Top 10 Girly Must Have's

So today I have a super awesome guest writer for you guys, my good friend Kate who runs the blog Kate's Balancing Act. When she said she wanted to collaborate with me I was like "Heck Yes!" I hope you guys love her post as much as I do! 

Xoxo Alex~

Top 10 Girly Must Have’s

Hey guys! I’m Kate, and I blog over at Kate’s Balancing Act. I have a wide range of things I like to write about, anything from marriage to DIY’s. I’m married to my one true love and we spend majority of our free time hunting together! I’m a full time mechanical engineer and love to volunteer my time for special causes, especially anything breast cancer related. I’d say I am pretty well balanced between being a girly-girl and a tomboy!

So when Alex asked me come say hello, I knew immediately what I wanted to write about. Without any ado, I present to youten must haves for that girly-girl side of you! 

1. Dry Shampoo – So I’m sure you’ve heard by now that washing your hair every day is just simply not good for your hair. However, some people hate the greasy-ness between washes. And this is where this bad boy comes in! I’ve tried several different kinds but I swear by this stuff…it lasts all day, doesn’t leave any residue on your hair, absorbs the oil and doesn’t make it look dusty! Win-win in my book.

2. Chapstick – I’ve been using this smooth goodness for YEARS. My lips seem to always be chapped – no matter what time of the year it is. But if I use this consistently it seems to make all that dryness go away and it is seriously SO silky smooth! Definitely my go-to chapstick.

3. A good moisturizer – this is another product I’ve been using for YEARS. Just like my lips, the rest of my skin is usually pretty dry – ESPECIALLY in the winter. But I have such sensitive skin, it’s hard to find something that doesn’t make the dryness worse or make me break out. This stuff works wonders and I’d recommend it to anyone.

4. A fitted blazer – Giiiiirl if you don’t have one by now, you must go out and get one now! The one I linked is from H&M however I got mine from TJ Maxx for a steal! This is that perfect staple piece for your closet as you can dress it up or down in so many ways! 

5. A favorite candle (or a knock off) – Okay so I am IN LOVE with the volcano candle. You can purchase it from places like Anthropologie or Francesca’s. However, I’m gonna be honest with you…it is prettyyyy pricey. And for a girl who likes to bargain shop, I’ve only treated myself to this candle a handful of times. AND THEN! I came across the Bali Sunrise candle from the beloved Target. Holy smokes, does it smell similar to volcano & only $10 for the large one and $5 for the smaller one. HOLLA!

6. A good makeup remover – I’ve tried a few different ones from the brand “Yes to Carrots.” Most recently I tried this coconut one and man does it smell great! Reminds me of sweet summertime and removes all my makeup without drying out my face.

7. Nice travel totes/luggage – If you suffer from a severe case of wanderlust like me, this is a must. You can’t be travelin’ the world with crappy luggage. It’s just not right. So I liked the super adorable 3 piece set from Victoria’s Secret. I only have the big one and in a different print but it is PERFECT! I also attached an image of my most favorite tote on the planet…this GORGEOUS cork tote from Thirty-One. Unfortunately it isn’t available anymore (except maybe eBay if you’re lucky!) but I highly suggest hitting up your local Thirty-One consultant and checking out their gorgeous bags!

8. Planner – every woman needs a planner. I used to be so guilty of getting one but never following through with using it and looking back now, I’m like what the heck was I thinking?? I used to keep everything in my calendar on my phone, which sure, was super convenient but what the heck happens if your phone breaks and you lose it all? I know there is NOO way I’d remember everything. So having a hard copy is a perfect way for me to stay organized. This year I got a super cute one from Target that is part of the Sugar Paper LA line! So stinkin’ cute!

9. Nice Leggings - So if I could, I’d live in leggings all.the.time. Which I still usually do when I’m not at work. But ladies, PLEASE invest in some nice leggings that aren’t see through – especially if you’re going to wear them as pants. There is nothing worse than being able to see everything going on under those comfy leggings. I’ve linked some fleece lined ones by Steve Madden that I have multiple pairs of. Also – they’re on clearance for $4 at TJ Maxx right now! Can I get an amen?!

10. Fuzzy socks – so coming from the girl who HATES socks this may seem kind of funny. But if I’m leaving the house during the winter you can bet that 90% of the time my feet are wrapped up in some cozy fuzzy socks. There is just something about them that is so comforting. And you can get them just about anywhere for a good price!

 I hope you enjoyed reading about my 10 girly must haves and a HUGE thank you to Alex for allowing me to be a guest on her awesome blog! Be sure to check my blog out at www.k8sbalancingact.wordpress.com and my IG handle is @kate_paszkiewicz! :) 

 

~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~

Ice Princess!

 

Okay so I went ice skating last weekend for the first time in 10 years and I am so glad I did! Needless to say I was SO nervous, mostly just of looking stupid more than falling but I decided I needed to do it. I’m honestly the only Canadian in the world who can’t skate, I can get away with it when I’m living in Texas but when I am in Toronto I just feel like a loser!

 So last Friday my BFF and I went and got our skates sharpened because we were supposed to be going skating that next week but then in the car on the way home she drives by the rink, parks and says let go. It wasn’t too cold and the rink wasn’t even busy so I had ZERO excuses. I did however have to wear pink fuzzy socks because that’s all I had with me. I laced up my skates and stepped toward the ice, basically all the pictures in my head of how this was going to go down ended with me crashing to the ground and possibly sliding into someone. The last time I was on the ice I was about 8-9 and I wasn’t half bad but that was 10 years ago! Luckily Brina has skated before (true Canadian) and I was able to hold on to her arm for balance. So with my arm basically glued to B’s I hesitantly stepped onto the ice and amazingly didn’t crash or kill myself! Instead we made it around the rink over and over for a good 30 minutes, although I do admit there was one moment where we both lost our balance and almost collided with a child but we made it. The security skating guy who goes around the rink laughed at us but that was the worst of it!

 I’m so glad I went and had B with me to keep me from dying and for also getting me out there to face the nervousness of being back on the ice. If she hadn’t been there to pressure me and support me(literally, I couldn’t stand on my own at first) I probably still wouldn’t have made it out there!

Everyday Makeup Routine

Okay so I've been asked a lot about my typical makeup routine and honestly I go without make up like 90% of the time but on the days when I dress up to look natural here is what I use.

 These are like my holy products that I will buy forever. I start with my Aveeno moisturizer and the use the L'Oreal Magic Perfecting Primer. I then add one coat of the Ready Set Gorgeous Foundation,which I freaking love. Then I take the Maybelline Master Glaze and dab it on my cheeks(it's really bright so it doesn't take much). I use my Sephora Concealer for any zits or redness and then that's it for my face.  For my eyes I use the gold and maroon shade in the Stila and then add 1-2 coats of the Bad Gal Lash(I HIGHLY) recommend this mascara, it gives amazing length and volume without too many coats or clumps. I then add some EOS in pomegranate and then a coat of my Pacifica lip balm and that's it for the lips. 

Here is a before and after of my natural face and then my face with these products. 

Before

After 

I hope you guys enjoyed this! Let me know if you try or have tried any of these products before! 

5SOS CONCERT PICS

Okay so honestly guys 5SOS literally give such amazing shows! This was my second time seeing them and I swear they get better and better. Their shows are so lively and just make you want to dance and have a great time. If you ever have a chance to see them live DO IT you will not be disappointed! Okay so let's get to the pictures, they're a little blurry because all I had was my iPhone and I was dancing and moving around like nuts! Anyway enjoy!

Waiting for the show! 

THEYRE ON!!!!

I loved all the different screens the used! 

They look really far in this pic for some reason...

Sadly that's the end and they take their bow! 

Oh I alsmot forgot, you guys have to see the adorable T-shirt I bought! 

This is the front

And this is the adorable back! I'm literally obsessed with it!

Workout Clothes AKA My Addiction

Okay so a few days ago I stopped at Sports Chek to check out this amazing sale there were supposedly having and OMG guys it was amazing. Everything was so cheap. I got a pair of Under Armour Running Shoes that were regularly $100 for $25 and a pair of Hurley Workout Shorts that were regularly $30 for $8!!! It was such a fantastic sale I wish I would've bought more but in reality I have way to much workout gear so it's probably for the best;) I posted pics below, check them out! 

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 **