The Perfect Spring Outfit

April showers and May/June flowers call for a change in attire. I can't help but reminisce about my childhood, planting tulips in our garden on a lazy Sunday with mom, writing cute little haiku poems about the changing scenery in elementary school. The transition from winter to spring always inspires new memories, and new fashion. In all honesty, I'd worn this outfit once in the winter, but it really didn't feel right so I've just been waiting to break it out in time for spring. It's everything a spring outfit needs; layered, crisp, and fresh.

 Jacket: Hollister, Scarf: H&M, Necklace: Old Navy, Shirt: Forever 21, Pants: American Eagle, Purse: Sears, Shoes: Gap City Flats (they photograph much more harshly than they appear)

Skincare Sins

For every article, blog post, or advertisement for effective and healthy skincare, there is another one to disprove it! Is it just me, or am I the only one who witnesses the madness? I'd like to think I've deciphered the secret code to skincare, but even I feel lost. There are a  few things I'm sure of however  that others ought to be informed of and NEVER attempt to repeat. (In no particular order)

#1:  Not washing off your makeup
I trust most everyone has heard this oh maybe...1 million times, correct? Amazingly enough, I still have friends who refuse to comply. Wake up Call:Sleep doesn't just restore our energy, it restores our skin. By skipping this step, your cheating your skin's natural process, clogging pores/enlarging pores, aging more quickly, and irritating your eyes.

Easy Fix: Makeup Wipes

With just a few quick swipes, it couldn't be easier.

#2: Not washing makeup brushes/Cell phone screen
Every 7-14 days, I wash my makeup brushes and cell screen. I hate having icky brushes, I find the brushes are so much softer afterward, and application becomes less streaky. Wake up Call: Bacteria accumulates each time the brush touches skin. Imagine using the same water to wash your face everyday...It's just as bad. Cell phone screens are also a major culprit in the same way.

Easy Way: Antibacterial Wipes

I use these when I know I don't have time to thoroughly cleanse my brushes or phone.

#3: Harsh Astringents
I love toner just as much as the next person, but my gosh, some of them are so so harsh. If your skin is squeaky clean afterwards, that's not something to brag about. Wake up Call: It's okay to use toner, but not for the purpose of stripping all oil from your face. When oil is completely removed, your skin goes into overdrive to replenish itself, and soon there is more oil than before.

Easy Fix: Go Natural

When my skin is way to dry, I trust this toner not to overdo it. Just make sure to moisturize after

#4: Skipping Sunscreen/Sunglasses
The absolute easiest an cheapest way to set back aging and avoid risk of skin cancer is sunscreen. I recommend Neutrogena Dry Touch SPF 75 or above. Wake up Call: Applying sunscreen is tedious and often uncomfortable, but when health enters the picture, there really is no excuse not to. Not only is cancer a risk, but overall immunity decreases.

Easy Fix: Choose a light formula that won't be unbearable

This is great in the deep of summer when I don't want anything heavy on my face

#5: Touching your face (especially tugging around the eyes)
I'm probably the biggest hypocrite when it comes to this one, always resting my chin or forehead on my hand, but I am trying to change! Wake up Call: Unless you wash your hands before touching anything but your skin, chances are they have loads of bacteria that enlarge your pores and irritate the skin. Tugging also occurs when using the hands, stretching your skin and wearing its natural elasticity. Wrinkles and acne, ahh!

Easy Fix: Blotting Papers

Okay, so its not really the same as resting your hand on your chin, but using these should really be the only reason you ever touch your face during the day. These are great for absorbing oil and helping make your makeup last. These are just as good as the rest, and at 1 dollar, you can' beat them.

#6: Forgetting to change pillowcases
Most of us don't sleep in one position every night, so all to often we put our face on a pillow where our hair has spread oil for hours at a time. Wake up Call: If you don't love the transfer of bacteria, sweat and dead skin particles from your hair to your face and your face to your hair, then pillowcases need to be washed every week.

Easy Fix: Rotate Pillows

If you find you don't have the time to wash pillows, either sleep on one side and flip, or keep a supply of fresh pillows and cases on rotation, and wash them together all at once when you've completed the rotation.

#7: Dehydration
Water is crucial in the skins process. Skin cells regenerate themselves with water. Going without reduces elasticity, and prevents harmful toxins from releasing themselves. Wake up Call: Drinking 64 ounces of water a day ensures skin receives proper hydration. Then again, it is very difficult to measure every ounce of water you drink, and there really is no point in drinking it all at once, because your body will only benefit to a certain point. The best way is to drink water throughout the day as often as possible before your body goes thirsty, and 64 ounces will seem like nothing.

Easy Fix: Bottles with Measurements 

Monitor your water for about a week just to see how deficient you are, then ditch the bottle once you've figured out how much more often you need it, or, if you like knowing exactly how much you need every day continue using it. Nalgenes are pretty convenient not only for their measurements, but for skipping the BPA's disposable water bottles sometimes carry that are bad for you an the environment.

Review: Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist

 

About a year ago, my hair dresser referred me to Paul Mitchell Awapuhi Moisture Mist claiming it to be one of the most versatile yet effective treatments. After about a year of use, I'm hooked. I had never been a huge Paul Mitchell fan, and the few products I had used I felt were no more impressive than drugstore brands. A few years later, I decided I'd give it a go again, and I'm sure glad I did. I spray this mist on my damp hair after each wash with hair flipped over, though it can be sprayed on dry as well. 

Pros:By the time my hair has dried, it's noticeably smooth. Throughout the day, I often re-spray and smooth with my fingers to touch up. This product is also great on sunburns. I thought my hairstylist was joking when she mentioned applying to the skin, but it really is soothing. Another plus, there is no such thing as too much, no crunchiness, grease, or frump. All in all you can't go wrong with this one.I recommend this for frizzy straw like hair. The light fresh scent is just the icing on the cake.

Cons: At times, I wonder I question its potency, being that it is sooo thin and watery, and I do find myself retouching a lot.

Awapuhi

For those of you who have no idea what Awupuhi is (me included), I thought I'd provide a little background. Awapuhi, known as shampoo ginger, originated in India, and was used as medicine, shampoo, and wash for its hydrating qualities.

If you're interested...

http://www.amazon.com/Paul-Mitchell-Awapuhi-Mist-16-9/dp/B000AUZ4QK 

This is a pretty good deal

May Birchbox

I'm giggling with joy because I cannot, literally cannot, wait to share my latest find. I stumbled upon Birchbox via Miss Glamorazzi of Youtube. She's amazing and  for those of you who aren't familiar, her videos have turned me on to some of my favorite products. We even share the same skin routine now. Anyways, getting back to the point, Birchbox is a monthly subscription in which you receive high end beauty products ranging from fragrance to makeup in deluxe sized samples (basically travel sized). At just $10 a month, you definitely get your money's worth, half the products are worth $10 alone. It's also great because you earn reward points along the way for purchasing the box, referring friends, and reviewing the samples. For every 100 points, you receive a $10 credit towards a full sized purchase. I can't rave enough about this.

This month's box

 

Birchbox never fails to impress! A card (upper left) is included with product names and prices along with a little note. Extras are inlcuded that don't exactly relate to beauty, but are still pretty darn cool. This month included a cute blank card and a free custom card through tiny prints.com in regards to mother's day.

Products

Birchbox products vary from person to person based on your beauty profile, so each box is unique to the person. I've received two Oribe shampoo and conditioner samples for color treated hair, Erno Laszlo transphuse (yes, that's how it's spelled) night serum, Stila eyeshadow in mimosa, Bvlgari Mon Jasmin Noir fragrance, and Archipelago Pomegranate Tripple Milled Soap. Might I add that the Stila eyeshaow s full sized and costs $18 alone? What a steal!

If anyone is interested...

Web address: birchbox.com

Miss Glamorazzi:http://www.youtube.com/user/missglamorazzi?blend=1&ob=5

Moon Nails (The Easy Way!)

Frankly, I don't have the time or money to visit nail salons very often, so when I discovered moon nails, I had to learn how to do it myself. It's a great twist to the usual manicure, and so so easy! You heard me right, easy. After some trial and error, I've found a way that works best for me.

You Will Need

• Yard sale price stickers cut in half
• Base Coat (I've chosen OPI's Do You Lilac It? with Sally Hansen's HD Nail Polish in DVD)
• A second color to go over the moon (I've chosen China Glaze's Bermuda Breakaway)
• A clear top coat (I've chosen Sally Hansen's Double Duty)

Steps
Paint your nails as you usually would with your base color. Allow to dry completely.

Place the half stickers at the base of your nail with the round side on your nail. The stickers peak should be no higher than 1/3 of your nail's length unless you have super short nails like me.  Press the sticker firmly to your nail so no polish leaks beneath.

Paint your nails, feel free to paint over the sticker. The color I chose is highly pigmented so I chose to do one coat, but you may choose to do more.

Allow the paint to dry for about 1 minute before removing the stickers, but not much longer. I find if I let the polish dry completely, the stickers are not only harder to remove, but tend to peel the freshly painted polish. Coat your nails with the clear topcoat.

 Voila! Awesome moon nails. I didn't come up with this on my own, but I know I sure had a hard time finding it, so I thought why not share it with you guys? I get tons of compliments on this look. Everyone assumes I've used nail art pens, but the stickers are so much easier than that, and they provide a good crisp line. If anyone's interested, I got my Sally Hansen polishes in a buy one get one pack currently still sold.

Hope you enjoyed!

PS: In case you were wondering about the odd background, I paint my nails at my crafts table. It's the only place I don't worry about spilling!

Let's get this blog started!

The word "obsession" doesn't even begin to describe my passion for all things beauty related. For quite some time, I've been exploring the great glamorous, yet intimidating, world of beauty. Through ups and downs, that one dreadful orange spray tan and the facial cleanser created from heaven above, I've loved every drop of the the journey. It sounds gushy, but my experiences have played a vital role in making me who I am now in the most positive way. That's not to say all things aesthetic are the answers to life's problems, but they sure can influence your perception of yourself. I can't stress enough how important it is to use makeup and such as means of empowerment rather than a disguise for who you wish you were. Life's too short to go without your own identity. Through this blog, I hope you ladies find what it beautiful means to you and have the confidence to own it. My first "real" blog will be posted soon.

Enjoy!