Everywhere you go you see people staring down at their phone screens, totally tuned out. The average teenager probably spends about 6-7 hours on their phone per day. But I can guarantee that most people you ask would insist they don't have a problem. This article talks about the addiction aspect of cell phones. Apps have also been made to track the use of your cell phone each day. They can tell you how many times you unlock and use your phone, as well as a timer showing you how long you were on it each day. An app I used once even allowed you to set a limit on how long you could be on your phone and would notify you when it was up. I think things like this could be helpful to a person who has problems going "off the grid" even for an hour or so.
This past week I've been on an unplanned hiatus from my cell phone because of an unfortunate incident, and what I have observed in the time I've spent watching other people during class when I myself would have usually been on my phone has made me realise a few important things.
One thing I noticed was how much I actually enjoyed not having my cell phone. As crazy as it sounds, not being in-the-know all the time is kind of relaxing, and definitely has its perks. People would ask me if I "saw that thing on Twitter last night," and I would say "nope," with ease.
The most common reaction when I told someone my phone had been destroyed in a recent water incident was, not surprisingly, pity. They felt bad for me. Shortly after the pity would come the comment on how they would never be able to survive without their cell phone, which is false. I have proven it just last week. I went four solid days without any type of cell phone. I carried my laptop around with me at school so I could access my email, only when it was convenient to do so. I was off the grid 90-95% of the time and I to this day still haven't been on my social media (Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
Students in most of my classes rely on their phones to keep them occupied during down time, even just a few minutes, but even worse is sometimes that "down time" is work time, or even when the teacher is talking. People who don't understand what's going on, most likely just weren't paying attention. We think we can multitask, but we can't. This is scary, I wonder how many times this has happened to me with out me even knowing.
Word count: 451
Tuesday, April 28, 2015
Friday, April 24, 2015
When you never look up
The first day without my cell phone was the hardest. I couldn't check the time every five seconds. I couldn't immediately fix my boredom, but something else happened. I looked up.
It sounds silly, but think about every teenager you know, think about yourself. You are sitting by yourself, waiting for your friends for a few minutes, what do you do? You pull out your phone and text them to ask if they are on their way. you open Twitter to see if anything interesting is happening. At the very least you check the time to see if they're late, if you're early.
Beyond the obvious barrier of the communication you now feel towards the world around you, it's simple things like this that not having a cell phone in your back pocket eliminates. When you're standing by yourself waiting, you look around instead of looking down, you watch other people and how they act, you look at nature and how beautiful it gets in the spring. I did this very thing the other day, and for some reason it felt like people were looking at me funny.
The other night I went to dinner with some friends around 10pm. The restaurant wasn't packed but there were other tables scattered around the room, each with their own set of people going about their own lives, "interacting" with each other. The three people I was siting with all pulled out their phones. One looked down at their screen, laughed, then showed the other what was funny. My boyfriend, sitting next to me, texted his parents telling them when he'd be home. I sat, feeling a little left out and a little upset. Here I was, eager to have a real, interactive conversation. But I was left sitting alone, staring at the wall, the menu, and the people around me, who were all looking down, eyes lit up white by the light of their cell phones.
I mean I can't blame anyone for doing this because I myself was the same way a week ago. I would pull out my phone every minute there was a chance, but now I see how ridiculous I look. I think about people 20 years ago and how awesome it must have been to sit down with a group of people and be forced to talk, to have real conversations, to learn things about each other, undisturbed. I miss my phone, but I don't think I can ever go back to how I used to use it.
Word count: 423
It sounds silly, but think about every teenager you know, think about yourself. You are sitting by yourself, waiting for your friends for a few minutes, what do you do? You pull out your phone and text them to ask if they are on their way. you open Twitter to see if anything interesting is happening. At the very least you check the time to see if they're late, if you're early.
Beyond the obvious barrier of the communication you now feel towards the world around you, it's simple things like this that not having a cell phone in your back pocket eliminates. When you're standing by yourself waiting, you look around instead of looking down, you watch other people and how they act, you look at nature and how beautiful it gets in the spring. I did this very thing the other day, and for some reason it felt like people were looking at me funny.
The other night I went to dinner with some friends around 10pm. The restaurant wasn't packed but there were other tables scattered around the room, each with their own set of people going about their own lives, "interacting" with each other. The three people I was siting with all pulled out their phones. One looked down at their screen, laughed, then showed the other what was funny. My boyfriend, sitting next to me, texted his parents telling them when he'd be home. I sat, feeling a little left out and a little upset. Here I was, eager to have a real, interactive conversation. But I was left sitting alone, staring at the wall, the menu, and the people around me, who were all looking down, eyes lit up white by the light of their cell phones.
I mean I can't blame anyone for doing this because I myself was the same way a week ago. I would pull out my phone every minute there was a chance, but now I see how ridiculous I look. I think about people 20 years ago and how awesome it must have been to sit down with a group of people and be forced to talk, to have real conversations, to learn things about each other, undisturbed. I miss my phone, but I don't think I can ever go back to how I used to use it.
Word count: 423
Unplanned Hiatus
Last week an unfortunate tragedy occurred to me during my afternoon tennis practice. A water bottle tipped over, spilling through my racket case an onto my unsuspecting phone. Unfortunately I didn't catch in until it was too late, 45 minutes after it had been soaking and seeping into every seem and hole, making its way into the deepest insides of my phone. Of course my first reaction was to try to turn it on, which I later learned wasn't the best idea. A blue screen flashed for a second, its last cry for help before it was gone, lost into the realm of dead phones forever.
While this event left me feeling helpless, I managed to find opportunity in the loss. I decided to make it into a kind of unplanned experiment.
If someone where to have told me 2 weeks ago that I could survive easily without my cell phone for over 4 days, I wouldn't have believed them. I rely on my phone for everything, like most other teenagers, and in ways that day by day go unnoticed.
When I'm sitting in a class reading and I come across a word I don't know, I never hesitate to pull out my cell phone to look it up. It takes 5 seconds and the satisfaction is immediate.
When I arrive to class early, waiting for the lesson to start, I pull out my phone and browse Twitter, Instagram, keeping up with every one's latest news, interesting or not. Most of what I'm looking at is meaningless in the long run, but it keeps me occupied. I never have a second to be bored because I, in a sense, have the world at my finger tips. I can access all types of information, play any kind of virtual game, be in contact with anyone in the world. It's a powerful thing to think about, but no one stops to appreciate it. We have so much and care so little, and I suppose that applies to many things this day in society. But we wouldn't ever notice because we are too busy reading up on someone elses' life, or sending pointless text messages to people sitting right across the room from us.
Word count: 373
Sunday, April 19, 2015
Think
In two days I turn 17.
Six thousand two hundred and five (or something like that) days on the earth, this earth. This planet that’s filled to the brim with people who break hearts and make hearts. People who smile, and even people who make others smile. People who inspire others to do amazing things and people who show us what mistakes not to make.
I didn’t ask to be put here. (and by here I don’t mean sitting in a bedroom of a two story house, I mean here, in the 21st century where we have cars that can drive 125 miles per hour, and phones that can call people who live 100,000 miles away, but a country that still can’t agree on gay marriage.) I didn’t ask for any of it.
That being said it doesn’t mean I don’t appreciate it. But it does make a person question things. When you really start to think about it, when you start to question you very existence or something as mundane as a birthday, it can really get to your head. How each and every one of us has a different idea of who they want to be, what they think is acceptable, how they think the world should work. People like me start to question if we’re right, if we’re “doing it right”.
I make decisions every day of where I want to eat, what I wear, how I interact with people, and what I rank as important vs. what is irrelevant, never stopping to question whether or not I’m being ignorant until I am sitting at home by myself, on my computer, trying to decide what to blog about when all I really want to write down is what I’m thinking. And today I was thinking about life, which is a pretty big category which is why I was having so much trouble because one question in my head would lead to another and after a while I would just get tired of trying to figure it all out. But what I did figure out is that it’s hard to have an opinion about things you can’t explain or understand. I want so badly to have an opinion on religion or how matter was created, but thats so impossible because I don’t know nearly enough about either of those things to say I have a solid opinion on what’s right or what’s wrong. And I’m not even sure if that’s right. I mean if I’m curious then shouldn’t I do hours of research to see what other people think and try to take a side or am I better off being ignorant of going along with the majority like most everyone else does. This blog wasn’t really about health or beauty.
Or maybe it was about both. I think it’s healthy to explore your thoughts and this world is a beautiful place. I rest my case.
Word count: 488
Tuesday, April 14, 2015
Trends that need to die
Trends come and go, and some even come back, but there are a few that should be gone for good.
Something I have always been passionate about is having "clean looking" eyebrows. What I mean by that is plucking and lightly filling in when necessary never hurts. It can even really help clean up your appearance.
But on the other end of the spectrum is the overly filled in, shaped brow. #EyebrowsOnFleek, the "Instagram brow," whatever you want to call it, it's too much. It doesn't even look remotely natural in any way. It looks artificial and is certainly not practical for everyday wear. We can save the ombre effect for photo shoots and fashion shows.
Adding to the list of beauty trends that have passed their prime, fake lip plumping is definitely up there. Girls spend so much money buying products like lip plumping glosses and more recently, pieces of plastic shaped to make your lips plumper if you stick them inside and suck. This never fails to surprise me.
I can't believe people would spend their money on things like this, just because having plumper more luscious lips is trendy. I'm not against wearing a little bit of lip gloss or lip stick to give a little shine or color, in fact I'm all for that. It's a way of expressing yourself and that is perfectly okay. What is not okay in my opinion is using products that alter your body chemistry or change the shape of your lips just for the sake of following a trend. I once found a tube of lip plumper in a my kitchen drawer, mistaking it for regular lip gloss, I put it on. Within 30 seconds my lips were burning and stinging. I wiped it off immediately, but could still feel the effects on my lips. I have no idea what chemicals go into products like that, but it cannot be healthy. Companies make products with particles of shimmer that reflect light, giving the same kind of effect without the pain.
Lastly, I will never understand the appeal of "claw shaped" nails. They not only look a bit scary, but dangerous. Go to shake someone's hand and you could poke a hole in it. This one is pretty simple, but still a trend that has got to go.
Something I have always been passionate about is having "clean looking" eyebrows. What I mean by that is plucking and lightly filling in when necessary never hurts. It can even really help clean up your appearance.
But on the other end of the spectrum is the overly filled in, shaped brow. #EyebrowsOnFleek, the "Instagram brow," whatever you want to call it, it's too much. It doesn't even look remotely natural in any way. It looks artificial and is certainly not practical for everyday wear. We can save the ombre effect for photo shoots and fashion shows.
Adding to the list of beauty trends that have passed their prime, fake lip plumping is definitely up there. Girls spend so much money buying products like lip plumping glosses and more recently, pieces of plastic shaped to make your lips plumper if you stick them inside and suck. This never fails to surprise me.I can't believe people would spend their money on things like this, just because having plumper more luscious lips is trendy. I'm not against wearing a little bit of lip gloss or lip stick to give a little shine or color, in fact I'm all for that. It's a way of expressing yourself and that is perfectly okay. What is not okay in my opinion is using products that alter your body chemistry or change the shape of your lips just for the sake of following a trend. I once found a tube of lip plumper in a my kitchen drawer, mistaking it for regular lip gloss, I put it on. Within 30 seconds my lips were burning and stinging. I wiped it off immediately, but could still feel the effects on my lips. I have no idea what chemicals go into products like that, but it cannot be healthy. Companies make products with particles of shimmer that reflect light, giving the same kind of effect without the pain.
Lastly, I will never understand the appeal of "claw shaped" nails. They not only look a bit scary, but dangerous. Go to shake someone's hand and you could poke a hole in it. This one is pretty simple, but still a trend that has got to go.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Should I join a sport
Most people who are involved in a school sport will tell you to join them in the fun, but you may be apprehensive at first. This is normal, most people are, but there are so many benefits of being involved in a school sport that you should be taking advantage of.
You can get out of gym class, this is big for me. Freshman and sophomore year I didn't have to take any gym classes because I was involved in two school sports those years (volleyball and tennis freshman year and Cross country and tennis the next year.)
I got two sports waivers and one academic waiver for doing this, so I had extra room in my schedule to take another class. I replaced what would have been gym (some sort of running) with photography, something I'm really interested in. That class was so much fun and I got to meet so many new people. Which brings me to my next point, meeting people!
You can easily use joining a new team as a way to meet people you otherwise wouldn't have. It brings people together who already have a common interest, sports! So since you already have things in common with them, it is easy to bond and create lasting friendships.
I have met many people, who I am still friends with today, on a sports team years ago, as well as people just this year and made a new friendship. Its never too late to go out and try to make a new friend, and joining a sports team with girls you like will only bring you even closer together!
Joining a team is also obviously great for your fitness and health. There are many benefits to staying active and join a sport combines these with having fun and meeting people! This article talks about all the benefits of exercising daily. For me personally, it makes me feel more energized and happy through out the day, as well as increasing my stamina, which in turn helps me play my sport better! I also enjoy playing tennis and running, so that is an added bonus. :-)
I hope reading this has given you a good impression on what going out for a sports team can do for you, and I hope every one who likes athletics goes of for their school's team!
Word count: 404
You can get out of gym class, this is big for me. Freshman and sophomore year I didn't have to take any gym classes because I was involved in two school sports those years (volleyball and tennis freshman year and Cross country and tennis the next year.)
I got two sports waivers and one academic waiver for doing this, so I had extra room in my schedule to take another class. I replaced what would have been gym (some sort of running) with photography, something I'm really interested in. That class was so much fun and I got to meet so many new people. Which brings me to my next point, meeting people!
You can easily use joining a new team as a way to meet people you otherwise wouldn't have. It brings people together who already have a common interest, sports! So since you already have things in common with them, it is easy to bond and create lasting friendships.
I have met many people, who I am still friends with today, on a sports team years ago, as well as people just this year and made a new friendship. Its never too late to go out and try to make a new friend, and joining a sports team with girls you like will only bring you even closer together!
Joining a team is also obviously great for your fitness and health. There are many benefits to staying active and join a sport combines these with having fun and meeting people! This article talks about all the benefits of exercising daily. For me personally, it makes me feel more energized and happy through out the day, as well as increasing my stamina, which in turn helps me play my sport better! I also enjoy playing tennis and running, so that is an added bonus. :-)
I hope reading this has given you a good impression on what going out for a sports team can do for you, and I hope every one who likes athletics goes of for their school's team!
Word count: 404
Sunday, April 5, 2015
Are women their own worst critic?
Lately I have been doing a lot of posts regarding self confidence and body image. This may be because I have been doing a lot of self evaluating lately and trying to come to terms with and appreciate who I am and what I have to offer the world. During my little scavenger hunt over the web, I found an old Dove commercial from 2013 that fits this week's common theme.
This commercial, not surprisingly, got sucked into a lot of controversy over its main "goal" which was to make women realize that they are their own worst critic and they need to appreciate themselves more. The problem with this is while it may have good intentions, it kind of misses the mark. Telling women they are critiquing themselves instead of the media telling them their appearance is off par doesn't make a person feel any better. I think this commercial does a lot of things right. The music is sentimental, the camera angles are great and they capture some really emotional moments for the women in this "experiment" (real or not) they seemed really moved by this experience. It actually makes me curious how a person would describe me to a sketch artist and what features they would pick to stand out.
The downside to this commercial in my opinion is that they paint the first picture drawn in a bad light, making it seem as if it's less attractive than the second, which isn't necessarily true. Also this video does a slim job in the diversity category. Most of the participants shown are caucasian and thin with blonde hair and blue eyes. This commercials idea of a "real beautiful women" is what most people see when they open the magazines that make them hate themselves in the first place. And of course those girls have insecurities too, but it almost defeats the message. If the aim of this ad is to make everyone realize their true beauty, then why are we only focusing on a small branch of the huge tree that is the diverse population of women all over the world?
At the end of the day, while this commercial may be moving to some, it could also be discouraging to others. Women can be their worst critic, but we can also be our best friend.
Word count: 393
This commercial, not surprisingly, got sucked into a lot of controversy over its main "goal" which was to make women realize that they are their own worst critic and they need to appreciate themselves more. The problem with this is while it may have good intentions, it kind of misses the mark. Telling women they are critiquing themselves instead of the media telling them their appearance is off par doesn't make a person feel any better. I think this commercial does a lot of things right. The music is sentimental, the camera angles are great and they capture some really emotional moments for the women in this "experiment" (real or not) they seemed really moved by this experience. It actually makes me curious how a person would describe me to a sketch artist and what features they would pick to stand out.
The downside to this commercial in my opinion is that they paint the first picture drawn in a bad light, making it seem as if it's less attractive than the second, which isn't necessarily true. Also this video does a slim job in the diversity category. Most of the participants shown are caucasian and thin with blonde hair and blue eyes. This commercials idea of a "real beautiful women" is what most people see when they open the magazines that make them hate themselves in the first place. And of course those girls have insecurities too, but it almost defeats the message. If the aim of this ad is to make everyone realize their true beauty, then why are we only focusing on a small branch of the huge tree that is the diverse population of women all over the world?
At the end of the day, while this commercial may be moving to some, it could also be discouraging to others. Women can be their worst critic, but we can also be our best friend.
Word count: 393
Fake tanning?
I've had strong opinions about this for a long time, but never thought about blogging about it.
This weekend I came across this video about fake tanning and it struck me this would be the perfect time for an opinion throw down.
There are different types of "fake tanning," you can do it on a bed with bright lights, or these days, even out of a bottle. This phenomenon that affects girls all over has always rubbed me the wrong way. Why would we want to change the tone of our skin, even if its harmless in the long run, or especially if it is?
Companies like Neutrogena make spray on tans that require no sun exposure. You just spray it on your skin and rub it in. Seems easy enough, if you manage to make it even enough to look real and don't ruin any articles of clothing in the process. But why pay $10 for a bottle of brown skin spray paint? All too often the aftermath is a streaky, yellow toned mess on your skin, and that is not flattering. Thats not to mention the terrible smell and how long you have to let it sit on your skin before you can wash it off. People have all different skin tones and that is what makes this world so amazing, variety. Embracing your natural skin tone is part of having self confidence isn't it?
I find it even worse when people will actually pay money to sit in a tanning bed. Pay money to literally lay down and ask for skin cancer. Don't get me wrong, I love being sun kissed after a day in the hot sun, but why not go get some fresh air instead of faking it?
And if your excuse is that its too cold or the sun isn't out yet, then why would you want to get a fake tan anyway, it looks so unnatural.
Everyone I know or have heard talking about fake tanning complains about how expensive it is, how annoying it is to reapply, and how hard it is to find makeup products to match their color. I don't know why you would go to all the trouble. Try loving your skin instead of putting through all these harsh and completely unnecessary treatments, feeling comfortable and happy in your own skin can be fun!
Word count: 399
This weekend I came across this video about fake tanning and it struck me this would be the perfect time for an opinion throw down.
There are different types of "fake tanning," you can do it on a bed with bright lights, or these days, even out of a bottle. This phenomenon that affects girls all over has always rubbed me the wrong way. Why would we want to change the tone of our skin, even if its harmless in the long run, or especially if it is?
Companies like Neutrogena make spray on tans that require no sun exposure. You just spray it on your skin and rub it in. Seems easy enough, if you manage to make it even enough to look real and don't ruin any articles of clothing in the process. But why pay $10 for a bottle of brown skin spray paint? All too often the aftermath is a streaky, yellow toned mess on your skin, and that is not flattering. Thats not to mention the terrible smell and how long you have to let it sit on your skin before you can wash it off. People have all different skin tones and that is what makes this world so amazing, variety. Embracing your natural skin tone is part of having self confidence isn't it?
I find it even worse when people will actually pay money to sit in a tanning bed. Pay money to literally lay down and ask for skin cancer. Don't get me wrong, I love being sun kissed after a day in the hot sun, but why not go get some fresh air instead of faking it?
And if your excuse is that its too cold or the sun isn't out yet, then why would you want to get a fake tan anyway, it looks so unnatural.
Everyone I know or have heard talking about fake tanning complains about how expensive it is, how annoying it is to reapply, and how hard it is to find makeup products to match their color. I don't know why you would go to all the trouble. Try loving your skin instead of putting through all these harsh and completely unnecessary treatments, feeling comfortable and happy in your own skin can be fun!
Word count: 399
Confidence
It seems like these days it can be hard to have self confidence with all of the media telling us how we should look. And as time passes the situation gets worse and worse for people (girls specifically) at younger and younger ages. I read an article about this controversy and it made me sad.
I remember when I was little, I didn't worry about things like my weight or hair color, I was happy with who I was in general. 13 year old girls should be having fun growing up, not constantly worrying if their appearance fits some kind of mold. Girls are being pushed by the media to transform themselves so that others will like them, and it's causing insecurities that don't need to exist.
The truth is the girls in the magazines don't even look like the girls in the magazines. Photoshop can be deceiving, and even troublesome for girls who are already insecure about themselves.
When I look at my sister, a 13 year old in the 7th grade, I see a whole different person than who I was back then. I like to think she is just taking after me, but in reality she's taking after the media, wearing smaller tighter clothes that are more revealing, complaining about the way her thighs look. She is 13. She has the world at her feet, just like all of these other girls who are too busy looking in the mirror hating what they see to realize that the reflection only tells a small fraction of the story of the person they really are.
I may sound hypocritical as I blog about appearance being superficial one moment and the best products to keep your hair in tact the next, but the truth is, feeling beautiful isn't about trying to look like the people in magazines, or changing who you are, it's about what makes you feel confident.
Its waring bright colors because it makes you happy. This day in age, self confidence is the best beauty product any girl can have.
Word count: 347
I remember when I was little, I didn't worry about things like my weight or hair color, I was happy with who I was in general. 13 year old girls should be having fun growing up, not constantly worrying if their appearance fits some kind of mold. Girls are being pushed by the media to transform themselves so that others will like them, and it's causing insecurities that don't need to exist.
The truth is the girls in the magazines don't even look like the girls in the magazines. Photoshop can be deceiving, and even troublesome for girls who are already insecure about themselves.
When I look at my sister, a 13 year old in the 7th grade, I see a whole different person than who I was back then. I like to think she is just taking after me, but in reality she's taking after the media, wearing smaller tighter clothes that are more revealing, complaining about the way her thighs look. She is 13. She has the world at her feet, just like all of these other girls who are too busy looking in the mirror hating what they see to realize that the reflection only tells a small fraction of the story of the person they really are.
I may sound hypocritical as I blog about appearance being superficial one moment and the best products to keep your hair in tact the next, but the truth is, feeling beautiful isn't about trying to look like the people in magazines, or changing who you are, it's about what makes you feel confident.
Its waring bright colors because it makes you happy. This day in age, self confidence is the best beauty product any girl can have.
Word count: 347
Saturday, March 21, 2015
How to get ready
I can safely say that I have mastered the art of getting ready in less time than seemingly possible. It happens at least once a week. I go to bed late, I get up late. I haven't showered. I have "nothing to wear." Surely it's going to be an awful day... Or not.
The girl's guide to getting ready in 15 minutes:
1. If you know it's going to be an early morning, try showering the night before. It'll save you 15-20 minutes of the actually time it takes to shower, plus the 5-10 minutes of drying and combing out your hair and styling it.
If you wake up late and didn't make it into the shower the night before, don't panic. All you need is some dry shampoo and a hair tie. Use the shampoo to quickly dry up any access oil from your hair, make it smell and feel fresh and clean, and throw it up in a pony, bun, or braid. Problem solved.
2. Check the weekly forecast and pick out your outfit the night before. This is a must. You can even pick out outfits for the entire week. I can't count the amount of times I spend in the morning pondering over what I should wear, only to get frustrated and cause myself to be late. Lay out everything you need including shoes, socks, underwear, etc. so you wont have to scramble around in the dark of the early morning when you're half asleep.
Also, separate your accessories. The last thing you need is to go to grab your favorite necklace, only to find it tangled into 3 others. A simple nail on the wall trick can solve this.
3. Establish an easy morning makeup routine that only takes 5 minutes. Skip the foundation and just use concealer under your eyes and on any blemishes. Curl your eyelashes without applying mascara to give your eyes a quick boost and give your eyebrows a quick touch-up with a brush instead of using a pencil to fill them in.
4. Grab breakfast on the go. Snag a banana or an apple from the kitchen and eat it on the way to school or work instead of sitting down to eat. Even better, pack some snacks in baggies the night before and throw them in your bag to eat throughout the day.
The girl's guide to getting ready in 15 minutes:
1. If you know it's going to be an early morning, try showering the night before. It'll save you 15-20 minutes of the actually time it takes to shower, plus the 5-10 minutes of drying and combing out your hair and styling it.
If you wake up late and didn't make it into the shower the night before, don't panic. All you need is some dry shampoo and a hair tie. Use the shampoo to quickly dry up any access oil from your hair, make it smell and feel fresh and clean, and throw it up in a pony, bun, or braid. Problem solved.
2. Check the weekly forecast and pick out your outfit the night before. This is a must. You can even pick out outfits for the entire week. I can't count the amount of times I spend in the morning pondering over what I should wear, only to get frustrated and cause myself to be late. Lay out everything you need including shoes, socks, underwear, etc. so you wont have to scramble around in the dark of the early morning when you're half asleep.
Also, separate your accessories. The last thing you need is to go to grab your favorite necklace, only to find it tangled into 3 others. A simple nail on the wall trick can solve this.
3. Establish an easy morning makeup routine that only takes 5 minutes. Skip the foundation and just use concealer under your eyes and on any blemishes. Curl your eyelashes without applying mascara to give your eyes a quick boost and give your eyebrows a quick touch-up with a brush instead of using a pencil to fill them in.
4. Grab breakfast on the go. Snag a banana or an apple from the kitchen and eat it on the way to school or work instead of sitting down to eat. Even better, pack some snacks in baggies the night before and throw them in your bag to eat throughout the day.
Friday, March 20, 2015
Spring break - How to pack tight
When packing for a trip there are many things to consider.
My mantra is to always pack less clothing than you think you need. One reason for this is that whenever I go on vacation, I always end up coming home with more clothing than I left with. Shopping is always a large priority when I go on trips and I like to think of the clothes I buy as souvenirs.. that I can wear! For this reason I always count the number of days I will be gone, subtract 2, then pack that many outfits. This rule of thumb won't work for everything. But if you are going somewhere warm, chances are you will be on the beach more than you will out and about, so take that into consideration because youy might want to throw in an extra bathing siut instead of a nice blouse.
I also like to bring staples that can be worn with more than one thing, things that don't wrinkle, and things that can be easily hand washed if necessary. And as much as I love white, I've learned the hard way that it's worth the sacrifice to pack something else instead of my favorite white T-shirt.
If you do need to pack something that wrinkles, an easy solution is to buy a small bottle of wrinkle releaser. They sell it for less than $3 at Target and it will save you 20 minutes of ironing and make your clothes smell like they're fresh out of the wash.
Another way to prevent clothes from wrinkling is to roll them along with another item of clothing, instead of folding them and stacking. Take two shirts and roll them together to save space and time. I did this when packing for my Florida vacation and it made fitting everything in the suitcase much easier.
If you have to pack something fragile that you don't need access to, don't throw it lose into your carry on purse. Your carry on should only have things you need during the flight. If you are taking your suitcase onto the plane with you, wrap the item inside some clothes and pack it snuggly into the middle of your suitcase with lots of other clothing surrounding it to make sure it won't bounce around- in this case sometimes packing more can be a lot of help.
Word Count: 405
Sunday, January 25, 2015
Worth the hype?
Recently I purchased some of the new John Frieda Frizz Ease haircare products from Target's online website. I have been seeing a lot of advertising for these products on commercials and sponsored reviews online. These products have been so hyped up and promising such great results for girls with curly problematic hair, how could I not try them out.
Ranking on the very affordable side of the spectrum as far as hair care goes, I figured I had nothing to lose with giving them a try to see if they were worth all the hype.
I purchased two of the products from the Frizz Ease line, which is the line specially for curly hair. I got Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner, which is a leave-in conditioner in a spray bottle. I have tried many different leave-in conditioners so I was not only excited to try this one, but felt like I had a good idea of what a good one does for my hair. These types of products are a necessity for my hair especially during the winter when I experience a lot of dryness. I apply them after I get out of the shower, after I have towel dried my hair so it's damp, but not soaking wet. However, I feel like products like this tend to work better the drier my hair is. They seem to evaporate and I have to keep applying more if my hair is too wet. This one specifically was pretty comparable to everything I've tried so far. I love the smell, but other than that, nothing special. I was expecting more from such a popular product.
The other product I tried was called Dream Curls® Daily Styling Spray and it was meant to replace leave in hair gel or hair spray by making curls stay less frizzy throughout the day. I also loved the way this product smelled, but the performance was less spectacular. If I sprayed it in wet hair, once my hair dried, it was like it wasn't even there at all. And If I put it in dry hair, it almost gave me an oily appearance if I used a little too much. I think the key to this product is to use it right before your hair dries completely and focus is mostly on the ends. or where your hair tends to be driest. Don't put it in your roots especially if you haven't showered because it will be an oily mess.
Word count: 410
Ranking on the very affordable side of the spectrum as far as hair care goes, I figured I had nothing to lose with giving them a try to see if they were worth all the hype.
I purchased two of the products from the Frizz Ease line, which is the line specially for curly hair. I got Daily Nourishment Leave-In Conditioner, which is a leave-in conditioner in a spray bottle. I have tried many different leave-in conditioners so I was not only excited to try this one, but felt like I had a good idea of what a good one does for my hair. These types of products are a necessity for my hair especially during the winter when I experience a lot of dryness. I apply them after I get out of the shower, after I have towel dried my hair so it's damp, but not soaking wet. However, I feel like products like this tend to work better the drier my hair is. They seem to evaporate and I have to keep applying more if my hair is too wet. This one specifically was pretty comparable to everything I've tried so far. I love the smell, but other than that, nothing special. I was expecting more from such a popular product.
The other product I tried was called Dream Curls® Daily Styling Spray and it was meant to replace leave in hair gel or hair spray by making curls stay less frizzy throughout the day. I also loved the way this product smelled, but the performance was less spectacular. If I sprayed it in wet hair, once my hair dried, it was like it wasn't even there at all. And If I put it in dry hair, it almost gave me an oily appearance if I used a little too much. I think the key to this product is to use it right before your hair dries completely and focus is mostly on the ends. or where your hair tends to be driest. Don't put it in your roots especially if you haven't showered because it will be an oily mess.
Word count: 410
New healthy habits
Earlier this month I did a post on some of my new year's resolutions. Everyone has their own and I wanted to make a few of my own.
One of my goals was to get more sleep. This still needs to improve because while I find myself going to bed earlier, I still don't get enough to not feel groggy in the morning. I have gotten very used to staying up late so this has been a hard one to break.
One thing I have improved on is eating breakfast in the morning. This was a hard habit to change because I was so used to getting up, getting dressed, and leaving for school right away. I would run out the door without eating anything and this became so much of a habit that I didn't even realize I was doing it. But I would constantly be hungry at school during the day before lunch, so much that I couldn't concentrate. I would pack snacks to eat in my bag before lunch, but most of them would be processed food which might have filled me up, but it wasn't good for me.
Lately I've been breaking the bad habit by waking up every morning and making myself a smoothie. I only have to wake up about 10-15 minutes earlier to make time for this and it has been well worth it. I feel better all day because I have real food in my stomach instead of a granola bar or a pop tart.
In my smoothies I like to use frozen fruit so that I don't have to use ice. I feel like ice makes the smoothie watery so I picked up bag of frozen mixed fruit from the grocery store. It has a variety of fruit (Mango, pineapple, strawberry, and peach) so it doesn't get boring. The bag was about $15 and will last me a solid 2 weeks, maybe even 3. The other good thing about frozen fruit compared to fresh is that it doesn't go bad for much longer because it's kept in the freezer. I love the taste of fresh fruit, but it's expensive and has to be eaten quickly or else it goes bad.
I also love adding some plain vanilla yogurt. Yogurt is one of my favorite breakfast foods and I eat it all throughout the day. You can buy large containers that will last for a while in stead of buying individuals and just throw in a few spoonfuls into the blender. I find that this helps blend the frozen fruit together easier as well. It also gives the smoothie some substance and keeps me from feeling hungrier longer. I use plain vanilla, but you can add different flavors to mix it up.
I drink the smoothie while I get ready in the morning. I think I have found myself a new life long morning habit.
Word count: 486
One of my goals was to get more sleep. This still needs to improve because while I find myself going to bed earlier, I still don't get enough to not feel groggy in the morning. I have gotten very used to staying up late so this has been a hard one to break.
One thing I have improved on is eating breakfast in the morning. This was a hard habit to change because I was so used to getting up, getting dressed, and leaving for school right away. I would run out the door without eating anything and this became so much of a habit that I didn't even realize I was doing it. But I would constantly be hungry at school during the day before lunch, so much that I couldn't concentrate. I would pack snacks to eat in my bag before lunch, but most of them would be processed food which might have filled me up, but it wasn't good for me.
Lately I've been breaking the bad habit by waking up every morning and making myself a smoothie. I only have to wake up about 10-15 minutes earlier to make time for this and it has been well worth it. I feel better all day because I have real food in my stomach instead of a granola bar or a pop tart.
In my smoothies I like to use frozen fruit so that I don't have to use ice. I feel like ice makes the smoothie watery so I picked up bag of frozen mixed fruit from the grocery store. It has a variety of fruit (Mango, pineapple, strawberry, and peach) so it doesn't get boring. The bag was about $15 and will last me a solid 2 weeks, maybe even 3. The other good thing about frozen fruit compared to fresh is that it doesn't go bad for much longer because it's kept in the freezer. I love the taste of fresh fruit, but it's expensive and has to be eaten quickly or else it goes bad.
I also love adding some plain vanilla yogurt. Yogurt is one of my favorite breakfast foods and I eat it all throughout the day. You can buy large containers that will last for a while in stead of buying individuals and just throw in a few spoonfuls into the blender. I find that this helps blend the frozen fruit together easier as well. It also gives the smoothie some substance and keeps me from feeling hungrier longer. I use plain vanilla, but you can add different flavors to mix it up.
I drink the smoothie while I get ready in the morning. I think I have found myself a new life long morning habit.
Word count: 486
The Face
This week I have been having some fun looking through some other more popular beauty blogs that are out there to get some inspiration. I stumbled upon Robin Black's website. She is a makeup artist for some very notable celebrities. Her website is called Beauty is Boring, and she takes all of the pictures that are featured there. The pictures are really awesome quality themselves, but the subjects in them are really cool too.
I read up on her and she has a really cool personality, someone that I feel like I would get along with pretty well. She does some really awesome things with makeup too, you will see if you take a look at some of the pictures. I also love the way she leaves details down below of all the products she used below the photo, along with telling what her inspiration for the look was.
She also has a place on her website where she does some really cool things with video editing. She takes the models in finished makeup and has them do different things, then she edits them into a video that is like a piece of art!
One of my favorite posts she did was an abstract painting.. on someones face. It looks like splatter paint, but with makeup. This would be a really cool idea for a Halloween party in the fall time, obviously not for everyday wear. She calls it The Masterpiece and says is was inspired by Jack-son Pollock. I can only imagine how long the model had to be sitting in the makeup chair for that one.
After reading about Robin and seeing her pictures and what she does with makeup, she has really become an inspiration to me. I never thought about having a career like hers, but it would be interesting to look into. I just love the way she incorporates the art of photography into the art of makeup because those are two things that I love. I would always rather be the makeup artist doing the models makeup, or the photographer taking the pictures, rather than walking down the runway.
Word count: 355
I read up on her and she has a really cool personality, someone that I feel like I would get along with pretty well. She does some really awesome things with makeup too, you will see if you take a look at some of the pictures. I also love the way she leaves details down below of all the products she used below the photo, along with telling what her inspiration for the look was.
She also has a place on her website where she does some really cool things with video editing. She takes the models in finished makeup and has them do different things, then she edits them into a video that is like a piece of art!
One of my favorite posts she did was an abstract painting.. on someones face. It looks like splatter paint, but with makeup. This would be a really cool idea for a Halloween party in the fall time, obviously not for everyday wear. She calls it The Masterpiece and says is was inspired by Jack-son Pollock. I can only imagine how long the model had to be sitting in the makeup chair for that one.
After reading about Robin and seeing her pictures and what she does with makeup, she has really become an inspiration to me. I never thought about having a career like hers, but it would be interesting to look into. I just love the way she incorporates the art of photography into the art of makeup because those are two things that I love. I would always rather be the makeup artist doing the models makeup, or the photographer taking the pictures, rather than walking down the runway.
Word count: 355
Sunday, January 18, 2015
What color am I??
We have all had this problem. Take this situation for example:
You just ran out of your favorite foundation or concealer and decide it's time to try out something new. You get all excited to go to the store and pick out a new product, but when you get there you realize that beige and caramel and porcelain and ivory mean nothing because ever brand is different and not only that, different products within different brands are different and just like you can never seem to figure out what size jeans you really are, you can't for the life of you begin to guess what color foundation to buy. So you take your best guess, take a gamble, and grab one that looks sort of similar to what your face is.
You get home, only to find that the shade wouldn't be right even if you got a spray tan. Or that it's so light you may as well just throw it away because its never going to fit you.
I can't tell you how many products I have stored away in a drawer that are just waiting for summer so my skin gets tan enough to fit the shade I thought I was at the time, only to be forgotten, ever used, and replaced.
I don't have an easy solution to this problem, but I do have a few tips.
I found this great website that can take a shade of a current product you are wearing that fits you and match it to a shade of a different brand. I haven't tried it personally, but it seems like a great alternative to guessing and checking. They have every brand you can think of and its really easy to use.
Something else I have tried that can be easier than trying to match your shade exactly is mixing two different foundations together. This can get expensive if you are buying two new products, but I will take two that I already have (of different of same brands) and mix them together, one being too light for my current skin tone, and one being too dark. I mix them on the back of my hand before applying them to face.
Word count: 370
You just ran out of your favorite foundation or concealer and decide it's time to try out something new. You get all excited to go to the store and pick out a new product, but when you get there you realize that beige and caramel and porcelain and ivory mean nothing because ever brand is different and not only that, different products within different brands are different and just like you can never seem to figure out what size jeans you really are, you can't for the life of you begin to guess what color foundation to buy. So you take your best guess, take a gamble, and grab one that looks sort of similar to what your face is.
You get home, only to find that the shade wouldn't be right even if you got a spray tan. Or that it's so light you may as well just throw it away because its never going to fit you.
I can't tell you how many products I have stored away in a drawer that are just waiting for summer so my skin gets tan enough to fit the shade I thought I was at the time, only to be forgotten, ever used, and replaced.
I don't have an easy solution to this problem, but I do have a few tips.
I found this great website that can take a shade of a current product you are wearing that fits you and match it to a shade of a different brand. I haven't tried it personally, but it seems like a great alternative to guessing and checking. They have every brand you can think of and its really easy to use.
Something else I have tried that can be easier than trying to match your shade exactly is mixing two different foundations together. This can get expensive if you are buying two new products, but I will take two that I already have (of different of same brands) and mix them together, one being too light for my current skin tone, and one being too dark. I mix them on the back of my hand before applying them to face.
Word count: 370
What's your breaking point?
It has been recently announced that the new high school women's cross country racing distance will be changed from 2.5 miles to 3.1 miles. E.F. Fitness talks about how she is embracing the change as an empowerment to women as a whole by making our race equivalent to the boys. I have a slightly different opinion.
I have what can be described as a love-hate relationship with running. There are so many positives (the obvious dealing with physical fitness.) I gain a sense of pride during the cross country season. I feel not only like I am a part of something bigger by participating on the team, but like I am doing it for myself at the same time. I love that.
But it's not all fun and games. I run most of my races at the varsity level, and while I love the challenge and the label, along with it comes a side of anxiety and stress. There is so much pressure to do well and improve invoked by being ranked at the top of your team. You feel like you have some limitless expectations to live up to. This pressure comes from the coaches and of course, my dad, who is my biggest supporter and without fail, my biggest critic.
He only wants success for me in life and in running specifically and is always pushing me to work harder, train more, and "kick ass."
I love this about him because it gives me yet another reason to work hard, motivation is everything in a race. It's all a mental game. I like to think I'm racing against myself, like all of us girls are out there to grab the prize and the end of the course together, but at the end of the day the bottom line is that I'm there to take first place.
But this year is going to be a different game. The race will change dramatically because of the lengthened distance. The daily workouts will be geared more toward longer distance running, and to think I was finally getting the hang of things. This will most likely mean more long, slow running on the trail (not my favorite.) And less short sprinting workouts on the track. I don't usually look forward to cross-country practice in general, but now I will even less.
Next fall will surly prove to be an adventure.
Word count: 401
I have what can be described as a love-hate relationship with running. There are so many positives (the obvious dealing with physical fitness.) I gain a sense of pride during the cross country season. I feel not only like I am a part of something bigger by participating on the team, but like I am doing it for myself at the same time. I love that.
But it's not all fun and games. I run most of my races at the varsity level, and while I love the challenge and the label, along with it comes a side of anxiety and stress. There is so much pressure to do well and improve invoked by being ranked at the top of your team. You feel like you have some limitless expectations to live up to. This pressure comes from the coaches and of course, my dad, who is my biggest supporter and without fail, my biggest critic.
He only wants success for me in life and in running specifically and is always pushing me to work harder, train more, and "kick ass."
I love this about him because it gives me yet another reason to work hard, motivation is everything in a race. It's all a mental game. I like to think I'm racing against myself, like all of us girls are out there to grab the prize and the end of the course together, but at the end of the day the bottom line is that I'm there to take first place.
But this year is going to be a different game. The race will change dramatically because of the lengthened distance. The daily workouts will be geared more toward longer distance running, and to think I was finally getting the hang of things. This will most likely mean more long, slow running on the trail (not my favorite.) And less short sprinting workouts on the track. I don't usually look forward to cross-country practice in general, but now I will even less.
Next fall will surly prove to be an adventure.
Word count: 401
Go-to products for dry hair
In the winter, and sometimes year round, my hair can get excessively dry and frizzy. I have tried my fair share of products to fix the problem over the years. Some products claim to do certain things, but don't. Some products aren't worth the high price and you would be better off sticking to the drug store.
For shampoo and conditioner I love the brand Herbal Essences because their products are all natural. I like to use shampoo that smells good and isn't too thick because my roots can get oily and gross. I currently use the "naked moisture shampoo." It's a very basic shampoo, but it does the job. I have tried a lot of TRESemmé also and have found that they make quite a few good hair products even beyond shampoo and conditioner.
I rely heavily on my conditioner for moisture. I need one that is going to help repair damaged hair along with controlling the frizz and dryness. The "naked shine conditioner" by Herbal Essences is great and I have used it for about 6 months now.
I rely heavily on my conditioner for moisture. I need one that is going to help repair damaged hair along with controlling the frizz and dryness. The "naked shine conditioner" by Herbal Essences is great and I have used it for about 6 months now.
If you are looking for more shampoo options than what I have listened here, allwomenstalk has a great article with 15 more shampoos for dry hair, some of which I have never tried so I don't know how good they are personally.
As far as what comes after the shower, I have many more products that I use daily. I have never (very rarely) been able to let my hair air-dry after showering. I envy people who's hair can go from wet to dry and be hydrated without fizz, let alone look decent enough to go out.
Leave in conditioners are the love of my life. My favorite right now is made by TRESemmé. I prefer spray in verses more of a cream liquid because in the morning I try to avoid getting my hands sticky, but usually it's inevitable regardless because I also use a light hold hair gel made by Aussie, an Australian cosmetic company. All of their products smell amazing, and they can lean toward the pricey side of drugstore, but well worth it. I my hair doesn't feel stick or hard, even with a generous amount of the gel. It dries beautifully.
Even though I have fallen love with these products, I'm always trying new things and experimenting with different brands. Lately I have been seeing a lot of commercials about the John Frieda hair products. Especially the "Fizz Ease" line.
I have ordered some of the John Frieda products from Target that are specially designed for curly hair and will definitely be doing a blog post after trying them out.
(Most of the products I talked about can be found at CVS, Walmart or Target.)
Word count: 457
As far as what comes after the shower, I have many more products that I use daily. I have never (very rarely) been able to let my hair air-dry after showering. I envy people who's hair can go from wet to dry and be hydrated without fizz, let alone look decent enough to go out.
Leave in conditioners are the love of my life. My favorite right now is made by TRESemmé. I prefer spray in verses more of a cream liquid because in the morning I try to avoid getting my hands sticky, but usually it's inevitable regardless because I also use a light hold hair gel made by Aussie, an Australian cosmetic company. All of their products smell amazing, and they can lean toward the pricey side of drugstore, but well worth it. I my hair doesn't feel stick or hard, even with a generous amount of the gel. It dries beautifully.
Even though I have fallen love with these products, I'm always trying new things and experimenting with different brands. Lately I have been seeing a lot of commercials about the John Frieda hair products. Especially the "Fizz Ease" line.
I have ordered some of the John Frieda products from Target that are specially designed for curly hair and will definitely be doing a blog post after trying them out.
(Most of the products I talked about can be found at CVS, Walmart or Target.)
Word count: 457
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Face off
One of the many struggles of being a girl is not only which products to use, but what brand. I personally struggle with this whenever I go to the drugstore to pick up a new shampoo or foundation. I rarely go into this type of situation without doing my research, for example reading reviews on the product online or watching videos from my trusted beauty vloggers on youtube.
Shannon is one of my favorite bloggers to watch. https://www.youtube.com/user/shaaanxo. She has a YouTube channel (like many other girls) that is devoted specifically to product reviews, hauls, and makeup tutorials. She is one of my go to's when I need a review on a product I'm looking into to buy because she stays up to date on brands with new products coming out.
Today I'm doing my own review, where I'm taking two of my favorite and most trusted face products and putting them head to head in a comparison show down.
The topic today is moisturizer, and were going to be comparing Clean and Clear's Advantage Acne Control moisturizer (my winter favorite) with Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (my summer favorite.)
What I love about C & C is that they have products that are oil free, and devoted a special line to help treat and prevent acne. This product feels good on the skin and doesn't leave you feeling oily like some moisturizers do. But it also doesn't leave my skin feeling tight, however if you have just washed or exfoliated your face, it can take a few extra pumps (especially in the winter time) to get your face fully hydrated. They also only sell this product in a $ oz. bottle, which I go through in less than 2 months. I wish they sold a larger size.
Next, Aveeno has a good product for summertime because they actually joined your daily moisturizer with sunscreen to help protect you from the harmful rays. It has SPF 30, which is pretty high for a daily use product. This is good and bad because while it can help you prevent sunburn, it will make your face appear whiter in pictures because if how it reflects a flash. This product can also make your skin feel oily and shiny, so it works best for people who tend to get dryness even in humidity. I take this product with me to the beach and pool and use it on my face as well as my body.
Both products have their ups and downs but I would say Clean and Clear is My favorite go to product for daily use.
Word count: 438
Shannon is one of my favorite bloggers to watch. https://www.youtube.com/user/shaaanxo. She has a YouTube channel (like many other girls) that is devoted specifically to product reviews, hauls, and makeup tutorials. She is one of my go to's when I need a review on a product I'm looking into to buy because she stays up to date on brands with new products coming out.
Today I'm doing my own review, where I'm taking two of my favorite and most trusted face products and putting them head to head in a comparison show down.
The topic today is moisturizer, and were going to be comparing Clean and Clear's Advantage Acne Control moisturizer (my winter favorite) with Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer (my summer favorite.)
What I love about C & C is that they have products that are oil free, and devoted a special line to help treat and prevent acne. This product feels good on the skin and doesn't leave you feeling oily like some moisturizers do. But it also doesn't leave my skin feeling tight, however if you have just washed or exfoliated your face, it can take a few extra pumps (especially in the winter time) to get your face fully hydrated. They also only sell this product in a $ oz. bottle, which I go through in less than 2 months. I wish they sold a larger size.
Next, Aveeno has a good product for summertime because they actually joined your daily moisturizer with sunscreen to help protect you from the harmful rays. It has SPF 30, which is pretty high for a daily use product. This is good and bad because while it can help you prevent sunburn, it will make your face appear whiter in pictures because if how it reflects a flash. This product can also make your skin feel oily and shiny, so it works best for people who tend to get dryness even in humidity. I take this product with me to the beach and pool and use it on my face as well as my body.
Both products have their ups and downs but I would say Clean and Clear is My favorite go to product for daily use.
Word count: 438
Beauty pet peeves
I like to consider myself fairly knowledgeable when it comes to things in the beauty category (Makeup, hair, etc.) I have spend most of my teenage years learning the do's and don'ts through experience, watching beauty blogs on YouTube, and television.
So when I see someone doing something that "violates the beauty code," I cringe. I don't like to rant, but sometimes it must be done.
When I go to get myself ready in the morning, one of the things I have mastered is my daily makeup routine. When I chose to wear makeup, I have a solid routine that I follow everyday. I almost do it without thinking.
One of my major pet peeves is when people put on liquid foundation without setting it with powder. This is especially important if you have oily skin. It looks cakey and shiny on the skin and will not stay in place or last as long as if it were set. I hate to see people do this when it is so easy to take a setting power with a fluffy brush and finish your face so quickly.
Another pet peeve of mine is when people wear extremely thick eyeliner. I understand that it can be trendy, but for everyday wear, I think natural is best. Winging out a huge cat-eye look can be fun for a party or other special event, but is not appropriate for school or work in my opinion.
My next pet peeve is when people let their eyebrows get out of control. I take the time to make sure mine are nicely "groomed," because I treat them like my hair. My hair needs to be cut every few months, my eyebrows need to be tended to every few days. Taking a few minutes with tweezers and a mirror makes all the difference.
My last pet peeve has to do with eyelashes. They are beautiful and they are work. When people don't use an eyelash curler before putting on mascara and decide to use it after, I want to rip out my hair. That is a huge no. You are pretty much asking for your eyelashes to fall out, or be ripped out by your eyelash curler. I'm also not a fan of huge spider eyelashes. Some people may disagree with me, but if you are using 5 layers of mascara on a daily basis, you may want to start thinking about the less is more rule.
Word count: 410
So when I see someone doing something that "violates the beauty code," I cringe. I don't like to rant, but sometimes it must be done.
When I go to get myself ready in the morning, one of the things I have mastered is my daily makeup routine. When I chose to wear makeup, I have a solid routine that I follow everyday. I almost do it without thinking.
One of my major pet peeves is when people put on liquid foundation without setting it with powder. This is especially important if you have oily skin. It looks cakey and shiny on the skin and will not stay in place or last as long as if it were set. I hate to see people do this when it is so easy to take a setting power with a fluffy brush and finish your face so quickly.
Another pet peeve of mine is when people wear extremely thick eyeliner. I understand that it can be trendy, but for everyday wear, I think natural is best. Winging out a huge cat-eye look can be fun for a party or other special event, but is not appropriate for school or work in my opinion.
My next pet peeve is when people let their eyebrows get out of control. I take the time to make sure mine are nicely "groomed," because I treat them like my hair. My hair needs to be cut every few months, my eyebrows need to be tended to every few days. Taking a few minutes with tweezers and a mirror makes all the difference.
My last pet peeve has to do with eyelashes. They are beautiful and they are work. When people don't use an eyelash curler before putting on mascara and decide to use it after, I want to rip out my hair. That is a huge no. You are pretty much asking for your eyelashes to fall out, or be ripped out by your eyelash curler. I'm also not a fan of huge spider eyelashes. Some people may disagree with me, but if you are using 5 layers of mascara on a daily basis, you may want to start thinking about the less is more rule.
Word count: 410
This is kind of about me
Everyone I know has been sitting down to do there "New year's resolutions." I have a few as well.
One thing I am eager to make a goal for the coming year is eating in the morning. I make the excuse that I don't have time, but I spend the whole day complaining about how hungry I am until lunch comes. It's become a bad habit I have yet to shake, until now. I'm making the goal to eat every morning. Not just a granola bar on my way out the door or a banana in the car. I want to take the time to sit down and eat break fest like a civilized person. I feel like this is a good way to start everyday and I encourage everyone to take it upon themselves as well to make an effort. It only takes 22 days to build a habit, start tomorrow and by the end of January you'll be making breakfast like a pro.
Along with eating in the early morning, comes getting up earlier, and along with that comes going to bed earlier. I'm setting myself a 10:30pm bedtime on all school nights. This will probably be one of the hardest because I am a night owl and have been for many years, but it really is starting to effect me negatively so I am taking it upon myself to change to bad habit to good! Generally the alarm beeps at 6:45, which would be the latest I can manage to get ready. The new alarm time is bright and early at 6:15, giving me a little less than 8 hours; a very healthy amount of sleep for a teenager.
There are so many benefits (immediate benefits I might add) that come with early to bed, early to rise. Give it a try for a week and see how your lifestyle is positively impacted immediately. I will report back on this as the year progresses.
This year has only just begun and there are so many ways and things to improve on.
Word count: 347
One thing I am eager to make a goal for the coming year is eating in the morning. I make the excuse that I don't have time, but I spend the whole day complaining about how hungry I am until lunch comes. It's become a bad habit I have yet to shake, until now. I'm making the goal to eat every morning. Not just a granola bar on my way out the door or a banana in the car. I want to take the time to sit down and eat break fest like a civilized person. I feel like this is a good way to start everyday and I encourage everyone to take it upon themselves as well to make an effort. It only takes 22 days to build a habit, start tomorrow and by the end of January you'll be making breakfast like a pro.
Along with eating in the early morning, comes getting up earlier, and along with that comes going to bed earlier. I'm setting myself a 10:30pm bedtime on all school nights. This will probably be one of the hardest because I am a night owl and have been for many years, but it really is starting to effect me negatively so I am taking it upon myself to change to bad habit to good! Generally the alarm beeps at 6:45, which would be the latest I can manage to get ready. The new alarm time is bright and early at 6:15, giving me a little less than 8 hours; a very healthy amount of sleep for a teenager.
There are so many benefits (immediate benefits I might add) that come with early to bed, early to rise. Give it a try for a week and see how your lifestyle is positively impacted immediately. I will report back on this as the year progresses.
This year has only just begun and there are so many ways and things to improve on.
Word count: 347
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