Girls Guide: Perfect Night In

So, before I get this post started, I would just like to say that me and my blog have an odd relationship. Sometimes I will write posts all week and other times, well, we won't see each other for a month and a half (whoops!). I think we have all realized this by now, but now its out in the open and I apologize! 

Anyways, in the past year or so I have found myself becoming quite the expert on staying in and having a relaxing weekend of refreshing and rejuvenating. After working a 9 - 5 job all week long, sometimes all you want to do is be left alone on your weekend and just relax and prepare for the stressful week ahead. So grab your bubble bath and your face masks, we're dissecting the perfect night in!

There are a few key things to make a perfect night in, or pampering night. The perfect place to start is with a face mask. I love face masks so much! Whether I need it to make my skin clear and glowing for an important event, or if I just need one to heal my skin from a long week, a face mask can always do the trick! My favorite mask at the moment is the GLAMGLOW SUPER-MUD Clarifying Treatment . And there is no better time for a face mask to work its magic than in a warm bubble bath! Not only will a bubble bath relax you, but the steam from the water will also help the mask help your skin even more! Now, in my opinion, the best bubbles for a bubble bath are from Lush. My favorite one at the time is their Rose Jam bubble bar. It is super moisturizing and smells of roses. The way to make your soothing bath even better is to light your favorite candles. Currently, I have the Rio Glow Bath and Body Works candle as my bath time scent.  A lot of times while I'm in the bath, I like to unwind from the week by either watching YouTube videos, or reading magazines (Seventeen and Cosmo are my favorites to read in the bath!). To me, this is the most relaxing place! 

After your bath is through, it is time to wash off the mask, moisturize, get into your most comfy onesie (optional) and pick your favorite nail polish. Having freshly painted nails can always brighten my mood and make me feel much better about myself. Even if I am having a bad skin or hair day, if my nails are done nicely I feel good. Now since it is pamper and relaxing night, we're not just going to paint our nails with 2 coats of polish and call it a night. I'm talking a full manicure. Filing, moisturizing, base coat, 2 coats of color, and a top coat! The color that I am wearing now is Butter London in the shade Blagger. It is a gorgeous royal blue. Not too dark, not too bright. Once your nails are done and dry, its tea time!

I tend to have a tea obsession. I buy so many different kinds of tea that I have quite a nice collection at the moment. My favorite one to drink right now is Celestial Seasonings: Sugar Cookie Sleigh Ride. It's part of their holiday herbal tea collection, but luckily I still have some. It actually taste like a sugar cookie! So after making your yummy tea, its time to get into bed and read a book or watch your favorite movie! Whether it be your favorite rom com, a drama, or Mean Girls, (cause let's be real here, nothing will ever top Mean Girls) there's no better way to end your relaxation night.

Now that you're relaxed, clean, and full of your favorite tea, its time for lights out! 

I hope you enjoyed my Girls Guide to a perfect night in and that you have an awesome week! I think I am going to start a Motivational Mondays series on here. It will either start this Monday or next week! Keep your eyes peeled for that and have a fantastic night!

Xx

Fully Raw Vegan update!

Hello my friends! So if you did not know, I have been a fully raw vegan for almost 3 months now.  A fully raw vegan is someone who only eats fruits, vegetables, seeds, and nuts. The last time I posted about this, I was just starting this new journey. Now, that it's almost three months in, I can honestly say that I have never felt healthier, happier, or more free and awake.  

And yes, this is all great, but this has also been one of the hardest tasks I've ever faced. Some weeks I would do a fabulous job of staying fully raw, and then there are some days where I just fail miserably! But I have learned that that's all a part of the journey. It may take me a year to truly become fully raw and only eat my fruits, veggies, seeds, and nuts. I have learned that this process of becoming healthier is going to take time and some days I may fail, but as long as I keep going, I will get there eventually. 

When I first started this new lifestyle, I was convinced that I was only going to eat like this for a month or so. But once I got into it, did my research, and found a community where I can get my food and tips for living this way, I realized that I will never be able to go back to the way I was living. I now know that yes, it does matter what you put in your body because it can effect so many other aspects of your life. 

One thing that does bother me is when people ask me why I'm on "that salad diet" or if I'm still on  a "diet". I hate when people ask me these questions because I am not on any type of diet, I am just learning what I should and should not eat and how it is effecting my body. So this is not a diet, but a healthy change of lifestyle.

So far, learning to eat clean and treat my body right has been such a fun journey.  I cannot wait to see where it will take me in the future. And I definitely encourage anyone who has ever wanted to go fully raw, or just eat more fruits and veggies, to take that leap and just go for it. It will change your life for the better, even if it may be difficult at first. I have faced lots of challenges and I know that there will be more to come, but it will be so worth it!

I hope everyone has been having a fantastic weekend! Here are some pictures of my favorite fully raw foods so far!
Xx

Let's talk SKINCARE : GLAMGLOW

So last week, I guess I was having a bit of a stressful week, and I noticed that my skin was not looking it's best. I started to breakout and I was just not in the mood for it (who ever is?!). So I did my research (and by research I mean read lots of beauty blogs and watched many beauty guru's YouTube videos) and came to the conclusion that I absolutely needed a GLAMGLOW mask! So off to Sephora I went.

The mask that I wound up purchasing is the GLAMGLOW SUPER-MUD Clarifying Treatment. I had heard about it before on YouTube and was always interested in purchasing it, but it is a bit intimidating being that it is $69 for quite a small amount of product. Don't let that stop you though, if your skin is beaking out or acting up, this mask can do the job. 

The first time I used the Super-mud, I was pleasantly surprised. It left my skin feeling fresh, renewed, and oh so soft. It also helped to unclog my pores and reduce any redness or oils in my current breakouts, while preventing future breakouts to happen. What more can we ask of a face mask?! The description on the packaging describes this treatment as "a scientifically advanced SUPER-MUD clearing treatment to target, prevent, and heal problem skin". It was created by dermatological chemist to help fight and prevent any kind of problem skin that you could think of. The formula even visibly clears out all the dirt and oil in your pores and leaves your skin looking radiant and bright. You can see and feel the difference immediately, especially in any pores that were majorly clogged. 

There are 17 full mask treatments in the jar, so this mask is kind of for emergencies only (or if you have somewhere special to go). This mask is my new favorite treat for my skin! Whenever you're feeling like you or your skin needs a pick-me-up, reach for this GLAMGLOW SUPER-MUD! It is definitely worth your $69, believe me! 

I hope everyone is having a great week so far! Until next time!

Xoxo

BEAUTY HAUL!!!

         So, I clearly suck at sticking to things. My last post was about a month ago, and that was when I said I would be posting more.. Well we see how that went. But, its a new year and a new start! And what better way to start a new year then to have a nice beauty haul?! Today my sister and I spent our Sunday afternoon in Ulta, Sephora, and Bath & Body Works!

So let's jump right in!

My first stop was good 'ole Bath & Body Works. I wasn't really in here to get much, just to spend some gift cards that I got for Christmas, so I only ended up getting two candles and a body spray for my sister. 

Since it's still Winter, and I still have quite a few winter like candles to burn this season, I bought these two lovely 3-wick's to stock up for the Spring and Summer (you can never start too early!). 

Rio Glow is simply a fresh, gorgeous scent. Its like taking in the Rio waters and just relaxing.

Coconut Leaves is exactly what you would think it is, the delicious smell of coconuts and summertime! Coconut is one of my favorite scents of all time (although I actually dislike the taste of coconuts) and always brings my mind to a perfect beach and sunny summer day.

I cannot wait to burn these two in the future!

Next stop, Sephora! And while yes, Sephora is one of my favorite places, not much was needed from there today! I just had to pop in and grab some concealer and lipstick.

This Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, in Light 3 - Honey, has been on my "want" list for a few weeks now, and I am so happy that I now have it! It is perfect for concealing under your eyes as well as any redness you may have. And it does not make you look cakey. 

Now, the Yves Saint Laurent (YSL) Rouge Volupte Shine, in No.15 Corail Intuitive, was more of a splurge product for me, but I am in love with it!. It is the perfect shade of coral, but not too bright and not too bland. I see this becoming my go to lip product for everything.

And lastly is super trusty, Ulta! Going into Ulta, I had a list and a plan of what I needed, and I am happy to say that I got everything on my list and nothing more (which is very hard for me to do)! Let's start off with some Butter London Nail Polish! The two colors I got were Blagger (blue) and Cake-Hole (pink). These are two colors that I have actually been lacking in my nail polish collection, so I was thrilled when I found them.

Next up, Benefit the POREfessional. Let me just start off by saying, this stuff is AMAZING! I have heard a lot of good reviews about this primer for a long time now, but have always been very skeptical of it because I have also heard that it has caused break outs for some people. But, once I got over that fear and realized that everyone's skin reacts differently, I made it a point to get this little miracle worker! And I am so happy I did! It makes your pores basically shrink in front of your eyes. This is a must have product.

Stila stay all day waterproof liquid eyeliner was just a re-purchase for me because I am just about to finish off my first one. And, let's face it, it's the best liquid eyeliner out there.

Covergirl Out Last Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation, in Natural Beige, is one of the foundations that I have just heard so many great things about from a lot of bloggers and YouTubers. So I cannot wait to see how it goes.

Now we have the new Maybelline Color Sensation High Shine lip gloss, in No. 90 Electric Shock. I love trying new lip products, and this one was no exception! It is such a vibrant baby pink that not only looks amazing on its own, but also on top of YSL Corail Intuitive!

This next product, I am hoping will start to grow on me a little more. Physicians Formula Powder Palette Mineral Glow Pearls Illuminator has a gorgeous pearl shine, but in my opinion, it might have a little too much shimmer to it. But, hopefully, with a little blending, it will be a great illuminator.

And last, but not least, I picked up a Real Techniques on location travel essentials brush set! This is going to be so very useful to me, because I travel back home to New York quite a bit, and I always tend to over load on the amount of brushes I bring with me. Now, I will only have my essentials! This set came with a foundation brush, a multi-task brush, a dome shadow brush (fluffy blending brush) and a panoramic case!

Well,  I think I can say that this has been a successful Haul Sunday!! I have 2 more product reviews coming up for this week and I can't wait to share them with you! I am happy to be back at blogging, and hopefully, the new year will help me get at it more often again! Until next time!

xoxo