I'm all about a multipurpose product. A gentle yet effective cleansing balm that doubles as a mask? Sign me up! The Blue Moon Tranquility Cleansing Balm from Sunday Riley is a balm-to-milk cleanser with highly moisturizing ingredients like cocoa butter and mimosa flower wax. Its sugar-based cleansers work to remove makeup and other impurities, while soothing essential oils like blue tansy and German chamomile calm irritation. This product comes in extra handy during the fall and winter, when my skin feels extra dry and can really benefit from a heavier cleansing balm. Alternatively, I've found Blue Moon functions just as well as a calming and moisturizing face mask! I apply a thin layer of balm over clean skin, and allow it to set for about 20 minutes. The vanilla and sweet orange essential oils help to create a zen spa-like experience as an added bonus while you wait. After rinsing with a warm washcloth, my skin literally feels soft as a baby's bottom and oh, so hydrated! As with all of Sunday Riley's products, this balm is free of parabens and sulfates, is fragrance-free, and would make a great addition to your daily or weekly skincare regimen.
get fit with britt // abs
Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit at home or on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!
Today's exercise tones your abs. This initially has the look of a classic floor abdominal exercise, but you can really intensify the work by pressing your elbows and palms together in a 90 degree angle in front of your chest. Keep your movements small- back an inch and up an inch, and make sure your feet (heels) stay planted into the floor. To help keep this work out of your hip flexors, try to actively pull your navel in towards your spine, and tuck your hips up and under. Some of the best advice I've ever gotten during ab work is to remember to breathe! Strong exhales are super helpful- they facilitate your ability to contract the abs in one swift movement. Do 10 reps of each, and repeat the sequence three times for a highly effective toning exercise.
*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.
get fit with britt // upper back & shoulders
Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit at home or on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!
Today's exercise tones your upper back and shoulders. Holding a light set of weights (I chose 2 lb), bring your arms to 90 degree angles at your sides. Extend them all the way straight (out and up), and then bring them back to your sides (out and down). Make sure you keep a steady pace with your arms and keep the momentum out of your movement. It should feel like you're moving the weights through thick muddy water. If you have to use momentum, your weights are likely too heavy. In the next position, when you're drawing your elbows towards one another, imagine having a sheet of paper between your shoulder blades that you're trying not to drop! Squeeze those shoulder blades together! Make sure to keep a soft bend in your knees and your hips tucked under the entire time. Repeat this sequence with 10 reps of each, 3 times total.
*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.
skincare // in the air
Taking care of your skin during air travel is super important. All that dry, recycled air can wreak havoc on your skin, not to mention all the germs floating around, so it's a good idea to take some preventative and healing measures along the way. I wanted to share a few of my go-to products and tips (all TSA approved!) to ensure fresh and hydrated skin upon landing. First and foremost, drink tons of water. I always bring a refillable water bottle, and fill it up before boarding (post-security), and then have the flight attendants refill it multiple times throughout the flight. This is key for staying hydrated from the inside, out. In terms of skin, I always try to fly makeup-free, with freshly cleansed and moisturized skin. This will help get you started on the right foot. I always keep some type of face mist in my carry-on, whether it's Caudalie Beauty Elixir or Avène Thermal Spring Water Spray. A spritz or two is always a nice, refreshing pick-me-up when my skin starts to feel stale or parched. If you really want to take your face spritz to the next level, I suggest investing in The Pocket Spa by Kelley Quan. This compact, refillable personal humidifier hydrates and moisturizes your skin using only water, leaving you with youthful and dewy-fresh skin! It also prepares the skin for and increases the efficacy of all your other products to follow. Once the skin is prepped, I apply moisturizer: I'll either bring an oil like Sunday Riley Juno Hydroactive Cellular Face Oil, or a moisturizer like Osmia Organics Purely Simple Face Cream, both of which are great at locking in moisture. I also make sure to have a thick ointment, like Glossier balm dotcom or Lano Lips 101 Ointment Multipurpose Superbalm, which can be used on your face & lips, hands & cuticles, or any other dry spots you may have. For longer flights, and maybe if I have a bit of privacy in business class, I'll bring a sheet mask like Hada Labo Ultimate Anti-Aging Facial Mask or SK-II Facial Treatment Mask. These may look silly while they're working their magic, but I promise your skin will thank you upon arriving. Maybe you're not willing to go this far in public, and that's alright- just apply one once you've reached your final destination. Lastly, I love this Aesop Ginger Flight Therapy. It's said to give an invigorating sensory lift when applied to your pulse points during times of stress or nausea. If nothing else, it leaves you smelling lovely with the aroma of lavender, macadamia nut, sweet almond, and ginger oils. By incorporating these tips and products into your travel routine on a regular basis, I hope you'll notice an improvement in your skin's overall look and feel just as I have.
get fit with britt // pure barre ledge
Welcome back to Get Fit with Britt! I'm going to be posting some demos of my fave exercises taught at Pure Barre Williamsburg, with the help of their awesome instructors. Pure Barre is a fast, effective, and most importantly, safe way to change your body, and follows a technique that's high-intensity, but low impact to protect your joints! Thanks to Pure Barre, I have been able to build long, lean (not bulky!) muscles while tapering everything in & lifting it up! For this series, we will pick a particular move, explain the focus area and correct form, then demonstrate it so you can practice at home! That way, if/when you come to the studio yourself, you'll be rocking the moves & way ahead of the game ;) These exercises are also a great way to get fit at home or on-the-go! I find myself regularly using Pure Barre exercises during my hotel room workouts. Additionally, you can get all the outfits I'm wearing at the Pure Barre Williamsburg studio, so definitely go by if you're looking for some fun, new workout gear! Come & join me, get that healthy & strong body you've always wanted- come Get Fit with Britt!
Today's exercise focuses on the area where your seat meets the back of your leg. At Pure Barre, we call this area your "pure barre ledge", because you're essentially working to create a ledge where your booty pops out from the back of your legs. I love this position because, yet again, you get to relax most of your body on the ground (do you see a trend here?), all while really focusing the work on your seat. Adding a resistance band around your ankle adds an extra challenge here, but feel free to do this exercise without it as well. Rest your head on your arms, flex your foot, and keep your hips tucked under. Make sure to initiate each movement with a squeeze in the back of your seat as opposed to just moving your leg. This will ensure you maintain a smaller range of movement, and are able to tone the target area effectively. Repeat three sets of ten reps for a killer seat workout!
*I am not a trainer or health professional, so please consult one if you feel you're doing something wrong or could potentially injure yourself.
fave products // sunday riley luna night oil
Luna Sleeping Night Oil by Sunday Riley has been a true savior ever since I incorporated it into my skincare regimen. This retinoid oil helps improve skin's plumpness while fighting the appearance of wrinkles, pores & redness, all while you sleep! Wake up to glowing, luminous, and more youthful looking skin. Blue tansy and German chamomile essential oils are rich in soothing blue azulene, which helps to calm irritated or sensitive skin, leaving you with a beautiful even-toned complexion! I love that Sunday Riley's products are formulated without parabens, sulfates & phthalates, and are all cruelty-free! Luna Sleeping Night Oil is proven to improve skin's radiance, smoothness & fine lines, and the mix of retinol ester & potent botanicals is sure to transform your skin for the better!
