WELEDA SKIN FOOD: A REVIEW

I have dry skin due to the nature of my job. I'm constantly washing and sanitizing my hands in an attempt to ward off illness (people come into the store and will literally cough all over you with no attempt to cover their mouths.) My hands have a tendency to get so dry that my knuckles will crack, bleed, and become completely raw. 

I have heard some really wonderful things about Weleda's Skin Food, and when I found it at a local health food store, I had to try it. It was rather expensive ($15, if I recall) but I am typically willing to spend a bit more for something that works. 

It works, but I ended up giving it away. Why? It smells TERRIBLE. I'm okay with naturally scented/herbally products (I use Philosophy Hope in a Jar every day) but this was just overwhelming. I made the mistake of using it in class the first time around, and one of my closest classmates turned to me and asked what died (he is ex-military, so really, if he is complaining about a fragrance you know it is bad.) 

My mum didn't mind the scent so much as I do, so I passed it off to her. I have a very sensitive nose, and I'm not going to force myself to smell something nasty if I don't have to. 

M.A.C. CLEANSE OFF OIL REVIEW

There was a huge cleansing oil hype in the blog world a while ago, but for some reason this one wasn't really brought up. I think that is a real shame, because this is by far the best makeup remover/nighttime cleanser I have EVER used, and I'm not a MAC junkie. 

This cleansing oil is $26 a bottle, and lasts me two months. It also removes all of my eye makeup without any scrubbing, and I've never found a product that doesn't involve losing eyelashes to remove my eye makeup. 

I know that one of the biggest fears that people have when they hear the word "oil" is breakouts, and I have had the exact opposite problem with this product. I have fairly dry skin, but the worst blemishes you can imagine. One of the main reasons I don't post many photos of myself here is that I have terrible acne, both basic whiteheads/blackheads but also cystic acne. Since I started using this cleansing oil at night, my breakouts have gotten a lot smaller and my skin is far less dry. 

However, I don't typically use this product in the morning, because it is not exfoliating. I like to use Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish in the morning to wake me up and exfoliate before I do my makeup.  

All in all, one of the best cheap ways to remove your makeup and cleanse your skin at night, while adding a bit of moisture. I will definitely repurchase and recommend it 100%! 

This was my first foray into the world of M.A.C. cleansing products — I went in to get my Prep+Prime SPF 50 while complaining about how difficult it is for me to remove my eyeliner at night, and the man at the counter suggested it to me. 

Has anyone else tried M.A.C. cleansing products? Which ones? Do you like them?

I would love to hear your thoughts in the comments below! 

HUNGER GAMES NAILS BY CHINA GLAZE

We have experienced a large quantity of unexpected snow over the past two days, so my Internet has been intermittent, as has my electricity. There has been little to no natural light, so I've resorted to taking nail photos in my kitchen because it has the best lighting. Glam, right?

I saw this varnish in Sally's and knew that I has to make it mine. The shade is "Fast Track" and it is a sheer grey nude with a golden micro shimmer. I really like it! I feel like it would look gorgeous over black nails or maybe another, darker grey.

ENTERTAINMENT

This is something that I'm trying to keep in mind lately. Do you ever deal with people that you simultaneously want to punch in the face and give a hug? I have a couple of people in my life right now that are like that. They are quirky and defensive and are such assholes, but they desperately need to be cuddled, because they don't mean to be so terrible. 

I forget, sometimes, that everyone has a story and everyone has a past. We have all had things done to us, things happen to us, that have shaped us. Some of these things are wonderful, and some of these things are unspeakable, and they have all left their mark. 

I need to remember this as I go about my day. 

SUPER WET

As a kid, I wondered why my parents were so exhausted after a day at the beach. As an adult, I can tell you: it is very tiring.

I had a wonderful day with my family though- we spent the day looking at shells and taking pictures, even though it was both rainy and cold! It is barely 9:30 and I'm already curled up and ready for sleep and nightly television show. I've started watching Ally Mcbeal on Netflix, and it is surprisingly not awful. Quite enjoyable actually! And the perfect way to wind down after a long but fun day like this.

AN OLD HAG

My mum is going to murder me when she finds out I used this photo.

The hill behind us is gorgeous!

To make up for it, I included this! I'm like a Victoria's Secret model, super sexy right? 

My beloved is 6'4, and I'm 5'9. Getting both of our heads in a photo involves smooching my face into his shoulder and him scrunching down. But we made it happen! 
Today was my twentieth birthday. I'm not sure how I feel about not being a teen anymore! It was the best day — we went out hiking at my grandfather's and got stuck in the most random snowstorm. It went from being sunny and light, about 45 degrees out, to an inch of snow on the ground in a matter of minutes! 
My parents and younger siblings came along with us, but I was only able to snag a photo of my mum, who is thankfully free of cancer. We have one test in a month to be absolutely positive, but the tests have come back negative and we are so thankful. 
My mum doesn't look anything like me, but we are so alike in mannerisms. 32 years from now, I will have the same wrinkles. A part of me is excited, and a part of me is saving for botox! 
Tonight is being spent with vodka and textbooks – final exams are next week and I'm rather nervous about my Spanish final. My instructor literally wrote the textbook, and is somewhat insane. 

PRAY

This may be over personal, and I hope it isn't, but I'm asking anyway. 

My mum has a one inch mass on her ovary, and we are doing some tests to make sure that it isn't cancer. We have no history of cancer in my family — we may drop dead young of heart attacks, have horrible obesity problems, glaucoma problems, and multiple births, but no cancer. 

I'm hoping it stays that way. My mum is my rock. Even though we don't live together anymore, we text throughout the day, and run together 2-4 times a week. 

I'm an atheist, but my mum is religious, so if you wouldn't mind keeping her in your prayers/ thoughts, it would be much appreciated. We have been preoccupied with this, ultrasounds, and now the CA125 test for the past week and a half, and that is why I have kind of disappeared. 

I know I'm just creating needless worry for myself and others, but I look at the statistics, and the size of the mass, and think that my sister is only twelve, and if it is cancer, chances are my mother wouldn't live to see her eighteenth birthday.

That thought terrifies me in unimaginable ways. 

PERSONAL.

I am always unsure as to how personal I should get on this blog. Is it frustrating for those reading it if I get more personal than just makeup and clothing? I don't know. 

Right now I've been trying to make some life-changing decisions. Nothing life-or-death, and I know that people make decisions that are far more life-changing than this on a daily basis, but for me, they are intense. 

I want to go to a university about an hour away from where I presently live. It is about as expensive as the one in my city, but offers far, far more for my major (pre med/gen bio.) Unfortunately, they don't offer anything for my boyfriend's major. We really don't want to live apart, but I don't want to give up the opportunities that this university offers, especially without a guarantee that he is in this forever.

I have about a week to make this decision. If I go to this university, I don't know that we would be able to make it. If I stay, it will be far more difficult for me to get into med school. I just don't know what to do, and the anxiety is killing me. I love him so, so much. I would be faithful to him, and I know that we could still see each other on the weekends. I just don't want to be the only one doing the driving, and he refuses to buy a working car for himself. 

I just wish that I could see a little bit into the future, see how this all works out. I really don't know what to do, and I'm usually very decisive. 

I know I have been sort of absent lately, and this is why. I have written a billion and a half pro/con lists, though about it for hours, and have given up hours of sleep for this. 

I'm lost. 

(Although, my makeup looked fabulous today, but refuses to photograph well in the dim light of this coffee shop while I write this post.)