Night Routine / Taking off your Makeup

Yes that is me...

Taking off your make up and moisturizing your face is just as important as brushing your teeth, washing your hair and even as putting your makeup on beautifully. Make cleansing your face and taking your makeup off every night a goal for 2015!

I admit, I've had a bunch of nights where I was too tired to move and too lazy to wash my face, we've all been there. When I was much, much younger, around 15 years old, I would wear eyeliner and some mascara, and the way I'd take it off was by rubbing my eyes and going to bed. NO! NO NO NO, that is literally the worse thing ever. How could I do that? no idea, but I woke up every morning with raccoon eyes and just no. DO NOT follow in my 15 year old footsteps!

Since then, I have been 921438 times better to my skin. I take my make up off every night, and sometimes I can't even wait until night, I get home from work and go straight to washing.
I like to feel fresh-faced when heading to bed. I like to feel hydrated, refreshed and soft, not grimy, oily and greasy.

If you're lazy, makeup wipes are a godsend, really. Invest in them!!! They're easy and affordable and you can lay in bed while you take your make up off, does it get any better? Seriously if you or someone you know suffer from laziness, WIPES!!

My night routine depends on the day or how I am feeling, it can be quick or take forever, BUT I never skip the important parts:

1. First thing first, put your hair in a bun or pony tail because I HATE getting my hair wet or when it gets in the way. It pisses me off... anyway, yes. So after your hair is up..

2. If I wore lots of mascara, heavy liner (especially NYX's Studio Liquid Liner that peels), or lashes that night (especially do this if you wore lashes) I like to take a Q-tip with some coconut oil and rub it over my lashes and lashline to make sure I get rid of that first. If I had a bit of liner and some mascara, sometimes I skip this step or I just use a wet Q-tip to moisten the mascara to make it easier to take off.

3. I like to dampen my face with warm water before I use my facial cleanser. I have a few different cleansers: Neutrogena Cleanser + Make up remover, Aveeno Positively Radiant Cleanser, Kiehl's Facial Cleanser and Noxzema. The exception to the rule is Noxzema, I like to apply that on a dry face and work it into my skin, leave it on a bit and then rinse with warm water. For the rest of the cleansers, I apply them on a damp face and using circular motions with my fingertips work them onto my skin removing the makeup. Rinse with warm water and pat face dry.

4. This is a step I don't do all the time, only on days where I'm not as tired or when I feel like I need a little extra cleaning. I use my Witch Hazel Astringent, pour a bit on a cotton ball and once again using circular motions, rub it all over my face. This takes off some impurities that were left over. I like to use this more on the nose to help lift the dirt and help loosen the black heads, also if you have acne, Witch Hazel is good for it, it is a natural "antidote" which cleans and shrinks pores and helps acne.

5. After all this is done, and after my teeth are brushed, I go for my Burt's Bees Hydrating Night Cream. I love this stuff because it has Clary Sage, which is an herb that grows in the Mediterranean and is known to retain moisture, therefore being a great addition to a night cream: it helps your skin retain moisture as you sleep. Remember that when it is cold, your skin can lose moisture quickly, so opt for a thicker cream or a cream that contains Clary Sage. Also remember to stay hydrated! Anyway, back to the night cream!! I use that stuff and I LOVE it I have to say, when I wake up my skin feels super soft and you can still feel the cream on it, you know that creamy greasy (in a good way) feeling? Its still there when I wake up, therefore proving to me that it works!

6. I then apply a lipbalm, because it is important to keep your lips moisturized as well! *See Lipblam Post* I use either ones I mentioned in my previous post! But I usually go for the DCT and sometimes the Moisture Melt. Give your lips a nice thick coat!

7. Lastly, you can't forget your hands! My hands are the third thing that dry out quickly. First, face, then lips and then hands! Before heading to bed, I love to use Lubriderm, a big pump of it for my hands and arms and I work it into the skin. Lubriderm is great because it works well on sensitive skin and it also keeps your skin hydrated for long. Sometimes you put cream on and after 10 mins your hands feel cracked and dry again, Lubriderm keeps the smooth, supple and moisturized until morning!

That's it for my night time routine! PLEASE remember to take off your make up and take care of your skin. Take care of that beautiful face, taking off your makeup and moisturizing helps your skin on your face stay young and hinders from becoming aged, dried out and prevents premature wrinkles!!! ;)

Goodnight!!

New Year, New You ?

     Ah, Auld Lang Syne. It's the beginning of the new year and as we all wonder where the heck the time went, we all, in the back of our heads, are contemplating making New Years resolutions.
Now don't say you haven't thought about it, because YOU DID. As did I. But I will say I am done with "this year I'll go to the gym" no I won't and I accept it, "this year I'll be skinnier and rich" ok, but that means I have to work for it right?

     Well anyway, over this winter break I had many aspirations: exercising, doing yoga to strengthen up my muscles again, eating better, going on adventures, being creative... and all I have done was rot in my bed and not be productive at all! UNTIL TODAY!
I figured I'd write a post on how to NOT be a lazy bum until school starts up again because I woke up this morning and realized I was doing absolutely nothing with my life and that had to change! I was getting lazier and lazier by the day that I was even too lazy to go get my nails done. Enough is enough, Ariana. and No, this won't last until school starts, but will (try to) last for the year, make the best out of it, as we always tell ourselves.

So here are some of my easy-to-keep-up-with New Years Resolutions that you won't break by next week :)

     1. No More Shots! That is number 1 because after a New Years Eve of heavy drinking followed by a New Years Day of death, I never ever want to see Fireball again. Who thought of making a cinnamon flavored whiskey that tastes like Big Red anyway?

     2. This is an add-on to #1, cut back on drinking. I've realized that when I'm bored, I usually go out for a drink and not just ONE drink, more like five and that is no good. Drinking on the calories is super easy, and that's exactly what I've been doing. If I wanna lose some weight, gotta cut down on drinks! You'd be surprised at how sugary and high in calories they are. Plus, cutting back to having 3 drinks MAX is a good start, and drinking, at most, only once a week should be even better. Seriously, though can they ban Fireball?

     3. Eat Breakfast! I love breakfast, unfortunately I either never have time to make it, or I just don't (told you I've gotten lazy) And as much as you've heard this, breakfast is the most important meal of the day! Seriously, it gets your metabolism going, your juices flowing and your brain running. Even if you start out with some oatmeal, you'll be great!

     4. This may be a given but, keep a positive attitude. Remember you attract what you radiate. Sometimes it's hard, and I know it is it gets hard for me, but try to just try, even if its one thing a day. one step at a time! Plus, it'll give you a better outlook on things as well as a pep in your step to take on resolution #5 with no problem ;)

     5. Clean. No one likes to do it, but you have to. Make cleaning more enjoyable, put on your favorite record, dance some salsa, put on an audiobook. You'll realize the time will go fast. If you live with your parents, help them out. My mother always takes one whole day to clean, teamwork makes it faster; she'll tackle the bathroom while I'll tackle the living room and kitchen. Help clean and she'll appreciate it and you will too. Clean more often so when you do, it isn't one big mess, its only a small one. I am definitely going to try to clean my room once a week and most definitely putting a day aside to help my mother clean the house.

     6. Do more things that make you happy. I mean it, if you want to go see a movie no one else wants to see, go alone. If you get cabin fever in your house, take a walk in the city. Paint, write, dance. Do whatever you want and enjoy your own company because alone time is more important than always being with someone. I always complain im so bored I want to go here I want to go there. So next time i'm just gonna go. You'll be surprised at how peaceful and relaxing it is, take your time, take pictures, be happy.

So as I sit here and write this post at 1 am, I have already become more productive than I was earlier today! Try to give these a go, they're simple and easy to keep up with! Let me know what you try or if you've got any others you suggest :)

Happy New Year!