you get your hair done?

A: My stylist’s name is Eliza and she’s based out of a salon called City Snippers in Meriden, Connecticut. It’s a small, privately owned salon, but she’s incredible! 

Q: What products do you use for your hair to stay so healthy?

A: To be honest, I don’t use any products in my hair on a daily basis. I shampoo and condition 3-4 times a week, let my hair air dry, and if I style it, use a minimal amount of hairspray. Working from home works to my advantage here, since I don’t necessarily have to style my hair every day. I’m able to give it a break from the curling iron and being exposed to constant heat. If you do work everyday, might I suggest showering/washing your hair the night before, letting it airdry, and then styling it the next morning before heading out. It’s just one step less of heat exposure to your hair that in the long run makes a huge difference.

Q: Do you color your hair?

A: Color, no. Highlight, yes. My hair is naturally a dirty blonde color, and in the summer months gets near white blonde from sun exposure (as I’m sure you all have noticed). My hair has been like this since I was a little girl! I visit my stylist in the fall and winter months to get highlight touch ups to keep my hair even and natural looking. If I didn’t get highlights in the colder months, my hair would just be a natural ombre of white/ash blonde at the ends to a warmer, dirty blonde at my roots. Again, I’m pretty minimal when it comes to treating and putting things in my hair. Overall, we will put highlights in 3-4 times a year depending on how fast it grows. And – I’ve only ever done the T section!

Q: What do you tell your hairstylist to do for a color and cut?

A: My hair is cut in long layers that flow with the natural wave, bounce, and body of my hair. I like my hair as long as possible so get minimal trims every 3 months or so and one hard cut per year. For the cut, we usually end up taking about 1-2 inches off each of the layers, depending on any breakage/damage. For highlighting, I usually have her mix in whatever natural tones we are seeing in my hair at the time of my visit. Post summer, it’s lighter/whiter. In the spring, it’s more golden (before all that summer sun exposure). My biggest thing is keeping my hair natural looking!