Sweating it out!

Hey Chicas!

Since, I've started my boot camp, I have been sweating......alot!!!  But that's not the point of this post at all.  A few friends and I were shopping around, and obviously there are a few things that you just need, the necessities.  One of those this time around was antiperspirants/deodorants.

I know that is not summer and we don't really sweat that much, but lets think about it....Christmas is coming.  Meaning there will be parties, whether family, friends or work parties.  You don't want to have to worry about that stuff when you're there having fun, right?  So I hope this helps you when you are buying the necessities, and know what keys things to look for.

First off, there is a difference between the two.  Deodorants, are used to just stop the smell of the sweat, and that smell firstly comes from the bacteria on the skin interacts with the sweat from the pores.  Antiperspirants actually stop the sweat from occurring.

Everyone's body produces sweat, but there are certain times when we can produce a lot more (aka bootcamp). Additional sweat is produced to cool down our bodies when we are exposed to heat, physical exertion, stress or nervousness. When the sweat gland is stimulated, the cells secrete a fluid that travels from the coiled portion of the gland up through the straight duct and out onto the surface of our skin.   

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/underarm-care/problems/question627.htm

 Antiperspirants all contain and active ingredient, that active ingredient is what gives antiperspirants their sweat-blocking power. All antiperspirants have an aluminum-based compound as their main ingredient. If you look at the back of an antiperspirant container, the aluminum-based compound is always the first ingredient listed. Here are a few of the common active ingredients:

• Aluminum chloride
• Aluminum zirconium tricholorohydrex glycine
• Aluminum chlorohydrate
• Aluminum hydroxybromide

The aluminum ions are taken into the cells that produce the sweat, at the opening of the skin.  When the aluminum ions are drawn into the cells, water passes in with them. As more water flows in, the cells begin to swell, squeezing the ducts closed so that sweat can't get out. (information taken from this link, for more information please click).

The link just said it better, then I could explain.  So in the video below I explain more about it. 

But just check your antiperspirants at home, to determine what your percentage of active ingredient is.  The lower the number the less effective it will be at stopping the sweat.  I recommend to not go down below 18% in the active ingredient, some even have 24% which the awesome. 

Do not, I said DO NOT fall into the marketing hype of the "Clinician Strength" antiperspirants.  Most of these are only around 20%, so why are you paying more for the "clinical" one when the active ingredient is less then the "normal" ones (which are cheaper too)!


Also men's versions are cheaper!  I have no idea why, the ingredients are the same, the compounds are the same, it just the smell that can be the tell-tale sign of a mans antiperspirant.  So I have switched to the mens, and just buy the unscented version.


So just be more aware of the percentages on the antiperspirants to ensure that you are paying for the best one to stop your sweating!

Caitlin xoxo

I Scream for Eye Cream

UPDATED WITH VIDEO!!!

Hey Chicas!


So I have been in the market for a new eye cream.  However, the few that I have tested, have not ended well.  And especially since winter is coming, you want to make sure that your skin is moisturized.  Well the ones that i have tested was well as the ones that I have used before, totally irritated my skin.  I had a major issue with the skin around and under my eye.  It was red, sore and dry, the skin became dry and scaly, it also hurt to look down at things.

So after it was over and the irritation was gone, I went back to my standard, and oh boy, my eyes didn't like it one bit!

I have read a lot about eye creams on various sites and books.  And the majority of them say that there is little difference to eye cream then simply applying a cream to the eye area.  So my solution involves using items that I already have, and are usable in the eye area.

My secret is Bio-Oil and non-petroleum jelly.  Both of these products can be found at Wal-mart, and other type of those stores.

The Live Clean is found in the baby isle of most stores.

So my process, is as follow:
*use your ring finger to apply all eye products.
1. After a cleansed face, I apply the bio-oil to my under eye area, and on the crows feet area of the eye.  I apply enough of the oil to have it kinda wet looking.  I allow that to seep into the skin for a few minutes.
2. I take some non-petroleum jelly and apply that to the same area as the bio-oil.  The reasoning is that the moisturizing effect from the bio-oil, gets trapped under the non-petroleum jelly and stays there to ensure that the oil is being absorbed and staying in place.

I apply this more heavily at night, and i mean like really cake that stuff on.  In the morning I use a less heavy hand, and really enjoy the dewy effect it gives my under-eye area.  I guess it is catching the light, even under foundation, and helps to make the under the eye area appear less dark, well still moisturizing.



So my suggestion is don't spend tons of money on eye cream, because lets face it, everyone will wrinkle, its just to help minimize and/or slow the effect of them appearing.  Try this combo, and I'm sure that you will be pleasantly surprised.

Its all that I'm using, and plan to.

Caitlin xoxo

Want Longer Hair Faster?

Hey Chicas!

I'm sure that we have all had our own experiences of a bad haircut or bad dye job.  Neither one leaves us feeling any better about ourselves.  And I'm willing to admit that I, myself have cried over both issues, and not that long ago either.

The worst was the cut, I had gone to a professional hairdresser to color to my hair, because,....... please I am not taking that on myself, I'd be bald or have green hair.  So I was getting it lightened.  I loved the color, but the ends were getting all frizzy and nothing I did could make them lay flat.  So I went to another person, because I wasn't that happy with the cut, I had long bits of hair on the bottom, but some of my top layers where like a few inches.  I did not like the Joan Jett similarities.  The new hairdresser said that the previous one had fried my ends.  Well basically that means she left the product in too long and burned the hair, so it had to cut off.

So here is a picture of the progression of my hair over a year...

Yeah I had just gotten my hair the length that I wanted, you know the standard length just above your boobs.  As my as a child was short, so I was traumatized, to say the least by the cut.  Thank goodness, this new guy had a lifesaver of a suggestion.....horse shampoo.

Now, don't look at the screen all funny, I know that I didn't really believe him, but how much worse could it get?  I got my at Wal-Mart for under $10 for the huge bottle of it.  So I have now being using it for 3-4 years, and I love it!(I've had more than my fair share of bad dye jobs and cuts)  It does make your hair grow faster, and its strong and silky.  It works on my hair type and my moms grey hair, but it may not work for you, nothing rarely works on everyone. Now, keep in mind, since I had the rocker cut, I have had to let the top grow out and the keep cutting the bottom. Then for grad pictures I wanted an actual hair style, and got the Victoria Beckham bob, which I loved.  But for the past year I have been growing it out.  So last summer my hair was in the Victoria Beckham, and now my hair is just long enough to brush over my shoulders.  Keep in mind that I keep getting regular trims so get off the dead ends, but I think that the reason it is growing so fast, is the Mane n' Tail Shampoo and Conditioner.

I would highly recommend that if you want to grow out your hair, purchase this stuff, you shall not be disappointed.

Check out the video below, as I discuss the shampoo and conditioner...

Caitlin xoxo



Oxygen

Hey Chicas!

So yesterday was my first day doing  Oxygen Innovate Group Fitness.  So, obliviously from the name it is a group atmosphere....great, that way I'll be too embarrassed to give-up when it hurts (kinda like I do now when I did find time to workout)  Now I like to think of myself as being fairly in shape, but you know there are always areas one wants to firm and tone up.  Which are the reasons that I signed up for this camp.

So I get up even before the crack of dawn, I was up at 5:20 am....AM people, I haven't been up that early since.....well since in like forever, as highschool doesn't really count anymore.  But I wasn't too tired, it went fairly well and was there before the requested 15 min before start time of 6 am.  Scarily early, but when you have to get your butt to work at 8:30 am you can't really go any later, oh well I suppose you could, if you were a rare human how didn't sweat and crap like that.

 

Well it was pretty damn intense....it was like 15 min in, and I looked at the clock, and thought to myself...There is no way I can do this for a whole hour.  But I sucked it up and did, quite proud of myself.  The next day however, was torture.  I was sooo sore, it literally took me 5 minutes to try and get out of bed, by butt hurt, my legs hurt on all sides and my arms....basically everything was sore.  At work I couldn't walk right, it was more like waddling around and crap, the worst though....people noticed!  I was embarrassed and tried to not walk too many places!  hahah

I was seriously debating last night that I may need a break and maybe I was too out of shape to even do this boot camp.  But then everyone would know and I'd be embarrassed so I dragged my ass on out even though I wasn't feeling quite right.  The first little bit were horrid, my muscles were not impressed with it at all!

I made it through and was able to do most things, but not to the standard that I would have liked to.  But hey it is progress right!?  So hopefully it gets better but at the moment, I don't think that any amount of softness will help my sore ache yelling muscles!

Caitlin xoxo

Clean Purple Smokey Eye

Hey Chicas!

This is a look that one of my friends had requested on another youtube video....a little bit ago.  I promised...sort of...and I decided to do a little switch up on the requested look.  Instead of doing the typical black/grey smokey eye, I have switched it up slightly with white,silver,grey,purple colors instead.

Purple is still in for this fall and winter season and I have already done a all purple eye/face look, you can check it out here...  This one is a little more dramatic and intense look, just because the colors are deeper.

Products used:
Eyes
-Too Faced Shadow Insurance
-Quo Devil/Naughty Quad Palette
  Dupes-ELF Eye Brightening Quad in Dramatic
            - Annabelle Revolver
-Annabelle Buff Naked
-Mayballine Liquid Lash Stiletto in Black
- Revlon Lash Fantasy in Black
- Sally Hansen Cream Blush in Ginger
- Hard Candy Baked Crushed Blush in Honeymoon
-Revlon Colorburst Lipstick in Lilac
-Rimmel Vinyl Gloss in Snog

So this look I like to call a clean smokey eye, because not everything is smudged and looks like the morning after.  But it is still smokey, the way to make it look cleaner is to keep your lid a lighter color, not to have dark blended everywhere. The lighter lid allows it to be a more day time approtiapate look.  Of course the purple in place of the black does help an awful lot.  So if  you want it to be more dramatic for a night out, use the black and purple together and you'll achieve a darker outer corner.

Here is the video below if you wanna know how to rock this look!



Caitlin xoxo

A night out - not to happen

Hey Chicas!

So me and the BF decided to go out the movies tonight, we haven't in such a long time.  We actually decided to go to see Morning Glory, because it has a good Canadian girl in it, and we both love her, but obviously for different reasons.

So I get myself all ready, and we eat a late lunch, and just a snack, because we have to prepare for the popcorn at the movies.  Because please, no one should ever go to the movies and not get popcorn, blasphemy lol.  Now I don't go all out, we usually share the kids pack.  1. Its cheaper, and you get more for the money then the small popcorn, so that's what we do...don't judge...haha.

So we left home a little early, and decided to go to Timothy's to get a large White Hot Chocolate, skim milk, no foam. But no they had closed, (of course they did) they have the best hot chocolate hands down.  But since I really wanted one, I broke down and went to Starbucks, not my fav, but what can you do.  I got a large or "Vente"...yeah whatever....Salted Caramel Hot Chocolate....its ok, but for damn sure not a Timothy's!


We get a kick ass parking spot at the movies....its looking pretty good, right? Yeah, well it looked good, but remember looks can be deceiving.  We go to click on the 2 adult tickets, and do you know how much the freakin' tickets are?  No seriously DO YOU??  It was $11.99 per person!  Now, I don't think that I'm cheap, I spend money on quality things, but is sitting in a cold ass theater for 2 hours tops, really worth 12 bucks?  Well it is most definitely NOT worth it to me.  It would have been with tax all in for the two of us, and sharing, SHARING a snack, would have cost around $35!  For under 2 hours of "entertainment", ummm no freakin' thanks.


Maybe I'm being crazy cheapo here, but really think about.  They need to rethink the pricing strategy, they have gone up just over a year, it used to be $10 something, and $9 something the year before.  Are they really that dense that they don't know the information age, or is that they don't care to understand it?  Because as far as I'm aware, you can download them for |FREE off the Internet.  I have a pretty good source that I trust, and he has quite a few movies, new and old, some that are still in theatres, and you can watch them on TV....trust me I've seen it.


So, this was our protest to not pay that much money on a movie, please, I can wait until $5.99 Tuesday prices, or check it out online.  Either way you will not find me paying over $10 for a movie ticket, in crappy chairs, and most likely a smaller screen and freeze for the hour and a half showing.

So here is to movies at home, popcorn from the microwave, couches and blankets!

What are your thoughts on the prices? Are they crazy? or am I?

Have a cozy weekend 
Caitlin xoxo

Remembrance Day

Hey Chicas!

Today is a day that should be looked at on a different light.  Nothing will be posted about Fashion or Beauty.  There are bigger issues then the beauty world.

So instead of thinking of ourselves today, lets remember the veterans.

In Flanders Fields

by John McCrae, May 1915

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.

We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.

Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

Caitlin xoxo

Montreal Style

Hey Chicas!!

So Montreal style is pretty intense.  The ladies don't really go anywhere without looking totally done up for the nightime....no seriously they do.  The hair is totally done up, with the puff of course, they never wear flats unless they are the over the knee boots, otherwise they are heels.....and high heels too!  I really don't know how they navigate the malls in the heels that they wear, but they do, but they do walk more slowly then most people, not that they care.


The makeup, oh gosh the makeup....its is intense for sure.  Not all but most of the ladies always wear black eyeliner, which there is nothing wrong with.  But they wear it all around the eye, like all around, in a thick line, not at all smudged out.  Think Egyptian type. Now, I think it is a little much, but it does make the eye stand out a bit more, but not to the extent they do it, it should more of a thin line, but still there.  They are always reapplying lipstick/gloss you never see a bare lip, something that I'm a little guilty of...hehe.  Since being here, I have defiantly applied eyeliner a little heavier then I do at  home, goes to show that you do adjust yourself to the surroundings.

So the style is a little different, for sure.  But you can always take some aspects of the cultural influences and apply them to your style.  For me I'm going to be applying eyeliner a little bit more frequently and heavy, be more cautions of my bare lips, and rock heels a little bit more.

Just a little insight on the style up here, kinda different then PEI

Caitlin xoxo

Hippie Hair Twists

Hey Chicas!

Sorry I haven't updated this week.  I am on vaca in Montreal then off to Ottawa, visiting the fam, and all that good stuff.  I have lots of ideas and comments that I have seen on the ladies up here in Montreal, from makeup to clothing style, its quite different then what the people wear on PEI that's for sure, but you can always take little tips and tricks from other styles and incorporate them into your own.

So this is a hair video that I filmed a few months ago, and haven't had the chance to make it public.  It is great one for when you are growing out bangs and want to make your hair look longer than it is.  Plus its always better when you can rock the longer hairstyles with shorter hair, you can always "Fake it 'till you Make it!".

So here it is.





















Caitlin xoxo

Facial Contouring

Hey Chicas,

I filmed this video during my getting ready for a Halloween Party, so the hair is a little sparkly, and longer/more curly than usual, but that I could get used to!

The techniques that i show in the video are very hard core contouring, that does not have to be done everyday, it is meant to be used for special occasions and the like.  If you are all ready for it, you can do it everyday, it won't look bad by any means, but I don't feel its necessary.

The video, I feel does a pretty good job of describing where to place the contouring/highlighting colors.  I didn't really describe why you would want to contour but, its just to minimize certain areas on the face.  The darker color will make certain areas recede and look farther away, the highlighter will make the area stand out.  So what you are achieving is to give your face more depth and make it look a little bit more chiseled and angled.

So in my lovely mug shot! it helps to show the stages that your face will go through and the before and after of the techniques applied.  Keep in mind I don't have any other makeup on, just  foundation and obviously highlighter and contouring powder.

Products Used:
Milani Sunset Duos - Sunset City
Hard Candy Blush Crushed Baked Blush - Honeymoon
Red Earth - Hot Flush Blush Quad

So if you would like to know how to do this to your face for a special event, you can watch the video to learn.



Caitlin xoxo