Trendsetter

Whitney Lynne

Photos by Geneva Nodland

Why did we pick Whitney?

1. She has an influence on not only the area but all over!

Whitney Duden grew up in Fargo. She is very familiar with the area, and the area with her as she has worked with many influential people, businesses and organizations in the FM area. Now, she lives just outside of the city and moved her influence online! Her Instagram, @whitney_lynne, is home to daily curated content for her 123K followers!

2. She has proven her knowledge in the hair care and beauty realm and shares that with her community (Also, her hair slays).

Whitney’s social media is bursting with a variety of hair care tips, hairstyle tutorials, makeup and skincare recommendations, ‘get ready with me’s, fashion ‘inspo,’ and lots of other content surrounding general health, beauty and lifestyle. Whitney keeps her audience up-to-date on trends while keeping a very authentic energy surrounding her and her community.

3. She is real.

There’s a common stereotype around the term “influencer,” but Whitney continues to breakdown that idea. Throughout all of her posts, reels, stories, highlights and TikToks, you’ll find all of the content mentioned above, but you’ll also find messages to remind her followers that she is human, and that they are human, and that humans deserve grace—however that looks. See for yourself!

5 Beauty Hacks for Fargo

You can find beauty tips anywhere, but Whitney practices these herself for healthier skin, hair and body, check them out!

1. Don’t wash your hair every day.

“It’s okay to not wash your hair daily. Getting into this habit leads to a healthier scalp, better texture and overall healthier hair.”


Did you know?

Whitney uses the Heavenly Sixteen All-in-One Face Oil from the brand Summer Fridays! This facial oil is chock-full of non-comedogenic, vegan oils and is quick-absorbing-something that many people look for in a facial oil.


2. Color your eyebrows at home.

“Use men’s facial hair dye to color your eyebrows at home. If you regularly dye your brows, try this. It’s a great time and money saver.”

“I have been doing this trick for years! It’s quick, inexpensive and you can do it from the comfort of your home, try it out!”

-Geneva Nodland, Editor

3. Heat your lash curler before curling.

“Heat your lash curler before curling your lashes, it helps them hold. I’ve been doing this for a year and it helps them stay curled throughout the day. The heat sets them.”

4. Moisturize, moisturize, moisturize.

“Moisturize and moisturize more! Your face and your body—your skin will love you for it. Add facial oil for additional moisture.”

Check page 86 for a feature on FACE FOUNDER Fargo manager and Co-Owner of the upcoming Bismarck location, Jordan Epping.

5. Don’t skip the basics.

“Water and exercise really make a difference.”

Keep reading to learn what exercises and tools Whitney uses to stay active!

Whitney’s Places to Go

1. Face Foundrie

FACE FOUNDRIÉ is a focused facial bar, offering an abundance of variety in facial 2 and brow wax and shaping services, as well as tinting, henna and lamination brow services. They also offer eyelash lifts and tints and eyelash extension sets and fills! Its a one-stop-shop for all things face and skin care with FACE FOUNDRIÉ’s skin experts, who are extensively trained estheticians, helping you reach your skincare goals.

“FACE FOUNDRIÉ offers affordable facials and they have so many different options based on skin concerns too.”

“I love skincare, but I’ll admit most of my “facials” are at-home. This month, I am splurging on myself and heading in to get my own, professional facial at FACE FOUNDRIÉ! If you’re like me and don’t know what exactly to book, take their Skincare Quiz to find out which facial is right for your skin! Find it at facefoundrie.com/ facial-quiz

-Geneva Nodland, Editor

2. Crisp & Green

Crisp & Green hit the streets of Fargo last spring, and has been a hotspot since! Their variety of salad and grain bowls are nutritious, filling, easy to take on the go and, let’s be honest—Whitney’s right—absolutely perfect for the ‘gram! Whether you take the bowl to-go for a busy day, order in and enjoy it wherever you are or dine in at their modern dining area, know that you’re eating good, and will feel good too.

“Crisp & Green is healthy, fast and it tastes so good! Added bonus is that the atmosphere is Instagram-worthy.”

Whitney’s go-to bowl is the Wild Wild Southwest. The bowl has spinach and arugula base with a roasted chicken protein and is topped with roasted corn and poblano, black beans, white cheddar, tomatoes, cilantro and blue corn chips. The best part about Crisp & Green? They’ll toss up your bowl with your dressing so it’s ready to go! This bowl is tossed with a creamy southwestern dressing for a delicious and ready- to-eat meal.

3. Hair Success Salon & Spa

3With a mindset of providing an environment for “Relaxation, Rejuvenation, Wellness, Beauty and time with your Family and Friends,” its no surprise to find out that Hair Success Salon & Spa is full (and we mean FULL) of services to make this a prime destination for anyone looking to pamper and relax. Visit the salon or the spa—which is complete with a SKIN Medical Aesthetics Clinic—for a fresh or rejuvinated look. Check out their personal care, home and fashion accessories, and make sure you stop at Martini blu at the Grotto for a beverage, snack or full meal during your visit, or during any one of their community events! There’s so much offered at Hair Success Salon & Spa, so much that we have to cut ourselves off here—learn more at hairsuccesssalons.com!

“Looking for pampering or relaxation, this is it! Not to mention the atmosphere here is stunning! Secret—they also give a great pedicure.”

Whitney recommends the brand Redken as it is a great go-to for all hair types. Redken has multiple lines for what your hair needs are: damaged, brassy, fine and more. Plus, its more affordable than other high-end brands for haircare!

“Ask any one of my friends, I am a stickler about washing your face! Your skin’s health is already being affected by so much-hydration (or, lack of), exercise and movement, hormones and your mental health, diet and gut health-so why bother it more with the day’s wear on your skin (be it makeup, sweat, dust or whatever) all night long? Wash your face!”

-Geneva Nodland, Editor

4. Sky Zone Trampoline Park

While you might imagine Sky Zone being a spot for the kids to have fun (and it sure is), it can also be a trip for everyone to enjoy! The park includes places to freestyle jump, an ultimate dodgeball area, sky joisting, an air court, a challenge zone and so much more. It’s truly a great way to get moving and have fun!

“Sky Zone offers fun and exercise for the entire family. It’s a win-win, especially in the winter months. It’s also a great spot for birthday parties!”

7 Things to Avoid

1. Not using a heat protectant on your hair.

“Heat protectant keeps your hair safe by creating a protective barrier between your hair and the styling tool. It also reduces the amount of damage the heat can cause while keeping your hair less frizzy and prone to breakage.

2. Negative self-talk and (negative) people.

“A negative mindset and being around negativity affects your emotional well-being. You are who you surround yourself with, and I’ve found that being around upbeat positive people motivates me and leaves me feeling much happier mentally and emotionally.”

3. Skipping your Workouts

“Regular exercise not only helps physically, but it also reduces stress and anxiety, helps you sleep better and can reduce chances of developing illness later in life. So, stick to your routine!”

4. Not cleaning your makeup brushes.

“It helps prevent bacteria build-up, which leads to breakouts and it also helps your makeup go on smoother. Another perk? It extends the life of your brush.”

There are a ton of makeup brush cleaners out there. Make sure you check the ingredients for anything that might irritate your skin before you try it, here’s what Whitney does!

I just use my body wash. Mix with water and dip my brushes in and ‘brush’ them off. Lay them down to dry.”

5. Hot Showers

“Hot showers strip natural oils from us, leading to dry, irritated skin. Cooler showers reduce inflammation, help alleviate muscle tension, improve circulation and wake you up.”

6. Sleeping in your makeup.

“Just wash your face—your skin will thank you. And, it can cause premature aging, need I say more?”

7. Following people on social media who don’t make you feel good about yourself.

“Everyone is different, and social media should be a healthy place to interact and inspire you. Unfollowing the people who don’t make you feel good can create more of a positive experience and be beneficial to our overall well-being and mental state.”

Whitney Approved

1. Bala Bars

“They’re my favorite weights, they’re easy to grip with their sleek design!”

2. At Home Workouts

“Being self-employed and a single mom, I don’t have tons of free time to head to a gym. Doing workouts at home when I have 30 to 60 free minutes in my day has allowed me to maintain a workout routine without the hassle of trudging to and from a gym.”

3. Isle of Paradise Drops

“These are a clean product (meaning it is free from harmful chemicals) and you mix them with the moisturizer that you’re already using. You can use them with your face and body lotion. And, being that they’re drops, you’re able to customize your tan level by the number of drops you choose to add. They give a good sun-kissed glow that you can control.”

Whitney’s go-to face moisturizer is from the brand Obagi, and she uses Aveeno body lotion. Mix a few drops of the Isle of Paradise Drops, which can be found at Sephora, with your moisturizer to give your skin a natural glow.

“I recently started using the Isle of Paradise drops mixed wth my face moisturizer. We may not have seen the sun for a while here, but my skin looks like it has! Really though, they give your skin a natural, beautiful glow!”

– Geneva Nodland, Editor

Whitney’s Picks

Listen

The Mindset Mentor with Rob Dial – “[It features] Life advice and mentorship backed by studies, facts and his personal businesses. If you’re looking to improve your life, business

Read

Colleen Hoover – “Her books always suck me in! A good, easy read too.”

“So many of my friends have recommended Colleen Hoover’s books to me, and some of my coworkers here at Spotlight have too! I hadn’t read anything when we started working on this magazine, but I started “It Ends With Us” and wow, I understand the hype now! I am so excited to finish it!”
-Geneva Nodland, Editor

Download

The Sculpt Society – “I do 30-45 minute workouts on this app 6x a week. I like the full-body and sculpt classes.”

Buy

“1” curling iron – It’s the equivalent of a ‘closet staple’ for your hair!”

Whitney suggests the tools from the brand Hot Tools, as they are quality tools available at a more affordable price point! The tools come in a variety of different barrel sizes, including the ever-dependable 1-inch!

Q&A

What are health, wellness and beauty to you?

I believe that they all start with how we feel about ourselves on the inside and that manifests on the outside. When we feel good naturally, we’re more motivated to do good and feel good. It starts with exercise, as cliche as it sounds you always feel better after. At the beginning of the pandemic, I got back into a regular workout routine, and taking better care of my mental and physical health naturally fell into place as a domino effect. Naturally working out evolved into eating healthier and taking better care of my overall health. I’ve found that the people you surround yourself with make a significant difference too, it’s important to align yourself with people who are likeminded and have similar values.

What inspired you to get into beauty/hair? Fashion?

My interest in all three has been very prominent in my life since I was a little girl. So it just organically evolved into a full-time career for me.

When & how did you begin to grow a following online around these topics?

I started my journey about six years ago. Staying consistent is the biggest thing and I feel like it’s easy to tell if an influencer is genuinely passionate about what they’re sharing or not. People will pick up on this and naturally gravitate to an influencer that resonates with them.

What opportunities have you had from having this following, or being an influencer?

What is the back story in your signature #weariswhitney, and what does it mean?

I actually haven’t used this hashtag in a long time. But when I created it, it was meant to be utilized as a way for people to search my posts to see where I was and what I was wearing.

Personally, when this question arises, I get uncomfortable because I never want to make anyone feel insignificant or less than others. Just as in any industry, there are people/brands to strive to work with, businesses you’re trying to acquire and goals you’re aiming for.

What have been some of your favorite local/regional businesses or brands that you’ve worked with?

My very first big job was shooting a commercial for Hair Success. I had no idea what to expect… it ended up being a 12-14 hour Saturday and I remember thinking, ‘if this becomes my career, I will love working weekends.’ That day was definitely a monumental day in my career. When Onyx & Pearl was here (now solely Mint + Basil) I worked with them every month, Hope and Donny know fashion, they know the business and they know fun! When Onyx closed, it was definitely bittersweet. FACE FOUNDRIÉ is a newer business in town and I love them! I worked with them right when they opened and their clean and natural facial continues to suck me in. The girls there are so sweet and helpful if you’re clueless too. I definitely recommend the gua sha!

Trends (especially online) change fast. How have you been able to stay current and keep up with these for the past few years?

Honestly, I am not much of a “trend” girl. I’m more of a do-and-wear-what-you-love girl. But I do enjoy following brands online during fashion week and seeing what’s on the runways. Pinterest has been known to suck me in too.

What do you see/what would you like to see for the future of your social media and entrepreneur adventures?

I’m so happy you asked this. I am actually starting a Podcast with one of my best friends who’s also an influencer and lives in Sioux Falls. We plan to launch that this spring with weekly episodes. It’s going to be centered around what you’d talk to your friends about if you were at a happy hour… juicy girl talks, dating and relationships, single mom life/mom life, what happened Saturday night and whatever else flies out of our mouths. I’ll share the links for that on my Instagram as soon as it launches!

How to Support Whitney

Instagram: @whitney_lynne
TikTok: @whitney.lynne

 

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