Frozen Yogurt and Sun Soaking

Hi guys!

Today I hung out with a friend from high school who I don't get to see very often. It was nice catching up with him and we got some frozen yogurt from Pinkberry! He was also so very kind and helped take some shots for a quick ootd :) I have been loving paring bright sneakers with a simple outfit, I think it gives a more laid back look and is definitely easier on the feet than a pair of flip flops or flats.

Shirt: Forever21
Shorts: H&M
Cardigan: Gap
Shoes: Reebok Skyscape

Love,
Kristie

My Road to Positivity and Happiness

Hi guys!

A LOT of you have read my post on how I deal with anxiety (if you haven't, click HERE :) ) and some of you have asked me how I bounced back from letting my anxiety and stress levels control my daily life and of course, my mood. So here are some tricks and things that have worked for me to help me keep a positive mindset and lead a happier lifestyle :).

First off, it was extremely hard for me to just suddenly shift my mindset. From my anxiety post, you guys know I had lost my self esteem and confidence for the longest time, and that I received a lot of help and advice from a counsellor. She said in order for me to be happy again, I had to learn to first: be independently happy, second: to not be so hard on myself and third: to learn how to release stress.

I honestly did not know where to even begin to be happy again, at the time it was so hard to even put in the effort because I was so down. Every smile that I put forward didn't feel genuine. I learned however, if there's a will, there's a way and I just took baby steps.

I started to do things that I wanted to do and went back to doing things that I had given up in the last 25 months. I really wanted to bring back the spark I had prior to the last two years. If you guys didn't know, I took dance throughout elementary school and high school so I really wanted to get back into that. However, with a heavy school schedule I didn't really have time to take proper dance classes. So instead, I started doing Ballet Beautiful. This initiated my road to positivity and happiness :)

1st Tip: Exercise
Ballet Beautiful is a workout lead by professional ballerina turned fitness instructor, Mary Helen Bowers. It's a good workout for those looking to achieve a strong and lean dancer's body. Once I started doing this workout, not only did I get leaner, I also felt good for the first time in a longtime. Exercise helps your body produce endorphins and of course endorphins make you happy! This was also a great way to destress.

2nd Tip: Read Self-Help Books
I was not very familiar with self help books so I picked up one that was reccomended for first time "self help readers". This book was Treasure Yourself by Miranda Kerr. I was able to relate to some of the stuff she's written and I actually really like this book. This helped me see things in a different perspective and it helped me realize the importance of loving yourself and treating your mind and body well.

3rd Tip: Eating Healthy
From Miranda Kerr's book, I learned that feeling good and looking good definitely starts from within. When I was so miserable, I did not care what I put in my body and obviously it helped to contribute to the negativity. Once I started putting in the effort to eat healthier, not only did it help my skin look better, I felt good inside and healthy so it started to boost my confidence and self esteem. I really love drinking green juice or a fruit smoothie in the morning. It gives me the energy boost I need to start my day :)

4th Tip: Be gentle with yourself 
This is a big one for me and an affirmation I now live by. By being gentle with myself, this means allowing myself to take a break from studying when I feel like I really need it, or just going out and getting ice cream because I want to. This has helped reduced the amount of stress I experience daily tremendously, because now I do the things that I want to do without anxiety getting in the way (the majority of the time) and I started to believe myself when I tell myself I'll be okay in high stress situations (which now happens a lot less in comparison to before). Being gentle with yourself also means treating yourself every once in a while because GURL, YOU DESERVE IT. This could mean giving yourself a pamper evening every couple weeks or going shopping even.It's nice to just treat yourself every now and then :)

5th Tip: Choose Positive Affirmations
Choose some affirmations that apply to you and try to live by them. This has helped me alter my mindset from negative to mostly positive because it has become a habit. I say "mostly" positive because I am still a work in progress haha. I like to read affirmations once I wake up in the morning and try to live my day by one affirmation that I choose for that particular day. I also like to remind myself of the affirmation throughout the day by writting it down, taking a picture of it and setting it as my home wallpaper on my phone. By living by these affirmations daily, it's starting to become "normal" to me, just like how a high degree of stress was once so very normal to me. Here are some of my favourite affirmations...(all of these I have read somewhere haha)...

Be gentle with yourself and be gentle with others

I conduct myself honorably at all times

It is okay to be sad sometimes

I am free to create success in my life-it is my choice

Being myself involves no risk

Blaming others does not solve anything

I am greatful for everything that I have 

Loving others is easy when I love and respect myself 

So this is what I am currently doing and have been doing in the past 8 months to try to better myself :) This has helped my anxiety a lot because by doing all this, my stress levels have not been so high. I still get anxiety but I find that now it usually won't lead up to a panic attack because of the different mindset I have started developping. I know inside I will be okay and I have learned to believe that. So if you guys are struggling to pep up a bit, maybe give these tips a go? Haha they work for me so hopefully they can help you too.

Love,
Kristie

Outfit of the Day #3 | Spring 2014

Top: Zara 

Skirt: Forever 21

Hat: Topshop

Shoes: Topshop

Love,

Kristie

ORIGINS Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask | Review

Hi guys!

Today I'm going to do a review on the Origins Clear Improvement mask. This mask has been around for a long time but I have never gotten around to trying it until  recently. I got the travel size which retails for $20 CAD at my local Sephora. The full size retails for $28 CAD. I wasn't sure if I was going to love it so that is why I went ahead and bought the travel size.

First off let me explain what my skin type is. I have combination to oily skin that is also acne prone and my biggest skin issue are dark spots that are left behind once the blemish goes away. I have been using this mask twice a week for the past month and I have to say, it has become a staple in my skin care regime.

This mask has a smooth gel consistancy which can be quite sheer with just one layer. I like to put a sheer layer all over my face once I come out of the shower (so pores are open) and then add another layer on problem areas. Once the mask is on, there is that tingling feeling that comes with every clay mask, but what I really appreciated was when it dried, the mask was still flexible enough for me to move my face..Like when I needed to talk or drink water. It will not crack once it's dry which I LOVE.

I will say that this mask did not give me "amazing" and "instant drastic" results like other people have experienced. My skin did feel softer and it did brighten my complexion after my first use but that was it. After multiple uses however, I started seeing results. I also like to leave this mask on for about an hour because the longer I wear this mask, the better results I see. A little also goes a long way, I have been using this mask twice a week for a month and in the picture above (which I took today) shows how much I have left.

After about the fourth or fifth time using this mask, I noticed my overall complexion started to look quite good. It does get rid of some blackheads and it does clean out most lightly clogged pores and my dark spots looked lighter. But what this product is really good for I find, is acne. It minimizes the appearance of the spot and after a few days, the spot dissapears. Which is why I also like to use this mask as a spot treatment.

Taking off the mask can be quite messy if you just want to manually remove it with your hands and water. It will get everywhere and stain your clothes if you do that. So the best way I found to take off this mask, is to use a damp face cloth. Once the mask is taken off, I continue with my regular skin care routine.

To sum this mask all up, here are what I think the pros and cons are :

PROS:
-minimizes acne spots
-can choose the opacity of the mask
-brightens a dull complexion
-does not crack and fall off once it's dry
-reasonably priced (still a bit pricey but it's not the priciest in terms of good clay masks)
-clears lightly clogged pores/ blackheads
-lightens dark spots
-The travel size will last forever

CONS:
-Can be quite messy to take off
-does not do much with stubborn blakheads and stubborn clogged pores (in my experience)

Love,
Kristie

Outfit of the Day #2 | Spring 2014

 Top: Delia's

Skirt: Forever 21

Sunglasses: Forever 21

Hi guys! I decided to pair my two favourite things together, florals and bows! It's getting a lot warmer here in Vancouver so I'm pretty excited to wear spring clothes. Please don't mind the doggy poop bag in the first photo, I was walking my dog hahaha

Love,

Kristie

Outfit of the Day | Spring 2014

Dress: Forever 21

Cardigan: TNA

Purse: Macy's

Belt: Forever 21

Love,

Kristie 

My Spring Hairstyles | How to

Hi guys!

I thought I would show you guys three of my current "go to" hairstyles. I have been wearing these hairstyles very often because they are super simple and fast, and takes me about two minutes to do. I think they're perfect for spring because they help keep some hair out of your face.

1. Side fishtail

How to: Gather some hair (about two inches wide) to desired side of your head and start a traditional fishtail braid. Once you have finished the braid, tie it with an elastic then pull and tug onto the braid lightly to make it seem softer and fuller. Finish with hairspray to hold in place of you like.

2. Side "French" braid

How to: similar to the first hairstyle, just gather about two inches of hair and start a traditional French braid. Continue this French braid until you reach your ear and then finish with regular braiding. Once you have finished the braid, tie with an elastic and pull the braid to create a fuller and softer look. Hairspray into place if you like.

3. Side half up - half down pony

How to: Gather hair as if you were doing a regular half up half down pony. Maneuver the hair onto one side of your head and tie with an elastic. Super simple! And very "Ariana Grande" inspired.

And those are my current favourite hairstyles! They are super fast and easy which is why I always find myself doing them. Just a quick note, my hair is semi curled in these photos because it gives me more texture and it helps my braids hold together better. But I have done these hairstyles with straight hair and they work fine as well.

Love,
Kristie

CRABTREE & EVELYN Rosewater | Review

Hi guys!

Finals season is here and I am stressing out! To try to destress a bit, I like lighting candles while I study. The one I am currently lighting is the Gardenia Lily scented soy candle from Target. It's a very cozy floral and sweet scent, perfect for spring time.

Speaking of floral scents, I have recently received the Crabtree & Evelyn Rosewater trio. This trio comes with their body lotion, bath & shower gel and hand therapy cream.

I absolutely adore this trio. The packaging is beautiful and matches my room perfectly! I also find the smell to be simply feminine and elegant. I have been using the hand cream for the past two weeks and it has made my hands so much softer. It is enriched with vitamins C and E and claims to revitalise time-worn skin. I might not have used it long enough yet to see this revitalizing effect (I am quite young so maybe I won't see this effect at all) but my hands love this stuff. It's a very light gel like hand cream and absorbs quickly. It does not leave a greasy finish and the smell of rose is very subtle and calming. The scent however, does linger throughout the day so I would stray away from this if you don't like or are sensitive to fragrances. I find this product to be a cheaper alternative to the L'Occitane hand creams. The packaging is similar and both deliver well in terms of moisturizing and smoothness. For me, this has become my perfect everyday hand cream. 

The bath & shower gel has the same beautiful scent. Light, subtle rose and not offensive at all. It leathers up okay and cleans pretty well. I did need to use a bit of product for a good lather though. I use the body lotion right after I shower and the lotion will slightly intensify the lingering rose smell from the bath gel. Even after an application of the body lotion, I still don't find the smell to be overpowering. Instead, I find it to be soothing and relaxing. Perfect for night time, and definitely helps me fall asleep. It gives off the same calming essence lavender would give to help with calming. This body lotion is also very moisturizing, absorbs quickly and is not greasy or oily. As for preference, I do prefer to use this combo at night time only. Just because the scent is so soothing it could put me to sleep during the day haha.

Love,

Kristie

My Hair

Hi guys!

A lot of people have been asking me questions about my hair after I posted that picture of my hair in my spring ootd blog post. In all honesty, I actually don't do much to it. I don't like putting a lot of product in my hair and I wash my hair after every two days. So here are some of your questions answered.

My hair naturally. (Except for the bangs in this pic)

1. I trim my hair every 5-6 weeks 

2. I do not blow dry my hair, if I have to I will blow dry it on the lowest setting

3. I rarely use hot tools (straightner, curler,etc)

4. This is the most I ever heat style my hair. I use a one inch Revlon straightner to quickly add waves using the lowest setting (takes less than 5 minutes)

5. My hair is dyed. I have dyed it multiple times using Liese Prettia in Glossy Brown

6. I don't use hairspray or any styling products in my hair

7. Hairstylists say my hair is very thick and there is lots of it

8. My hair is naturally black and pin straight

9. This is the shampoo and conditioner that I am currently using. It works well, I'm not too fussy about shampoos. 

10. This is my hairstraightner it's a one inch straightner. I've had this for years

11. I believe good hair growth and health start from within so I take fish oil suppliments to help maintain good hair, skin and nails

I hope that answered all your hair questions haha. 

Love,

Kristie

Light Spring Makeup

Hi guys!

The weather is getting warmer and when the weather gets warmer, I like to wear lighter makeup. More "natural" and "bareskinned" if you will. My skin is combination-oily so once it's getting warmer, I tend to get very oily and my makeup (especially foundation) will break apart and completely slide off my face. I usually get oily on my forehead, around my nose and on my chin. So this is what I''ve been wearing everyday to help keep my oilyness at bay.

1. After my skin care routine I will first put on a sunscreen. The one I have been using for years on my face is the Shiseido Ultra Sun Protection Lotion. This is a very light sunscreen and I find that it kind of acts as a primer as well because it absorbs quickly and leaves a semi matte finish on your skin, to prep for foundation.

2. After applying my Sunscreen, if it's especially hot then I will also apply a primer for extra oil control. I'm not too fussy about primers, at the moment I am using the Benefit Porefessional primer because I received a small sample size as a gift. If I choose to go straight for a foundation, right now I am using the Lioele Beyond the Solution BB cream.  BB creams are what I tend to go for in the warmer months because it is a lot lighter than a foundation but it still evens out your skin and conceal minor imperfections.

3. For blush, at the moment I am using Lancome ROUGE which is a beautiful red-pink color with a bit of shimmer.

4. Finally for my lips, I also like something light weight for spring/summer. Something almost stain like is what I usually go for. So lately, I've been really liking the Victoria's Secret Shine Drama Lip gloss in Punch Drunk. I actually got this as a gift on my birthday and I really love it. It's very light, moisturizing (I don't have to wear lip balm under it) buildable and does not feel sticky which I appreciate. I don't do anything for my eyes because I like to keep it as natural as possible.

Here's a swatch of it :) 

Everything together

Follow me on instagram! 

www.instagram.com/kristieenguyeen

Love,

Kristie