Tag: lifestyleblogger

Fashion: DOLLS KILL Haul

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Trying to define my personal style is kind of difficult, but I’d say that it leans more towards a punk Lolita with some glam thrown in here and there. In other words, imagine Joan Jett’s and Marc Bolan’s lovechild, my fashion look would be the outcome.

Now, I know how many love their designer duds, but I often find a lot of runway designers to lack the certain edge that I wish they’d have.

But there’s a San Francisco boutique that seems to embody every aspect of my fashion sense and I’m so thrilled that they have an online shop as well, DOLLS KILL.

Now this site isn’t for the fashion faint of heart. These are for girls who dare to look like they’ve spent all night dancing to house music and drink their ex’s tears mixed with their coffee and booze.

They recently had a sale on their site and I grabbed a few items.

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I love this plain white Los Angeles tee, you can either dress it down with some ripped jeans, or give it a punk edge when worn with shorts and black fishnet stockings!

I also purchased a pair of white ankle socks, cause….I’m a sock addict, and another pair that are black and white.

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Nobody is happier about the 90’s making a comeback, than yours truly. I LOVE, L-O-V-E…velvet tees! I had a brown and a red one back in the day, and I wore them so often they ended up getting holes and my mother gave them away (sob!), so when I noticed they had an emerald velvet tee I hit the cart button faster than Speedy Gonzalez on amphetamines. If I could wear just one shirt this whole autumn it would be this, but ya know, it’s not socially acceptable (unless you’re a rockstar), but I love this shirt so hard it’s ridiculous.

What new fads are you liking and what online shops do you love? Share with me your finds or sites!

By: Azzurra Nox

 

 

Colourpop Haul & Review!

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For months I’ve been hearing such amazing things from this brand. From beauty gurus on youtube to Allure magazine, everyone has been raving about this brand. So of course I decided to take the plunge and try it out myself to see what the hype is all about.

I received 12 items in all, plus an eyeliner add-on because of the delay in shipping. I thought that was really nice of them, so kudos Colour Pop!

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No Filter Concealer in Fair 5

I was truly hoping for a miracle with this concealer because everyone raved (especially Allure) how amazing it is at masking undereye circles and blemishes. Maybe my hopes were too high for this, but I didn’t think this was an absolutely amazing concealer. The colour match was perfect, I’ll admit that, but the consistency of the product made for a somewhat stranger and cakey effect that I only managed to fix by applying another concealer (the Wet N’ Wild one) on top and blending the excess away with a beauty blender. Maybe paired with another concealer this does its job, but alone it’s not that great. Although, I must admit that the results on camera look amazing (but in person up-close you can see where it creases).

Peachy Keen Super Shock Shadows in Crimper, Kennedy, Cornelious, and Bandit

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Palette Pressed Powder in Outta Luck, Say I Do, Issues, and The News

Again, I’ve heard amazing things about their shadows and have been on the lookout for the best peach toned shadows, alas, while these shadows DO pack a lot of colour, both the Super Shock Shadows and Pressed Powder shadows wouldn’t really glide on the lid how I wish they would making for a somewhat patchy application. The consistency of these products felt somewhat chalky and I don’t know if that’s the reason why they didn’t apply as well as they should. However, they seemed to work better if I “packed on” the colour instead (which was more time-consuming for someone who’s always running late in the mornings!).

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Super Shock Shadow in Party of Five, Super Shock Cheek in High Five, Eyeshadow Brush in #11, and Creme Gel Liner in DTLA

I really love the feel of this flat, eyeshadow brush. It truly picks up lots of colour so that you can apply your shadow in one quick swoop! The blush was a gift, and whilst it wasn’t a fit for me colour-wise, it was very pigmented and blended beautifully. Now, anyone who knows me knows that I’m a eyeliner affectionado. The Creme Gel Liner glides on amazingly well, and does set like a normal gel liner. Since it was a free item, they sent me DTLA which is a dark navy shade (I would’ve preferred either brown or black) but it’s a dark enough shade that it could almost pass off as black AND it was a gift so I’m not complaining!

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Ultra Matte Lip in Take Five and Alyssa

For the past year I’ve mostly been using Jeffree Star’s Liquid Velour Lipsticks every single day. I was a bit reluctant to try a liquid lipstick from any other brand just because I really, really love his a lot. BUT…I must say that I’m truly impressed! I picked the shade Alyssa which is a pinky-nude collab that Colour Pop did with youtuber Kathleen Lights, and it’s a very flattering shade for pale or fair skin! Take Five was sent to me for free, and it’s more of a pink shade but haven’t had a chance to try it yet. Overall, I truly love how the lipstick lays on my lips. It’s not cakey, nor drying. It’s actually very hydrating for being a liquid lipstick!

This was one massive haul and I hope you enjoyed it! Let me know if you’ve tried any other products from Colour Pop or which ones are your faves! Would I re-purchase items from this brand? I’ll probably pass on the eyeshadows, but I’m going to definitely check out more of the liquid lipsticks and eyeliners!

By: Azzurra Nox

Common Water Brands pH Levels & How They Can Affect Health

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Everyone (from your doctor to trainer) is always preaching about how we need to drink more water for better hydration and also for optimal skincare. But are all waters the same? With so many brands out on the market, it’s hard to tell sometimes which ones are actually beneficial for us, which ones don’t do anything at all, and the ones that are actually causing harm.

Here are some of the ways that either too low or too high pH levels can cause you harm:

Eye & Skin Irritation

We need to worry when pH levels are either too high (above 10) or too low (below 4). If you wash yourself or drink water with pH levels that are either too high or too low you could cause irritation to yours eyes or worsen skin conditions like eczema and acne.

Upset Stomach

High pH levels or too low can also cause nausea, vomiting, or diarrhea in some individuals. So if you’re someone who suffers from that you should probably look into what water you’re drinking and see which one would be best for you.

With so many brands out there you’re probably wondering, which one is the best for me? Below is a list of common brands and their pH Levels. Anything below five isn’t the best, and the closer to ten is the optimal number for drinking water.

Vitaminwater: 3.4

Propel Zero: 3.5

Propel Fitness Water: 3.6

Penta: 4.0

Dasani: 4.5

Function: 5.0

Perrier: 5.5

Poland Spring: 5.8

Voss: 6.0

Ice Mountain: 6.0

Crystal Geyser: 6.0

Deer Park: 6.3

Smart Water: 6.5

Great Value (Walmart brand): 6.5

Gerber Pure Water: 6.5

Arrowhead: 6.83

Evian: 7.0

Volvic: 7.0

Zephrhyllis: 7.5

Absopure: 7.5

Fiji: 7.5

Super Chill: 7.5

Evamor: 8.0

Real Water: 8.0

Essentia: 9.0

Now from that list you can see that the best brand for an optimal pH Level drinking water is Essentia. I usually drink Fiji and although it isn’t the level that Essentia is, it’s still at a healthy level. All the other waters are probably okay, but the clear loser is Vitaminwater, which is below a 4-level and could actually cause those issues that were mentioned above or worsen them.

What’s important to remember is that water with an alkaline pH improves your body’s hydration levels, supplies essential minerals, and creates a healthy pH balance in your body. However, when water has an acidic pH level you can have skin and eye irritations, stomach problems, the water doesn’t provide a good source of nutrients, and it may lower the pH level in your body causing more harm.

So next time you’re in the grocery store think about which waters are actually doing their job, and which ones you should avoid as you’re just doing yourself more harm and actually paying for it, than anything else.

Did your water brand make the cut?

By: Azzurra Nox

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Makeup Muse: Elle Fanning

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To shake things up I decided to do my first collab with the awesome Brooke (brookeclarke.com, go check her blog out, it’s seriously tops!). We both agreed to do our take on Elle Fanning’s effortless Cannes 2017 makeup look!

One thing that Elle always has is beautiful skin, so for this look you’re going to want to prep your skin with some hydrating cream and primer. Some of my favourite light day creams are The Body Shop Seaweed Oil Control Day Cream ($20) or Clinique Superdefense Daily Dense Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 20 ($48), these creams are perfect for acne-prone or oily to combination skin types. If you’re more on the dry side, you’re better off choosing a richer cream.

For this look, the focus was on the lips whilst the eyes were almost left bare (almost meaning that they chose natural looking colours rather than something bold). And while the lips were supposed to be the main attraction, the look was softened by a rose/blush hue.

I attempted to recreate the look whilst putting my own spin on it so this is more of an inspiration than exact photocopy.

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Products* Used:

Clinique Pep-Start Hydroblur Moisturizer

Urban Decay ABC Gum Eyeshadow (on lid)

Urban Decay Anaheim Eyeshadow (as liner)

Lancome Color Design Eyeshadow in Chic (in crease)

Wet N’ Wild Eyeshadow in Creme Brullee (on brow bone)

Medusa’s Makeup Brow! Wow! Wow!

Urban Decay Star Bronzer Natural Glow

Lancome Le Crayon Khol in Blanc (in waterline)

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Translucent Powder

Lancome Long-Lasting Undereye Concealer in Ivoire

Urban Decay Afterglow Powder Blush in Score

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Skin Frost in Peach Goddess

Jeffree Star Cosmetics Velour Liquid Lipstick in Rosematter

It Superhero Mascara

This is a fairly easy makeup look that can be recreated in 20-mins! Perfect for days when you’re running late or don’t feel like having too many products on your face!

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*All products used were purchased by writer.

By: Azzurra Nox

5 Bedtime Rituals For the Best Sleep Ever!

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Are you one of those people that slips out of your clothes to pull on your jammies and crash into bed? Or are you one of those people with meticulous rituals before hitting the sack? Whichever category you fall, these six bedtime rituals will help prepare your body for a more restful and good sleep.

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Remove all your makeup.

I can’t begin to stress how helpful this is. Going to sleep with your makeup on, not only is it a minefield for gaining more acne if your skin is acne-prone or oily, but keeping dirt, grime, and chemicals into your sleep will also cause premature skin aging and dullness. For the best sleep, having clean skin is a must. And since the skin regenerates and heals during the night hours, this is when you want to use any acne topical medication or Vitamin C serum for cell turnover.

Drink Tart Cherry Juice.

I know we’ve always been told to drink Chamomile tea to best relax you and induce you to sleep, or to brew valerian root if you need something stronger. But what most people don’t know is that cherry juice is full of melatonin, the hormone that helps you fall asleep. For best results, drink a glass of this about an hour or two before you’re aiming to go to bed, and allow yourself to be lulled into a restful sleep.

Do 5-8 mins of Mild Stretching.

I usually spend about 10 minutes every morning doing stretches to help kickstart my morning and get my muscles to wake up from the night. Stretching before going to bed can also help by allowing the muscles to not get cramped while you sleep. I usually combine a mixture of yoga and ballet stretches, because they’re the most effective in getting your muscles warmed up without having to necessarily break a crazy sweat before hitting the sack.

Brush & Floss Your Teeth.

This should be a given, but you don’t know how many people skip this essential night time ritual. Not only is this helpful to deter bad breath and cavities, but it also allows you to have that clean feeling in your mouth. And having a clean mouth allows for a better sleep as you won’t have bothersome chunks of food stuck in your teeth or the lingering taste of whatever you ate before going to bed marinate the inside of your mouth. A clean mouth isn’t only good for your oral hygiene, but a must for a goodnight’s sleep.

Listening to Soothing Music Before Bed.

Now I’m not saying you have to listen to nature sounds (but if it works for you, go ahead and do it!), but you can choose from instrumentals, to songs with lyrics. Years ago (back in the day when music compilations were a thing), I had made a mix for myself with songs that would better lull me to sleep. What were some of my picks? Not what many would consider “soothing” but nonetheless did the trick for me. Natalie Imbruglia’s Pigeons & the Crumbs, Silverchair’s Across the Night, and The Smashing Pumpkins’ Appels & Oranges. Kind of like Pavlov’s dogs, my brain began associating the songs on the mix to sleep, so as soon as I’d put it on my brain would get into sleep mode. Don’t believe me? Try it.

What are some of your bedtime rituals?

By: Azzurra Nox

Review: Mangiacotti Hand Repair

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What It Is: Intense hand cream

What It Does: Softens even the driest of skins

Active Ingredients: Anti-oxidant Pomegranate and Papaya and shea butter

Verdict: I’ve got a confession to make. I’m handcream addict. I’m always on the lookout for the next best handcream on the market as I love to discover new brands. One thing that I look for in a handcream is that it’s non-greasy, fast-absorbing, and that the cream itself is thick and not thin (meaning that the thin feeling creams tend to be more water-based and don’t truly soften the skin in the same way as the thicker creams tend to). Now, I kind of took a risky bet with this handcream when I saw it in the store as it was a bit on the pricey side, but I took a whiff of the scent (I got the Pomegranate fragrance) and it was simply too decadent not to give it a shot. And I’m so glad that I did because this handcream is A-M-A-Z-I-N-G! It truly hydrates your skin for hours and even after you wash your hands, the hydrating effects don’t easily wash away. I tend to put this cream on at night and go to sleep with it and wake up to the softest hands e-v-e-r. Honestly, this product is simply tops, and you don’t even have to use a ton of it to get the awesome benefits from it!

Price: 12.50

Where To Buy It: http://www.mangiacotti.com (I actually bought mine at a local Hobby Lobby but I don’t know if they’re actually sold at Hobby Lobby nationwide so your best bet is to order it directly from their website).

By: Azzurra Nox