Beauty Therapy Life

SEARCH

April 20, 2017 · Lifestyle

The Beauty of a Birthday

Birthdays are beautiful, aren’t they Beauties?! A glorious 24-hour window in time dedicated to celebrating being YOU and only you!

Well, I’ll admit birthdays are slightly more conflicting for me.

Let me explain…

The most commonly asked question for me on my big day is “So, what did you get?!”

It’s not a bad question. Presents on my miraculous day of entering this magical Universe are appreciated, they’re generous tokens of love and affection. But, I think more importantly is the question, “So what did you give?”

A week ago I turned 32.

That’s 32 entire years of living, growing, learning, discovering, re-discovering — more importantly, that’s 11,680 days filled with opportunities to share. Wow! That’s a lot of days, Beauties. Seeing that number brings up a lot of joy in remembering some beautiful moments over the past year:

 

I got engaged!

My last full year with the last name I’ve known all my life, Barnette. And I really like that name, and all the memories that come with it! Making the transition to a new chapter as Mrs. Sanger was made so much easier by my handsome prince, who gave me the most beautiful, thoughtful proposal — something I’ll forever cherish. We’ve had almost five years together through thick and thin, and I am thrilled to step into this new chapter together.

 

I launched my dream brand and social platform — Beauty Therapy!

A virtual dream come true, but also a big leap of faith. I was scared, and admittedly still am at times, but I pushed and continue to push past the fear and into a medium of connection with all of you. Being able to relate and share with all of you makes my heart smile. Truly.

 

I traveled the globe!

Over the past year I traveled to Australia, Thailand, Hong Kong, England, Spain, French Polynesia, Dubai, Africa, Italy and Mexico. To uproot and regroup abroad has helped me to widen my own horizons, and learn so much about the world and my place within it.

 

I fulfilled some major professional dreams!

Co-hosting Super Bowl LI Live was a dream come true. Being able to work alongside talented and knowledgeable hosts on one of the biggest platforms in our country was a humongous high! I even managed to grace a few magazine covers, which is a dream I prayed for when I was a kid, a dream that’s coming true. The last year also saw me working as a Lagree Fitness trainer in West Hollywood, giving me the opportunity to share health and positivity with others.

 

I spent an enormous amount of energy working on myself, from the inside out!

I claimed last year as the year I would not only focus on internal strength and growth, but also share it with the world around me. That’s not an easy feat. I’m a private person by nature and public self-expression goes far outside of my comfort zone, but another part of me knew this public declaration was necessary and timely.

But at the same time, all of the moments and gifts I received above are nothing if not accompanied by moments of giving to others.

What am I getting at?

I dedicate this birthday and my entire 32nd year to giving to you, my Beauties.

And I’d love to hear what’s at the top of your wish list.

What gifts can I give to you, my Beauties (and to the Universe at large while we’re at it)? How can I  leave my mark and add more beauty in your personal life?

Is it beauty tips? Is it access to Hollywood experts and top level gurus? Is it an inside peek into my travels? Is it lighthearted content to bring a smile to your face and peace to your heart? What do you need?

And on that note, I bid a grateful farewell to 31, as I graciously welcoming 32 with open arms. And excitedly await to hear your beauty therapy needs!

xoxo,

February 14, 2017 · Beauty + Lifestyle

Valentine’s Day: The Beauty Therapy Way

Oh my Beauties,

It’s Valentine’s Day, and I’m certain that this day holds a deep meaning for you. Whether the day makes you sigh with a full heart, or roll your eyes with a heavy one — it’s a day dedicated to love.

So let’s talk love!

Whether you have a loved one you’re celebrating, or using the day to hang with your single ladies — let’s make today a wonderful celebration of the ultimate love.

Self-love, that is!

Beauties, I know you’re probably much like me and you find yourself lost in the hustle and bustle of life. The bills, the groceries, the laundry, maintaining the house and life’s relationships (from family, to friends, to your significant other). But just like any relationship, finding time means carving it out. Often the most valuable aspects of life take intention and hard work, which isn’t always so glamorous (at first glimpse).

The same goes for the relationship with YOURSELF, Beauty!


Honoring, cherishing and respecting yourself is a romantic relationship that so few of us treat with equal attention as we treat all the relationships above (including the tedious to-do lists).

On top of that, we’re fed lines like you can’t love another until you love yourself.

Wait wait wait, are you serious?

Are you telling me that I won’t find love until I love myself completely? Well damn, loving myself is a long journey, often a lifetime journey. Self-love is a process, not some overnight trick that leaves me 100% self-loving by the next morning. So then, am I doomed if I’m still on the path towards fully realized self-love?

Absolutely not!  I’m here to tell you that loving yourself is a process, and by no means do you have to arrive at full self-love in order to celebrate love itself. Relationships and love are huge, they are ever-changing and expanding and evolving. As are you.  

My personal evolution towards fully loving myself began with a simple promise to feel fulfillment both personally and professionally. Here’s how it started…

A few years ago, my insecurities were at an all-time high. While I was booking modeling and hosting work, my career path seemed shaky and unsteady. Personally I felt like a hot mess — and not the good kind of hot. I was broken. I was confused. I was scared enough to seek guidance and help. To look at myself in the mirror and not truly recognize the personal staring back, that was terrifying.

My journey to true and unconditional self-love started the moment I realized it was desperately lacking. Through days, weeks, months and now years of time spent with my therapist, my mentors, meditating and turning over my will to a higher power — I’m now able to look in the mirror and love who is staring back at me. And not for the physical being that reflects back, but for the internal beauty I now feel so secure and confident about.

So how could I possibly contribute to a relationship with my (now fiancé) then boyfriend? Well, I couldn’t. Thank God for the loving, patient and supportive man in my life who afforded me the time to mend and heal. Today, I’m so grateful and happy to report that we are two whole individuals, who can co-create a wholesome, happy and fulfilled love.  

We’re all works in progress. That goes for our relationship with ourselves and with our significant others. Every relationship requires work, commitment and quality time.

So no need to beat yourself up if you don’t feel so self-loving or loved, just take a small step in the direction towards the love you deeply desire.

Here are some of my favorite steps to take:

  • Buy yourself a dozen roses
  • Enjoy a romantic comedy
  • Cook yourself your favorite meal
  • Go on a hike & enjoy the great outdoors
  • Share a movie with loved ones  
  • Enjoy a bubble bath with a good book  

What little action of self-love are you going to share with yourself today? And not just today Beauties, let’s keep the self-love train chugging down the tracks of life on a regular basis. I would love to hear all about your self-love journey in the comment section below.

Happy Valentine’s Day, Beauties! You’re all my valentines…today and everyday!

xoxo,

 

February 10, 2017 · Lifestyle + Videos

Super Bowl Beauty Playbook

Hi Beauties!

I’m still recovering from a beautiful 10 day stretch of hosting countless live events in Houston, Texas, leading up to Super Bowl LI. What an absolute dream come true.

As soon as I stepped off the plane in Houston days before the big game, I was blown away by the full-out decorations. What they say is true, everything is bigger in Texas. From high-rise to ground floor, the entire city was draped in Super Bowl attire. To see Houstonians coming together over the love of the sport, and showcasing immense pride in their city’s history-making opportunity was beyond special. Their excitement gave us all a reason to celebrate long before SBLI kick off.

What really stuck with me, Beauties, was the certainty and commitment of the Houston Texans. While their team didn’t make it to the Super Bowl, their fans were out every day proudly wearing their Texans jerseys and chanting “Go Texans” every chance they got. Their bigger picture view included seeing an opportunity in hosting the Super Bowl in their beautiful city — an opportunity to gear up for the next season of football. They stuck by their team, and were so filled with cheer.

All of this made me think of something I’d love to reveal to you, my Beauties…

I have my own weakness in connecting to the bigger picture. I admittedly struggle with seeing the bird’s eye view, getting caught up in the small and discouraging moments instead. Practicing to not sweat the small stuff and keeping my eye on the bigger picture has been a drill that I’ve tried to coach myself into practicing daily, because I know how much joy it brings into my everyday life. Sharing this with you is but another reminder to myself, focus on the end zone.

And that’s just one of the many sports analogies I’d love to share with you. I’m still in the football spirit, so pardon me as I share some Beauty plays. Let’s co-create our own Beauty Therapy Playbook!

The Beauty Therapy Playbook

Offense:In life, we’re often in the offensive position. Fighting for the things we want, fighting to be understood or heard, fighting to survive. Running the football into the end zone is certainly one way to score points and dance your victory moves to a cheering crowd, but don’t underestimate the power of assisting another player in making their winning touchdown a reality. Life doesn’t have to be a constant fight to survive. Offense has its place in the master plan, and so does helping another person win while you score your own personal touchdown. How do you share with others while also taking care of yourself, Beauties?

For me, finding that balance of self-love and giving to others can sometimes be tricky. I always want to be of service to my loved ones, but I also remind myself to make sure my needs are met so that I don’t feel resentful or depleted afterwards. How do I make sure I’m taken care of too?  I show up for myself — I see my therapist on a weekly basis, I get in a good workout, I journal about what I’m feeling and experiencing, and I pray and meditate to plug myself into something bigger than myself. I know when peace is the overall emotional I’m feeling, I’m on the right track. I can then offer others by time, love and support.

Defense: For all those times we have to uphold our beliefs and values, resist or restrict and of course protect the things we care about most — the defensive play is crucial to our very survival. Being defensive is our way of ensuring our safety, but at the same time can lead us into becoming passive and reactive — only when instigated or pushed to our limits do we act. When the defensive strategy is used at the right time and in the most positive way, we can employ it to keep us moving down our path towards the end zone. An interception, on or off the field, is always something to celebrate.

Refs: I think of the refs in the game of life as this internal Jiminy Cricket — that inner barometer for integrity, honesty and authenticity. You may not always love its call, but you know that without that much needed nudge to stay the course within the framework of the rules of the Universe, you couldn’t possibly make the ultimate play.

Coaches: There’s nothing like finding a coach that speaks to your innermost weaknesses. Just like the best player that wants a coach to push him past his comfort zone into growth and success, I’m a huge fan of my own personal life coaches. My therapist, my mentors, my teachers — I am so blessed to have incredible men and women to push and coach me along on this crazy field of life.

Cheerleaders: While the cheerleaders at football games are females, in life every one of us takes on this role in one way or another. We often cheer our friends and loved ones along, and other times we gain confidence through the warm cheers of our support system, our friends, our family, you name it.

So much of sportsmanship is also embracing compromise.

As we know, all relationships require compromise. I’m sure a lot of my beauties “compromised” this past Sunday to see a smile on their loved ones faces. Much like giving up one Sunday a year to watch a sport you may know little or nothing about, life is full of compromises too. But why do we view compromising as such a negative thing?

The definition of compromise literally means “an agreement.” Instead of viewing it from an “I lose” or “you lose” perspective, why not choose to see it as a sign that you’re mature enough to find a middle ground? There’s nothing beautiful about “I’m right, you’re wrong.” Nobody wins when we take on such a black and white approach. Yes, even if you’re technically right.

Heck, I compromise with myself all the time! Choosing to see good instead of bad, looking at the bigger picture, choosing peace over conflict, choosing love over judgement. If we’re going to honestly strive to find internal peace, compromise is key. So cheers to compromising, growing and evolving into a better, more centered and mature you!

Let’s not forget the core value of perseverance, and never giving up.

There’s another divisive element right there. Tom Brady. Whether you love him or hate him, you gotta give it up to the guy. He fought until the very end, and he came back to break the record for most Super Bowl championships won. He was a shining example of refusing to throw in the towel and staying focused until the very end.

I say this to remind us all, Beauties that there is always going to be something to hate, to argue over and to shoot down. You can walk around with a chip on your shoulder, feeling like the world owes you something, or you can give up being right for being happy. Personally, my joy creates my beauty. When I’m stressed or angry, I don’t feel so radiant. But when I connect to the possibility of the goodness in even the worst situations (much like what I believe the Patriots were feeling at half-time), then persevering and conquering the odds is but a moment away.

Which brings me to my final tenet — unity.

Whether you love it or hate it, the Super Bowl is a unifying event. Sunday’s game brought us all together, despite the opposing teams. This Super Bowl was the fifth most-watched program in TV history, and for once this year we weren’t focused on all the things that divided us, but instead we came together over the love of the game. And a crazy game at that — what an insane history making first overtime, with a crazy comeback for the Patriots.

On that note Beauties, I’d love to share with you my video and photo diary from Super Bowl LI! Enjoy 🙂

xoxo,