Italian Holiday

Since turning twenty-five years old, my life has been in the fast lane. Literally. I started by driving across the country to my new home in the mid-west with my dog. Then, after a week of unpacking, I was off to Italy.

This trip was a birthday gift for my cousin as her “sweet 16” birthday and, being her favorite cousin, I volunteered to take her. It was such a unique adventure and I wanted share our experiences with those of you who may be planning your trip to Italy!

If you are looking for travel tips, scroll to the bottom!

Rome

 

 

We started our Italian holiday in Rome. With our two week timeline, we decided to start there and work our way north. We planned to stay three days, and were about a fifteen minute drive away from the main hub of the city. When we first arrived in the city it was the afternoon. Being the tail-end of the summer’s heatwave we got there at the peak of heat and humidity.

First stop was to the Colosseum, but with the heat and the high volume of tourists, we opted to find lunch. At this point, it was drilled in my head that being Celiac/gluten sensitive in Italy was going to be difficult, I was ready to eat salad or something to be honest, but the first place we walked past the host told us they had gluten free pasta! I was intrigued to try it so we decided to stop in.

Hostaria Al Gladiatore was a cute little restaurant with the most beautiful waiters and waitresses. Seriously though, the people in Rome are all beautiful, when you visit you’ll see what I mean! They were also so fun and kind. Anyway, back to the food–I opted to go with the gluten free spaghetti and meatballs. Each of our meals was delicious, but it was too hot so we ended up heading back to the hotel until the temperature dropped a little.

Now may I recommend, if you visit Rome, do not stay anywhere that is not within walking distance of the main hub of everything. Taxi’s are cheap when you take them once and a while, but those fares add up quickly so be mindful and save your money! If you prefer to stay out of the hustle and bustle, may I suggest budgeting for a car and driver that can take you to and from your hotel as you please. It will be cheaper in the long run, trust me! And you’ll only need one for a day or two–as I said before, you don’t need to stay in Rome for more than three days, I suggest spending more time in the Florence area, but we will get to that.

That night we went back out and found the best pizza we had on the entire Italy trip: Voglia di Pizza – Gluten free. My cousin who is not gluten free tried mine and she said it tasted the same as her not gluten free pizza. It was delicious! Even their caprese salad was the best we had on our entire trip. We were comparing all pizzas and caprese salads to those and nothing beat it so I highly recommend you visit this spot!

When evening fell, we opted to visit the Trevi Fountain. I wanted to go early early before all the tourists flooded the place, but I knew we wouldn’t make it on our schedule so we went around 9PM. It was packed, but we did get some photos before searching up and down for some gelato! There are so many gelato places it won’t be hard to find one, we walked a few blocks away from all the tourists at Trevi fountain and found a cute little place that also had macrons! I’m sorry I cannot tell you where it was, its one of those city finds that you just happen upon–which I am sure you will find plenty of while you explore the city.

The next day we went to the Vatican. It was beautiful–we climbed (what felt like a million but was probably a few less steps) up to the dome and rooftop and looked over the city. It was breathtaking, and not as a result of the heat or the infinite steps we took to get up there. The view was spectacular and worth the 8 euros it was to see it. (Ten euros if you took the elevator! But there were still so many stairs to climb after that so don’t think you’re skipping leg day.)

After a few hours of wandering around the Vatican, someone in our party was “kicked out” for their shorts. We were hungry and leaving anyway so it worked out. We walked toward a restaurant and stumbled upon a pop up market with clothes, food, spices, and so on. As we browsed and walked on, a host asked if we were looking to eat–we asked and they did have gluten free options so we closed our navigation and sat down. It was Sloppy Sam’s, and we each ordered pizza. It was so delicious, and again the waiting staff were all so nice. 

Our trip to Rome was very laid back and we didn’t have much planned. If you want to hit all the tourist spots, definitely book tours ahead of time. Be sure to check the reviews, compare prices, and triple check the date and time. It’s best to book ahead of time since it is cheaper and often you’re not bombarded with those hagglers on the street who aren’t as good quality as some of the tours you’ll find online.

Restaurants we visited and recommend:

Voglia di Pizza – Gluten free
Via dei Giubbonari, 33, 00186 Roma RM, Italy 

Hostaria Al Gladiatore
Piazza del Colosseo, 5, 00184 Roma RM, Italy

Sloppy Sam’s
Piazza Campo de’ Fiori, 9/10, 00186 Roma RM, Italy

Florence

 

 

From Rome to Florence, if you’re not using a driver, I recommend buying a train ticket and do so ahead of time. Note: parking in Rome and Florence is expensive so if you can hire a driver or use public transport I recommend doing that instead of renting a car! The hotel was within walking distance of everything so if you like that do so! It’s worth it, especially with walking off all those pizza and pasta dishes!

The train ride had beautiful views of the country landscape, and it was time efficient. When we arrived we navigated to our hotel then searched for food! We plugged in the first option that popped up and went for it. Little did we know that Mister Pizza would be our favorite place to go in Florence! (Seriously, in the four days we were there we went six times.)

On our walk to get food we saw the beautiful Florence Cathedral come into view. It truly is a wonder to see. The tourists flooded the area, but it never felt as fast paced and busy as Rome. If you do make time to go inside, do so!

Anyway, food. If you come to Mister Pizza, the servers there are so kind and the food is delicious. Gluten free or not, get a gluten free pizza if you can. No matter what topping options we tried it was delicious. They also have really great deserts and drinks, so definitely worth visiting.

The rest of the day we went shopping and snooping around through the streets. After a quick nap, we went back out and found a spot for nightlife. We started early, but stayed late when everyone else was just starting their night (some places didn’t open until 9PM or 11PM. You late night folks are CRAZY but so fun!) Anyway, we went to our favorite little eclectic hipster spot called Mayday Club it was by far our favorite night life spot. Like I said, we got there basically when they opened and ordered our drinks. There were so many options so I recommend asking what they suggest based on what you like. Each drink I had was different but so delicious in their respective ways. It was like each drink was an artistic piece, it wasn’t like a normal cocktail you’d order at a bar, they’re uniquely mixed and created by the owner, it’s quite a unique experience and very much so worth the visit. Plus they give you popcorn as a snack while you drink it’s adorable.

We also loved the people we met there that night, which only more so proves the point that the people in Florence are so kind and truly amazing people.

Right, so food. The next day we wanted pasta! We found our next favorite spot in Florence called Ristorante Pizzeria Lorenzo, or as we called it, Lorenzo’s. Again, the servers were so fun and we quickly befriended them. They have a pasta dish that we instantly were obsessed with and if you’re not vegan/vegetarian, I highly recommend trying this dish too: garganelli caserecci al ragu di salsiccia con ricotta. I cannot express enough how delicious this dish was–it brought us back for dinner just so we could get it again. Their other options that we tried were also delicious, so if you have time to visit it again, do so. 

We roamed around and saw a lot of shops, and found some nice areas that are worth visiting multiple times. The first is the Palazzo Vecchio area. There is the replica of David statue (the real one is also worth visiting, and I’m sure if you want to avoid the lines, go online and get the fast track tickets *but again triple check the times and get there on time* otherwise, the line moved quickly enough that it wasn’t too long of a wait.) There were also other statues worth seeing in that area.

There’s also a gluten free bakery not too far from there that has so many delicious treats that everyone can enjoy. The chocolate donuts, and Nutella croissants were a dream, and their cookies were so delicious. If you can stop in, definitely do so! The place is called Starbene Senza Glutine.

Our walk along the river was nice as well, just go past the museum of Galileo and you’re right there. It’s a beautiful scene and it’s fun watching the Vespas zoom past you!

Again, for tours to Pisa or to vineyards, definitely look up some online ahead of time. Spend a day in the wine areas, maybe hit up one or two because it’s such a sweet time there and you will want to get as much out of it as you can! Start early, stay late, it’s worth it!

We did also meet a fun young couple who were traveling around Europe who invited us to join them in karaoke so if that hype scene if your kind of place may I recommend visiting the Red Garter. You’re bound to make some friends there, or at least watch drunk people get way too hype singing Queen, or Justin Bieber. It’s fun nevertheless!

Again, there’s a lot to explore so I recommend setting a few hours a day, or a day, or just roaming around through the streets and shops!

Restaurants/places we visited and recommend:

Mister Pizza
Piazza del Duomo, 5r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Mayday Club (check the hours ahead of time!)
Via Dante Alighieri, 16, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Ristorante Pizzeria Lorenzo
Via del Giglio, 49, 50123 Firenze FI, Italy

Starbene Senza Glutine
Via dei Neri, 13/r, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

Red Garter
Via dei Benci, 33, R, 50122 Firenze FI, Italy

 

Final Notes

Our trip to Venice and Milan weren’t our favorite so I won’t go into detail here. We regret having not gone instead to Cinque Terre. They were just tourist filled in a bad way, and there wasn’t much to do there. If anything you don’t need to spend more than a day at either place. Plus, we didn’t have the best experience with customer service there which was kind of a shock since we had such amazing experiences in Florence and Rome. But that’s our experience, I hope if you do visit that you’ll have an amazing time!

I do recommend one place that was a sweet spot:

Frulalà
Cannaregio, Fronte Civico 2292, 30121 Venezia VE, Italy

If you can, just stick with the west coast of Italy on your first visit. Our next trip is already in the works of being planned so if you have recommendations you’d like to share, please let me know ASAP!

With Love,
L.S

 

Working Toward Zero Waste

For several weeks I have taken notice to trash. On my commute to work a neon orange rope lay in the middle of the highway and has slowly made it’s way two miles up the road in a span of three weeks. At first I thought it was silly, the idea that this rope is traveling, slowly but surely, over time, and then it hit me how much trash lay on or along this road that I pass daily.

That spiraled into my thoughts of waste that I am contributing to that lay across the highway. It’s disgusting how much waste we produce if we think about it, and the lack of concern from the general population isn’t helping.

As I think of this, I don’t expect everyone to live 100% waste-free, but we can all do a significantly better job. I’ve done my share of research lately on how to live without producing more waste. Here are some ways that I have implemented better loving the world God created for us:

Reusable Bottles

I only really choose to drink three things: Water, Tea (iced or hot), or Coffee. I never liked plastic water bottles, I seem to think there is a plastic-y taste to the water no matter what–don’t ask me why, I’m strange I know. So I preferred using re-usable bottles or containers.

When it came to ordering coffee and tea, however, I was pretty negligent. I would always order multiple items, yet never thought to utilize my own re-usable bottles. So now, I opt to use my S’well Bottles and my re-usable Starbucks thermos or bottles in order to lessen waste of coffee cups and lids.

I am an advocate for the S’well bottles is because it’s great quality, and convenient for my lifestyle. The water never tastes metallic even after twenty-four hours, and it genuinely keeps my water cold for hours–for real, I left my bottle out in over eighty degree, blistering sunlight and my water was still ice cold.

The amount of plastic water bottles contributing to landfills, in our ocean, etc. is crazy! I highly recommend investing in re-usable water bottles and thermoses and if you have a plastic bottle, reuse them as much as possible for a variety of things, or recycle!

Click here for an article on plastic water bottles

Click here to read more about coffee cups & recycling

Now, I definitely don’t do this perfectly. I don’t always have my bottles on hand when I am out and about–but now I’m more mindful of having them on hand for when going out, and I’m careful to request a glass/mug instead of plastic if available.

Reusable Bags

Another big cut is plastic bags. I have invested in a few canvas and cloth bags for grocery shopping–or have opted for paper bags if possible. My all time favorite investment so far is my Apolis market bag. I love this company and their products and I highly recommend it. Plus, they allow for Afterpay so that’s cool too! They are customizable and a perfect gift for your market-going family and friends. I’ve used it several times and it still looks brand new, and it fits SO MUCH. I on average would have to get five bags when I would do my grocery shopping — now I only use my Apolis bag and a few smaller cloth bags.

It’s still a process though. When I get takeaway (or food to-go) I sometimes forget to bring in my re-usable bags, or ask for no bag. Or I forget my bags at home or something of that nature. I am getting better and I try to think ahead when going out, or just keep the reusable bags in your car!

I’ve also cut plastic sandwich bags and minimized products I buy that come in plastic (non-recyclable) packaging. So for my lunches I utilize glass containers, mason jars for fruit, small glass jars that were for jam now hold my trail mix–there are so many ways you can pack a lunch without using plastic.

Straws

This was probably the hardest one for me to switch. I don’t ever think about plastic straws–if i had them, whatever, if not, whatever. But as I look at the plastic heaps along the highway and my research on waste, I’ve realized how important it is to cut back or cut out plastic straws.

SO I invested in some metal straws. I found some at my local Marshall’s, but there are a variety of places that have reusable straws, be it metal, silicon, biodegradable paper, glass, etc.

I am also more mindful to specifically say, “No straw” when out; whether I have my spare metal straw or not. I usually keep a straw in my bag, my lunch box, and in my car. I keep them in a pencil case, but there are some you can buy that come with a storage pouch, or you can get a pouch separately.

Misc. Plastic

There is waste all around us. It’s the containers of our food, the cling wrap for leftovers, or the takeaway utensils, and so on. I know as I am walking toward this new lifestyle of living more “waste free” that there are so many affordable alternative products I can reach for instead. For example, instead of cling wrap: Bee’s Wrap or instead of takeaway utensils use travel utensils!

This process has really helped me to stop and appreciate God’s creation.

I hope this quick little post helps give you some ideas on cutting back waste in your day-to-day lives! And if you have any products you love that you’d like to share with me, I would love to hear about them!

Also, here are some resources if you’re looking more into going “Zero Waste”:

• Going Zero Waste
• Article on Zero Waste Products
• Zero Waste Home
• National Geographic Article on Zero Waste Families
• Beginner’s Guide

Have a beautiful and happy Earth Day, my beloved readers!

With Love,
L.S

Let’s Be Honest

I’ve been having several conversations with people and the topic of emotional honesty has come up fairly often. Things have shifted in our society where mental health is talked about more often–and not just for those who struggle with mental illness, but even those who just want to take care of their mind.

I think this is great! More people should take care of their mental health by seeking out a therapist or counselor. I know so many people who have benefited from seeing a counselor and I know many who have been helped through their faith and communities of fellow believers. Plus, there should be less shame in sharing how we are feeling with others, but especially with ourselves. So I want to talk about being honest.

Take a seat, let’s chat!

Let’s Be Honest With Ourselves

We live in a world that is hyper connected, yet despite the connectivity available through social media there is an isolating factor. Maybe it’s in “wanting” comparison–it’s easy to look at others online and see the things they have and you maybe feel like you need what they have. Or maybe it’s “annoyance” comparison–people sharing in ways you don’t like or would never do, and you think it’s over sharing; this is kind of the opposite spectrum of the wanting comparison.

With all this new talk of mental health many people have disconnected from social media because of these issues. Although these weren’t a pressing issue for me, I thought it may still  be best to step away and focus on the here and now.

As I slowly disconnected from social media (holding off on posting or making stories, or whatever else) I have realized how bored I am. I mean, I knew to some degree, yeah I would mindlessly scroll through Instagram, but this little personal experiment really highlighted my natural instinct when boredom struck. This is where I saw many of my bad habits come into play: I am quick to run to shopping in my boredom; binge watch Netflix; rest or nap for hours. Although in moderation these aren’t bad, for me going to these things out of boredom was actually just draining me of a happy, productive life. SO instead of scrolling through Pinterest, Reddit, or Instagram I decided I wanted to go out more, practice a hobby, teach myself something new, read more books, etc.

As I did these I’ve seen a growth in wanting to read more (both in my Bible time, or in whatever fiction book I have in my car), to go out and meet new people, or to do something new. And sometimes, all I want to do is rest because I am an introvert and I need to recharge–that’s totally fine! These things didn’t flip a switch in my life to instantly happy and productive, but continuously choosing to spend my time and money on experiences instead of social media or shopping has been so beneficial. Also, I found whatever pressures or comparison issues you feel seem to vanish when you’re focus is on experiencing life in the here and now.

Sure I would grab my phone and take pictures or videos, but it wasn’t with the intent of “let’s make this insta-perfect so I can get X likes;” it was more that I just wanted to remember the fun times.

Additionally, as I stepped away, I started processing through my feelings and thoughts more. Part of having a healthy mind is being aware of your emotions and thoughts. These are both as important as the other, yet neither should be relied on.

For me, I process these mainly through prayer and reading of God’s word. Meditating on these while looking at my emotions and thoughts has helped me tremendously.

Embrace how you feel–whether it is a positive emotion, or not so positive. Don’t dwell in those though, but understanding how you feel is important. Feelings can be irrational–let’s be honest, it’s true and you have to admit to yourself and others when you sense your feelings are irrational. When I am hyper-emotional and sobbing or in a tizzy I will, in my fit, exclaim “I know I am being irrational but that’s how I feel so give me that dang cookie!” Or something of that nature.

Similarly, my thoughts–though seemingly more rational–cannot be relied on because there can be lack of compassion or empathy. If I spout out my “rational thoughts” I can really cause damage to others, and not because they are “too emotional” or “too sensitive”–no they’re not the problem, my blunt blows can just be hurtful and I need to apologize and chill.

On this journey of honesty and mental health, or whatever it was, I found I was often holding back. I wasn’t being honest about my feelings or thoughts and I felt lonely. When I realized this I saw quickly something needed to change because this could easily spiral into depression for me.

Honesty with yourself is so beneficial to your own mental health, and to others in your life. Speaking of others…

Let’s Be Honest With Others

If you’re anything like me sharing honestly with others isn’t something you do. Maybe you’re afraid of feelings and you prefer not to have any; or that you just don’t know how to express your thoughts and feelings and you don’t want to come off as nonsensical; or maybe you also feel this sense of loneliness, or depression and you think there’s nothing you can do or say that could help–if this is where you are I would encourage you to seek a therapist or counselor. This goes hand in hand with being honest with yourself because it’s a lot harder to be honest with others if you’re not being honest with yourself. 

Hiding behind “Oh, I’m fine” isn’t helping anyone. There is no shame in saying, “I’m not fine” and allowing someone to enter in on what you’re feeling or struggling with. Be it a friend, a pastor or elder, a counselor or therapist, etc.

Maybe you’re not going through anything major and you’re just feeling bored or lonely–be honest about that too! Reach out to a friend and hang out. “Hey, I’ve missed you and I want to catch up over coffee or hot cocoa” or “I’ve been pretty down lately, want to visit (insert local place you’ve wanted to visit) with me this weekend?”

If you have a spontaneous dinner with a friend and they ask how you are, be honest about it–to whatever degree you feel comfortable. Maybe you don’t want to talk about EVERYTHING you’re struggling with or going through, but share even a little bit: “I’m going through a kind of rough patch, but I am working through that and dinner with you, my beloved friend, is super helpful!” That’s fine if you don’t want to pour your heart and soul over your shrimp rotini entree, but still be honest about how you really are. THEN ask how they are and encourage them to share too!

This whole “how are you” being a greeting instead of an authentic question should be squandered. I often ask follow up questions to show I genuinely want to know how you are.

If you also switch off from social media for a while, talk about that–why did you do it? how has it been since you switched off? You don’t need to dive into serious talk the entire time, but sharing even those little things is such a relief.

My beloved reader, I hope you would feel comfortable and safe reaching out to me, a close friend, or a loved one and share honestly about what’s going through your mind and heart. I hope you can find the courage to seek help from a therapist or counselor if you sense you could benefit from one, too!

I hope you have a beautiful rest of your week, OH! and let me know of what you look forward to seeing in the next post!

With Love,
L.S

 

Beauty Series: Hair Care

To conclude this Beauty Series, I want to discuss Hair Care. I am not one to think often about my hair. I would often neglect it to get through the day, and every six months to two years go to the salon and give it a trim.

After my latest salon visit–I did a trim and color–I realized I need to treat my hair better. Yes, dyeing my hair isn’t the “best” you may say, and that may be true to some degree, I go to a reputable salon and color it, not bleaching it. That minimizes major damage to my hair. But on top of that, I wanted to treat it better when at home.

SO the first thing I did was cut the heat. I stopped curling, straightening, and blow-drying my hair. I air dried and minimized harsh brushing, and I stopped pulling my hair back with rubber hair bands, or regular hair bands. I utilized soft scrunchies, which seem to be the only thing that keep my hair back without too much pull. The next task was finding the right products!

Dry Shampoo

One of the biggest struggles I have is figuring out what my hair/scalp needs. I always strayed away from moisturizing shampoos and conditioners because my hair gets oily very quickly. I also realized, washing my hair every day didn’t help in that area. So I wash my hair every two to three days, and utilize my new favorite dry shampoo. When I say I recommend this product, I mean it with the utmost zeal. Love, Beauty, & Planet’s Day 2 Dry Shampoo is one of the best, most affordable, products I’ve had the pleasure of trying, yet.

I’ve tried several brands and varieties of dry shampoos or foams (weirdest one by far) and they often didn’t get the job done as well as I hoped. This is not the case with Love, Beauty & Planet’s dry shampoo. Plus it smells AMAZING. I just ran out of the product and and definitely going to buy more!

~ I have some others I am trying out now, but it’s still too early in our relationship to give a proper opinion ~

Shampoo & Conditioner

For my hair, it is fine (or thinner strands), but there’s a lot of it, so it can be mistaken for thick hair. Because my hair is more fine, it is straight–combine that with the weight of it and the volume decreases to nearly 0%.

As I am ~ currently ~ growing my hair out, I was trying to find a product that would clean and give volume without drying out my scalp. Well, I found two products I love.

The first, I was desperate for moisturizing because the winter is brutal to my hair. I opted to try out the Love, Beauty and Planet because, well, they’re beautifully packaged products. I fell instantly in love with it after the first wash. My hair felt clean and well treated, the bottle was aesthetically pleasing, oh and it is a great company striving to help the world with their products so that’s cool.

 

Second, yo girl would like some volume. I’ve tried a variety of products–many times my hair felt heavy or oily after washing with volumizing products. Some I just flat out hated the smell. After several failed attempts, I was recommended to try Living Proof’s Full Shampoo and Conditioner. Yes, this is more expensive than some of the other “drug store” brands, but I heard great reviews and figured it was worth trying out. I can tell you, I am so glad I did.

After the first wash I knew I was hooked. The product is light weight, doesn’t dry out my hair, and it’s salon soft without all the effort or expense. Plus, it smells amazing and leaves my hair feeling properly cleansed.

~ Y’ALL Like, I get so excited now to take a shower now it’s silly. ~

Additional Products

One product that makes my hair softer than silk is the Aussie 3-Minute Miracle Deep Conditioner. This is the real deal. It smells SO GOOD, and works wonders. I love using this every other week just to maintain good balance of moisture, particularly on the ends of my hair.

Now, I have gone back to using heat, but I am cautious to use heat protecting spray whenever I do. I tend to go for my Tresemme Heat Protecting Spray because it works for me, and it smells great! Since using this along side my other routinely used products I’ve noticed a significant reduction of split ends and frizz.

I also use the Love, Beauty and Planet Repair Oil after styling my hair with heat. Just note, a little goes a long way! I also use this on the ends of my hair after applying dry shampoo just to make sure I’m not drying out my hair.

And that’s it for the products I use for my hair! If you can’t tell, I’m a huge fan of the Love, Beauty and Planet products, I also find amazing deals and discounts at Target so if you’re looking to try it out, check out your local Target!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored in any way. All products were purchased by me. All opinions are my own.

Final Touches

Finally, I style my hair with curls, or I’ll add some flare with accessories! My favorite go-to accessories right now are easily my hair ribbons or scarves–particularly my Kristin Made Hair Scarves! (Insert heart eyes emoji)

 

Let me know what your favorite products are, or if you have any recommendations for me to try!

I hope you enjoyed this little beauty series, and I look forward to hearing from you about products you love! Also, I would love to hear more about what you’d like to see on the blog.

Have a BEAUTIFUL week, my darling readers.

With Love,
L.S

Beauty Series: Makeup

Oh, I am so excited to share with you, my beloved readers, my makeup routine and recommendations! I’m surprised it’s taken me this long to write a post about makeup, but here we are! Let’s get into this.

Foundation + Primer

After I wash and moisturize my face, I turn to my Primer. I started out trying the Becca First Light Priming Filter. This primer was great the first few times I used it, but during my issues with figuring out my skin care routine, I  had to set that primer aside since I kept breaking out. Now that I have my skin under “control” ~ for now ~ I have brought this wonderful product back into my makeup routine and I love it!

I’ve tried a variety of primers–from Rimmel to Bare Minerals to Smashbox–and I have to say, this Becca primer is one of the best. My skin feels refreshed, and my makeup stays in tact every time! (insert clapping emoji) Plus, it has an interesting, pleasant, aroma to it and doesn’t feel sticky or watery–like the kind that evaporates the moment it touches your skin. Yeah, no, this formula is perfect, especially if you have dry to combination skin or, if like me, you have your face under control and the added moisture isn’t too much for your skin.

For foundation I use two products. The first is Mally Poreless Perfection Foundation which is my all time favorite the moment the makeup artist put it on my face. (Can you tell by the messy cap in the photo?) Let me tell you, I’m very skeptical of people suggesting colors because it never matched my skin tone. It either made me look orange, or it was too dark and made me look green. But that day, the Lord blessed me with a fellow, tanned and olive-skinned makeup artist who found my perfect shade: Medium. The coverage is full, but light weight, and it doesn’t get cakey or dry! 

I also found my perfect shade in the Smashbox Studio Skin 15 Hour Wear Hydrating Foundation–wow, what a name! This is a medium coverage, but it is build-able. Similar to Mally, the formula lays well on the face, and doesn’t feel heavy or oily–and it stays on your face! That’s right, I forgot primer one day–oops–and the foundation didn’t slide off! It did fade, so I suggest a primer to help it stay put, but that was a proper full day of wear too, so still would get 5 stars from me!

Concealer + Blush

I group these together because why not. As someone who easily gets blemishes and has dark circles, I need a full coverage concealer. My favorite product for dark spots or circles is definitely the Tarte Cosmetics Colored Clay CC which is an under-eye color-corrector. I layer this over the primer and under foundation, it does crease a little for me closer to my eye but it’s minimal. Depending on the severity of the dark circles or blemishes, I’ll add a layer of the Tarte Creaseless Concealer and that always gives the complete coverage.

Blush isn’t my main concern or preference. I’ve used the same one for years, and maybe one day I’ll branch out and try something else, but for now I’ll stick with my MAC Mineralize Blush in the color New Romance.

Similarly I am not into contour, if I do use it, I go for my LORAC TANtalizer Highlighter and Matte Bronzer Duo–but if you’re looking for recommendations, I would recommend the Becca highlight, and probably the Smashbox Contour Kit.

Eyes + Brows

My favorite part! I’ve recently been trying out a variety of brow products and am in love with the Benefit Brows products. I had no clue how to fix my brows and needed help, so I stopped in at Ulta and had a chat with one of the brows professionals. They sat me down and tested a few things on me and provided instructions on what they were doing and how I could do it at home.

I walked out of there with a few products and have loved them dearly! The first is their Brow Pencil and the other their Eyebrow Gel. If I need to fill in my brows, I will go with a dark brown matte eye shadow, but usually the pencil covers the job.

For eyes, I use the travel size Urban Decay’s Primer Potion and I will emphasize the travel size because somehow it is better than the full size and it’s cheaper. You don’t need a lot to get the job done so it lasts a good while and it works without fail, every time.

I then go to my faithful and ever beautiful, Anastasia’s Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette (insert heart eyes emoji). I have a few other palettes but since I bought this beauty, I haven’t even looked at those others. This is a perfect (for me) palette with colors I love to use on the daily, or to test out new looks. It is highly pigmented and blends so well. The shimmer shades aren’t overly sparkly, and the matte shades are gorgeous. I could gush over this palette forever, so I’ll chill, but I HIGHLY recommend it.

Now to lashes. I had short, straight, and difficult-to-do-anything-with lashes and I was frustrated with mascaras not giving me longer and fuller lashes. The only product that worked to allow my lashes to be seen was the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Paradise Mascara and I loved it.

 

But I wanted longer lashes, and my co-worker and friend suggested trying this product. If you are like me and struggle with short lashes, I can attest to the Rodan + Field’s Lash Boost. It is SO worth the price because the product lasts. You use minimal amounts (and I mean like almost nothing) and ONLY on the base of the lashes on the lash line. It did irritate my lid for a week or so, then I was a lot more careful with the application and the irritation went away. I used it every night for 5 months now and my lashes have never looked better.  It takes several weeks for you to notice the change, but it works–trust me!  If you want to hear more about it let me know I would love to share–I don’t have a consultant to recommend but I can help you find one if you want!

Lips

I have always struggled finding colors that work with my skin tone. I love mauve colors, but they wash me out or make me look like I drank grape Koolaid. I like the dark dusty rose colors, dark oranges, and burgundy colors. I’ve also found a few other bold colors I love that look great! I will list my go-to lip colors and products below:

• Kylie Cosmetics Matte Liquid Lipstick and Lip Liner Lip Kit in 22
• NYX Matte Lip Cream in London – *this color is a light nude on me and pairs well with a darker lip liner
• NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in Exotic
• NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipstick in Seduction
• L’Oreal Infallible ProMatte Liquid Lipstick in Cowboy
• Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink in Amazonian

 

For winter, to protect my lips from getting chapped I go for my Paisley and Company Lip Scrub and either Chapstick or lip oil–both of which I got in London at a drug store, so I suggest checking your local Target or Ulta (my go to’s, but wherever is your convenient go to) for either of these options. Before bed, I put on Chapstick, layer Vaseline, and in the morning I use the lip scrub, then Chapstick again. This helps tremendously to prevent chapped lips!

I’m interested in any Chapstick/lip oil suggestions or recommendations if you have any! Or any other products for makeup or beauty. I always love hearing from you, my beloved readers 🙂 I hope my suggestions provided a good idea of products you’d like to try!

I hope you have a beautiful weekend, my beloved readers!

With Love,
L.S

 

Note: This post is not sponsored. These products were purchased with my money. All opinions are my own.

 

Beauty Series: Accessories

*This post is not sponsored*

Being the beauty series I do have some things I would like to share with you in regards to Accessories!

Is fashion a hobby? Well, it is for me! I love the art of fashion and I enjoy a variety of styles. Despite my interested in fashion, I always found I struggled with finding the right accessories. Because of that, I often opted to not wear any, and then felt like my look wasn’t complete. So I’ve tried adding a few pieces to change that:

Bags + Watches

I work part time at a Fossil and though it may seem bias, I really don’t think it is. I LOVE my Fossil watches and bags. I’ve cycled through a few, and have found my style and collected the pieces I love the most. My watches are the Jacqueline Watch  and the Annette Hybrid Watch. And my go to bags are the Sydney Tote (no longer made, but check out this similar bag), and the Sydney Satchel.

I also have a few bags gifted to me or that I have had for a while so their more “vintage” pieces or no  longer available–for those I suggest asking your Grandma (if she has good taste) if she has any bags she no longer wants (insert smirking emoji) OR check out thrift stores, they have plenty of hidden gems!

Hair Accessories

I have been trying to grow my hair out so I’ve picked up a few accessories that have helped on my messy hair days. The first are scrunchies! I had a few from my mom that I collected in my younger years (that’s right, vintage 90’s scrunchies) but the elastic gave out on my favorite one, and I knew it was time to pick some up.

Thankfully, they are a trend again and they aren’t hard to come by! I am a fan of the thin, or smaller, scrunchies and I like the neutral tones.

I also have been loving hair ribbons, or hair scarves. It makes my messy, dry shampoo coated hair look 100x better. I have a few vintage ones from my mom, and I also picked up some of Kristin Made’s Root Collection Hair Scarves which are currently sold out, but keep your eye out, they are restocked fairly often! I also have a few other ones that I picked up from Francesca’s and Target!

Jewelry

Now here is the highlight of this post. I want to talk about, or gush over, this because I’m currently obsessed with Rocksbox.

It’s a subscription based service that sends you great quality jewelry for only $21 a month. They send you 3 pieces of jewelry and you can wear them for as long as you want! If you want to buy any of the pieces, you can use your $21 credit toward the purchase, and if you want a whole new box, just send back the pieces and they will send you a new box of 3 new pieces!

I love this because I love to change up my look, and I have commitment issues with making quality purchases when I know my taste changes with the seasons. With this service, I can wear a variety of styles and switch it up when I’m looking for a new look. You get to choose what is in your “Wishlist” which means you pick your favorite pieces and the stylist sending you your box chooses from there–and before it sends, you get to see what’s coming and if you don’t love something, you can switch it! I love that about this service because I am more picky when it comes to my preferred style, so having the option to see and choose what I would like to receive is a game changer.

Necklace (Aster Stark “Strong” Pendant) & Ring (Rudiment Piedmont Ring)

My first box came in and I LOVED everything! I am going to keep one piece, and I’ll send the other two back soon and see what comes in the next box, but I love that I can hold onto these pieces for however long!

 

(Sophie Harper Interlocking Circles Necklace in Silver)

If you want to try this out for FREE, click here and you can see for yourself if this is the service for you. No strings, just try it out for this free month, I highly recommend it! And feel free to ask me any questions about this, too!

~ (Again, this is not a sponsored #AD. I just personally love this service and wanted to share my experience with you!) ~

What are some of your favorite accessories? Are you interested in reading more about beauty and style? I always love hearing back from you, my beloved readers!

Let me know what you think and I hope you’re enjoying this beauty series! It’s been fun writing about it, so I hope you love it!

Have a beautiful week.

With Love,
L.S

Beauty Series: Skin Care

Beauty Month!

I have several beauty posts coming up the next few weeks and today I wanted to start by talking about skin care! Along with my new diet, I have focused on what my skin wants. Especially for this winter!

My skin type is primarily oily, which has perks and is also a huge nuisance if not well controlled. I first started by nixing my makeup routine. I did this to give my face a break from any added chemicals, toxins, pore clogging products, etc. I wanted to get my skin to a point of detox and refresh so I could properly care for it. Although my skin is on the more oily side, I had a lot of dryness issues and unevenness, so much so that I opted to try out the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair kit and see if that would help.

It did by making my face more even in oiliness with the extra moisture. After a week of using these products I felt as though I were washing my face multiple times a day and it was great for an hour, and then it wasn’t. I would HIGHLY recommend this product for those with dry skin, it is an amazing formula for that. As for us oily-faced folks, well, I wouldn’t suggest reaching for this product.

So, I did some more research and found a few products to try out. My first was the Body Shop tea tree oil products. I L-O-V-E these products. After the first wash I felt like my skin was finally over it’s dramatics and chilled out. It tames my overly oily face and left my skin feeling happy and healthy.

The other product I tried was the Mario Badescu Enzyme Cleansing Gel and I think it is my new go to product. My skin is always left feeling fresh, clean, and perfectly rejuvenated, and it paired so well with the Body Shop Tea Tree Mattifying Lotion.

However, because I live in a climate with eternal winter, I find my skin does occasionally need more moisture. For those times of need, I turn to the First Aid Ultra Repair Lotion instead and my skin feels so much happier.

After several weeks of successfully happy skin, I tried to wear makeup again only to be have a rebellion up-rise occur on my face. (insert skull emoji)

I pulled out my makeup remover–which my skin reacts super well to–the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water and used my Paisley & Company Coffee Charcoal Cleansing Scrub to exfoliate and cleanse my face, then waited another week again to wear makeup. (Oh, and of course basically sterilized my brushes and bought a new makeup sponge. I wanted to eliminate anything that may be the cause of this rebellion and I needed to make sure it wasn’t issues with the applicators.)

After consistent trial and error, I found the best skincare routine for me–and it includes all the above linked products and the soon-to-be-shared makeup products (will link once posted!) Its a hard balance figuring out my skin. It’s indecisive and finicky, but I have found it is important to listen to what your body needs despite what I want to do for it–that means drinking plenty of water, minimizing foods (*chocolate*) that break me out, and cutting make-up when my skin needs time to breathe and detox.

And maybe you’re one of those people who has a very well-tame face, always remember to take care of it now anyway. Find a basic cleanser and moisturizer so your skin can remain happy and healthy for years to come, because even if you don’t wear makeup often, there are so many other toxins that your face is exposed to every day that should be washed away!

I hope this helps for any of my fellow oily faced friends, or gives you a push to find what products would work well with your skin type.

I would love to hear about products you love, or want to try out! Hope you have a beautiful week, my beloved readers, and I look forward to hearing from you.

With Love,
L.S

Happy + Healthy Breakfast

Hello my beloved reader,

Today I wanted to talk about food and health. This came about because–well–I started my new year feeling awful after eating a variety of junk and greasy junk. I just came home after two wonderful weeks with family and on a Christmas high–but my body was having quite the tantrum. My skin was at war with me despite my heavy defense attempts, I started getting migraines, and I felt perpetually nauseous for an entire week and a half.

Needless to say, it was a rough first two weeks of the new year. But I was actively fighting this battle on every front! First, I drank a lot of water. Can I just say, there’s a reason every “health guru” or “health blogger” tells you to drink water. It’s like your body needs it or something. Well, as you average Jane Doe, not-so-health guru/blogger I can say your body definitely will appreciate some (or a LOT of) water.

I began my day waking up (hopefully after at least 7 hours of sleep) and drinking 8-16 oz of water before eating breakfast or drinking coffee. I also adjusted what I would eat. I cut a lot of food because even the thought of toast made me feel ill. So I drank meal replacement shakes for breakfast, cashew trail mix for a snack, and fruits and veggies, plus eggs now and then for protein.

I think my biggest issue, though, was portion control. I could eat an entire box of pasta, sure, but at that point I am feeding myself more than my body wants to take in at one time. I consider myself a grazer–and I don’t do well with big meals at a time. So yes, I will take toddler-sized portions, and no that’s not all I’m eating for my meal. I’m having at least 6 meals a day, they just aren’t big meals.

After a few days of this adjusted “cleansing diet” I felt like I was out of my slump and I thought, “great, I’m all better and I can eat normally again.” Well, my body revolted again when I consumed nachos at my local pub and I realized, my body just got 100 times more high maintenance (insert eye roll emoji).

So I re-evaluated my diet and I’m changing things up for the better! This month has been a much happier one as I figure out what I should and should not eat, and I’m starting the habit of working out–it’s minimal, but it’s effective!

I think my favorite meal right now is breakfast, so I thought I would share some of my favorites from this past month. I’ve been making overnight oats pretty much every day, and it’s changed my breakfast game for the better.

 

• I take a bowl of oats (the portion I found best for me is 1/3 C)
• Add chia seeds, flax seeds, and powder supplements (you can add protein, cacao, maca root, etc.) and occasionally almonds, walnuts, and hazelnuts.
• Sprinkle some cinnamon and vanilla for a bit of extra flavor and honey (optional),
• Pour in the milk (I go for my vanilla almond milk) and then put in the refrigerator.
• By the morning it’s ready for whatever fresh berries I have around and then I dig in!

My other go-to breakfast is my meal replacement shake (vanilla or chocolate) and either rice cakes, or toast. I usually opt for rice cakes and I top them with peanut butter and various fruits (apples, or strawberries and blueberries, or raspberries and blackberries!–YUM YUM YUM!) with a sprinkle of chia seeds and flax seeds. It’s filling, sweet and I don’t feel heavy or weighed down as I go about my morning.

It’s been fun playing around with recipes and talking with other friends about what meals they’s been loving, and exchanging recipes. I’m not planning on becoming a health blogger, but it’s nice to talk about every now and again.

So what are some of your favorite go-to breakfast foods? Have any fun breakfast ideas you’d like me to try out? Let me know!

Have a beautiful weekend, and stay warm my Northeastern and Midwestern friends!!

With Love,
L.S

 

New Year, New Possibilities

I hope you, my beloved reader, are enjoying your new year so far! It’s the first week of 2019 and I’ve been thinking through some of the amazing memories from years prior.

I love looking back and seeing where I was the year before and all the amazing possibilities I never imagined becoming possible, or the achievements I’ve made, or the people I met and the places I visited. I look back and recall dreams and wishes I made that the Lord made possible.

I love looking back and praising God for all the work he has done in my life and in my heart.

Then I look forward.

I look forward to the new adventures, new memories, and new friends. I look forward to hosting holiday events and family gatherings. I look forward to paying off more of my student loans (insert celebratory emojis)! But mostly I look forward to the amazing things God has planned for me–be it ministry opportunities, church activities, fellowship, growth, love, etc.

Something I’ve learned throughout the past few years of my walk with the Lord is how important it is to live and love. I mean really, not like “get through the day alive” living, or “love when I feel like it,” but wholeheartedly every day and moment I can.

Take advantage of each day you have! Appreciate the days of health and laughter and love. Take the risks of asking that person you’ve been talking with to coffee. Take the risk and make that phone call to that long lost friendship or family member. Take the risk of trying something new and out of your comfort zone (that’s right, let’s go line dancing!) Take risks with the intention of love–and not love for benefit of self, but love and sacrificially for others. And take the risk of loving yourself and the way God has made you, my beloved reader.

I’m not one for “New Year, New Me” resolutions, but I am a dreamer and have hopes for the new year for sure. Maybe “New Year, New Do” because I’ve been back and forth on cutting my hair again, but we will see.

So how about you? Do you make new year resolutions? Do you have any hopes for this new year, or exciting upcoming adventures?

Let me know, I always love hearing from each one of you, my dear and beloved readers. Have a beautiful rest of your week!

With Love,
L.S

Winter End

These past few months have been jam packed. Literally. I’m packing everything I own and preparing for an impending move across the country.

*Wait*

* W H A T ? *

That’s right, beloved readers. I am moving. Do I have plans? Kind of. Am I going crazy because I have another person to worry about and they move toward change slower than a snail trying to make it across the grand canyon? Yes.

Despite the mayhem of moving and the preparation of the holidays, and planning holiday trips and events I have found so much JOY in the little ways God is showing me he loves me. I am so thankful for Him especially when life is really crazy right now. One way I have felt His joy and peace has been baking and creating festive treats, and of course gifts!

I’m not one to expect gifts or even want them as much as I love finding gifts for other people. Maybe it’s because I’m too preoccupied with anxiety and obsessive thoughts of “Will my best friend actually like this (insert said gift)? Of course not! What have I done, can I even call myself their best friend!? I don’t know them at all! I need another idea!” *two minutes later* “Wait. No this gift is perfect. I’m so excited, they will love this!” And back and forth in an endless cycle of Christmas cheer.

But actually, I love it. It is a wonderful reminder of the many gifts I already receive daily from the Lord and I am so thankful each time I am able to find and give gifts for my dear friends and family.

And then of course there’s baking. I’ve found often that when I bake I love it more and more. I find the creation of something with my own hands leaves me filled with joy. I am capable of making something. I can bring my little project to completion and then I can share it with others!

The last two recipes I have been loving have been from my new favorite blog, which I would highly recommend checking out. The blog is Boxwood Avenue and I am obsessed with her work. The first recipe was my fall go-to, Pumpkin Spiced Donuts. I adapted it to fit my high maintenance dietary restrictions (insert eye roll emoji) and it was still wonderfully delicious. But of course, its hard to go wrong with pumpkin spiced treats!

The next recipe was for Peppermint Bark. This was part of a gift box of peppermint goodies for my Secret Santa. I love making gift baskets. I think from now on the gifts I give will come in the form of gift baskets. This particular gift was filled with hot cocoa, a mug, and these peppermint goodies! This particular recipe was SO easy to make, and  I will definitely be making this again in the future! Recipe can be found here.

So what about you? Do you have a favorite go-to Christmas or holiday treat? And do you prefer to receive or give gifts?

Let me know! I would love to hear from you more, my beloved readers!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

With Love,
L.S