be your own kind of beautiful.

There are always highs and lows in life. Lately, I have been struggling with stress. In general, I tend to get anxious and stressed out about things that are out of my control. Is anyone else like this? Now that the holidays are over....life seems to be barreling by. It is a mere five months until I get married. My life has become working, planning, discussing, saving, packing, and oh yeah, worrying. This whole transition period has become totally overwhelming. It's not the getting married part. It is the whole finding a place to live and moving out thing. I suppose I am struggling to stay organized, get things done, and not feel totally overwhelmed. 

In the midst of everything, I have turned to makeup. It may sound crazy - but makeup calms me down. There is something about putting on my makeup, creating a new look, and getting inspired that helps me to calm down and re-assess. That's the thing about stress. Most of the time, it comes out of nowhere and it does more harm than good. My solution? To focus on the things that I love. That is what inspired this look. My heart was racing, my stress level was on the rise, and my to-do list was growing endlessly longer. So, I did my hair and makeup. 

The look? I created a rocker inspired ponytail with plenty of volume at the front. I threw on one of my favourite sweaters (a white and black bow sweater from Forever 21) and a pair of sparkly "Love" earrings. Instant casual glamour. As for my makeup, I stuck to my all-time favourite shades....bold neutrals. Browns and champagne colours, a bit of eyeliner, plenty of mascara, and a neutral lip. By the time I was finished, I felt so much better. Take a look at my stress-relieving makeup look: 

So, when in doubt? Do your makeup. With so many changes coming up and less and less balance happening in my life....stress and worry has taken over. Thankfully, there is always makeup to help me re-charge and re-prioritize. 

How do you reduce stress in your life? What do you think of this makeup look?

xo Shannon