What Moves You?

2/24/15

What Moves You?

            Sometimes I feel as if I am stuck in a rut and it seems never ending. My days are not the same but my schedule is. Every semester I am placed into a different set of classes all occurring at different times and requiring different expectations. On the weekdays, I get up early, eat breakfast, and go to school. After school, I usually am finishing up that last paragraph in my English essay or reading in my textbook. On the weekends, I get up a little bit later, eat breakfast, and work on more schoolwork. Don’t get me wrong, I am so appreciative to be able to pursue my dreams and get an education but it’s hard to feel content when the pressures of college get the best of me.

            I’ll find my mind racing with thoughts of what I should accomplish tomorrow right before I close my eyes to go to sleep. My mind becomes so overwhelmed with exhaustion that sometimes I will just lay there; eyes closed and not being able to drift away into my dreamland. That’s when I realized that I had to let it go. As simple as it is to say, it is actually a lot harder than I thought. But I take steps everyday to get myself closer to being able to say, “It is going to be okay.”

            My escape is through nature. Being outside is so fresh and subtly calming. If the weather is kind to me, I will dress appropriately and bare the dry Idaho air. I will walk just two blocks down from my town house and be right next to the Boise River. Boise is a small but amazing city, along the Boise River is a paved trail that we call the ‘Greenbelt.’ I will walk on the Greenbelt for a mire mile and automatically feel better. Grades disappear, assignments seem less intimidating, and most of all; my mind is at ease. The fresh air in my lungs feels better than any cigarette and the movement of my long legs becomes better than any exercise that a treadmill could give me.

Jane Oring

My Top 5 Lush Products

As many of the fellow beauty bloggers, I'm obsessed with all products from Lush Cosmetics. Its so quirky, creative, and free minded that I can't help but spend hours looking and reading about different products as well as watching videos on "Lush Hauls/Reviews." If you have not heard of Lush then let me go into more detail on what the organic company is all about.

Like I said above, Lush Cosmetics focuses on body, bath, hair, and face products that are organic (natural and sometimes completely vegan (it will say on the packaging)) and are made from ingredients that are not tested on animals. If you want to look into Lush a little more than my quick summary then click here that states what "Lush Cosmetics Believes In."

All smiles at the Lush Store in Chicago

I absolutely LOVE Lush. Simply put and I can't explain how much I am into what they stand for and how well these natural products work and make my body feel so scrumptious. 

Now to get into my five favorite products from Lush. This will be hard to do, considering I have more than just five products and love them all so much. In fact, I don't think I have ever tried a Lush product that I didn't like... Well except for the mints that I tried in the brand new Lush Store in The Meridian Village (Idaho). I REPEAT, do not try (or buy) these mints unless you want a horrid taste that lingers in your mouth. Not a pleasant taste, I think I will stick to my Altoids.

1. Blackberry Lush Bomb: How could I not list a bath bomb, it's the first Lush product I experienced from a birthday gift from an (ex) close girlfriend of mine. But my all time favorite is the this one which is a distinctive blue with the imprint of "BOMB" on the side. This was also one of the first bath bombs invented in 1989.  
2. It's Raining Men Shower Gel: I am again, IN LOVE with how amazing this shower gel is. It smells so good that I can't even begin to describe. You just need to try it and I guaranteed you will fall in love. 
3. Let the Good Times Roll Facial & Body Cleanser: I use this facial cleanser everyday because I
   
   enjoy it so much, I honestly look forward to using it in the morning after I wake up. First, it smells so good and makes my face smell like "butter-popcorn" as my mother would say (also a fellow "Lushie.") It also exfoliates while leaving my skin feeling so moisturized and smooth. I want to use this twice a day (before bed and once I wake up) but I would advise to use it at the most once a day considering it also exfoliates and you don't want to be too harsh on your skin. 
4. Ocean Salt Body & Face Scrub: I use this scrub more on my whole body than face because I feel like its a little too harsh to rub on my sensitive facial skin but I love to use with this scrub after I shave my legs. It exfoliates while also leaving your skin moisturized.
5. Happy Happy Joy Joy Hair Conditioner: This condition is vegan friendly and smells better than any chemical filled hair condition bought from your drug store or salon (in my personal opinion.) While also leaving my hair lusciously soft, it also smells so potently good that you don't need to even wear perfume (like the bottle states.)

I hope my top five has encouraged you to check out some of these amazing products while also finding some favorites of your own. If you want to make suggestions, share your faves, and even just let me know what you think after reading this quick little blog post, than by all means please comment. 

I also want to share this Youtuber who I recently stubbled upon and love to watch her videos on makeup, skin care, and more. I enjoy watching these types of videos when I'm eating my breakfast while getting ready for my morning classes, very quick and easy to watch without playing the best attention (which is great for my short attention span.) Please Enjoy!

"Ciaoobelllaxo's Little Lush Haul"  

All these photos are from my iPhone 5s and are property of Jane Oring. 

 

Cover Up

It's easy to hide your imperfections with pounds of makeup, your white and black heads are put to darkness in an almost air tight coating of foundation, bronzer, blush, and whatever else a girl or guy uses. Covergirl, Urban Decay, L'oreal, etc is responsible for the testing of their own products safety. Our government supposedly enforces to put all the products ingredients on the label but my Environmental Science class has taught me to think other-wise.
desires to use. Thousands of cosmetics are available through your local grocery store, mall, or even a convenient gas station around the block from your home. Cosmetics aren't regulated through the The United State's FDA, the cosmetics manufacturer (otherwise 'company' such as

Should I become scared and throw out all my make-up? If I want to stay the healthiest I can ever possibly sustain, than yes I should. But too much time and money has been put into my variety of a cosmetic collection. I'm too proud to be a makeup enthusiast and I couldn't help but wake up a half an hour before I normally should just to cake my face with harsh chemicals and make my breakouts even worse by clogging my pores. I thought that makeup made me comfortable in my own skin, but my 'skin' was totally fake with foundation and deep toned bronzer. I got tired and thought that this was as good as I was going to get.

Junior year in high school, I went to Elizabeth Arden's Red Door Spa in Chicago with my mother and aunt. I booked a facial and once the esthetician looked at my skin, she said I was parched. Figuratively. My skin was dry to the bone, thanks to the helpful products of Urban Decay. My foundation (Naked Skin) was too much for me and I unintentionally caked my skin for way too long. The kind esthetician helped me with a daily regiment. Wake up: face toner and moisturizer (preferably with SPF). Before bed: wash my face (especially if I am wearing makeup), night cream, and around the eye cream to keep my skin naturally moist.

http://www.makeupandbeautyblog.com/news/are-cosmetics-regulated-by-the-fda/