good bye disneyland

makeup techniques i want to master

me. with my minimal makeup.

Recently I've been spending hours watching beauty YouTubers (specifically Lilly Pebbles, Vivianna Does Makeup, and Hey Claire). I started following them because of their vlogs but their reviews and tutorials are very helpful as well. It's really inspired me to be more experimental with my makeup. I want to try more variety of products and brands (specifically cruelty-free and vegan, so it takes a little more research!). I'm typically very minimalist when it comes to applying makeup but now I want to learn more techniques. Here are some techniques that I want to learn: 

Cat Eyes - I have never owned liquid eyeliner. This process seems very daunting. Even people who are really good at it make mistakes. I can foresee this taking A LOT of practice.

Brows - My eyebrows are blonde. They were REALLY blonde when I was growing up. Now that I'm older, you can see that they exist. But not very much. The first half of them are there but they kind of disappear, if you know what I mean. I don't pluck them because there isn't much to pluck. I would need to shape them but that'll take some practice. Fortunately my bangs cover them for the most part. But I still want to learn!

Eyeshadow - My eyeshadow experience is one color all over my lids. I wonder what it's like to experiment more! This huge palette came in my Eyes Lip Face order. I want to use it!

Bronzer - How should it be applied? Which color is the best? I'm confused. 

Blush - How should it be applied? Which color is the best? Are they all pretty much the same? I'm confused.

Lip Liner - I have a good amount of lipsticks but no lipliner. Is there a catchall lipliner that can work for multiple colors? Which colors would be the best colors?

So I'm trying to figure things out! I'm excited about it. Beauty YouTubers are so inspiring. I have this huge haul of makeup that I received from ELF. Interested in a haul post?

Shout out to Charli Marie for her makeup storage post. I will definitely be using that as inspiration when I organize my makeup. 

Are there any techniques you want to learn or need to practice more? Any bloggers or YouTubers you suggest for tutorials? Let me know in the comments below!

- Christina

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my vegan birthday potluck

tips to stay active during your work day

I used play college volleyball, so I would have mandatory, intense exercise 6 days a week. I still exercise. I do cardio, lift weights, yoga, and play volleyball recreationally. But I am not pushing myself as hard as I was being pushed while being a collegiate athlete. Now I work at a desk job 40 hours a week and have noticed a difference since I stopped playing volleyball. I'm not as strong as I once was, but I'm working on it! 

To keep myself in check, I make sure I get up an move around during my 8 hour day. In the past, I noticed that I would sometimes sit at my desk for hours. With thoughts of spider veins and cellulite, I know I just need to keep my blood flowing. 

Here are some tips for staying active while working:

Set an alarm for the top of each hour. When the alarm goes off get up. Walk around. Do some squats. Stretch. If you don't have time to get up right at that moment, hit "snooze" and get up in 10 minutes.

After you use the restroom, do an exercise. Whether it be 20 squats or a minute wall-sit. (If no one is around, I'll just do these in the handicap stall ;))

If you have to login to your computer or email using a password, make your password a reminder to stay active. So you're constantly typing in something you want to implement. Example passwords: getmoving, standup, getuppp.

After you spent your day sitting, get some cardio in after work. Spend at least 30 mins exercising. Pack your gym clothes in the morning so you can go straight from work to the gym.

I typically pack my lunch so during my lunch break I like to get up and go for  a walk. Not only are you getting exercise, you are getting some vitamin D from the sun.

Also, use the stairs! 

I hope these tips can help you. Which one is your favorite? Do you have any tips?

- Christina

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P.S. - Not striving for perfection is key. Some days are better than others. 

tom. petty.

This was a complete surprise to me. One of my best friends, Dee Dee, had an extra ticket to last night's Tom Petty concert. Tom Petty is one of my favorite artists & he's extra special to me because one of Keith and I's first dates was going to a Tom Petty concert. Oh, and I flat out just love his music. We had incredible seats and I could argue this was my favorite concert. Thank you so much for inviting me, Dee Dee! Oh, I also made a Tom Petty playlist on Spotify so you can check him out. If you have heard of him, I made a point to include not so popular songs so you can listen to songs you may have not heard.

- Christina

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P.S. I named the playlist "Tom Petty For Lyfe," and spelling life "lyfe" to be silly. Come to find out the Urban Dictionary definition is pretty funny. 

photos by: dee dee & i 

vegan oktoberfest