Summer Essentials

With Summer finally arriving, everybody is looking for new, go-to products that will have them looking and feeling their best this summer. The following are just a few of my favourite things, essentials, for the summer time.

Hawaii Tropic Oil Spray SPF 4

If you're somebody who loves spending time outside, by the pool or beach, then this product is for you! This product does come with SPF, however it is only SPF 4. So if you are prone to burning, I would recommend using a sunscreen with a higher SPF underneath this product. The oil itself attracts the sun to your skin, so even if you do use a higher SPF underneath this product it is still possible to get a tan. It does take a little bit to notice a darker colour, it is not one of those products, in my opinion, that you see online that helps you get super dark in one day. With that being said, it does still definitely help you develop a darker tan over time. I would give this product a 4.25/5 rating.


Floppy Hat

While this isn't a specific product, a floppy hat is definitely one of my summer essentials! Any hat is important to be wearing in the sun to protect your face and eyes from sun damage, as well as to keep you a little more cool. Hats are also great on bad hair days, which tend to happen more in the summer time whether that's from humidity or chlorine pools and no product. A floppy hat is definitely my favourite type of hat to be wearing during the summer. Not only does it protect you from sun damage, and can cure a bad hair day, but it also looks super cute! For summer time, although its not a specific product, I would definitely give floppy hats a 5/5 rating!

David's Tea Cold Brew Tea

On the David's Tea website there is three different flavours under Cold Brew Teas. These three flavours are: southern peach, orange blush and berry burst. These retail on the website for $19 CAD. Some of their other teas you are able to make as a cold brew, however these three are specifically made for cold brewing. Cold brew teas are the perfect summer time drink for tea drinkers. When the weather is hot, sometimes drinking a hot beverage is not what we are craving. Instead, with a cold brew tea you still get what you're craving, in a cold refreshing form. I would give this product a 4/5 rating.


Sun Bum Lip Balm SPF 30

In the summer months SPF is really important, however what a lot of people forget about is the lips. Using an SPF on your lips in the summer is extremely important. The easiest way to do this, without really having to think about it is by using a lip balm which contains SPF in it. The specific one you use is up to you and there are a lot of different ones out there. However, the one I have been using is the Sun Bum Lip Balm with SPF 30. This product comes in a variety of flavours, the one I use is coconut. I would give this product a 4.5/5 rating.

Revlon Colourstay Foundation Review

Revlon Colourstay Foundation- For Normal/Dry Skin

The Revlon Colourstay Foundation retails for $21.99 CAD (this was the price it was at my local drugstore). Unfortunately I was unable to locate the USD price. You can find this product at pretty much any drugstore that sells cosmetics. This foundation comes in two different formulas; for combination/oily skin and for normal/dry skin. As you might have read in the title, the formula I use is the one designed for normal/dry skin. 

I purchased this foundation last year and loved it, but after it ran out I didn't repurchase it. Recently, after running out of the foundation I was using and after becoming more tan and needing a darker shade of foundation, I decided to pick this one up again. After using it for about a month I am so glad that I picked this up again! The coverage I would say is a medium coverage, but can easily be built up to close to full coverage. Personally I love the coverage, it covers what it needs to and evens out the skin tone, while it also allows my freckles to pop through for a more natural look. The staying power is pretty good, when set with powder it will last pretty much all day. One thing I would say that turns me off of this foundation slightly is, the price. For a drugstore foundation, I find this foundation on the expensive side, when for just a bit more you could get a MAC foundation, or a foundation from Sephora. Personally, most foundations I usually would buy for the drugstore would retail for between $10-$15 CAD. Overall I would rate this product a 4/5 and would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a drugstore foundation who doesn't mind spending a little more. 

Tips For Starting a Healthy Lifestyle

With summer right around the corner, a lot of people are wanting to start eating better and working out, starting an overall healthy lifestyle, before summer and swimsuit season arrives. However, it is important to remember that fitness and a healthy lifestyle cannot happen overnight. It's okay if you slip up sometimes! It's okay to eat that cookie or skip a workout. The following are just a few tips that I feel have helped me along my own healthy lifestyle journey. Some of these you have probably heard of before, but I'm hoping you learn something from this post that might help you to reach your goals this summer.

Tip #1: Drink Lots of Water

I know what you're thinking. "Is she serious? I think we all know drinking water is important by now." But it is honestly such an important tip that makes a world of difference. Drinking a lot of water flushes out the toxins in your body and once you've been drinking more water for a while, you will start to notice your bloating decrease. Another benefit you will notice once you start drinking more water is an increase in energy. This increase in energy can result in more motivation for you to get some exercise which is a key component to a healthy lifestyle. In my own personal experience I have found that after I increased my water intake, and when I consistently consume more water,  I feel more energetic and am more likely to workout, as well as I get full faster so I am less likely to over eat. You will also notice positive differences in different places such as your hair and skin.

Tip #2: Start Small and Start Simple

One reason many of us fail at starting our healthy lifestyles is, we try to make giant changes right away. If you're used to eating out all the time and eating super unhealthy, chances are that if you one day decide you're going to eat salads for 3 meals a day, after a few days you're going to fall back into your old ways of eating unhealthy. Instead, start with small and simple changes. For example, start with cutting down your fast food or eating out to a couple times a week, and each week cut it down to less and less times, until eventually its a rare occurrence or a treat to get fast food. Another small and simple change you can make in regards to eating at restaurants is to opt for a healthier choice instead. So instead of getting a Big Mac, a large fry and a coke, get just the burger and a water. Or, eat at a restaurant with healthier options like getting a pita or having a sit down meal. Another way to start small and start simple is with your exercise routine. If you're used to getting very little physical activity, and try to jump right into an intense workout routine and going to the gym 5 days a week, it is probably going to fail in a couple of weeks. Instead, try starting with going to the gym 2 or 3 days a week. Also, start just trying to get some form of physical activity as often as you can. Some small and simple examples of this could be, taking the stairs instead of the elevator, going on a 30 minute walk at night instead of watching Netflix, walk to where you're going (if it is close enough), go for a bike ride with friends, do some squats and crunches while you watch TV at night, or put on your favourite playlist and dance around your room. By starting small and simple, and increasing as you go along your journey you are more likely to be successful.

Tip #3: Reward Yourself for Small Victories
By rewarding yourself for small victories, it encourages you to continue on your journey and motivates you to accomplish even more. Something I like to do is reward myself with a cheat day. Some people will agree with cheat days, however some people also really disagree with cheat days. Personally, I find that looking forward to a day where I can eat what I want and make more unhealthy choices. So if I am craving a big juicy fast food burger, I will look forward to that all week and use it as my motivation. If a cheat day isn't your style, look to a different type of reward. An example of a possible reward for your hard work could be, treating yourself to a new workout shirt, or a new lipstick after a successful week of eating healthy and getting some exercise almost every day. The choice is up to you, but a small reward might motivate you to keep going with your healthy lifestyle journey when it feels like it's easier to just give up.

Tip #4: Cute Workout Clothes
This tip might seem silly to some, but not only do I personally find this helps, a lot of people I have talked to about the subject also believe that this helps with motivation to hit the gym. So treat yourself to a cute workout outfit that you'll want to put on. This can also really help your confidence, and working out when you're confident will be a way better experience than working out if you were insecure in what you were wearing. Obviously you don't need expensive or cute workout clothes, however if it's going to help up your confidence and make you want to workout more, than go for it!

Tip #5: Remember It Won't Happen Overnight

This tip I can not stress enough. Progress takes time. Don't expect to go from eating fast food every night to eating salad and enjoying it. Don't expect to go from getting no exercise to hitting the gym 6 days a week. And most importantly, don't expect your goal body after a week of living a better lifestyle. It is going to take time. So be proud of the small victories and know that you will reach your goal. Remember your goal and keep pushing!




Disclaimer: All photos used were found on https://www.freeimages.com

Best Eyeshadow Primer Ever!

The hunt for a good eyeshadow primer can sometimes feel endless. You might think you have found your favourite primer only to have it begin creasing on you and having your eyeshadow look that took hours to perfect disappear after only a few hours. This has been my personal struggle for years until I finally came across my all time favourite primer in a gift set I received for Christmas. Since then, I have repurchased the product in it's full size and have not looked back since.

Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer

This primer is available at Sephora and retails for $26 CAD and $21 USD. I have used so many eyeshadow primers, some good and some not so good. A good primer, for me, ensures my eye look stays on all day, without smudging or creasing due to any oil that may be produced on my lid. The Smashbox 24 Hour Photo Finish Shadow Primer is by far the best primer I have tried so far, that achieves everything that I look for in a good primer.

If you're in the market for a good shadow primer, I would definitely recommend this one. Overall I would give this product a rating of 4.5/5!

Tips for Growing Naturally Curly/Wavy Hair

If you are a curly girl, despite whether your hair is considered to be more on the wavy side or on the tightly coiled side, you know it is very important to be taking good care of your hair. Of course everybody’s hair is different thus the way you have to take care of it will be different as well. My hair personally would be best described as, wavy/curly. Below I am going to be talking about some of the things I found that have really helped me to grow out my hair. 

1. No Heat!

I know you’ve probably heard this a million times but it is honestly very true. For someone who heat styles their hair everyday, this is much easier said than done. I myself struggle with this, as I used to be the person who would heat style their hair everyday. This does not have to be achieved overnight. This process can be slow and steady. For example, if you are used to using heat on your hair everyday, try wearing it natural once a week or even once every couple of weeks. After you have been doing this for a while you can gradually wear your hair natural more and more often. When I first started using heat on my hair less I would leave it natural every other week. Now, I’ve learned to work with my natural hair and love it more, so I only use heat the odd time. 

     2. Do Not Wash Your Hair Everyday!

Again, I’m sure you’ve probably also heard of this tip a million times throughout your life and I know for some people this is also much easier said than done. When you are starting off it is important to remember that this is a process, you cannot expect to go from washing your hair everyday to twice a week immediately. When you first start training your hair to get greasy less often, your hair is going to look a little greasy. It is important to power through this stage because I promise you the results will be totally worth it! A few things that might make this process easier include; using dry shampoo on your non-wash days, wearing a hat, putting your hair up into a bun or into a braid.

     3. Protective Hairstyles

For those of you who don’t know what I mean when I say protective hairstyles, these are any hairstyles that protect your hair from the elements and from rubbing against things such as your clothes. This will decrease breakage which will allow your hair to grow longer as it will on be breaking off at the ends. These hairstyles can include things such as braids and buns. I promise they are not going to be as boring as you may think they are going to be. Take braids for example. There is so many different kinds of braids out there for you to try! These include braids such as crown braids, dutch braids, french braids, waterfall braids, and many more. 

      4. Healthy Diet

if you are a junk-food lover like me, this can often be the hardest part of trying to grow out your hair. That being said, not only will you see results in your hair when you start eating a healthy diet, but you will also notice a difference in your skin and overall well- being. For me, when I started being healthier, starting with something as simple as drinking more water, I noticed my hair was shinier and my skin was a lot more glowy. 

I know these tips are all pretty popular, and if you have been looking into growing your hair for a while you’ve probably heard these a million times. However, they have always seemed to make a positive impact on my hair and the speed in which it grows. I would definitely recommend these tips to anyone who is trying to grow out their naturally curly or wavy hair. 

Tasty Teas 2

David’s Tea- Strawberry Rhubarb Parfait

This tea basically tastes like spring in a little cup. If you like stuff that tastes a little fruity but are not a fan of things that are too sweet, this is definitely the tea for you. The description that the website gives about the tea is, “this rich, tangy blend combines rhubarb, strawberry, and yogurt pieces.” 

This tea is great to drink with your breakfast in the morning, however it is not limited to only being a morning drink. I like to drink this tea all throughout the day. My favourite time to have a cup of this tea would have to be after dinner, almost like a desert. It is definitely the perfect flavour for a desert time tea!

The caffeine rating on this tea is a 0, which means that it is caffeine free. This makes this tea perfect for any time of the day, especially for those who do get kept awake at night from caffeine. I would definitely recommend this tea to any of my friends who are first starting out drinking tea, or who are looking for a good spring time tea. I would give this tea a 4/5!

Easter Makeup Look

With Easter this weekend, it gives all makeup lovers a chance to go a little above their normal daily makeup look. For those who are used to sticking with neutral colours, this gives them the opportunity to add some colour. Today I will be talking about a few different products that I believe would work well to create a cute look for the easter weekend. Before I start off I wanted to mention that I will not be including products such as foundations, concealers or powders. Also I will only be giving a brief description of how and why I would use each product, not a full in depth tutorial due to the fact that this is only a written component and not a video component. 

Face:

Blush: 

The blush I would choose to wear in an easter makeup look would be the tarte amazonian clay blush in paaarty. This blush is a pinky/nude colour and looks gorgeous on the skin. The consistency of the blush is creamy and smooth and is not a powdery mess at all! Also this blush is very pigmented so you do not need to use a lot, which allows you to get numerous uses out of it. You can pick up a bit of the product and apply it with a light hand for a subtle glow or you can use a bit of a heavier hand to achieve a more defined look. This blush retails for $35 Canadian and $28 US. 

Highlighter: 

The highlighter I chose for this look was the Laura Mercier Face Illuminator Powder in the shade in Devotion. I just want to point out before I continue that on the Sephora website it does state that this particular shade of the product works best on fair to medium skin tones, fair especially. This is the way I would describe my own skin tone, however I do believe that this would still work nicely on those with darker skin tones. That being said, this highlighter is one of my absolute favourites that I think can be worn everyday, or on a night out. If you are looking for a slight glow, simply get a small amount of the product on a fan brush and apply it to the cheek bones. This will still catch the light but definitely will not be blinding. If you like a more dramatic highlight, sweep your brush in it a few times and apply it on to the skin and repeat if needed. This product retails for $53 Canadian and $44 US. 

Eyes:

Eyeshadow:

The eyeshadows I chose to use come from two different eyeshadow palettes. One of the palettes I will be using is the Urban Decay Naked Palette (the first one). The other palette I will be using is the Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Volume II Palette.

The colours I chose to use from the Tarte palette are, pearl and conch. Conch I will use to sweep all across the lid as a base colour and pearl I will be placing in my inner corner and along my brow bone. This palette retails for $47 Canadian and $36 US. 

The colours I chose to use from the Urban Decay palette are, sin, toasted and hustle. First I will be layering sin over where I placed Conch earlier, all across the lid. Next i will take toasted and work it throughout the crease of my eye. Lastly, I will take hustle and place it into the outer corner of my eye. After all of this is done I would just blend it all out. This palette retails for $66 Canadian and $54 US. 

Eyeliner:

The liquid eyeliner I chose to use to create a small wing is the Elf expert liquid eyeliner in jet black. This retails for $2 on the Elf website. The eyeliner I chose to use on my waterline and lower lash line to add a pop of colour is the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in the colour Asphyxia. This eyeliner is a really pretty light frosty purple. This retails for $25 Canadian and when I looked on the US website it was actually not available :(

Lips:

Lipstick:

For lipstick the one I chose is the Marc Jacobs Le Marc Creme Lipstick in the shade Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. I would describe this colour as a dark rose/nude shade and it is described on the website as a baked rose shade. This product retails for $38 Canadian and $30 US. 

OR

Liquid Lipstick:

The liquid lipstick I chose for this look is the Tarte Tartiest Creamy Matte Lip Paint in the shade Birthday Suit. I would describe this colour as a light pink/nude shade. This product retails for $24 Canadian and $20 US. 

Although a number of people might describe this makeup look as still pretty neutral, I think it’s a great look for the Easter weekend and a great way to step up your normal makeup routine. Thank you for reading, I hope you have a great Easter weekend with your families! :)

All photos come from the products websites!