Girl Magic Guide

Simplify Your Morning: 5 tips I learned on my way to a clean beauty routine

At one point in time, I had so many beauty products that I could not close my bathroom drawers. It became mentally exhausting, and I hated to open those drawers. I also did not understand the point when I saw my spouse splash water on his face and head out the door. Don’t get me wrong, I sometimes love to take my time and experiment with makeup. However, I want a routine that enhances my looks and saves me time. Currently, my routine takes me around 5-minutes – I would not change a thing.

1. Read the ingredients – if you won’t eat it, then don’t place it on our skin

When I decided to revolutionize my routine, it started with reading. I went through my products and could not pronounce 99% of the ingredients. If I would not eat those types of chemicals, then why would I apply it to my skin? Our skin is permeable and our largest organ, so let’s treat it right! One great website to understand how the chemicals can impact your health is EWG’s Skin Deep.

2. Focus on your skin’s health

I never realized the connection between my skin and the foods I eat until I gave up dairy. Once my skin was smooth and blemish-free, I did not want to wear heavy products that masked my skin’s natural texture. I wear a BB cream (with sunscreen that is non-nano – so important!) because I want my skin to breath! My favorite BB cream is from Suntegrity. I must share that they need to introduce more colors as people come in all shades (that is always disappointing). If I need more coverage, then I apply a primer (I loved the French Girl organic primer; however, it was discontinued), and use RMS “un” cover up (they have more inclusive shades too).

3. Focus on hydration

Another tip on working from the inside out is drinking water. I drink plenty of water because I realize my mind is sharper and my skin more hydrated. When I don’t drink water, I notice increased blemishes, dullness and mental fog. I really can’t recommend it enough and make sure to drink at least 64 ounces during the work day. Every person is different, so do a little research and find out how much you should drink for yourself! A good starting point is here.

4. Use a 2-in-1 product to cut down on clutter and time

I have to recommend RMS again for their multifunctional products. I use their products for blush, eyeshadow and lipstick. It saves on time because I can apply it with my fingers, and I can always repurpose their containers or recycle them. It’s a win for the environment too! Another brand that I am excited to try is Elate as they come highly recommended.

5. Promote lymphatic drainage

When I first learned about facial massages, I did not believe it would work. However, I followed Lisa Eldridge’s techniques and noticed a change in my skin’s firmness and a nice brightness. I have since incorporated rolling my face with a jade roller in the morning and love the way it reduces puffiness since I keep mine in my fridge.

Once I simplified my routine and focused on my skin’s health (not the products), I was forced to become comfortable in my own skin. I learned to appreciate my freckles and moles and see the uniqueness in my features. Some people do not have to go through this process in order to appreciate themselves (much respect!), but I needed to par down my routine in order to treasure myself. Good luck on your journey!

Your Best Life

Wearing leggings and 4 other tips on workplace clothing etiquette

After years in a professional workplace and learning about professional work attire, here are some lessons I or other individuals learned the hard way:

Unless you are attending a Zumba workout team bonding experience (that happened) or there is a medical condition, I have not seen too many situations where leggings were appropriate. No, wearing a fancy shirt or sweater does not upgrade the look. If you want comfort, then there are so many great alternatives in all sizes that will keep you looking polished and put together. I will never deny how comfortable they are; however, they unfortunately scream “I am tired” or “I cannot care today.” Let’s leave them for the weekend.
Wear shoes that are comfortable. If you can and want to wear heels then do it. However, make sure you can walk in heels for prolonged period of time. I mainly wear flats because I walk a lot in the day . When I wear heels, I make sure they have gel insoles and bandaids on hand. If you do wear heels, remember it is never going to be a good look to be hobbling down the hall in pain! Sadly, I learned this lesson on an interview. I was not prepared for the “walking tour” of the facilities, and my feet paid the price.
Find the outfits that make you feel great then just wear a uniform. I wear a version of the same “uniform” every day. I get decision fatigue by the end of the day and decided to eliminate one more decision in my life. After years of struggle, I decided to pick the easy path and wear my version of a uniform to work. Sure, I mix it up with a something different now and then. However, I always find that I keep returning to the same uniform because it is easy, and I feel my best in it.
Life is too short to not feel your best, so practice self-care when it comes to your appearance. I can always tell when someone begins to struggle in some aspect of their life because their appearance is the first to go. It may just be that their usual amazing hairstyles get downgraded to just cool, but that can be enough of a sign when you know they love to express themselves in their hairstyles. If you get busy in life that is one thing, but work should never override your personal priorities. I learned the hard way that my job is important to me, but that I care about my body more. When your job starts to impact your preferred self-care routine, take a moment for yourself because that is a sign stress is deeply impacting you.
Be unapologetically you. Every workplace has rules on their culture and dress; however, you need to find a place that encourages you to live your authentic life. I once felt like I needed to adopt a certain style of wardrobe because they thought I was too “professional” or as one individual shared with me “I think I am too good for this office.” I enjoy fashion and taking care of myself because that makes me feel good and, as much as I liked the work I was doing, a comment was not going to change how I presented myself to the world. Also, it was not like I was wearing a formal gown and a tiara (real truth: I would have loved it) – it was my “uniform.”

There are so many wonder articles about what to wear and what not to wear on the internet. However, I think many of them miss the point – clothes are clothes. While you can “dress for the job you want”, your experience and professionalism will get you that job. Find a style that works for you and your job then shine! I will always advocate finding a uniform because that eliminates one decision, and makes sure you never stare at your wardrobe thinking “I have nothing to wear, so let’s wear leggings!” I want more for you then that statement (insert gif of Tyra Banks saying “I was rooting for you”).

Your Practical Life

5 Red Flags That May Indicate Your Boss is a Creep

Sadly, a day may come where you suddenly realize your boss is a creep. I hope that day never comes when you experience any workplace stalking or sexual harassment. I was not so lucky. Working in a male-dominated industry meant that most of my bosses were male (remember women can also engage in the same unwanted behavior too), but I was still surprised when a creepy boss situation turned into sexual harassment. However, being a young professional and wanting to see the good in people, I did not immediately recognize the red flags. So, my internet godchildren, here are some red flags that I missed on my journey.

1. Requests for one on one meetings without justification.

If your boss wants to speak with you and you come prepared to have a productive conversation, but they only want to talk about [insert any random or inappropriate subject] then your boss may be a creep. I once had a boss that would call me into his office to talk about music – yes, music. This behavior took up a ridiculous amount of my day and made me uncomfortable (ding, ding, ding – red flag alert).

2. Unsupported promises for advancement or other perks.

These promises are catnip for driven individuals because it is great when hard work is appreciated. However, these promises may also be held over your head in order to force behavior or compliance with your bosses’ wishes or behavior.

3. Text messages or phone calls without work-related reasons.

I remember I once received a text message on Thanksgiving. I didn’t know that this individual even had my number. From that point on, I would receive constant messages on various topics – again, mainly music. When I would not respond, he would continue to reach out.

4. Discussion of increasingly personal subjects.

Being in the workplace means that you start to develop relationships with others – that is totally natural. What is not necessary is when a close relationship starts to become forced, but only on one side. Being asked about your partner or dating history is pretty much off limits for a pretty long period of time, but a creep will try to force this connection too fast and won’t care about the fact that it clearly is making you uncomfortable.

5. Unnecessary and inappropriate reasons to touch you.

I wish this was a joke, but a boss once offered to teach martial arts and attempted to show me how to “stop an attack.” No, he was not a martial arts instructor. This boss was fired shortly after because he engaged in some other harassing behaviors behavior. I was also fortunate because I had a great colleague that brought his behaviors to his supervisors.

It is really important to trust your gut. If you are uncomfortable then your boss may be a creep. They are abusing their position and remember that it is not your fault that they are unable to be decent human beings. Start tracking/documenting this behavior because creeps will continue to push the bounds of appropriate work environments, and you may need to report them.

Your Best Life Your Practical Life

How I Increased my Salary from 24k to 90k in Three Years

After graduating from law school, I struggled to find a job that would be fulfilling. I worked in contracts, but quickly realized that I would need to do more in order to live a fulfilling life. So, I started to research. I looked in those areas that I was always drawn to and one of those areas was higher education. From there, a long journey started towards my current position. On this jouney, I learned a couple of things that really helped for a quick climb that ultimately lead me to running my own department on two separate occasions.

1. Be willing to relocate to climb the ladder.

There is a reason that this one is first on my list. If you are able to move to get a better position with more responsibility (and a higher salary) do it! Most of my income jumps were because I did not wait for my employer to give me a 2% raise each year. I came into this field knowing that these jobs would be temporary since I was determined to grow my salary, so I was a voracious learner. I constantly volunteered for extra assignments and would stay late to learn as much as possible. This allowed me to gain a lot of experience in a short amount to time. So, I was ready to go when the time came to move (normally within 12 months). I am not saying this is easy and have moved around the country more times than I can count, but it was completely worth it. Movement is life!

2. Trust your gut and don’t jump at the first offer.

When I was making 24k, I had a supervisor tell me that I should accept a position (the salary was around 35k) because I would never find a job that would give me more than 40k. I did not let that negativity impact me and turned down that job because I knew my experience, interviewing skills and value would provide a better opportunity. I knew that I could land a job with a bigger salary and more oversight. Looking back, I am so glad I turned it down because there was no way I would be in my current role if I accepted that position as it had more limited exposure to the experience I needed. As luck would have it, a short time later, I accepted a job for 60k!

3. Make transitions in your workplace into gifts for growth.

When a supervisor or colleague leaves, it can leave a huge hole in an office. However, learn to make yourself invaluable before, during and after a transition occurs. What do I mean by that? Work your ass off to learn more than your boss and, when the time comes, it will be easier for the bosses to move you into the position than go through an entire search process. Even if this position is on a temporary basis while a search is being conducted, this is yet another opportunity for you to shine like the Fourth of July! So, get out there and create new processes, build solid relationships between departments or just eliminate a barrier for another person – that is value added. This value will be noticed and maybe, just maybe, you will receive the permanent position.

4. Leave the negativity at the door

This could be an entire blogpost, but I have seen so many people (women and men) get pigeonholed because of their “difficult personalities.” As a woman of color, I get it. Life is tough, the economy is difficult to say the least and carrying a chip on your shoulder may be entirely justified. So, I can’t speak enough of getting a great therapist and putting in that self work (I speak from experience here). Yes, they may not notice your value and you may get passed over for a position you deserve; however, the powers at be will ensure there will be no chance for future growth the moment you refuse to show a collaborative approach. Being a fighter is completely necessary at times, but pick your battles. Know when to stand your ground because it is the right thing to do and not because you have an ego. If they can’t recognize your work then they don’t deserve to have you, so pick up and move on to your next wonderful experience!

As my internet godchildren, I had to share this with you. In this system where companies are placed above people, take care of you at all times. Increase your salary at every opportunity and never stop moving because movement is life!

Your Practical Life

5 Things to Do Before and After an Interview

I have been on a lot of interviews through the course of my career and am thankful for every one because I have been able to perfect the craft of interviewing. Yes, it is absolutely a skill. I used to be extremely nervous, but now feel confident headed into each interview. Below is the approach that I take for each interview.

1. Prepare for those easy questions

I have a prepared answers for those typical questions like “what is your 5 year plan” or “tell me a little about yourself.” I have practiced my responses on friends and family to ensure they represent me and are a solid response. I do change them up (you don’t want it to sound too rehearased), but make sure to hit those important points each time

2. Do your research

Make sure to research the organization or company before you arrive. Don’t expect them to tell you things that you can find on a website. Also, prepare insightful questions for each person (if you know who you are meeting with before you get there). This shows you did your research and are interested in them and the company.

3. Be polite to everyone

This should be a simple thing, but I had potential employees interview and later learned they were rude to others. People talk, so be polite to everyone and treat everyone like a potential employer.

4. Send handwritten thank you notes

Following each interiew, I will send a thank you note. For the phone interview, this is normally an email. However, for in-person meetings, I will overnight a handwritten thank you note. I will include a personal fact about each person (every note is different because people will share these notes and copying the same letter shows a lack of effort) that I learned at the interview. Pro tip: During a bathroom break, take out your phone to jot down facts in order to make sure you don’t forget them later as interviews can be mentally exhausting.

5. Write down questions you were asked

The best way to perfect your interview skills is to practice. I have a growing list of questions that I have been asked on my interviews. When I have another interview coming up, I start to review these questions and practice my responses. It takes time to get comfortable with interviewing, but it is a skill that will help you climb that ladder to your dream position.

The most important piece of advice I learned was that an interview is all about preparation. You start your interview before you even arrive for that in-person meeting, so start early and get that job!

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