Stephy Loves… – Striving for self-care, not perfection.

Rethinking Retail Therapy

April 9, 2018 Stephy Leave a comment

In my recent organizing work, I’ve found myself feeling like such a hypocrite, because I have always had a weakness for retail therapy. It’s a form of self-medicating that my entire family is prone to; my mom and grandma at their peaks had craft stashes that took up more space

I am exhausted.

February 24, 2018 Stephy Leave a comment

I want to write about foundation brands that come in a wide range of shades. I really do. It’s important, and it’s creative, and it feeds my soul to play in the pretty makeup. But I’m too tired. I’m trying to get my own business off the ground, and driving

Tarte, Pink Hats, and Privilege

February 2, 2018 Stephy One comment

Look, loves, we need to talk about something serious. I’ve sat on this post for a little while, because A. I was concerned about speaking over people who needed to be heard, and B. I’ve been busy with my life falling apart, moving from a luxury apartment I had shared

My Favorite Holiday Gift Ideas for 2017

November 25, 2017 Stephy Leave a comment

For those of us who are beauty nerds, the holidays are a lot of fun in terms of product releases. All the big brands seem to rush gift sets to market that may not be practical for everyone (seriously, ONE Urban Decay Naked palette is an investment, much less paying

My Favorite Winter Nail Colors

November 20, 2017 Stephy Leave a comment

My love affair with nail polish dates all the way back to kindergarten, when I was given two Minnie Mouse peel-off nail polishes by a relative. I was hooked! Long before my days of Ulta and Sephora hauls or even being allowed to wear makeup on my face, I was

A “Capsule Wardrobe” For Your Face, Part 1: Brushes and Tools

October 25, 2017 Stephy Leave a comment

Whether you’re paring down your makeup, starting a new routine, picking what to take with you to travel, replacing old product, or just limited on space, everyone who wears makeup has had to decide what goes into the makeup bag. The fact is, despite what the multi-billion-dollar beauty industry will

How To Help: Loaves and Fishes

September 19, 2017 Stephy One comment

In my last post, I talked about reaching out and being useful to others when depression makes me feel useless, and promised to give some examples of ways to help other people. Today I met with Sue Bruce, communications manager at Loaves and Fishes, a Charlotte nonprofit that runs area

Depression, Uselessness, and Fighting Back

September 15, 2017 Stephy One comment

These past few weeks, I have been struggling. Yesterday marked a year since I was in the emergency room, suicidal, and while I’m not nearly that low right now, the depression is giving me a really hard time. The reason this is the first time I have written in weeks

Ulta and Sephora August 2017 Birthday Gifts, Reviewed

August 31, 2017 Stephy Leave a comment

First things first: if you aren’t subscribed to the Ultamate Rewards program at Ulta and the Beauty Insider program at Sephora, you need to be. If nothing else, they give you a free gift, no purchase necessary, every year on your birthday. Due to a mix-up at Sephora in which

Brands You Will Not See Here

August 21, 2017 Stephy Leave a comment

As much as I would like to be the beauty blogger who tries everything and brings all the brands to my readers, there are some I just can’t support. There is enough attention on these products in the beauty world right now that I do get asked about them, and