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

Bath and Body Works Christmas Haul!!

Ah, it's finally here! The most wonderful, joyful time of the year! CHRISTMAS TIME! This is my favorite time of year, full of rushing around trying to get all of your loved ones the perfect gift, decorating, and baking! And everyone always seems to be in a happy mood! One of my favorite things to do during the Christmas season is shop for other's presents (and maybe get myself a little something too!). And my favorite place to buy gifts is Bath and Body Works! So the other day, they were having an amazing sale and I couldn't resist!

While most of these lovely things are gifts, one or two will be saved for me!

Winter Candy Apple is my new favorite scent this season, and apparently I'm not the only one! The sales associated told me that so far this was their most sold scent of the season. "A cheerful, yuletide blend of candied apples and spiced orange zest, with a touch of winter musk." is how it's described, and that's exactly how it smells! It's such an uplifting scent that you will immediately fall in love with!

Snowday (left) and Evergreen (right) are both the perfect Christmas tree scents! I know you're probably asking yourself, Taylor, why do you have two candles that smell almost identical? Well, the answer to that is that I cannot get enough of the smell of a perfect Christmas tree, especially this time of year. If you feel like you need to get into the Christmas spirit ASAP, then this candle will do it for you. It will instantly bring back memories of tree decorating and Christmas loving!

The Merry Cookie scent somewhat reminded me of the Vanilla Snow Flake candle at Bath and Body Works, but with a bit more of a sweet sugar cookie twist! "A bowl of cookie dough made from the very finest ingredients was the inspiration for this simply magical holiday scent – pure vanilla, butter and sugar". Couldn't have described it better! Pure vanilla, butter, and sugar! This will get you in that Christmas cookie baking spirit. I know that if I was doing my Christmas baking, this is the candle I would be burning!

This is one product that I am just dying to try. Vanilla Bean Noel Whipped Shimmer Body Cream, is basically like whipped cream for your body. Who wouldn't want that?! "A merry blend of snow white vanilla, warm caramel and whipped cream, sprinkled with holiday sugar cookies and kissed with soft musk". Um, yes please!! What a perfect Christmas treat for yourself.

Sweet Pea body lotion and shower gel gift set is a perfect present for any girl! Personally, Sweet Pea is one of my favorite classic scents from Bath and Body Works. It brings me back to my early high school days and always makes me smile. I think this is a scent that everyone enjoys.

Warm Vanilla Sugar is yet another classic Bath and Body Works scent. This time of year is always the perfect time to wear anything Warm Vanilla Sugar related. And who wouldn't want to get a body lotion, shower gel duo of this welcoming scent?! It is also one scent that everyone seems to love!

Well, that's all for my haul, but something else that has been getting me in the Christmas spirit is watching Ingrid Nilsen's (missglamorazzi) DIYDecember videos on YouTube! Now, we all know I'm a YouTube lover and I especially love Vlogmas, but Ingrid does a different twist on Vlogmas which I love! Her video's are sure to get you in the Christmas spirit! Here's a link to her channel! Missglamorazzi : https://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi

And if you are in need of somewhere to get all of your Christmas shopping done, I have the place for you!! My personal favorite site, and the place where I got all of my Christmas shopping done, LUVOCRACY!! I love this site so much and recommend it to everyone! Go to http://www.luvocracy.com/ for all of your shopping needs! They won't let you down! Also, while you're there, check out my personal Luvocracy and share the LUV with me and join the Luvocracy community http://www.luvocracy.com/taylormondello

Sorry for the long time no post, but I'm back! Hope everyone is having a lovely December! More Christmas fun to come later this week! 

xoxo

Going Fully Raw & Holiday Vlogging?!?!

Hello there! So sorry for the lack of posting, it's been quite a busy week with work and I was in need of some sleep and free time to basically do nothing. And, not gonna lie, I've been having some bloggers block!

So, I have recently decided to become a fully raw vegan. Now, I know this may sound weird to some people, but I don't see why eating all natural, raw fruits and veggies could be weird! Last month, I went to a Nikki Phillippi meet up while she was in Houston, (you can see all about that HERE!) and the meet up was held at a co-op of Fully Raw Kristina's organization called Rawfully Organic. Ever since the meet up, I became pretty interested in the vegan lifestyle. Now, I have had my experience in being vegetarian, but that was only for a month and it was actually painfully hard. But, I figured I'd give a new lifestyle a go yet again!

Around 3 days ago, I decided that I wanted to really commit to becoming a fully raw vegan. This means that I only eat raw fruits, veggies, and some seeds and nuts. Two weeks ago, I tried to be just a plain vegan, and failed. This time though, I think I have a better shot. Four days ago, before I decided to go raw, I remembered Kristina from the Nikki Phillippi meet up and decided to look into her vegan lifestyle. I started watching all of her videos on YouTube and reading her blog. I completely became a fan of hers and immediately wanted to try being a fully raw vegan!

So far, it has been hard with various cravings and having my family eat all of the foods that I am trying not to eat. But, I find that if I eat what I should be eating and talk myself through the cravings, I can get through it! Also, watching Kristina's videos helps me so much! I will continue to update you all on my journey of becoming a fully raw vegan and will link all of Kristina's info below! She is absolutely amazing.

Okay, so .. I have decided to vlog my week home in New York for Thanksgiving and Christmas!! I figured, instead of writing an entire long, dragging post on my week, I would just make daily vlogs of my stay. I cannot wait to go home and spend time with my amazing family and awesome friends, while bringing you all with me!

Also, one more thing! Check out my lovely cousin, Kacie's, blog! She's going to be studying abroad in Morocco in January and is blogging her time there. I cannot wait to see all of the adventures she is going to have there. I am so Jealous!! But, there's no doubt her posts are going to be amazing! 
Kacie's blog - http://horstmankacie.blogspot.com/

Xoxo

Kristina's info
YouTube - http://www.youtube.com/user/FullyRawKristina?feature=watch
Fully Raw Blog - http://www.fullyraw.com/

Delicious Fall Treats!

Hello there! Well as we all know, once it officially becomes Fall, everything becomes pumpkin flavored. Now, I'm not complaining, I love all of the yummy pumpkin treats that come out in the Fall! And since I love them so much, I decided to make some delicious pumpkin goodies! 

While I was watching my daily YouTube videos, I ran into a video by the marvelous missglamorazzi (Ingrid Nilsen). In the video, Ingrid and Fleur (FleurDeForce), made pumpkin spice mini cakes and pumpkin spice chai lattes. As soon as I saw this, I knew that I absolutely had to make them and let you all know how it went!

Let me just say, these two are perfect Fall treats! They are super easy and quick to make and include healthier choices of ingredients. Also, you make them in the microwave! How easy is that?! If you are a pumpkin spice lover like myself, than you will find pure happiness in making these two treats. A big thanks to Ingrid for these two awesome recipes! If you are interested in making these for a lovely Fall night or a get together with some friends, I'll link Ingrid's video at the bottom! 

Now, I also took some time tonight to make some other Fall treats! These are more of a healthy Halloween candy! They are homemade peanut butter cups and almond butter cups! These are also so super easy to make and take only about 10 minutes to freeze! Here are the ingredients that you'll need:

-1/2 cup of peanut butter or almond butter (whichever you prefer)

-2 tbs of honey

-1/2 tsp of vanilla extract

-a pinch of salt

-2 bags of dark chocolate morsels (preferable some that have a decent % of cacao in them)

These are so simple to do. First, melt your chocolate morsels in a bowl. Next, mix your peanut butter (or almond butter), honey, vanilla extract, and salt together in a separate bowl. Then, take some baking cups (they can be full sized or minis, depending how big you want your peanut butter cups) and put them in a cupcake baking pan and spoon a small amount of your melted chocolate into the cups. You want just enough to cover the bottom of the cups. Then take your mixture of ingredients and scoop a small spoonful of that and place it on top of the layer of chocolate. Next, just take another scoop of your chocolate and cover the peanut butter mix scoop.

(I had to use a regular baking pan instead of a cupcake pan .. thanks for not answering my call ma!) 

Then, you just put your trays into the freezer for about 10 to 15 minutes and then they are ready to go! After they are set in the freezer for 10 minutes, you can then place them in the refrigerator until they are ready to be eaten! 

And this is the finished peanut butter and almond butter cups! If you decide to make these, I hope you enjoy the delicious healthiness that it is! This is a great healthy alternative to buying peanut butter cups, especially if you are having a Halloween party of some sort. Try serving this homemade version instead and see how it goes!

Happy Halloween! xoxo

Ingrid's video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RlCtjxNThS8