Mint Julep...spot treatment?!

I'm sure you guys have heard of the Queen Helene's Mint Julep Mask before. It looks like this:

This stuff is magic for enlarged pores and oily skin. Neither of which I have.
Let me explain.

I use this stuff as a mask about 1-2x a week. Especially on days where I am extremely sweaty from working out. I use it when my face just doesn't feel nice. You know what I mean? That feeling that your face just needs a thorough vacuum of all that built up stuff over the week. Also, I like this stuff because *most* of the ingredients are natural, and all the ingredients are not supposed to irritate the skin. However, if your a dry girl (or guy) like me, this stuff will dry out your face. Not a problem on my end because then I usually go in with my oils and cleanse away the rest of the stuff so my face is moisturized and back to normal. Just feeling, cleaner.

Tonight, however, I am trying something different (which I don't know how I did not think of this before..durrr). I am using it as a spot treatment on la face. I have a few (about 3) new pimples pop up and though I am usually patient with breakouts, especially when I am trying new things, I just want these gone. THUS, I decided to put my mask on them. I just spotted a fair covering of it onto my blemishes and now I am going to bed.

I will let you guys know how I faired in the mornin'!
xox

update

Yay, results! So, the pimples are not gone obviously but the size and and redness of them has gone down considerably. When I ran my fingers over them last night they were hard and stuck out a bit but this morning they felt small and the same texture as the rest of my skin! And they didn't look out of place because the redness of them was basically gone. Hoorahhh! I will continue to do this until they are gone for good.

lawl, I apologize for this...

   

If I can do it, so can you..

I am a naturally unorganized person. I've never been good at putting my things away and I've never really felt the need to have a place for things because I felt that I always knew where they were.

Well as you guys know, my New Years Resolution (#3) was to get organized and STAY organized. I've definitely started and I wanted to show you guys how I've managed to get in the semi-groove of things.

First things first. The layout of your room is SO important. The feng shui of your room is what will make or break you. Seem dramatic? It's not. It's true. When my room was in shambles, the thing I hated the most was that I had no flow to my room. Literally none. I had a big dresser greeting me everytime I walked into my room and my bed was tucked away in a little claustropobic corner right next to a bunch of plastic organizing storage that never looked nice. And then my desk took up an entire wall and my vanity was just randomly plopped in a corner.

So naturally, things got a little out of hand. When your room doesn't have flow, it's hard to keep things organized. It's like trying to remain calm, cool and collected while at a Taylor Swift concert. It just doesn't happen.

WARNING: EXTREMELY ORGANIZED PEOPLE SHOULD PROCEED WITH CAUTION

So here I have for you the dreaded proof of what I was dealing with. A messy room at its finest. On the left of the picture is my dresser and bed and the right is my closet and vanity table. So yea. You can see I was in need of a feng shui makeover.

Even when it was clean it still just did not feel right. It felt like I had bulky furniture stuffed wherever it would fit with no real hm's or ha's about it. And it felt that way because that's exactly what it was. So I decided to do something about it (because I wanted to enjoy being in my room. It's supposed to be a haven!)

First thing I did was got rid of my bed. It was one of those beds that is super solid and has the drawers at the bottom. It was just too much for my small room. Plus, three small drawers DID not provide me with enough storage space. So I swapped for a bed with a small, simple frame and put lots of under the bed storage in the place of the god-awful drawers.

Then I changed my feng shui. 

Miscellaneous plastic under the bed storage ($10-15)

It's not super duper tidy but it just flows sooo much nicer and it made my room feel a TRILLION times larger and brighter! Who'da thunk?

After I got my room positioned nicely I started to organize things into places. First thing I bought was under the bed storage. This is where I keep stuff that I use everyday but they don't need special care. I have workout clothes/gear, riding/barn clothing, and my lounge wear in these three boxes.

The next biggest butt-ache was my vanity. SO MANY THINGS AND SO LITTLE SPACE.

I decided I needed to organize my makeup, first and foremost. So I bought myself one of these handy dandy things:

Canadian Tire $12

This has been one of MVP's of my organization binge. It holds my makeup like a newborn child. I have organized it into foundations/concealers in the top drawer, blushes/bronzers/powders in the second, and lip products in the bottom. Another cool feature is that the top of unit is divided so I can have the top semi-organized too. I have some eyeshadow palets, a face mask, and my daily vitamins up there.

The second major factor for my vanity was my brushes. I was pushing them all together in a tiny box and I could never find the ones I needed. So I bought things to hold them. I know, genius.

Michaels Craft Store $14.99

HomeSense $7.99

I bought the owl because I love owls (duh) and it had cool faux-diamond eyes. I filled it with decorative sand and stuck all my eye shadow brushes in it.

Then I bought a clear, wavy glass contained at HomeSense and filled it with the same sand and put all my face makeup brushes in it. And it just makes everything look sleek and nice, not to mention tidy.

Next, on the list for the vanity were my lotions. If you know me, you know that lotions are my ADDICTION. I can't help it. I don't know whats wrong with me. I need an intervention and some serious rehab time. But anyways, I bought these:

Storage Solutions $5.99

Storage Solutions $6.99

They have made a huge difference in the clutter on my vanity. The pink fabric-wicker one is the one I have on top of my vanity and it holds all my everyday lotions and hair stuff. The floral-viney looking one is longer and sturdy and I put that inside my vanity so I could reach for things that I don't use everyday without knocking lotions and perfumes all over the place. In it I store my self-tanners, mini's from BBW, a few scrubs, and some special occasion lotions and body butters from BBW and Victoria's Secret.

Lastly, was my eye makeup and nail polish. I just had no where to put it. I tried putting it on the top of my plastic makeup storage but it looked out of place and was hard to get at. Also, the fact that I had nothing to put it in maybe the whole endeavour much harder. But, I prevailed and here it is now:

The organizer I used actually didn't cost me anything because I took it from one of my hard-cased organizers. And it fit perfectly into my top drawer. It was meant to be. A match made in heaven. So on and so forth.

I put my nail polish just along the side because I don't have that many and to be totally honest I was getting lazy and I just wanted my vanity to be finished and they fit. So...





Overall my vanity has gone from a place I used to dread sitting down and having to battle inanimate objects just to get my face on in the morning, to a place of tranquility and peace (lol, no, just a place I can do my makeup much, much easier!).

THE NEXT STEP: To organize each of the drawers with separators so that everything stays in place and doesn't slide around. It will make it much easier to see what I have and to get at it!

Then came...

...

THE CLOSET!

 It is tiny and it was cramped with clothes, purses, scarves, you-name-it  and it looked like a hot-mess. So the first thing I did was got the little items that need not be there...out.

I had a few over the door hangers lying around, so I decided to actually use them...
I hung up my purses on my closet, and put all my scarves over my door. It's not perfect but hey, it works and it's a hell of a lot better than having them strangling each other in my closet amid a crowd of cardigans.

Boxes from Winners. Guesstimate $12.99 and $14.99

The rest of any miscellaneous items went into some boxes I had lying around at the top of my closet and they reside there happily. I was originally using them for schoolwork/hair products but then I got rid of a LOT of junk (and poorly written thesis arguments) so they were single and ready to mingle. So they mungled and here they are.

Walmart Debbie Travis 6 Shelf Sweater Organizer $23 (way to expensive, should have went to Homesense or Winners first...but they are sturdy. C'est la vie)

So once the loose odds and ends were out, I had to deal with the clothing. First thing I did was remove the bulky stuff (aka the sweaters) and I replaced it with a hanging organizer so that I could use up the height I had to offer rather than the width that I didn't. And I have to say, it worked even better than I had hoped. It freed up an absolute ton of space and they are so much easier to see and decide which to wear (because I live and breath sweaters).

It was great but there was still too much clutter going so I bought this:

               Walmart $39.99  // pink boxes $5.99ea                              @ Canadian Tire

A 6-drawer shelf organizer. And it has been the handiest little fucker ever (pardon my dutch). It has been the final piece of the puzzle. It is masterful. It is magical. It makes yah wanna dance about. Anyways, I also got the matching fabric foldable storage boxes and it's just been phenomenal. I have socks, towels, everyday tops (once that I could fold and toss in there without fear of creasing them), pj's and snacks (bottom left..oh honey). They're great. It's great.

So now my closet is actually something I can stand to look at when I forget to close the door (which is often) and something I'm quite proud of.

  THE NEXT STEP: Nothing!! I'm very pleased with it.

LASTLY, my desk. My desk is the hardest. It's actually a work in progress because for some reason I just can't get it to look good. Though, atleast it is tidy now. It may not be uber "organized" but it's not a chaotic mess of books and papers and pens and the odd coupon.

Winners $4.99

 My most obvious problem was my books and papers. I'm an English major so I have more than too many books and they were getting out of hand. I retired a few of them to the drawers and kept out the ones that I was reading recently for school. I purchased a magazine holder and thus far, it's working nicely.

Basically the most important part for my desk is minimalism. I have to have as little as possible on top of it or else my brain malfunctions. So in regards to that aspect, I've managed to do okay.

THE NEXT STEP: Ugh. The drawers. They are a hotmess still. I need to go through them and see if there is anything I can get rid of, and then I need to see if I can get some dividers and separate all my junk. It's going to be a mission...but, challenge accepted biotch.








Hope this has helped some of you; inspired you to get your ass grooving and organize your shiznit. Seriously though, if I can do it, ANYONE can. And on that note, too-da-loo!

xoxo

First Impressions: Tanwise Self Tanner

 

So I bought this self-tanner the other day (for about $11) at Sally Beauty. The very first thing I noticed about it is that it smells AMAZING. All self-tanners I have tried smell terrible, but this one smells like cherry almond? If that's a smell. It smells very good. Like a candy from my childhood. Noms. Second thing I noticed is that it is VERY dark. And green. So you know it's going to be a real looking tan because green tinted usually means that it will make your skin look more olive toned (which tans naturally).

Now, I put it on not too long ago and THUS FAR, it's a disaster. It went on SUPER streaky and splotchy and kind of rubbed off in some areas. Just terrible. It's also very hard to blend (though it dries extremely fast which I guess can be seen as a plus). It made my skin look gray for a bit but it's not so bad now. The splotches are still absolutely horrible though. Other than the difficulty in applying it, it is nice and moisturizing. I don't feel like I need to layer a moisturizer on top.

Anyways, I will let you guys know what it looks like in the morning! Hopefully it looks better...

(PS: USE GLOVES. Omg, my hands look like I have been finger painting with soot!)

Update:

  So this morning I woke up aaannnddd...no streaks to be seen! In the place of the horrid streaky mess that was my body I now have beautiful tan skin!
HOWEVER (funny story) I stopped putting in on my left leg because I was so afraid of the streaks so now only my left quad looks great...but my hamstring and whole lower leg is pasty! hahhaha..ugggh. Now I have to figure that out but whatever, I'm happy! It works! I recommend it! Just apply it at night and WEAR GLOVES.

Funny Stills

Just a few stills I took from my latest youtube video because I look ridiculous and I thought you guys might enjoy laughing at my hideodorousness. Mwaah.

UPDATE

So, I did my workout yesterday and I realized that it would be impossible to do more than twice. One round of it is like 40 minutes! I mean, it still kicked my butt and I'm still sore this morning but I wanted to do each set more than once! I mean, c'mon, I can't get definition from 15 reps only!

So here's what I I've decided:
I have 6 sets, so I am going to break them up into two's and do them 2-3x each. Here, let me show you:

TUESDAY:

Lunge w/ bicep curl (30)

Roman twist with weight (30 in total)

1 leg hip lift (15 each side)

MOUNTAIN CLIMBERS (1 minute) 
Bicycle crunches (30)

Elevated clam w/weight (15-20 e.l)

Curtsy lunge w/ knee twist w/ weight bar (15 each side)

SQUAT JACKS (1 minute)
X3

THURSDAY:

Double leg lift w/ pulse (15)

Flexed foot pulse w/ weight (20 e.l)

Squat and press- HEAVY weight (10-15)

HIGH KNEES (1 minute)

Side plank dip w/ ballerina under (15 e.s)

Fire hydrant w/ weight (15 each side)

Tricep dip w/leg raise (30)

STAR JUMPS (1 minute)

 x3

SUNDAY:

Medecine ball switch (10-15)

Pointed toe leg lifts (20 e.l)

1 leg deadlift row- HEAVY WEIGHT-(15 each leg)

BURPEES (1 minute)

25 inner thigh raises w/ weight

25 calf raises w/weight

15 candle dippers (each side)

MAT JUMPS (1 minute)

x4 (because these are a little easier)

TA-DAAA!
Now I have no excuses because the time won't be a problem and I can get a real good burn going on :)

I Have News!!

So...today for my Christmas/birthday present I got a camera!
It's a Panasonic Lumix (the outdoors one with shockproof, waterproof, freezeproof and dustproof) and I cannot wait to use it! I'm going to take it to the barn and get awesome pictures and videos of Rozee and even more exciting...

I CAN FINALLY START MY YOUTUBE VIDEOS!
Yay!!

I don't even know which video to do first!
If you guys have any ideas, give me a shout!

Mash-Up

1) I am about to watch Mamma Mia because it is my escape movie. I know, so weird but I have SUCH an attachment to this movie. Maybe it's because I have a major crush on Meryl Streep... Also, I am snacking on white cheddar rice cakes.
Can you say noms?

2) I took off my makeup with olive oil. I heard so many miraculous things so I was like HELLS TO THE YAH and dove right in. Never again. Got a real serious sting going on and now my left eye is a little bloodshot. I'm sticking with my coconut oil. Real talk.

3) I should probably go eat some vegetables..or dinner..?

4) I am also going to edit my workout because I did it today (good-bye calories burned, hello rice cakes) and it was just not HARD ENOUGH. I like to be absolutely drenched in sweat. Like I want my eyelashes to be dripping, and I just didn't quite get that. So, back to the drawing board! I will let you guys know what the finished product it doe. 

5) I really need to shave my legs. TMI alert.

6) I'm going to go watch my movie now and dream of a warmer climate and a better life.

TTFN

I've Made the Switch..But What About..?

I am about to talk about a tough subject.
Just to warn you.

I, like many of you, have a cleanser that I am in love with and creepily over-attached to for whatever reason. And I, as you guys probably know (or maybe you don't if you are new..Welcome!) that I am now using natural products and oils to cleanse my face.

Well what happens when your heart starts aching for the familiar caress and lather of your previous cleanser? How do you deal with the heartbreak? How do you end the relationship for good?

Ah, yes. I am dealing with that, right along beside yah sister.

My favourite cleanser is my Purity by Philosophy. I saved up forever for it (well not that long, but still, it ain't cheap) and I bought the 32 fl oz one from Sephora when they had their special on. I have only used about 2, maybe 3, inches of the product. WHY DID I DECIDE TO DO HEALTHY THINGS TO MY SKIN AT SUCH AN INOPPORTUNE TIME?!

Anyways, I have been trying to figure out what to do with my beloved cleanser. I can't get rid of it. Out of the question. But I also can't justify using it, either. Natural products are important to me and the more I look at the ingredients in Purity, the more I want to listen to "We are Never Getting Back Together" by T-Swift.

Anyways I have been brainstorming some possible uses for my chemical-laden-bottle-of-love. Here's what I've got so far:

- Use it on my body where I get breakouts (my back and my chest sometimes get breakouts)
- Use it at/after the gym to remove all my clogged up makeup and sweat and germs. Could also use it on my body for this.
- Use it on my hands after a particularly disgusting day at the barn (udder cleaning anyone?)
- Remove sunscreen? (though this is a weak argument because I would use an all natural sunscreen and oils would get rid of that just fine..)

Overall, probably will keep it for my problem areas on my body and for the gym. But one thing is for sure...I am KEEPING the bottle. I will wash it out and use it to create my own natural mixture in i. Yay, resourcefulness.

Because I Pinky Swore..

So here are my New Years Rezzies that I neglected to fill you guys in on:

1) Workout 3-4x a week. No excuses on this one. I have been doing a lot of yoga and pilates the last couple months, and I am always down for some free weights but I've also decided..it's time. for. cardio. If you know me, you know I DESPISE cardio. I hate running and swimming and biking. I get bored! But, I've decided to push through and I have made it a part of my usual routine. Though instead of the usual bland cardio, I've created a cardio HIIT interval system so I can do a bunch of different cardio moves without getting bored!
2) No more retail therapy. Better known as Make Out 2013. Which if you guys have read my last few posts, is proving to be one of my more difficult rezzies! But it is definitely something I need to work on and it is something I have to succeed at because if I don't..well...I'll be broke/in debt forever, and what kind of life is that for a candle/lotion/fragrance addict?!
3) Be more organized. I'm sure you guys have seen this one a thousand times but I'm really doing it. I truly believe that a cluttered living space (whether its your room, your office, your bathroom, your camping tent, your swamp, your treehouse, your hammock..) is a representation of a cluttered mind. I am one of those people who will tidy all the time but I never actually have anywhere to put things and I always feel like I don't have time to hang up that shirt, or I can wash these dishes any day, and I know where everything is..usually. But then everything ends up on the floor and I have to triple-jump from my door to my bed. THUS, I have bought some organization thingys and I have devoted myself to having a SPECIFIC PLACE for everything. And to actually put the items inside of that specific place...not the floor.
4) Go to class. I am NOTORIOUS for skipping class. I am. And I'm not proud of it. But something inside of me truly hates school and I don't feel like I'm doing/learning anything that I am meant to do doing/learning (more on that topic for another day though..) Anyways, lets just say there have been times where I have shown up to 3/20 classes. And those are the days I am trying to leave behind me. Because I got to get my shit together sometime!

And that's the rezzies. I orginally had like 7 but I decided I needed to weed that down because a lot of people (myself included) think that they can make a bunch of huge life-changing resolutions and actually REMEMBER them (following them is a whole other story). Often times I will forget my resolutions as soon as I write them down. So now I have 4 that are VERY relevant to my day-to-day life and are things that I truly need to change. Who knows, they might end up leading to a lot of other healthy changes and a life full of happiness and bliss!

I went there. Deal with it.
And smile.

Where Art Thou Answers?

Today I have a test in my Shakespeare study class.

I don't know anything. Haven't read the poem, haven't gone to class, haven't read the notes. Though I did wake up at 8:30 am to read over Sparknotes...I just..didn't.

It's worth 10% so I'm thinking I'm going to end up taking one for the team (aka myself and my pride and dignity) and not do so well (aka fail) on this one and just be THE BOMB DIGGITY on the rest of them!

Sounds good, right?

I promise you guys, I will uphold my 2013 Resolutions, just for you!

(UPDATE: Have I even told you guys my resolutions? I am a bad friend. I will make a post on that later tonight because right now I need to get out of my XXL cotton t-shirt, put on a bra and march into Shakespearean battle)

I'm MOVING!

Yay!
So my roommates and I decided it is time for us to move. Currently we are living in a triplex that has decently thin walls..or floors? We can hear EVERYTHING the people below us are saying! Which is actually why I'm writing this..because I can't sleep because these assholes (pardon my Portuguese) feel the need to yell at the top of their lungs to hold a conversation..and I may or may not have bashed my hand rather loudly on the floor to tell them to shut the f$%^ up...

ANYWAYS

We came to the decision to move sort of fragmentadly. Two of us wanted to move, and two of us did not. However, we NEEDED to move. The rent was proving to be too much for us and obviously you cannot stay in a place you cannot afford. And my roommates and I have become best friends (other than my best friend from home who is also living with me), so we also obviously decided to move together. It was never an option not to.

So the first place we looked at is a duplex with a front/back split and as soon as you walk in there is a nice big living area/den with a large window. Lots of room. There is a bedroom on the far wall that is also pretty big and super bright. Then you descend some stairs and you find the kitchen. Has gray walls, and white cabinetry and kind of orangey tile floors. Also, very big. Then there are 4 bedrooms downstairs, all very decent sizes (though one is considerably smaller..though we've already got it figured out).

Oh, and we have a deck. Did I mention the deck? Yea, a HUGE deck which we plan to sunbathe and BBQ on (and maybe hold some beer-pong tournaments on..cough..cough).

Now all this being said, the place is an absolute pig-sty. A group of 5 guys have been living there, so the carpets are stained with whiskey and beer...maybe even bodily fluids (I DON'T KNOW GUYS, IT WAS GROSS). The walls are all a horrid gray colour and more than one light bulb is missing, taking the term "man-cave" to a whole new extreme. The rooms are all nasty boy colours (ugly green, daaark navy, classic yucky gray) and the whole places smells like a faint combination of unclean dishes, farts and weed.

It truly is a diamond in the rough though. We are going to basically have a house (which will be nice compared to the very pretty closet we live in now), and we can paint and clean, and febreze, and sanitize, and febreze a few more times, and vacuum, and decorate to make it our own cutesy little girl-cottage.

I seriously can't wait. As soon as I can I will get pictures for you guys! Might not be able to until we move in, but under any circumstance I will be taking before and afters for all of you so we can truly see the gem we see.

First Impressions

EVOO (otherwise known as extra virgin olive oil).

So I mentioned in my earlier post that I wanted to try out extra virgin olive oil after January is finished.

Well I may have skipped ahead a week or so (because I have no patience). I put it on right after the shower. Like right after. Still in the shower, skin still wet. And then I let it sink in a bit and wrapped myself in a towel.
I have to admit, I am a bit of a fan. It has left my skin feeling the way I have been searching for through tons of moisturizers and moisturizing shower washes and whatnot. Just soft and silky and MOISTURIZED. FINALLLLLLYYYYY!!!
I am definitely pleased with it. Especially because it worked right away and who doesn't like a little instant gratification? Am I right?!
Anyways, I just had to let you guys know because I was that happy about it. Maybe my face will benefit from this stuff after all?

Guess we will have to wait it out and see

My Two-Cents on...DOCTORS!

So, I don't like doctors.
Some people might even agree that they too, do not like doctors.
And then some people think I'm insane and question my motives.
Well here they are:

I don't think doctors are very smart.
SHOCK AND AWE! But Emma, how can you possibly say such a thing? They go through so much school, etc etc, it's not an easy profession to get into, ya-da-ya-da. Listen up. Doctors have to know A LOT of information, but how much of it can be applied directly to patients? Not a whole hell of a lot. They learn from the book, and they treat by the book. Doctor's love antibiotics, and don't treat anything but the symptoms they are seeing. If there are no visible symptoms of anything else, well, you must be fine! Just take your antibiotics and everything will go back to normal.
NOT THE CASE.  Any doctor who attempts to give me antibiotics for anything, I consider a moron. Like, c'mon, if I know they are bad for me, then doctors MUST know they are bad for me. And yet, every single doctor will prescribe antibiotics for everything. Which brings me to my next point...

Doctors are sneaky.
Whenever a doctor tries to prescribe you something, ask them what it will do. Ask them what SPECIFICALLY they are treating with this. I guarantee you that you will get a generic (albeit very professional sounding) answer. They will tell you what the antibiotic/whatever is meant to do. But they probably will not tell you how it is going to go about curing you. LONG-TERM. This is either because they honestly have no idea how to properly cure whatever it is you are suffering from, they have been brainwashed so much by their study that they can't see why certain things may not work for people, or because they are making  A LOT of money by not curing you.

I have never been cured by a doctor.
UNLESS it was something physical. Sure they can stitch you up just fine, or give you pain meds, painfully freeze off warts, etc, but they HAVE NEVER cured me of anything stemming from the inside. Mostly because they are single-track minded. If it is a urinary tract infection, then it must have something to do with the bladder or kidneys, but antibiotics should fight that. If you are anemic, then you just need more iron. Iron supplements should help that.
I get hostile about this because I have been dragged through the mud by doctors. I also have not gone to see one (excluding for my physical) in over 3 years. I have a severe case of hypo-thyroidism, which has caused me to become anemic and develop recurrent bladder infections. And let me tell you, dealing with all of this HAS NOT been a piece of cake. But you know the ONLY things that made it better?
                               

HOMEOPATHIC MEDICINE

These people know what they are talking about. They probably know more about treating a patient as a whole, from the inside-out, than doctors do. They know the intricacies of the body and what is attached to what and that in order to remove the symptom, they must cure the source. They use vitamins, minerals, natural supplements and things THAT YOUR BODY NATURAL CREATES to help cure you. Of course they also might add in some herbs and what-not to truly fix the problem, but in large, they are putting your body back to a normal and natural state. Not giving you chemical-ridden medicine that is going to lower your bodies natural defence system and build up in your body and create major health issues all on its own (cough, doctors, cough).

There isn't too much more I can say, other than homeopathy works and the skepticism surrounding it is most likely formed by doctors...