OOTN

Last Saturday I went & celebrated my best friend’s 22nd birthday! Here on the details on my outfit! Thanks for reading(:

 

TOP: Haute Hippie (old) also love this top ! |  JACKET: BlankNYC here (favorite leather jacket ever!) |  JEANS: Frame Denim here – best jeans you’ll ever wear. | SHOES: Valentino here |  BAG: Céline Nano Luggage (similar bag here)|  MAKEUP: lips- Dose of Colors Desert Suede here . lashes- Velour Lashes in Doll Me Up here . Eyeshadow: Viseart Neutral Mattes Palette here | PHONE CASE: Sonix here

 

February Favorites!

February in Ohio has brought some realllllllll weird weather, but it was a quick and pleasant month. Here are some of my favorite products that I enjoyed the whole month of February, enjoy (:

 

lululemon Toasty Tech Tight II

I wear these leggings 99% of my life and I’m not even made about it. They are so incredibly warm because they have sweat-wicking tech fleece brushed on the inside of them. I’ve worn them in single-digit weather and could barely feel the cold wind on my legs, it was insane. They are probably the most comfortable pair of leggings I own, they’re stretchy & thick, they have a higher waist band & reflective pockets so they’re great or running at night. If it’s cold where you live & you want to get a good pair of leggings that will keep you warm outside, these are perfect!

 

Skin Food by Aubrey

I discovered these products at my local Whole Foods store a few weeks back & decided I’d give them a try! I got the Detox Face Mask, the Lavender Probiotic Natural Deodorant, and the Immunity Body Butter. She creates Artisan organic skincare and all of her products are made with raw ingredients. Aubrey lives somewhat close to me & her products are sold locally in Ohio at select Whole Foods stores! Supporting local is huge for me & her products are seriously amazing. The detox mask you mix with water & then apply the serum after and the next day your skin will be glowing and radiant looking. The deodorant is fantastic & I can go through a workout and not smell myself (which is a huge feat for me lol). The body butter is probably my favorite item of all because it’s so hydrating and smells AMAZING! I really believe its very important to watch what you put on your body as well as what you ingest. It’s hard with all these products out now a days, but products like these make going to organic products so much easier! Check out her Etsy shop here (: She has everything you possibly think of!

 

Nike Air Force 1 Ultra Flyknit

I’m obsessed. Lol. I really don’t have much to say about them except I was so excited to get these and they’re so different for me because I usually wear Free Runs & Air Max shoes. These are super light & they are actually incredibly comfortable, if you’re looking to change up your shoes or you’re bored with your current shoes, check these out!

 

Young Living Essential Oils

I discovered Young Living not long ago & I’m so glad I decided to finally take the leap of faith. These oils are actually amazing & I’m not gonna lie, I was super skeptical about them to begin with. I figured what could an oil actually do for you? But boy was I wrong. I already have a few favorites but I’m thinking about doing a whole post on that here in the near future (let me know if you’d be interested in seeing a post like that!). Since using these, I’ve really reduced the anxiety I deal with, my sleep has gotten dramatically better, my stress has really lessened & so have the effects I have from it, and my energy level have increased. Sounds like a miracle but I really do believe these oils have worked, at least my mind believes they have because I’ve seen really great improvements from using these. I got the Starter Kit with the Dewdrop diffuser & if you don’t know a whole lot about essential oils, definitely do some research on them!

 

Sephora Express Cleansing Wipes

These cleansing wipes are EVERYTHING. I’ve used just about every makeup remover wipe under the sun and these easily take the cake. I used them to take up normal makeup for about a week, but the real test was just the other night when I used them to take off a full face of glam makeup. I use the House of Lashes lash glue & if you’ve used it before you understand how incredibly hard it is to get all of it off. I’ve had lash glue stuck in my lashes before for over a week with this stuff. But I used one of these remover wipes and not only did it take every little bit of makeup off my face with just one wipe, it took off every last bit of the lash glue and a liquid lipstick with one swipe. I was so incredibly surprised & I’ll never use any other brand of makeup remover wipes again. Online it says they cleanse and tone the skin while hydrating thanks to the hyaluronic acid them. Best part? They’re $9… you seriously can’t beat them & if you’re looking for a great makeup remover wipe for travel or anything else – TRY THESE!

 

lululemon Base Runner Pant III

I will never love a pair of sweatpants as much as I love these. Bold statement, but these are seriously the bomb. They are made with Rulu fabric & if you’re familiar with lulu’s fabric, you know when you see Rulu in anything, it’s going to feel like you’re putting heaven on your body. They are also sweat wicking, but honestly I wear these to lounge around the house in (currently have them on as I type this post..lol). They’re similar to jogger pants, they have a hugged sensation on your legs, but they’re baggy at the same time. They have a higher waist band and are tight around the ankles. The pockets are huge and they have a drawstring at the top. They’re just so comfortable, you need to at least try them on in a lulu store to feel them, I promise you’ll fall in love!

 

This post was relatively short, but so was this month! Let me know what some of your favorites for this month were & as always, thanks for reading (:

Product Review: Beets Blu Wireless Heart Rate Moniter

We all know the importance of cardio-respiratory health and how it helps keep our body in healthy working condition. However, many people do not know their target heart rate zone, their max heart rate, their resting heart rate, or how to calculate any of these.

Resting heart rate is pretty self explanatory and it’s just your normal heart rate at rest. Ideally, although everyone is different so there is no SET resting heart rate for everyone, your pulse should be around 60-100 bpm (beats per minute). Athletes generally have a lower heart rate than that since they train a lot & the opposite would be much higher for a person with a poor diet and lack of exercise.

Your max heart rate is the maximum about of beats per minute your heart can achieve. When doing HIIT, this is where your heart rate should be for a short period of time since this is not sustainable because it is an all out effort – but I’ll get into HIIT training later. So, to calculate your max heart rate you do your age minus 220. So for example, I am 22, so I would do 220-22=198. 198 is my max heart rate and where I shoot to keep my HR during my on period of HIIT.

Now, target heart rate zone is important because this is where your heart rate should be to improve your cardiovascular health and where you’ll see improvements in your cardio abilities. Your target heart rate should be around 70% of your max heart rate. So, I take my max heart rate of 198 and multiply that by .7 (198x.7=139). 139 is where I shoot to keep my heart rate when I’m out on runs when I’m training for races, but I also incorporate HIIT as well to improve my pace & cardio.

Now, HIIT training. This is where you’ll get the most bang for your buck in terms of weight loss and cardiovascular improvements. HIIT stands for High Intensity Interval Training, which consists of an ON period of all out effort, and an OFF period to bring your heart rate back down. When I do HIIT, this means I bring my heart rate up to around my max of 198 for a short interval of time, then back down for my recovery period around my target heart rate of 139.

With all this information, how the heck do you track all this during your exercise, how do you know where your heart rate is?! Some people track their pulse by counting the number of beats on their wrist for 15 seconds and multiplying it by 4, but I find that inaccurate and hard to do when I’m focusing on my workout. This is where heart rate monitors come into play. These handy tools track your heart rate for you so you don’t have to.

The specific heart rate monitor I’m reviewing is from a company called Beets Blu. Just to give you some background, Beets Blu started in 2012 by specialists in the fields of fitness technologies, mobile apps, and electronics. They have paper tags (which are a life saver if you lose your phone a lot), scales, and heart rate monitors.

 

 

 

 

So, the wireless heart rate monitor is first of all wireless and connects with your iPhone (4s & later), iPad (3 and later), and Android (4.3 and later). There is a list of compatible apps on their website, but I already had RunKeeper from my half training so I didn’t have to download anything extra. All you do is connect the monitor with the adjustable strap, and put it around your chest near your diaphragm making sure the electrodes are properly attached to the case and the skin. I had absolutely no problem with this connecting to my RunKeeper app and it never disconnected which is a HUGE plus in my book because if you’ve ever tried HR monitors before you know the biggest problem is making sure it stays connected with your skin. I didn’t have to use any gel to connect it with my skin, it didn’t slip & slide around, and I never had any issues with its battery dying. Good practice tip with heart rate monitors, ALWAYS disconnect the monitor pod from the straps because this will save your battery life and you will avoid any potential issues with your monitor! The strap is also washable so you don’t have to worry about it getting all gross and stinky.

I tried 4 different environments multiple times: outside, inside, resting, and at the gym.

Outside: I ran 2-3 miles a few times and used this monitor every time I went. It’s very cold where I live right now so I had some concerns that it would affect the monitors ability to track my heart rate, but to my surprise – it worked perfectly fine! I’ve used monitors in the past that I go out to run, and it drops my heart rate after 2 minutes and I finish an entire run to find out I had my heart rate tracked for 2 whole minutes… I never once had my heart rate dropped with this monitor and it stayed connected to my RunKeeper app the entire run with no problem! It didn’t slip out of place and was comfortable to run in.

Inside: I do HIIT training on the treadmill at my home and this is where I really noticed a huge improvements in my workouts. It’s really hard, like I said earlier, to know where your heart rate is while exercising. I learned I was keeping my heart rate WAY too high for my rest periods and not high enough for my on periods, which was why I wasn’t seeing any improvements or weight loss. With my Beets Blu monitor, I was able to get my heart rate up to around 198 and let it come back down during my rest periods at a good place. I have seen so much improvement in my cardio since I started using it and I’m actually able to catch my breath so much faster now which is a great indicator that my cardio health is really improving.

Gym: I used this while lifting in the gym and just let my RunKeeper app go while I worked out and I didn’t have any problems with the monitor staying connected with the app even when I walked away from my phone to get a drink.

Resting: I wore the monitor for almost an hour one day just to see if it would stay connected for that long while I cleaned and to my surprise 1. it stayed connected the entire time, and 2. my heart rate was much higher than I thought it would be for cleaning (aka, cleaning is a workout lol).

Overall, I would recommend investing in a heart rate monitor and if you want one that stays connected, won’t give you problems, and is great quality – I highly recommend the Beets Blu wireless monitor which can be found at www.beetsblu.com! As always, thank you so much for reading and I hope this post was informative and let me know if you try out this monitor for yourself and what you think of it! I know you’ll love it! (:

FTC Disclaimer: This heart rate monitor was sent to me by Beets Blu for consideration of a review. All opinions are 100% my own because I value my credibility & am an honest person. Thanks for all your support!

January Favorites | I’m Back!

Hollllllyyyyyyyyyyy molly, it’s been a while since I’ve made a post on here! Things got super busy after Thanksgiving with school, finals week and the prep for Christmas! I wanted to take some time off to focus on school, family, and not worry about documenting every event for a little bit. Anywho, I hope everyone had an amazing Holiday and got to spend some good quality time with those who mean the most! Now that I’m in the swing of Spring semester and my work load isn’t crazy, I plan on updating my blog as often as I was before because I honestly missed it! So, as my returning post – my favorite kind of post, my monthly favorites! Disclaimer: Christmas was at the end of December and my birthday is at the very beginning of January, so a lot of these favorites were gifts!

My go to everyday makeup: Tatcha Luminous Dewey Skin Mist, Morphe M439 brush, Dior Capture Totale Serum foundation, dr. brant pores no more primer 

These 4 are my staples right now for my oddly dry (not complaining) winter skin. I’m normally very oily so I probably won’t touch the foundation or mist in the summer, but for now I love how they make my skin look.

I’ve always had issues with my pores and I’ve tried everything from Benefits POREfessional, the MUFE pore primer and the smash box primer and none of them really made that big of a difference. I heard about this primer through a YouTuber I follow and she said it was the best she’s ever tried. I would 100% agree. It mattifies, but is formulated to adapt to dry skin – which is perfect for a year round primer, it blurs my pores almost completely and creates a barrier so the makeup won’t clog your pores. It’s also formulated to treat pores, but I haven’t noticed a huge difference in the size – but for anyone who struggles with pores – you need this in your life.

So the Tatcha spray made it’s debut when people found out that Kim Kardashian uses it to get that beautiful glow her skin has & let me tell you – you DEFINITELY glow with this stuff. I spray this on my face over my pores no more primer so I don’t look so flat once my makeup goes on & my face almost looks wet for about 5 minutes, but once it sets you just look very healthy a glowy. This product is pricey for a skin mist, but worth it in my eyes!

The Dior CT foundation is probably the best natural looking foundation I’ve ever tried. This is a sample size that came in a Capture Totale skincare kit I got and I’ve noticed I don’t break out if I wear it for multiple days in a row. I’ve applied this with my beauty blender, but I find the Morphe M439 brush gives it the best look if I spray my brush with a little of MAC Fix+ before I blend it all in. It has anti aging ingredients, SPF 15, optical correctors, and HD liquid crystal pigments that reflect light and make your skin look very healthy, plump and, you guessed it, GLOWY. If you’re dry skinned & have issues with pores – I would recommend this combination!

Sony Alpha a5100 Mirrorless Camera

I got this camera for my birthday based on reviews and recommendations I received and I really do love it. I’m by no means skilled in photography and if I can get a picture that’s focused and not blurry – I’m satisfied. But what I love most about this camera is that it has a screen that flips up so you can take selfies and see what you’re doing with amazing quality, the pictures and video are amazing, and it’s quite light! If you’re in the market for a new camera for a vacation, or just want a new camera to document certain things – I really love this one!

Vanity Girl Broadway Lighted Table Top Vanity Mirror

I was SO surprised when I got this for Christmas because I had looked at them before, but they’re a biiiiiiiiit pricey for a mirror. I’m absolutely in love with it because I not only have my small mirror that I can see close up what I’m doing, but now I can sit back and see it from further away with MUCH better lighting! I also love that it has 2 outlets on the bottom right hand corner so I can now do my hair sitting down, in my room instead of curling my hair standing for 45 minutes in the bathroom. It was the perfect touch to my vanity and I absolutely love it! If you’re thinking about investing in one – I say go for it (:

Fitmark Athletic Tote

So a few months ago I posted about my Nike gym bag I had gotten and was in love with. Yeah.. that was until I discovered Fitmark Bags. This thing hold everything I need and the kitchen sink. It has 8 different pockets on the inside, a water bottle holder, a bag to put your sweaty clothes in, an adjustable strap, the back part snaps away for another extra half to the bag, and a pocket in the front with a clasp to put your keys on. I will never go back to any other bag because for me at least, this has so much more than any bag I’ve seen. The quality of the bag is really good and I’ve had it since around the end of October, I go to the gym 6 or 7 days a week and it’s still holding up and looks brand new. If you find yourself never having enough room for your stuff – look at Fitmark’s website! They also have meal management gym bags, duffle bags, backpacks, and custom bags!

Lululemon Scuba III hoodie

I saw this jacket at Lululemon and fell in love with the color, and it has rose gold hardware….. uhhh hello, perfect. I’ve tried to find it online or in stores and I can’t seem to find it anymore in this color/hardware. I love Lululemon and I think everything I’ve ever bought there has been amazing. Some people can’t see spending that type of money, but I workout a lot, so I can justify spending 100$ on leggings because I want to get a bunch of uses out of them and not have them rip after a few wears (*cough* Victoria’s Secret*…). Now, with that said, I bought the Scuba II hoodie and I absolutely hated it. It was SO thick I felt like a marshmallow and I couldn’t move comfortably in it. I returned it and never bought another hoodie again. Well, I had heard they were re-designing them and so I figured I’d give it a shot & I’m glad I did because they did an amazing job. It’s so incredibly soft, I can move freely, it keeps me warm, and it doesn’t bunch up under my armpits like the Scuba II. I loved this hoodie so much I got 3 other colors :O Needless to say, I think everyone should at least try one on in stores and feel the difference – I promise you’ll fall in love!

Yogi Blueberry Slim Life Green Tea

This tea is lyyyyyyyyfe. Simple as that. I don’t even know if it really works for weight loss, but I am a HUGE blueberry fan. I love anything and everything with blueberries in it, I also have a serious obsession with green tea – so when I saw this at my grocery store I KNEW I had to get it. It’s so delicious and I’m not going to be able to describe the taste online, but it has a subtle sweetness to it from the blueberry, but also the bite from the green tea. It’s perfect and gives me a good energy boost in the morning!

Christian Louboutin Velvet Matte Lip Colour – Zoulou

This was a Christmas present that I was not at all expecting. These bad boys are pricey as hell for a lipstick, but after trying it – I can see why. First of all, the packaging… could it be more beautiful? I didn’t expect anything less when I heard he was coming out with lipsticks, but I also expected the formula to be shit. This is probably the best matte lipstick I’ve ever used. It’s so incredibly hydrating and creamy and does not dry my lips out at all. It lasts for a good amount of time as well which I was surprised about because normally matte lipsticks don’t last on me at all – but I only had to reapply after I had got done eating which was about 3 hours after I put it on. Do I think you need to go run out and buy one right now? No, $90 is insane for a lipstick – but if you can swallow the price tag, I 100% say go for it because the quality is amazing and that packaging is to die for!

5 Drawer Acrylic Organizer

This organizer saved my life. Again, another gift I was not expecting but I’m so glad my mom found it because it saved a TON of room on my vanity. Kim Kardashian (again.. I promise I don’t love her) made this organizer popular in an episode of Keeping Up With the Kardashians & everyone flipped out. I believe hers was around $400 ?! My mom found this on Joyus and it was a fraction of the price. I had at least 5 or 6 different organizers that I was able to condense down into just this one which cleared up enough room for my mirror and I was able to keep my vanity looking somewhat organized. If you’re a makeup junkie hoarder – this is a great item to add to your collection!

Burberry Finsbridge Belted Quilted Jacket

Last but certainly not least, my birthday gift. This was easily one of, if not, my favorite gift. Investing in a good quality jacket I think is something everyone needs to do, especially if you live in the frigid Arctic North that is Ohio like I do! I tried on a grey pea coat type jacket, but the woman helping us at Nordstrom showed me this and I fell in love. It’s long, but hits me right above the knee which I feel the is perfect length. It has a detachable hood, a belt, zipper and buttons, and it is sooo warm. I’m absolutely obsessed with it and is definitely a staple in my wardrobe!

 

Welp, that’s it for my January favorites & I’m very happy to finally be back to blogging! Let me know what some of your favorites were for the month of January, what you did for the holidays, or just say hey (: I hope you enjoyed & as always, thanks for reading!

Thanksgiving OOTD!

I hope everyone had a great Thanksgiving and enjoyed time with their family and had some good food. Here’s a quick outfit post! Thanks for reading!

Scarf: Burberry similar HERE. I belted the scarf and it was SO comfy!  | Top: Buckle HERE  |  Belt: Nordstrom HERE |  Jeans: Frame Denim HERE. Probably the most comfortable pair of jeans I own!  |  Makeup: New favorite Chantecaille brow pencil HERE. I use Oak Brown. It made my brows look so natural!

How to Keep Your Skin Glowing into the Cold of Winter!

Winter doesn’t have to mean dull skin!

If you’re like me, you absolutely love fall and winter! I love the fall and how the leaves change, the air changes and everything feels more cozy! I also love winter though because for me it means time with family for Thanksgiving and the Holiday Season that follows(: Seriously, my favorite time of the year! What do I not love about winter? How pale and dull my skin can get. I’m going to show you 10 tips, mostly DIY tips, to keep your skin extra healthy through the winter and keep that glowing summer skin!

1.Sunless Tanner! Probably the most obvious choice to make your skin glow in the winter is to use your favorite sunless tanner to keep your skin bronzed! My favorite sunless tanner is a brand called Loving Tan! Their 2 Hour Express tanner takes only 2 hours to develop so it’s also great if you’re in a pinch!

2. I know in the winter, long hot showers are so satisfying – but the hot water actually strips all of the moisture out of your skin and can leave you with dry, flaky and dull skin. Instead, opt for the short cooler showers so you don’t lose as much moisture! As always, be sure to apply a moisturizer after you get out when your skin is still damp to lock in extra moisture as well!

3. Love smoothies? Try avocado + banana + mango + pineapple + spinach + coconut water! Avocados are packed with antioxidants, vitamin C, vitamin E and monounsaturated fatty acids to help your skin stay hydrated and your hair stay shiny! Mangos, pineapples and bananas add some vitamin C and deliciousness. Spinach actually has anti-aging benefits and also can help your skin heal itself from acne scars, nicks cuts + has about 5 ounces of water per cup of spinach to keep you hydrated! The coconut water is AMAZING for hydration and also has loads and loads of health benefits for your hair and skin! Overall, drinking this smoothie will be like a mini spa day for your skin!

4. Say Yes to Cucumber Facial Wipes. I swear by these + they’re only like $4 at the drugstore! I have a pack in my gym bag, in my car, in my book bag, in my soccer bag, and in my purse at all times – they’re seriously amazing. I use these after workouts, after soccer games, after I run, after long classes (because I tend to touch my face a lot in class – NOT good!), as a refresher, or if I need to remove makeup! These wipes are packed with green superfoods that naturally exfoliate, detoxify, and rejuvenate all in one! They are 98% natural, biodegradable, oil-free, non comedogenic, hypoallergenic, cruelty free, and work amazing with sensitive skin ( I have VERY sensitive skin & these never break me out!). These will definitely keep your skin clear and glowy!

5. Eat foods rich in vitamins! There are SO many vitamins and there are a ton that do so many great things for your skin. To name a few, vitamin C helps keep skin bright & has anti aging properties, vitamin E helps protect skin against sun damage + helps with inflammation, vitamin A (retinol) is very well known for skin benefits such as cell turnover (ridding of dead skin cells) and also is effective at preventing acne! That’s just to name a few! Keep vitamins high in your diet and I promise you’ll see a huge difference in your skin! I also found some AMAZING recipes for healthy skin at ALOHA which put a lot of the foods very high in vitamins together for a delicious healthy skin meal (: I cannot wait to try the Healthy Coconut Sweet Potatoes 😀

6. Drink your water infused with lemon + cucumber + mint. Water is very important in keeping your skin hydrated and clear – so if you don’t like infused water, just drink a ton of water! However, if you like to spice up your water, try adding lemon for some brightening vitamin C as I’ve mentioned, cucumber for skin calming effects and mint leaves for some added flavor and anti inflammatory properties!!

7. EXFOLIATE!!! Exfoliating is SO essential to keeping the skin beautiful and glowy because as your skin goes through its natural process of shedding skin cells – if you don’t exfoliate those dead cells away, this can cause your skin to become dull looking. I recommend exfoliating your skin 2-3 times a week! There are so many different exfoliators out there but if you’re looking for something cheap and fast, try taking 1/2 of a lemon and put sugar + honey on the inside exposed half and rub in on your face. The sugar will help exfoliate the skin, the lemon will brighten the skin, & the honey will calm the skin! You’ll see a huge difference after just one use! Also, my favorite body exfoliator is Sea Salt from LUSH! It smells like a margarita and makes your skin look so incredibly bright!

8. Try a mask of 1 egg white, honey, and lemon juice. This may sound gross, but I promise your skin will thank you so much for this. Egg whites are great for tightening the face + making pores look smaller, plus they have a ton of protein which nourishes the skin, honey calms the skin + acts as an anti-bacterial, and lemon juice brightens and acts as an astringent to keep oil and pimples at bay! Use this about an hour before you apply your makeup for a night out and your products will apply SO much better and look much more natural!

9. Mix in a spray bottle water and a few drops of rosehip seed oil. This oil is packed with Vitamin C and is great for a refresher throughout the day or over your makeup! Rosehip also leaves the skin VERY hydrated and I find it gives my face a very subtle glow.

10. Try a bath with a few green tea bags infused in it! Do NOT drink the water – that’s gross haha. This is actually one of the best herbal baths you can take for detoxifying your body and destressing. Many people think green tea is only beneficial for ingesting, and while that is very true, that is not its only use. It leaves the skin very soft (thanks to the vitamin B) and also helps heal any rashes, cuts, or imperfections on the skin to keep your skin looking very healthy. Bring your bath water a bit hotter than normal, use anywhere from 5-10 tea bags, let the water steep for about 20 minutes or so (also lets the water cool) + make sure to have a good bit of water with you to stay very hydrated! I usually bring a pitcher and a glass when I take detox baths!

I hope you all can take something from this list and put it to use with the cold months coming up! Let me know if you tried any of these out and how they worked for you! Also, please let me know what some of your favorite methods for glowing skin are because I’m always looking for new methods!! As always, thanks for reading!(:

October Favorites!!

October was a pretty busy month for me school wise because for some reason, every professor I have wanted to have at least 2 projects or papers due every week. Needless to say, November isn’t slowing down either as we are nearing the end of the semester. I’m very ready for the year to be over so I can enjoy the holiday season! Since October was so busy, my favorites are very sparse because I really didn’t get a chance to try or buy anything new. For November, I’m setting a goal to get up at least 6 posts, if not more! So with that being said – here are my monthly favorites (:

Batiste dry shampoo for dark hair – $7 at Target

So I recently went back to the dark side for fall and my normal amika dry shampoo was leaving a tiny bit of a white cast on my hair when I used it. I’ve heard so many people rave about this product so I figured I would try it out, quickly it became my go to for when my hair is darker. I’m not really fond of the smell and I can’t honestly describe it but the amika one smells 50x better, but this doesn’t leave a white cast and actually has a dark color in it so it doesn’t show up in your hair as obviously. It’s really good at sucking up all the oil out of my hair and I don’t feel like I have gross, coarse sticky hair afterwards. If you have dark hair – this will be your life saver!

Scentsy Whipped Body Souffle in No. 34 – $28 through Scentsy consultant

Scentsy? Lotion? I know. I was SO skeptical about trying this but I recently hosted a Scentsy party in October and I absolutely fell in LOVE with this soufflé. The consistency is perfect, it isn’t too thick and absorbs SO fast into the skin. I actually was able to put leggings on right after I applied this with no problem – aka, leggings approved. It absorbs fast, but it still hydrates really well and leaves your skin so incredibly soft. Now, the smell… holy crap. Online it says “White satin and pearls. The fairytale is yours for the taking amongst lilting confectionary notes pretty enough for a princess”. I don’t know if that describes anything well enough but I 100% only ordered this because it said it was pretty enough for a princess, so, duh – naturally… 😀 I never smelled this before I bought it so I was hoping it didn’t smell awful, and it definitely delivered! It smells like flowers, but still has a very faintly sweet candy smell – it’s just a perfect mix of floral and sweet. I adore it & if you have the chance check out their body line + their laundry line. I was super impressed with everything I ordered, but this the most!

479 Degrees popcorn in asiago, parmesan + cheddar – $4 at Target

Holy. Guacamole. New favorite popcorn hands down – even over the 3,000 calorie movie theatre popcorn. This stuff is so good and with only 130 calories, 6g fat, & 16g carbs, this is a very macro friendly snack. Not to mention, 1 serving is 3 cups so you get a pretty good amount of popcorn! I received this as a snack in my Love With Food box and fell in love with it. It doesn’t taste like healthy popcorn which is a huge plus because most popcorn has no flavor and tastes like burnt paper. This is full of flavor and is definitely my favorite to date! They have TONS of other flavors as well so if cheese isn’t your thing, I’m sure they have something to fit your flavor! (Salted caramel is the bees knees too!).

Reebok Crossfit Lifter 2.0 – $120 at reebok.com

As you can tell by the picture, I’ve given these babies a good bit of use this last month. They are so comfortable and I really feel like a get perfect stability from them with my leg workouts. Deep squats are SO much easier in these and I can really drive through my heels. I haven’t gotten a pair of Reebok shoes I don’t love and these were no exception. I wouldn’t recommend them for cardio though.. definitely not running shoes X). However, totally amazing for lifting and WODs.

Snapea Crisps in Caesar – $2 at Kroger

I also received these as a snack in my Love With Food box (I’ll do a review on my next box if that would be helpful? Amazing company!). I was so incredibly weary about these because I HAAAATTTEEEE peas and I figured these would taste like baked disgusting grossness. To my very pleasant surprise, these are SO delicious. They also have a peanut taste to them and the caesar flavor is my favorite – they also have lightly salted, peppered, wasabi and a few others! These have 120 calories, 6g fat, 16g of carbs and also 5g of protein! I like to pre portion these out and take them to school with me for when I need something on my stomach, they’re so good and coming from a person who absolutely hates peas – these will not disappoint!

So October’s favorites were very sparse, but I again was so busy and didn’t have a chance to try many new things out – but these were my go to’s for the month! November’s is sure to be exciting! Let me know what your favorites were for the month of October & if there’s anything you’d like to see a post on/ review on this month! As always, thanks for reading! (:

Sephora VIB Sale Must Haves!

‘Tis the season for Sephora’s holiday VIB sale and I could not be more excited. I’m a VIB Rouge so I believe our sale is this weekend and VIB Insiders are at a later date. If you’re not sure on what to get at this sale, I’ll show you my top 10 picks and I’ll also be including my Mom, Julia’s, top picks as well for a different perspective! Enjoy (:

Angela’s Top 10 Picks:

10. L’Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream

9. Bobbi Brown Highlighting powder in Pink Glow

8. NARS Audacious Lipsticks (ANY shade, they’re all gorgeous!)

7. Alterna Caviar Transformation Kit (ALL favorites in this kit!)

6. Peter Thomas Roth Sulfur Mask

5. Smashbox BB Water

4. Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation (<3)

3. Tarte Bling It On blush palette

2. Becca Backlight Priming Filter

1.NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Veneto

Julia’s Top 10 Picks:

10. Ole Henriksen 3 Little Wonders + Cleanse

9. Smashbox Photo Finish Primer Water

8. NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

7. Make Up Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Foundation

6. Sephora Favorites Liquid Luxuries Perfume Sampler

5. Sephora Collection Tools of the Trade Brush Set

4. Becca Backlight Priming Filter

3. Tweezerman Glitterati Python Slant Tweezer

2. Caudalie Winter Duo

1. Clinique Clarifying Lotion 2

Since you get 20% off, I think it’s a perfect time to splurge on some of the things you’ve been dying for over the past few months, plus Sephora RARELY ever has 20% off. I hope these gave you some ideas on what you might want to pick up during this sale! Let me know some of your must have items or what you got during this sale! As always, thanks for reading (:

September Favorites!

The month of September flew by, I’m not quite sure if that’s because it was my first full month back in classes or if I was rushing through it to get to this beautiful fall weather I’ve been dying for. September was also a very busy month for me as I was trying to adjust my schedule back to school, trying to fit in time at the gym everyday, running my half marathon & school work on top of that – thankfully I’m done with all the running and I can focus solely on the gym now! Anyway, my favorites from September are some things I used all month or bought during the month that I’ve been loving, so – here’s my favorites (:

Cellucor COR-Performance Whey in Cinnamon Swirl – $40 at cellucor.com (code: KETTLEBELL for 25% off!)

So I know I raved about the Jim Stopanni protein a few months back, which I still love, but the flavor of this Cellucor protein takes the cake for me. I also love Cellucor protein in general because they don’t spike their protein with cheap aminos, which is always a plus. I really love this protein because I really feel it helps me recover better & feeds my muscle adequately. When I’m searching for protein I always make sure it has at least 20g of protein, under 150 calories, less than 5g of sugar and less than 5g of carbs (just for my macros, this will change for every person) & this protein meets that perfectly. The mixability is great & I’m never left with nasty dry chunks of protein, even if I use a crappy shaker bottle. I’m really excited to try a new protein shake recipe with this I came up with & I’ll be sure to share it with everyone (if it’s good – lol). Overall, Cellucor is one of my favorite brands & I believe in them whole-heartedly because I believe their products are well known for a reason & that’s because they work. If you’re looking for a new protein to try- I highly recommend this flavor!

goats by BlenderBottle – $9 at bodybuilding.com

I bought this probably 2 or 3 years ago & I never really used it until now. On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays I go straight from my class to the gym – so I take everything with me when I go. I only bring one shaker bottle with me, that has my pre-workout mixed in it already, because I don’t want to dirty up 4 different ones. This is perfect for fitting my protein at the bottom in the big container, my aminos in the one above it and if I don’t mix my pre workout up before I leave I can put it in the one above that as well. The top one is for pills which I will sometimes put glutamine pills in there for if I do some serious cardio to replenish what I lost, but let’s be real – I never do cardio. It’s really convenient to have everything in one little stack & I’m really glad I bought this & re-discovered it. I’ve used the blender bottles that have the compartments at the bottom but they either got protein all over my bottle, spilled before I got to use the protein, didn’t fit all my protein, or they cracked and broke so I had to throw it away. This is really good quality & I’ve never had any issues with it. The only thing I would say I would change would be to make the opening bigger because my scooper is usually bigger than the opening of the stack & it’s hard to get my protein in without spilling the powder sometimes! Overall, I love this product & I will be getting more colors of this ASAP!

S’well Bottle in Rose Gold – $42 at swellbottle.com

I know, $42 for a water bottle? That was my exact thoughts as well & if you don’t want to spend that much on one, I totally understand & I would recommend the hydro flask bottles, but I really love how these bottles look & they have some really cool patterns and designs. First off, S’well became popular when celebrities started carrying them with them places & everyone freaked out and needed to buy one – so naturally, I followed suit to see what the hype was about. S’well makes their bottles with 18/8 stainless steel that keeps cold liquids cold for 24 hours & hot liquids hot for 9 hours. This is partly why I bought it because like I said above, I go straight from school to the gym 3 days out of the week. I fill up my bottle with ice water, throw it in my gym bag & go to school – when I get to the gym my water is still ice-cold! I got the rose gold 17 ounce bottle, which 17 oz is a little small for me but it fits a whole water bottle inside so you also use less plastic & help the environment. I really like these bottles & I plan to get more in the near future!

L’Occitane Ultra Rich Body Cream – $44 at sephora.com

If you’re like the unlucky people, such as myself, who suffer from horribly dry, itchy skin in the winter – you’ll want to stock up on this right now. This is my favorite lotion I’ve ever tried because not only is it hydrating on the skin, but it’s so thick and luxurious on the skin that you’ll feel hydrated for days – literally. I used the one morning after I got out of the shower, went about my day, slept, woke up and played a soccer game, and when I showered after my game I could STILL feel the lotion on my skin, it was insane. I also have mild eczema in the winter time when my skin gets really dry, so I’m interested to see how this will help that as well. I’ve heard so many things about it & how many people love it that now I can totally see why. It is a bit pricey but you get a huge tub of lotion & I’ve used it for about 3 weeks straight now and I’ve barely put a dent in it. It would also make for a great Christmas gift because who doesn’t love the gift of hydrated skin! A lot of thick lotions like this are really greasy too, but I noticed this only feels like this for about an hour, then it sinks into the skin & you just feel very soft after that, which I love because I hate looking & feeling like a grease ball. It’s also 25% shea butter which is amazing for the skin! I would 100% recommend this product!

GlamGlow Poutmud Fizzy Lip Exfoliating Treatment – $39 at sephora.com

This is actually my mom’s, but I sneak in and use it frequently – which she probably doesn’t know, but she will after she reads this 😀 GlamGlow is known for their face masks, which are nothing short of amazing, so I was skeptical when I saw they were releasing a lip product. First of all, this smells like a big huge peppermint mint – so if you don’t like peppermint or the cooling sensation you get from it – don’t buy this. I absolutely love that feeling & I think this product REALLY works. You first exfoliate your lips with the ‘fizzy mud’ ball – which I never noticed a fizzy sensation, but that’s okay. You then rinse it off with warm water & dry your lips. Then you apply the lip balm ball & it’s supposed to really hydrate your lips & remove the dead skin. So, I’m the kind of person who I must have lip balm on 24/7 because my lips are just so dry. I used this one time and when I woke up in the morning I didn’t have dry lips! The lip balm really sunk in and my lips felt so amazing the whole day. They felt smooth & I noticed I didn’t have any dead skin. So, if you suffer from dry lips or dead skin – I would try this!

Too Faced Born This Way Foundation – $39 at sephora.com

I’ve heard SO many amazing things about this foundation online & on YouTube, I had to try it. Is it my favorite foundation ever? No. But it’s definitely in my Top 3! The finish of this foundation I would say is satin when you set it with a powder. It looks like your skin if you apply a thin layer & it’s medium coverage. I’m the shade light beige & I would say it’s a pretty good match. I really loved the finish of this & how natural it looked on my skin, it’s also oil free which is a HUGE plus for me because, again, grease ball. This also has coconut water in it which honestly scared me because I’m allergic to coconut – but it didn’t break my skin out at all & kept my face feeling very moisturized all night without looking oily. I only had to touch up one time and that was about after 4 hours with it on, which I think is pretty good! It’s also infused with alpine rose to give you a radiant finish – which I agree with 100% and hyaluronic acid for a smoother appearance to the skin, which I also agree with. I think next to my Giorgio Armani foundation, this may come in a close 2nd place to that – which is impressive because I’m VERY picky with foundations. I’ve heard this works on every skin type & is especially good for dry skin, but I liked it with my oily skin as well!

Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lolita – $20 at sephora.com *currently out of stock 😦

This liquid lipstick blew up probably 6-9 months ago & I don’t think Sephora can keep it in stock. Every time I go it’s out of stock & it’s constantly out of stock online. I can see why though because the color is amazing & could be worn year round in my opinion. It’s a very pretty chestnut rose color, but I’ve heard that some people got a different formula where their’s is more brown than rose – but mine is definitely rose. Kat Von D’s liquid lipsticks in general are absolutely beautiful & the formula is equally as amazing. They’re very pigmented & dry to a matte, without drying out the lips too much. I find they’re very comfortable to wear & the last foreeeeever. They don’t transfer once they set & you won’t have to touch up after eating or drinking. I find these don’t wear off my lips for a good 2-3 hours. Overall, I love this color & I have a few other I love as well. The only thing is with the darker colors, you may have to go over them a second time after they dry because some get patchy when they dry. But if you’re going to get one color – I would recommend this one!

Bath & Body Works 3-wick candle in Sweater Weather – $22.50 at bathandbodyworks.com

I hate describing scents because you really won’t know if you like it unless you smell it for yourself. I’ve been burning this candle since the day the temperatures dropped below 65. It’s easily my favorite fall candle, along with Marshmallow Fireside & Pumpkin Caramel Latte, and in my opinion, it’s the perfect fall candle. It says it’s aromatic eucalyptus, juniper berry & fresh sage is as crisp as fall air. If you haven’t smelled this yet – I would check out this and the other 2 I mentioned the next B&BW trip you take!

So those are my favorites for September & I would love to hear some of your favorites at the moment! Especially fall things because everyone loves fall! As always, thanks for reading (:

My Cellucor Must Have Items!

For those of you not aware, Cellucor is one of the biggest names in the fitness industry, and for good reason. They make different supplements and products to aid a healthy lifestyle. I’m going to put a disclaimer in that I’m not in anyway telling you that you NEED these supplements because you should always speak with your doctor first before adding any supplement into your diet! I’ve been using Cellucor products since I was in high school and they’ve always given me great results and worked well for me! Some of these products I’m going to mention are possibly my favorite in their category, but if you’re a one brand type of person – these are my favorite products from them!

Alpha Amino – I always use aminos in my workout regime because they really help me with recovery and also give me an extra boost during my workout. I also use them when I play soccer to help with my endurance. if you’re not familiar with aminos, they are the building blocks basically of protein and muscle tissues that also play a huge role in the physiological of energy, mood, recovery, brain functions and other things. Alpha amino contains 14 of the 23 amino acids our body needs for proper function. Icy blue razz is my favorite flavor!

C4 – This is probably my favorite pre workout I’ve tried to date. Although pre workout isn’t a necessary part in our diet or exercise routine, sometimes when you’re feeling sluggish and lacking motivation – it’s necessary in having a good workout. With a mixture of Niacin, Folic Acid and Vitamin B12 (all B vitamins), it gives a good boost of energy along with support from good ol’ caffeine. A side effect most people experience is a tingling sensation, but honestly my face just itches for about 5 minutes then once I start working out, I’m fine. This is caused by the ingredient Beta Alanine which is a naturally occurring beta amino acid. It’s important to cycle pre workouts so you don’t build up an immunity to it – in which case it wouldn’t work effectively. I usually cycle C4 and Jim Stoppani Pre-Jym! Icy Blue Razz is also my favorite flavor in this as well, but Watermelon is also really good!

Super HD – This supplement is labeled as a weight loss product, but I use it for extra energy on days I’m not working out as a replacement for coffee! I prefer the powder kind because I never take a full scoop because I’m very caffeine sensitive, but with the powder I can control exactly how much product I’m taking, which I really like. I usually only do 1/4 – 1/2 a scoop every time I take it. It really gives me a good boost of energy, but as far as weight loss, I’ve never really noticed any difference! Strawberry Lemonade is my go to flavor!

CN3 – This product is a nitrous oxide with creatine which gives you a craaazzyyy pump while you’re working out! Creatine is helpful in building muscle along with protein because it increases the amount of phosphocreatine in the muscles by about 20% and when you have more PCr in the muscle cells, more ATP (adenosine triphosphate) can be produced quickly during your workout, thus resulting in quicker gains. Cellucor blended Creatine with Nitrate which is converted to Nitric Oxide (NO) in the body, resulting in higher levels of oxygen in the blood which will help you have a better workout. I really love this products, but again – it’s 100% not necessary if you don’t see it necessary in your regime, but it is an amazing product! My favorite flavor is Cherry Limeade & I’m really wanted to stack this with their new C4 Ripped that I’m itching to try!

Cor Whey – Lastly, but probably the most important, is protein. Protein is very essential to muscular development and growth, you would almost be doing yourself an injustice NOT taking some kind of protein after your workout. It helps with muscle growth, recovery, cell growth and unlike most supplement companies, their protein is not spiked with aminos. If you don’t know what amino spiking is, it’s essentially companies putting the cheapest, most least valuable amino acids in their protein to cut costs and charge more. Cellucor has always stood by putting only the best ingredients in their protein, which is 1 reason I will always buy their products. Their Cinnamon Swirl is my favorite flavor, not only from them, but of any protein I’ve tried. I just recently purchased it and I’m not sure I’ll try anything else for a while – it’s THAT good!

The only down side to Cellucor is their products are just a bit pricey, but if you go to their website and use my code “KETTLEBELL“ you can get 25% off your entire purchase! They also have a 4 serving sample size of their proteins online that I would really recommend checking out if you’re not sure on committing to a protein flavor yet. Again, these are just my favorites and my opinions on what I use in my regime – always consult with your doctor first before starting a supplement routine! Let me know some of your favorite Cellucor products !

Visit www.cellucor.com and use KETTLEBELL at checkout for 25% off your purchase!

As always, thanks for reading (: