On the perfect nude color

You know that lipstick that you can wear practically anywhere with anything and keeps your lips moisturized  glossy and a bit tinted. Well I've been looking for an inexpensive everyday lipstick and I found it! 

It is L'oreal's Fairest Nude (#800) and it is available at any drugstore. As you can see in the picture it is very subtle and has a tiny bit of pink in it. Plus I LOVE how amazing it feels on the lips, very creamy and smooth. To enhance the look you can always put a lip gloss on top and add more color. 

However, I do think this shade is not made for every person. My skin tone is sort of olive/yellowish and my lips are normally pink and for me, this works perfect. On the other hand, I have tried other nude colors that are too white for my lips or look uneven with my skin tone. So I recommend maybe figuring out which colors best suit your skin tone and then going from there. 

For those of you like me, I completely recommend this and you're going to LOVE this! 

Let's go nude ! 

xxxx, 

Ale

On my school must-haves

Hellooo ! What a nice extremely long day it has been today. So long in fact, I actually decided to do some work for next week because I just had absolutely nothing else to do. Shocker, I know.
Since I had my study face on, I decided to blog on my school essentials.
What I just need to have in my bag to survive a normal day.

First item: A jacket. For some reason my classes are either extremely hot or a recreation of the North Pole's weather. So for those classrooms it is essential that I bring a jacket to avoid hypothermia. I usually just bring a normal grey jacket with a hoodie because it goes with everything and it is very comfy and warm. The one in the picture is from PLNDR.

Second: My agenda. I know practically everyone tells you that it is important to always have a planner with you but trust me IT IS important. Last year I decided my brain was a good enough planner and I cannot tell you how much homework I forgot to hand in. If you don't like an agenda, use your cellphone or put an alarm to remind yourself of something because our brain is not perfect and can forget. This one is from Walgreens and I love it because it is compact and there's a whole page per day so I have enough space to write everything I need to do.

Número tres: Of course a pen (because I need to write with something) and a highlighter. For the longest time I underestimated the power of the highlighter <yellow one to be exact>. Then I took this course that taught techniques of how to study better and memorize things faster. The guy emphasized that a highlighter or just colors makes it easier for the brain to memorize and remember stuff. Now, all my reviews are filled with magic markers and every time I read an article I highlight and it really makes a difference. I recommend the brand Sharpie because it lasts a LONGG time, it's a nice bright yellow and it doesn't go through the page.

Fourth and last but not least: An umbrella. Living in a tropical climate, I am bound to have random unexpected and expected rainy days. Of course, I don't like to get wet so I just bring a nice sized umbrella that isn't too heavy and it's perfect! I bought this one at Marshall's, it was very inexpensive and it has lasted me two semesters.

So there you go! I hope you all have an amazing semester and happy longest day of my life!

xxxx,

Ale

The Carrie Diaries

A show about the fabulous Carrie Bradshaw (from Sex and the City) when she was a teenager. It takes place in the 80's and it mixes love, friendship, family and of course Fashion!
When I heard about this show I was jumping up and down excited. I missed seeing Sex and the City and this was the mini her.

There have been two episodes already and here's what I have to say
      I love the 80's fashion, AnnaSophia Robb (who plays Carrie) is gorgeous and looks like a very exotic egyptian queen with piercing cat eyes <haha okay that was a bit weird> anyway, in terms of the actual story line it is a very cutesy sort of storyline. There's not a very dramatic plot, it is just very girly and nice to watch if it's raining and your eating ice cream or if you want to have a girl's night.

I am definitely going to keep watching, I just hope they involve some unexpected twists or new characters to spice it up a little.
But you know what they say.. never judge a book by it's cover. So that's why I'm not going to say a definite LOVE or HATE until I see a few more pages.

F.Y.I.: There is a new episode every Monday at 8/7c. on CW. You can find out more about it here.
xxx

On wise advice

Yesterday night while I was all snuggled up in my bed with the computer on my lap, my mom came in my room 'Ale, you have to read this. It is two pages and it is life-changing'. Of course, I'm always up for a 'life-changing' read and yet it was. 

It talked about a lady and how one of her husband's relatives would always make demeaning remarks about her. She would always get upset and tell her husband about it, but as time passed, nothing changed. So, the lady started avoiding going to family activities; when she did go, she would avoid him at all costs. One day, she told her husband she couldn't take it anymore, to please stop it and he just said 'he has every right to have his opinion, and you have every right not to get offended'. It was this what made her realize that you can't let what other people say about you control how you feel or what you think of yourself. People will always say what they want but we have the right to overlook it and don't let it affect us. 

So there you go ladies and gentlemen that's my wise advice of the day. And, I know.. I know, the first thing I thought was 'easier said than done' but believe me, if you're aware that you have the power to let it stop hurting you and to just stop caring, little by little it will stop affecting you. 

Just remember: Next time someone offends you: smile, and keep going strong because you know what? We don't give a donkey's butt what they have to say! 

Until next time 
xxx

Story from: 'I Declare' by Joel Osteen

On the Fresh Sugar lip polish - Product Review

What is it? It is a lip scrub so basically what it does is remove all the dead skin and leave the lips feeling baby soft and freshly polished. This one is made of actual brown sugar crystals.
Does it do the job? YES YES YES ! My lips feel so soft and smooth after I use this product. It is perfect when using it before applying your lipstick since it makes the lipstick look smoother and avoid the flakiness.

This product however is on the pricier side at $22.50 for a  0.6oz bottle. I wasn't sure at the beginning whether to go ahead and splurge on it but I am convinced now that it was worth it. Since you only need a little bit of product for your lips, I know this will last me a very long time. Specially now for the winter time when the weather get's colder, it has managed to keep my lips conditioned and moisturized.

I specifically recommend this if you tend to use a lot of lipstick since it'll make your look that much more polished or if your lips tend to get overly dry or flaky. 

Hope this review was helpful! 

xxxx

If you want to buy it, here's where: Sugar Lip Polish

On how I lost 10 pounds

So we all know about it .. the dreaded ..much hated .. FRESHMAN 15! And when I went on exchange to a U.S. University .. the freshman 15 attacked me or should I say, freshman 10!

Between the unlimited buffets, fried food and yummy ice cream it probably would’ve been easy to see it coming but I guess I was just too blinded by the good food to notice a sudden tightness in my clothes.

As soon as I got back home I made it my mission to lose those 10 pounds and today I’m going to share to you what I did.

1. Eat half a portion of every meal

Before you even start eating it just divide it in two so you know where is your limit. If you think it’s too much temptation to have it there then throw it away, give it to a friend or store it in the fridge.

2. Take time from bite to bite

   This trick will make you be fuller without having to eat that much food. You’ve probably all heard that you have to chew 15 times before swallowing. Well ya know what? That’s boring! A modification for that is taking a bite (with normal chewing times) and then having a conversation, watching a video or checking facebook instead of immediately having the fork ready for the next bite.

3. Just drink water

Now this is an oldie but goodie. I resisted this one for a looong time because I didn’t think it mattered. Then I started drinking more and it made losing weight so much easier! Sure you’ll probably have to pee a lot but it doesn’t matter you’ll have a better looking body, skin and face.

Quick Tip: If you don’t like plain water, spice it up with drink mixes such as a crystal light packet. With just 5 calories each, it comes in many yummy flavors and you won’t feel it is ‘just water’!

4. Only buy healthy foods

We have to admit that if we see those chocolate chip cookies next to a healthy yogurt, we’ll probably grab those cookies. Solution: Don’t even have the cookies! That way, if you’re feeling hungry you won’t have any other option than to choose a healthy snack since that is all you have.

5. The 100 workout

Now I have to admit I am not the biggest fan of working out. Through youtube I found the so called ‘100 workout’, it takes around 30 minutes to do and you don’t need any machines or weights. Here’s how you do it:

6. Border it up

Research has shown that if you eat from a plate that has borders you are likely to put less food in it because the plate seems to be visually ‘smaller’. As soon as I started doing this I found that I definitely started taking smaller portions.

7. Try to have a distraction when you’re bored

Usually I would eat too much during the day because every time I was bored I would go to the dining hall and pick something to eat. Instead, call someone to meet up, watch an online movie, watch videos or a series, read a book, take a long bath or just a nap. Just remember boredom is not equal to food.

So there you go, these are the tips and tricks that helped me lose all the extra weight I had gained. It took me around 3 months to get it all off and now I keep doing them to just maintain my regular weight. Hopefully it helped you. Let me know if you try them out.

Until next time xxx

*Disclaimer: I am not an expert in any way. These are just the stuff that worked for me and my body*

F.I.F. L'oreal Frizz Taming Serum Review

L'oreal recently came out with a new line of haircare products and I couldn't resist! So I bought the L'oreal Smooth Intense Frizz Taming Serum. Being from Puerto Rico a.k.a.: humidity island, frizz just comes with my hair. 
As soon as I saw that it provides 72 HOURS OF FRIZZ CONTROL of course I had to try it out. 
I used it today for the very first time and I wanted to give you my thoughts on it. In terms of consistency it has a very oily type of consistency (sort of like the argan oil) but I didn't see that my hair looked greasy after I put it on. Also my hands didn't stay greasy either which is a big plus + 
Now onto the nitty gritty .. does it control the frizz? the answer is YES! I walked outside today a lot AND on top of that it was raining however, my hair didn't loose control like it normally does and my hair didn't look like a big humidity sponge. It's been like 10 hours since I put it on and it is still going strong. 
I have to say I'm impressed.
Hope this was helpful! 

On the L'oreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black

Ok, so I've been using this product for probably a year now and hands down it is MY FAVORITE mascara. It retails at around $7 on drugstores and if you use it every day it can last up to three months. 

It is honestly amazing, super lengthening and thickening. If you apply two-three coats it can look as if you were wearing false lashes! 

Downside: Sometimes it can clump so make sure to remove the excess product before you apply it. 

Regardless, it is completely worth the money. 

LOVE IT. <3

On a fun fact about Monopoly

Every day, more money is printed for the game Monopoly than for the U.S. Treasury.  The company that owns monopoly, Parker Brothers, prints about 50 billion dollars of Monopoly money every year.That works out as 15,140 dollars of Monopoly in each Monopoly set. If only Monopoly money could be used for shopping!

Credit to: Metro News 

On a quick toner tip (make it last longer!)

We all know face products can build up to be quite expensive. Between the cleanser, the toner, the scrub, all the moisturizers etc etc. it's important to maximize all their use. A few months back I was taking a facial and the esthetician gave me a tip that has saved me a lot of money. To make the toner last longer you can just put it in a spray bottle and fill half of it with the toner and the other half with distilled water and voilà. Each time you just spray it two to three times on your face and you are good to go. 
It is a very simple and inexpensive and it makes your toner last twice as long! 

Hope this tip was helpful. Until tomorrow. 

On my go to spring color...

Thinking of buying a new color? Looking for a 'go to shade'? 

My pick? Sally Hansen's Loyal Lavender 

It looks beautiful without seeming like you tried too hard. The best thing is that it doesn't chip! 

I have to say I'm impressed with this Sally Hansen brand; definitely becoming one of my top affordable nail polishes. 

On bows ...

Yep, they're my thing now. With class at 7am, getting ready really fast and barely having time to brush my hair, this quick trick automatically makes it seem like you spent time on your hair. Plus, it looks frikin cute! You can find them almost anywhere and it's pretty inexpensive. Recently I even saw a DIY on youtube on how to make them <super easy!>, I might just make them myself. Cheers to bow season!
May the bows be ever in your favor :P

Link to DIY: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Or3QTBmIKw

On resolutions..

January
The month that starts the new year and gives us a fresh start. Each year, with the hope that  commitment will reach me, I usually think thoroughly my resolutions and make really high goals. Result? Complete Failure. 
I don't feel bad because 90% of the population is like that. Still, I managed to set some not so high goals for myself: create this blog, avoid procrastination, read more books, watch the news once a week and eat healthier. 
My goal: do it for a month and try to make it a habit; if it doesn't stick, it wasn't meant to be. 
Good luck with all of your resolutions!