Beauty & Style, Simpified
“There is beauty in simplicity.”
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We’ve all been there – trying on what feels like a million different outfits before we finally find something to wear. I don’t know about you, but this is not how I like to start my mornings. Typically, these bouts of trying things on results in me feeling frustrated with my body and anything but confident in how I look. Not only that, when getting ready in the morning involves a lot of decision making or trial and error, it ends up being an exhausting and time-consuming start to my day.
Simplified beauty and style avoid this unnecessary frustration and wasted time. Instead, the idea is that you streamline your closet, hair, skincare, and makeup routines so that you can confidently get ready each morning in a way that sets you up for success the rest of the day.
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What does simple beauty and style have to do with work-life balance?
You may be asking yourself, but what exactly does my style and beauty routines have to do with work-life balance? We experience work-life balance when we are actively engaged in and have a sense of competence and satisfaction in the various roles we play (e.g., mother, wife, employee, friend, etc.). In order to actively engage in these roles, to successfully engage in these roles, we need resources such as time, energy, and money. Simplifying your beauty and style will open up more of each of these resources for you to use on something more important than getting ready in the morning. You gain time back because you no longer have to try on one hundred different pieces. You gain energy back because you no longer have to carefully consider which eyeshadow, lipstick, or contour palette to use. And you gain money back by not buying excessive amounts of clothes, skincare, haircare, or makeup products that you will never use. In other words, you gain back valuable resources that allow you to better engage in all the various roles you play in a way that leaves you feeling more competent and more satisfied in those roles.
Other benefits of simplified beauty and style:
Beyond just gaining back time, energy, and money, simplifying your style and beauty routines have other benefits. First, if you truly simplify and streamline your closet, hair, and makeup you are going to end up with a signature style. By signature style, I don’t mean that you look the exact same each and every day. Instead, I mean that there is consistency in the way you show up each day which means that people are more likely to remember you.
Second, if getting ready in the morning (i.e., hair, clothes, makeup) becomes simpler, you are more likely to actually do it! This means that you will feel better throughout the day; more confident and more beautiful. In fact, a recent survey of almost 2000 people found that the most confident women spent less time getting ready in the morning. I like to think that this is because they have simplified their beauty and style to a point where they feel confident even when getting ready in 5 minutes or less!
3 Ways to Simplify
1. Create a capsule wardrobe.
A capsule wardrobe is a minimized wardrobe filled with high-quality pieces that can be mixed and matched. I’ve had some iteration of a capsule wardrobe for the last 6 years, and I’ve loved it! You can find a lot of inspiration on Pinterest, especially if you have some ideas about what you want your signature style to be – elegant, fun, vintage.
One thing that often scares people away from a capsule wardrobe is the idea of having minimal items; and I have two things to say to that: 1) You would be surprised at how many different combinations you can make with even 10 items. In fact, last year I did a style challenge where I had to come up with 10 outfits from 10 items and it was so fun! It wasn’t really too hard to do AND it helped me get more creative with my clothing meaning I got more bang for my buck. 2) A capsule wardrobe doesn’t have to look the same for everyone. My definition of a capsule wardrobe may be different from yours. For example, if you’re coming from a closet of 200 pieces you probably won’t be too excited about narrowing it down to 10. The main goal in creating a capsule wardrobe is to eliminate anything that doesn’t fit well, isn’t good quality, or that you don’t absolutely love to wear. This means you’re left with your absolute favorites; making getting dressed in the morning easier and more enjoyable. I’ve recorded a podcast on cleaning out your closet, so if you’re interested in trying this out make sure to go listen to it! I’ll link to it in the show notes.
2. Find 2 or 3 go-to hairstyles.
I have long hair that goes down to my waist; it takes me a long time to wash, condition, comb, dry, and curl it. Because of that, I don’t do it every single day. Instead, I have a designated wash day each week and about 3 hairstyles that go along with my hair washing schedule. The first 2-3 days after I wash my hair, I can wear it down and curled. After that, I transition to one of my go-to hairstyles: a braid or a low ponytail. I don’t try to recreate the wheel every morning when doing my hair. I know which hairstyles work for me. I know how to do them well. And, there is no wasted time or guesswork involved.
Think about your haircare routines. Are there any areas that could be streamlined? Are you washing your hair every single day? Do you actually need to? Once you figure out that routine, you can plan your hairstyles around it. Pick 2-3 that you like; that you can easily do and stick to them! Obviously, you should feel free to change it up for special occasions. Once you’ve simplified your haircare, go through your haircare and hairstyling products, and get rid of anything that you don’t use. It’s just clutter in your bathroom cabinet and there’s no reason to keep it!
3. Streamline your skincare and makeup routines
Finally, streamline your skincare and makeup routines. During the COVID lockdown, I made a concentrated effort to establish a solid skincare routine. I now have a series of products I use each morning and each evening. It took a little time to figure out what I liked and what I needed, but now it has become second-nature. That’s the goal – eliminate any decision-making or guesswork around these routines. Identify what you want to use each day and then get rid of anything else that doesn’t serve you.
In terms of makeup, I’ll admit, I’m a girly-girl and love the way makeup makes me feel put-together and beautiful. And as a business professor, I like to show up to work looking polished. I’ve had a streamlined makeup routine for a few years now and it’s truly amazing what clearing the clutter from your makeup bag can do for making this go a little faster each morning. I no longer agonize over the perfect eyeshadow color to match my outfit or try to decide whether to wear my black liquid eye-liner or use my brown pencil. Instead, I’ve chosen the bare minimum that strikes the balance between feeling beautiful and simplifying at the same time.
What are your non-negotiables? Foundation? Blush? Mascara? Whatever they are, that’s what needs to be included in your simplified routine.
After my skincare routine which includes washing, vitamin A & B, and an SPF moisturizer, I use a light foundation, blush, eyebrow pencil, and lipstick (I have two colors that I switch between). That’s it! I don’t apply any eye makeup, as I wear false eyelashes and just reapply those once a week. As for the other makeup I have accumulated over the years, I either pitched it or simply store it in a separate makeup bag that I pull out for special occasions.
I hope that you found this episode helpful. I have been on a journey of simplifying my life for the past several years and I’ve truly enjoyed sharing some of my different tips and tricks with you. It really is amazing how much we love to make things more complicated than they really need to be. It also always amazes me how much we can declutter from our lives – above and beyond just physical objects. I pray that this episode will help you clear some of that clutter and open up more space for you to do the things that truly bring you joy!
Have a beautiful, joy-filled week friends. See you next week!
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If you’re interested in creating a work-life balance characterized by simplicity, joy, and beauty, why don’t you start by checking out my Elegant Balance Workbook? In it, I help you define what work-life balance looks like for you and share some tips on creating that balance. I’ve said it before, and I’ll keep saying it – Balance doesn’t happen by accident.
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We spend a great deal of time at work. Like Annie Dillard once said, “How we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” I encourage you to look around your office and see what steps you can take to add simple luxuries to your workday because in the grand scheme of things, they will add up and lead to a luxurious life!