Loves | Joey Hodges Writes

Things I’ve tried recently

Joey — Tue, 09 Jun 2020 09:00:23 +0000

Remember when you could trust the recommendations you saw online? Before the term influencer had ever been uttered? Yeah, I miss those days. It was my favorite part of blogging. There were certain bloggers who I trusted wholeheartedly. If they told me a shampoo changed their hair, I bought (and loved) it. If another blogger gave a book 5 stars, I read it immediately.

These recommendations had weight behind them. There really wasn’t anything in it for the blogger except the promise of community and building your reputation. These days, influencers ruin everything. (Or maybe I’m just being dramatic.) I feel like I can’t trust anything anyone says about a product anymore. Everyone is so sneaky with disclaimers. And the word amazing can only be used so many times before it loses all meaning.

So in the spirit of honesty, I thought I’d share a few things I’ve tried recently.

Billie Razor. I won’t lie, I fell victim to all the influencers. I usually stand pretty strong against those types of campaigns, but someone said something that made my ears perk up. They said, and I quote, now that I use the Billie razor, I don’t have to shave nearly as often. I shave my legs every single day (yes, even in the winter), so that claim got me. It’s a lie, folks. At least, it didn’t ring true for me. The razor is actually quite good, I like the magnetic holder, and it’s pretty inexpensive. The subscription replacement head delivery will come in clutch, I’m sure. It’s a close shave, and I could definitely go a day or two without shaving if I needed to, but I wouldn’t. Maybe I’m just hairy. Ultimately, I guess I recommend it. But only if you’re like me and loathe going into an actual store these days.

Mary Kay Microdermabrasion & Pore Refine. A colleague started selling MK and asked me to help her test out her virtual pamper session system when we all went on lockdown. She mailed me some samples and walked me through everything on a Zoom call. Now, I used to sell MK back in the day (like waaaaaay back in the day, we’re talking 2005), so I didn’t think anything would really stand out for me. But holy crap. This stuff literally changed my skin in just a few uses. Now that I’m getting old(er), skincare is priority #1 for me always. And this stuff is primo. Recommend.

Herbal life loaded teas. The same colleague I mentioned above (she’s such an unintentional, genuine influencer!) got me hooked on this place called Wake Up Nutrition. They make these Herbal life loaded teas that have the base HL tea, aloe, Liftoff (which is basically like an energy boost), and sugar-free drink flavoring. Sure, they’re tasty (which is a plus), but holy energy batman. I’ve been sort of losing my taste for coffee lately. Most of you already know that I suffer from pretty bad IBS, so coffee just destroys me. I have my one cup when I wake up (at 5AM), but then I typically just stick with water. I have been crashing hard by like noon. But these teas keep me going and they don’t mess with my stomach at all. I went ahead and bought the herbal life tea from Amazon, snagged some aloe from Target and replaced the lift off (which is expensive) with 4C Energy Rush (found at Harris Teeter, Food Lion, Walmart, Amazon, etc). And it’s literally my favorite part of my morning these days. Definitely recommend. (Now, disclaimer: Herbal life has weight loss claims, etc. I’m literally just in it for the caffeine and flavors.)

Crockpot chicken tacos. These aren’t new for me. But the way we serve them now is definitely new. I learned this recipe from the last family I nannied. But these days, I take chicken breasts (usually just two), 1 packet of taco seasoning, 1 packet of ranch seasoning and a little chicken broth (usually just to the top of the chicken, sometimes a bit less). I let them cook all day then serve them on a toasted tortilla with Ortega taco sauce, sour cream & cheese. They’re freaking delicious and the leftovers are even better. You’re welcome.

Okay, I think that’s about all I have for now. Let me know if you use and love any of these things. If you try them, you gotta let me know what you think!

Julep Flora: The Nail Files

Joey — Fri, 03 Mar 2017 05:00:01 +0000

Despite the funky mood I’ve been in all week, I did a decent job keeping anxiety at bay. Compared to last week, I’d say this was a “win” week in the anxiety department.

I’ve come to love my quiet time every morning. Call me crazy, but I’ve always been a morning person. It feels like stolen time. And for the last few weeks, I’ve spent the first hour of my day sipping my coffee and reading the Bible. I honestly thought I’d hate it, that it would be boring and grueling. But every time, I’m amazed. There’s a lot sitting on my heart these days, and I’m finding answers daily.

There’s a great peace that comes from unconditional faith. I’ve always been an optimistic person. I’m filled to the brim with hope and faith regularly. But this feels different. I also love hearing about where you are in your journey, what you’re struggling with, and how the Word is speaking to you.

A friend emailed me this week with lyrics to Sara Groves’s Word.

I’ve done every devotional
Been every place emotional
Trying to hear a new word from God
And I think it’s very odd,
that while I attempt to help myself
My Bible sits upon my shelf
With every promise
I could ever need

Ain’t that the truth.

This week was a fail, however, in the planning department. Productivity was low, and the distractions are real. So I intend to spend some time this weekend setting up next week for success.

I did do some research on methods to increase productivity when distractions are everywhere, so stay tuned for that post!

Business Catch Up & The Nail Files: Revlon Naughty

Joey — Fri, 24 Feb 2017 05:00:04 +0000

Current Mani: Revlon Naughty

I once read somewhere that entrepreneur means living a few years like most people won’t so you can live the rest of your life like most people can’t. That’s a pretty accurate description. The sacrifice is real, my friends. And if anyone tries to tell you it’s not, they’re lying to you. Building a business from the ground up is amazing and rewarding and wonderfully terrifying.

We are finally entering into our sweet spot. One year ago today, I purchased the www.blisscs.com domain completely unsure and unaware of what the year would hold. Remember, I’d done this before and it was a mistake.

I’ll only buy it for a year, I told Myra who wasn’t my business partner yet at the time. That way if it crashes and burns, I’m only out $1.77.

So, here we are one year later, I’m so happy and proud that we have to renew our domain. We’re running a full-blown functional business. Praise be to God!

It seems silly to me now as I sit here to write this that I let anxiety win this week. I worried instead of praising God for seeing us through this the last year. The perseverance and stamina required to bring us to this point was a gift. So for that, I will be forever grateful.

In case you’re just here for the nails, here you go.

Valentine’s Day Nails

Joey — Fri, 10 Feb 2017 10:00:20 +0000

Remember way back when I used to post nail pictures every week? I’d share my at-home manicure tips and all was right with the world? Well, I’m bringing it back! This is me putting feelers out there: is there any interest in reviving the old Nail Files link up? Let me know!

Julep Lorraine
Color Club Harp on It
Small dotting tool

I used to really enjoy nail polish and painting my nails. I loved a fresh manicure, and nothing made me feel more put together. I’m not one to fuss with fancy clothes or shoes, but a good manicure made me feel good. It made me feel like me.

I stopped making time for it all once we got here to Charlotte. I started putting everyone else first and stopped making myself a priority. A simple pleasure: painting my nails, went right out the window.

The impressive collection of polishes would hang on the back of my office door, only really loved on when I was painting someone else’s nails.

I’ll always be the person who puts everyone else first. It’s just my nature. But if I’ve learned anything in my thirty years, it’s that you can’t pour from an empty cup.

How do you take care of yourself? Does a mani make you feel like you can take it all on? Tell me, would you link up with me if I brought the old linkup back? Let me know!

The Marry Mask: DIY Face Mask fo Acne & Scarring

Joey — Mon, 31 Oct 2016 10:18:43 +0000

Things I didn’t think I’d have to deal with anymore once I became an adult:

drama
curfews
acne

Turns out I was wrong. Way wrong.

Drama knows know age limit. Cool.
I was put under curfew mere weeks ago thanks to the Charlotte Protests.
I still have acne. At thirty freaking years old.

I honestly didn’t think I’d be buying acne face wash alongside my wrinkle cream. I mean, does that even seem fair? I don’t think so.

I get those deep-rooted-painful-monster-cystic-breakouts. And besides being totally unsightly (hello, horns growing out of your face) before you manage to kill them, they also always leave me with super attractive dark spots: acne scars.

Enter: The Marry Mask
The mask so good you’ll want to marry it.

DIY Face mask for Acne Scars:

What you’ll need:

1 tablespoon Honey
1/2 tablespoon Cinnamon
1/2 tablespoon Nutmeg

Full disclosure: I typically eyeball the ingredients. The more nutmeg, the better exfoliator. The more cinnamon, the more it’ll burn.

What to do:

Mix all your ingredients together in a small dish or ramekin then spread evenly on your skin. Avoid your eye area.

For best results, you’re meant to do the mask about twice a week for twenty minutes at a time. It might burn a little, so obviously take it off whenever you feel like you can’t take it anymore.

I typically like to do the mask at night because I do experience some residual redness for a little while after I remove the mask. Don’t worry, it goes away.

Obvious disclosure that I’ll regret if I don’t post: if you’re allergic to any of these products, be smart and don’t smear them all over your face.

Skin Benefits:

HONEY is naturally antibacterial so it works well for acne treatment and prevention. It’s also hugely moisturizing and soothing, so your skin will be left with a beautiful natural glow. It’s also packed full of antioxidants so it’s great for anti-aging! Betcha didn’t know all that!

CINNAMON cures acne. That’s right, it gets rid of pimples. It’s also a great complexion enhancer and alleviates fine lines while also soothing dry skin.

NUTMEG is anti-fungal and full of antioxidants. It heals acne, fights skin infections (yummy), and will leave you with healthy, glowing skin. My favorite part? It acts as an awesome exfoliator when you scrub the mask off!

I’m always totally skeptical of these types of things. You know, those HUGE CLAIM OMG WHY HAVEN’T YOU BEEN DOING THIS ALL YOUR LIFE kinds of posts.

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve tried something from pinterest and thought halfway through I must be on candid camera somewhere because now I’m sitting here with a random collection of crap on my face for what seems to be no apparent reason. Does anyone else ever feel like Pinterest is one big practical joke sometimes? Just me? Oh.

So when this mask made it onto my radar, I was hugely wary and pretty certain it would be like every other mask I’ve tried: a total waste of time. So trust me when I tell you, if you do this mask regularly (once/twice a week), you’ll see results.

That’s the thing, though. This isn’t a one-time fix-all kind of thing. So just keep that in mind.

Now go and rub a random assortment of kitchen products on your face and report in.

My lips but better: every day lipstick

Joey — Sun, 16 Oct 2016 15:00:38 +0000

I have a love/hate relationship with lipstick. I love the idea of it but kind of hate wearing it. It’s either uncomfortable or once I walk out into the light of day I realize it looks ridiculous.

And don’t even get me started on the kind of lipsticks you have to babysit.

You know the ones I’m talking about.

I tend to lean on the natural side of the makeup spectrum. I can totally appreciate a full on face of makeup, but that sort of thing just doesn’t fit into my life very often.

So when it comes to looking put together without looking silly, a your lips but better lipstick is a must. And trust me, I’ve been on the hunt for one for way too long.

And then I accidentally found a combo that worked like a dream!

Rimmel Kate Moss: 104 + Loreal Paris Colour Riche Balm: 818: Nourishing Nude

The Rimmel lipstick is a semi-matte finish, and if I’m totally honest I’m so over matte lipstick. It’s like the word fetch–stop trying to make it happen, okay? It looks good on like 2% of the population, and if you’ve got lined lips like mine, forget it.

So while I like the color, I rarely wore it. It was comfortable enough, but like most matte lipsticks it was slightly drying. No thanks.

Slipping the Loreal Colour Riche Balm on top was a game changer though. Not only did it soften up the color, it created a buttery, glossy, dreamy feel on the lips. Yes, please!

rimmel kate moss: 104 * Loreal Colour Riche Balm 818

Better still, you can pick up this duo on one of your weekly Target trips (don’t lie, you know you’re there at least once a week).

Do you have a favorite “my lips but better” lipstick or combo? Share it below!

Nail Care: My Secrets Revealed

Joey — Wed, 16 Mar 2016 13:00:00 +0000

Something I get asked about a lot are my fingernails. When I was little and dreaming of all my success, I definitely didn’t picture my hands being any part of it. Though the fact that I would spend countless hours crafting plans with my friends on how to obtain the perfect watermelon manicure should have told me something.

My mom must be so proud.

So today, I answer your questions. The reality is, I don’t take great care of my nails anymore. Something about working from home in a remote city afforded me all the time in the world to obsess over perfection. Now, I work a day job, maintain a blog, am writing a fiction novel and am also writing an ebook while launching a new business. Sweet Brown really did say it best. Ain’t nobody got time for that.

Regardless of all of that, pretty fingernails and well manicured hands really do make me happy. So I try my best to squeeze in time for them here and there. So what do I do exactly? Let’s get into it.

I keep my nails short.

I actually clip them, I don’t just file. I’m on a computer most of the day–and when I’m not I can usually be found elbow deep in someone else’s dirty dishes. Long nails and this life just don’t mesh. I clip them straight across then go in with a nail file to soften the edges. I like squoval, but I hate that word.

I don’t skip the cuticles.

I hate to break this to you, but this is the most important part of having a nice manicure. I know, we all hate tackling them, but if you don’t–your manicure will look childish and sloppy. I use the Sally Hansen Instant Cuticle Remover gel. I let it sit for about 3 minutes then push them back using a plastic orange stick (no, the color doesn’t have to be orange, it’s just called an orange stick). Now here’s the part that takes some practice: I do clip my cuticles. I use a cuticle clipper and work my way around the cuticle clipping about 12 times (small, quick clips). Yes, this is gross. Yes, you can clip your real skin which will make you bleed and it’ll sting. This takes practice. Just be patient with it. You can actually see the dead skin if you’ve pushed the cuticle back. Only clip that.

I always use a base coat.

There are a lot of polishes that claim to have a base coat built in. Cool. Use a base coat anyway. I don’t trust nail polish not to stain or damage my nails. I like Sally Hansen Hard As Nails, and I’ve been using it for years and years.

I don’t paint from my cuticles down.

This is probably the number one mistake most people make. They think they should place the brush up by their cuticles and paint straight down. That’s why your nails looks messy and sloppy and probably like a toddler did them. Clean one side of the brush completely by dragging it across the lip of the bottle. Clean the other side HALFWAY. You’ll be left with a little bead of polish at the very base of the brush. Place the bead in the CENTER of your nail and gently push it up toward your cuticle without touching your cuticle then drag down. Use that first stroke as your guideline for your next two strokes. That’s right, you should only be using about 3 strokes for your first coat. Be sure you’re using the brush to it’s full capacity by pushing down slightly so the brush spreads. This technique makes your manicure much more professional.

I always do two coats.

Yes, some polishes are opaque enough on your first coat, and everyone is desperate to save time here and there. This is not the place to do that. If you’re painting your nails, take the time to do it right or leave them bare. Two coats will always look better than one.

I dip a synthetic brush in pure acetone for clean up.

This won’t always be necessary the more you practice painting, but especially at first, you’ll hit cuticle or drag the polish too far down and paint your skin. It happens. It still happens to me. Dip a synthetic brush (a cheap eyeliner brush from the drugstore works great) in pure acetone (you can also find this cheap at Sally’s Beauty Supply) and clean the edges. Makes a world of difference.

I’d say use high quality nail polish–

–but that isn’t exactly necessary. Some of my favorite polishes were $1.99. I will say that Julep really does make a polish like none I’ve ever used before (and you all can trust that I’ve used a lot). It’s long wearing, allows oxygen to continue to get to your nails, and actually repairs your damaged nails by conditioning them. You can get your first box free using this code HERE.

I use a high quality QUICK DRYING top coat. Always.

Nothing ruins your manicure like having to pee immediately after painting your nails. We’ve all been there. I use Seche Vite (this link is the best deal you’ll ever find) and I’ll never use anything else. It leaves a gel-like look to even the cheapest of nail polishes, and it dries all the layers in less than 5 minutes. I’ve DONE DISHES 10 minutes after painting my nails. I’ve also gone to bed immediately after painting my nails without waking up with those fun wrinkles in my polish.

The most important factor of it all is just practice. You do something enough and you’ll get better at it, facts are facts. Tag me with your manicure pics on instagram at @joelizabeth! I want to see them!!

*this post contains affiliate links

Have you read my book yet? Download it here! I’ll love you forever and ever and we can be besties for life!

Friday Tales and Nails + Fall Swap Reveal

Joey — Fri, 06 Nov 2015 19:52:00 +0000

Julep Sonia

Subscribe to be a Julep Maven HERE and get your first box for just $2.99

Last night was slightly ridiculous. After a really long, hard week, I actually canceled Sushi Thursday, opting for take out instead. All I wanted was my pajamas, a glass of wine, some sushi and to binge watch OTH.

I walked in to the apartment, started a load of laundry and then…everything went dark. Sort of. Our lights were on, but super duper dim. Some things were off completely (uh, TV and internet, my dreams for Netflix dashed!)

I walked over to my neighbors. “Is your power all wonky?”

“YES! It’s the creepiest thing ever.” Her TV and AC were still working, but her lights were dimmed out, her bedroom out of power completely.

What the heck?

Soon, our apartment just went completely dead. Luckily, we’re keeping our other neighbor’s dog, so we went over to her place to see if she had power. She did. So finally, after nearly an hour, I ate some dinner.

Our management and maintenance team tried to figure out what the deal was, finally resulting in a call to Duke Energy who tried to convince them it wasn’t their issue. Uh, no. This is a fire hazard, people. They showed up around 10:30.

Our AC was out, so I opened the windows in our bedroom. The meters and power box for the entire building are outside our side of the building. They started out quietly enough, but somewhere around midnight they decided it was totally cool to be shouting back and forth to one another. All I gathered from the conversation was that really, no one knew what was wrong or how to fix it. Cool.

After a lot of drilling, hammering, cursing, and shouting, I woke up this morning to our power being 100% back on.

Okay.

Whatever.

It’s Friday.

In other, non-dramatic news, I participated in the Fall Swap that Becky and Kristin hosted. I actually don’t typically participate in swaps anymore (I have my reasons), but when they were left with an odd number of participants, Kristin reached out.

With that said, I somehow totally spaced. It didn’t really dawn on me that it was a fall swap until I was writing the note to go with Becky’s package. Whoops! So check out the totally non-fall related items she got here.

She, however, went all out fall! A peek at the goodies!

Thanks, Becky!

**Edited to add: there was also a fancy tumbler cup that isn’t photographed because I immediately took it to work to keep as my work water bottle!

Sinful Colors: Sinful Shine Review

Joey — Wed, 28 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

What Is Sinful Shine?

Sinful Shine is newish collection from the original Sinful Color’s line. What you might not know is that Sinful Shine has actually been around for some time already. You’ve seen the bottles with the silver cap, well, those are all Sinful Shine products with Gel Tech. More recently, though, they’ve released the duo: the Sinful Shine polish with a sister Sinful Shine Top Coat.

What Is Gel Tech?

Gel Tech is a newly discovered formula from the brand Sinful Color designed to make your manicure last longer.

Where Can You Find Sinful Shine?

I found my duo kit at Target. You can purchase the pieces individually or some of them are prepackaged together for a slight discount. You can also find them at any big box store and Walgreens.

How Much Does Sinful Shine Cost?

They’re priced individually for $2.99, just a dollar more than the standard Sinful Color’s collection. You can find the prepackaged kits that include a Sinful Shine step 1 and the step 2 top coat for $5.99 at Target.

How Does It Apply?

Two coats of step 1 followed by one coat of step 2 is what they suggest. Having already been a fan of the Sinful Colors line, I wasn’t surprised to find that the formula is extra creamy and applied opaque in one coat. I followed up with a second just to ensure a perfect manicure, but I really could have gotten away with one. Step 2 is a thinner formula than my beloved Seche Vite, but I assume that’s what results in the super high shine gloss. It applied just fine and was easy to use.

Dry Time

My manicure passed the dry test (tapping two polished fingers together without that tacky, sticky feeling) in 22 minutes.

Claims

I appreciate that there are no lofty claims from this product, you know, saying it’ll last a month or something like that. They simply claim that the Gel Tech formula helps your manicure last longer and using the duo together will result in a manicure that’s 5 X shinier than a patent leather shoe.

Does It Last?

I sort of knew what to expect since I’ve used the stand alone Sinful Shine polish on its own in the past, but yes. It does actually last longer than a regular polish. Obviously the time line will vary depending on how rough you are on your nails, but I spend half my day doing household chores, and mine lasted chip free for 5 days! Winner Winner Chicken Dinner in my book!

Would I Recommend Sinful Shine?

Yup, absolutely. I’ve never been disappointed by the Sinful Colors range in the past, and I had high expectations for the duo. If you’re into the super shiny gel looking manicures that are easy to remove, this is for you. The step 2 topcoat isn’t 100% necessary in my opinion, especially if you’re a Seche Vite cult follower like me, which also offers that high gloss shine in way less drying time. In my opinion, it’s a steal! Go out and snatch some for yourself today!

This post is not sponsored. Sinful Colors has no idea who I am (but wouldn’t that be cool?).

This post does contain affiliate links.

September Beauty Favorites

Joey — Mon, 05 Oct 2015 13:00:00 +0000

My makeup game has changed ever since the Naked palette came into my life. I’d been lusting after it forever, but I finally pulled the trigger on it over the summer with some birthday money. I don’t have to tell you that it’s great, you probably already know that. But what I can tell you as someone who was super hesitant to drop $50 on eyeshadow is that it was worth every penny. (I know it’s hard to see/read, but if you’re a makeup guru, you’ll notice that buck and sidecar are swapped. I got a defective palette, ha)! sin, half baked, naked, and toasted are my most used. I use creep daily in my tightline.

I’ve also been all about the lipstick lately. It’s taken me some time to get used to, growing up a lipgloss junky, but now I can’t get enough. Revlon Sultry and Rimmel Kate Moss 107 have been on constant rotation. Both are matte, comfortable, highly pigmented and long wearing. Oh. And cheap. Really cheap.

It wouldn’t be fall if there wasn’t a muted purple-grey nail polish in the mix. Julep’s Gabrielle made it on to my nails more than once in September. Y’all know that’s basically unheard of around here.

My short stubby lashes have been loving Cover Girl’s Clump Crusher. I used to be an all waterproof all the time kind of girl, but after reading an article about how bad that actually is for your lashes (and being over the nightly fight to remove said mascara), I made the switch. But finding a non-waterproof formula that didn’t smudge with my tiny, squinty little eyes was damn near impossible. So far Wet n’ Wild’s Megalength and the CG Clump Crusher are the only two that I’ve found that don’t flake and stay in place all day.

And for one sneaky non-beauty favorite, I had to include the Yankee Candle wax tart in kitchen spice. Oh, holy fall goodness. Just trust me, okay?

I’d love to know what your favorite, go-to fall lipstick is. Fuel my new obsession!