My favorite Teas

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Good morning! Today I'm doing something a little different and talking to you about the types of tea that I drink! Most of you know I LOVE tea -- I drink it pretty much all day every day, so I thought I'd round up my six favorite teas for you (they all serve different purposes!)

1. Lipton Black Tea - Every day go-to tea
This is the tea that I drink every morning before I get to work. I have it with my breakfast/ on my commute. I usually use one tea bag and put either cream or milk in it. Just a great every day black tea, nothing fancy.

2. Yogi Tea Echinacea Immune Support - "I feel sick" tea
When I start to feel under the weather, I start to drink this tea. It's packed with all kinds of herbal goodness and always helps me feel like I'm getting the best of a cold before it gets the best of me. Plus it tastes really delicious and soothing.

3. Yogi Teas Throat Comfort - Sore throat tea
Sometimes you can't get the best of a bug and you end up in bed for a few days. This tea is perfect when you have a sore throat. It's got great flavor, it's calming and ultra soothing and will help pick you up when you're feeling really low.

4. Celestial Seasonings Sleepytime Herbal Tea - "I can't sleep" tea
This tea is perfect for those nights when you just can't seem to fall asleep. I use two teabags and find that after one cup I am lulled into a very dreamy sleep. Having it with a spot of buttered toast doesn't hurt either :) This tea really makes you feel warm and fuzzy all over and seems to make your whole body know it's time for bed.

5. Smooth Move Chamomile Tea - "I can't poop" tea
Ok so we've all had those times where we just can't go to the bathroom. And let's be honest, it's not fun. There are lots of over the counter medicines to deal with constipation and you should always consult your doctor when figuring out what works for you and your body. When I can't go, this tea gets everything moving. I use one tea bag and steep for ONLY FIVE MINUTES (they recommend 10+ on the bag) and drink it before bed. By morning I'm able to go #2 and feel back to normal. I recommend the chamomile over the chocolate flavor -- I found the chocolate a little bit taxing on my intestines but the chamomile is very soothing and doesn't create a sense of urgency in the AM that the chocolate can (at least for me.)

6. Twinings Pure Peppermint Herbal Tea - Tummy ache and anxiety tea
Peppermint is really good for stomach aches in general, and this tea is very soothing. It can also be good if you're feeling anxious or just generally unsettled.

And that's it for my tea roundup! Do you like to drink tea? If so what teas do you drink? I'd love to know!

someday

Someday someone will shatter the glass ceiling

Sale + Fall Must Haves!

There is a sale going on at Nordstrom right now ladies and it ends in four days! Up to 40% off many cute items you'll want for fall! Throw on a pair of cuffed jeans, a cute pullover sweater like the green one I linked above or this v-neck sweater, some ankle boots and you're good to go! I'm also a fan of ponchos and they're not as hard to wear as you might think. Wear them over a t-shirt and pair them with jeans and some otk boots. Many ponchos I've seen lately are also doubling as scarves. So if you try it out and aren't sure how to pull it off as a poncho, wear it as a scarf!

Fall Beauty Favorites

Ok so one of the best things about fall is definitely getting to wear darker shades of lipstick :)

My absolute favorite lipstick right now is Butter Lipstick by NYX in the shade Moonlit Night and guess what... it's $6! You can get it at Nordstrom Rack, Target and Ulta! This is what it looks like on:

 I've been using this eye shadow palette daily (c/o Lancome):

 I like to use Voyage for my crease (5 in from the left,) Joie for my lid (4 in from the left,)

 and Audacious or Couture for outer corner (2 and 3 in from the right.) 

This is what the eye shadow palette (and the NYX Butter lipstick!) look like on:

These are the brushes (and sponge) I use daily: 

So I bought this five piece set which came with the sponge, four brushes (2 of which are pictured here) and a little zip pouch (not pictured) and I also bought this eight piece set which came with eight brushes specifically for applying eye shadow and eyeliner and a little zip pouch (1 brush pictured here, the rest not pictured.) From left to right (including the pink brush cleansing mat) : 1 / 2 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 6 / 7

This is the mascara and mascara primer I use daily (c/o L'Oreal): 

 Using a primer on the top and bottom lashes has totally changed my eye makeup game. I used to be afraid of clumping and spidery looking lashes but the primer lengthens my lashes without making them clump and gives a really nice full lash look. 

I wore false lashes to StyleCon, my favorite brand is Ardell. I'm wearing false lashes here:

I hope you enjoyed this post and found it helpful! Seriously though go buy the $6 NYX lipstick, you'll love it! Also -- if you haven't already -- GO VOTE!

I Now Have a Podcast!

Good morning! I hope you all had a great weekend. What did you do? I was at StyleCon over the weekend and it was so much fun! I was so honored to be there as an Influencer. Thank you StyleCon! I made some new friends and met some ladies who I have only been in contact with online so that was great! If you follow me on Snapchat you saw some glimpses of the amazing speakers and vendors who were there. Stay tuned for some upcoming product reviews and check out my Snapchat (username: thepowerofimage) and Instagram @Mapleandmint if you don't follow me already!

So I have a very exciting announcement to make today... I have started a podcast!!! I'm SO excited that I finally took the plunge and started it. It's something I've been thinking about for a while but I wasn't really sure how to start. I was inspired over the weekend at StyleCon when I heard Meghan Lorine of eyehateheels.com speak about HER podcast and honestly I just did some googling and learned you could make a podcast on soundcloud and... there you go! I now have a podcast!

The podcast is called Say Yes to You and is dedicated to happiness, personal growth and living your best life. The first episode is about Joyful Rituals and you can listen to it by pressing the red play button in the upper left hand corner, below! Please listen to it and let me know what you think!! (PS sorry for the clicking sounds that you hear a couple of times... that's me clicking my computer. Lol.)

Come Meet Me at StyleCon 2016 on November 5th!

Hey friends and fam! I am so honored and excited that I've been selected as a StyleCon Influencer this year!! If you don't know what StyleCon is... you need to know. It's kinda like Comic-Con but for fashion and beauty lovers... aka amazing? Use my promo code CHRISTINE for 15% off when you purchase tickets! Buy your tickets HERE!

StyleCon 2016 is on November 5th at the Hangar at the OC Fair in Orange County, CA. StyleCon brings together a community of fashion and beauty lovers, digital influencers, style and taste makers with exclusive brands to engage, discuss, follow and influence. Top stylists and makeup artists will be on hand with complimentary hair, makeup and nail services. (Gals - complimentary!! Plus have I mentioned the gift bag is insane?!) There will be style panels, fashion presentations, and opportunities to get to know favorite Instagrammers, bloggers, and YouTubers, plus lots of give-a-ways, brand promotions and products. 

Visit www.StyleCon.com to purchase tickets and learn more about the event! Don't forget to follow @stylecongirl on instagram and twitter and me @thepowerofimage if you don't already! Search with hashtag #styleconoc and use my promo code CHRISTINE for 15% off when you purchase tickets! Don't wait! Buy your StyleCon ticket today! I really want to meet as many of you as possible - I hope to see you there!

top 10 things to do this fall

1. Visit a haunted house
2. Watch a scary movie (or Halloweentown or Hocus Pocus, for the faint of heart ;))
3. Go apple picking
4. Visit a pumpkin patch
5. Bake an apple or pumpkin pie
6. Step on crunchy fallen leaves
7. Make mulled apple cider
8. Decorate your space with fall flair (scarecrows, bales of hay, carved pumpkins, etc.)
9. Re-read your favorite book
10. Bundle up and go on a walk, enjoying the crisp fall air