Product Review: UNi Moroccan Argan Oil

In case you couldn't tell, I am CRAZY about oils lately. They've really become a multitasking part of my beauty regimen.

And none of my oils work as hard as my organ oil (Except for maybe coconut, but that doesn't come in nearly as cute of packaging).

I use Argan oil on my face, my skin, my body, my hair, for everything! Here are some of my favorite lesser known uses for Argan oil. 

Exfoliator: By  mixing brown sugar and a few drops of argan oil, you get a fantastic single use face scrub. It moisturizes while it scrubs off dead skin cells and rejuvenates your face. 

Razor Burn: Is there anything worse than razor burn? Between that and the occasional ingrown hairs on my bikini line or under arms, I never want to shave pretty much ever. Luckily, the irritation has cut down drastically after I started applying argan oil after shaving. It soothes and adds moisture back into the skin after I basically open it up and rip it all out. This stuff is a life saver!

Lip Scrub: The recipe is pretty much the same for facial scrub and lip scrub, but I wanted to add this additionally because the oil packs a one-two punch here: use it to scrub your lips, rubbing the sugar/oil mixture gently against your lips, wipe them off with a washcloth, and then add another layer of oil to lock in moisture. Voila, you have incredibly soft, kissable lips! 

Hair Mask: I'll load up a ton of this stuff on my hair, working it from the ends all the way up to my scalp, and then throw it up in a bun and leave it overnight. It makes my hair look awfully greasy while I'm doing it, but then next morning when I wash it out, it's a dream. I'm going to be using this a lot more often as I just did a pretty extreme color correction on my hair, so it's gonna need all the moisture it can get. 

Get your own argan oil here!

I received this 100% Pure Moroccan Argan Oil in exchange for my honest review, and here it is: I love this stuff. It's been called liquid gold and I hardly think that's an exaggeration. This particular argan oil is great; it comes in a dark amber colored bottle to preserve the molecular integrity of the oil, the dropper works wonderfully, and it's a pretty great size for the price. Grab some miracle oil for yourself today! 

Gym Accessories

There's not much in the world that can make me drag myself to the gym. I definitely don't fit the typical gym bunny stereotype, physically or mentally. But I've been trying to make a change in how I feel about myself, and how I that starts with how I treat my body. It's a struggle to stay committed to something that I don't love, and I definitely don't love running or working out.

However, I do love shopping. So in order to jump start my excitement about working out, I have picked up a few exciting goodies to help me get jazzed about making my way to the gym. 

First of all is these headphones. They are from Target, and are exclusively my 'gym' headphones. The around the ear style is perfect for running, and the sound is so great. 

Find it here

Another part of taking care of myself is staying hydrated. Unfortunately I live in Texas, and the water is so hard that I even feel awful showering in it. So a Brita filtered bottle is the only way to go. 

Find it here

Waist trimmers have been taking over social media, so I figured I had to try one out for myself. This one from AZ Trimmer has done a ton for me. It has improved my posture so much, and when I wear it my waist shrinks like crazy. It also works really well as a gym reminder - wearing it on my drive home reminds me to stop by and work up a sweat! This product was provided to me in exchange for my honest review. All opinions of all the products listed are my own. 

Find it here

What tricks do you use to trick yourself into going to the gym? Do you hate it as much as I do? What gets you motivated? Let me know in the comments below!   

Why I Love Tea Tree Oil

I mentioned tea tree oil in my Sunday Skincare Routine, as a treatment for acne. Thanks to stress and hormones, my 'face demons' have been out of control the last couple of months. 

poll time: has anyone else tried tea tree oil for spots? maybe it's just a placebo, but i feel like my skin improved drastically once i started putting this stuff on any spots, especially hormonal acne. not to mention it smells like heaven. 

if you couldn't tell, i'm getting more and more into oils lately. i use rosehip oil instead of moisturizer in the morning, argan oil instead of hair product, now tea tree oil instead of proactiv or other benzoyl peroxide spot treatments. i just like the idea that i am putting organic things on my face, i guess. hopefully it balances out the processed junk that i insist on eating. 

anyway, i got this tea tree oil on amazon and i'm obsessed. only $14 for 4 oz which is a crazy good deal, and the bottle is such a pretty blue color. my vanity is getting super pretty and colorful. ‪

What are some of your home remedies for acne? Have you tried tea tree oil? And this is cool - I used this on some whooping mosquito bites I got a couple of days ago and it took the itch out nearly completely. Can I get a hallelujah for natural remedies! 

Product Review: Mia Adora 3D Fiber Lash Mascara

Left eyelashes: Bare. Right eyelashes: Two coats of the fiber lash mascara. 

This fiber lash mascara was AWESOME. I've tried a few different formulas that I've liked that are about the same concept, gel mascara and fiber lashes, but there are a few things that made this product stand out for me:

Far and away the best thing about it is how easily it comes off. With every other fiber lash product I've used, the fibers come loose as you wash it and end up all over your face. This mascara comes off so easily with no fallout. Just a little warm water and boom, you're golden. I was very impressed. Another plus is the lasting power - this is really a 'one and done' product that doesn't need to be applied during the day.

I also liked that this looked pretty natural on my lashes. It's more lengthening than really largely majorly volumizing, but I actually liked that. I was able to do cool eye makeup and have long, lovely lashes without them taking over my whole face.

I experienced little to no fallout while applying this product. One tip that I found helpful was to look down while applying the fibers; that kept them at the ends of my lashes so I didn't get anything in my eyes.

All in all, I'm super happy with this fiber lash kit. Because it's so easy to apply I have virtually no clean up so I feel comfortable doing it when I have an extra minute in the morning, as opposed to some kits that require a good 15 minutes set aside. It's quick, easy, painless, and has great results! 

You can get some for yourself here at their Amazon page, and it also comes with a free ebook with lots of tips and tricks for application. 

I received this product in exchange for my unbiased and honest opinion. 

Weekend Happenings, and Rosehip Oil!

Last weekend I FINALLY made myself weekend vlog. These are some of my favorites videos to watch, so I don't know why it's been so hard to film but it was like pulling teeth!

Here's a little about what I did this weekend!

One of the coolest things about last weekend was getting my Leven Rose Rosehip Oil in the mail, as you saw in the video.

As you can see, I colored my hair and I've been putting some rosehip oil on the ends of my hair and all over my face as a moisturizer, and it seems to be working really well! My skin always feels amazing in the morning after putting it on at night. I am a huge fan. And I love this packaging as well, with the dropper and the little rose on the label! I've used it every morning and night since I got it last Saturday and I'm really excited about the results I'm seeing already!

I've been trying to go more natural with my skincare routine, and use more oils rather than creams or moisturizers or formulas. I've found that organic oils, like this rosehip oil, have really done wonders for my skin and hair. I used to use Argan oil almost exclusively, but the Physician's Formula version that I had always felt a bit greasy on my hair and heavy on my skin. This rosehip oil feels really light, and you only really need a couple of drops to cover your whole face, and maybe two more to moisturize the neck and décolletage. I've been using it both morning and night in place of a moisturizer and I am really happy with it.

If you want to get your own 100% organic oil, you can find the one I got here: Leven Rose Rosehip Oil

Do you like follow me around type vlogs? What are your plans for this weekend?


I received this product in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.

operation: bad haircut recovery

About two weeks ago, I broke a cardinal rule: I went to Walmart for a haircut.

It's just a trim, I said. The coupon makes is free, I said.

I should've known that no free haircut is worth it. I won't bore you with the gory details, but basically I asked for longer face framing pieces with a gradual, which in my mind meant the back was slightly shorter and the front stayed long. While I wasn't looking, she did the OPPOSITE: Took the first two inches of the front of my hair and sliced them. I left the studio with my hoodie on and tears in my eyes, and she still cheerily offered me a 5% off a full color coupon. I shutter to think.

Luckily, I've got some tools in my arsenal to help me recover quickly and with minimal trauma.


First of all, I take Nutriscal's hair and scalp vitamins twice a day. These puppies really pack a punch. I take one each morning and evening, though I usually have to break them in half to swallow them - darn gag reflex! But even in a few weeks I feel like my hair is making progress, and my nails are growing like crazy! I'm definitely going to keep taking them, and soon my hair will be to the point where I don't cringe every time I look at it. I'm so glad I found these, I'll make an update post soon so you can see how much it's grown!

I also wear my extensions pretty much all the time now. A carefully placed fake hair will do a world of good to hide a badly cut real one. Learn all about my extension routine here!

I am also learning a dozen new heatless hair styles! While I do firmly believe that a blow dry is necessary rather than letting your hair dry overnight (I'm a nighttime shower kind of gal and sleeping on my hair did far more damage than a rough dry ever could) I'm finding a whole new world of sock buns, braids, and the good old fashioned throw-some-beach-spray-and-pray-no-one-notices rock and roll look.

Finally, I'm learning patience. I got myself into this mess, so I'm going to just have to wait it out. I will be calling my normal stylist and begging for forgiveness here soon. 

Have you ever had an epically bad hair cut? How did you recover? I would love to hear other people's horror stories to make me feel better about my own. 

*Note: Some of the products mentioned in this post have been sent to me for free in exchange for my honest opinion. I am not being paid and all opinions are my own.*

Collaboration.

A few weeks ago, when I was just barely starting out on Youtube, I had a random encounter with Tima, from TimaLovesLemons. It was completely random, she checked me out at a TJ Maxx a few towns over from my own. I was there by happenstance, and just happened to mention my Boxycharm video, which she just happened to pick up on, and next thing I know, we were exchanging numbers and planning a collab video.

It's just crazy how things happen sometimes, right? If you look back on the little choices you've made in your life, and how they've lead you to where you are right now. If Tima had gone on break a few minutes earlier, or if I had decided not to buy anything, or if I hadn't been brave enough to mention my channel. I never would've met this awesome girl who has helped me so much, answered questions and given me advice and just generally built me up. It's been such a lifesaver to be able to sit next to someone in real life and tell them what's happening, ask them about little quirks or things that worry me. Tima has over 8,000 subscribers now, and by featuring me on her channel, she's helped me gain more too! I love meeting people with my same interests, who have my same goals and ambitions, and who are actually getting there. Maybe, with any luck, I'll hit that number one day!

In the mean time, here's the video we filmed for my channel. It was such a blast, and I sort of came up with the idea on my own. I think it turned out pretty fun, if I do say so myself!

May 2015 Boxycharm Review

Boxycharm is a monthly beauty subscription program where, for a small fee of $21, you get a box of 5-6 full sized products each month.

I absolutely love Boxycharm. I've been getting it for three months now and I've loved every month. The box retails for an average of $120 each month, so it's a smokin' deal! That said, this month's box was far and away my favorite of the three. Let's take a look at my goodies!

Beauty Giveaway!

I am absolutely thrilled at how quickly my Youtube channel has grown! I can't believe it. I posted a giveaway video 5 days ago to celebrate reaching 40 subscribers, and in that time it's already grown to 68.

Just in case you missed it, here's the video:

The prize includes the Bare Minerals Star Performers kit, an OPI nail polish, a Diamond Dust facial mask, $10 Taco Bell gift card. All you have to do is subscribe! Pretty simple, yeah?

Thank you so much to everyone who has supported me and made me a part of their day. This is a dream come true for me, honestly, I can't believe I get to film my life and make other people happy with it. I'm obviously not to the point where I can make a career out of it yet, but I'll be darned if I don't try.

I'm going to try to be better about keeping up with my blog to match everything on my Youtube channel - what do you think? Do you like reading more behind the scenes stuff?

charlotte tilbury and following your dreams.

meeting charlotte tilbury was AMAZING. she's an incredible make up artist and business woman, and has BOSS hair.

and while she herself was great, what i really loved was the atmosphere surrounding her event. the whole nordstrom floor was filled with makeup artists from all around the world, and women looking in the mirror and feeling like a million bucks - myself included.

i got to meet some great people, both from charlotte's team and just people attending the event. if there was one message i got from nearly everyone that was there it was this -

if you love it, you can do it. passion makes a professional, not schooling or obligation.

what a lesson to learn. people would ask me again and again, "are you a makeup artist?" and i'd laugh them off.

"in my head," i said, "but i haven't had any training aside from youtube."

i got blank looks in response.

"so?"

it never occurred to me that i could be something just by saying i am. i don't need someone to tell me what i can or can't be, i can just... be.

needless to say, my therapist and i are discussing that in length.


but! in the meantime, let me tell you a little more about my experience, and show you what i snagged at the event!

we are too busy dancing to get swept off our feet.

photo from vogue

when i got my copy of vogue last month (i signed up for the 6 months for $6 deal, such a steal!!) i was so excited to see my favorite girl taylor swift with her favorite girl karlie kloss on the cover. 

i am such a huge advocate for girl power, and does it get any better than these two? instead of seeing each other as competition they just adore each other. i think there has been a huge shift towards friendships between women in the media, rather than pitting them against each other. i can't wait until that trickles down into real life.

luckily, in every edition of the magazine, they have a little blurb telling all the products they used on the front cover. i was so excited to find out that they were all l'oreal products!!  i went out and bought a darker shade of the liquid powder foundation (on sale for a cool $2.43 at Target) and lipstick (also on sale at Target for a freak $3??? i don't know how that happened. clearly the universe wanted me to film this tutorial) and blush (not on sale, but only $8 at Walmart).

the lipstick was a disappointment, but that blush knocked it out of the park. i never would've picked it up on my own, but i love it on pretty much any skin tone. my sister liked it so much she went and bought it herself.

this look is so soft and glowing and beautiful. the girls look like they had just come back from a wild run around a desert, and i can't pull that off quite as much in the middle of my dark bedroom, but it certainly inspires me to go out and lay in the sun (with sunscreen, natch).

or at least invest in some self tanner.

have a watch if you like!

this is the first beauty tutorial i've done in quite a long time! i really liked it. i got a brand new shiny macbook air last week and it's seriously giving me life - everything about it is making my life better. i'd forgotten what a joy it can be to have a full on laptop with internet and everything! the webcam is so great, i think i'll film another look soon.

any requests?

four chord songs.

"it's dead simple to write a pop hit, you just need to write a four chord song."

nearly every pop song is made up of the same four chords. c, g, f, and a minor. not as terribly original as we'd like to think we are, are we? and yet, we keep writing them. we keep arranging those four chords into new and exciting arrangements, new words for the same feelings we've felt across days and centuries.

but we don't stop. we keep beating on and on, moving forward and expecting something new to happen. it doesn't. but it does happen to us, which is what makes the difference.

so no. i have nothing new to offer. but what i have to offer is me, it's mine, and i offer it up willingly. my tips and tricks for everything from cat eyes to panic attacks, because i've seen an awful lot in this gypsy life of mine.

my four chords aren't any different from anyone else. but maybe they'll strike a chord in you.