I stopped doing this and aged backwards 🙅‍♀️👀

Hi beautiful, ☕️

I’ve been looking in the mirror lately and thinking…

“Is this just how I look now?”

Tired no matter how much sleep I get.
Dull even when I’ve “had enough sleep.”
Makeup not hitting the way it used to.

Something had to change — and it wasn’t more product.

This week, I’m sharing:

💄 What I stopped doing—and why my face looks more alive
🧴 How I handled the hormonal chaos (barely)
📺 The show that wrecked my routine and stole my emotional stability

More on that later.👇

Less is really more…

When my 5-year-old said..

“Mommy, you look tired. Are you angry?”

I laughed… and then stared at myself in the mirror for 10 minutes. 😂

I’d been piling it on — concealer, foundation, contour, the works — trying to cover the tired.

But somehow, I looked more tired.

So I pulled back. And everything suddenly looked… better.

Here’s what I changed:

1. The Glow Fix ✨
I gave up foundation for a bit. It was aging me, especially around my mouth and eyes. Now I rotate between two glow tints: a sheer and hydrating skin tint (I’m shade 04), the other is my multi-active glow serum (insane how my skin glows after this!)
Tip: Press it in with fingers — it blends better and doesn’t sit on the skin.

2. My Do-It-All Balm 💄
This lightweight peptide lip oil balm in shade 03 lives in my purse now. I swipe it on my cheeks for natural looking blush and use it as my lippie too. My mom has stolen at least 3 of these (that should tell you enought) I love a multi-purpose balm, it travels with me everywhere!
Tip: Dab high on the cheeks, blend with fingers, and tap leftovers on lips.

3. Blush > Contour 🧃
I used to contour daily, but it started making my face look harsh and drawn. Blush is doing way more for me right now. I have this creamy blush cheek tint in rosy peach which is buildable, and I use this dream glow highlight serum on the cheekbones to enhance the blush (think Tennis girly glow!)
Tip: Apply higher than usual and blend upward — it softly lifts everything.

4. My “Look Alive” Hair Duo ✨
When my hair is dry and frizzy, I look 10x more tired — and my kids notice because I immediately put it in a bun. This high lather bond shampoo and smoothing bonding oil bring back that silky, youthful shine so I can finally wear my hair down without feeling blah. There’s also 30% off sitewide right now!
Tip: Treat dry, brittle ends with a few tiny drops of oil. It makes the biggest differnece!

5. Fresh > Flat 💧
Matte makeup made me look dull and kind of… blah. Now I just powder my T-zone with this invisible loose powder and let the rest glow. A tiny swipe of this multi-use glow stick on the cheekbones makes such a difference.
Tip: A little shine = healthy skin. Let it happen.

That Week.🩸 

I knew it was coming. I could feel it.

I cried over something dumb. I snapped over nothing. I felt this deep, buzzy kind of irritability I couldn’t shake — and my patience?

Gone. Completely.

So I asked you on IG: “What do you do during your time of the month that actually helps?”

Your answers had me shook:

🧄 Garlic oil for cramps
🧊 Freezing a wet washcloth and placing it across your lower belly
🌶️ Spicy food to get things moving faster
💅 Painting your nails to avoid emotional impulse-shopping (?? genius)

Honestly… genius.

So here are mine and what actually helped me this time around:

• Skin SOS
  My face was hot, angry, and dry all at once. I used a creamy, fragrance-free cleanser and a power cream with peptides that feels like a barrier — no burning, no peeling, no drama.
  

• Collagen-ceramide masks
  I lived in a these K-beauty collagen jelly masks I keep in the fridge. When my chin flared up, I followed with this milky rice toner that soothed without stripping.
  

• Bloat rescue
  The bloat was next level. I drank a magnesium powder that helps me stay regular and relaxed, and added these essentials vitamin supplements to help fill nutrient gaps, gives me the pre/probiotics to have a healthy gut!
  

• Cramps toolkit
  I rotated between a portable heating pad tucked into my waistband and a cramp support tincture I mix with juice. Both made a huge difference when the lower belly aches hit.

I blame the kilt…

I started Outlander thinking it would be something light to watch while folding laundry.

You know — background noise, a little escapism. Wow, was I wrong.

And then he showed up.

The redhead with blue eyes. Soft-spoken, emotionally fluent, built like he chops wood before breakfast and defends your honour like it’s his full-time job. 🫠 

It immediately took me back to my Twilight days — teenage me, fully swooning over Edward Cullen like he was an actual option. 🤣 

Except now I’m a mom of two, sitting in sweats, drinking wine on the couch while a 1700s Scottish warrior whispers in Gaelic and ruins my emotional stability.

I love my life but the contrast hit hard.

That soft intensity, the undivided attention, the whole “I’d literally cross time for you” vibe? It got me.

Because in the Groundhog Day loop of motherhood, I kind of forgot what it’s like to feel that kind of energy — just for me.

And suddenly I’m asking myself:

• When was the last time I did something just because I wanted to?

• What have I been craving that I keep pushing to the side?

• And if I know what lights me up… why haven’t I made space for it?

I’ve always believed that joy doesn’t just appear — you have to make room for it.

No one’s going to hand it to me. So I’m reminding myself:

If it matters, you make time. If it lights you up, you lean in.

Thanks for being here — and for doubling as my emotional support group in newsletter form. 💌

See you next week!

More beauty guides you’ll LOVE…

P.S. Keep an eye on your inbox every Wednesday for your weekly dose life lifts & tips!

Thank you for being a part of the VIP squad! Stay tuned for more! 🤍

xo Jen

All of the linked products are independently selected and curated by me. If you love and buy something I link to, I may earn commission.

Copyright 2025 Chiu Studio Inc. All Rights Reserved.