Real Talk

Real Talk

Let’s chat about undies.

For those of you who follow me on Instagram, you might remember when I asked you on Stories what your favorite undies brands are as I decided that at 32, my Victoria’s Secret undies were just not cutting it anymore. You know, the barely covered look, discomfort (especially at the gym) etc.

So I set out to try a bunch of different brands and now I’m here, 3 months later to share the results. Before we get into it, know that each pair I am sharing are thongs. I don’t personally wear anything other than thongs because I don’t find other kinds of underwear comfortable.

I am also very much about prettiness. I love everything around me (and on me) to be pretty, if possible…and I aimed to do that when I purchased all of these undies. You want a little luxury when it comes to your underwear.

I chose 5 pairs of underwear to share with you, and they are all beautiful, comfortable, and wash well. Ok, let’s break it down:

There are two brands that just KILL IT when it comes to undies. I’m going to break down my favorites from each:

SOMA

♥ Allover Geo Lace Retro Thong: A super-soft crochet-inspired lace wide waistband looks and supports like a panty in the front, with the benefit of no-show coverage in the back.

The Geo Lace Thong is so comfortable and the high waist adds a tiny bit of extra support (don’t expect a lot of support here), but enough to make you feel ‘secure’ and covered while still looking sexy.

♥ Allover Lace Thong: Made from ultrasoft, stretch lace with a pretty floral motif. A fit so close and comfy, it’s virtually invisible under clothes.

There is no digging or scratchiness with this thong, like some other lace thongs I’ve worn. LOVE. This thong is also an improvement from Hanky Panky undies. I’ve had my fair share of Hanky Panky’s over the last 10+ years so you can really trust me on this. Not only are they higher quality, Soma’s are 6 for $36 vs. Hanky Panky’s $22 for ONE pair.

AERIE

♥ Ribbed High-Cut Thong: Made with a high cut to show off your legs.

These are SO comfy and just work in all the right places. These undies serve as ‘everyday’ undies and I also wear them to the gym. They’re super soft.

♥ No Show Thong: ZERO undie lines (even with leggings!) These are the most multi-purpose pair of undies I own but the #1 use for them for me is to wear them under a tight dress, thin pants, faux-leather leggings, and silky pants because they are literally no-show. I also like to wear these to the gym because they are so comfortable and there are no lines when I wear them with leggings. The WORST is when you’re wearing a thick lacy thong at the gym and it gets twisted. I know that I’ve been seen untwisting undies while on the treadmill. #GUILTY

♥ Lace Thong: This thong has a wide band, making it super comfy and non-restrictive. I love that the length of the crotch just fits well. Like long enough to cover everything up, so you’re not popping out everywhere or getting a wedgie.

So there you have it. The best thongs money can buy. Are there pairs you guys like? Please share in the comments!

xo,

Lynn

Beauty, Real Talk, Wellness

LUXURIOUS NIGHT TIME ROUTINE is alive and well.

I am all about rituals because they help motivate and move us as people. Sound cheesy? Maybe, but I believe that that rituals are an essential part of daily life, whatever they may be for you.

My luxurious night time routine is my absolute favorite ritual because it is the most indulgent ritual I practice, from having my fresh eucalyptus in the shower with the salt rock night lamp glowing, all the oils…and more.

Everything I do at night helps me to sleep well. And the better the sleep, the less stress.

So here are steps that HAVE TO HAPPEN during my night time routine:

Real Talk, Wellness

A few months ago I noticed deeper lines on one side of my face versus the other. Has this ever happened to you? Yeah, they were most likely there before, but one day, while looking in the mirror, I thought “what the fuck has happened to my face?!” …And then it was all I saw when looking in the mirror. And yes, the side with deeper lines and more volume loss was the side I slept on.

If you follow me on Instagram, you might have seen my stories a couple of weeks ago where I took you with me to get those lines filled in with hyaluronic acid filler by the most incredible Nurse Practitioner, Shahdi at Luna Skincare Aesthetics in Walnut Creek. Side note: she truly is the best and she is an artist. I saved my stories, so you can go ahead and watch them on my BOTOX AND FILLERS Instagram highlight.

Anyway. Back to sleeping on your back. All of this to say that a few months ago, after discovering those lines, I began training myself to sleep on my back instead of on my side. It’s hard. Like really hard.

First, the benefits, aside from not getting wrinkles on your face:

  1. Better alignment of the spine, which reduces pain.
  2. Minimizes acid reflux
  3. Prevents chest and boob wrinkles
  4. Maintains perky boobs

How to do it?

♡ Keep your head in a slightly raised position with the help of a pillow or two. I personally use two pillows. On the bottom, I use a thin-ish pillow, and on top, where my head lays, I use a Z pillow. I have had this pillow for three years and it is the best pillow I’ve ever used. I originally purchased it after researching a pillow to help alleviate neck pain. For extra credit: Add pillows under your arms to help make you feel supported.  

♡ Add a pillow under the backs of your knees. Adding a pillow under your knees will take some pressure off your back and it kind of makes you feel like you’re floating in the best way possible. I find that adding a pillow under my knees really helps me avoid rolling over to my side in the middle of the night too.

♡ Create a barricade with pillows. This is just an extra precaution but I wouldn’t only do this step. The first two are much more effective if you’re trying to train yourself to sleep on your back. But it’s harder to switch to side sleeping if there is a barricade of pillows around you.

♡ Sleep with the bottoms of your feet touching. If you’re having trouble imagining this, spread your legs so that your knees are out, and touch the bottoms of your feet together. This is super comfortable when sleeping on your back, especially when your knees are supported with pillows.

Training myself to sleep on my back took about 3 months to finally do all through the night. And I have to make sure the conditions are just right. If I don’t have my pillows positioned correctly, all bets are off and I’ll be on my side within an hour.

Cheers to no boob and face wrinkles!

xo Lynn

Beauty, Real Talk

Keratosis pilaris is like that pesky person who just gets under your skin (literally). If you deal with KP, you know what I’m talking about. It’s a nuisance. I’ve dealt with KP since I went through puberty at 10 years old…lucky me! Over the years, I’ve tried creams, exfoliators, diets, and everything else you can imagine to treat it.

While maintaining a healthy gut is the biggest key to the puzzle (we’ll save that for another day), I have a fabulous DIY treatment for you, if you struggle with Keratosis pilaris.

First, WTF is Keratosis Pilaris?

Also nicknamed “chicken skin,” keratosis pilaris is a skin condition that manifests as red patches and bumps. It resembles goosebumps and appears most often on the back of the arms and thighs. They feel rough like sandpaper and are very small, about the size of a salt grain. Sometimes they occur on the face and can be mistaken for acne. There may also be redness around the bumps that varies from light pink to bright red. {source}

Your skin naturally contains keratin, which is a protein. About 50% overproduce this protein. When overproduced, it becomes trapped inside hair follicles which forms a rough, raised, and plugged follicle. These follicles become inflamed, which is why the surrounding skin turns red or pink.

The DIY Treatment

KP is not something that you can make disappear with topical treatments, but exfoliating helps A LOT. You just have to be consistent.

So this brings me to my DIY treatment that helps more than any other lotion or potion I’ve put on my KP. I did hours of research and months of being a guinea pig and this stuff really works. Just call me Antoine Lavoisier. 😉

I started my research with finding out the best anti-inflammatory products, and I mixed and matched until I came up with THE holy grail KP relief.

Before we get to the exact measurements, here is the background on each ingredient: turmeric helps with inflammation when ingested and applied to the body. You’ve probably seen that it’s super trendy right now do order a turmeric latte, right? They taste pretty good, too.

Jojoba oil and lavender oil are also anti-inflammatories. Jojoba oil is known to reduce redness and is very hydrating. Lavender is known to kill bacteria.

♡ 2T Baking Soda

♡ 1.5 t Turmeric Powder

♡ 3T Jojoba Oil

♡ 5-10 drops of pure essential lavender oil

Mix all of the ingredients, and apply to the KP skin. I always do this in the shower, and rinse off with warm water.

Do you deal with keratosis pilaris? Any other tips to deal?

Beauty, Real Talk, Wellness

Science says that your willpower is highest in the morning. Running with that theme, I have created a morning routine that takes full advantage of that fact…and I’ve experienced so much more ease with how my entire day goes. No frantic shit in the morning, no “what am I going to eat?”, “what time do I have to be up?”, “OMG. I’m so late”. None of it. My mornings are almost always calm and productive because I’ve built a strong routine.

I was inspired to create a morning routine a little over a year ago by studying up on what some of the most successful people in history do each morning. If you’re curious, you can check out Fast Company’s article on The Morning Routines of the Most Successful people.

In this video, I break down my entire morning, including:

♡ My tongue scraper

♡ Hydroflask

♡ Coffee

♡ Skincare routine

♡ Gym routine

Do you have a morning routine that you love? Share the deets, please!

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