I made an accidental purchase at sephora... It could be worse! I could have bought something completely ridiculously overpriced, not to say that this isn't but it it isn't as overpriced as other solid brush cleaners might be (however this is only $2 cheaper than the BeautyBlender one).
I've used this a few times already and with the dry Winter air it’s important for me to keep my brushes
clean. My skin is extra sensitive, flakey and acne-ridden in the winter so
keeping my brushes clean, is key. This product helps me get there quickly, it’s
a quick fix to easily and speedily getting those brushed clean. It took me some
getting used to but it’s definitely more convenient than any other brush
cleaner I’ve used.
- Celine
- Celine
Looking for a travel friendly, compact, array of nude mattes? Here's my favorite:
I didn't realize how much I used this on the go, or how often I brought it with me on short trips until I left it behind for a quick trip to Croatia. I've had this palette since December and haven't used it much until this summer, when I didn't use much eye shadow and if I did it was very neutral.
In all honesty I brought three palettes back to Europe with me, and I really would have been fine bringing only this one! The thing that makes this so good for travel, other than its small size is that Frisk and Cover (the two in the middle or shade 3 and 4) double as brow powder and Undone (the darkest shade) as eyeliner. Although the size is great as well, it fits right at the bottom of my small Ted Baker beauty pouch (similar) which I feels fits very limited amounts of makeup but is the perfect purse size. Besides for quick trips it isnt necessary to travel with half of your makeup collection!
- Cee xx
So I'm way late to the game, like way way late. Admittedly highlighting has been part of my routine for a while, but I only did it out of habit. Concealer, powder, blush then highlight, and once you get into the habit of doing something you can lose appreciation for it.
But all of that changed once I bought my first Becca product. I gave in to the hype, walked right into sephora stomping straight over to the Becca stand to see if it really was all that. It was! It really was! I was almost a little intimidated by it, I'd been using M.A.C.'s Mineralized Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle for years and was completely content with the amount of 'glow' it gave but after swatching Becca's Shimmering Skin Perfector in Moonstone I am a changed human. I'm also a frequent user of the two lightest shades in this City Color Highlight Trio, it's chunkier than Becca but the overall effect and finish on your skin is still beautiful. I find that neither of these make my pores look significantly bigger, but I also use them in minimally in comparison to some to the beauty gurus I follow.
- Cee xx
A day spent with friends is a day well spent, especially if it involves food.
Today I went out to celebrate my best friend of nine years (excuse me, how long!?!) and it was a great day. Very casual, no partying and extensive drinking as one imagines 21st birthday's consist of but coffee and cake with dinner a little later.
- Cee xx
I've jumped on the bandwagon, and I feel like I need to explain because I never truly believed they worked. But they do (!!!) and I am completely in love with it. It obviously is an extra step in my routine, but it's one that I gain such longevity from it, so it's worth the extra 30 seconds.
Do you have any favorites?
- Cee xx
I have a bone to pick with you Boston because, you make it very easy for me to miss you.
I've lived in boston for two year now, and each time that I have left I have missed it. I'm used to saying goodbye to places and people being a TCK and all that. So when I moved to Boston for Uni I hardly expected to fall in love with it as hard as I did and have such difficulty parting ways with the city when I went 'home' for the holidays. But I did fall in love and I do have difficulty leaving, it's become my home now. It's mine, which may not make sense to a lot of people but it's the place I chose to reside. I've chosen to go to school in Boston, and so it was on my shoulders what would happen to me when I got there knowing no one and having zero network to rely on. I think that from the very start I romanticized about that fact, that I'd chosen this place to dwell and nobody else had any claim over it. I'd finally chosen a home. So dear Boston, please don't ever change from the accepting and forever broadening perspective of ideals and ideas that you hold now, because it's what I have grown to love about you.
From,
A friend & resident
From,
A friend & resident
I've fought it off for so long but I have admitted defeat, and have acquired an obsession with bodysuits. I've been saying for a while how convenient they must be for someone who tucks in a lot of their shirts to jeans, like me, and doesn't want fabric clumped around your waist or hips.
So yesterday I bought two, and I am head over heels in love with them. Particularly this black one, you see I don't have to wear a bra with it (eeep) so it automatically makes my favorites list!
My nail polish is Big Apple Red by O.P.I., it's a really opaque in your face red color. It's not the kind of color I would usually go for, but I have really been feeling it recently. Definitely one of of my summer favorites so far!
- Cee x
- Cee x
I am not one for high end (and this is super high end) mascaras, I'm a firm believer in L'oreal or Maybellines ability to coat my lashes to perfection and satisfaction. But Tax Free is an enticing place and I had run out of Mascara during my trip to Norway, so when my mother offered to buy me the new Chanel (Dimensions De Chanel) mascara I couldn't resist!
Pros: This is the best mascara I've used since I fell in love with Maybellines Great Lash Lots of Lashes, which is much cheaper than 25 pounds or 32 dollars at 6 dollars. This is a one coat wonder type of mascara, for me my lashes have never looked so long. Personally mascara is one of the most important steps in my makeup routine, this is due to the fact that I have quite long eyelashes so it usually takes quite a long time to coat them all evenly but this makes it fast and easy. Usually I'll have to go back in with the brush to get the exact length and volume I want, if not even using different mascaras to achieve it but with the Dimensions De Chanel I only have to go in once. One and done and all that.
Cons: The obvious downside of this product is its price point (£25 in the UK and $32 in the US). A common problem I have with all mascaras is a printing of my lashes onto my eyelids and brow bone, this unfortunately can sometimes to the same. However to be fair to this product, it has happened with every single mascara I have ever used, because I have oily eyelids and long lashes so this makes it easy for the transfer to occur, so I am still claiming this product as my current favorite mascara!
- Cee x
I haven't hiked in years, but ever since my mother moved to the North of Wales I've wanted to take this one to see where I now would call home looked like from above. I wasn't let down, here are a few photos from the hike and view from the top.
- Cee x
Usually in the morning I'm heading off to class or work and I don't have this massive chunk of time to spend on my skincare (or anything else), like I feel a lot of youtubers or bloggers do! I just don't have that kind of time in the morning. If you're anything like me you've clicked that snooze button the absolute maximum amount of times possible before you have no other choice than to get out of bed and get ready. The first thing I do isn't even head into the bathroom, it's to the kitchen to boil water for my tea and toast a bagel (priorities).
I use two or three different products from Ren in the morning, the mask is the only product I do not use on a daily basis.
I use two or three different products from Ren in the morning, the mask is the only product I do not use on a daily basis.
Bad Skin Day: If it's a bad skin day I whip on a quick 10 minute face mask before I head into the kitchen to prepare my food. Usually I'll go for the Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask, this is a very non-intrusive mask that works well at replenishing my skin for the day but also at waking me up a bit. I'll rinse it off once I get in the shower and continue with my normal routine. This mask is one of Ren's most popular products and one is sold every 12 seconds!
Which consists of two products, Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel and a moisturizer that keeps my face evenly moisturized (I have dry patches along with redness, but this day cream helps combat this) is Ultra Moisture Day Cream.
Which consists of two products, Rosa Centifolia Cleansing Gel and a moisturizer that keeps my face evenly moisturized (I have dry patches along with redness, but this day cream helps combat this) is Ultra Moisture Day Cream.
In a Rush: If I have to wash my hair that morning I jump in the shower and just to be time efficient I'll brush my teeth and wash my face too. If you're in college and you haven't brushed your teeth while in the shower, you're missing out. It by no means is glamorous or 'insta-worthy' but it's quick! When I'm out of the shower I am ready to get dressed, do my make-up to then wrap up my breakfast and make my tea to go. By the time I'm in class I can eat my breakfast and drink my tea knowing I've saved a considerable amount of time having this routine in place. If I'm being honest, I only do this if I am in a rush or am late to a morning class.
I have been using these products for about 8 months, and if I'm being honest my skin hasn't looked this good ever before. I think Ren as a brand is one I have full faith in and I have tried multiple different products of theirs with different functions. Of the products mentioned in this post I am onto my second bottle of both the Moisturizer and the Face Mask. I do like trying different types of skin are but have never felt so comfortable with a brand before. All Ren products are 100% plant and mineral derived and is free of unfriendly skin synthetic ingredients. Ren recently came out with a Body Care range, the Moroccan Rose line, so I am excited to delve into the realm of Ren Body Care soon!
- Cee x
So I last wrote on here in January and didn't keep it updated (to say the east) on what was going on in my life at all. But since my last blog post was geared toward a new year and resolutions of sort, I figured I would comment on how those are going now (5 months later).
1. Vegetarian chef? : So I know how to make a mean vegetarian chili without a recipe, and it gets better every time I make it, but other than that I haven't expanded my repertoire of vegetarian recipes. Not in a way that I want, so in order to help me get there I have found a few recipes that I want to try out, and perfect to my own taste.
Soup: I love soup, and stews so I want to learn how to properly make one of on my own to have on cold days at home! I found a Chard, Lentil and Potato (slow cooker) Soup and a Green Curry Soup with Cauliflower and Leeks (which is also a gluten free option!).
Smoothie: Although I already know how to make a few smoothies, I haven't experimented much beyond strawberries, spinach and banana! So I want to find different types of recipes that will energize me and be a boost in the morning! Although this recipe contains chocolate I am a huge Kale person so it would be an interesting combination to try out, this is also a vegan option (Kale & Chocolate Super Smoothie).
Granola: I didn't find a recipe that didn't contain almonds (I'm allergic) and other nuts (again allergic) but I will be on the hunt for a perfect one to try and DIY to have with yoghurt and honey in the morning!
3. It's the little things in Life: I wish I could say I've succeeded in doing this, in paying attention more to things as they happen but I haven't been. Life has been happening and I've been trudging along, stressing about exams, projects, due dates and expectations. So in an effort to do better in this I want to start appreciating my surroundings more. I will take time to take deep breathes and take in what is happening around me.
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I'm not really the type of person who likes change, which is ironic considering I've moved transnationally multiple times. There's a rhyme and reason to the changes I make, or want to make and usually I have made them for myself and while also having mentally prepared myself for them. If I did decide to go to the gym and get healthy I wouldn't just be able to start doing so the very next day! I would have to make sure I had shoes fit for the exercises I wanted to do, appropriate clothing for the gym, time in the day and prioritise how I would accomplish what I would want to. Some like to tell me I have a Type A personality. Although I am not one for New Year's resolutions, that is not to say I don't have goals I would like to reach and things I would like to achieve.
1. Vegetarian Chef?: This past year I decided to go vegetarian, not a decision I made rashly at all but I managed and I feel better every day. It is because of this I know that although I made a decision for the bettering of my health, I would like to become a more accomplish vegetarian 'chef'. That is to say, I want to learn to make more vegetarian dishes, I think it is worth it to state that just because someone is vegetarian doesn't make them healthy! There are plenty of unhealthy vegetarian junk foods, in fact a lot of my favorite ones are!
2. Emotional State: This past year has been one of many emotional ups and but with even more downs and I hope that 2016 will be better year, and if it isn't then I hope I handle it better than I did this previous one. There are already many things to look forward to, so far so good!
3. It's the little things in life: I want to notice the little things while they're happening, I don't want to look back and realize them.
See so, I'm not completely lacking in 'Resolutions' though I would prefer to refer to them as objectives, and hopefully in one year accomplishments.
- Cee x
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