Celebrity Crush: Cheryl Cole

How gorgeous is Cheryl Cole? She's come a far way style wise, but her personal accomplishments are worthy of praise as well.

I can't believe she's only 27. She seems so mature and has an old-soul vibe. Her ex-husband is a total scum-bag for cheating on her repeatedly.

Rumors are swirling that she's going to be a judge on the American version of the widely popular British show the X-Factor. She's currently a judge on the UK version of the show created by Simon Cowell and has been a fan favorite since she arrived 2 years ago.

I just watched the interview she did with Piers Morgan a while back and it kinda started this crazy mad search to figure out who she is and boy and I glad it did. She released her second solo album Messy Little Raindrops was released early this month and some of the songs are very upbeat dance tunes, while others are more mellow and at times sad.

Seriously keep your eyes out for this girl because I have a feeling she's going to transition in the US and make it big.

November Favorites

My favorite goodies from November in no particular order:

• Pumpkin Spice Lattes from Starbucks
• Smith's Rosebud Salve
• California Mango Magic Cuticle Oil
• Aveeno Body Wash
• Nexxus Humectress Ultimate Moisturizing Conditioner
• Lancome Sweet Balm in Lilac
• Sour JuJubes
• Ultra Tall Uggs in Chocolate
• Steve Madden Intyce boots in black

Bubble Umbrella!

I've been wanting a clear umbrella for a while now. After seeing pictures of Lauren Conrad, Blake Lively and Leighton Meester carrying them I felt even more compelled to get one than before.

I've looked at a few and they all seem to cost around $20. All I've got to do now is pick one and wait for it to be shipped.

Abandoned

School, exams, Thanksgiving, family, traveling. I just had so much going on that I abandoned my little blog, but I'm back and I've decided to share a few of the goodies I purchased over the break.

1) I bought a curling "wand" from Ulta for $30 because I felt inspired by my Thanksgiving dinner hairstyle; beachy voluminous waves. Even though I love the pin-straight look from the keratin treatment those waves were gorgeous. I've never used a curling iron let alone a curling "wand" so I'm not sure how this is going to workout, but I'm hoping for the best. Maybe I'll attempt to do my hair some time this week and post a picture?

2) CeraVe PM moisturizer. I love CeraVe; it's one of those brands that's not gimmicky and really simply. They have like 6 products: 2 cleansers, 2 creams/lotions and an AM and PM product. I've tried their cream, hydrating cleanser and pm moisturizer and I've loved all three. I decided to repurchase a bottle of the pm moisturizer because I left mine at my sister's place over the summer and since I go there at least once every six months I don't really see the point of her brining a bottle of $10 lotion for me across international borders.... Anyways about the PM moisturizer. It apparently exfoliates your skin and makes it more tolerable to retinoids (which if you read my past posts will know gave me a chemical burn!).

3) Neutrogena Body Clear Body Wash. Yes, I have back acne. It used to be REALLY bad when I was younger to the point that I wouldn't wear my hair up while wearing dresses or tank-tops, but over the years it has gotten better because of ProActive (only use it on my back because it destroyed my face). I decided to try the Neutrogena body wash because it has salicylic acid which is great for acne and it acts as a general exfoliant all-over which is great for me because my skin needs a lot of exfoliation.

4)Clinique toner in level 4. I think I've been super stressed from school and life which directly affects my skin. I have a few really deep bumps along my jaw right now with no head and a few older bumps on my cheek and those pesky little white-heads all-over. I would basically call my situation a hot mess at the moment. But my sister said it has salicylic acid and so hopefully that'll help clear things up in time for Christmas.

That's all for now! Hope everyone has a lovely week =)

Sept 8th 2010 @ 4:39am

Here's a little poem I wrote a while back. I'm not very good at writing, but I couldn't sleep that night and typed this out on my iPhone in the dark.

Sept 8th 2010 @ 4:39am

I lay here alone in the dark.

Thinking. Thinking. It never stops.

Every morning I look forward to the silence the night has to offer.

But I fear the darkness that it brings.

I fear the darkness that covers me.

It suffocates me but I need it.

It suffocates me but I love it.

The shadows are no longer in hiding.

There’s no light to reveal their secrets.

They come out and do as they please while I lay here alone in the dark.

Pet Peeves

Here’s a short list of my pet-peeves

-chewing with your mouth open
-messy, cluttered and dirty rooms
-chipped nail polish
-open drawers, cupboards and closet doors
-people who say “l-o-l” in real-life conversations
-bottles, containers and boxes facing the “wrong way” with the label not showing.
-talking on your cell-phone while at a restaurant
-people who make these ridiculous clacking noises when they type
-using a mouse instead of a laptop trackpad
-not understanding your and you’re 

Well that’s ten of my pet peeves. Anyone care to share any of theirs? 

Emergen-C

This stuff basically saved me last night/this morning. I had an exam this morning and I had pulled an all-nighter studying and around 4 am I was feeling really tired and so I took a water bottle and added two packets of Emergen-C 1000 mg of Vitamin C in Super Orange and BAM! I was awake and full of energy. I used to take Red Bull and caffeine pills like Vivarin to stay up, but those are really bad for you. Emergen-C has vitamin B12, which is a proven energy booster and it doesn't have the nasty side-effects of Red Bull (hello heart palpitations!). On top of the added energy each Emergen-C packet provides 500% of all the vitamin B6, 417% of all the vitamin B12 and 1667%of all the vitamin C we need. So it gives you energy, vitamins and makes water taste good. What's not to love?

For anyone who is feeling sluggish, sick or just interested in trying it I say go for it! 


I buy a box of 30 for $12 at my local Walgreens. Click the link below to visit Emergen-C's website where you can get samples and learn more about their products. Emergen-C

TV Shows I watch

Since I'm in college and don't have a tv in this 130 sq ft closet they call a double (yes, I have a roommate) I watch all my show a day later on iTunes, network websites and other online site. I don't watch a lot of shows, but I'm quite dedicated to the ones I do watch. I've never not seen an episode of any of the shows I currently watch. Here's a list of show's I'm currenly following/watching

• Gossip Girl 
• 90210
• Community
• Blue Bloods
• Boardwalk Empire
• Vampire Diaries
• Real Housewives of Atlanta
• Real Housewives of Beverly Hills
• Glee
• Misfits

Just Placed A Sephora Order

Even though I have more than enough makeup I decided to take advantage of the 20% coupon code Sephora emailed me (at the last minute) to make 2 small purchases. I ended up getting

• Dolce & Gabbana - Light Blue Perfume value set with a shower gel and body lotion ($88)
• Guerlain - Meteorites Illuminating Pressed Powder in Mythic Parfait ($65)

I also went ahead and used some of those VIB points I had been hoarding. I got two of the 500 point gifts and 2 of the 100 point gifts. The 500 point perk is a sample set of Fussion Beauty products and the 100 point perk is a mini Ojon - Shine & Protect Glossing Mist. And for my 3 free samples I chose Bvlgari - Jasmin Noir Eau de Parfum, Ole Henriksen - Pure Perfection and REN - Glycolactic Skin Renewal Peel Mask. 

By the way, Sephora's customer service kinda sucks. I had returned a sunscreen over the summer and since I shop at Sephora so much I just told the sale assistant to give me a gift card. So I go online to place my order and an error shows up saying the gift card can't be processed and that I should contact customer service. I call customer service and explain my situation and the representative says that I was given store credit because I didn't have my receipt when I made my return. Complete BS because I STILL have the receipt and I most definitely had it with me when I returned the product. I kindly asked her if she'd just switch the amount over to a gift card and not store credit which is what I was given and she said that it was basically impossible. Luckily I shop at Sephora a lot so I don't feel like I'm being forced to spend money at a store I don't shop at, but it seems quite silly to me that store credit can't be transfered into a gift card especially when someone is trying to make a purchase. 

Smith's Rosebud Salve

via thebeautyblogs.wordpress.com

Lips, skin cuticles and everything else in between. No matter what you can slap on some Rosebud Salve on it. I had seriously chapped lip last week and I kept applying chapstick but my lips still felt super dry. Then I applied Rosebud Salve one night and I woke up with soft luscious lips. Like I said earlier, Rosebud Salve isn't just for lips. About 2 weeks ago I had a chemical burn on my face from Retin-A Micro and over-exfoliation. I applied some Rosebud Salve for a few nights and my skin healed faster than usual.


It's the consistency of petroleum jelly, but it has a very light rose scent because of the rose oil. Even though it's so similar to petroleum jelly it somehow moisturizes better and feels nicer. 


I've purchased tins for at least a dozen of my friends and family and at least 6 of them have gone and repurchased it for themselves. 


Rosebud Salve retails at $7 for a tin at Sephora and it's worth every penny. 

Make Up: What I Do and The Products I Use

I love makeup; I always have. I used to go into my Mom's makeup vanity and cover my face in the most horrendous colors, and as I got older I drifted over to my sisters makeup and I used to eat her MAC lipsticks because they tasted really good. Apparently she caught my on several occasions with lipstick all over my mouth and teeth and when she questioned me about it I had the nerve to deny it.

These are the product I'm currently using

Foundation: 
• MAKE UP FOREVER - HD Invisible Cover Foundation in 118 
• BARE ESCENTUALS - bareMinerals SPF 15 Foundation in Medium Beige


Concealer: 
• Benefit - Erase Paste in Medium 
• Olay - Regenerist Touch of Concealer Eye Regenerating Cream




Blush: 

• Dior - DiorBlush in Passion Fruit

Mascara: 
• L'Oreal - Voluminous Waterproof Mascara in Carbon Black
• L'Oreal - Double Extend Beauty Tubes Mascara in Black

Powder: 
• BARE ESCENTUALS - bareMinerals  Mineral Veil 
• Physicians Formula - Powder Palette® Multi-Colored Face Powder in Creamy Natural

Eye Liner: 
• L'oreal - Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Liner in Carbon Black 
• MAKE UP FOREVER - Aqua Eyes in Matt Black 
• Urban Decay - 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil  in Zero 
• Annabelle - Smoothliner in Black

Tools: 
• Shu Uemura - Eyelash Curler 
• BARE ESCENTUAL - Full Flawless Face Brush
• M.A.C - Large Shader Brush #249 
• M.A.C - Brush Brush # 116

Green Luxury

So if I weren't a college student with no job and living off my very generous parents this is how I would dress. How fabulous is this outfit. Yes, I know. I made it. But still; that doesn't negate it's fabulousness.

Green Luxury by tropical_dreams15 featuring yellow gold jewelry

My Current Skin Care Routine

Here's a little description of my skin. To put it simply my skin is crazy. It's oily yet it gets dry sometimes, it's sensitive yet I have to exfoliate several times a week, I don't get pimples unless it's that time of the month yet I have a major blackhead issue on my nose.

During my teen years I had amazing skin. In all honestly it was probably the best my skin had ever been. Everyone else was dealing with pimples while I was just cruising along. Then the summer after I graduate my skin goes all crazy and starts breaking out like crazy on my cheeks and jaw. I have no idea why this happened and so after trying to deal with the acne using drugstore products for almost a year I decided to visit a dermatologist.

In a matter of 3 months he had my skin all cleared up. 3 MONTHS. THAT'S IT! I should disclose that the antibiotics he gave me work on malaria as well and they left me feeling nauseous every morning. But hey my skin looked great!

I believe in using simple products; all those products with words like oxygen replenishing and regenerating just go over my head. Also, since I'm in college I tend to keep it very basic because
1) I don't have time
2) I don't have space to store a bunch of product.

Now finally here's the good part.

Cleansers:
-SkinCeutical Simply Clean
-SFC Lotion Gentle Soap Free Cleanser
-CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser

Moisturizers:
-CeraVe Cream
-Roc Retinol Correxion Eye Cream for Wrinkles

Exfoliant:
-Neutrogena Stress Control Oil-Free Power-Clean Scrub

Prescriptions:
-Retin A Micro 0.04% Gel
-Duac


Lookout for reviews of the following products in the near future. 

Oh Dear

Ok so after taking a break from Retin-A for unknown reasons (read: laziness) I decided to get back on it. After my second night of applying Retin-A Micro 0.04% my skin started really peeling and so being the type of person who doesn't seem to remember traumatic past experiences I went a little wild exfoliating. And by a little wild I mean I scrubbed in the shower with a muslin cloth, then left my AHA based cleanser on while I soaped up and I may or may not have used Neutrogena's Acne Stress Control scrub for about 7 seconds before feeling like someone had poured acid on my face.

In a matter of 5 minutes I did some serious damage to my skin. First off I looked like someone had struck my forehead with one of those suction-cup arrows and the rest of my face was just horribly red and blotchy. Secondly, my 20 year old face felt like it had a face-lift. My face was painfully tight; like I wanted to laugh but I actually couldn't and that made me want to cry but I couldn't do that either. It was just terrible.

It's been about 4 days since the "incident" and I'm still recovering. I've just been applying moisturizer like crazy and avoiding all topical RX's and keeping my cleansing super simple with a soap-free cleanser. My skin isn't that red anymore, but it's got this very odd texture now so I guess I damaged my skins natural barrier. Hopefully it'll all be good in a week or so.

College, Weight Gain and Fitness

Although I don't know the exact number I can honestly say I've gained at least 5 pounds since starting school. Luckily I can still fit in my clothes . Thank God for spandex, baggy college sweatshirts and leggings.

Just looking over at my nightstand I see a can of diet coke, a king size pack of Almond Joys, an unopened bag of Sour Patch Kids and a half eaten theater-size box of Mike and Ikes. Oh and a recently finished bag of Smartfood is sitting in the trash. Eating junk-food is totally normal and at times the only thing that makes me feel better. But eating ALL of this in less than a week is bad. Very bad.

Oh and all you can eat dinning halls are just evil. Why would you offer stressed out girls an unlimited amount of yummy things? I'm not just going to have just a burger when there's also honey glazed ham, greasy pizza, mac and cheese, shrimp scampi and burritos.

Since I'm going home for Thanksgiving I need to at least get back to my old weight/shape, so I'm cutting out all sugar (diet soda included) and trying to eat less carbs and replace them with vegetables on my plate starting Monday. Does that mean I'm not going to eat the gooey mac and cheese? No, but am I going to eat a plateful of it? Obviously not.

And since I'm lucky enough to live across the street from the REC I plan on going back to the gym. I used to go the first few weeks of school just because I had a lot of free time, but now that school work is pilling up, and social things are constantly going on, I find it hard to find a solid 2 hours. And no, I don't workout for 2 hours; I don't have the stamina for that. But I like to workout for about 1 hour and need another hour to shower and get myself together afterwards.

I actually worked out on Tuesday and Wednesday and it felt amazing. On Tuesday I went kick-boxing which was scary but satisfying. The instructor said I had really strong hits considering it was my first time. I thought he was being polite/nice my friend said he was flirting. Either way it was a compliment right? On Wednesday I did the eliptical for 45 minutes and then went rock climbing for 30 minutes. Oh and if anyone has a rock climbing wall at the gym I highly reocmend it for a  workout. The next day muscles you didn't know you had will be aching. And personally when working out I equate pain with performance and results. I'll try and make a post each time I workout and let you know what I did and what I wore.

Here's the outfit I wore to the gym:

November 2nd 2010: Workout Outfit by tropical_dreams15 featuring short sleeve tops

What I Wore Today

So it's officially cold where I live. We had an "indian summer" apparently and so it was in the 70's for most of September and October, but it really feels like Fall now. 

My day-to-day style is super casual. I'm all about solids, dark colours and no labels or any sort of graphics. I'm not going to pay for clothes and then walk around like an advertisement for a designer/brand. It all seems kinda silly; it anything they should pay us to wear their clothes with their logo's and names splashed across our chests, bottoms and accessories. 

Here's what I wore today: November 1st 2010

November 1st 2010 by tropical_dreams15 featuring striped scarves