I think everyone is excited to see the year 2020 gone for good! Here is my list of my favorite scrubs so you can scrub and wash away 2020.
The grown alchemist face scrub that is on the corse side, but feels more gentle than the Jack Black and the Clara sea Scrubs. It has a nice smell, and it’s one of my empty items this month.
The grounded coffee Scrubs is another scrub that is on the corse side and I love this one because its 100% completely all natural. I have two “flavors” for different Skin concerns. One has tea tree oil in it for clearing blemishes and the other has vitamin C for fading dark spots.
The Jack Black scrub with peppermint oil is one that my x-boyfriend used to use a lot (along with Neutrogena’s Hyloronic acid face moisturizer) He loved this scrub because its corse and has the refreshing feel of peppermint oil. the old version used menthol, which he liked better than the peppermint oil, but he still liked using the newer version.
In honor of world mental health day, I just wanted to let everyone out there who is struggling that you are not alone. I’ve had issues with my own mental health since the time I was 16. It took me a couple of years to finally get the cocktail of medications that I’m on just right to keep me stable. I never take happiness for granted, but I do have less extremes ups and downs now.
I was in a verbally abusive, gaslighting and manipulative, relationship with someone who turned into a different person while we were dating for 5 years. I’m here to tell you it gets better, you just need to take that first step and get out! I’ve been seeing someone new for the past 2 years and I honestly can say I’ve never been happier. There is a light at the end of the tunnel.
If you aren’t feeling well, reach out. People care about you, but are sometimes so distracted by the problems that affect them they can’t see your pain. Reach out to those around you, trust me they will want to help.
For Labor Day weekend, I decided to plan a little picnic in Prospect Park. I already have all this gear that I usually use every year at Jazz Age Lawn Party, but that was obviously cancelled this year. I think most people are still acting fairly cautious because only one of my friends ended up coming. But we still had a great time and it was really nice to see a friend in person for once!
I’ve been very pleasantly surprised by a UK skincare company I’ve recently partnered with called Grounded Body Scrub. They make 100% all natural products that really work. Their post popular product is their coffee scrub. I highly recommend it for men (or women) who love really corse face scrubs. Men will often sometimes get dry dead skin under their beards that can feel itchy sometimes. If you like the Jack Black scrubs, you’ll love this scrub too. The caffine in the coffee grounds really wake up your face and my face felt incredibly smooth after using it for the first time.
Make sure to use the code ElegantElite during checkout to get a 25% off discount!!
Introducing the fabulous 3 in 1 hair diffuser from CIC Beauty! This universal (fits on any hair dryer) hair diffuser helps dry hair evenly and combats frizz. Use my code referral code ELEGANTELITE for 10% off. I will be doing a full video review with my friend Nina who has naturally curly later this month, stay tuned!
Ulta offers its customers double purchase points when you buy something during your birthday month. So I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and get some cool items. Below is a list of the items that I got from Ulta. I highly recommend the rituals shower gel. It really makes an every day shower feel way more luxurious.
The Artis Brushes are the most premium brushes on the market currently. their main marketing point is that they work so well that you end up using less makeup and using less product overall and therefore saving money. My personal opinion is that, yes, they do help spread your makeup more evenly and you absolutely end up using less product
My boyfriend made me this gorgeous @ symbol design for my birthday. I’ve always had a thing for the @ symbol not only because my name begins with the letter ‘a’ but also because I’m a blogger and social media influencer. Also, my full-time job is as a Web Developer and I normally spend most of my day writing code.
Using a template, he carved out the symbol from wood. He then used some glitter acrylic and poured it into the center of the wood. By doing this, he added some glamor to the industrial book of the wood. It created this gorgeous effect that shimmers in the light. I absolutely love my birthday present from my boy friend.
Over the years I’ve tried lots of different skincare tools. I wanted to make a list of all the ones I’ve tried and what they did or did not do for my skin.
This tiny little steamer may seem useless at first, but trust me its a powerful device. I love how hot it gets and you can really open up your pores using this. You turn it on and hold a towel over your head to collect the steam around your face. This is an all natural way to open up your pores to cleanse thoroughly.
This isn’t the exact blackhead extractor or pore cleaner that I purchased from Amazon, however I’m sure that all the products of this type are generally the same. I hate these things. They are way too powerful to be using on your skin. My skin was bright red for days and it really doesn’t even get all the junk out of your pores in the first place.
Micro needling can sound super scary, but it’s not. You gage your own pressure and you don’t have to press hard at all. You just roll the needles over your skin after you apply an expensive face serum and you know you are going to get the most out of that product because its going deep into the skin.
I love this face brush from Touch Beauty that I got on Amazon. In my opinion it works just as well as the Clarisionic face brushes but its so much less expensive. Also this one takes batteries and won’t break as easily as a rechargeable face brush. I drop mine in the shower all the time and this one hasn’t broken yet and I got it in 2018.
The best thing about having a man who is as comfortable in his own skin like my boyfriend is getting to do things like skincare Sunday with him! It always ends up being the highlight of my weekend. I often try and get him to start with the steamer, but normally I can just get him to agree to stand in the bathroom for a little while I run the shower really hot for a bit.
Then we wash our faces, normally with a cleaner that is slightly exfoliating. Jack Black or grown alchemist are his two favorites. Once that is done, I can sometimes get him to apply a blackhead peeling mask on his nose and forehead. He never seems to complain or say it hurts, but he’s probably just trying to be manly about removing it. After cleansing, we apply our sheet masks. He normally grabs some type of alcoholic drink at this point and relaxes on the couch.
I received my Olive and June nail polish kit today and so far so good. Their unique tool for applying the polish is called a “Poppy” and it’s actually extremely well designed. The Poppy makes painting your nails by yourself with your non dominant hand SO much easier!
Because I normally use gel polish, I greatly underestimated the amount of dry time I needed to not ruin my nails. But the second time around I did a better job. After a week I’ve noticed more chips on the nails that I did light coats on, like my pinkies, but where I used thicker coats looks great so far, like my thumb and middle fingers.
One of the other great things about Olive and June is that they provide instructional videos on how to do your own nails. After I watch some more videos and do my nails one more time with their polish I’ll have a better idea on what the exact wear time is for these polishes. But so far I’m impressed with the thought they put into their products.
After a crazy couple of weeks, a little regularity is a good thing! It made me really happy when my FabFitFun Summer 2020 box came, on time, as usual. I really enjoyed being surprised with awesome goodies and products I can use for self care Sundays, which let’s be honest is every day these days.
The total value of the items listed below is $421. All these items came with my FabFitFun subscription Summer 2020 box. The list starts with Winky Lux Uni-Brow Universal Eyebrow Pencil, Cali Cosmetics Foot Cream w/ Menthol in Tarocco, and Spongellé Coconut Verbena Hand Cream.
Pottery Barn Mason Diffuser in Solstice: “Ceramic vessel with rattan reeds Layered notes of bergamot, geranium, and vetiver in reeds Grounded in earthy patchouli for the perfect summer scent.”
HydroPeptide® Moisture Reset Face Oil: “Made with pure plant oils and rice bran extract, this blend nourishes the skin’s lipid barrier.”
Drybar Prep Rally Prime & Prep Detangler: “This lightweight detangler uses biotin, vitamins B and C, and sea berry oil to protect hair against heat (up to 450 F) and leave hair soft and conditioned.”
Terre Mere Aloe and Tea Toner: “Aloe smoothes and hydrates your skin while tea tree oil cleanses and heals, removing bacteria and free radicals. The added willow bark provides healing and anti-aging properties for firm and glowing skin.”
The Lyfestyle Co Beach Mist After Sun Spray: “Soothing Aloe combines with a cooling combination of Mint and Lavender helps moisture and hydrate the sun drenched skin.”
Kate Somerville® Goat Milk Moisturizing Cream: “Infused with goat milk, jojoba, and avocado, this gentle formula instantly absorbs into the skin for a healthy glow.”
Ever since the Dyson hair dryer came onto the market, I have been interested in buying a new hair dryer. I’ve had the same hair dryer for over 5 years now and I thought it was time for a new one. Black Friday seemed like the perfect time to buy one. I decided on a Panasonic Nanoe hair dryer. I have purchased other high quality Panasonic devices, including a face steamer, and I’ve been very happy with my other purchases so far.
Most of the time I use my hair dryer to just dry my hair. Normally I don’t spending a lot of time styling my hair with a dryer. I basically just use it as a hot air gun haha. But I have very fine hair, and I do anything I can to avoid damaging my hair. This dryer manages to not only dry my hair with minimal damage, but it barely makes my hair frizzy at all. It leaves my hair smoother and more shiny than if I had air dried my hair. Now thats amazing!
I probably only cut my hair about twice a year, if that. You would also probably be shocked to hear that I actually cut my own hair sometimes (O.o). I take off around 2-4 inches or more each time I get my hair cut.
Did you know that cutting your hair does *not* make your hair grow faster?
You should however give yourself a little trim if you have a lot of split ends. You can try using a split end mender conditioning product, like some of the items I’ve listed below, but those products can only get you so far and you might need to go for the chop.
Nexxus Pro Mend Overnight Treatment
Pantene Expert Split End Fuser
I shampoo my hair “the french way” I’ve been told. I take an empty hair coloring bottle and put a small amount of shampoo inside. I then fill it to the top with water and shake it up. I then use the pointy tip to get as close as I can to the roots of my hair as a gently “rinse” my hair with the soapy liquid.
Its good to give your scalp a nice massage, even better to use one of these massagers once a month.
Several months ago I finally landed and steady full-time 9/5 job. If ur wondering why i haven’t really been posting, thats why. I then went to a tiny music festival in steventown in upstate new york. I then got some inspiration from mutual friends at the festival to color my hair pink!
The reason I’m deciding to do this now, even though many people would consider me “too old” for this type of look, is because I finally have a good steady job. I’m a web developer that works in a tech office where the CEO and other higher-ups don’t physically see me. Also tech jobs generally have a much more laidback dress code than most other workplace environments.
I have been using color depositing hair masks and conditioners. This type of hair color treatment means that the color slowly washes out with each shampoo. If you apply the product correctly, it wont come out in one day even if you shampoo a bunch of times. Plus, you wouldn’t want to do this anyway because it would dry out your hair a lot!
The product I used was from Amazon and it actually does a great job! It actually stained my sink when I forgot to wash it off.
As the saying goes, “You don’t know what you got ’till its gone.” When my Psoriasis began to appear on my body, I went into a deep depression. I thought, “Why me?” I covered my skin and hid from everyone, even my friends sometimes. I would get questions like, “What is that?” or “Are you ok?” from close friends and family members who were just worried, but it made me feel embarrassed and I just wanted to hide even more.
My skin started to clear after using Stelara for only 6 months, and I started to feel positive again. I found some skin oils and lotions that helped keep my skin moisturized and healthy. I started to play around with makeup more and learned to cover the red and flaky patches that were on my face. Finally, my skin completely cleared up and I haven’t felt hindered by Psoriasis at all since starting Stelara.
One day, I noticed that I had completely clear skin, and that I was looking at a strong, but also beautiful person. I have a nice nose that some people would get a nose job for, but I’ve never considered it a noticeable feature or special. I have beautiful straight blonde hair that I get compliments on a lot, even though I sometimes think its flat and boring. I have ample boobage that creates difficulties shopping, but that some people would love to have.
Everyone wants what we can’t have. But sometimes when something you take for granted (like clear skin) gets taken away from you, you learn to appreciate the things that God gave you. I know really appreciate simple things now, things that some people take for granted. Like being able to shave your legs without worrying about a scaly rough patch that you will cut yourself on. Or wearing a skirt or a dress in the summer without having to worry about people staring at you or asking, “Are you ok?”
Thank you Stelara, you changed my life. I feel satisfied with the body I’m in, I feel free to wear and do what I want, and I feel happy to be able to live my life without having to worry about my skin.
On Friday, one of my best friends told me about this store called Club Clio that is a Korean makeup and cosmetics company that was recommended to her by a friend from college. She was told specifically about an eyebrow marker that acts like a temporary tattoo that can last up to a week! The sales women at the store says that you apply it at night and then comb your brows with the wand in the morning, and you’ll have perfect brows all day.
My eyebrows are naturally full, so I don’t feel the need to fill them in every day. Therefore, I did not purchase that particular product. However, this store is filled with amazing products, and trust me, I did end up spending more than I thought I would.
Before I get into too much detail about Club Clio, I do have to mention that on our way to that store, we saw a MAC and decided to pop in. Of course, the universe loves to pull me into cosmetics stores, and it turns out that my cousin just happened to be in that same store!
She was shopping around for a deep purple lipstick, and was trying on some different bold choices, because its summer of course! I specifically wanted a one of the new scented Prep + Prime sprays that everyone on YouTube has been talking about, either in coconut water or lavender. However, they were all sold out. So, I ended up getting a mini travel sized unscented spray that is the same exact formula, just without the fragrance. When I first walked into MAC, I was pulled towards their new extra dimension eye shadows. They are so multidimensional and complex, but yet very wearable colors. I fell in love with the color “Sweet Heat” that is a shimmery neutral color with a pink undertone. My friend got an awesome purple color along with a bright shimmery eyeliner.
Although I could have spent an eternity in MAC, chit chatting with my cousin, the store we were heading for was closing in a couple of hours. My friend and I left MAC with our purchases and headed towards Club Clio (The cosmetics store I mentioned before, not club Cielo in the meatpacking district).
The very nice and enthusiastic sales women, named Ariel I think, gave my friend and I a tour of the store. The whole time she was holding a small shopping basket for us to put all our products that we were selecting in. She let us sample some of their best selling products and showed us her personal favorites. She applied a couple of exfoliators and moisturizers on us, and I really liked the Goodal whild phyto power phytowash yerba mate buble peel. She said that is a best seller and is really popular, and I can totally understand why. It’s an exfoliating face wash that foams up as you put it on. Then you let it sit on your face while the product foams up completely and dries a little bit. Then you massage the skin to exfoliate. It is extremely gentle, but leaves your skin feeling soft and refreshed. Which
Not only are eyeliners from this store made with an amazing waterproof formula, but they also come in so many different styles and colors. They even have an extremely fine tipped liner (0.1 mm) that the sales women said that a lot of men ask for! She says men like the fine tipped brush to emphasis their eyes without making it look like they’re wearing eyeliner.
The Club Clio store also has Peripera lip balms that change color when you apply them to your lips. My friend got this green color that turned purple when she put it on her lips. I decided to go with an orange color that turned a light pinkish red when I applied it. These items were part of a 4th of July promotion, where it was buy one get one free.
I also purchased a Peripera oil capture powder compact. When I walked into the store from the hot and muggy streets of downtown Manhattan, I was a little bit sticky and sweaty, and it was showing on my face. I just took a little bit with my finger from the sample powder on the counter, and applied it to my forehead, nose, and chin. It instantly dulled the shine on my face.
As part of the 4th of July promotion, I was able to get a pack of 60 face cleansing wipes for 50% off. The Clio waterproof cleansing tissues are an easy way to remove their waterproof liner, which by the way is advertised to stay on for 6 hours. These wipes have a really refreshing, clean scent to them, and they feel really nice on your skin.
First off, I have to say that I am extremely apologetic for my long hiatus in blogging. I have been working on this huge project for my job called Photoville, which is a photo festival in Brooklyn that turns shipping containers into photography galleries. But this post is not about Photoville (even though its an awesome even and you should go next year!), this post is about the products I used during Photoville to keep myself looking fresh and feeling clean. These are the products I would recommend for anyone attending an outdoor festival or possibly traveling during the summer.
Photoville is an outdoor event with some pretty warm days, and then include running around like crazy therefore I ended up sweating a little bit. It’s inevitable, just accept it and deal with it and move on. I like to use body wipes during the day to wipe sweat off and keep my clothes from smelling. I prefer to use Ban Cooling Cloths because they have a nice cooling sensation that is relieving during very hot weather and they have a nice scent. However, they don’t come in nice travel-sized individual packets so I sometimes use Crystal Body Deodorant Towelettes, Solos.
I know everyone tries not to wear making up those really hot and sweaty events, like a music festival. But come on girls, we all do a little bit! When it’s hot out, I like to use Murad Skin Clearing Concealer. It helps keep my skin clear if I do end up sweating with makeup on. I also try to use lighter makeup, like Becca Blotting Powder Perfecter. It’s a lite, oil free, blotting powder that has shear coverage that you can reapply throughout the day if needed.
