Western Life & Style Trailblazers
Western Life & Style Trailblazers
Ep 11: Our current fav products & life hacks
Ali Dee and Nicole James share their current favorite products and life hacks that have been game changers in their busy lives as entrepreneurs and moms.
• Nicole's discovery of Field and Flower whipped beef tallow for treating hormonal acne
• Ali's skincare transformation using affordable Korean skincare from MediCube
• The double cleansing method that's dramatically improved Ali's complexion
• The Ordinary's 100% organic rose hip seed oil for deep hydration
• How removing processed foods from your diet can increase energy and reduce brain fog
• Why starting the day with a protein-packed breakfast completely transforms productivity
• LA Colors Color Craze Gel Polish as an affordable, long-lasting nail solution for busy moms
• Both hosts sharing their personal journeys of finding self-care routines that work with hectic schedules
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Hello, welcome to another episode of Western Life and Style Trailblazers podcast. I'm Ali D. With me today is co-founder and co-host of the podcast, Nicole James. What's up, Nicole?
Speaker 2:Hello, glad to speak to you today, even though I guess we talk all the time.
Speaker 1:Yeah, I know it's kind of funny, but today we're going to try a little bit something new with the podcast. So Nicole and I want to continue to grow this platform, the podcast platform. We have an incredible following on Instagram and social media and people have been asking us more and more to do more of these podcasts. So we've been bouncing back and forth some ideas on different things. We'll continue to bring on amazing guests and let you guys experience more of what the incredible women in the Western Life and Style community and orbit have to offer, but we also wanted to add in a little bit more, you know, on the fun side podcast.
Speaker 1:So that's what we're going to do today, and Nicole and I have talked about what today's episode is going to look like and here's what we're going to roll with that it's going to look like and here's what we're going to roll with. We're each going to tell you currently like three favorite products or hacks or something that's going on in our lives Three of our favorites. We're each going to give our top three things that we are like loving right now. So, nicole, are you excited about telling your top three products? Slash hacks?
Speaker 2:I am, I feel like it's like kind of years in the making, like this stuff that I'm going to say is stuff that's like been game changer for me and kind of has made my life better. I guess, as you can say, has helped me in certain areas. Do you want me to go first with one of my hacks?
Speaker 1:Yeah, how about you go? Okay, so what we'll do is you go first, then I'll go, then you go, then I'll go, and we'll do our top three again, like hacks, slash products, slash things that we're using or doing right now in our lives that are like this is so game changing. These have been such incredible additions that we have to tell our Western life and style community about it, and it's hard for us to do that in like a 10 second reel on Instagram or even a TikTok.
Speaker 2:So that's why it's going here on the podcast. Okay, nicole, go, hey. Well, so this is because a little backstory on it and I'll be quick. It's because so after I had my second child I've had I've never had this problem in my life is like hormonal acne and it's only on my chin. So that is basically hormonal acne. That's only on your chin. I don't get it anywhere else and it sucks. So I have tried so many things for this and biggest thing that I've learned is kind of like, don't overdo it.
Speaker 2:I used to use like 1000 face stuff on my face and I have learned the hard way like that's not the way to go and so what's really helped me is it's called filled flower, is the brand and it's a beef tallow and no joke has been. I know some people are biased and people don't like it. Some people do, but for me like no joke. It really has like soothed health, my acne, it's clear, my face. I just do recommend to get the unscented one. I get a little nervous about putting too many scents and like products and ingredients on your face. So I get the unscented one. I get a little nervous about putting too many scents and like products and ingredients on your face. So I get the unscented. It doesn't smell the greatest, but I do it at night before I go to bed and I wake up and my face is like you can tell that it's like done some work, like it's gotten deep in there and it's like really soothed everything.
Speaker 2:And I tried the oils, I've tried the sprays, I've tried all of it. I've literally ordered like one of each from different brands. This brand has been my favorite and also the whip has been my favorite. A lot of people say you're wasting your money getting the whipped. Nope, I love it. No one can fight me on it. Love it so much it's helped me. So if anybody else is kind of and obviously I'm not a doctor- so like you don't have to like, follow it's, it's helped me so love it.
Speaker 2:I recommend it. Question Okay, the name is fields and flour whipped beef tallow. Where did you find it? I found online so on one of our Facebook platforms the Western life and style when I actually put like recommendations of beef tallow from anybody and tons of people put like recommendations of beef tallow from anybody and tons of people. We have a facebook group paid right away for all of this stuff and hacks and, um, I, tons of people put their stuff on there and I tried like maybe five different brands that was on that page and different kinds of like serums and sprays. But this page, um, like two people recommended it on there actually and it's called yeah, Field and flower teleco is what it is. So I mean I can. If you guys want to DM or have questions, I'll send you guys the link.
Speaker 1:Love it. By the way, none of this stuff is like at paid advertisement. This is true as things that Nicole and I love, so that's funny. Okay, so that's your first one. Well, my first one is also skincare.
Speaker 1:So before yeah, again, before I had kids, I didn't have a skincare routine. It was just basically whatever soap is in the shower, throwing that on and away we go. I didn't even wear that much makeup and I noticed after I had kids I feel bad saying this, but I feel like I rapidly aged from not sleeping and newborns and having kids pretty much back to back, two in a row. So I felt like recently I wanted to take care of my skin, not only so it looks better, but it really seemed like this luxurious thing people were doing and I didn't have anything really in my life that I was doing. That was dedicated time for me, for me to pamper myself, Because, as you know out there, moms, working moms, anything when it comes to you, you're always at the bottom of the barrel, You're last on the priority list, and I was like I don't want to do that anymore. I want to give myself five or 10 minutes where it's like I'm doing something for myself. That feels nice and luxurious and just taking care of me for a minute, and it really does go a long way just that alone, just setting aside some time to do it.
Speaker 1:So I did a little bit of research. Of course, TikTok, you know, is the guru of skincare and there's so many incredible creators on there talking about skincare. But I actually fell in love with someone who teaches what's called like skin flooding and the Mixon method, and I think her name is Ashley Mixon. That's M-I-X-O-N, and some of you are probably like oh yeah, I totally know her. If you're not in your 30s or 40s yet, you may not know her because she's, you know, probably trying to reach the girls like me that are desperate for some help with skincare. But she not only has like some great education it's very easy to understand her, very easy to get where she's going but she's also like just super nice, Like she. I don't know what to say. She just comes about really nice and friendly where I'm like it doesn't feel like. You know, sometimes it gets really intimidating when the creator's an esthetician of you know 10 years and this is like, and it's like all these big words and I'm like okay, just tell me exactly what to buy, Tell me what's going to help my skin look, you know, fresher and happier, and all the things. So I feel like she does a really good job at that. So that's who I kind of started following a little bit when I decided I wanted to up my skincare game and I didn't realize that skincare can be so expensive like $100 for a tiny bottle of something and I was like that's just not my cup of tea. So I found also found this is getting a little bit lengthy, but I got to tell the whole story. So I also found this company called Metacube. So they I found them again on TikTok.
Speaker 1:So it was a combination of finding this girl and then finding this brand that people seem to really love, and I, you know, was reading the reviews. It was an easy buy, it was inexpensive, it's Korean skincare and it came in like a little package where you got like some, you know, pads with toner on it. You got another toner in a bottle and you got like this really hydrating looking moisturizer and it's called like the HR group. So I was all in on that. So I purchased the MediCube and I'm telling you, within like days, days, I started to feel a huge difference in my skin where I was looking in the mirror and I was like holy moly. So I fell in love with this line and then I started to combine it with what I was learning from Ashley, which I know, you and I talked about at lunch the other day at Dallas Market Center. We were talking about skincare routines. You're like Allie, your skin looks so good, I'm like I know. So I was like let me tell you everything.
Speaker 1:So what I learned from her was this thing called double cleansing. So I hope you're taking notes at home. So double cleansing is washing with, like, an oil-based cleanser and then immediately washing with a water-based cleanser. Well, what I didn't know is I already had a water-based and an oil-based cleanser that I was using, but I didn't realize that's what they were.
Speaker 1:I just bought them because I was like, oh, I liked whatever it said on the bottle and it's the La Roche one. So there's, yeah, which you said you like as well. Yeah, so it's the La Roche oil-based cleanser. I use that, and then I use the water-based cleanser and then I do my little Metacube thing and then I just really feel like that it has made such a big difference, and fast. So if you guys are like interested in starting a skincare routine and maybe you're like you know, I don't know 20s, 30s, 40s, 50s and you haven't really dove in yet, this is like a really, really good option for you. So that's my first one. Sorry, it was so long, had to get it all out there. Go, Nicole.
Speaker 2:Number two my second one is called so same thing. I actually do what you do. So I do the two double cleanse. You know stuff. I do the Beef Tallow and then this is all at night, by the way. And then the next one is called it's by the Ordinary and it says it's 100% organic, cold pressed rose hip seed oil. It's a long name and it's like a brownish bottle. They usually have like two different kind of color bottles like a white, like daytime one, and then this is like their nighttime one.
Speaker 2:It's a brown bottle, it's a serum and, um, I do kind of put it on sometimes during the day if I'm not going anywhere and I know I'm not like not gonna like be in the sun or be out and about or anything like that. I will do it. But game changer, super hydration um, I started using it after I like burnt my face off acne medication um, but I've come to really love it. I actually use it so much like it's the one thing I order like a lot um, so I usually have to like go find it or like make sure I order it and it says to make sure you apply um, just like says once to the face.
Speaker 2:But I do it every now and then, like maybe like three times out of the week. I'll do it even like during the day, like after, and I need like that extra little moisture. You kind of feel like your skin is a little bit more dry. But again, I'm trying to stay away from like putting a thousand you know different serums and lotions on my face. So that's it. It's from the Ordinary and it's really actually not that pricey. So I love it.
Speaker 1:So that's mainly for like you feel like your skin is dry and you want more hydration.
Speaker 2:Yes, yes, because of I backstory, I literally was trying to fix my hormonal acne my way this is not the company's fault or anything and I use acne spot treatment for my whole face and like threw it all over my chin and it literally like it did like a chemical pill on my chin. It like flaked off my skin. I'm 100% better now. There's no dryness or anything, but it like really suits and now I like still use it, like I love it and I've used it before, but it's, it's one of my favorites I'll always and it's I think it's like natural ingredients. Let me read that yeah, there's like not much in it, it's just that rose I don't really know what rose hip seed oil is I love it Perfect.
Speaker 1:It's so funny how, you know, skincare is like all of a sudden becoming the theme of this podcast, because it does become so important as you get older and you're like man, like sometimes I look in the mirror and I go, wow, this, it's just incredible what a good skincare routine can do. So if you're out there and you're like I don't know, I don't believe it, I'm telling you that's the same way I was. I was a total skeptic and I just thought these people just had naturally amazing skin. But the transformation I've seen in like the 30, maybe it's been 45 days now since I've had a real skincare routine, it's like tremendously different. So highly recommend. Okay, are we ready for my number two? Yeah, okay, this is a good one too.
Speaker 1:So this I started to do about, let's see, about nine months ago was removing processed food from my diet. So there again, after having kids, you know, our bodies change and kind of everything changes, and I was feeling like I just wanted more energy. I felt like I had a lot of brain fog. I feel like I'm having to use like more brain power than ever because not only are we having to run our businesses, but we also have two kids to you know, raise and make sure they're eating breakfast, lunch and dinner and doing their little kid homework and learning their alphabets and all the things. And I just felt, like you know, I could get by before that with just eating whatever I wanted, like it was bad. And while Corey you know my husband he, coming from like a professional athlete background, was always like you know, man, you could just eat like junk, like he just thought I ate junk food all the time. I didn't really think it was that junky. But looking back now I'm realizing, oh yeah, it was kind of a lot of junky food. So what I did was remove pretty much all the processed food. There's, like I would say, 95% of it. So really going down to like meats, vegetables, fruits, nuts. I do eat dairy, so I don't know if that counts as processed food or not, but I eat, like you know, the yogurt. That's just plain, and then I'll add some honey for my sweetness. So you know, I don't know if honey's I guess not processed really, but um, so just making sure that I'm eliminating like a lot. Like no more chips, no more. I don't really eat bread, um, except in the morning. Sometimes I'll have a piece of toast and it's like the Dave's bread which supposedly is all the good stuff in their bread. There's no, you know, funky things. So that's that's why I say 95%, because on occasion I do still have a piece of toast in the morning.
Speaker 1:And I will say the first two to three weeks were really hard. Like my body was was freaking out, like it was like what's going on? You know where's your sugar, where's this? And like I could just tell I felt hungry all the time and then, all of a sudden, like everything changed. Like again, it was just like I'd wake up, I'd eat, you know, a great breakfast Um, I'd have.
Speaker 1:And I actually, when I first started, I should say I had hardly any fruit in my diet and veggies. Like I was really hardcore, just eating meat like hamburger meat, chicken steak and cheese, and that was really a lot of what I was eating. And I noticed like, okay, I need to add some more vegetables or fruit. Again, this is different for everybody, but this is what worked for me. So once I started adding in more fruit and some more vegetables, I really felt like my energy picked up and that's when I felt like, okay, this diet feels so good and now it's not even a diet anymore, it's just how it is and there's always something you can get, I feel like at restaurants you can get.
Speaker 1:You know, if I go to like, for example, firehouse Subs, I'll just order a sub without the bread and I'll get, you know, double turkey and whatever the case is to kind of, because the salad's kind of boring. Yeah, but just to make sure I'm getting rid of those excess sugar processed foods as much as possible. And this made me feel like I have way more energy. I feel like the brain fog really lifted, coming like week two to three, and just overall feel better about what I'm buying at the grocery store, like I hardly ever buy anything crappy anymore, but yeah, it's made a big difference. So my number two is, if you are have been thinking about dropping some processed foods or like extra carbs or anything, it makes a huge difference and you're talking to the girl who loved sandwiches and chips more than anything in the world. So if I can do it, you can do it.
Speaker 2:No, that's a good one. I mean it's weird because it also comes in hand in hand with your skincare too, like what you eat and what you're putting in your body like really goes along with it. So my next one goes along with yours as well, and it's been a huge game changer for me. This is again after I had my babies. All of this stuff kind of I had to incorporate it because my whole body it's like you, have to like relearn who this new body is. It's not the same at all. The whole like you're physically and mentally just not same person.
Speaker 2:So I used to like just eat like a lot of cereal like all day, eat whatever I wanted, processed stuff, like same thing as you. And so I now and I never used to do this, not at all growing up or anything I'll eat a huge, huge protein breakfast when I wake up and I noticed the days that I don't do that like the whole day's room for me. I'm like brain frogged, I'm in a slump, like I'm hungry all day. But if I, when I wake up and I make myself like my eggs, my bacon, my sausage, whatever, it's like a huge protein breakfast and I try my best to not have carbs, I will like throw in like a tortilla or something every now and then, just because I'm like I need it.
Speaker 2:But protein eggs are really important. I never knew how important eggs were for, like, our bodies. If I get an egg or two, you know, in the morning I'm good, like I'm not even hungry for like lunch I don't need a snack, which was that's a downfall. And then you're snacking, you're putting all that bad stuff in your body. Um, I do feel like it's helped my face as well. Weirdly, like it's just I'm not wanting to put sugars and bad things in my body. Um, so if I don't get that big breakfast during the day, like I will even tell Wesley, my husband, like my day's ruined.
Speaker 2:I need to stop somewhere. I need to have a big breakfast, that's it. That's been my like advice, and then at dinner I'll try to do my best to eat like something protein as well, and something healthy. I mean, yes, we're not perfect. I'm not over here dieting or anything of that sort. I'm on no diet. But the fog brain, my energy level, my face, my everything I have noticed if you eat like a huge something protein, my day's great, it's, it's. I can rock and roll all day, yeah.
Speaker 1:And I think, like just to, you know, we're both still trying to navigate this. You know, different body, different life and no matter what age you are, you're going to go through different transitions and it's trying to figure out what's going to be the best for your body. So just something like this, not that we again, we are very early into these journeys, so do not look at us as experts. We're just exactly like you, trying to figure out the best things to do to make us have the most energy, feel good. You know, look our best and all the things together. So you know, it's not just like well, here, you know, buy the energy, buy to ever having a good, you know sentence brain. Like no, we want to make sure we didn't have babies young either, like I didn't.
Speaker 2:I mean, I mean I ha, I'm in my upper thirties and so that's. I mean, you know, I'm closer to my forties than anything, and not that that's old by any means, but like, as opposed to if I would have had kids in my, you know, early twenties when I was running around in college, um, I can see the difference in like your, your energy level, like my energy is nowhere near the same. So I am always trying something new and trying to figure out, you know, how to sustain and treat my body better and take care of it better, because I'm not a spring chicken.
Speaker 1:Yeah, we need to have like an expert, like come on the show and talk about this. Yeah, I want. Yeah, we'll have to work on that. If anyone has any suggestions on who we should try to reach out to to be a guest on the podcast in like the health slash, you know healthy woman niche, what that would be DM us on Instagram at Western Life and Style and give us your thoughts on who that could be and we can reach out to them. Yeah, okay, let's do my third. So your first one, or your three, are we got it. You have your beef tallow, we had your ordinary rose hip seed oil and then we had your protein breakfast. Yes, okay.
Speaker 1:So my third one is a little bit out there now as I see how the direction of this podcast has gone, but I'm going to tell you about my new favorite nail polish, which is the LA Colors Color Craze Gel Polish. Okay, I know this is so random and out there, but I love listening to podcasts or TikToks where people tell me about something that they find that they like, because I love trying new things, and maybe this is you too. So if you've been wanting to try like a new nail polish, let me first say that I do not like getting manicures. I do not like getting pedicures. I haven't got one in I don't know 10 years. That is just not my thing. I keep my nails short. They're natural and I've learned that I really like to have them painted. It just makes me feel better. So I'm always on the hunt for a nail polish that's going to last a pretty good amount of time without chipping, and something that you know is fun colors. So I've pretty much tried a lot of nail polishes out there from like the more expensive SC or EC or, however you say that, the ESSIE brand.
Speaker 1:I've tried that one. It's okay. I feel like it chips kind of easily. Then I was a hardcore. I think it's like the Sally Hansen quick dry one because they have so many colors. Yeah, okay. So that was my go-to girl for so long because they have so many colors. And the thing is when you're a mom, you have like maybe two minutes to let it dry before you're having to, like you know, get them on the potty or do something and the nails are gone. So I know that quick drying is an essential for me, and fun colors I literally just did mine yesterday and they're already you know, but it makes me feel better, right, that's.
Speaker 1:The thing is that they chip the Sally Hansen one chips after like one day, so that and I would just like repaint the little area and try to get as much as I could back them. But at the end of the day I was like, okay. Now also, what I will tell you is I stopped the other day on the way to Dallas market because I wanted to get some blue nail polish, because I had a blue outfit on, and I stopped and I was like I'm going to pick up some blue nail polish. I found one that I really liked from that brand, the Sally Hansen Hard as Nails brand, and I applied it and it was super cute. But yeah, it did chip right away and it was $8.99. And I was like what happened? Like this stuff used to be on the lower end and now it was like $8.99 for one nail polish. I don't know, it seemed a little much to me and I even said it to the guy. The checkout guy was like, oh really, he's like, yep, you still want it. And I was like I guess so Jeez, you know it's the only thing I was buying. So uh, but yeah, I thought it was funny how he was like do you still want it? I'm like, yeah, okay, I'll do it. So, anyways, I bought the nail polish paint in my car in, or my nails in the car, and away.
Speaker 1:I went to Dallas market, but I will say I also discovered this LA colors color craze gel. Hold on, let me get the name again the gel polish, and that's what I have on. You guys can see I'm showing Nicole, because we're on a Zoom call and it comes in really fun fluorescent colors and regular colors, and this one lasts longer and it's cheaper it's like five bucks. So, yeah, I've already started collecting colors. But anyways, if you've been on the hunt for a nail polish and you're like me and maybe you know, maybe you do like a lot of tours outside or whatever the case may be, and you don't want your nails chipping super fast, but it does make you feel like a little bit better having your nails painted, try this one. I'm curious what you think because I have really loved it. Again, it's less expensive and it lasts longer and it's like more of like a gel, shiny look.
Speaker 2:So that's my third one. I love it. That's so funny. I literally just painted my nails yesterday and I try to once a week but like the same thing. I'm like how many times am I like taking this off and putting it on? But I really do like it makes me feel better, like I always have to have my toes and my nails painted. Haven't got a pedicure and a manicure in since before the girls were born. Like I probably had a few spa days in between then for like birthday presents, but that's like once a year.
Speaker 1:Once a year. I feel like you like that, though. I feel like you like going to the spa and getting your nails done, if anybody is like wanting to buy me a present, wesley.
Speaker 2:He knows like, if I like whatever my present is going to be, he's like I got you a spa day, like thank you, that's all I ever want, I just want a spa day, that's it.
Speaker 1:I love it. Well, if you guys are, you know, interested in any of these products and you're like, what did they say, we'll try to put them in the description so you can reference Nicole and I's top three things for this episode. But let us know on Instagram, dm us and be like hey, I just listened to this episode. I loved it. It was great. Let us know if this is the type of stuff you want us to keep continuing with so we'll pop on here and do more fun stuff like this as well, because, as you can see, nicole and I could talk for a long time about all of our favorite hacks, and this is stuff that we talk on the phone and text about all the time. So we're just bringing it to the podcast, because when you're in a community and it's women that are like you and they find things that you're like, oh, I feel like I would like that too. I think it's always a special thing. So thank you so much for listening, nicole. What any other final thoughts before we sign off for the episode?
Speaker 2:Well, I feel like we could probably do this again. I have so many other tips and things that I've been using that I like. So if you guys do like it, yes, Tell us if you like it. If you're like no, we want to hear more guests and let us know that as well.
Speaker 1:Just be nice, okay, because Nicole is like you are sensitive, so be nice in the DMs. We love you guys. We love you guys so much. Thanks for listening to this episode. Don't forget to follow the podcast, subscribe. Be sure you follow us on all social medias and we will continue to bring you the latest and greatest for Western life and style information. All right, we'll talk to you next time. Bye-bye.