It’s been weeks since I completed a hot yoga challenge and friends are still curious as to why I chose to exert so much energy over a 30 day period. There are many reasons I decided to kick my fitness habit into overdrive, but the truth of the matter is, none of them had to do with my outward appearance (more on that here). Sure, there are obvious physical benefits to perfecting your downward dog in 100 degree heat (hello arms!), but the emotional ones–like learning not to take myself so seriously–far outweighed them.
MORE: What I Learned from a 30-Day Hot Yoga Challenge
However, if I had to identify just one thing I learned about my beauty routine, it’s that I don’t really need half the stuff I use. Self-professed product junkies can understand my obsession with multi-step routines, despite not having the time to actually do them. But regardless of my daily one-hour workout followed by an eight hour work day and events immediately after, I attempted to do it all everyday; cleanse, tone, moisturize, brighten, mask and everything in between. MORE: How to Extend Your Summer Glow With Vitamin C
Spoiler alert: I gave up after a few days and realized that I would have to seriously downsize my makeup bag if I wanted to complete my challenge without having a beauty breakdown. With that being said, I managed to curate a group of just seven products that lightened my load and still made me feel put together everyday. If you’re also a yogi looking...