I can't believe it got canceled 😭

Hi beautiful, ☕

I am not going to lie, this week gutted me a little.

Picture this:
- trip booked
- bags packed
- kids buzzing

And then it fell apart at the last minute and we could not go. 😭

If your plans have ever imploded at the worst possible moment.

And you had a little cry in the driveway…

I see you. 👋

Here's everything I'm spilling this week:

✨ Everything I do at 40 (so 60 still looks 40)
👀 4 hidden-gem finds I wish I knew sooner
💔 The trip we didn't take and what it taught me

What I do so 60 still looks 40…

Since we're stuck home, my skin is getting the full glow-up.

These are the exact things earning a spot on my 40-year-old face right now.

No gatekeeping, babe. 💫

1. My bounce-back duo 💫 By 40, I wanted firming without the irritation, so I press in this pro-collagen peptide cream that plumps and lifts overnight, my mom says this one is a keeper. Then this 7% ectoin serum calms the redness and floods my barrier with deep hydration. Tbh, you should have started this months ago.  Tip: layer the serum first, then peptide cream on top.

2. Day glow, night lift 🌗 I wanted firming without the flaking, so every morning I press in this rosehip vitamin c facial oil for a nourished, lit glow. At night this retinol-alternative serum smooths and firms while I sleep, highly recommend this for sensitive skin and then working your way up to 1% retinol. Tip: oil in the morning, the retinol alternative only at night, never both at once.

3. Baby hairs, finally behaving 💇 My hairline frizz and flyaways drove me insane, so I tame those baby hairs with this flexible-hold hairspray, no crunch and zero damage. Then this bond repair starter set fixed my hair at home with no salon, honestly my hair feels better at 40 than it did at 30. Tip: spritz a spoolie, not your whole head, to smooth baby hairs without the stiffness.

4. Makeup that won't sink in 💄 At 40, my makeup used to settle straight into every fine line, until I started using this lightweight glow foundation that smooths right over them and makes my skin look 30! I’ve been obsessed with this blush and contour duo in one palette, and I have not stopped getting compliments since. Tip: press the foundation in with a damp sponge, so it melts in instead of sitting on top.

5. Where age shows first 👀 Nothing gives your age away like tired eyes and dry lips, and I refuse to let mine tell on me. My mom swears by this eye contour cream to keep hers looking rested. Dry lips age you too, so I live in this lip oil balm, I am on my fifth tube and my mom asks me for backups in this color. Tip: pat the eye cream in with your ring finger, that skin is too thin to tug.

Finds you’ve never heard of…

Now the underrated gems nobody talks about. 👀

I found these the hard way, so you don't have to.

Sunscreen that feels like water 💧 I still can’t believe this exists. This water-light sunscreen sinks in like nothing I’ve used and never pills under makeup. My skin drinks it up and I actually reapply now OVER makeup, which is actually insane.

Brow gel that fakes real hair 🖊️ My brows thinned out with everything else at 40, so I brush on this tubing brow gel that grabs each hair and makes them look real and full. Nobody can tell, and my bff even asked me if I got a brow tint and lift. 😉 

Anti-stress please 🌿 This week really undid me, so I finally leaned on this deep sleep supplement that takes the edge off without knocking me out. Not a magic pill, but my shoulders have finally left my ears.

In partnership with Sundays

Confession: I put off replacing our sad, sunken living room couch for way too long...and now I'm kicking myself for waiting.

We went with the Get Together Sofa + Ottoman and the whole room instantly looks brighter and elevated.

The cushions are deep and don't sink in and go flat like our old ones, the covers are fully washable (non-negotiable with two messy kids), and it's backed by a 5-year warranty. Best part? We all fit now! Legs sprawled out, no one banished to the floor and it's on sale, which basically never happens.

See the before and after that sold me. 🤩 

C'est la vie…

So instead of a Disney cruise…

I am home with two kids.
A messy house.
And zero itinerary.

Naturally, I am cleaning.

And I let myself be disappointed for a day…maybe two.

Then I reframed it.

Maybe we were meant to stay…

Maybe this is a few bonus weeks with my kids before school steals them back.

So I am choosing the good, and turning these unexpected days into a full reset for my skin, my home, and my very fried sanity.

Turns out the trip I needed most was the one back to myself. 💛

More beauty guides you’ll LOVE…

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xo Jen

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