Beauty

Easy Every Day Makeup Routine

every day makeup routine

I love wearing makeup and getting ready each day. I’ve added a few new products to my beauty routine, so I wanted to share my most up to date list of “every day” makeup products and tools. Getting glam is my favorite way to make me feel more like myself … and just happier all around. I also love trying new products to mix it up a bit, so let’s get into it.

Every Day Foundation Favorites

I rotate my foundation daily based on my mood and how my skin is doing. I originally wrote this post a couple years ago about the top 5 foundations for women of color, and I updated it recently when I relaunched the website. Many of these products are still on my most used makeup list and I’ve added a couple newbies that I want to share.

New to the List:

Urban Decay Hydromaniac Tinted Glow Moisturizer 

This is a new discovery and I LOVE the application. With it being a tinted moisturizer, I anticipated that I would want to layer it with a more full coverage foundation, however, I think it looks so good by itself.

Tarte Hydroflex Serum Foundation

I got my makeup done recently by the Tarte team when they were in town and the makeup artist, Lex, used this foundation on me. It looked so good and I was really surprised by how much I liked it. The application is excellent and it is so lightweight.

Oldie but Goodies

Tarte Face Tape Foundation 

This is an old favorite of mine. I use it very frequently and love the way it looks on my skin. I’ve shared this one a lot, especially on Instagram!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Here is another foundation that I use often! I love how it wears all day long and the coverage that it gives. It is so beautiful.

On my Wishlist

I have seen so many people share the Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Perfect Glow Foundation. I have it in my cart right now at Sephora and plan to give it a try soon. I’ll be sure to let you know over on social when I do!

BROWS, BRONZER, BLUSH, EYES

Bronzer: Fenty Beauty Sun Stalker Instant Warmth – Shade CoCo Naughty

Blush: Fenty Killawatt Freestyle Highlighter – Shade Ginger Binge/Moscow Mule

Eyeliner: NYX Bronze Eye Pencil – use this every day and love it!

Brow Pen: Tarte DIY Brow Pen – Shade Dark Brown

Mascara: Tarte Maneater Voluptuous Mascara

Lash Primer: Lancome XL Super Enhancing Lash Primer

Setting Powder: Fenty PRO FILT’R INSTANT RETOUCH SETTING POWDER

Setting Spray: Urban Decay All Nighter

Setting Spray: Tarte Stay Spray

Most Used Eyeshadow Palettes:

Full Bloom – Gorgeous Mega Palette

Toasted – Beautiful Warm Tones

Double Shot – Unbelievably Good

Highlighter (Top 2)

Mented 

Fresh & Frosted 

You can easily shop my makeup bag by clicking on the links above. There are so many goodies within this post! All of the products are ones that I have used and loved for many months (some many years!) I will keep you guys posted on any additions as I discover them.

Thank you so much for reading! If you try any of these products, please let me know! I’d love to see your glam.

Wealth

How to Build A Million Dollar Net Worth

We are diving into the topic of net worth this month for the monthly wealth chat! Understanding your net worth is an important step in building generational wealth for your family. People talk a lot about the pay gap, but what is even bigger, especially for African-American families, is the wealth gap. This is something we are focused heavily on and net worth is a topic that is discussed frequently in our home.

Here is an easy to understand definition of net worth from Investopedia: An individual’s net worth is simply the value that is left after subtracting liabilities from assets. Examples of liabilities, otherwise known as debt, include mortgages, credit card balances, student loans, and car loans (or anything that you are liable to pay back).

Assets in simple terms are things that you own. We have focused heavily throughout our marriage on the importance of generating assets and minimizing debt because ASSETS – LIABILITIES = Your net worth. No one can take away my assets unless I sell them because they are mine.

So, Why does Net Worth matter?

Understanding, building and protecting your net worth is all about having a solid financial future for yourself and your loved ones. Building generational wealth allows you and your family to live more freely and less reliant upon “the man” for opportunities, money, etc. Nearly all of our net income throughout the years has been used to invest, acquire assets and make more money. Yes we travel, shop and enjoy life (more so now than in years past), but the majority of what we spend our money on is income generating assets.

net worth, black millionaires, how to become a millionaire

We are also very competitive with ourselves, and something we started doing years ago was pushing ourselves to be in the top 1% for our age group when it comes to net worth. We use this calculator, which pulls data from the latest census, to check where we stand. We also use it to plan ahead for years to come and to understand where we need to be aiming for in each phase of life. For example, in order to be in the top 1% for age 40, we need $6M, and so that is the next target that we will hit before turning 40. We’re speaking it into existence over here! Okurrr!?

Where Do I Start?

The best first step is to list out your assets vs. your liabilities. It is SO important to understand where your money is going. If you feel like you make good money, you have a good job, but at the end of the month things are tight and you can’t wait to get paid again, it’s time to take a closer look at where your money is going.

Jason discussed this in one of his early podcast episodes. I’m linking the discussion here because knowing where your money is going and understanding what you own vs. what you owe is a basic practice that can save you hundreds, if not thousands a month.

Am I Too Late?

The short answer is no. You’re never too late, but you have to be disciplined in order to make significant financial strides. I asked Jason what he would say to this question and his response was “if you’re worried about if you’re too late, you’re focused on what other people have. You have to run your own race.”

The average person is not willing to live uncomfortably now or for a period of time so that they can live however they want in the future. There’s nothing wrong with living in the moment, buying what you want and enjoying life’s luxuries, but if your financial goals are hefty, your actions have to align with your goals.

How Do I Become A Millionaire?

  • Understand where your money is going
  • Live below your means
  • Create passive income
  • Make sure you are investing
  • Take risks

Take some time to work through your net worth calculations and then set some goals for where you want to be in a year, 5 years or 10+ years. You have to visualize where you want to go and really do the work to get there. Anything is possible. We were two broke college kids when we got married, but we both have always had vision. Jason’s a bit better at the execution than I am, but I’m really proud of the journey we are on together.

It’s not about the money, it’s about freedom.

You can check out my previous wealth chats on the blog linked here: The Monthly Wealth Chat. Thank you for reading!

STJHOLIDAY

The Best Deals for Cyber Week 2021

cyber week deals, black friday sales

Cyber Week is officially here and I’ve rounded up the best deals on the internet that I’ll be shopping and that I think you’ll love to. I love this time of year! What about you? I can’t wait to shop some great deals for the whole family. Within this post you’ll find a list of sales and discount codes, as well as shoppable images with some of my top picks from a few of the retailers!

I will update this post throughout the week with additional sales as they go live!

The Best Cyber Week Deals 2021

Cyber Monday Update! New Sales Added!
Must Shop Products:
Cyber Week Sales Posted 11/26/21

For the Kids

Electronics, Gadgets and Things

Beauty Steals

For The Home

Clothing – Activewear

Be sure to follow along all season long for more #STJHOLIDAY content! Thank you for reading. Like I mentioned above, I’ll be updating this post all week as sales go live for Cyber Week!

STJHOLIDAY

Thanksgiving Outfits for Women

Who is ready to shop for Thanksgiving Day outfits? The big day is next week and I’ve pulled together some last minute looks that you will LOVE! It’s 2021, which means we are absolutely dressing up for Thanksgiving this year. You guys know that 2020 was doing the most last year. You may not have felt up for your usual shenanigans last year, but that’s okay, because we’re totally making up for lost time this year. Well, at least I am!

I pulled together 5 Thanksgiving Day outfits that should cover all your needs … including when that post meal “itis” hits! Grab your wallets and let’s get started.

The Chic Host

thanksgiving day outfits, thanksgiving outfit

Ready for Seconds

thanksgiving day outfits, thanksgiving outfit

Best Dressed Guest

thanksgiving day outfits, thanksgiving outfit

Comfortable and Casual

thanksgiving day outfits, thanksgiving outfit

Chic and Cozy

thanksgiving day outfits, thanksgiving outfit

Which look is your favorite? I personally love the plaid sweater paired with the chunky, chain boots from Steven Madden. Whether you’re dressing up for Thanksgiving Day or keeping it casual, I hope you enjoy these picks. Have a wonderful time with your families!

XO – Steph

Blogging Tips

Time Management When Working from Home

tips for working from home, bloggers working from home

When I quit my job a few months ago, I realized pretty quickly that I was going to need a daily routine to ensure that I’m staying productive and not wasting the days away while working from home. There have been many moments in the last couple months where I wondered how in the world I balanced both jobs for so long. The blog takes up so much time, so it feels really amazing to only have that to focus on and not a full-time job that is also very demanding.

I am sharing my daily routine with you to give you a little glimpse into how I work each day, and then at the end of this post, I’ll share a few tips for managing your time while working from home.

My Daily Schedule

6:00AM: Wake up and get kids up

6:15AM – 8:00AM: Work on collages, stories and Instagram content for the day

8:00AM: Zoe gets up

8:05AM – 9:45AM: Bath time, breakfast, get Zoe dressed for school

9:45AM – 11:00AM: Gym/Workout

11:00AM – 12:00PM: Shower and get ready for the day (hair/makeup)

12:00PM – 5:00PM: Emails, shoot content, and write blog posts

5:00PM – 9:00PM: Family time

9:00PM – 11:00PM: Work on laptop with Jason on the couch

Creating a realistic schedule is so important. It took some trial and error to figure out the system that works best for me, but once I found a good routine, my days were a lot more productive. One recent modification I made was using the time from 6:00AM to 8:00AM, while the kids are getting dressed for school, to work on social media content. Even if it’s for something that I won’t post until later in the week, having it already ready to go is so critical.

Previously, I was waking up at 6:00AM to get the boys up and then getting back in the bed. Using every hour of the day as best I can has made a huge difference for me.

WFH Essentials, tips for working from home

3 Tips for Managing Time While Working From Home

  1. Create a realistic daily schedule with timelines
    • For example, as much as I’d love to start working right at 9AM, I know that I need to workout, shower and get ready and that takes a good chunk of time in the mornings. As a result, I plan around that.
  2. Write or type everything down that you need to accomplish for the day
    • I use the notes app in my phone and for major projects I really love Asana, it is a workload planning tool.
  3. Plan breaks into your day to avoid burnout
    • Lunch break included! Don’t forget to stop and eat.
  4. *BONUS* Try to connect with other creators or people in your field who also work from home. It is always nice to have that connection, especially since working from home can be very isolating.

What are some things that work for you? I’d love to hear from you on this topic. l linked some of my favorite work from home essentials here! Be sure to take a look. Thank you for reading! XO – Steph

Pin Me!

tips for working from home, work from home schedule
Shop the Post
Home

Kitchen Remodel Before and After

We finally did it! We completed our kitchen remodel and could not be happier with the results. When we first bought our house, the kitchen was probably the thing I hated the most, but we bought it anyway because it was the best fit for our needs at the time. I love that you can transform a space with a remodel and breathe new life into it. Our house truly feels completely different.

The goal with the remodel was to add our own personal touches to the space, while also giving the kitchen a more open and inviting feel. We removed part of a wall and widened pathways to achieve the look we were aiming for. I am sharing all of the details and specifics surrounding our remodel in this post, but of course, if you have any additional questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.

We used Zion Home Remodeling to complete the project, they also did our bathroom remodels that I shared on the blog earlier this year! Also, in case you missed it, our kitchen remodel “mood board” is also here on the blog (linked!)

Kitchen “Before” Photos

The brown tones were overwhelming and not our style at all. I scoured Pinterest for inspiration for months leading up to this project, and was able to narrow down exactly what I wanted with the help of Brooke Fish, the in house designer at Zion. When it came to choosing cabinet color, I really wanted something that was beautiful and unexpected. For years I thought that if I ever did a kitchen remodel, it would be all white with gold hardware; and of course when the time finally came, white was so far from anything I wanted for this space.

Kitchen Remodel Layout

We wanted to remove the l-shaped kitchen and create an island. In order to do this, we removed part of the wall where the pantry used to be and opened up as much as we could without compromising the fact that there were load-bearing walls.

I absolutely loved the fact that the cabinet maker was able to provide a 3D drawing of how the kitchen would look before we got started with everything. It really helped to bring the vision to life and get everyone excited for the remodel. We were not able to remove the entire wall, so there are two pillars in front of the island that are holding up the upstairs. However, even with this, we still accomplished our goal of an open concept kitchen with full visibility into the living room.

Kitchen Remodel “After” Photos

kitchen remodel before and after, l shape kitchen to island
kitchen remodel before and after, l shape kitchen to island

Cabinet Color

For the cabinets, we chose Sherwin Williams Attitude Grey. It is the perfect mix of grey/green that I was looking for. I am obsessed with the color! It looks so, so good and is exactly what I was hoping for. For the cabinet finish, we went with a semi-gloss. This is a high traffic area and I really wanted to be able to easily wipe off the cabinets with zero stress of ruining anything.

attitude grey, sherwin Williams

Brass Hardware

I purchased cabinet hardware from Home Depot and really love the satin brass color. I wanted gold hardware that was not going to be too “brassy” looking and the satin brass color looks so nice with the rest of the fixtures throughout the kitchen. We did 3 different knob styles. I linked them all below!

GE Appliances

I am in love with our slate grey appliances. I cringed at the thought of doing stainless steel, so when I saw this color and I was very excited. I was nervous that it wouldn’t look good, but the colors turned out so beautiful with the cabinet color. I linked everything we purchased below. So far, we are really loving these appliances.

Flooring

For the kitchen floors, we opted for a large format tile that was laid in a running bond throughout the kitchen. It turned out so gorgeous! I can’t wait to do something similar in our master bathroom. I linked the exact flooring here.

kitchen remodel before and after, l shape kitchen to island

Thank you for reading!

You can shop all lighting and additional kitchen accessories below in the shop the post section! Thank you so much for reading. This kitchen remodel has been a labor of love and we are so excited to enjoy it for years to come. I am already dreaming up the next project! – XO Steph

Shop the Post
Style

4 Blazer Outfits For Women

blazer outfits for women

Season after season, blazers top the trend list. Is it any surprise though? You can dress them up or dress them down and create so many stylish looks with a great blazer. Today on the blog, I put together 4 blazer outfits for women that you can wear right now! Whether you like the oversized look or a tailored fit, there’s a little something for every style in this post. I’ve found myself reaching for oversized more and more lately. What is your favorite style? Let’s dive in!

Date Night Blazer Outfits

Fall date night looks should always include a blazer and a sexy top underneath. This matchy, matchy look from Nordstrom is the perfect combo.

date night blazer outfits

Girls Night Out Blazer Outfits

You may recognize this look from a recent Instagram share. I love this blazer so much and faux leather pants are always a good idea.

blazer outfits

Casual Workwear Blazer Outfits

I love this look for a casual work look and because it can easily take you out for drinks or apps with your friends. I just got this top in and can’t wait to wear it multiple ways.

blazer outfits

Street Style Blazer Outfits

Hit the streets in style with this chic and stylish blazer look. The color blocking from this 4th and Reckless set is unmatched. I am linking the pants here and they are only available on their website. Blazer is linked from Nordstrom.

blazer outfits

Which blazer outfit look is your favorite? I can’t get enough of the casual work look. It’s definitely a great reflection of how I like to dress. You may have noticed I used some of the same pieces for different outfits. That was totally on purpose, so that you can see how to wear and re-wear items in your closet different ways.

Be sure to check out more style posts on the blog (linked here). Thank you so much for reading.

XO – Steph

Shop the Post
Wealth

Top 3 Places We Invest Our Money

Creating a multi-million dollar net worth requires making smart investments, taking risks and coloring outside the lines a bit. Jason and I have always said that we weren’t going to work our whole lives. Creating streams of income that are replacing our need to work for “the man” (or anyone else for that matter), has been our #1 focus for the last several years.

Each time we’ve gotten a raise at work, received a bonus or made money from our side hustles, we invested it back into income producing assets. The goal is to create streams of income that do not require us to work for anyone. Today on the blog I am sharing the top 3 investments that we have made and how it has impacted our ability to be able to live freely and less reliant upon a paycheck from a job.

Please note that nothing within this post is financial advice. Consult a professional to better understand what will work for you.

1. Cryptocurrency

This topic is unconventional and not going to be something that everyone is interested in … BUT, I cannot tell our story without including crypto. So here’s the scoop. We have made a significant income from buying digital currencies. I still remember when Jason (my husband) first mentioned wanting to invest. I was so ANGRY! I felt like he was being sucked into a fraud and that he was being very naive. Turns out that was me #oops. We had a big blow out over $10K. He wanted to invest $10K in Bitcoin, and I was like … absolutely not. And now today, he still doesn’t let me live that down. If we had done it when he said, we’d have even more $$ than we do now, like an insane amount … but hey, you live and you learn.

Jason works off of a chart and is moving money around every day. Simply buying coins is not the only thing that helps drive earnings for us. Below are a few other ways that we use digital currencies (aka crypto) to make us money:

Stable Coins
  • We removed our primary savings from traditional banks and into stable coins (stable coins are less volatile and similar to a savings account). The website we use is called Nexo. We did this because you can earn up to 12% on your money when it is in these accounts. We had our money in a traditional bank first, then a high yield savings account at American Express but the % return was so minimal within both of these options. We decided to go where we could see the biggest “bang for our buck.” We of course keep money in a regular bank still, but our larger savings is spread out elsewhere.
NFTs
  • These are hard to explain but I’m linking an article from Forbes that hopefully explains it a little better. The NBA has actually created something called NBA TopShot, this was Jason’s first NFT purchase. I was again very skeptical, but learned my lesson from our previous disagreement and decided to just let him do his thing. After the NBA finals year before last, a few limited edition NFTs were released on NBA TopShot. Jason was locked and loaded with two laptops ready buy. He was successful and bought a few from that limited release. A few months later, someone sold the same one that Jason bought for $250K … yes, two hundred and fifty THOUSAND dollars. So of course I was like … Jason, how many did you buy again?! He told me. I said great. And we’re holding on to them. An NFT that honored Kobe Bryant sold for nearly $400K earlier this year. It’s an interesting industry to say the least, I’m still learning.
Miners
  • Jason has miners set up in our home and throughout Dallas. This is another thing that is hard to explain so I will suggest researching it and learning more about how to mine cryptocurrencies, if that is something that interests you! It is also very lucrative but you do have to know what you’re doing. I do not, but Jason is the whiz. I keep telling him he should teach a class! He shares with our close friends and family but I know that it could help others too! We’ll see. I saw on the news last night that two kids in Frisco, TX are generating $35K a month off of their miners to give you some perspective.

2. Real Estate

We’ve talked about this topic quite a bit. You can check out my “How We Started Our Real Estate Business” post from last month but the main thing to keep in mind here is that real estate is a great way to generate monthly passive income. When our tenants pay rent, we get paid. I also shared about how we paid off a house in 3 years in this post. Having a house completely paid off means that payments are pure profit. We don’t live a glamorous life. We choose to live very modestly so that we can put money into these investments and live freely later. This has paid off because now I no longer work for “the man,” and I am able to work for myself.

3. Back into Our Businesses

Every time we invest back into ourselves, it pays off. I recently invested in a new website in order to create a more searchable and shoppable experience for my readers. Pinterest is the number 1 traffic driver to my website and increasing that traffic + revenue was really important to me. This website is my creative outlet and something I really enjoy! Jason has his investing hobby and I have my blog! We both try to ensure that we are constantly learning and evolving.

Thank you for reading!

I hope this gives you a bit of a glimpse into where we invest our money. Check out Jason’s podcast for a more in depth look. He hasn’t posted in awhile but there’s still some good information on there.

Every family has different goals and abilities, so I obviously don’t think our approach is going to be everyone’s cup of tea, but it works really well for us and has allowed for a lot of freedom that we wouldn’t otherwise have.

Thank you for reading! You can check out other wealth topics from previous months linked here!

Shop the Post
Style

3 Special Occassion Dresses for Fall

This time of year is full of special occasions. Today on the blog I’m sharing a few more details around 3 dresses that I recently shared over on Instagram. Take a look and shop my current picks for my next night out.

Blogging Tips

Blogging Equipment for Fashion Bloggers and Beginners

Having great blogging equipment is so important when delivering exceptional content for your website and social media channels. Whether you choose to use your phone or a professional grade camera is totally up to you, but I personally prefer shooting with a camera.  I recently purchased some new gear plus a few accessories, so I thought I’d share. I searched for the “best camera for bloggers” for months prior to finally making a decision, and I am really happy with my selection. Check out my round up of the best blogging equipment for fashion bloggers and beginners.

P.S.: The boys shot the two images below with my new camera and I love how they came out! No more waiting to schedule a photoshoot when I’m in a bind! Yas!

Motherhood

5 Tips for Losing Weight After Baby

Looking for tips for losing weight after baby? I want to start this post by saying that there is nothing wrong with baby weight. It took 9-10 months to grow a beautiful new life, and it’s going to take time to get back to your pre-baby body (if that’s even what you desire). Don’t feel pressured to lose weight if you aren’t ready. Zoe is 11 months old and I’m just now getting into a really good groove. Take your time! But if you’re ready now, let’s dive in gorgeous! Remember, you can also shop everything you see on the blog throughout the post or via our shop page! 

SUBSCRIBE TO MY YOUTUBE

WATCH HERE
hey there!

I'm Stephanie

Welcome to stephtaylorjackson.com, your ultimate lifestyle destination for fashion, beauty, travel and #momlife. I am a Dallas girl, now living in Florida and every week on the blog I share content that inspires and educates women across the world. My mission is to give all readers a weekly guide on how to live your best life, IN STYLE. Take a look around, we're so glad you are here!

Explore the Blog

Shop My Insta

Click a Photo to see What's new on the Gram

follow along with @stephtaylorjackson +
you’re going to love this …