January so far

Hello Everybody!
With the new year upon us, I have already noticed so many ~~new~~ things enter my life. I wanted to make a quick overview of things that have happened to get everyone up to date; So I can start blogging without feeling like there is a giant hole missing in my timeline.

1. Before Christmas I GOT A NEW PUPPY. I've named her 'Luna', which is clearly my favorite name ever. She's a rescue from Peru that my mom brought back from her trip. She's doing really well and getting used to the cold Canadian weather here. She's already like my little shadow, following me everywhere and sleeping with me at night. I deal with anxiety and she is very comforting to me, especially at night.

2. In 2015 (and really in my whole life) I have struggled with keeping my room clean & organized. A few weeks ago my friend Gaby came and helped me get rid of 3 garbage bags of donation goods and 3 bags of garbage from my room. I've been keeping up with tidying up every night before bed and having less stuff really helps keeping everything in their places. Coming into my room at night and waking up in the morning is no longer met with immediate stress and I find I am becoming inspired by my surroundings. For example, I have some framed pictures, art and little figurines that i've made displays of one my counters. Every time I look over I feel relaxed and that my room is finally starting to match my personality.

3. I got a planner. Yes, this may seem like not a big deal.. but It's been instrumental in changing the way I operate. At the end of my day I use to feel like I had not done enough or that I had "wasted" another day. Now I can see what i've accomplished and even feel good when I check things off my list. I also have a terrible memory and at times I've forgotten i've made plans with someone, but now that's no longer an issue. I actually bought my planner as a reward for having completed getting my room in order. When I first got it I was really unsure about how it would help but I have been so thankful for it already and 2016 just started!

4. I started pottery class! This has been something i've wanted to do for a loooong time. I use to take classes when I was a kid and recently I've wanted to branch out and try a bunch of new creative outlets. I really want to stay creative this year and maybe I can find one medium ( or ALL the mediums!) to be passionate about. I've had one class so far and it's going well. I've made some simple things- a bowl and a pinch pot. But it's been fun and I am looking forward to creating all the things.

5. Shadowhunters has started airing! So far the first episode is on Netflix worldwide and ( I think ) The US has gotten the 2nd episode as well! Go watch!

6. I've started studying again. Yeaaaaaah, Not really into discussing this any further than I am in school again. But It's good that my days are now filling up with things that will take me somewhere in my future.

7. I've actually come up with a news years resolution. Usually I don't bother but this year I really wanted to focus on learning on how to accept and live with my anxiety. I've been reading a lot about the disorders and that the real demon is avoidance. That's what takes anxiety and turns it into a huge life shattering illness. Avoidance is something I deal with everyday. To try and not HAVE anxiety at all, I'll avoid anything I think will cause me it. I've learned that by doing that I am not only not living the life I want but causing my anxiety to get bigger and more controlling. The only way to exist with it is to integrate things into my day that I usually avoid. A big thing I want to accomplish with this is being able to travel. Traveling use to be one of m favorite things in the world, but since my anxiety, the idea of being far away from my "safe" home is unbearable. I am working towards going on a road trip this summer. And eventually going overseas which I would really love to be able to do. I really want to be able to look back on my life and know I lived. I don't want my anxiety to control me.

8. In keeping with my resolution to eventually go on this road trip, I also need to save money. I cancelled my Ipsy and Glossybox subscriptions. I had my last box/bag this month. I think i'll miss it but I have a lot of products already and I would rather save the extra money for experiences rather than things. 

There are a bunch of upcoming things- like my 23rd birthday in March (which I haven't decided if I want to celebrate this year.) But that's everything that's happened in 2016 so far for me, so i'll leave it at that.

until next time,
Kenzie.  (No longer Luna... lil weird signing off with my dogs name (!!! I have a dog!!!).

Ipsy vs.Glossybox ~ November 2015

Hello everybody!
Yesterday morning I woke up to something really exciting on my doorstep.. that's right! my Ipsy glam bag and my Glossybox came on the same day!!!
For those of you who don't know , Ipsy & Glossybox are beauty subscription boxes that send you luxury samples once a month. Ipsy costs 10$ a month where as Glossybox is 21$ a month.

Glossybox

This Month I received (from left to right):

1.Crabtree & Evelyn LA SOURCE ultra moisturizing hand therapy.
This hand cream is really moisturizing and works as it should. Unfortunately the scent is what really turned me off. It smells like a man's cologne, spicy and strong. Once you've had it on for a while it fades and actually smells okay. But I can't help thinking about a men's cologne or a rich person's bathroom soap while wearing it. Because of that I will be passing it on to someone else who will appreciate it more.
2.Marsk Mineral Eyeshadow in "you're toasted".
This loose eyeshadow is BEYOND BEAUTIFUL. It's a sparkly champagne gold. When I swatched this mineral shadow I actually screeched. This is one of my favourite products for this month's Glossybox. (Also this is an Australian company- which I thought was really cool! I love trying things I wouldn't normally even know about.)
3.Beauty For Real D-fine universal definition lip pencil 
This product boasts "the only lip pencil you'll ever need". When I first saw this product I thought it would be like the "no more bleeding lips" wax lip liner. No colour, Just helps keep things in line. But no! This has actual colour and I actually really really like it. It's waxy and smooth- Great formula, as well as it's matte. It's a mauve/brown colour, but it's universal (seriously I am the palest form of pale and it looks good on me). It says online that you can use this lip liner with any colour of lipstick. I haven't tried it yet (because I was too hyped to write this post.) But I will try it out and post something on my beauty instagram when I have the time. ( @makeupbykenzi )
4.Estee Lauder Revitalizing Supreme Global Anti-Aging creme 
This product is for all skin types. The scent is lightly perfumed. The cream itself is thick. I'll be honest, I haven't tried this yet. It's an anti aging cream and I am 22. I understand the benefits of starting with anti aging products when you're young but I can't help but feel my Mum will appreciate this way more than me. (The full size of this product is a whopping $50.00). I am still contemplating trying this or just passing it on.
5.Florapy floral therapy facial sheet : yarrow lavender sweet dreams mask
This mask is infused with Lavender to promote relaxation and a restful sleep. I know that lavender is used to combat anxiety, the smell is calming. I was really excited about this product. The package says "experience ultimate hydration with the restorative powers of flowers and essential oils." You let it sit on your face to 15-20 minutes before removing and allowing the remaining formula to sink into your skin. I can't wait to try this out. As there is only one sheet, I am saving it fo a special occasion.



Ipsy Glam Bag

This was my first Ipsy bag ever! I was so excited to try this bag out as I've been hearing about it for years in the beauty community. It came in a really cool space themed bag. This month I received (from left to right):

1.Beaute Basics Eye Crayon in BEC03 "Sahara Gold"
This Cream eyeshadow stick feels really oily. It applies lightly leaving a slight gold shine behind. Personally, I am not a fan of cream eyeshadows as I have very hooded eyes that tend to crease. On top of that I have oily lids so using an oily product won't do me any justice. You can use this as an eyeliner as well, so I think that's what i'll do with this product.As well as use it for client makeup. (With that being said, I would never purchase this myself.)
2.Dermelect peptide infused nail lacquer
I wasn't that pleased to receive a nail polish in my bag, as I have a very large nailpolish collection as is and I would rather receive makeup or makeup tools. With that being said I am excited to try out this polish as it's peptide infused and boasts being chip resistant, water + detergent resistant and UV protected. Supposedly has " superior extended wear". The colour I received is "Commando" a nude with a purple undertone that reminds me a lot of the J.LO for L'oreal polish collection. This would look great with a matte topcoat or high shine! A very on trend colour and I can't wait to put it to the test and see if it does everything it's claiming!
3.Smashbox full exposure mascara in jet black
I love getting mascara samples. You can throw them in your purse, do your makeup on the go or travel without the big bulk of a full sized product. I am looking forward to trying this Smashbox mascara as I haven't tried this brands mascara before. The wand is MASSIVE, taking up the entire inside of the container. Which makes me feel like Smashbox is trying to give you an authentic taste of what it would be like to buy the full sized product. Something I always recommend for professional makeup artists is to save sample mascaras. When doing a clients makeup, use the sample and allow them to keep it at the end of their beauty treatment. It will seal the deal and end everything on a good note.
4.treStique mini matte lip crayon in "florence fig"
I must admit when I saw this in my bag my heart did a little flutter, I thought the top had fallen off! But no, that's just the lid. The lid looks like an open product, a lip pencil. But when you take the lid off it's actually a twist up lip crayon. The nude colour is really on trend and I love that it's matte! Using a matte product makes it possible to overdraw your lips without your natural lip line being as obvious. I'm glad I received this product.
5.Tucker Ashley perfecting moisturizer
What it says on the package: "A unique oil-free moisturizer that contains ceramides and all-natural water binding mechanisms for skin. Improves skin barrier function and provides long lasting moisture reservoirs." This cream smells awful, but only if you get up and personal and really SMELL. I've only swatched it and I can say it did make my hand super soft and silky smooth. I will try this, but I have so many moisturizers I still have to use up. So it may take a while to get around to using this one.

Final thoughts:
This month, I was most excited about my Glossybox. I saw the other products the other ipsy subscribers were getting and I was a little jealous I didn't get any of the brushes or the colour pop eyeshadow. I also need to take into account that GlossyBox is double the price of Ipsy.
I think if you're young and want to try out new products , Ipsy is perfect. If you're a little older and want something more luxurious I would recommend Glossybox. I think I'm on the edge of that, being 22 and a makeup artist. I am still young, I want to try new products but I love opening my Glossybox up. Just undoing the ribbon and opening up the surprise box is worth the extra 10 in my books. This month The products in the Glossybox were far better in my mind. That Marsk eyeshadow! So beautiful! And the Beauty for real lip liner. (Insert heart eye emoji).
I can't wait until next month's box/bag and until then i'll be using these new products! Who knows.. next month my favourite could be Ipsy!

Until Next time,
Luna.