Consider this my comfort zone: .
And here’s where we are with this post: *—————[3 million light years]——————>.
I’m not one to go around ever proclaiming I’m partaking in “hot girl” anything, lest anyone think I consider myself anything less than monstrous. No, if you say I look nice in something, I’ll stammer and tell you it was on sale. Was attending an all-girls high school to blame? Guess we’ll never know.
But one thing I can confidently claim? I look better now than I did 10 years ago. Do I look younger? No, certainly not. But I definitely look better, and I think this is what we call a glow-up.
Did I have an internal glow-up? Sure. I’m a confident, more experienced parent, and I established, grew, and stabilized my career. But we don’t care about that right now! We care about hotness!
Presenting: My Glow-Up Field Guide, including many things that may be obvious, but they really made a difference and I think it’s worth covering.
Things That Definitely Helped
Contacts Only/LASIK
My glasses were cute, but I look way, way better without them.
And certainly, this is not to say that glasses aren’t cute, because they can be a complete vibe, but for me? I look way more put together without frames.
And funny thing, but I actually had LASIK done right before my last pregnancy. But starting the day I peed on that stick, I kid you not, I could no longer see the TV without glasses. They probably should have cleared up any pregnancy plans with me ahead of the procedure, but here we are.
Eyebrow Microblading
My natural eyebrows are fine, but getting them microbladed made one of the biggest differences I could imagine. A good brow can frame your face beautifully, and when they’re microbladed? You wake up with a perfect set. The first time was the most investment, both time-wise and financially, and now I just get regular touchups on a yearly basis or so.
Botox
Ya, girl, tox is in here. And of course it is, because it’s just so damn effective. I don’t get a ton, and I don’t want to look frozen ever, but beautifully planned and executed Botox will both turn back the clock and prevent further wrinkles. I have always had a horrible habit of raising my eyebrows, out of insecurity about having a large forehead, so I had earlier lines that others may have. But a little Botox broke that bad habit, and my skin is much smoother than it was.
Latisse
It took me ages to come around to the idea of Latisse. Something about it seemed frou-frou - maybe it was the commercials? But when I finally got a prescription, I realized I had been missing out for years! My upper lashes are a bit thicker and way longer, so it’s almost a little vulgar when I wear mascara.
This, with the microbladed brows and Botox, means I look more put together when I don’t lift a dang finger.
Dainty Jewelry (That I Never Take Off)
I typically don’t have much interest in spending time getting ready in the morning, and jewelry will definitely fall by the wayside if it has to be a choice and an effort each day. What I do instead:
two sets of gold earrings with hinged backs,
sometimes two sets of huggies, maybe one with a little diamond or CZ, and
sometimes one longer set of drop/hoop earrings with lever backs, with diamonds or CZ at the bottom
a gold necklace that’s long enough to feel comfy at night
and is layered for a thoughtful look
Pair something like this, with a neutral charm, with a shorter chain of a different style, and you look intentional… every day, with zero intention. My all-time favorite spot for necklaces is Awe Inspired—give me everything.
This is another effortless touch that helps you look more put together each day, when you’re actually not put together at all and are just trying to rush to the school because you forgot it’s a half-day. Woops.
A Uniform (That Works for My Body)
I ditched long tanks and empire waists, which did nothing for my short legs or diastasis recti (Thanks to my prides and joys!). Instead, I worked to put together a few uniforms that were super comfortable but suited my body well. This way, I just grab a basic formula and know it’ll look reasonably good. I’m not going for perfection here; just reliable, put-together looks for casual errands and events, like school pick-up, soccer practice, groceries.
When it comes to daily errands, I honestly wear fewer jeans and more joggers, harem pants, and yoga leggings. Let’s be real here.
The Right Hair Color & Style
Before, my hair was a bit unnaturally dark for my happiest self (Meaning one who sees the sun) and my side part was way too deep. My hair length was in this weird no man’s land, since I have the tendency to cut it super short on a whim then hate my life for months.
Finally, I realized that long hair was my thing and some natural highlights worked best for my coloring, keeping me from looking too pale, and giving everything a sun-kissed vibe. I honestly hate sitting in the salon chair, so I go a long time between appointments, and I’m working on a DIY solution to keep things under control at home most of the time. But for now? Take my money (When I’m desperate and plucking out grays with tweezers, that is).
With all the tech today, it’s easy to find a color analysis and face shape analysis for picking a go-to hairstyle, so take advantage!
Wet Hair Routines
Remember me hating getting ready each morning? Yeah, that’s still really true of my hair. I have naturally very thick hair that has a little wave but leans toward puffy. However, I learned that I could twist and clip my hair when it’s damp and give it a little more shape and structure when it’s naturally dried.
This is basically what I do, except I split my hair down the middle, twist both halves outward, then clip it up or secure it with a scrunchie under my chin. I do this when it’s damp, and it makes a huge difference, with minimal effort.
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Being Joyful and Happy
Not to “You should smile more!” you, but I really think that being generally quite happy and enthusiastic transforms my face. A lot of this is due to being out of the tiny-baby stage with my kiddos, and I feel way more confident as a parent and business owner, too.
A Great Workout Routine
OKKKKK, I know, this is the one that annoys us. But the glow-up would not have happened without a really great fitness routine. Do I do it for the glow-up? Hell no. I do it because I might commit crimes if I went through every day of my life feeling the way I do before I get endorphins.
Really, that’s a bonus, and I work out for the health benefits and for how amazing I feel in my body when I do. I found a great routine that works for me, and looks something like this:
strength (resistance) training 2 days per week (lifting as heavy as I reasonably can)
cardio 2 days per week (something fun like tennis, cycling, or running, to keep my VO2 max strong, and keep me ready to participate in active events)
stability 2 days per week (used to be plain ol’ yoga at home, but now is almost always 1-2 classes of heated yoga at my beloved local studio)
I wanted to balance all of these practices and feel like I have a great setup. I never get bored, and I structure my days so I have plenty of recovery between each category’s activity.
In turn, I feel sleek but strong, and just look at this very ridiculous picture of me being very ridiculous at Animal Kingdom… My darling daughter decided she hated life and refused to pose, so here I am, being a good sport. Stop looking at my weird face after I just told you all my secrets to looking kinda cute, and focus on the shoulders, Jessica!!
More importantly: I can kick your butt, and that’s a big part of the glow-up. From my perspective anyway.
And actually, I probably can’t, because if you tried to fight me, I’d just scream then start crying.
Things That Probably Help
Like, there’s science there, but I’m not entirely sure how much each of these directly and causally contributed to the glow-up.
Skincare Supplements
I take a daily skincare supplement with ceramides to support skin hydration and smooth fine lines. I feel like my skin does well, considering its propensity for dark spots, fine lines, and large pores. The cost and effort for supplementing are low, so I keep at it. Probably contributes? Probably.
Retinol
Retinol boosts collagen production, speeds up cell turnover, and smooths fine lines and dark spots, leading to its all-star reputation in anti-aging skincare. Tretinoin popped on the skincare scene recently, which some of my friends absolutely adore, but it’s way too drying for me.
Instead, I use a retinoid oil nightly and love the consistency, gentleness, and routine. Occasionally, I use a straight-up retinol serum, but my skin is sensitive so I vary my days.
Knowing How to Pose
Much like the middle part, posing straight on is not for me. Not in the cards, never gonna be. I have a long face which looks much longer posing straight on, so I always try to pose with my face turned slightly to one side, and ideally bang-side on. This way my face length and forehead height are minimized. Does this help me much irl? Nah, but when I’m 119 looking at old Google Photos through my retina-screen, I’ll be like, “Dang, ya great-grandma was hottie back in the 21st century.”
Electrolytes for Hydrated Skin
Um, maybe? I’m really iffy on this one, since we actually started walking back the amount of electrolytes we’re drinking daily. I salt my food properly and to taste, I eat plenty of fruit, veg, and nuts/grains, and I don’t sweat excessively every day or train at an elite level by any means. So when I wrote my notes for this post? I was like, “Yes, electrolytes, definitely.” Now I’m more like, “Ummmm…….. ask me later?”
OK…. good talk, next section.
Good Sleep, Lots of It
I’m a trash person with a trash attitude when I don’t get tons of sleep, and this boggles my friends’ minds. How do I manage to get so much sleep?! Especially with three active kids, like 9 businesses, and plenty of volunteering, I shouldn’t get much sleep. Here’s my secret to how I do it:
I just freaking go to bed. I go to bed early, I skip that next episode of Love Is Blind, and I set my alarm for late enough. 5 AM club? Hell no. I’m a member of the She’s Not Sleep Deprived Club, and I invite you to join me. I’ll make t-shirts!!!
Having an early-rising husband with giant, elite athlete goals sort of forces me to, to be honest. Without him going to bed super early each night so he can wake up super early each morning and get a cool, like, 20 miles in, I’d probably stay up too late and call it “revenge procrastination.” I’m here to say that that’s only exacting revenge on yourself, your will to live, and your under-eye bags.
Here’s how it actually works in my house:
8:15 PM: The kids are in bed. It used to be 7:45/8:00, but my oldest now refuses to not hang out with us and force us to like, listen to football stats while we disassociate and sleep with our eyes open.
8:45 PM: We get our asses up from the couch and go get ready for bed. I oil pull and tongue scrape, brush my teeth, dry brush my skin, take my supplements, and do my skincare.
9:00 PM: Get in bed and read for 30 minutes.
9:30 PM: Lights out! If I come home late or stay up late, I end up feeling like a dang robber in my own house, tip-toeing around in the dark, looking to burgle all his fine jewelry, so I typically just avoid that.
6:15-6:45 AM: Alarm for the next day. Wheeeeee! I’m a lazy hurkle-durkler, because his alarm goes off at like, 5:15. But I’m not like, winning any marathons, so.
Sleep doesn’t naturally come very easily for me, though, and my mind takes a lot of work to shut off. You might have gleaned this from my long-winded writing style? Keep your judgment to yourself, Brenda. But I take a couple supplements to help me sleep, including a single milligram of melatonin (What did I say about the judgment, Brenda?), apigenin (a bioflavonoid derived from chamomile), and a fun little gummy blend.
Next-Level Glow Up
Alright, what am I missing? What else can I do? What have you tried that worked super well for you? Oh, and in case you forgot, you are already STUNNING, and I love you so much.
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