Friday 16 August 2013

FAVORITES: August '13

School is just around the corner,

so I figured I'd get this done before my free time becomes scarce.

^^Here's a collage of all of this things I've been killin' this month so far^^

Fashion / Beauty:
For my beauty pick of the month, I really didn't have to think twice about including my Wen cleansing conditioner. I purchased this stuff while visiting Chaz Dean Studio during my roady to California. The receptionist recommended I get the Lavender one after taking a look at my gnarly-ass frizz-fest of a head of hair. I think the bleaching that was required to get my hair pink did quite a number on the health of my hair. But after even just one wash, I noticed a difference in how knotty my hair gets, and of course the feel of it as well. I can certainly say I recommend this product to anyone who's looking for a new haircare routine to replace an old and somewhat useless one. 

For the fashion portion, I have chosen two of my (always) favorite online sources for style ideas and news, I guess you could say. 

Numero uno would be the blog The Man Repeller. This is Leandra Medine's fashion blog. It's the best combination of humor and useful information. I often read this on my phone during long drives, or when I wake up in the morning and don't feel like getting out of bed for a few more hours. So basically every morning.

For the second, this shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone who knows me well. CLOTHES ENCOUNTERS' JENN IM. I've been following Clothes Encounters on YouTube since it was still the dynamic duo. Although many complain about how they want the old channel back, I think Jenn has turned it into an incredible place for ladies to turn to for quick, and to the point fashion tips and ideas, presented in a fresh and well-spoken way. No matter how many years have gone by, I still find myself getting excited whenever I see a new video has been posted. Again, I'll provide a link to the channel down at the bottom and you can get right to exploring!

Music / TV:
SO, FINALLY Washed Out's new album 'Paracosm' has been released, and I couldn't be more content with how it turned out. I've always been a massive fan of Ernest Greene's creations, and this album just blew me away. I really love how he added in things like the bongos, and children's laughter. The sound that this album takes on is a little less futuristic and a little more nostalgic, but all together I think it was a genius choice to have made on his part. I seriously haven't stopped listening to it since I bought it off of iTunes. Seriously, give it a listen. You will not regret it.

I've also been really loving the toronto-based band Alvvays, who opened for the Wintersleep show I attended in Nova Scotia a few weeks back. Their sound is a sort of spacey, jumbled, nostalgic feel like Washed Out's, but the two are a lot different. The lead vocals are so innocent sounding, so the contrast between the sound of the instruments and the vocals actually mesh really well together as far as my musical taste goes. I guess they're kind of like a pop-ish mix between Best Coast, Beach House and Metric. They only have four songs on Soundcloud, but I just listen to them repeatedly. 

A series I really jumped right into was Skins. The UK version of course. The craziness this show has to offer is a little incomprehensible at times, but in a good way. I finished all of the seasons on Netflix, but have yet to get to the other seasons that are unfortunately not on there. One thing, though, about the series that I had to get used to was the generation changes. It's kind of annoying when you get so used to one set of characters and the stories that go along with them, watch 8 or 9 episodes, and then have it completely switched out for a new group on you, leaving you only to wonder what happened to the others. After I got over that hill, watching it was a breeze. It's a great show for teenagers, I mean, if you don't mind the barely-there censorship. The storyline never fails to surprise me! I won't give away any details as to how the storyline goes, so you'll just have to watch it yourself! Very good series. 

Lastly, I watched the film Kick Ass on Netflix just two nights ago. I'm not usually drawn to super hero movies, but this one was stellar. I'd have to say my favorite character would be Hit-Girl, played by  a young Chloe Moretz (in the photo above). Basically, it's an action/comedy about a young outcast who takes it upon himself to become a neighbourhood super hero, helping out people in need. He then encounters two other (much more intense) super heros, the father and daughter duo, who later get into a lot more trouble then helping a lost cat off a billboard. I'd like to see the second movie, that just so happens to have come out in theatres yesterday.

Misc:
Lately, I've been trying to get back into the swing of things with regard to my fitness routine and eating habits. Before I went on my second trip, I was good as gold, but all of the cooking and lazing around on my trip kind of put a wrench in that progress. So, like many people, I really couldn't imagine life without a good pair of sneakers. The ones I have are Reebok Ziglites in blue, black and green. I've been using these sneakers for a good 6 months after buying them last year and never putting them to use. I'm really happy with the fit, and how they feel as I'm running. There's a space under the heel of them, and I think it acts as a pressure reliever or something. I don't know anything about running shoes, but it seems to help! Highly recommended sneaker.

Along with the sneakers, I've been trying to get my eating habits back on track, i.e not eating so many unhealthy foods, stopping my snacking so frequently, and so on. Greek yogurt has been on everyone's radar lately, and I think Danone's Oikos makes a mean snack. It seems to fill me up just enough to get me to stop thinking about being hungry, not to mention it's a healthier alternative to say, a bag of chips or a chocolate bar. My favorite kind, as of late, would be the key lime flavored one. It tastes like more of a dessert than just a yogurt. 

To finish off this post, I just had to include David's Tea. I seriously thought this was just a trend/myth, but oh was I ever wrong! We just got a David's Tea in the mall downtown, so I took a swing by, and ended up falling in love. The tea itself is well worth the money you spend on all the accessories you have to buy to properly make it. Makayla got me the Pink Passionfruit tea from the limited summertime collection. I seem to be drawn to more fruity teas. But this one was phenomenal. A++.

And there you have it. This month's favorites. Try some of them out, and maybe get back to me on it!
Rock on, 
Jaime

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