A New "New Year's Resolution"?

I said in an earlier post that I would only have 2, buuuuut, I think a third has creeped its way into my life.  The new one is..... exercise!

Now, now, I know that you all think, "Omg she is just like all the other annoying people who are like 'this year, I'm going to get super fit' and stop the regiment after a month." But I'm going to REALLY try. Try to exercise more, that is, just more, not every day.

I've been on and off following Cassey from Blogilates, but haven't actually done most of her workouts. But, recently, I've found myself back on her page more often and trying some of them out. (As a result, my body is sore to the max!)

If you guys also have exercise on your list of things to make a habit, and haven't given Cassey's workouts a try, here's one!

Have fun!

--J

5 Must Have Skincare Items to Survive Winter

From left to right, top to bottom: lip balm, body butter, FAB moisturizer, Clean & Clear moisturizer, face mask, exfoliator

During the winter, my skin looks basically like a dried up pavement with like a billion cracks (horrific, but true). So, without these things, I don't think I could make it through the cold Canadian months, haha. They're essentials to me!

1. Lip Balm

If I go even a night without lip balm, my lips will start crusting and cracking, and all-round looking disgusting. The one I've been using the most often is one by eos. I love the waxy consistency (even though some people hate it), I just think it seals in the moisture really well. I think the flavour I have is called Peppermint Vanilla (I forgot, lol, if I'm wrong, I'm so sorry)

2. Facial Moisturizer

A moisturizer is so important to me, like, if I don't use it for even a day, I will notice dry flakey patches (not pretty) on my face. The one I use at nighttime is the "First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream." It's really thick and creamy (duh), but the thing I kind of dislike about it is the smell. Although it's not strong, it's definitely not something I would call pleasing.

In the mornings, my favourite is one by Clean and Clear called "Morning Burst, Hydrating gel Moisturizer." Oh my god, the smell is amazing. It smells like melons, and from a person who doesn't even really like melons, it still smells like heaven. It's a really light formula that goes on really easily and sinks in real quick.

3. Face Exfoliator

I don't exfoliate every single day (that would be too much!) but when I do, I use the "Acure Brightening Facial Scrub." It has argan stem cell and chlorella growth factor, and because of those ingredients, it kind of looks like you're putting seaweed mud on your face. Sounds gross, but I swear, after, your face feels like a baby's bum. 

4. Body Butter

I've got a huge tub of the "Shea Body Butter" by The Body Shop, and if there's still anyone out there who hasn't tried it (I swear, everyone has, by now), The Body Shop body butters are like really thick moisturizers. Usually, I find them kind of gross and sticky, as they tend to be very oily (especially in the summer), but in the winter time, I'm so dry, I literally could not care. The thickness and oiliness actually goes to help my skin be "normal." 

5. Hydrating Face Mask

Again, this is something I don't use daily (more like weekly), the one I have is the "Amino Herbal Hydration Mask" by OZ Naturals. I tend to use this in conjunction with the face exfoliator mentioned above, and the combo gives me what feels like new skin. If you ever see me stroking my face like a weirdo, you know what products I just used on my face, LOL. This mask is a clear gel that you just apply to your face, and as it dries, it gives you this cooling, tingly feeling that's really nice. The mask also has hyaluronic acid, vitamin B5, and vitamin E, which are all super great for your skin.

Are there any items that are absolutely essential in your winter skincare routines? Leave them in the comments below, as I would love to find more gems, haha.

Thanks for reading!

--J

Blue Neighbourhood||A Review

Blue Neighbourhood is an album by Troye Sivan, released on December 4th, 2015. It's Troye's first album, and kind of a follow up after his EP, WILD. The deluxe album features 15 tracks.

I love the ENTIRE album, but I thought I would share some of my favourites. :) (Oh gosh, it's going to be so hard to pick, they are all literally the best). This list is ordered by the way they appear on the official track list.

1. Fools

Fools has a really nice melody, and its about a relationship that's going downhill because of something Troye did. It's a song that unfortunately I can relate to on a personal level. My favourite lyric is "I don't give a fuck, I'm not giving up, I still want it all."

2. Talk Me Down

Talk Me Down is about an innocent love, as depicted by the lyric, "I wanna sleep next to you, but that's all I wanna do right now." This song has a really catchy melody, and its the kind that you'll find yourself humming hours later.

3. Heaven

Heaven has what I think is the most powerful lyric of the entire album, "Without losing a piece of me, how do I get to heaven? ... So if I'm not losing a piece of me, maybe I don't want heaven." He wrote this song because so many religions say that to enter heaven, you cannot be gay. Troye spent his whole life worrying about having to change himself to get to heaven, because his present self wasn't good enough. But, one day he realized, maybe he doesn't need heaven if the cost is changing who he is.

4. Youth

This song just has a super duper catchy tune (the kind that makes you want to dance), and really cool instrumentals. (His fans like to call him a dancing noodle in that video LOL)

And, yeah, yeah, I know no one gets CD's anymore, but I just really like having physical copies of things. (Plus, one day they'll be vintage, like vinyls are)

If you were to go listen to just a few songs off Troye's album, I definitely recommend those four (they're even linked for you already!).

If you've listened to the album, what are your favourite songs?

--J

Get it here

2015 in Review

2015 was an interesting year for me. I can't say it was the worst, but it definitely wasn't the best either. Let's go over (in kind of chronological order) what happened this year...

In 2015...

• A relationship that was really important to me ended. What a great start off to the year, right?
• I sent in my university applications and received some early acceptances. This gave me a great boost to my non-existent self-esteem at the time.
• I got a promotion in Air Cadets to the rank of Warrant Officer 2nd Class
• Graduated from Air Cadets, something that I had been a part of since I was 12.
• Graduated from high school. Thank god, that place was a nightmare.
• Moved into my dorm. This was my first time living away from my family, an interesting and fun experience.
• Started university. Realized I wasn't understanding anything in chemistry, freaked out... BUT, eventually it got better, and now, everything is fine. (yay)
• Felt happy. For the first time, I actually felt happy for long periods of time as an individual. As stressful university is, I actually like it! 

I think those are the biggest events of this year... It wasn't the best year, but it was a year of change, and change is almost always hard. 

2015 started bad, but is going to end well. My only hope for 2016 is that it starts well, and ends well. I know that bad things are inevitable, so I know that the new year won't be full of 100% happy things, but I only hope that I approach the bad situations with a good outlook.

Happy new year, guys!

Almost New Year!

I can't believe 2015 is almost over! Feels like the year's barely started, and now its over. Feels like these years just get shorter and shorter, eh?

I feel like many people make many new year's resolutions; at the start of the year, they're super motivated and stick to all of them. But, as the months pass, one by one, the resolutions are forgotten. It's a vicious cycle that gets repeated year after year.

If we concentrate all of our motivation of being a better person towards a few resolutions instead of many, we might actually make it to the end of the year. This year, I've come up with just two resolutions for myself, and I think everyone else should have at least these two on their list, too.

1. Try to see the best in every situation

Often, its pointless to jump to the worst situation. This is something I do a lot, and its draining. And, (obviously) everything is okay in the end, I mean, we made it this far and we're still alive, right? Instead of freaking out, and jumping to the worst conclusions, try to stay calm, and know that everything will be okay in the end.

2. Spend sensitively

By this, I mean to save money, and only buy things you really need. I know that many people say "Money shouldn't matter," and they're right, but, as a poor uni student, I can say that it really does. And I really need to conserve in that aspect.

Care to share some of your resolutions in the comments below?

--J

Christmas Adventures

A few days ago, I went to the Toronto Christmas Market. I mostly went there to see all the festive scenes and admire the Christmas trees and to obnoxiously sing Christmas carols; I already knew everything would be hella expensive (sorry, I'm a broke uni student here lol). Here are a compilation of pictures I took.

The sky was so beautifully clear.

The fairy lights are so amazing!

When I saw that ladybug at a nearby park, I just HAD to go for a ride haha

Loving that cobblestone aesthetic

Oh Christmas tree, oh Christmas tree, how ever green thy branches...

Is it just me, or do these stores look so beautiful? (especially the pastels)

That sunset tho!!

Fairy lights galore!

Goodbye 2015....

Merry Christmas and happy holidays, guys!!

--J

Beauty and Time

Hey guys!

I got the idea for today's post a few weeks ago, actually (I never had the chance to write it, or post it, simply because FINALS) But anyways...

After a particular shower on a particular day, I was putting on what I thought was the world's softest bathrobe, when suddenly, I realized, the bathrobe wasn't soft anymore. When I had first felt it, it was like heaven at my fingertips, but now, a year later, it just feels normal. I mean, it's still soft, it's just not THE SOFTEST THING I'VE EVER FELT anymore; I had gotten used to its texture. And that got me thinking.

So many people lose the ability to see the beauty in the city/town they live in, and the people that they're most often associated with. How often do locals stop and stare in awe of the beauty of their city? When we see the same thing every single day, it starts to lose its lustre. Is getting used to something, being desensitized, just another fact of life or should we strive to see the continuous beauty in everything?

Maybe it's important to have the skill of being able to see the beauty in something old. After all, it's the little things in life that matter the most. The next time you're walking to work, or on the bus, look around; what kinds of things have you overlooked everyday? Perhaps there's a beautiful pot of flowers around the block of your favourite coffee shop, or maybe the cashier at your local drugstore has the most beautiful smile. Just stop, and look around you. There's so much beauty in everything, and it's a shame that we let ourselves get used to it.

If you let yourself get used to the things around you, what about you, yourself? You have to see and live with yourself every single day. Maybe that's why so many people can't see the beauty in themselves. They've gotten so used to that face staring back at them in the mirror every morning that they can't see how breathtaking they are.

So maybe it IS important to have the skill of being able to see the continuous beauty of things. Don't get used to it, guys. Once in a while, it's a good idea to look at the world with new eyes, and appreciate what it has to offer.



Man, I feel like this post was all over the place, I hope you guys got the gist of this, haha, I'm half asleep as I type this.

Thanks for reading!

--J