Spring Cleaning

 

Hey guys! This week's post is just going to be a quick little update. I need some time to get some new ideas in order and to really put some time into my posts, so I'm going to take a few weeks to get that going. Please feel free to give me some ideas of what you'd like to see! I'd love to know what's of interest to anyone reading this blog.

I'll go live again in a few weeks, once I've had some time to come up with quality content.

I love you all.

xxx

I don't want to leave you all with nothing, however, so have a look at some of my most picture-worthy foods over the past few months!

Nachos inspired by an appetizer at Little Nickel, but made by my roommate and I

Avocado ice cream from Charm School

Latte from Sugar & Twine

Lady Madeline juice and avocado toast from North End Juice Co.

The World's Best Chapstick

I might possibly be the most dehydrated person in the world. We're lucky if I drink a cup of water some days; it's usually just  cup or two of coffee and that's the extent of my liquid intake. Oops.

Dehydration effects every part of you: your hair, skin, mood, appetite, energy. It's important to stay hydrated! But instead of upping my water intake, I spend money on expensive products with good reviews to help me feel less dry, and I've found the most amazing chapstick as a result. Well, this is actually a highly praised product by a decent amount of beauty gurus I watch on YouTube, and I hopped on board the train. I have zero regrets.

It's Bite Beauty's Agave Lip Balm and it is literally the most hydrating chapstick I've every tried, and I've tried a lot. I got it at Sephora for $18 (oops again), but it's so cute and so hydrating. I made my boyfriend try it  few weeks ago and I think he even liked it (he's stupid picky about chapstick for some reason. Weirdo). 

I put it on religiously every night before bed and in the morning I can practically still feel the product on my lips, but it's not actually there. My lips are just freaking hydrated and not disgustingly dry?? Since it's an agave chapstick, it's thick, but it's not grossly sticky, so I'm okay with it. I can even use it throughout the day and not feel disgusting (I don't like the feeling of things on my lips). As a plus, it looks hydrating, almost like a lip gloss, when applied alone to lips, so it's the perfect lip product for a natural makeup day. It doesn't really have a taste or a smell, either, which I prefer in my lip products. Honestly, this pricey little chapstick is worth the splurge. I can't say enough good things about it!

Let me know what hydrating lip, skin, or makeup products you've been loving!

xxx

My Top Five Favorite YouTubers

I watch a lot of YouTube. It's kind of replaced TV for me. Instead of having a show I watch religiously, I have channels from the site. And I like it more. If you aren't part of the YouTube community, then this is probably foreign to you, but it is a community, in some weird, 21st Century type of way. And there are specific people's channels I like to watch the most.

I don't stick to one part of YouTube (gaming, beauty, vlog, etc.); instead, I have a few channels from each part (with the excepting of gaming--sorry), and I think my top five are a good variety of them all. So without further ado, if you're looking for some new YouTubers to watch or not, here are my top five favorite YouTubers (in no particular order).

• jacksfilms

Jack Douglas is probably one of the most underrated YouTubers I know of. He's hilarious and ingenious, so much so that I think I literally laugh out loud at every video I watch of his, I started watching him five or so years ago when he was still doing his Your Grammar Sucks (YGS) series, and I couldn't get enough, and although he's ended that series almost completely after over 100 episodes, I watch his Yesterday I Asked You (YIAY) series weekly and look forward to his JackAsk sieries, where he takes the typical Q&A and answers everything in a snarky, jackass-y (hence the name) way. If you like clever humor, watch a few of his videos. They're always a good time. 

• Samantha Ravndahl

Sam is a Beauty Vlogger and she's my favorite for a natural, light coverage look. Her videos are always informative and her looks drop my jaw nearly every time. She's so unbelievably good at makeup and nearly every tip I use is courtesy of her. Not to mention she just seems like a genuine person who you could go to the dog park with and have a grand old time.

• PointlessBlogVlogs

Woops. I know everyone loves Alfie Deyes, but his videos are so feel good and fun that I can't help it. He's a Daily Vlogger, so he uploads almost daily (obviously), and I like that I feel like I know him. I know it's lame, but I feel like I know him on a friend level, and I like it. If you like videos you can play in the background while you get ready or do something, look into Alfie's vlog channel. There's always something to watch and he tends to spice his days off with some fun activity you can live vicariously through.

• Zoella

I know, I know, another British vlogger, as well as another YouTuber who's insanely popular. Sorry. I can't help it. Zoe's channel has a little bit of everything, which makes sense considering she's a Lifestyle Vlogger (I'm pretty sure that's how her channel is categorized). She posts hauls, makeup tutorials, baking videos, and other cute little crafty ones, as well. Her vlogging channel (MoreZoella) is also super entertaining for the same reasons Alfie's are (although they are less frequent). She seems like a genuine person and her pug is super cute. She's another good person to watch when you're doing something else, especially since all of her videos are like 15 minutes long.

• KathleenLights

Lastly, we've got Kathleen, who's a cute Beauty Vlogger whose videos range from product reviews to tutorials. But what I like the most is that she tends to focus on more affordable makeup, and she always just ends up kind of chatting to the camera. She's just fun. And her nail polish is killer. If you want a skilled beauty guru who doesn't have any professional training (to my knowledge), watch her. She also does little chatty segments called "Kat Chats" where she either has a friend on her channel and/or just talks about random stuff, and they're probably my favorites. Check them out.

Let me know your guys' favorite YouTubers! I'm always looking for new ones to watch. And let me know if you check any of these ones out (or if you already watch them).

xxx

April Favorites

I haven't done a favorites post in a while, so I figure it's about time! You probably don't need a long intro, so let's just jump into what I was loving in the month of April.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter

I know I've mentioned this somewhere before because it's a staple for me. I use it everyday without fail. If I could, I would carry it with me and it would be the only lotion I used, but alas, the travel size isn't very practical because I always lose the cap. RIP. Cocoa butter is the only lotion that actually moisturizes my desert skin, and with the drastically changing weather (it literally snowed and then three days later was like 70 degrees), this has been the only thing to stop my hands (and all of my skin, to be honest) from flaking off and leaving me a pile of ash. It's underrated, if you ask me, and everyone should use it forever.

Lush The Olive Branch Shower Gel

I thought Lush discontinued this body wash, but I went in around the beginning of April and it was there, beckoning for me to bring it home with me, and I did. I've used it before and it's--just like Palmer's Cocoa Butter--a Godsend. And it smells AMAZING. Win-win. I seriously look forward to showering just so that I can use it, and it lasts for such a long time, which is definitely good considering it's not cheap. Try it if you see it.

Anastasia Soft Glam Palette

This palette was love at first sight, but I really started to utilize it this past month. Before that, none of the colors, although beautiful, were inspiring to me. But I guess with the changing weather, I've been wanting more orange and gold tones in my eye makeup, and this palette has been everything I've needed. It blends well, last well, is pigmented, and the colors are beautiful both wet and dry.

Lorac Santa Monica Palette

I bought this palette right before I went to Europe, and as soon as I got home I kind of placed it on the back burner. But I've rediscovered it recently, and I've been using it almost every day. More specifically, I've been using the colors Promenade and Silicon Beach everyday. They're both shimmery colors; Promenade is more of  brown with gold flecks; Silicon Beach is like a subtle rose gold. I'm in love with them both just swept lightly on the lid and blended out.

Caudalie Grape Water

I have two bottles of this stuff because they came with some Holiday gift sets I bought and for the longest time they just sat on my desk. Like what do you do with sprayable water? Well it turns out, I spray it on my face while I do my makeup, and it makes everything wear and set 10 times better. I'm not sure if it's because I have dry skin or if this stuff is simply magic, but I'm glad it's landed in my everyday routine.

Wet n Wild PhotoFocus Dewy Lumineux Face Primer

This is the best luminous primer I've ever used. I love how it looks under my foundation and by itself. I've had a few days where I've been so reluctant to cover up its amazing glow that I've skipped foundation altogether. Even with my spotty skin, after I rub this primer on my face everything looks corrected and healthy. It's like five dollars at Target. Invest.

The Greatest Showman

Okay, so this movie has been a favorite since it came out, but it was released on DVD at the beginning of April, and I've already made use of it numerous times. I'd give you a synopsis of the movie, but you probably already know the premise as well as all of the songs by now. If you haven't seen The Greatest Showman yet, do it now. It's worth the hype. I promise.

Riverdale

Again, worth the hype. I binge watched the entire first season and caught up to the second season in a week. A WEEK. Basically, if you don't already know, the show is lightly based on the Archie comics. It follows a group of kids around as they try to solve murders and other dark secrets of their surface perfect town. I'll admit, I've been watching Riverdale since March or so, but I'm still obsessed and it's still a favorite. And I'm forever in love with Jughead.

Well, those are my April favorites! Sorry this post is so long. I wasn't expecting that at all. I just kept remembering everything I loved through the past month. Let me know what you guys loved through April!

xxx