Beauty, Home, Makeup, Uncategorized

How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes

First of all, apologies for the very long hiatus from the blog! Laziness and life happened, and after I found myself sharing more/new information with friends, I was like wait a minute….I need to write again! Today’s topic is an important one. Like…a really important one. Washing your makeup brushes is soooo important for staying break-out free and ensuring the best makeup application. I know it doesn’t sound super fun but I promise it will improve the condition of your brushes, your skin, and dare I say…your life.

I know girls that have NEVER washed their brushes, and I am talking years (you know who you are.) This is horrible for many reasons, but the main one is that your brushes are now crawling with bacteria and you are letting that touch your skin over and over again. The only brush of mine that gets daily usage is my powder foundation brush and I aim to wash that once a week. I am in no way saying that you need to wash all of your brushes constantly, but the ones that get frequent usage definitely need some TLC. It prevents product from building up and that, in turn, helps with a smooth application of whatever makeup you are using. Continue reading “How To Clean Your Makeup Brushes”

Food, Home, Recipes, Uncategorized

Lemon Garlic Kale Salad

This recipe holds a very special place in my heart and let me tell you why. I really wanted to expand my salad repertoire and because I had never used kale before, I wanted to start there. I googled a couple recipes and nothing really wowed me, but then I got the idea of mixing the elements of a couple different recipes that sounded good to me and seeing what would come out of that. I love very citrus-forward and garlic-y foods, so putting this together was kind of a no-brainer for me.

So, after experimenting a bit, I came up with this! I have made it for friends on several occasions and it’s been a hit every single time. I think what makes it so good is the simplicity of it and the use of bold flavors. This recipe makes enough for one entree sized salad, or two side salads. I actually have been wanting to put up this recipe for ages, but I kept putting it off because I didn’t know how to accurately measure out everything since this is so second hand to me at this point. So, this was my best attempt at creating an easy-to-follow recipe that you can make by yourself at home! Continue reading “Lemon Garlic Kale Salad”

Beauty, Home, Skincare, Uncategorized

Review: My Favorites From COSRX

This post has been very long overdue and it’s because these products have been part of my skincare routine for so long that I kind of stopped actively thinking about them. When Korean skincare first became popular in the states, COSRX was one of the first brands I heard about. They have a pretty extensive range that incorporates effective ingredients without creating any further damage to the skin, a philosophy that I am always behind. All K-beauty products that I have used have a big moisture component, which for a majority of my life I was not accustomed to. I always thought that by using more drying products, I was doing my naturally oily skin a favor. Boy, was I wrong. Moisturizing your skin is so important, it can plump up your skin, balance oil production, and give you a very natural looking glow. Therefore, it is super important to use products that address your concerns without stripping your skin and causing further irritation. COSRX hits the nail on the head with this 🙂

Continue reading “Review: My Favorites From COSRX”

Beauty, Home, Makeup, Uncategorized

Review: My Favorite Mascaras

Who doesn’t like big, full lashes? Mascara is one of those things that can take your look to the next level. Whether it’s a more natural makeup day or full on glam, mascara is a must for framing your eyes. I have tried so many different kinds (high end and drugstore) and honestly, the affordable mascaras take the cake when it comes to formula, volume, and lengthening. The ones I will be talking about are all non-waterproof/original formula.

Continue reading “Review: My Favorite Mascaras”

Beauty, Home, Skincare, Uncategorized

Review: Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Mask

So, this is a weird one. I was first intrigued by the idea of light therapy when I stumbled upon Caroline Hiron’s video about new and interesting skincare gadgets where she gave this product a mention. I’ve seen light therapy products in the market before and I’ve heard of people getting it done alongside their facials…but I thought it was just one of those things that sounds amazing and fancy but doesn’t actually do anything. The Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Mask is the most affordable option for light therapy on the market right now and when it came out I definitely wanted to see what all the buzz was about. But, not without doing some research first.

Continue reading “Review: Neutrogena Light Therapy Acne Mask”

Beauty, Home, Skincare, Uncategorized

How Probiotics Helped My Skin

It all started towards the end of my trip to Iceland. I started to break out the day that we were leaving. I did my normal skincare routine and spot treatments and figured that, like usual, it would go away in a day or two. But something was different this time. I started experiencing more breakouts as the days went on and was beginning to panic a little. I initially attributed it to traveling and all the things that come with it – poor diet, less sleep, not drinking enough water, etc. However, I had gone back to my normal routine of drinking plenty of water and trying to eat as healthy as I could. I wasn’t using any new products so I couldn’t immediately point to a culprit. Weeks turned to months and my skin was the probably the worst it had been in years.

I tried everything to get it back under control – tea tree oil, manuka honey, sulfur, charcoal, varying strengths of chemical peels, etc. Nothing was working. It then occurred to me that the cause was most likely internal. I’m very familiar with the fact that diet and overall health can heavily attribute to the condition of your skin, which is why I’m always trying to stay hydrated and eat my greens. But this was strange because nothing had really changed about what I was eating. Soo…what gives? Continue reading “How Probiotics Helped My Skin”

Home, Travel, Uncategorized

Zion National Park/Grand Canyon Adventure!

This is a long overdue post, but I am finally writing about Labor Day Weekend 2017! My boyfriend (Rohit) and I have been wanting to take a nature/hiking trip for a long time, so this year we finally bit the bullet and decided to go to Zion National Park and the Grand Canyon.

Here are the logistics:

  • We flew into Las Vegas in the evening and stayed there overnight.
  • Day 1 – Got our rental from Enterprise (it was a minivan!)
  • Day 1 – Drove to Washington, UT (approx. 2 hours) and stayed at a hotel 45mins from the park.
  • Day 3 – Drove to Tusayan, AZ for the Grand Canyon (approx. 4.5 hours) and stayed at a hotel 15mins from the park.
  • Day 4 – Drove from Tusayan to Flagstaff for the flight back home (approx. 1.5 hours)

Continue reading “Zion National Park/Grand Canyon Adventure!”

Beauty, Home, Skincare, Uncategorized

Review: My Favorite Products From The Ordinary: Part 2

More favorites from The Ordinary! Check out part 1 if you missed it here.


Continue reading “Review: My Favorite Products From The Ordinary: Part 2”

Beauty, Home, Skincare, Uncategorized

Review: My Favorite Products From The Ordinary: Part 1

The Ordinary

The Ordinary is a new skincare line from the brand Deciem. Their approach to skincare is no-frills – no fancy packaging or filler ingredients. Just active ingredients that do what they are supposed to. I was extremely intrigued by this brand, but more so by the price point. These products are very affordable so I jumped on the opportunity to try some products out and here are my thoughts!

Also, I have made an Instagram account to go with this blog so it will be easier to get updates! Follow me there 🙂 @loveneepa Continue reading “Review: My Favorite Products From The Ordinary: Part 1”

Food, Home, Recipes, Uncategorized

My Favorite Open Faced Sandwich

This recipe idea came to me all because of one ingredient – my favorite chipotle lime mayo. It’s by the brand Primal Kitchen and oh my is it delicious. You can get this at Whole Foods, Kroger, Target, etc. It’s approximately $8 for a jar, which is steep for a mayo, but I’m telling you…it’s worth it.

All you need is:

  • bread (whole grain preferably)
  • chipotle lime mayo
  • arugula
  • 1-2 eggs
  • seasoning (salt, pepper, crushed red pepper, etc.)

Continue reading “My Favorite Open Faced Sandwich”