Life Currently // What I Wore // New Faves

Hello? Anyone still out there, checking in on this blog? Hopefully! I can finally say I am motivated to get back into blogging. You know you don't want to read posts from someone that feels like they are just dragging their feet and being forced to write a post just for the sake of having something out there - just posting to keep the blog alive. No thanks! That is one of the reasons I do like blogging.

Regardless of if I have a major following or not, I can always turn to this space on the interwebz to write my thoughts, likes and dislikes, and questionable fashion choices. This little blog has existed for about 4 years, and hasn't disappeared if I chose not to post for a bit. I like that. Here I am - first post of 2016 and hopefully not the last. So, here it goes. 

This past October, I started my career after graduating in May as an RN (got my BSN, yay!) I work as a pediatric nurse, so that in itself is pretty crazy. I work, sleep, meal prep, and workout. Oh, and try to have a social life. I would say I'm slowly starting to find balance in this new chapter as an adult, hence the time to do a blog post!  Overall, I love working as an RN, especially with the little babies. They are the best... even when they decide to have a major fit when you need to go tend to the next little one. Patience is key, for real. 

Beyond the whole career thing, I've been trying to make time for friends, family, and my boyfran, which is another balancing act in itself! I've also been trying to minimize the "stuff" in my life. Going through clothes, makeup, skin care, etc, and trying to get rid of/donate what I do not need/want. Having too much "stuff" really has started to stress me out. Basically, I want to Spring clean my life. Does that make sense? On top of all that, I am still really working  on throwing out and replacing "toxic" beauty and skincare products and choosing more natural and non-toxic brands. This is one task that is super hard and can be expensive if not done slowly. Trust me (from experience, hah). 

Anyway, here is a random outfit I forgot to post on here-I really miss doing frequent OOTD posts! Also, sharing some new products/products I am loving as of late... feel free to make beauty/skincare/makeup suggestions for organic/natural/non-toxic products!

 Outfit details-  Scarf: Rose & Remington (local boutique) // Shirt: Target (similar)/(similar) // Jeans: Old Navy // Booties: Jessica Simpson Brand (from TJMaxx) (similar) //

Products from **Creek Baby Organic: Arawak Face Powder // Coco-Olive Facial Creme // 

*Side note: This Arawak Face Powder has absolutely blown me away. I think I have found a product to replace my Mac Blot Powder, which I never thought would happen, especially with a natural product! I do plan on doing a full review on this!

More favorites, with mini reviews! 

Clockwise: The Body Shop Limited Edition Hand Protector (a percentage of each purchase from this moisturizer will be donated to protect and enrich the planet, the oceans or animals and people-you can choose when you buy!) // Pacifica Kale Detox Deep Cleansing Face Wash (in love!) // Pacifica Jasmine Iris Oil-Control Primer (I will do a full length review on this-still testing this one out!) // Alba Botanica Acne Dote Invisible Treatment Gel (works like a charm!) // Nature's Gate Sunless Tanner (this deserves a review to itself as well; easily one of the best self-tanners I have ever used!) // Ilia Beauty Tinted Lip Conditioner, shade "Blossom Lady" (I now use this every day-it's amazing!) // Nugg Beauty Intense Lip Boosting Mask (all natural, completely vegan...definitely increases moisture and makes your lips seem more plump; I also adore their face masks) // W3ll People Bio Extreme Lipgloss , shade "Nude Rose" (I wouldn't say this is super plumping, but it does a great job of hydrating your lips and has a gorgeous color selection) // 

That my friends, is all for now. Sorry for the longest, chattiest, multi-directional post ever. Please share recommendations for health and wellness books, organic and natural makeup/skincare, and general comments below! 

Thanks for reading!

XO, Kelsey

Connect with me: twitter here // instagram here// pinterest here // 

**Depicts a product sent to me free of charge. No opinions or reviews were expected in return. These are my general opinions on these two products that I am happy to share within my blog.

Cabana Tan Gradual Self Tanner Review!

Before we start-with all the news about Google Reader going away soon, there is a possibility that GFC could go right with it! If you like to follow this blog, follow via BLOGLOVIN' just in case! 

Who is ready for Spring and Summer? We all know I am! Remember when I did a post about a review of self tanners? Well, I am back with another one! I am not saying everyone should be tan, but for me, personally, I like to have a bit of color on me. It makes me feel better about myself for some reason. Because of that, I have tried a lot of self-tanners, since I try to avoid using tanning beds (scary!) I really recommend checking out my first post, and looking at "what to look out for" concerning skin cancer. Now, let's get to the newest self-tanner obsession!

Meet my newest love, Cabana Tan Sunless Tanning Lotion. This product is made by Million Dollar Tan. I did receive this for free, for my thoughts and consideration ( I am not being paid to say anythign!) First, let me just promise you my full honesty. Second, I waited over a month to review it, just to be absolutely sure that this was a product I wanted to be on my blog. Clearly, it is. Here is a discription of the product from the website:

Apply it like a lotion and in just 6 hours, your skin will have a gorgeous, healthy glow. GUARANTEED!

This is the sunless tanning lotion you've been wishing for. It's an amazingly bronzed color that's easy to put on and lasts a week. This product is a MUST TRY. It's so easy and gives you such great color, you'll love it. Million Dollar Tan products are water based, non-pore clogging, never tested on animals, organically made and free of any parabens or any other gross additives. 

Let's break down its claims, which also include no streaking, smell, or mess. 

1) Did I have a glow after six hours? Yes, I really did. Here is a before and after from my application. The first picture was the night I applied it, while the second was 2 days later (2 applications total). More than 6 hours before the second picture was taken, but I assure you, I woke up with color! 

Is it just me, or is it a little awkward to only see my legs and nothing else? hah.

I am really happy with the color I got when using this. To me, it isn't overwhelming, or orange-y. In person, I think it looks even better. It states on the bottle that it is a gradual self tanner, which means it may take a few applications to get the color you want. Personally, I would of been happy with one application, but I did two applications before taking the picture, just for good measure and review purposes!

2) Did it streak? No, it really did not. If you read the description, it does say it is a lotion, and it really applies like one. I didn't have any streaking with this product, because it was so easy to rub in. In the past, I have used products with more of a gel consistency, which are nice, but they seem to absorb faster, and that is when you run into problems with streaking. 

3) Was it messy? No, not to me at least. Since it does apply like a lotion, it really isn't a problem! I am sure you could make it messy, purposely, but who wants to do that? Transfer wise, I did not notice it rubbing off onto clothes, bedsheets, etc. The color of the actual lotion in the bottle is an off-white shade.

4) Did it smell? This, to me is hilarious, Only because I never read that claim, until today, when I looked on the website. It is funny to me because from the get-go, when I first applied it, I was like "Okay, well if I review this, how do I describe the smell, because it doesn't really smell like anything". I promise. My thoughts were all over the place, wondering how I would tell you it was basically scentless, and that even though I suck at describing smells, this one was a doozy to pinpoint a smell! It's not fruity, beachy, foul, gross, or overwhelming. Guys, just trust me on this, somehow it is nearly scentless. I didn't even wake up with a weird "tanner" smell that you sometimes get with products. For some, no scent might be a negative, since this does apply and moisturize like a lotion. However, I think it is nice without  scent! 

5) Lasting time? Eh, I would say 5-8 days. I don't normally exfoliate every night when I shower, so I am sure that affects the lasting power, but I think that is pretty dang good. I also got into the habit with applying this every few days, once I figured out how long it last with one application. I did this to mamaintain color, moisturize my skin, and also darken the color I would get.  

6) Pore clogging? No. Not that I have noticed. I also used this on my face, as it says it won't clog pores on the website. I never had any issue with breaking out because of this. It isn't oily, or sticky on your skin, which is great, because who wants to put something like that on your face? Not me. It absorbs well and just does its job. I did see that they have developed a tanner specifically for your face, which is something I would love to try, just to see if it is any different than applying the lotion meant for your whole body! If anyone has tried that one, let me know!

Do I truly recommend this? Yes. I promise it is one of the best self-tanners I have used, and is actually more affordable than a few other tanners I have recommended before (not from the drugstore). The particular one I am reviewing retails for $20. Do I have any cons? No, not really. I only wish I would of chose the one in the "Extreme" version, just to see how dark it could get me! I know it seems weird to not really have any cons, but I think I just got really lucky with this product, and maybe you'll love it too! If you get a chance, and you love self-tanning, or just want to venture out and try something different, I do recommend this. Please let me know if you have tried it, and what your thoughts are!

-Extra tip for self tanning: If you have a self tanner that is gel based, dries too fast, or seems to dark for you, try mixing it with lotion! Not only does it give you more time to rub it in, but it also allows your tan to develop gradually, because it won't be as pigmented when dissolved in another lotion. This helps you control the level of tan you get! Love doing this with some of my self-tanners!

Hopefully this was helpful and not too long! Thanks for reading,
XO, Kelsey