Businesswoman & Blogger Bella Andrews Shares Solo Travel Tips and Beauty Faves
What do you want readers to know about you?
I’m an independent businesswoman who loves everything beauty! With that being said, I’m more so interested in the internal beauty of myself and others. I love genuine & self-sufficient people. One day, I hope to become a life coach.
We know you recently launched your blog pslovebella but you’re also a career woman, can you tell us about your day job?
Yes, I recently launched PSLoveBella, something I’ve been building up the courage to launch for a little over a year now. But before that, I studied psychology and business administration at the University of Southern Mississippi from 2012-2106. I intended on going to Ole Miss law school, but during my senior year, I was accepted into a corporate banking internship program with Wells Fargo, which opened the doors for me to work in finance. So after my internship, I worked at Bank of America for approximately two years before stepping into the private sector with Wealth Management. In my current position, I assist clients with asset management. I’m in charge of facilitating and overseeing the establishment and transfer of new client accounts. I also work with the Investment Committee and trading team to ensure client portfolios are appropriately implemented. Additionally, I manage and process complex operational work.
How did you choose your career field?
It kind of chose me. As I said before I wanted to be a lawyer, but after completing the internship, I liked banking and advising people with their finances. The internship came after my advisor let me know I had more than one option of fields to go into with a psychology and business administration background. However, I often think about going to law school to see what I might’ve missed out on. But back to your question, I started filling out internship applications my entire senior year because I knew I had to have a plan for when I graduated. It was a wild ride, to say the least, but no regrets on the path I took. It’s what got me where I am today.
Tell us about pslovebella.com and what inspired you to start blogging?
My blog, pslovebella.com, originated from me wanting to share certain parts of my life with women whose life goals aligned with mine. I know life goals are pretty broad so I mean career goals, hair goals, skincare routines, travel goals, fitness goals, etc. Almost every time I post about a new skincare product, for example, I’m always asked about the benefits or my opinion. So I thought to start a blog to share those things just in case a reader wanted tips on these things. I’m big on solo travel, so once this current pandemic is contained (hopefully soon) I’ll be able to share everything I know about solo travel, especially for women.
How do you decide where to go on your travels?
One big thing for me is that I try to stay away from tourist seasons. I love visiting different places when the majority of people around are locals. That way, I’m able to really get the full, genuine experience of wherever I am. Secondly, I always take the time of year into consideration, which actually ties into my first point. One of my favorite domestic locations is Miami- in February. It’s a beautiful 70-75 degrees and the offseason which means the vibes are 100% real. I have a whole list of places I want to go internationally, so for my birthday especially, I randomly pick a place and I just go. I spend maybe 2-3 weeks tops planning and booking; I always do this last minute but it seems to work in my favor. In early 2019, I made the decision to take a sack intentional trip on my birthday each year, which is in October. So last year, I went on a 2-week solo trip to Bali & Hong Kong. One word: Epic.
What are your pros and cons of traveling solo?
Pros: it’s the perfect time to find yourself, which is my primary reason for taking a solo trip. You don’t have to compromise with anyone. You don’t have to wait for someone, you literally just get up and go at your own place.
Cons: tripods and self-timer are great, but sometimes you need your photographer friend to come and snap the right angles! However, I’m not shy at all about asking a stranger to take a picture of me. Often times, they just ask for one in return! When I solo travel, I rarely ever go out at night. I’m always cautious of my surroundings, but anything can happen so I never take the risk.
Do you have any tips for those who are interested in solo travel?
Yes: Just Do It! There’s never going to be a perfect time or place so just make up in your mind that it’s something that you want to do and go for it. My favorite sites for booking are Skyscanner- it’s hands down my favorite for booking flights, multi-city flights specifically. Truth moment: I prefer hotels over AirBnBs, I just find them more convenient. I choose hotels based solely on how much money I want to spend. If it’s my birthday, I’m going all out: 5Star. I literally just google 5-star hotels in the area in which I’m staying. If it’s a 3 or 4 day domestic trip, I’ll book a Marriott or Hilton, which in my opinion are cost-effective in pretty much any area. Oh, and Pinterest for activities! I would just type in things to do in whatever place I was visiting. I always keep it simple.
Tell us about your skincare favorites?
I’m so big on skincare. Clear, natural skin, big natural hair, and a cozy look is my all-time fave. My favorite skincare products are Tatcha Deep Cleanser Exfoliator, Thayer’s Witch Hazel for toning, Glossier Vitamin C Serum and Kiehls Moisturizing Cream and also their eye cream. These products are definitely in my holy grail.
If you can only have one makeup fave for a year, what product are you choosing?
That’s easy, Nars Creamy Concealer. In most of my pictures, that’s all I have on- no foundation at all. It makes for the most natural no-makeup look.