As I sit here bra-less in my old baggy sweats typing and quietly reading each typed word under my breath to ensure this post is somewhat intelligible, all the while balancing a chocolate protein shake in my lap with mascara smudged, hair a mess, I can’t help but wonder “What would people think if they could see me right now?”
Not entirely sure why that came to me just now, but the mirror directly to my left allowing me to see exactly how UN-glamorous I look right now might have something to do with it. Speaking of glamour, I feel many women like myself, enjoy dressing up and looking pretty, but also have their hot mess casual moments. For many years being pretty meant my hair was always neatly straightened, my make up was ALWAYS done, and my outfits matched just a little too much. No one could every find my natural state to be beautiful right? RIGHT??!?!
Fast forward 12 years, and I still enjoy fashion, stilettos, accessories, make up, hair products, you name it. I like to experiment with new looks and ‘styles’. Some days I’ll wear a bold lip, other days I play up my eyes, depending on my mood. The difference between THEN and now, is that I don’t do these things because I think i’m ugly without them, I do it because I enjoy it. I like to play up my natural beauty. Some days i’ll wear make up, other days I don’t, but I am equally as beautiful and unique regardless. All to often girls feel they need to look like the cookie cutter celebrities with long straight hair, slim physique, lashes to your eye brows, perky full C cups, the latest in fashion, the list goes on.
I was once that girl. I essentially liked myself, as long as ‘myself’ looked like someone else.
Tomorrow til Saturday i’m going to discuss in greater detail different aspects of exactly what I mean. Starting with the big one, my hair which was a matter of great internal struggle for many years. I’m sure many girls out there have, at one point or another, wanted the hair of another girl. For a black girl who’s only wish in life is straight hair, this seemed like an “at all costs” situation. I plan to discuss the physical acceptance that took place, as well as the day I finally understood that true beauty isn’t in the way we look on the outside but the person we are inside. (Easier said than done).
I have come to accept myself, flaws and all, and other than the occasional self conscious moment (Oh come on, don’t pretend you don’t have one too) I feel truly beautiful in my own skin. It has taken many ups and downs, some mistakes, lots of tears, and even more positive affirmations, but I’ve gotten to a place where I can just be apologetically ME.
I just received a notification from wordpress that I have had this blog for an entire year! It’s my blogiversary today! Hurray! To each of my readers, thank you so very much for sticking by me this entire year, for the encouragement, and sweet comments. Here’s to an even better 2014!
I was inspired to make this scrub during a conversation I had last week with one of my girlfriends. We were emailing regarding a DIY gift idea I had. My plan was to make cupcakes in a jar (or some other sugar laden treat) to give to some of our friends. If you haven’t heard of cupcakes in a jar, I suggest checking them out once you’re finished reading this post, but be warned, the mere sight of them are bad for a girl’s waistline. We went back and forth about whether it was a good idea, and I came to realize that as someone who promotes clean eating, I would be going against everything I stand for by giving the gift of processed and unnecessary sugar and fat. In that moment I looked down at my arm and what did I see? Dry skin….then *BLING-a-LING* A light went on. How about I STILL give the gift of sugar and fat, but in a good way. Hence the idea of mini mason jars filled with coconut oil sugar scrub was born.
Orange and Lavender Coconut Oil Sugar Scrub
1 1/2 cups organic turbinado sugar
1/2 cup sea salt
1/2 cup coconut oil (melted, but not super hot)
1/8 cup almond oil (could also use jojoba oil)
zest of 1 orange
juice of half an orange
12 drops lavender essential oil
18 drops orange essential oil
The rest is really quite simple. Combine the sugar and salt, add the zest and juice from the orange, the oil, and essential oils. Stir very well until combined and zest is mixed in thoroughly. Then try not to spend the rest of the day hovering over the bowl inhaling this amazingly relaxing scent. If you’re feeling particularly festive, don’t keep this all for yourself. Carefully spoon it into mini mason jars and give to your friends.
Have a wonderful week, dear friends! Don’t let the stress of the holidays get to you. Remember what is important to you, and let everything else go. Gifts are great, but I’d prefer the company of my friends and family to even the most fantastic gadget any day.
Specifically for my Canadian readers, I hope everyone had a safe, healthy, and happy Thanksgiving. For everyone else, I hope you are enjoying the autumn and hugged someone special today!
Tonight’s topic of discussion is one of my absolute favourite beauty go-to products–Coconut oil! This creamy, sweet smelling butter/oil has a million different uses and benefits. Any product that can go easily from cupboard, to stove top, to hair, to face, to belly, and provide an amazing service in all areas is a must have.
I’m sure you have heard of cooking and baking with coconut oil, but it’s more than a healthy alternative to sunflower oil. It tastes great, it’s packed with nutrients, and honestly it’s probably your hair’s new best friend. Besides being great for your body, both inside and out, it has many other advantages. For instance, coconut oil is readily available in most grocery and health stores, it’s relatively inexpensive, stores well, can be used in oil form (when heated) or at room temperature when it’s hard, and last but certainly not least smells amazing. If you’ve ever tried coconut oil for any reason, you know it’s a great product, however if cooking is the extent to which you use it, allow me to introduce to you a few other BEAUTY related ways this simple oil will amaze you.
Coconut Oil as a beauty product:
1. The ultimate deep conditioning hair repair mask: I have naturally curly, tight coiled, dry hair and whenever I need a deep condition, I melt some coconut oil in a small saucepan and work it into my hair from root to tip, cover my hair with a bag or silk scarf, and sleep on it. In the morning my hair feels like a million dollars–well if a million dollars felt like soft, silky hair! It’s also great for every day use as it’s not especially oily, has a mild smell, and keeps frizzies at bay.
2. Eye make up remover. Simply moisten a cotton pad with warm water, put on a tiny bit of coconut oil, wipe your eyes with it and voila–the best makeup remover you’ve ever tried.
3. Moisturizing Body scrub. How many of us have paid way too much for the newest body scrub only to have it smell bad, not work, dry us out, etc. You can make an amazing body scrub with 2 simple ingredients coconut oil and sugar. Simple yet effective. Try it sometime.
4. Lip balm. Not going to lie, I licked my lips a lot because I love the taste of coconut. Oops. But it makes your lips feel so smooth and soft.
5. In your bathwater. Of course if you use coconut oil in the bath, you won’t be able to have any bubbles, but if you are in need of a relaxing and moisturizing soak after a long day try adding 1/4 cup of melted coconut oil to a warm bath. I find this to be especially helpful in the winter when my skin is really dry.
6. Stretch mark prevention. This isn’t something i’ve done myself, but my mom swears by coconut oil as the reason she has very few if any stretch marks. I’ve seen this on multiple blogs as well, so if I ever become pregnant i’ll be sure to slather myself more than usual with it. (if that’s even possible)
7. Softens cuticles and banishes dry skin. I paint my nails constantly and the skin around my cuticles is often dry. Of course there are nail products available, but coconut oil works just as well. I also find it’s great for ashy knees and elbows. Girl, don’t pretend you don’t know what I mean–you know you get it too.
8. Toothpaste. Okay, so before I continue I have to admit, I personally haven’t tried this yet, but I’ve seen it mentioned all over the internet so if anyone has every tried it, please let me know what it’s like. I saw this quick easy recipe over at family sponge and it involves only 4 basic household ingredients. Stevia, coconut oil, baking soda, and essential oil (I would probably use mint).
I’m sure there are many other uses for coconut oil that I haven’t even touched on, but these are some of the things I use it for daily. Sometimes it’s the simplest ingredients that make for the best beauty product. Rather than spending hundreds of dollars on multiple products that do similar things (probably with a lot more ingredients and perhaps even chemicals) I have 1 product that does everything.
I hope you enjoyed this installment of Beauty Tuesday, and cannot wait to hear from you!
In case you’re wondering, tonight’s title comes from the lips (pun intended) of Elizabeth Taylor herself! If you’re not inclined to pour yourself that drink, at the very least, put on an extra coat of lipstick, and pull yourself together!
Lipstick, like shoes, can really add to a look. With each colour and finish you have the ability to drastically change the look of an outfit, make up look, etc. And many are so inexpensive it makes playing with various colours practically guilt free–well especially in comparison to shoes!
Gwyneth Paltrow, like myself, is also a lipstick lover. She once said “Beauty, to me, is about being comfortable in your own skin. That, or a kick-ass red lipstick.” I have to say I agree. I believe we need to be comfortable in our own skin first, but a gorgeous lipstick is definitely a close second. 😉
As I sat down to begin this post, peppermint tea in hand, I glanced at the time… Oh my goodness, 10:45pm. Seriously? Where did the evening go? Well, it looks like this post will be a little shorter than usual since it’s way past my bedtime, but at least i’m sticking to my commitment. I obviously should have started this post much earlier, but as fate would have it, things did not quite work out that way. I was actually completely on schedule after my workout, and was even considering a nice long bubble bath this evening when it hit me– There’s a potluck tomorrow, and I haven’t made anything yet! Eeek! Usually I am on top of these things, as I love to cook and to bake, but I’ve been insanely busy with work, and just life in general and it slipped my mind. I had intended to make a veggie dish, but since I completely forgot until several hours ago I didn’t have all the ingredients on hand. In a panic I quickly scanned the kitchen and BOOM, spotty bananas on the cupboard. I had been saving them for an upcoming recipe, but I will have to start rotting bananas again tomorrow. (Okay not rotting them, but once they’re past being green, they’re as good as rotten to me anyway). It wasn’t too long before I was pulling a loaf of banana bread out of the oven. Perfect!
Now, I’d like to say, I stopped there, but I also remembered that I wanted baked oatmeal, raspberry chia compote, and roasted cinnamon apples. My plan is to layer all 3 together tomorrow for an AMAZING breakfast and eat them parfait style *drools*. So, when I finally finished all the peeling, stirring, tasting, and cleaning–made tea, and finally settled down to write my blog, well…you know the rest. It’s practically 11pm and I haven’t even gotten to the point of tonight’s post. Oops. So much for short. So, before I start telling you about how amazing the apples taste, let’s get into the specifics of tonight’s post shall we?
In case you couldn’t tell from the title of this post, I plan to discuss lipstick. Not just any lipstick, my GO TO lipsticks! On a day to day basis, I typically wear minimal makeup with just a light dusting of powder, a little blush, lipbalm and mascara. Occasionally i’ll add winged eye liner, or even a touch of shimmery shadow to my inner tear duct area but truthfully, with working out in the morning, getting to work for 7am, making and eating breakfast (very important), I don’t really have the time to spend on perfecting my face. However, my saving grace is lipstick. There is something about a bright pop of colour be it pink, red, purple, etc that really pulls a look together. Suddenly i’ve gone from simple, to a bold, perhaps even seductive look.
Without further ado, here are my favourite shades of lipsticks.
Back row: (L-R) MAC Glamour Era, MAC Rebel, Dior Daisy Plum, MAC Hipster Front row: (L-R) MAC Lovelorn, MAC Girl About Town, Lancôme Rouge in Love (Violette Coquette).
I had originally planned to take photos wearing each of the different colours, but for some reason the lighting just wasn’t allowing that to happen tonight. I think I will have to invest in better lighting since I do many of my photos after work when it’s not as bright.
During the summer, I wore Girl about town and Rouge in Love most of the time, with Glamour Era being the simple every day shade. MAC Glamour Era is very similar to my natural lip colour and simply adds a little dimension and shine. Now that i’m moving into autumn and changing to deeper colours, I find myself drawn to the bordeaux shades. I am currently on the hunt for the perfect deep red, almost brick colour. I am sure with a little searching, i’ll find it.
As I mentioned earlier, I don’t wear lipstick every day, or any make up for that matter, but often throwing on a coat of lipstick is as simple as popping in a pair of earings. It adds that extra little something without being overdone. If I had to choose an absolute all time favourite based on packaging, colour payoff, texture, and overall wearability I’d have to go with Lancome’s Violette Coquette
It goes on silky smooth, never leaves my lips feeling dry, works well with my skin tone, and can easily be a spring shade, a summer shade, or if I feel like it a fall and winter!
So tell me, what are you favourite lipstick colours for fall? Any new trends you’re planning to try out? And finally, where do you stand when it comes to lipstick? And by this I mean, many people shy away from it because it can smudge, transfer, or even look messy and over the top are you a nude lip kind of girl or a bold red or orange type of lady? I’d love to hear from you!
Until next week’s beauty chat, stay gorgeous my friends!
During the past few weeks I’ve been giving considerable thought to the direction i’d like to take this blog and some of the different topics i’d like to discuss on here. I feel I post the same sort of posts most of the time, and i’d love to expand my horizons and incorporate some of my other loves, such as beauty, fashion, and hair. So, as a special surprise tonight, I’m bringing you a beauty related post! I cannot promise to make beauty posts every Tuesday, but I going to put in a great deal of effort to post them at least twice a month. Actually no, you know what, i’m an ambitious girl, so let’s say every Tuesday for a month and see how that goes. I have a few other special posts coming up this week that I hope you will enjoy as well, so please stay tuned and let me know what you think.
I was browsing the internet this evening and came across this photo. Beauty is more than just hair tools, makeup, brushes, nail polish etc. but when we’re getting into the “products” associated with beauty these are the types of things I’ll be discussing.
So let me start by saying that I love nail polish. It’s one of the items that even during my semi tomboyish phase that I still loved. There is something about changing up the colours on your nails that I absolutely love, and it’s so simple and easy that you can do it well…every day if you want. I would have to say my love of nail polish has turned into a bit of an obsession though, because there are many times I get home with my brand new “Absolutely different” shade of nail polish only to discover I have 6 others almost identical to it. Oops.
It’s so easy to get sucked into buying a new polish when there are so many different brands available. The colours are endless, each brand boasts a new line, promising to stay on your nails without chipping for weeks on end, I mean what’s a girl to do other than buy a new one to try. This one, yes this one will be my holy grail. Mmm…Okay so maybe not this one, but definitely the next one, and so on. I have tried buffing my nails, base coats, thin layers of polish, thick layers of polish, top coat, no coat, heck, i’d even do a handstand if I could keep my polish from chipping but guess what nothing works, my polish always chips after a day or 2. The worst part, it always chips in an awkward spot IF you’re wearing a bright or dark colour. Neutral polish will remain for days, but that gorgeous wine shade is definitely going to chip on day 1 and peel right off. Now I don’t know about you, but once my nail polish chips it drives me just a little bit insane with each passing chip.
I’m sure you’re thinking to yourself, well if the nail polish chips so badly why do you even bother using it? *Insert laugh here* Because my dear friend, although it drives me a little bit crazy, each time it chips it is simply ensuring that I will either repaint my nails with a new shade, or who knows, buy a completely new colour. I almost never repaint my nails the same colour twice in a row, so in a way it is keeping my obsession alive.
There are 3 nail polish brands that I always find myself reaching for, they are OPI, Butter London, and Zoya. In this post, however, I am only going to discuss OPI and Butter London because it so happens, that is what i’m wearing on my fingers right now! I love all of these polishes for a multitude of reasons, but here are my top ones!
1. OPI nail polish. This brand makes up more than 80% of my collection. One of the reasons I love it is simply because it’s easy to find. You can find OPI at most salons and beauty related shops, the colours are gorgeous ranging from the lightest pink, to the darkest blue, and they change so quickly (this is probably a negative) that you will never get bored! The second reason I love these polishes is for the wand! It is a very wide brush that makes it very easy to apply and also for my nail painters out there, easy to get ALL areas of the nail! I have very small hands and nails, but I still really love these brushes and it’s probably the reason I stopped buying other brands because I never know what the brush will be like and I’m partial to the wider ones. A third reason I like these polishes is probably because I know the quality of the polish. There have been other brands that sell for much more and honestly, have been terribly streaky and hard to apply. I really don’t want to have to work to apply a smooth coat, and these ensure a quick, easy, painless application. Finally is the price. At $9.99 a pop, i’m sure some would find these to be rather expensive, but for everything I get, I think this is rather reasonable considering drug store brands run as high as $7.99 and often leave me disappointed with a bad colour pay off, thick streaky formula, tiny brush etc. I am probably a little biased, but honestly I do love this polish! If you haven’t tried OPI yet, definitely give it a try.
2. Butter London. The second brand that I’d like to discuss tonight, is by a brand called Butter London. There are so many great things to be said about this company. First, it’s vegan, makes a conscious effort to use as few harmful chemicals, as possible, AND their packaging is beautiful! They consider themselves to be a ‘3 free’ company which essentially means they do not use formaldehyde, toluene, or DBP colour. They’re also non carcinogenic. Win, win, win, win!!! The first thing I noticed about this polish when I tried it was the smell, i’m not sure what it is, but it smells much more mild than other polishes, I assume because it doesn’t contain one of the chemicals? Not sure exactly, but it’s definitely not as strong smelling as my OPI ones. Like I already mentioned the packaging is beautiful, the collections always leave me drooling, but sadly I only own a few of these polishes because they are approximately $22 per bottle. I understand the 3 free approach, the beautiful colours, the amazing colour pay off, and it’s smoother and more velvety than any nail polish I have ever used, but as a polish junkie it is a little difficult for me to justify owning as many as I do of the OPI. That being said, if you are the type of person who only wants one or 2 shades of polish and will use those same 2 colours religiously forever, then I’d recommend this brand–honestly the formula, brush, and colours make it a worth while investment.
Okay so now that you know a little bit about my obsession, let’s continue on with the rest of my day. Actually, before I go any further, I feel it’s important to share a little secret with you. Okay… *nervous inhale* i’m a little shy about this, but I guess i’ll just come right out and say it…but I never go out in public without painted nails! Yes. There I said it. My nails are always painted. I can honestly say that I can count the amount of times on both hands that i’ve left my house with out painted finger nails since I started painting them many, many years ago in junior high. This is not a fact that i’m proud of, but nonetheless it is what it is, I have painted my nails so long that the look of them bare frightens me and also, they’re sort of yellow and chipped from never letting them breathe. Again, my own fault but the cycle continues. I don’t have a problem with going out without make up on, and do it frequently, but nail polish, well that is just a big no no.
This leads me to my next point. Last night, I was supposed to paint my nails before bed, but put it off all evening until I couldn’t keep my eyes open any longer. My nails were badly chipped and so I decided to quickly paint them this morning, only problem is after my workout, shower, protein shake, etc. I ran out of time…. Uh oh! I panicked and removed my nail polish anyway, but then realized i’d miss my bus so I quickly grabbed 2 shades, threw them into my purse, and ran out the door. I’m pretty sure at this point you’re thinking “well why didn’t she just wait until she got home to paint her nails” but come on now, I already admitted to you that I can’t do that. I had planned to quickly paint them as soon as I got to work, but traffic was bad this morning and I got in just as my shift was about to start so I had to wait, then I had a meeting, then another meeting, etc etc. It wasn’t until lunch time while I was eating my lunch and studying for my french class that I looked down at my hands and realized my nails were bare and staring back at me.
*Gulp* I looked left, I looked right, I turned around in my seat and look behind me…and guess what!? No one was in the common area. I pulled out my polish and began to paint my nails as quickly as I could, being careful not to smudge the polish, or spill any in my quinoa. No sooner had I put on the last coat did someone walk in and say “It smells like paint in here, weird” and walk away. Phew! My crazy obsession was not found out. I looked down at my book and pretended to study, because let’s be honest–at this point my thoughts were focused on eating without smudging my nails, figuring out how to take notes for my upcoming meeting with wet nails, and how I was going to get my nail polish back into my purse without messing up my nails. I read somewhere once that a woman is only ever truly helpless while her nail polish dries…truer words have not been spoken. 😉
These are the 2 colours I had thrown into my purse this morning, so these are the colours I chose. I didn’t have any filing tools, base coat, top coat, etc. But after quickly painting my nails I felt so much better about the meeting I was to attend later in the afternoon. I realize it’s a weird thing, but I like having my nails painted and it’s like your ears feeling “naked” when you’re not wearing earrings, sure you don’t “NEED” them, but you feel a lot better when you have them.
Here is my completed nail look. I would have painted all of my fingers the gorgeous glittery gold, but without a base coat, i’d be trying to remove that colour for the next month so I chose an accent finger instead.
I am going to end my post here, as everything worked out in the end. I painted my nails, enjoyed my meeting, learned a ton in french class, and never once looked at my nails and thought “oh god, I really need to hide my hands” hahaha. Okay, so I exaggerate, my obsession isn’t quite THAT bad, but we all have that “something” that just has to be a certain way or else we’re all discombobulated. Mine happens to be nail polish…well, and a few other things, but let’s leave that for another post so that I don’t overwhelm you.
I sincerely hope you enjoyed this post. If you have any things beauty related you’d like to see me review or discuss, please let me know. I will be trying some new things in upcoming posts, so please check back regularly. Have a wonderful evening!!
It’s that time of the month again!! Nope, not THAT time…”THINGS I’VE BEEN LOVING” time! You know when I tell you all about the products, foods, clothes, etc that i’ve fallen in love with/couldn’t live without in June. I was really hoping to get this post up the last day of June, but that clearly didn’t happen. However, it’s only 6 days into July, so that’s not too bad right?? I mean it’s not quite a week yet…
Okay before I continue making excuses, here is my list of the things I couldn’t get enough of in June.
1. Strawberries. Fresh, local, sweet, and juicy. I have picked up so many baskets of strawberries in the past few weeks that the vendors question that i’m actually eating them all. What can I say, this girl loves strawberries, and there is no comparison to fresh IN SEASON berries! My only issue with them is that I always seem to drop them on myself when i’m wearing something light…GAH!
2.Hemp Seeds. These little guys contain all Amino acids, Omega 3 & 6, protein, and as a bonus, they’re easily digestible. I have been using hemp seeds for a while now, but this month I’ve been adding them to everything. Salads, smoothies, on top of banana slices smothered in nut butter… you name it, I have probably done it.
3. Macadamia Cashew butter. I may have to sign myself up for nut butter rehab, because this stuff is crazy addicting. I won’t admit to how many jars i’ve gone through so far, but it’s bordering on a problem. It’s so creamy, rich, slightly sweet, and the perfect addition to banana slices, on roasted sweet potatoes (I know you think i’m crazy, but trust me it’s amazing), or straight out of the jar…
4. Forever 21 Heart Stud Earrings. These cute little earrings cost me $3.80 but I love them! (Mine actually have white flowers and not green…). I have been wearing stud earrings almost every day during June, but these were definitely the ones I wore the most.
5. Vega Sport Performance Protein in Chocolate. I have tried this protein powder in the past but couldn’t get past the taste. It wasn’t until I discovered protein pudding through Laura over at fit,green, and gorgeous–that I decided to give this product another try. I add 1 tbsp of raw cacao with my scoop of powder or else I find I can’t get past the super sweet stevia after taste, but it’s gotten to the point that I can now enjoy it simply mixed in my shaker bottle with vega, cacao, 1/2 water and 1/2 almond milk. I have been feeling great since regularly using this protein powder so when I run out, I will DEFINITELY repurchase.
6.Jean Jacket! Okay well more of a Jean vest. Uh…Regena, this isn’t 1993, what are you doing with a Jean jacket? For real guys, don’t hate on this fashion trend. This staple piece in my wardrobe works with so many different looks. I wear it–open of course–over crop tops (another questionable piece haha) paired with a high waisted or maxi skirt, with maxi dresses, flowery flowy girly dresses, with my jean skirt hahah JUST KIDDING about that part I am not really a Jean on jean kind of girl.
7. Lush soap Ring of Roses. This soap smells like well, fresh wild roses. Whenever I use the soap I am reminded of the rose bushes that used to grow behind my house as a kid. It brings back so many happy memories for me (even tho I was severely allergic to EVERYTHING as a child including those rose bushes) and so I love using it in a nice hot bath when I can lie back and really enjoy the scent. Bad news tho, it’s been discontinued. Really Lush, Really?!? I purchased several before they discontinued it but I’m on my last piece…so I have to make it last.
8. Damien Rice’s Album O. This isn’t really a song of the month, but the music is incredible and I couldn’t choose only 1 song to feature. This is definitely not workout motivation music, but if you remember from previous posts, I’m trying to relax more and these songs are really calming. I fell in love with this album while living in Wales during my 3rd year of university, and just recently discovered it again. My newest relaxation habit has been to run a bubble bath, throw in some of the ring of roses soap, light a few candles,and sing along to this…pure bliss–unless you’re the person who has to listen to me singing. 😀
I hope you enjoyed this installment of ‘Things i’m Loving’. If you’re some where really hot (like Ottawa today) please remember to stay hydrated and use sunscreen!
Before I go, can I let you in on a little secret? Tomorrow’s back to back spin classes are going to be BRUTAL! As you know, I always do 2 classes on Sunday mornings, but I took more than a week off (due to class cancellations and vacation), I went last night and this morning and my booty is already sore–I have a feeling it’s going to be a very fidgety class.
Sometimes I accidentally get obsessed with a colour. And I say accidentally, because it really isn’t some intentional ‘i’m going to buy everything in purple this season’ decision. I’ll just notice that a particular colour is all the rage that season, think to myself that I could use a little “colour in my life” and the next thing you know I own 5 bottles of yellow nail polish, yellow shoes, and i’m trying to convince AB that yellow duct tape really is a practical idea.
Last year it was coral…this year it seems to be mint green. I haven’t done much shopping recently, but the few items I have purchased have been the same colour. Oops. (Well minus the pink and orange jeans I bought, but for the record I only bought orange because they didn’t have the green in my size). O_0
It became apparent to me that I have a slight obsession when I uploaded this photo onto my computer. This was not on purpose I promise.
I have to say, this little organic gala apple really pops against the mint, so I guess it’s not a bad thing. 🙂
Does anyone else have this problem? Do you also get infatuated with a colour and slowly have it take over your life? Or is that just me.
I just realized I sort of do the same thing with fruits and veggies. I mean, sure I eat seasonally so if tomatoes are in season it only makes sense that i’d have them more than usual, but I will definitely have a fruit realize i’ve been missing it and then eat it non stop for several weeks before moving on to another. Is that weird? I have my staples of bananas and grapes (tho the past 2 1/2 months grapes have been super gross here) but before I started the detox I was obsessed with oranges and honeydew and ate it every day… (Oh god, think about the colour of honeydew…it’s official, i’m crazy).
Speaking of fruit, as great as the juice detox is, I cannot wait to Slice up 5 bananas and just revel in their sweet perfection. I plan to be fully raw for 2 weeks after the detox ends to allow my body to slowly adjust after not eating for 2 weeks, then after that I may allow myself a cooked treat–i’m looking at you baked sweet potato. I only have 3 days left, and rather than wishing them to end in a hurry– tho I’m not perfect, so i’m sure Sunday afternoon i’ll be having some internal crisis where I want the weekend to end *blasphemy* yet obviously do NOT want it to come to an end–the plan is to take each day as it comes with it’s ups and downs and continue learning from this experience. Until then, be strong with me.
I am so thankful for girlfriends. And often, whether they realize it or not, it’s the simplest of gestures that make the biggest impact. Whether it’s getting a silly “you’re my boo” text, receiving a cheer up coffee, or being able to be a grump around them judgement free… I don’t know what I would do without my girls. 😀
Fun Fact # 1: I love penguins. How adorable is this little guy? He made a wonderful little home for my peppermint tea but I kept putting his hat back on because it added to the cuteness.
Fun Fact #2: Several of my colleagues saw my green smoothie today and said “oh my god, that looks absolutely disgusting…can I taste it? What’s in it?” Everyone liked the smoothie and was surprised at how NON disgusting it tasted…one by one i’ll convert my office!
I only have 4 more days of this challenge and I have to admit. I feel great! My only complaint is sleeplessness, but I don’t think that’s related to the smoothies at all. :S
So… I have been trying out a few Origins products for the past 2 weeks. I was going to wait a few more weeks before commenting on them them, but i’ve already noticed a significant difference in my skin so let’s talk skin care! I plan to give them a more thorough review in a month or so once i’ve had time to truly experience all of the benefits the products have to offer.
DISCLAIMER: One of the hardest problems i’ve faced since becoming a vegan, surprisingly enough, has not been giving up eating animal bi products, rather it’s been beauty products by companies who test on animals. For instance, I’ve given up all L’oreal products because they’re a well known animal tester. Okay fine. BAD L’Oreal. However, I really like NARS products and own quite a few products. Now while NARS themselves do not test on animals, Shiseido Cosmetics–the company who owns them–does. *Duhn Duhn Duhnnnnn*
Origins is a natural brand. Contain no animal bi-products, and do not test on animals, but I read this weekend that Estee Lauder owns Origins and have some animal testing in their past and quite possibly their present. I am planning to do a little more research on this to find out all of the facts, but want to disclose this fact to those of you who would not want to buy this product based on this. For the record I am not perfect. I will not be eating a steak, nor buying from a company (at least not knowingly) that tests cosmetics on animals, but what about in this situation where a company is natural and has morals BUT happens to be owned by a company without many? How do I feel then? Hhmmm…
Well that’s not a great note to end things, but let’s move into the products shall we?
The Make a Difference toner is Oil and Alcohol free and smells amazing. My skin feels soft and hydrated when I use it. There is something quite refreshing about this toner. I’ve been using it every morning and night and unlike the toner I was using before it doesn’t burn my skin and feel like I may have used wiped acid on my cheek.
The A Perfect World SPF 25 moisturizer is amazing as well. It is light, yet hydrating, and perfect for my oily skin. The added SPF is a bonus. One of the issues i’ve had with moisturizers in the past is the strong smell irritating my eyes. This one has a very gentle scent that fades quickly and does not bother me at all.
The night cream, High potency Night-A-Mins, is in a league of it’s own. It is one of the creamiest, richest, night creams i’ve ever used. Every morning after I wake up my skin looks refreshed and brighter. If I had to continue only one of the products from this line, it would be this one.
The GinZing eye cream is probably the reason i’ve started skipping my under eye concealer again. I have been having a problem with puffy dark circles for months now, and since starting using this product i’ve noticed a dramatic difference with the look my circles in the morning. No more hiding behind make up, just fresh bright skin.
Honestly, these products are amazing. No parabens, mineral oil, DEA, PABA, synthetic colour, etc. I’ve tried many different moisturizers, lotions, eye creams, and toners, and none have given me such dramatic results in such a short amount of time. Give them a try and let me know how you like them.
Good day or bad day, there is something about freshly painted nails that really perks a girl up…well this girl at least. And I would like to say a special thanks to Essie for making the manicure even more spectacular.
This polish is BRUTAL to remove, but somehow makes even the most drab paint job fabulous! And in the spirit of Christmas, I thought i’d go a little ‘candy cane’ themed.
Speaking of Christmas themed…I found myself dreaming of holiday snacks this afternoon. Christmas eve, Christmas Day, and Boxing day are my ‘cheat days’ and so I have to make sure I have something epically delicious to nibble on. I have a serious love for food and so I always look forward to planning out my special meals. Even when i’m having a bad day, there is something relaxing about looking up new recipes.
A few months ago I bought Erin McKenna’s cookbook Babycakes: Vegan, (Mostly) Gluten-Free, and (Mostly) Sugar-Free recipes from New York’s Most Talked about Bakery with the intention of baking my way through it. Surprisingly enough, i’ve been good and only made 2 recipes to date. I had the privilege of visiting the bakery last summer and for the record, her cookie sandwiches are to die for! My husband, who is not gluten free or vegan, could not get enough of them. I actually went crazy for the cinnamon sugar donuts, but that recipe is in her 2nd cookbook so maybe i’ll pick that up in the new year.
This evening flipping threw the book I came across a recipe for gingerbread…and although i’ve only ever liked my grandmother’s gingerbread (yes I’m biased) I decided to give it a try next Monday.
Seriously tho, how amazing does this look! I wonder if I can figure out how to make gingerbread buckwheat pancakes. *Licks lips*
I meant to start this post by talking about the smoothie challenge, but as you can see pretty glittery things and yummy desserts have a way of distracting me. I’m moderately back on track now, so let’s try this again.
1. One of my girlfriends and her mom were inspired by my green smoothie challenge and tried their first one yesterday. *YAY* They were surprised at how much they enjoyed it and how energized they were. SO they decided to join me for the rest of the challenge BUT being the intense crazies I know them to be, chose to give up all solid food and exist solely on smoothies. They asked me to join in, but in order for me to agree to something that intense I need to be mentally prepared. I offered a compromise tho in which I will *gulp* drink ridiculous quantities of smoothie only have the smoothie for the 4 days between December 27-30th. At first I was terrified…okay, truthfully i’m still nervous but I think the experience will be cleansing. I will also include a daily yoga session to feel even better. Wish us all luck.
2. I DESPERATELY NEED want a juicer. I’d love to be able to make my own juice. I have started researching several different brands and may just treat myself to a new kitchen gadget in the new year. One of the reasons I know I need to pick up a juicer is because i’d love to be able to include celery, cucumber, etc in my smoothies but i’m kind of super weird when it comes to texture and I find that I can “feel” those veggies in my smoothies? Not sure that even makes sense. I’m going to try it with cucumber again tomorrow, but I don’t expect great results. I am also going to get the Crazy Sexy Juices & Succulent Smoothies book. I hear it’s pretty awesome.
Spin Bikes and Opaque Tights 