Chit Chat: Back to School & Life

Hola chickens!  I could be normal and just say “Hello my lovely readers” but if you were to meet me in real life you know that I prefer to address people with an odd combination of Spanish and a phrase I stole from a wonderful Pilates instructor I learned from.  I’ve never done a post where I just sit down and talk to the few followers I’ve met since starting my blog, but I thought it would be nice to try.

I definitely haven’t been posting as much as I was when I first started my blog, but life got in the way a tad bit.  I was working a lot at my job and then had a family vacation with very limited internet access.  I also failed to plan ahead and write posts that I could schedule beforehand.  One of the downfalls to being a blogging newbie I suppose.  College classes have started back for me this past week, and so begins another round of trying to establish a schedule and get my life in order.  I know that my posting will be limited to once a week or so.  I would love it if I could keep up with twice a week but knowing myself I won’t have time to write, photograph, and edit enough to put up a quality post.  I’m a bit of a perfectionist and I’d rather give you all something I’m proud of than just slap something up in order to keep a deadline.

I thought I might share some of my pre-semester goals with you for the sake of keeping myself motivated.  If you have any advice or tips on keeping up with a busy schedule or being self employed (that’s what school feels like to me) definitely feel free to share!

Blog-wise I have several sets of photos that I just need to edit and write up a post to along with.  I’m working on reviews of the repackaged Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks (spoilers– they’re awesome), some Paula’s Choice toners, and a few of my favorite hair products.  I’ve posted a haul of some of my recent purchases so if you see anything you’d like a review of there be sure to let me know!  For school my goal is to stay on top of assignments and studying and seriously cut down on my procrastinating.  I feel like I enjoy school a lot more when I’m not so stressed out and I really get to learn the material (provided it’s material I’m interested in).  I know procrastination plagues many of us, and I like to think I’ve managed to cut down on it a good bit since my high school days but it still gets me once in awhile.  Other life goals I have are to work in regular exercise at least 4 days of the week, continue getting 7-8 hours of sleep a night, and make time to spend with the boyfriend each week.

How do you get ready for a new semester after a summer or winter break?  Do you like to come up with some basic goals to keep in mind?  What things are important to you and how do you decide what to tackle first on your to-do list?

Recent Haul: Foundation, Skincare, Lipstick, & More!

I took a look at my makeup stash trying to decide what to review next and realized that since starting my blog I’ve done quite a bit of hauling that I might not have otherwise done. I love seeing what others have picked up recently so I thought I’d share! This is quite a lot of stuff, but I’ve collected it over the past 2-3 months so the damage isn’t quite as bad as it looks. Let me know if you see anything you’d be interested in seeing a review in any of the products shown. I should have quite a few concealer reviews coming up seeing as I’ve been on a bit of a kick lately.

BlowPro Faux Dry Dry Shampoo

Dry shampoo can be a miracle product but it’s so hard to find one that works.  I’m always on the lookout for a great formula that really works, but this one by BlowPro is one that I always come back to.

It’s a very fine white powder that you dispense onto hair in little “poofs” by squeezing the bottle.  I found the application odd at first, but once you get the hang of it it’s very easy.  It feels a bit like inflating a blood pressure cuff.  I kind of wish the Bumble & Bumble Pret a Powder (another dry powder shampoo) had the same method of application because it’s easier to control how much product you apply and where it goes.  For travel it has a swivel top to cover the nozzle and prevent spills, and it’s non aerosol so it’s airplane friendly!

Obsession: Soap & Glory Hand Food

I may or may not have developed a slight obsession with the Soap & Glory Hand Food… I definitely have three different sizes floating around my apartment.  I’ve tried several different hand creams and this one stands true as my favorite!

My first mini tube came from Sephora just before I left for my trip to England.  It quickly replaced my Bath & Body Works hand cream for a few reasons:

1. It’s completely non-greasy.  There’s nothing that irritates me more than leaving a trail of greasy fingerprints behind me after applying hand cream.  This one sinks right in!
2. It smells AMAZING.  It says it contains the scents of shea butter, macadamia oil, and marshmallow.  To me it smells like the Miss Dior Cherie fragrance.  Very sweet but somehow still a bit luxurious and sophisticated
3. It fulfills the most basic requirement of a hand cream: moisturization.  Granted if your hands are so dry they’ve begun to split at the knuckles you may need something stronger, but for daily year-round use it fits the bill perfectly.  You’ll need to reapply after washing your hands, but a little bit of the hydration will stick around even if you don’t.