Being Zhenya

• 11/11 Badass Women Run Marathons – My LA Marathon 2021

  Four days after finishing a second marathon in four weeks, Zhenya writes about hills, fatigue, and the crowds that kept her moving.

• 10/15 My Chicago Marathon 2021

  Walking south on Michigan Avenue after her first marathon, with a Boston qualifying time of 3:23:22.

• Winter 5 must try style, beauty and self care products this winter

  A short list of winter essentials, including a look at Campho Phenique Cold Sore Treatment Gel.

• Holidays Holiday Self-Care in Style 2021

  Seasonal self-care picks, shared with a sponsored disclosure from BabbleBoxx.

Zhenya trained with South Loop Runners and a coach named Denise, with her husband Sam among the people cheering her on. In October 2021 she ran the Chicago Marathon; in November 2021 she ran the LA Marathon.

Read Chicago Read LA

A style and beauty blog often begins as a personal notebook, and this one keeps that feeling. The writing here moves between the small rituals of getting dressed, the quiet work of caring for skin and hair, and the longer arc of training for a marathon. There is room for essays that wander a little, for product thoughts that stay honest, and for the ordinary days that hold everything together. Readers who like their beauty writing warm rather than glossy, and their running stories told with real fatigue and real joy, tend to feel at home here.

Skincare is treated as a practice rather than a quick fix, something built from patience and attention over weeks and seasons. Posts consider how a routine shifts when the weather turns cold, when travel disrupts sleep, or when skin simply asks for less rather than more. Ingredients come up in plain language, from peptides and collagen to the gentler acids and moisturizers that support a barrier. The tone stays curious and unpressured, inviting readers to notice what their own skin responds to instead of chasing whatever is loudest.

Beauty writing on a personal blog carries a particular texture, because the products are tested in real life rather than in a studio. A review here tends to describe texture, scent, how something layers under makeup, and whether it earns a place on the shelf after the novelty fades. Sponsored features are marked with a clear disclosure, and the voice stays the same whether a post is paid or not. That consistency is part of the appeal for readers who want recommendations they can actually trust.

Running threads through the blog the way it threads through a life, showing up in training logs, race recaps, and the quiet mornings in between. Marathon stories tend to dwell on the unglamorous parts, the sore mornings, the long stretches of walking when the legs refuse to cooperate, and the strange happiness that arrives at the finish. There is appreciation for the crowds who stand out in the cold to cheer, and for the other runners who make a hard course feel shared. It reads less like advice and more like company.

Self-care appears here as something practical and unromantic, closer to a warm bath and an early night than to a grand transformation. Posts explore how care fits into a schedule already crowded with work, family, and long runs, and how small comforts can carry a season. Sometimes that means a treatment for sore muscles after a race, sometimes a quiet hour with a book, sometimes simply skipping the extra step in a routine. The underlying idea is that care should be sustainable rather than performative.

Winter brings its own chapter to the blog, with notes on dry air, chapped skin, and the particular pleasure of a routine that feels like a small shelter. Cold weather changes how products behave, how clothes layer, and how much motivation a person can find for an early run. Posts in this vein tend to be reflective, mixing practical suggestions with the mood of the season, the early dark and the bright kitchen light. There is honesty about the hard days and appreciation for the comforts that make them easier.

Style writing here leans toward the everyday wardrobe rather than the runway, considering how pieces work together across a week of ordinary obligations. There is attention to fit, fabric, and the way a single accent color can lift a plain outfit, along with thoughts on shopping thoughtfully and caring for what is already owned. Seasonal shifts prompt small edits rather than full overhauls, and the tone stays friendly toward readers at different budgets and different bodies. The aim is inspiration that can be worn on a Tuesday.

Holiday posts bring a different rhythm, gathering gift ideas, festive routines, and the pleasant chaos of hosting and traveling. Beauty tends to feature as part of the season's rituals, the products that travel well, the quick routines that survive a busy week, and the small indulgences that make an evening feel special. There is a lighthearted quality to these entries, along with a thread of appreciation for the people the holidays are actually about. Readers often return to these posts year after year as a seasonal companion.

Health topics appear with care and a matter-of-fact tone, treating subjects like skin conditions and everyday discomforts as things worth discussing openly rather than hiding. Posts aim to inform without alarming, describing general approaches to comfort and treatment while encouraging readers to seek proper guidance for their own situations. The writing avoids hype and stays clear about its limits, which suits a blog built on personal experience rather than medical authority. It is the kind of plain, respectful treatment that makes difficult subjects a little easier to approach.

Underneath the categories of beauty, style, and running sits a broader theme of appreciation, for the body that carries a person through training, for the products that genuinely help, and for the people who show up along the way. Posts often close on a note of gratitude, whether after a race, a long week, or a season of change. Readers come for reviews and stay for that voice, one that treats a life of small routines and long miles as something worth writing down carefully and sharing.

Being Zhenya is written by Zhenya Hutson, who shares personal experiences in style and wellness alongside her running adventures. The blog mixes product notes with longer, reflective essays.

More about Zhenya

Beauty posts About