Since having my schedule change back January, I've been working on self-care and my morning rituals to keep me motivated and feeling good. I know everyone and their mother has made a post somewhere about this but I personally love reading about someone's morning routine. I especially like to know what skincare specifics they use to begin their day.

I set my alarm for 7am every morning. I usually get out of bed between 7 and 8 depending on how late I was up the night before reading or what I have planned for the day.

My next step is skincare, I've been keeping an intense eye on skincare lately. Stress has been wreaking havoc on my complexion and I knew that something had to give - so diet and skincare are front and center right now.

The skincare products I use range depending on how my skin feels that morning or looks but one thing is always for sure - a good cleanse, tone, sunscreen! Glycolic peels have also been a must. I've been using one or the other of the following peels every morning and have seen a great change in my skin texture and clarity in just a little over a week. I'm working hard to decrease sun damage and I feel that these and my evening routine items have been making a difference. Routine and repetition are key.

Dr. Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Daily Peels

Pixi Glow Tonic


Next up are vitamins, water, and making myself a bulletproof coffee (which is now decaf, thank you acid reflux! lol). I love Nespresso personally and they have a decaf coffee for my machine that tastes like a normal coffee, not watery and gross when you think of original decaf coffees.

Nespresso Vertuo Machine - White

Nespresso Decaf

Lastly, I like to sit with my bunnies on the porch and either read something like a self-help book or most of the time it's checking emails and listening to a podcast. I have also been trying to meditate a couple times a week and that would be at this time as well.

I really feel that having a morning routine helps start the day on the right foot. It gives you that time for yourself and to set the tone and pace for your day. Please let me know in the comments what you do in the morning or what podcast you are loving right now.

Blush has made a comeback. It didn't really leave but I feel like bronzing and highlight/contouring took the center stage for a while and blush was getting the shaft. Don't get me wrong I love chiseled cheeks and a glowy bronze look. It's basically my go-to on a daily basis. I just forgot how much blush can awaken the complexion.

Blush is the "I got eight hours of sleep after spending the day in Cabo on the beach and had a multiple O last night" makeup product.


The tip to creating a glowy I just spent time in the sun finish is choosing a blush with a burnt red tone. Not a blue toned red but a bronzed red.

Jackie O. Monroe is a piece of J.Nicole Artistry LLC (my photography and makeup artistry company) and I want to start integrating more photoshoot prep information and steps to complete before your event type of posts. If you have any ideas I'd love to hear about them in the comments.

I get a lot of questions about prepping for a shoot or event, "What should I wear?" "Do I need to prep my skin?" etc. I plan on answering all these types of questions in this series and giving tips and tricks to make the day of your session or appointment the most relaxing and enjoyable.

Summer - the sunshine, music, the waves (in both your hair and the sea). Summer is full of great things and one of them being low maintenance glowy makeup. I love this time of year for the less is more aspect.
I like to let my freckles shine in the summertime. On the regular, I apply a tinted moisturizer or healthy glow foundation, mascara/sometimes falsies, bronzer, some brow product and I'm good to go for the most part. If I want a little more - lipgloss or liquid lipstick and a Mac paint pot or glitter on the eyes. It's all about minimalist and fresh makeup, natural beauty for the win.

I'm not gonna lie, I was drawn to the packaging on this one. The concept is cutesy and retro inspired. I was also curious about the two part brush system.

The pros, it's a nice rick black color, the small section of the brush is great for reaching the hard to grab lashes and ease into the corners. It really lifts my lashes kind of like a pushup bra for your eyes. It didn't flake or crumble. The formula layered well with my Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir for added staying power and length. I loved that it didn't get clumpy either. This is a great mascara for creating the relationship between your falsies and natural lashes too. I like this type of brush for that.

The cons, I didn't feel like I got that feathery look I go for. The texture felt a little too wet but that could have been because my Marc mascara was on its last leg and dry as a desert.

Overall, if you are looking for an inexpensive mascara that lifts and curls like a champ, I would check this out! I don't know if I would repurchase since I just wear it with another mascara or falsies but I might use my Extra Bucks for it from time to time.