We’ve been having some beeeautiful weather lately and all I want is SMOOOTHIES

This morning, I blended up soymilk, blueberries, frozen banana, cooked quinoa, chia seeds and spinach.

Packed up lunch for work

Baked sweet potato with hummus, feta and hot sauce with a dinky side of roasted broccoli, I accidentally burnt the rest

We have the most delicious teas that we brew every day at work and todays was Chanakra Red Berry Rooibos. I single-handedly drank most of the pot today at work and brought home the leftovers to chug over ice with strawberries under the sun

Not long after my cocktail, I started gettin’ down in my i’m-so-hungry-but-don’t-know-what-to-eat dance. Its a kind of bobbing of the knees and swinging of the arms while staring straight at the ceiling sobbing I-DON’T. KNOW-WHAT. TO-EAAAATTTTT. I think I’ll video tape it for you guys next time it happens.

Leftovers to the rescue, as usual

quinoa, chickpeas, tomato, feta, hummus, hot sauce scooped up with romaine lettuce leaves

what was in that tea…

I’ve been having some difficulties with my skin lately. I’m not certain exactly what the cause of it is, but I’ve been experiencing several eruptions of the face recently.

Holy-close-up-no-make-up-greasy-face-shot-on-the-internet-where-you-can-never-take-these-kinds-of-things-back, Batman!

I’ve been pretty lucky with my skin and have been able to maintain a pretty clear complexion with minimal effort throughout my teenage years -which, I might add, are over in less than a month- but occasionally things start to bubble and boil and my skin starts to resemble (veggie) pepperoni pizza.

Let’s go over the contributing factors that can make or break a healthy complexion, shall we?

Skin care routine:

Up until about a few months ago, I didn’t really have a skin care routine. I work at a store that sells an amazing skin care line called Eminence Organics. Before getting this job, my skin regimen was a splash of water in the morning and another before bed. This line contains absolutely clean ingredients, no artificial scents or animal products. At my job, I’ve learnt so much about the importance of using natural products for your skin care. Much like  ’you are what you eat’, your skin ‘is what you smear all over it’ I’m hoping to have a guest post by the esthetician that I worked with in the near future who can discuss these matters in more eloquent terms.

Diet: An unhappy stomach is directly reflected through the skin. Eat fresh, healthy foods and your skin with show it. Fruits and vegetables are crucial for a sparkly complexion but don’t skimp on the fats! Salmon, egg yolks, coconut and nuts all have such an amazing effect on my skin.

Hydration:

If you’re dehydrated your skin appears dull and lacks that ‘glow’. Of course, water also helps to eliminate toxins from your system that manifest themselves in your body in the form of bumps and boils. aim for 8-16 glasses a day

Clean Makeup

Lucky me, my work also sells Youngblood Mineral Cosmetics. I find it so ironic that people use makeup to cover their ‘flaws’ with products that only feed the bacteria on your face and agitate the situation. Youngblood is another completely clean line of products (my boss is very particular about what we carry in the store. Only the best of the best!!) that gives great coverage without smothering your skin

Hygiene

Your skin is incredibly sensitive to bacteria and it’s important to make sure to keep your products and ‘tools’ clean. You might think nothing of dipping your finger into your tub of moisturizer but that really encourages bacteria to grow and fester in your products. Instead, use a plastic scooper or spoon to get your moisturizer (and clean it after every use!). Another problem is makeup brushes! It’s important to clean your brushes after every use, and give them a more thorough
cleaning -take them into the shower with you- once a week. Finally, change your pillow cases at least once a week. Every night that your head hits the pillow, your cases suck up the dirt and oil that is in your hair and on your skin and redistributes it onto your face night after night

So, what am I going to do about it?

Chug Greens:

A green monster a day and juice at least three times a week. This should be easy because it’s delicious. I don’t know if it’s all in my head, but I feel super glowy when I drink my nutrients. I would say cut back on alcohol and sweets but they’re not a huge part of my diet anyway so ‘cutting back’ would essentially be ‘cutting out’ and where’s the fun in that?

Cut back on makeup and keep it clean

I really prefer the way I look with minimal to no make up as opposed to with a full face of it. More often than not, I leave the house with nothing more than lip chap and eyeliner if I’m feeling frisky.

The truth is, I don’t really know how to put make up on so I tend to go a little crazy with it and can sometimes end up looking like a drag queen.

But I’m a girl, and playing with makeup is fun sometimes. Plus, how will I get any better at it if I don’t practise?

I do, however, make sure to clean my makeup off at the end of the night. I melt a little coconut oil in my palms, rub it all over my face and wipe everything off with a cotton ball.

My down fall is possibly the most important and the most neglected habit for many women who wear makeup, cleaning my brushes my esthetician friend is cringing as she reads this. 

Relax a little

I’m definitely feeling the pressure with Chemistry and frequent anxiety attacks when I start thinking about what I want to do when I grow up. Like I would tell anyone else in my position, take it one day at a time, organize my time wisely, don’t try to do too much, and make time for yoga. Which conveniently flushes my skin out and offers some gentle exfoliation via salty sweat.

Drink Drink Drink Drink

I’m really bad at drinking enough water. I tend to forget about it until right before bed, at which point I become incredibly thirsty! I’m going to take my own advice and aim for 8-16 glasses every single day.

I’ll do my best to maintain these habits and show you another awkward close up in a few weeks. Over and out!