Is Your Sunscreen Really Protecting You?

As the warmer weather is approaching, and I say this merely because I'm hoping it will be soon enough! haha--everyone will be vacationing, Spring Break for colleges etc. While packing for vacation, I'm going to go ahead and safely assume that you all pack an SPF/Sunscreen. It's almost unheard of to just bake out on the beach with nothing but baby oil and iodine on, and yes I've actually seen people do this and I feel like handing them a tombstone while I'm at it, seriously are you asking for skin cancer people?! Ugh, anywho--I'm not going to fib you guys, I certainly am one of those people who uses an SPF 8 tanning oil while laying out, I like a nice golden tan, what can I say? As I am getting older, and more aware of the health risks that something so beautiful like the sun can cause, I am becoming more and more uneasy about the things my skin may be going through that may just not be visible now, but could most definitely turn into something medically dangerous later.

During some research I did recently, I came across an astonishing amount of the same outcomes of various experiments. Now, normally I wouldn't believe things like this because sometimes they are just independent studies and they have no real consistent evidence, however this is something that I scarily found nothing but consistency in, and I thought it my absolute job to share this info with you all!

In an article dated just May of last year, I learned that :

"Almost half of the 500 most popular sunscreen products may actually increase the speed at which malignant cells develop and spread skin cancer because they contain vitamin A or its derivatives, according to an evaluation of those products released today." Source : here 

Reading this really really scared me, had what I've been using all along to "protect" myself from skin cancer and harmful rays, actually been contributing to it? It is one thing to prevent sunburn, and that is what these sunscreens will do, but I am definitely more concerned with possibly contracting Melanoma or something even worse from this kind of thing. I continued on to learn that Vitamin A, found in nearly every sunscreen and marketed as it providing "anti aging effects",  has photo-carcinogenic qualities. This pretty much means that when the skin is exposed to direct sunlight, this can increase the possibility of developing cancerous tumors on the skin!

Needless to say, I will only be purchasing organic sunscreens this year for my summer vacations. There's is a website where you can see a list of some safe sunscreens and whatnot. You guys can check that out here.

Hope you can all take this matter seriously, and be preventative about your health! Happy Vacationing! xox

My Duckies!

For those of you who don't know, I am a full time student as well as a Nanny :) This is such a rewarding position, any job working with children really is. I was hesitant to share stories and photos with you guys because I ultimately want to protect my precious little duckies identities, however I found a clever way to share photos with you and still do the aforementioned :) I will do this from time to time accompanied by a story about what the photo is depicting! xox

My Princess Duckie is a Ballerina! I always wanted to be a ballerina when I was a child, but did gymnastics and jazz instead :) She is so incredibly talented with ballet, and she's only 7! She has been doing ballet for 2 years and let me tell you her skill and flexibility amaze me every week. I love taking her to her classes and watching her through the little viewing window. She moves so fluid with the music, she is definitely armed with extreme talent in the dance category. It is also such a privilege to be able to dress her up in her little pink tutu's and french braid her hair, shes so picky with her outfits, I love it!

*UPDATE: Princess Duckie was accepted into a Classical Ballet Academy! This was something that she had to try out for, and she made it, although I always had the faith in her that she would :) I'm so proud of her determination, skill and self discipline, she inspires me everyday! xox

Beauty Interview/Beauty Questions Answered

Browsing through another blog I found this set of questions and thought it was a fun way to get to know someones beauty regime etc :) If you are reading this and have a blog yourself, please don't hesitate to do the same! xox

SKINCARE
-How many times do you wash your face daily?
I wash twice daily, once in the morning and once in the evening.
-What skin type do you have? (dry,oily,combo)
In the winter I get super ridiculously dry skin, however during the rest of the year I would say normal.
-What is your current facial wash?
I use Clean and Clear Deep Pore Cleanser.
-Do you exfoliate?
YES! I use Burt's Bees Citrus Facial Scrub as well as a homemade lemon sugar scrub once or twice a week.
-What moisturizer do you use?
St. Ive's Oatmeal and Shea - this is the ONLY moisturizer that healed my horribly dry skin.
-Do you have freckles?
No
-Do you use eye cream?
Ahh this just reminded I need to pick a new one up lol I will be getting Origins Starting Over Eye Cream :)
-Do you or did you have acne prone skin?
I break out on occasion here and there, but nothing extreme like acne or anything of that sort.
-Did you ever have to use Pro-activ?
No

MAKE-UP
-What foundation do you use?
Laura Mercier Moisturizing Foundation-How about concealer?
Zhen stick in Bamboo SPF 15
-Do you know your undertone color?
Yes, yellow/olive
-What do you think of fake eyelashes?
I think for a special occasion they are cool, everyday def not for me!
-Did you know that you are suppose to change your mascara every 3 months?
Yes, mine often runs out before then anyway so I'm always safe lol
-What brand of mascara do you use?
L'Oreal Voluminous in Blackest Black or Carbon Black. Love love love this!
-Sephora or MAC?
Sephora-more variety!
-Do you have a MAC Pro-card?
No
-What makeup tools do you use in make up application?
My Sigma Brushes and often my fingers! haha
-Do you use make-up base/primer for the eyes?
Yes I sure do, Urban Decay Primer Potion or my Zhen foundation stick
-For the face?
I have the Urban Decay and Sephora Face Primer, but find that I rarely feel like I need to use them.
-What is your favorite eyeshadow (color or shade)?
Anything brown or taupe is very easy to work with
-Do you use pencil or liquid eyeliner?
I use both!
-How often do you poke your eyes with an eyeliner pencil?
I'm super careful as to not do so, I can imagine it would hurt a lot! haha
-What do you think of pigment eye shadows?
I think they are great dependent upon what you are trying to achieve when using them, I don't use them often.
-Do you use mineral makeup?
Used to use Bare Escentuals, now the only thing Mineralized I have in my collection would be my MSF's.
-What is your favorite lipstick?
MAC Blankety as far as natural and VS Heated for something more vibrant!  :)
-How about lipgloss?
My Dior Ultra Gloss Reflect in 127. --I'm running out and can't find this baby anywhere anymore :(
-What is your favorite blush to use?
NARS Orgasm or MAC Fleur Power
-Do you buy your makeup on ebay?
Nope
-Do you like drugstore makeup?
Of course, sometimes I find it beats some of my high end stuff!
-Do you go to CCO's? (cosmetic company outlets)
I have yet to visit one, but would love to some time soon!
-Did you ever consider taking make-up classes?
I find it to be more fun teaching myself as I go, more of a personal journey haha
-Are you clumsy in putting on makeup?
?? I don't think so...lol
-Name a makeup crime that you hate?
Blush/Bronzer not blended well on the cheeks (block of color) and creased eyeliner on the eyelids or eyeshadow creased.
-Do you like colorful shades of makeup (lipstick,eyeshadow) or neutral ones?
I love both :)
-Which celebrity always has great make up?
Eva Longoria-I love that she keeps everything natural, she totally rocks it!-If you could leave the house using just ONE make up item,what would you use?
Mascara
-Could you ever leave the house without any makeup on?
I do this 4 days a week at least!It's good to let your skin breathe!
-Do you think you look good even without any makeup on?
I sure do ;)
-In your opinion, what is the BEST makeup line?
I love MAC for eye shadows, but Urban Decay for eyeliners and NARS for blushes etc. I'm all over the place! haha
-What do you think of Makeup??
I think makeup is such a great accessory. Not only is it artistic and a way to show self expression, but it can completely up someones self esteem and this is something I wish for all women, great self esteem. Its fun to work with and try new looks everyday, but at the end of the day I don't go overboard, makeup is just there to enhance our God given Natural beauty anyway ;)

Coral/Turquoise Explosion in Your Accessories

Nothing screams Spring more to me than a good coral or turquoise accessory. I dont know what it is about these colors, but they remind me of great weather and spring flowers lol :) They look amazing apart, and look even better put together! Below I have thrown together some rings, earrings and necklaces in these colors to give you an idea of something I would totally wear with almost any ensemble during the spring, and even the summer for that matter!

These colors are so vibrant and colorful, I just love em' so so much haha The two tribal looking hoop earrings above in both coral and turquoise are from House of Harlow 1960--lets not get me started on that topic. I am obsessed with any and everything HOH, these earrings being just one of them lol You guys should totally check out Nicole Richie's boho chic retro line of accessories that even include some totally rad (yes I said rad) shoes! Some of her shoes are offered on the Victoria Secret website as well.

For more info on the HOH collection click here !

Window Shopping :)

Below are just a few dresses I came across while perusing some websites online. Some of these dresses are way out of my price range, however, a girl can dream :) I love these dresses for all different reasons, and thought it would be pretty awesome to share some of these with you!

First and foremost, the black and cream Alexander McQueen lace-covered organza dress is simply exquisite, that's the only way I can describe it. I love the shape of it, the pattern, the texture, there really isn't a thing about this dress that I don't like haha ($9,615) Second, this stunning Karen Millen drape dress. I love its cute mini dress shape, with pleating toward the neck-line, which is also a high neck (my favorite on dresses!). It's simple yet very modern day Jackie O', which you all know I adore, and who doesn't want to look spicy in a red dress?! ($250) Third we have a Giambattista Valli draped jersey dress. I love dresses that are fitted to the body with ruching and drapery in the texture and design of the piece. A nude color can be very flattering as well leaving you many options to add a pop of color in accessories or just throw it with a black pump for an extra simple ensemble. Overall, love love love this dress :) ($1,950) Lastly, but certainly not least we have this gorgeous coral/orange gathered kaftan Matthew Williamson dress. There is nothing that reminds me of spring more than the color coral/tangerine! Again you are probably seeing a trend in my style, draping etc. I love the flowy fit of this and the simple tie around the waist that creates a defined line around the waist. The deep plunge in the neck-line creates a hint of sexiness but still keeps it classy, and that's never bad! :) ($450)

I've Officially Added Another Salad to my FAVORITE Salad List! :)

Thai Chopped Chicken Salad

At 390 Calories and packed with savory flavor (thinking about it makes my mouth water and it's only 10am!) this salad is a no brainer for those who love massive flavor in their salads as opposed to the feeling of crunching on watery tasteless lettuce leaves haha When I first tried this, I was pleasantly surprised to find that I liked everything in this salad. I'm notorious for picking out things in my food lol With this I did none of that sort. From the soy beans to the red peppers, I devoured everything because it was just so delicious. If you are in a Panera Bread any time soon, please do your taste-buds a favor and try this baby out!

*Note: this salad packs a little bit of heat too, nothing tabasco sauce like but certainly leaves you tasting a little spice. I love spicy things so this wasn't a problem, however, if this is for you, you can perhaps ask what contributes to the spice and have that taken out :)

Ingredients: 

Fresh Cilantro, Crispy Wonton Strips, Chopped Romaine Lettuce, Citrus & Pepper Chicken, Fire Roasted Edamame Blend, Low Fat Thai Chili Vinaigrette, Thai Cashew Pieces and Thai Style Peanut Sauce.

Ways to Use MAC Fix + & Love it !

Who wants to throw together a fabulous look and have it fade away as the hours go by?? Certainly not me, that's for sure. A while ago I discovered something I had been overlooking for years, MAC Fix +! This stuff is genius in a bottle. The older bottles, which some of you just may still be weaning off of, look more like a travel non aerosol hairspray bottle, no worries the same exact thing is inside there. I personally love that this is the newer packaging though, it is MUCH more user friendly as you can see how much product you actually have left, AND it has the lock on the top so no messy leaks when traveling etc. Ok, so at this point you're wondering what can I use this stuff for?! MAC Fix + has many uses, from refreshing your skin, setting your makeup, and even a mixing medium for pigments, shadows etc.

If you have ever used a MAC pigment, you know that sometimes using it without a mixing agent can cause immediate fallout and ultimately, the product ending up on your face ISN'T ending up on your eyes, where you want it. In my opinion especially glittery pigments (ex: copper sparkle) that have a lot of chunk definitely need this kind of thing. You simply spray a gentle mist (1 spray) onto your eye brush and tap excess liquid off leaving it kind of damp, then go about tapping it into the pigment etc. This will allow it to stick to your eyes much more easily. Use this the same way for shadows etc. You will also see a better color payoff in most instances!

On a hot summer or even spring day, sometimes you just need a skin refresher. FIX + contains glycerin which pretty much traps moisture it catches in the air onto your face so that its not dry and chalky. My FIX + also has cucumber extract which is used as an "anti-inflammatory" to tighten the skin a little, obviously this is never a bad thing haha Spring water is also a key ingredient and I think this simple thing is what makes me feel so refreshed, its like splashing water on your face after coming in from a day in the sun. All of these ingredients are wonderful for your skin as well!

Last but certainly not least, this is a great way to set your makeup in place. After you have finished your entire makeup regime, spray about two sprays onto your face, at a distance where its misty.  There you go, perfectly sealed in makeup that will last for hours without any visible signs of fading :) I hope by this point you are convinced that you definitely should own this little gem haha Its definitely a worthwhile purchase, its the gift that keeps on giving! :)

To find this (or their new lavender one) click here !