October Favourites! (Photo Heavy)

Hey hey:) This is my first favourites posts and I'm so excited to share with you. :)

So without further ado, let's start!

Covergirl natureluxe Gloss balm. I've already done a long review on this here. Check it out!

I love this balm and it's so moisturizing for my lips but the only bad thing is that it's expensive! I'm glad I finally tried it though, because ever since I saw the first taylor swift Covergirl ad, I was so curious about the Natureluxe line.

This is the B-Complex I've been taking which has been helping my hair grow fast fast fast! That just makes this bottle so loveable :') Here's the review.

Now the next items are part of the rest of my drugstore haul with Mom recently. (oh the gloss balm was part of it)

Neutrogena Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover: $8

Saw a million ads for this so finally bought it.  Funny story, my mom and I were at the drugstore picking out stuff and she put the L'oreal eye makeup remover in her basket and I was like MOM WHY. Because I have been silently trying to finish up that damn bottle for months and she almost bought it again?!? It is not non-comedogenic and it's sooo greasy and I just hate that product. 

Here's the link if you want to see a pic: Don't buy this!

(http://www.lorealparis.ca/cosmetics/eyes/eye-makeup-remover-waterproof.aspx)

Now, back to this. I like this so much more and I definitely think it is somewhat moisturizing.  It lists some sort of Aloe Leaf Juice and Cucumber Extract in the ingredients which makes me happy.  However, it does leave residue (but it is not oily residue).  The only other bad thing about this is that it's made for cotton balls, so the mouth is huge and if you drop it the whole thing will pour out in a millisecond.  I have no choice but to dip my q-tips in there and soak them which I don't prefer.

EverSleek Conditioner - Sunflower

This product is one of my FAVOURITES of the favourites!  I am glad my mom likes this line too but she doesn't know the details of why it's so great.  I've previously used the green one and also the purple one, and simply loved them.  They're just on the expensive side (I got this for $6.99 -which is ON SALE) 

Why is the Ever Sleek line so awesome? It's that there are NO sulphates or Silicones and it's also NOT tested on animals!  I'm going to do a detailed post on the effects of SLS (Sodium Laureth Sulfate) and its prevalence in Skincare and Beauty products.  

So to sum it up, this conditioner smells amazing (like all the other ones in this line), it is very moisturising, and it's formulated without many harmful chemicals.

Softsoap Black Orchid & Velvet Hibiscus Body Wash: (Sale for $4)

haha, so there's a story behind this.  I finished looking at beauty products then found my mom with her shopping cart, and I saw 6, SIX of this body wash in the Pomegranate version.  I said to my mom, "um, why are you buying so many of the same one?" She said, "Because Dad and I used the pomegranate one and we like it." I had no words. My family and I are polar opposites, I slowly discover.  I love variety and trying new things but my family, once they find something they like, they'll stick to it forever and ever and not get bored.

Anyway, after that I exchanged three of the pomegranates for this one (Black Orchid/Hibiscus), a Honey one (i forgot the name), and a Coconut one with scrub beads. I'm so excited to try those, which also smell AH-MAZING but this one I have tried and I can say that I love it. I love the smell and how it's so luxurious and foams up to an amazing lather.  The foaming means there is SLS in it which isn't good but it's my body, not my face, so I can easily compensate by putting on lotion after. (nb: will discuss and explain SLS more later!!)

Olay Total Effects 2 in 1 Anti-Aging Cleanser ($?)

I was going to buy a neutrogena cleanser instead but my mom bought an Olay Day cream which came with this so I just decided to use this one. To make things clear I am actually way too young to be using to be using anti-aging products but I can almost guarantee that all the promises printed on this pretty bottle are LIES, LIES and LIES.  So why is it a favourite? Let me explain.

I have oily/combo skin, which gets even greasier after a day with foundation.  Therefore I need a stronger/harsher cleanser to make sure the makeup comes OFF.  This product has SLS in it, which probably helps dissolve the grease, but unfortunately, the oils on my face as well.  To compensate, I turn to my trusty Laneige Water Sleeping Pack, This product gives my face so much moisture and love it makes me so happy. I suggest everyone to try it! I honestly am not particular about cleansers, I use whatever that will clean my face, but moisturisers, I make sure I get a great one, and this Laneige product is my all-time favourite.

On sale for $5.99? I think

Lastly it's the Live Clean Pink Fire Shampoo. Its for colour protection but I didn't colour my hair; I just picked it because of the smell.  I've already used the blue one before and really liked it, and my mom uses the Argan version (which I tried and smells EVEN better!!)

I love this line of shampoos and conditioners because like the EverSleek line, there are no sulphates, parabens, silicones, or any sort of thing like that, which is great because the less chemicals in your hair the better. Especially when you're like me and I wish my hair every day. (it's so greasy) Overall it's a great product but if you're choosing between EverSleek and this I recommend the Eversleek because it seems to be more moisturizing than this one.

My Yogurt Obsession + Directions

 Happy Friday Saturday!  This past week has been a huge toll on my mind and body, so I decided to treat myself to some yummy and healthy snacks.

This has been how I've been eating my yogurt this week. I love love love Plain Yogurt with Honey drizzled on top, but I decided to try something new this week, because of my skin. 

OK, I have a side story for you about how I came about with this recipe, which is actually my recent acne post.

Basically I tried a yogurt mask with oatmeal and decided, why not eat it? Because Activia yogurt has these oats inside too. By the way, I LOVE Activia yogurt, its my favourite brand. Try those out and make sure you get the ones with the grain inside; the texture and flavour is so much more rich and creamy than without grains.

So I added my usual honey in my plain Balkan style yogurt, then oats, and topped with Almonds because they are amazing and make my snack look good on camera too (hehe).

This combination is just amazing, try it and let me know what you think!

Struggling with Acne - How I am healing my skin!!

This past month, I have been getting very bad breakouts on my face and it was just red, raw, and plain bumpy.  Even makeup couldn't hide the fact that my skin was horrible because of the bumpiness. It was actually so scary when I looked at my forehead up close in the mirror and saw that the edges of my face were not smooth.  Not at all.

Why I've been breaking out:

- Not taking off my makeup right after school because I have so much homework

- Missha bb cream clogging up my pores and leading to pimples

- Stress in school 

- Lack of sleep

- Eating lots of junk food to refuel because of lack of sleep

-Stress --> habit of touching my face

My best friend has been using these masks by My Beauty Diary, which she gave me one to try. It was great, and moisturizing, but did nothing for my acne.  I still want to go out to buy them in the future, because I liked their moisturizing effects. (Future review??)

BUT! I decided I need to do something drastic about my skin which yields fast results, so I googled DIY Masks and then remembered Bubzbeauty's Yogurt Mask, which she raved about it helping her clear her rash and acne breakout. 

I happened to have a tub of plain yogurt at home, so I said, why not? So I mixed a spoonful with oatmeal and put this on my face.  The only annoying part was that the oatmeal bits always threatened to fall off at the slightest touch.  After a 15 minute wait I took it off, and immediately noticed the hydration. My skin was supple and soft, but there wasn't a really significant acne reduction.  I was starting to get disappointed but I decided to sleep on it and see what happens next morning.

It worked!! My pimple spots were reduced by around 30% like she had said and the redness everywhere definitely decreased. What I loved even more was that my skin was starting to smooth out again. I am so happy with the results so I used this mask again three days later and my skin kept healing.  I also kept washing my face diligently and exfoliating with my Olay electronic cleansing brush and I can't believe it but my nose is also starting to lose the blackheads that dotted my nose like a strawberry.  

Missha BB Cream: It's time for me to ditch this product because I can't risk having pimples scar my face any longer.  I did a review on this which you can read here. If you are not concerned with acne then I recommend this product because of the coverage and finish, but if you're like me, try the CoverFx Foundation....which I will detail in my October Favourites. But basically I switched from this to the Missha before (gave my bottle to my mom) and then recently tried it again and got great results.

My Day in Food - Day 1

Today, I decided it is time to start changing my diet and stop worrying about how hard it's going to be and blah blah blah.  I think I need to record what I've been eating, especially when I come home to shock myself.  I have a feeling once I recall all the stuff I've eaten today I would legit start changing my diet for GOOD!

One of my girlfriends and I decided to keep each other accountable in eating a healthy diet.

K so, here we go:

Breakfast:

- 2 Hardboiled eggs, no condiments

Lunch: (served at school)

- Balsamic Vinaigrette salad, Pasta, and a Bun with whipped butter spread, all put on one regular sized paper plate. 

Note: Portion size was good but this meal was not healthy

- Snack: about half of a yogurt Special K bar (wow, shouldn't have done that even though it was good D:)

Snacking (after school):

- 2 mini chocolate dough cookies (FAT RADAR BEEEP I couldn't resist; they were amazing)

- 1/2 an avocado

- about 3/4 cup of Plain yogurt with oatmeal, almonds, and honey (it was good, I should do a post on it)

- 2 pieces of asian lemon sandwich cookies (gap sum beng?)

- The last 2 squares of my dark chocolate bar (-_-")

- Around a handful of Vegetable Thins (WHY)

Note to self: Don't eat while watching TV......

Dinner (eating right now as I type this):

-Two branches/pieces of Kale I chopped up

-Less than a bowl of  bland-ish Chicken broth couscous (made for first time, flavour was great but it's too wet...)

-Leftover asian vegetarian "duck", 5 pcs

My dinner: it was goooood! I think I'm gonna make Quinoa tomorrow :)

I'M MAKING MY PARENTS GET ME A MINI RICE COOKER. Man have I realized how useful that machine is.

Til next time!