Hello!
Today I am going to talk about skincare. I have suffered with spotty, oily, acne-ridden skin from the young age of 10. And I don't mean the kind of skin that gets a spot or break out every once in a while, or just around the nose or hairline. I mean the kind that covered my face from forehead to chin, also my arms and back. I have every type of annoying acne, from white heads to black heads to cystic acne. I have tried going to the dermatologist with minimal positive results. Most of the time they prescribed me things that either dried out my face or did nothing. We were down to a last resort medication called Accutane, but my father said no. I've stopped taking any medications except a topical (on skin, not ingested) gel. I've been relying heavily on meticulously taking care of my face. Through the past eight years I have learned how to take care of my skin, including the importance of using good serums, a proper face wash for my face type, and even the task that seems most self-explanatory: how to wash my face. So, below I'm including a list of my favorite face products that I can't live without. Just click on the name, and it will bring you to the site where you can read more about them individually. Disclaimer: None of these are very cheap or available in a drugstore, but I personally haven't found anything from drugstores be able to help with my problematic skin; so you have been warned.
Face Wash: Dark Angels - Lush
Facial Serum: Midnight Recovery Concentrate - Khiels
Spot Treatment: Grease Lightning - Lush
Facial Mask: Pores No More - Dr Brandt
Toner/Primer/All-in-One Serum: Mèreadesso All-in-One Moisturizer - Mèreadesso
Eye Cream: Wonder Eye Cream - Balance Me
I hope this can be of some use to you, or that you at least enjoyed hearing about what I use for my skin. I can make individual reviews for each item at a later date, but I thought it would be good to share what I've learned helps me in the hopes that it can help someone else.
Have a wonderful day!
Kaylen
Sunday, February 22, 2015
Wednesday, February 18, 2015
Feeling Sluggish
Hello!
Today I'm going to talk about feeling sluggish. You know, the kind of day where you wake up and think, "ok, I'm tired, but I'll be fine in a couple of minutes", and then you walk around in a semi-sleep state all day and look like a walking zombie? That's the kind of day I've been having, and I wanted to share some ideas with you to help you (and me) to have a better day.
Step 1: Stand in the Sun.
Even if it's just through a window (if it's frigid outside like it is here today). There is a part in our brain called the Suprachiasmatic Nucleus, SCN for short. That's the part of our brain that picks up signals from the eyes when they take in light, and stops our brain from making melatonin, which is the hormone that makes us feel groggy. Also, sunlight is just a way to make you feel good. Think like a cat bathing in the sun while it naps.
Step 2: Drink Water.
I myself am quite bad at this. Water is one of the main things that makes our bodies work. And, if we don't intake enough water, it's like not oiling gears, it won't run right. So, we can work together on this. I have recently downloaded an app called Waterlogged from the iTunes app store. It is a great way to keep track of your water intake, and it gives you goals throughout the day. You can set what times you'd like it to remind you of when to drink water, and you can enter the amount of oz/mL of water that you drank.
Step 3: Eat Lots of Healthy Food.
Yes, yes, we have all heard it before, "Eat healthy and your life will improve significantly!" We know in our minds that we should be eating healthy, but we all have that one vice that just won't let go. Mine is sugary candy. I am nearly a vegan, so I eat healthy about 98% of the time. I allow myself to indulge in not-so-healthy "college food" occasionally which accounts for 1% of the 2. The other 1% is my candy obsession. It's pretty much under control when I'm buying my own groceries because I have very little money to spend on anything. But, when there are sales on candy (i.e. after christmas and valentines day and easter and pretty much any holiday), I go a little nuts. I go on a sugar high for about 2 weeks and then crash. It's disastrous and not healthy, and I know I should stop... but it just tastes so good! So, my tip to you and me, is to avoid things high in sugar. Sugar causes a quick spike in energy and then drops you down into a well of exhaustion and sadness. Instead, try eating foods high in protein and carbohydrates. Foods like, granola, peanut butter and toast, eggs, oatmeal are really good for getting you going if it's a snack or breakfast. They boost your energy in a way that lasts and is slowly released to your body instead of jumping up and down like a pogo stick.
Step 4: Nap.
This is basically an essential to getting though college, and pretty much any other time of life. Naps are a great thing. They energize us, allow us to relax, and make us feel more refreshed than when we went to sleep. The tricky part is to not let them become a habit. We need to make sure that we are allowing enough time to sleep at night and not making naps our "second sleep". If we mess with our sleep schedules too much, our bodies and brains can be re-programmed to expect short amounts of sleep several times a day, and then our sleep cycles are short, and not nearly as restorative as they need to be. But, if you are having a down day like I am, go for it. Enjoy that nap, and be refreshed.
Step 5: Friends.
If you have friends that you normally enjoy being around (I wish that for all of you), then try hanging out with them for a little while. Usually just being in the company of people who are happy can dramatically improve my mood. If you aren't near your friends, try giving them a call, Skyping. Texting can sometimes help, but actual voices are preferable because it seems more like you're talking to a person instead of just a screen.
Step 6: A Movie or Show + Cuddly Fort.
Watching a favorite movie or and episode or two of one of my favorite shows is always something that makes me smile. I try to avoid sad movies/shows and instead aim for a comedy or fantasy; something that will take my mind off of my "bleh" day. Of course having lots of soft pillows and blankets makes the experience about a trillion times better, so I like to burrow myself in cozy-ness and forget about the world outside for a little while. One movie I've recently watched was Amélie. It's a fantastic and artistic-ly filmed movie. It's about a cute woman named Amélie who lives in France and enjoys helping others and seeking justice. It is a romance story, and a beautiful film.
Step 7: Music.
Music is something that got me through my toughest times in high school. I found that listening to different music that fits my mood helped me feel better when I was feeling down or just not in a spectacular mood. I also do some research on new artists every few months and helps me not have to listen to pop music all the time. The way I do my research is, try going onto other countries' iTunes stores and looking at their top charts. It's a great way to find new music and hear different artists and styles from around the world. All you have to do is just google "iTunes _____" and fill in the blank with the country of your choice. Their top charts are often filled with artists I've never heard of, and I end up loving the music of. There are three artists I've recently been loving the work of. The first one is a band I've known of for several years called, Panic! At The Disco. Their work is very unique, but still very well done. My favorite song by them right now is called, "This is Gospel". The second artist is Adam Barnes. I have only recently heard his music for the first time, but it is really beautiful music. My favorite song at the moment is, "She Will Stay Beneath the Moon". The third artist I'm really enjoying right now is one that I discovered through Sweden's iTunes top charts. His name is Thomas Stenström, and my favorite song by him is called "Slå mig hårt i ansiktet". It's super catchy, and his voice is gorgeous. I've provided links to the youtube videos of these songs so you can give them a try yourself!
I hope my advice has helped at least a little bit. These tips are by no means a complete list, and I'd love to hear any other ideas you have. Please leave comments/questions/concerns, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can.
Have a lovely day!
Kaylen
Sunday, February 15, 2015
Body Image
I am not going to apologize for a very wordy and long post as my first regular post because I think that a lot needs to be said about Body Image.
Alright! Down to business. The first thing I'm going to talk about body image. I want to start out with this as my first topic because it's important as a sort of disclaimer to my blog. Something I want everyone who visits this blog to know is:
You are worth so much to so many people. Your life has worth. And you are breathtakingly beautiful.
I feel like we don't hear that enough, and we get bogged down by all of the pressure to "better ourselves" and to fit the mold of society. No matter your body type, no matter if you have clear skin, no matter if you wear makeup or not, you are unequivocally unique and worth all of the love in the world.
I have had a fairly poor self confidence since about the age of 11. When I was younger, I did gymnastics, and stayed stick thin because such is my genetic makeup. Then, when I got to middle school, found myself without friends, and on top of that I quit the gymnastics team because I didn't like the new coach. I spent about 99% of my time outside school just sitting in a chair, eating and reading fantasy books. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't regret reading, but what caused the problem was the lack of exercise (or really any movement except to go to school and to eat), and the constant snacking from after school until dinner, and then from after dinner until eight or nine at night. As you can probably guess, this did not do wonders for my body. I gained 50 pounds by eighth grade. I started sixth grade around 100 pounds, and started 8th grade at a little over 150 pounds. Of course, some of this was due to normal weight gain as I went through puberty, but the vast majority of it was just me, refusing to give my body the love it deserved.
I am finally learning to love my body. I have gone through spurts of being healthy and exercising in the past couple of years, but I didn't really stick with anything for more than a few months. I have started to finally become healthy by eating healthy food and exercising regularly, and though I have not lost all the weight (thank goodness!), I have settled at my best weight. What I'm working on now is switching some of the fattier areas of my body into muscle. I'm striving for a healthy body that can support me and the adventures I am challenging myself to. I don't hate the fat on my body anymore. There used to be times when I would stand in front of a mirror and hold my arms in such a way that it would cover up the areas of fat that I wanted to get rid of. I believed I was ugly and that I needed to change who I was in order to become desirable. I know now this is not at all the case.
It took me years to understand that I am beautiful and important. I want this blog to be a place where people can share their stories and feel at ease with their bodies and find peace of mind in the fact that we are all perfectly imperfect. We are all worth more than we know, and are loved by more people than we realize. We need to remind ourselves every time we look in the mirror that we can have confidence to be who we are because there is no one in the world who can be better at rocking who you are than you. Have the confidence to tell yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to. Have the confidence to love yourself.
Have a wonderful day!
<3 Kaylen Mae Vandergon
Alright! Down to business. The first thing I'm going to talk about body image. I want to start out with this as my first topic because it's important as a sort of disclaimer to my blog. Something I want everyone who visits this blog to know is:
You are worth so much to so many people. Your life has worth. And you are breathtakingly beautiful.
I feel like we don't hear that enough, and we get bogged down by all of the pressure to "better ourselves" and to fit the mold of society. No matter your body type, no matter if you have clear skin, no matter if you wear makeup or not, you are unequivocally unique and worth all of the love in the world.
I have had a fairly poor self confidence since about the age of 11. When I was younger, I did gymnastics, and stayed stick thin because such is my genetic makeup. Then, when I got to middle school, found myself without friends, and on top of that I quit the gymnastics team because I didn't like the new coach. I spent about 99% of my time outside school just sitting in a chair, eating and reading fantasy books. Now, don't get me wrong, I don't regret reading, but what caused the problem was the lack of exercise (or really any movement except to go to school and to eat), and the constant snacking from after school until dinner, and then from after dinner until eight or nine at night. As you can probably guess, this did not do wonders for my body. I gained 50 pounds by eighth grade. I started sixth grade around 100 pounds, and started 8th grade at a little over 150 pounds. Of course, some of this was due to normal weight gain as I went through puberty, but the vast majority of it was just me, refusing to give my body the love it deserved.
I am finally learning to love my body. I have gone through spurts of being healthy and exercising in the past couple of years, but I didn't really stick with anything for more than a few months. I have started to finally become healthy by eating healthy food and exercising regularly, and though I have not lost all the weight (thank goodness!), I have settled at my best weight. What I'm working on now is switching some of the fattier areas of my body into muscle. I'm striving for a healthy body that can support me and the adventures I am challenging myself to. I don't hate the fat on my body anymore. There used to be times when I would stand in front of a mirror and hold my arms in such a way that it would cover up the areas of fat that I wanted to get rid of. I believed I was ugly and that I needed to change who I was in order to become desirable. I know now this is not at all the case.
It took me years to understand that I am beautiful and important. I want this blog to be a place where people can share their stories and feel at ease with their bodies and find peace of mind in the fact that we are all perfectly imperfect. We are all worth more than we know, and are loved by more people than we realize. We need to remind ourselves every time we look in the mirror that we can have confidence to be who we are because there is no one in the world who can be better at rocking who you are than you. Have the confidence to tell yourself that you can do anything you set your mind to. Have the confidence to love yourself.
Have a wonderful day!
<3 Kaylen Mae Vandergon
Thursday, February 12, 2015
I'm Kaylen, just a humble blogger living in the big city of Chicago. I am in college, and fashion and makeup have almost always been a major part of my life. Ever since I knew what fashion looked like, I have wanted to be "one of those girls" who knew how to put together an outfit and who could stop traffic and steal the breath of strangers as she passed by. I realize now that beauty isn't just outward appearance, and now I aim to stop traffic with both my inner beauty and also my outward confidence.
I am starting this blog to be able to share my thoughts and opinions on different fashion, beauty, and occasional chatty things in my life. I hope you enjoy your time here! I'm aiming at blogging about once a week. I shall try my best, so please have patience as I get used to this blogging thing. I will be mostly reviewing makeup, face/skin products, and some clothing websites.
Please feel free to leave me comments in the comment section and let me know what you like/don't like about how I'm doing things, your thoughts and opinions on your experiences of the things I write about, and even just to say hey!
Thanks!
<3 Kaylen Mae Vandergon
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)