FAVORITE FACE MASKS OF THE MOMENT

March 28, 2019
I don't know about you but for me, facial masks are life! Osea la vida enterisiiima! Sheet masks, charcoal masks, home made masks... whatever the type of mask, I am a fan and willing to try them and if you've been following me for a while you know this is a fact, you can read about  my favorite DIY face mask here. I love masks because they seem to give my skin and instant refresher. I've been using 3 types of masks as of lately and really loving the results. Yes, of course there's a whole beauty and skincare routine that goes with them and that will be on my YouTube channel today or tomorrow, so subscribe and don't miss it! But for now, let's get to the face mask talk...

Honestly, the way my days are looking... I cannot live without sheet masks. They are just so convenient and easy, open, apply, remove (no wash!) and done! My favorite affordable brand is Yes To, I prefer the coconut one because it is the hydrating one and I love it. I try to apply them at night every other week - so about twice a month and my skin looks and feels amazing in the morning.



Another good one is one I recently received in a PR package. It's the Pixi Glow Glycolic Boost Sheet Mask... you guys, so good! It was the first time I tried it and I loved the hydration but also how well it fit my face. It's the little things sometimes. It is a little more expensive than the other masks, it's $10 but it definitely does work. 

So last year I did a campaign with Jafra for their Revitalize collection and I honestly loved every single product. I still used the moisturizer, SPF and my favorite the Volcanic Micro Polish Mask. I love that it's gentle enough for my skin but also leave it so purified and clean. It also has micro exfoliator to get rid of any dead skin. And you know what I love most? That it isn't hard and rough to remove once you have to wash it off your face. I've tried other masks that are so harsh when I rinse it off, not this one. 

Pixi T-Zone Peel Off Mask

Ok this one I recently started using and you guys... obsessed! First of all it was my first time trying a peel-off mask at all. I was a little skeptical because peeling anything off my face seem like it would be painful and leave it red, no? Nope. This T-Zone Peel Off Mask is soon good. I applied it on my T Zone (basically your forehead, nose and chin) and after it was hard I peeled it off, it felt a little weird at first but once I peeled it off completely, I saw the wow! My skin was clean, it removed dirt and even looked like it grabbed some blackheads!!!! I died. It felt as if I had just washed my face with my favorite cleanser that's how great my skin looked. 100% recommend if you are looking for an affordable peel off mask - they sell Pixi at Target and Amazon, you can check it out HERE.


I actually ended up using the Volcanic Mask and the T-Zone Mask together. Since the T-Zone one was just for the t-zone I wanted to also treat the rest of my face to some goodness. That's why you see two different masks on the photo. I added my Peter Thomas Roth 24K Gold Eye Patches and laid on my couch for 15 to 20 minutes. It was heaven. Do it girlfriend, thank me later. Self care and alone time is essential to thrive in our daily goals. From friend to friend, it's the best advice I can give you.

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3 ROAD TRIPS TO CHECK OFF OUR BUCKET LIST THIS YEAR

March 26, 2019
So winter is still here, which is honestly driving me crazy and also has my mind all over Expedia looking at the best hotels and vacation packages. Which brings me to this point... planning our trips for the year. You guys know we love taking little road trips with the kids (and alone!). This year we have a couple planned and a couple not set in stone but I figured I would share where we plan to go and why we love road trips to maaaaybe inspire you to take some of your own!

I love traveling with the kids and sometimes flying just gets too expensive. So road trips are a great way to travel without the big expense. And as a mom of 2 little ones, I love to make these memories for the kids and get them used to traveling in all different ways.

So where are we going? 

WASHINGTON, DC

We are driving down to Washington, DC next month for Ben's spring break and I am so excited. We are staying 2 nights and I can't wait. We've actually never been and only hear it's so nice to go during the spring and especially during Cherry Blossom Festival! The kids are excited... fun fact Emme is obsessed with hotel living and actually asks to go to a "ho-n-tel" weekly. True story. Here is what's on our list of Things To Do In DC:

- The White House of course, even though I wish Barack was still the one living there!
- Lincoln Memorial
- Washington Monument
- National Museum of Natural History
- Smithsonian’s National Zoo
- Air and Space Museum

I don't like to pack too many things into our day, anytime we travel I love to go sightseeing but also enjoy our moments and not feel so rushed. This is all we have for now and I like it. We are getting there on a Sunday and coming back on Tuesday so this should be just fine.

CAPE MAY, NEW JERSEY
I've heard Cape May is so beautiful and being from New Jersey it's a teensy embarrassing to say I've never been. So this year I hope to be able to check this one off our bucket list. Here is the thing the hotels are hella expensive, I am talking about $400-$500 a night in the summer. So that's the one thing stopping us right now. But I figured maybe if we can rent a little house instead, it might work out better. There are 2 hotels that I would love to stay in, Congress Hall and The Virginia or ICONA. Those 3 look so amazing but again so expensive! It's much cheaper to go during off season but truthfully I want to go when it's hot and sunny and we can enjoy the beach.


Besides all the logistics, Cape May looks so beautiful and definitely a place I'd love to visit with Dave and the kids. Here is what I would love to do when we visit:

- Walk around and sight see, I love all the antique bed and breakfasts and how quaint the town is.
- The beach + Morey's Pier
- Cape May Lighthouse
- Ride on the trolley
- Washington Street Mall

Pray for me, that I can make this happen because it didn't happen last year and this year I am determined. Let's see if we cross this one off the road trip bucket list!

OCEAN CITY, MARYLAND
I think it's quite clear we love the beach! We are that family, beach and summer over anything. Maybe we need to expand our palate haha but for now we are planning to enjoy all the bits we haven't traveled to yet and make the best memories with our little family. Ocean City is a little less than 4 hours from our house by car, so I think it would be a fun experience with the kids. There is a Hilton beach side hotel there that looks wonderful... but about $600 a night in the summer. What is it with these hotels? I shall keep you posted on where we stay and when we go.

Here are some things I would love to do when we visit:

- Fishing
- Beach
- Jolly Roger Amusement Park
- Ocean City Boardwalk

As always I would love your suggestions if you've been to any of these 3 destinations. We would love all the advice we can get on where to go. I hope you guys enjoyed this post and that it gets you motivated to plan a fun road trip with the kids (or without!). Nos vemos por Instagram!
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WHAT APPS I USE TO EDIT PHOTOS

March 12, 2019
Instagram, Instagram, Instagram. Home of all the pretty photos, quirky captions and amazing feeds. But the big question is: how do I edit a photo for IG!? The answer is quite simple... apps! Yes you guys, I've learned how to use several apps and do it all from my phone. I want to share what I'm using but remember I am no expert and I'm just sharing what I know. So sis, please don't expect hella crazy editing material here. This is little ol' me just sharing what is working for me at the moment.

Guys, babes, mamas... I have a confession: I am hooked on photo editing! I love it so much it should be my 3rd job. Ok let's get to it. So for starters here is the equipment and apps I use:

Cameras
iPhone 8 Plus
Nikon D3100 - I know so old but it works! 

Apps
Lightroom CC
FaceTune
Snapseed
and Instagram's editing tools. 
I want to make it clear that while I respect each person's choices but I choose not to over edit my photos. I use the 4 editing apps for color, brightening, smoothing and basically making a dull photo pop. I normally post photos that I shot during the day using daylight with either my iPhone or pics that Dave shot of me using our Nikon. I don't think I've ever really posted a photo with flash unless it was Geraldine that took a professional pic. In which case she edits all the photos her way and just sends them to me ready to post.
As you can see in the before and after photos I've shared here. It is obvious that the pics I am posting on IG are what I like to call "IG worthy" - they are brighter, more visually appealing and simply crispier. Here is I use each app for and what I like most about each. 

Lightroom CC

I love Lightroom because you can truly save a photo from dark and dull to amazing and fabulous. It took me a while to learn this app but you can always buy presets and play around with the settings. I use Lightroom and adjust the exposure, shadows and get really detailed on the colors. Playing with the colors and the "curve" can really change up your photo.

Facetune

 Facetune gets such a bad rep from people who use to literally alter their faces and bodies. It is actually pretty wild the level of editing you can do on Facetune. I personally use it to smooth out any discoloration, pimples or whiten the walls, shades or decor in my house. You can even remove things from photos with it! For example, one time I shot a photo and the wall behind me had an ugly outlet, so I removed the outlet with the "patch" took and grabbed another section of the wall, pasted it, so you would never know the ugly outlet was even there. Mind-blown, I know!

Snapseed

I actually just started using Snapseed after a couple of friends suggested it to brighten a super dark photo for a paid event I went to for which I had to post. The event didn't have the best lighting and I ended up shooting a photo outside the event but it was Times Square and it was still dark. I shared the photo below! What I love about Snapseed is that you can literally select the area of the photo you want to brighten so that you don't have to brighten the entire things. So for example, sometimes a side of your face looks darker because of a shadow... so with Snapseed's "selective" tool you can brighten just that area. It's so cool!
Instagram Photo Editing

I have used IG's photo editing tools for as long as I can remember. the Lux tool is amazing... that's the little sun/moon symbol above the photo when you are uploading. Normally I use the contrast, brightness and sharpening tools. Oh and if a photo is too yellow, I decrease the warmth on there. This is probably the easiest tool to use.

This is pretty much it! I wanted to share this because I don't think you need a super expensive camera to share nice photos. You need great lighting, good apps and patience to learn them. Just educate yourself and you'll be creating amazing content in no time! I promise that you can learn it too. Just play around with the apps and see what works for you and your style. I hope this little bit of info helped and if you want to know more please let me know. I am thinking of a way to put together a video so it's easier to follow for you guys. Xo.
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BOBBY PIN HAIRSTYLES

March 8, 2019
Guys, I am obsessed with the bobby pin trend. I am so happy it's back and I love how creative you can get, how simple it is and how it elevates your hairstyle to a whole other level. So I ran to my local Target last week and purchased a pack of Scunci bobby pins. I got the pack that brings gold and bronze and for this look I used the gold ones. For this particular idea I was inspired by Desi Perkins hairstyle which she posted on IG stories about a week or so ago, so I did what I do best, screenshot and dave it for the next occasion;)

So how do we achieve this look? That's the best part because it's so easy, took me less than 10 mins!

1. First, I curled my hair for this look but it also looks super cool with pin straight hair.
2. Brush it out and part your hair down the middle.
3. Use hair spray for those baby hairs and fly aways.
4. With a comb brush down the side you are going to be placing the bobby pins on.
5. Get creative or inspired! I chose to place them in Xs like Desi did but there are a zillion ideas on Pinterest that I am loving.
6. Spray your favorite hairspray to seal the deal and voila! Don't forget to take a pic and posted in on IG!
Here are some of my favorite looks straight from Pinterest, follow me for more and on the bottom you can see the products I used.


If you guys want to see a video on this super simple hair do, please let me know I'd be happy to share! Enjoy your weekend and tag me on IG @byerikabatista, if you are inspired by this post.
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HOW TO PREP FOR A LIFESTYLE BLOGGER PHOTOSHOOT

March 5, 2019
So you are a beginner blogger and you want to nail your lifestyle blogger photoshoot? It may seem easy to stand in front of a camera and take pics but it's actually harder than you may think. When I first started blogging, my husband was my only photographer. Little by little I've worked with a few photographers until I found the one that worked best for me and my style. I always say it blogging is a lot of work, time and sweat invested. Don't let the pretty photos fool ya!

Backseat closet? Yup, seems about right lol! Changing 3-4-5 outfits in the backseat in the matter of one hour is very common if you are a blogger. A single posts shoot can take anywhere from a short 10-20 minutes, all you really need is 5-7 photos at most but all of that takes effort and hard work. Between the prep, the outfit shopping, planning, editing, writing, proofs back and forth, the photos are actually what probably take the least amount of work. It's everything else that makes shooting a campaign or organic post a job! 
The other day while shooting photos for some brands I am working with, my husband started taking pictures of me in the back seat getting un-ready and about to get into my second outfit. And I had the idea to share some tips on how to make the best out of your time during a lifestyle blogger photoshoot, so here you go:) 

1. Plan the outfits the night before. Pick everything from the outfit to shoes, bags and accessories out the night before. I normally either fold or hang everything together (even jewelry - in the bag I will be using) on a hanger so that the entire outfit is prepped and ready to go. A big tip for me is that I wear neutral and super natural makeup so that the various photos don't look exactly the same and I'll change up my sunglasses and/or lipstick. 

2. Location, location, location! Have an idea of what type of location you are going for, do the research. Definitely plan the town/city you want to shoot in way in advance and scout the location so that you don't waste time driving around. I have to be honest sometimes my husband and I would plan a location and it just wouldn't work out. And some of the best shoots have been at unplanned places too! Usually when I shoot with Geri we know what town we are shooting in but we play around with locations unless we know a very specific wall, street or cafe we want to work in. I used to stress the location and background of the photo so much but I've realized it's all about YOU (me!) and the editing of a photo. Thank the geniuses behind Lightroom, Facetune and Snapseed. 

3. Natural light is golden! No pun;) We have shot in so many different lighting situations and I find that the 4-5pm is the best light... Morning light can be too bright sometimes and will wash out your photos and it's always best to have photos be a little darker so that editing is easier. A photo that's too bright is so hard to edit! And believe it or not, rainy-ish or cloudy days make for such good photos, so don't fret if you planned to shoot on a day and it turned out cloudy! When I shoot with my husband I edit my own photos so this is what has worked for me. 

4. Get creative! Whether it's you husband, friend, cousin or pro photographer ask them to take photos in different angles, have fun with it. I've recently started doing that more and I really love the different vibes. It's so important to feel comfortable with your photographer so that you can suggest and ask them what they think about your ideas too. I remember one time I hired a photographer and I was so uncomfortable, that didn't go too far. Comfort is so important. 

5. Love yourself! Trust me it can get a little embarrassing to shoot out on the street while people look at you... but you have to own it. At the very beginning I used get so so shy and would literally walk back to my car but little by little I started feeling more confident and now I love shooting pics. It all has to do with how comfortable you feel with the person shooting your pics. Bottom line, YOU are the brand, so you have to own it. It does get easier, I promise. 
I am no pro but these are some of the things that have worked for Dave and I. My professional photographer Geraldine is amazing. She is super creative and so nice, she makes me feel comfortable and we have great chemistry together so it works. But if you can't afford a photographer yet, do not be discouraged. I shot photos with my old Nikon with my husband for yearsssss before hiring Geri. Everything is a learning curve and you will find what works for you. The iPhone 8Plus and X have amazing cameras and with all the editing apps now a days you can literally work off you phone as a blogger or Instagram influencer. Oh and stay tuned because I am also going to be sharing an updated post on How I Edit My Photos very soon. I can't wait to share how I take a basic photo to Instagram worthy in a matter of minutes. 

Besos amigas, 

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