#WipeForWater

The #WipeForWater campaign is focused around the idea of using a towelette to remove your make and cleanse your face rather than water and a cleanser. We waste about 5 gallons of water on average when we wash our faces the traditional way. Neutrogena naturals purifying makeup remover cleansing towelettes are made from 100% renewable fiber. They have no harsh chemicals, sulfates, parabens, petrolatum, dyes, and phthalates. Isn't that a mouthful? They claim to completely remove dirt, oil, and makeup. 

I have pretty sensitive acne prone skin. I have to stick to a twice a day wash to keep my face from being an acne fortified mess. If I get lazy and skip a cleanse, I usually pay for it. 

My first impression was that they smell like green apple. I found the scent to give them a fresh feel. I've never used Neutrogena makeup wipes. I'm actually not really a fan of makeup wipes. I find they never get all of the make up off. So I use cleansing oil to remove my make up. 

So what's my opinion after 3 day of just using these? If you're trying to use these, and these alone, you probably won't be happy. I needed 2 wipes to take off a full face of makeup. They didn't towelette itself didn't feel too gentle on my eyes. The formula however, was pretty gentle. I think these might be great for washing your face in the morning. If you're wearing makeup these would be great too, but you may want to come in with a traditional cleanser afterwards to make sure everything is fresh and clean. 

So my final verdict? I'll probably purchase these when I run out. I'm attending a few festivals this summer, so these will be perfect for a quick cleanse. 

*FTC: I was sent these courtesy of Influenster and Neutrogena for review as part of the #WipeForWater campaign. I am not being paid for this review. I would never accept money in exchange for a positive review of a product that I do not believe in. 

Life Update!!

So, I haven't really blogged in some time. I'm going to go with the lame busy semester excuse. To be fair, it is a pretty good excuse. In the time that I've been gown, I went full blown blonde. I have since gone to a light brunette. I was able to go to blonde at home, and I really didn't have any damage. I may do a post on the products that really helped save my hair. I have also since chopped my hair. Its actually not as short as I want it to be. I'll probably schedule another appointment soon.

I have also gotten back into thrifting a lot more. I've found some awesome pieces recently that will be the subject of future posts. I do have plans for a shopping for less post. I recently went with my mother. She is the ultimate thrifting queen. I truly think I learned from the best.

Perhaps the biggest news of all is that I've been accepted into my program. I will officially be graduating August 2016. I ended up taking some time off of school after my father died. It feels so good to be back on track and closer to my goals. Anyways, I just wanted to make a little post getting back into the groove of things. I hope to be posting at least once a week. I don't want to commit to a set schedule yet though. We'll see how it goes.

-Cali Out

Fall Signature Scent

Every year when fall coming around I always feel the need to up my fragrance game. In the summer and spring, I live to wear fruity and floral scents. Scents that are quite youthful. However, in the fall I really like to switch over to a more mature and musk-y scent. The scent I'm really loving is Nirvana Black by Elizabeth and James. 

This scent contains violet, vanilla, and sandalwood. Sephora describes it as a sensual, warm, and mysterious scent. In our early twenties we often struggle with finding a scent that is both mature enough, but still youthful. This fragrance strikes a perfect balance in my eyes if you're looking to go the ever so slightly mature route. 

What are some of your favorite fall fragrances? Do you go for a more mature  and sensual scent, or a fun and youthful one? Let me know down below. 

Cali Out-

Essie Nail Strip Review

I was recently browsing my local Dollar Tree, when I stumbled across these babies. How could I resist when they're normally about as expensive as a bottle of Essie. Picking these up for $1 was amazing. 

The kit came with instructions, strips,a nail file, and a clear plastic cuticle stick. They apply like you're standard nail strip. I do have to admit that I was disappointed in the lack of variety in sizes. Most of them were not wide enough for my nails. 

The instructions don't call for it, but I figured using a good top coat might help them keep longer and not get scratched. I used this one by Essie. It retails around $10. 

This is how they turned out. I would have been a lot happier with them if the sizing was better. Their staying power was pretty decent though. They lasted about a week before the peeling drove me nuts, and I took them off. I really feel like they could have lasted longer. This was my first time applying nail strips as well, so it may have been user error. Overall, I'm not if I would pay full price for these. I did really like the way they looked though. I'll probably go back to Dollar Tree and pick up some more. How do you feel about these? Do you have a brand you love? Let me know below. 

Cali out-

Runner Up: The Second Best Complex

Something I've always struggled with is what I like to call the second best complex. I think you can gather an idea of what that is. I don't think I've ever been someone's favorite. I'm hardly at the bottom, but never the top choice. I'm not talking about just romantic interests either. This is something that has plagued me in other areas as well. I was never a teacher's, or coach's favorite. I've been a runner-up in various competitions. It goes on from there. 

This kind of thing can make you feel quite average, or boring. You certainly never feel like you're good enough either. You'll sit there and pick yourself apart, wondering what is so wrong with you. Other times you'll wonder why you go through life seemingly unappreciated by those around you. 

Whenever you try to talk to a friend about it, the conversation can either go two ways: one, they try to tell you that you're awesome, or two, they tell you to get over yourself. Neither of these are ever helpful. Actions speak louder than words,  if you don't show me I won't believe you. Telling me that I'm just throwing a pitty party for myself is terrible because of obvious reasons. 

So where does that leave us? Two words: self acceptance. I know what you're thinking, tell me something someone hasn't already told me. I will, self acceptance doesn't mean confidence, or self love. Everyone always tells you that you have to learn to love yourself to be confident, but they always seem to either skip over the acceptence part or lump it in together. 

Learning to accept yourself seems pretty forward, but it's really not. You have to truly accept yourself, and not that bullshit " I do accept myself, I accept that I'm not good enough" crap. Really accept yourself. You have to accept that you have flaws. You have to accept that there will always be someone "better" or "prettier" than you. As negative as that sounds, it gives you peace. Once you accept everything that you "aren't", it allows room for everything that you "are". Accept that you're also a lot of great things. So often, we try to dismiss our amazing qualities as lesser. We always try to focus on what we aren't instead of what we are. There are certain qualities that you have that someone else is probably sitting around wishing that they had. Let's take me for example, I'm an extremely rational person. A lot of my impulsive friends wish that they were more rational like me. This is a quality that I never thought others were jealous of until it was pointed out to me. 

You also need to realize that just because someone is "better" at something, that doesn't take away from you. If you take anything away from this blog post, please take that. If you worked really hard and got a 95 on an exam, the girl sitting next to you getting a 100 doesn't mean all your hard work is voided. That doesn't take away from your acheivent. It's the same thing in your romantic life. If the person you like makes you feel like you're second best, or a back up plan that doesn't take away anything from who you are. And can I just point out that anyone who makes you feel like an option doesn't deserve the honor of being your priority. That's something I struggle with too, so don't feel bad. A great First Lady once said that "No one can make you feel inferior without your consent". 

So accept yourself. Accept it all. You are you. Embrace it. It'll be hard some days. Self acceptance doesn't happen over night, and it isn't always a done deal. Things will always happen in life that make you feel that second best/insecure feeling. Self acceptance is the difference between beating yourself up, and being able to move on. 

Once you accept yourself you're on the track to loving yourself. Once I made peace with the fact that I would never be perfect or the "best" it allowed me to move on. I'm not all the way to loving myself, but I know I'll get there. I think self acceptance really opens the door to things such as confidence, happiness, and a better quality of life. 

These are just some 2am thoughts that's I had about this. So what do you think? Do I make sense, or am I just way off base? Let me know how you feel in the comments. Need advice on anything? Let's converse. 

Cali out- 

No Lather, No Repeat: Cleansing Conditioner

I've recently dove head first into the whole cleansing conditioner shebang. I've decided to share with you some of the things I've learned along the way in the hopes that I can save you some trouble. Here's what to expect. 

1. You're probably going to use too much: I used 6 pumps. My first time, and 7 the other. I know now that it was way too much. 

2. You have to rinse it all out: I usually don't clean rinse conditioner so I assumed that you didn't with this. You have to clean rinse because you will definitely feel product in your hair if you don't. 

3. Your Texture Will Change: The texture of my hair has changed, and certainly for the better. It's a lot healthier. It's not that weird fake soft that most traditional shampoo and conditioners give you. 

4.  How often you wash will change: I actually have to wash my hair a day earlier than normal. I'm not sure if that will be the same for everyone, maybe you'll be able to stretch a day. 

5. You'll save time and money: My wash time has obviously quickened because I don't have the fiddle with my hair 3 times, only once. I've also saved some pretty pennies. Cleansing conditioner replaces shampoo, conditioner, and deep conditioner. 

The one I have recently used it pictured above and retailes for under $5. You can find it at the drugstore. I'm really interested in trying other brands. Are there any brands you recomend? Comment down below and let me know. 

Cali Out- 

Benefit: They're Real

So I recently decided to try the whole "They're Real" system. I had never tried the mascara because I'm addicted to Maybelline's The Falsies. However, I really wanted to try the push up liner because most eyeliners just melt off of my face. So naturally I'm always on the hunt for a good eyeliner. Since I decided to try one, I decided to try it all. Besides, the packaging is just way too suave to ignore it when you walk past the Benefit counter. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara. $23 Sephora 

Is it just me, or does this packaging look like a cocktail shaker? I'm still on the fence with this mascara. I'm convinced that The Falsies by Maybelline is a perfect Dupe for this. I will admit that the brush is miles better than The Falsies brush is. It does have slightly more natural and less "mascaray" look. It also has pretty good staying power. I have a terrible problem with sweating make up off. Especially with my lower lash line. This actually didn't give me much of a problem. The only thing that really puts me on the fence about this mascara is the price. It is significantly more expensive than The Falsies. I believe The Falsies is around $5 or $6. 

Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner. $24 Sephora 

I'll admit it. I'm hooked. The nib is a little weird to get used to, but it's so good at getting close to the lash line. This product is completely worth the hype. I wore this all day at an amusement park. It did not budge once, and I seriously sweat make up off like crazy. 

Benefit They're Real: Remover. $18 Sephora 

Believe it or not, this is the true star of the show. I have never had an eye makeup remover that has completely removed all of my makeup effortlessly until now. All you have to do is put it on a cotton pad, hold it on your eye for a few seconds and  swipe. With two or three gentle and easy swipes your eye make up is gone. You don't even need a lot of product either. The formula is also super creamy and moisturizing on your eyes. 

All in all, I do see what all the hype is about. I will probably repurchase everything in the future. Sure I'm a little on the fence about the mascara, but the more I use it the more I seem to love it. I hope you ladies and gents enjoyed my little review. Have an awesome day, or night depending on when you read this. 

Cali Out-