Friday, April 29, 2011

Living in the Moment :)

Good Morning All!

Today I learned an extremely valuable lesson. As I write this, I am enjoying coffee in the dining hall on my campus. As I enjoy my second cup of coffee (a rarity because I typically only have one) I have a perfect view of the beautiful day outside. I am completely at peace and stress-free, how life should be. The best part of it all is that I have a very important exam in less than an hour, and it is one of those exams that could make-or-break my course grade. I have studied endlessly this week, and worked extremely hard to prepare myself, and now that I feel like I have done all that I can do, I am calm and relaxed.
When I woke up this morning, I had only slept a little more than three hours. People on my campus tend to be a little rowdy on Thursday nights, so even though I got into bed at midnight, the noise kept me awake and I didn't fall asleep until after two. This morning when I woke up, it was a little bit before five thirty (I typically wake up between 8:30 and 10). I was determined to wake up in time to watch the royal wedding on television in the lounge of my dorm with some friends. I felt exhausted, I had no clue of how I was going to stay awake, and I started to worry because I need to be completely alert and focused for my exam. Instead of stressing over these things, I sat back and watched the beautiful fairytale wedding of Prince William and Kate Middleton (my style icon!) unfold. Now, almost four hours later, I sit in the dining hall sipping my coffee and realizing that things are not always perfect, but that is perfectly fine. If we spend the valuable moments of our day stressing out and worrying about things that are out of our control, then we will exhaust ourselves and take away from the beauty of the moment that we are in. I am certain that if I can feel completely at peace and calm (this was an epiphany moment for me, might I add) then you surely can too in your everyday lives. I hope you feel inspired by this post, because I feel very inspired writing it. Enjoy! xoxo, Kyla

Wednesday, April 27, 2011

Subtle Ways You May Be Sabotaging Your Skin

Hi everyone! It's that time of year when most of us are 'coming out of hibernation' and spending more time outside enjoying the beautifully warm weather, whether it be taking walks with friends or hanging by the pool. I don't know about you, but for me I really don't like the really of having a lot of makeup on my face when it's warm outside, I like to let my skin b-r-e-a-t-h-e. This can be a difficult thing to do if you are battling acne, rosacea, or an uneven skin tone. Foundation becomes a comfort blanket for many women, a simple fix that makes them feel more confident by hiding their imperfections. However, what many of us fail to realize is that foundation can melt deep into our pores when it comes in contact with the hot, sticky weather of summer. Luckily, there are things that you can do to make your skin look beautiful without the mask of makeup covering up your beautiful face! Below I have listed some tips and reminders of simple ways to prevent your skin from looking blotchy, while also saving it from harmful habits that many of us don't even realize we are doing. Enjoy!

1. There's nothing wrong with wearing a little bit of coverage on your face in the summer. I personally think that the best way to do this is to wear a light-coverage foundation or tinted moisturizer with SPF. I have used Neutrogena Healthy Skin Glow Sheers, and Benefit You Rebel Tinted Moisturizer. I find the Benefit formula to be a little bit greasy feeling, but this can be easily corrected with some setting powder, which also doubles as a way to keep your skin looking matte. While I have not tried the next three, I have heard excellent reviews about them and I would love to try them myself: Aveeno's new tinted moisurizer, MAC Studio Moisture Tint, and Physicians Formula Tinted Moisturizer.

2. PROTECT your face from the sun! While you may not realize it now, every day that you expose your sun to the skin, whether it be through intentional tanning or simply spending a day at an outdoor event without even realizing, you are harming your beautiful complexion. Over time, this will cause your skin to lose elasticity, while also creating sun spots and making blemishes and acne scars more visible. For those of you with very fair skin, it is critical that you wear a daily moisturizer with SPF in it. For those with acne, be careful about the acne treatments that you apply in the morning (or even at night) because many of them contain ingredients that increase your skin's sensitivity to sunlight.

3. If possible, avoid putting regular sunblock on your face. This is usually thicker and contains ingredients that can clog pores. Rather, find a moisturizer with a relatively high SPF content. However, if you typically don't break out from applying sunblock to your face, and it works effectively for you, then go right ahead!

4. Stay hydrated in the summer! Take your weight in pounds, divide in half, and then by 8. That is how many cups of water you should have per day. (Example: 128lbs/2=64/8=8 cups per day minimum). When you spend time in the heat, or working out, that number increases. There are tools on websites such as www.weather.com that can help you to find the ideal water recommendation for your specific geographical location and activity of choice.

5. Take extra care to cleanse your face in the evening (body too!) because the summer months typically cause people to naturally perspire more. This is our body's natural defense against heat, because as the sweat evaporated off of our skin it helps to cool our bodies. This sweat (especially combined with sunblock/dirt/etc blocks pores and can cause acne on not only the face but also the body (especially the back!). Cleanse your skin at the end of each day, and towel off fully and put on clean, dry clothes.

I hope you all enjoyed these tips, and remember to keep your skin protected and safe while you are enjoying the fun that summer brings along :) xoxo, Kyla

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Prom Makeup Tips

Hey girlies! For some of you, it's that time of year again... prom! I know that this is a much-anticipated event for many people, and as a high school graduate, I want to pass my tips and tricks onto you so that you can look and feel beautiful for your prom! Last year I attended my senior prom, and in an effort to save money I decided to do my hair, makeup, and nails! I also did the makeup and nails of several of my friends, and we had a really fun time practicing our different looks in the weeks leading up to prom. (I inserted a photo here of me doing my friend Amanda's makeup for prom). Check out my youtube channel: ilovemypinkflipflops for tutorials to inspire you to do your own makeup for prom, too!


Enjoy!





1. Use a powder to set your makeup. This will help it to stay put throughout the entire evening while you're dancing and having fun, and it will keep you shine-free for photos! I recommend a loose powder, particularly Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P61004&categoryId=B70. While it is a bit pricey for a setting powder ($19), the product is the best that I have ever used (I have had quite an experience with oily skin in my past) and it lasts for what seems like forever. One 0.3 ounce jar typically lasts about a year with daily use. A light dusting of this will keep you looking beautifully matte all night long!


2. Contour, using a matte bronzer and a highlight with a subtle shimmer. This will create beautiful, subtle angles in your face to achieve a look of grace and joy, perfect for your special night! I recommend Bare Escentuals Warmth http://sephora.com/browse/product.jhtml?id=P61005&categoryId=B70. However, if you don't mind a bit of shimmer, NARS Laguna gives a beautiful glow, too! On the less expensive side, I have heard great things about the Milani Baked blushes (available at CVS), but I have not personally tried them for myself. As for a highlight, any shimmery off-white eye shadow will do the trick as long as it is not chalky. For my friends and myself, I used a loose shimmer powder from Victoria's Secret in Silverdust.


3. Invest in a high-quality liquid or gel liner for your top lashes that will stay put all night. For my prom, I used Loreal Lineur Intense Felt-tipped liner in Black. A good way to test whether or not a liner will stay put all night long is to test it on the back of your hand by applying a short line of it. Allow it to dry, and then try to rub it off. If it doesn't budge, then you have a good liner!


4. Don't be afraid to layer mascaras. This is a great alternative to using false lashes, especially if you are afraid of them falling off during the night. I recommend layering a lengthening mascara beneath a volumizing mascara to achieve the illusion of the fullest lashes possible. I recommend Clinique High Lengths mascara layered beneath Maybelline Falsies mascara.


5. Most likely, you will be taking a lot of pictures on your prom night. The flash of a camera can often wash you out and make you look ghostly. This can be fixed by using a little bit extra color on your face. I cannot stress the importance of making this adjustment GRADUAL and small, because otherwise you will look like you have too much makeup on, or as if you picked the wrong shades for your face. A good way to ensure that you apply the proper amount of makeup without looking overdone is to apply your makeup in natural lighting, and then check to make sure that it appears natural and well-blended, especially at your hairline, jawline, and t-zone area (between brows especially!) Then, apply your bronzer and blush as usual, but carefully apply an extra layer of each. It is also good to check with a friend to make sure that you don't look as if you have too much on!


6. Unless you really have your heart set on using bright colors for prom, I recommend keeping your makeup simple and classic, because you don't want to look back and think 'That blue eye shadow used to be in style...', but rather have photos that will remain timeless.


7. Using a powder puff with a bit of shimmer along your collarbone will give you a beautiful, ethereal look, while also absorbing any perspiration that may occur from dancing. I've had mine for years, so I do not remember where I purchased it, however you can definitely check your local drugstores or google it!


8. You do not need to go tanning in order to look beautiful for prom! A lot of people spend lots of money to either get a spray tan or go to a tanning booth before prom. If you really want to achieve an all-over glow for prom, you can experiment with self-tanners (such as Jergen's Natural Glow). I suggest doing this about a month or so before your prom, in order to allow you adequate time to figure out the proper amount that is right for you.


9. Many lip products can be drying, so use vaseline as a base beneath them. This will keep your lips from chapping, and help them to look supple and moisturized throughout the evening.


10. If you don't typically use a primer (for both face and eyelids) then tonight is the night to do so! Revlon Beyond Naturals Primer is an excellent, inexpensive primer to keep your makeup in place, and Loreal Decrease has been said to be a wonderful drugstore eye primer.


Most importantly of all: Remember to have fun! Prom is a special event and remember to not get too caught up in the small details of the event but rather to enjoy it as a special time to feel like a princess and have fun with friends. Use smart choices on prom night, and make sure that you are responsible and completely comfortable with everything, especially post-prom. A lot of kids get themselves into trouble by not thinking before they act on prom night, and you don't want to have to suffer the consequences! Use your judgement and make sure the enjoy this special night in your life :)


xoxo - Kyla

My friends and I before our Senior Prom ~ 2010