~BEAUTY/MAKEUP HAUL~

Hey Guys! 

So as you all know I am literally a makeup junkie! The obsession is so real, I really probably need help but anyway I went to Target a few days ago and of course no one leaves Target empty handed. I mean how can you it's Target!? So here are the products I picked up, oh and  most were on sale so that justifies it right?

I picked up this Maybelliene compact thingy because it was only $7 and it looked amazing! The highlighter and eyeshadow were basically calling to me.

Then as I ventured deeper into the makeup aisles I saw this Pacifica Foundation CC cream which was regularly $15 and was on sale for $12, yeah I know not a steal but Pacifica is paraben free and mostly natural so I was just like "why not?" 

After that find I went to get what I actually came for my Pixie H2o Tinted Moisturizer($25, I believe). If you follow my Instagram you know that I CANNOT stop raving about this stuff! It's basically my holy grail base because it's just SO amazing and hydrating. The coverage is actually really good for a tinted moisturizer as well. 

And of course being me got distracted looking at all of Pixies products and decided to pick up their Glow Tonic. I've heard amazing things about this toner, it's supposed to help with pores, give your skin an amazing glow, help with acne, and some people even said it helped with fine lines and wrinkles. So I picked it up for me and my mom to try out. It cost me $15 but I've wanted to try it forever so I didn't mind. 

Thankfully I got out of there before I could buy anything else, my wallet definitely thanked me. I hope you guys enjoy this post and if you've tried any of these products comment below and let me know how you liked them. Also if you want to follow my Instagram it is @sweetserendipity96. Xoxo Alex~

Ariana Grande!

Okay guys so 2 days ago I was lucky enough to score tickets to see Ariana Grande on her Honeymoon Tour in Toronto! Let me just say getting to the concert was nuts. I bought tickets online and had them sent to my mail, not knowing I had to print them out before I got there. Luckily I noticed before I got downtown and stopped at an Internet cafe to print them(we're just visiting so no printer) and then we got stuck in traffic and it took forever to find parking. We ended up missing the opening act and had to literally RUN 2 city blocks to the ACC where she was playing. But we made before she came on so I'm not complaining. She was amazing and I'm so glad I got to finally see her live. I'll share some pictures from the show below! ** I forgot my camera and had to use my iPhone so forgive the bad quality in some **

Best Deal EVER

Okay I literally have been dying to share this amazing deal I found when I was shopping the other day. I was at Winners just browsing through the racks when I stumbled across this gorgeous BCBG sweatshirt. It was literally perfect and it was on an AMAZING clearance. It was regularly $160 and I got it for $16!!!! DO YOU GUYS FEEL MY EXCITEMENT!?!? I literally couldn't believe it. I took a few pics of the sweatshirt and will post them down below. Check out this amazing deal. 

DIY Hair Mask

Happy Sunday Readers! 

Since it's Sunday(aka lets pamper ourselves while we binge on Netflix day) I thought I would share my favorite all natural hair mask with you guys. Now I'm sure you've heard how great coconut oil is for pretty much everything. Well it's freaking amazing for your hair too. I swear since I've started using it in my hair it's softer,healthier,and even grows better. I'm hooked for life and I hope you guys will be too. So here is what you will need for my favorite hair mask,

1-3 tablespoons of coconut oil( it depends on the the length and thickness of your hair. Mine is past boob level and SO thick so I almost need 2-3 tablespoons.)

1-2 tablespoons of honey(this step is completely optional, I will add honey when I want more shine but I've skipped it tons of times in the past. It does make the hair smell great though.)

Now take your ingredients and heat them up in a pot or in the microwave until they are liquified and mixed together. Then proceed to lather your hair up until it is evenly covered. 

When you're done tie or clip your hair up and let it sit for and hour or two while you binge on some shows. After you have let it sit just rise with your normal shampoo and you're good to go. I usually skip conditioner because my hair is already so moisturized that it doesn't need it but it's up to you. I hope you guys enjoy this mask as much as I do, let me know how you like it and if it helps your hair at all. 

Throwback Tuesday?

Well I don't know is Throwback Tuesday is a thing but hey if it isn't it should be am I right? I wanted to share some photos of our trip to the Vatican City. It was so beautiful there and I loved the Egyptian Hall. I'm literally OBSESSED with any and all things Egyptian so they won me right when I saw that. They even had a mummy so I was basically freaking out. The square was also really gorgeous and neat to see in person because until then I'd only ever seen it on tv. Anyway here are a few pictures from the trip. 

My Favorite Quote

 Okay so I normally DO NOT like to use curse words on my blog or Instagram account but I just loved this too much because I connect with it on so many levels. This quote is so true, I mean at least in my experience. When some girls were basically attacking me on social media, for days, they started calling me a Bitch!  After I stood up for myself by blocking them all. Even the girl I thought was my best friend(I had known her for almost 10 years) took their side and said I was a bitch and then joined them in spamming my Twitter and Instagram. Standing up for yourself(in a classy, nice way)in the face of bullies should not be a reason for people to call you a Bitch. They then preceded to call me a slew of other degrading names, all because I said they were being childish and blocked them. That is called dealing with mean girls in the best way. I will never understand why as women, we feel the need to tear other women down. Being girls we know how harsh the world is, we should really all be sticking together and try to help other women whenever we can. If standing up for myself and other women makes me a Bitch then I guess I am. 

Haters Gonna Hate

Hello Blog World,

Today I'm going to be sharing the story behind my nearly 2 month absence. The reason I stopped blogging and posting on Instagram was because I was basically having some stupid, childish girls from my town trolling on my stuff. One my best friends(or so I thought) was angry at me and decided to tell some people about it and basically it got out of control and all the girls who don't particularly like me started trolling my Instagram account and blog. They wouldn't leave me alone so I decided to just take a break from all of it. Looking back now I wish I wouldn't have let them make me stop blogging and posting because that's exactly what they wanted. I had a lot of great people stand up for me and they will always have my eternal thanks. Knowing  that I had people on my side was a great help. I am definitely not going to let some girls and their cyber bullying keep me from posting, in the wise words of Ms. Taylor Swift, haters gonna hate. I hope you guys will continue to follow my journey and forgive my long break. I am back and better than ever!! You can all look forward to many more posts by me in the future!

Thigh Gap Rant

I was looking through Instagram earlier and I couldn't help but notice all the comments about people mostly young girls, obsessing over the highly sought after "thigh gap" so I started looking into it and I realized that girls are becoming obsessed with achieving this very hard unrealistic ideal of beauty. They are purging, starving, using laxatives, etc. to try and attain thigh gaps. Girls having or not having a thigh gap does not define your beauty. Some girls naturally have thigh gaps because of their build but some girls are just NOT built for them. Starving yourself or harming your body to try and achieve this when its not meant for you is not worth it. I am a healthy, petite size 0-00 and I do not have a thigh gap. My thighs just aren't built to have one as many girls bodies are. Starving yourself sick for a gap between our thighs is NOT worth it. You are beautiful just the way you are.  I just want you all to know that, thigh gap or no thigh gap you're all gorgeous, wonderful ladies who don't need to go to extremes to try and attain this. 

Fun in Nature/Senior Pictures?

So about a week ago I was in the country visiting some Family and because I'm a model in training I couldn't pass up the opportunity to get some great pictures in the gorgeous country setting I was in. The sun was shining perfectly and honeslty I was having a great hair day so basically everything lined up perfectly ;) Since I'm homeschooled I never thought about doing Senior Pictures or anything like that but these could almost count as those so I'll just call them my Homeschooled Senior Photos. Here are a few for you guys to check out. 

My Secret Weapon

May has officially begun!!!! I don't know about you guys but April flew by for me. It seems like it was barely even here. Since its the first day of a brand new month I thought I would share one of my biggest tools that I use to stay in shape and exercise with my CRAZY schedule. I travel a lot so finding time to excise or space can be a challenge. One thing that really has helped me on my journey these past 3 years are the Popsugar Fitness workouts. I found them at the beginning of my fitness journey and have literally used them ever since. Popsugar Fitness has an app that I greatly recommend all of you download and on the app are all the workout videos you could ever want. They range from 5 mins all the way to 1 hour. My favorites are the 10 min videos because I will mix and match them to build an amazing workout. Another thing I like about them is that they explain everything so simply that anyone can understand the moves and do them. They also offer various modifications so you can go easier or harder depending on your fitness level. Honestly these workouts have really changed my fitness life. I can take this app anywhere in the word and have workouts at my finger tips. It's basically my secret weapon for working out on the go. I highly recommend everyone try their workouts and download their app. 

I'm Back!!

Wow I can't believe I haven't posted in about a Month!! I really missed all you guys. Well I'm back now so you can look forward to many new posts I've been working on for my blog and Instagram account. So much has happened during my time not posting. I've moved from Canada back to Texas, which I'm very excited about, and I'm now looking at colleges. I honestly love Texas so much I'm so happy to be here but I do miss Canada sometimes. The food in TX is amazing though, I'm pretty sure I've gain like 20 lbs since I've been here. Luckily I've located the nearest Wholefoods and Trader Joe's, I need them like I need oxygen seriously. Well that's all for now! I'll have tons of new posts coming y'all's way soon I promise! Thanks for bearing with me. -Alex 

Roasted Chickpeas aka The Best Snack EVER

Okay so I just want to start off by saying my Dad and I were making and snacking on roasted chickpeas before they were the trendy cool snack they are today. Since he is from Pakistan he is already a chickpea fan and he passed that love of chickpeas on to me from like birth. So I've been eating chickpea basically since I could chew. Roasted chickpeas are a great, healthy snack that provide a good amount of protein and fiber to help keep you full. They are a fantastic substitute for chips and you can basically flavor them however you want! The options are endless. 

My personal favourite is just plain old roasted chickpeas with salt, pepper, and grapeseed oil. All you do is take a can of chickpeas rinse them and then toss a few tablespoons of your oil of choice on them. Then add your spices and put them on a pan to roast. Cook them for about and 1 hr on 375 or until brown and crunchy. You can store them in little snack packs for about a week in your pantry. So instead of grabbing a bag of chips grab a bag of these little babies! 

Biore 1 Minute Self-Heating Charcoal Face Mask Review

I was at the drugstore the other day when I saw these Biore Charcoal masks. Honestly the self heating and charcoal are what drew me in because I heard charcoal is really good in helping draw out gunk from your pores and the self heating just sounded really nice during these cold winter months. They cost around $7 dollars I believe and you get 4 packets. I took some pictures of my first time using a packet that I'll share with you guys. Please excuse my makeupless face!

The excitements is real guys. 

And it's on. It was very easy to apply and I loved the self heating. It also smells amazing!

Washing it off. When you rinse it off it heats up again which feels really great!

And it's off. My face felt super clean and refreshed. I will definitely be taking these on my trip to Europe to give my face a little pick me up whenever I need one. 

When in Rome

Definitely one of my favorite cities that I saw in Europe was Rome. I absolutely LOVED it there and didn't have enough time there at all. When we drove through Rome we were on our way to a different city and unfortunately could only spend I day there. It was short and sweet but still amazing in every way. Seeing the colosseum was just mind-boggling and roaming the ancient Roman cobblestone streets was priceless. You could practically feel the history in every nook and cranny of the ancient city. I would definitely go back again and recommend everyone go at least once if they can. Here are some pictures from my trip.  

Here is the view driving towards Rome

Rome here we come!

First stop,Colosseum!! 

Colosseum up close, about to go in. 

Finally Inside!

It's huge guys!

After we left the colosseum to find the Trevi Fountain we stumbled upon some ruins. 

"Rome-ing" the streets(get it?) ;)

Finally found the Fountain!! I threw in 4 pennies! 

Circled back around the Colosseum on our way to our hotel. 

Sick Day Essentials

Today I woke up with an awful cold and it couldn't have come at a worse time either. I'm in the middle of packing for our trip to Texas and then Pakistan and Europe but since I'm not getting anything done today I thought why not share my sick day essentials with you guys. So let's get into it!

 Green tea is one of my sick day staples. It's full of antioxidants and the warmth is so soothing on your throat. 

I don't take multi vitamins on the daily but if I feel like I might be coming down with a cold or like today, if I wake up with one I will start taking it in the morning until I'm feeling better. This one is one of my favorites because it also helps your skin and gives you a nice glow, which is nice when you're sick and look like death. 

SMOOTHIES are definitely must sick day must have! I literally cannot stress how much they help me and how good they are when you're sick. They deliver so much nutrients and antioxidants which I feel like is exactly what you need when fighting off a cold. I have the recipe for my Power Smoothie on my blog if you want to check out what I put in mine! 

Okay so this essential sounds a little gross but I swear it helps, eating raw garlic. Now don't freak out, it's definitely not the BEST tasting thing ever for sure but it's bearable and I swear by it. I've done a lot of research and many people say that eating raw garlic helps soften their colds significantly and also eases symptoms. If just chewing on a raw clove is too much for you, you can try a trick my mom uses she takes 8-9 cloves, 6-7 cherry tomatoes, half a red onion and then blends them together in a food processor. Then add a little salt and pepper and it's almost like salsa just REALLY garlicky.

My last essential is Lemon Water. It helps wash down the garlic and will help you heal faster. You need to drink a lot of fluids when you're sick and lemon water is my go-to. I have a hard time drinking plain water when I'm sick so lemon water became my staple because the light lemon flavor helps me get it down. 

Well that's all my sick day essentials, let me know what yours are down below. I'd love to know what helps you guys through your colds! 

Come Dine with Me

Okay so this is probably one of the MOST requested posts that I've ever been asked to write. I'm not sure why people want to know what I eat all day but hey you guys asked so I'm giving it to you. Let's get into it then. So I started keeping a food journal about a week ago just to see exactly what I was eating so here is what I usually eat on a given day. 

For breakfast I noticed that I rotate between these different meals. Either a huge smoothie, two fried eggs and a mango, or a PB&J and chocolate milk. These are like my breakfast staples. 

For lunch I usually had some either chicken breast with salad or a whole bunch of raw veggies like broccoli, carrots, cauliflower, etc. and half a chicken breast with some hummus for the veggies. Sometimes I will just have whatever my moms cooking if I don't want to make my own lunch. That includes homemade burgers, veggie pasta, and sometimes different Pakistani meals.

For dinner I rotate around with either a GIANT smoothie(so I get enough calories) if I had a big lunch, an egg white omelette loaded with veggies and some kind of fruit on the side, or a few slices of chicken breast with vegetables and hummus(again) 

Now for snacks I usually had about 2, 1 in between breakfast and lunch and 1 between lunch and dinner. My snack options are usually half a cup of cottage cheese with fruit and honey, an apple with some almonds(sometimes it's different fruit depending on what I have), and raw veggies with hummus.

Drink wise I usually have either unsweetened tea, lemon water, or plain water. Water is basically my go to especially with a little lemon squeezed in there. I don't drink coke very often if I do it's usually only on a holiday. Once in a while I treat myself to a Starbucks Frapp but not very often. 

This is just kind of an example of the main staples I eat in my diet. Basically I try to eat very whole, organic foods it that doesn't mean I don't treat myself because I do. During the week I kept this food journal I treated myself to a slice of chocolate cheesecake, and also on a different day some cookies. It's all about balance and making sure you don't go overboard with the treats. I aim to eat about 1500-1600 calories a day sometimes more depending on my activity and workouts for that day. If I am doing a big workout one day I will usually up my calories to help my body repair but if I'm say going on a trip and will just be sitting in the car all day I drop the number of calories down a bit. Now I NEVER go below 1200 calories because that isn't enough for anyone and will send your body into starvation mode. You guys can adjust the calories you need based on all your factors like activity level,height and all that. I hope this post kind of helps give you a glimpse into my food world and what I eat. Let me know how you liked it below! 

Trend Alert!

Now that Paris Fashion Week has officially come to a finish I wanted to share one of the biggest trends I noticed while watching all the shows and street fashion. Long to mid-lengh skirts! They were literally everywhere in every kind of pattern,design, and fabric. They were styled dressy and casual. I really loved this lentgh of skirts I was seeing because it's a length you don't see very often and it really made the wearer stand out. I gathered some pictures of my favorite looks using this hot trend for you guys to check out. Let me know what you guys think about this new trend, would you wear it?