A Day in LA

As you probably know if you've read my older posts, I live in the sunny and beautiful Southern California. I love my home and the communities around it. It's so incredible to me how much of a variety of things and people there are around me. Today for fun, my family and I decided to go on a little day trip to Melrose Ave and The Grove. Here's a little sneak peak of my day.

Melrose Ave

I took this right by my car park and this little boutique is literally the cutest thing in the world.

For lunch we had some delicious rice balls from kawaba rice ball. Incase you were wondering, I ordered a Takana Rice Ball (gluten free and vegan).

As a fan of Justin Bieber, I couldn't resist adding this pic:)

 The Grove

The view from above of Nordstroms at the Grove.

Here's two pictures of me and my lovely sister enjoying our day!

I hope you enjoyed reading this post and don't forget to follow me on instagram @eliselemans and my twitter @lemanadee. Comment below if you'd like and let me know what places I should visit in LA. Btw I'm going to try and post every week at least once.

XoXo,

Elise

*disclamer* all photos are taken by me and my mom with a Canon rebel T3.

Summer Morning Routine and Sun Protection Tips

I'm freaking out. I was speaking with my mom about how bad my skin was looking after getting a little too much sun the other day and my mom started telling me about how one of my best friend's mom had melanoma at one point. This wasn't something I had never heard before but it definitely felt like a punch in the gut.
Living in southern California, it's basically impossible to not get any sun and I'm not planning to give up playing in the sun anytime soon. However, I have vowed to start taking care of my skin. Since that day I have developed a new routine to protect my skin.

This was a pic from the first day of summer 2015 where I spent a couple hours at the beach of course getting sun burnt:/

Every morning when I wake up I drink a large glass of water or iced green tea to keep my skin and the rest of my body hydrated. Then, I brush my teeth and wash my face. If you're new to my blog, I use the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Cleanser or The Body Shop Skin Clearing Facial Wash with a facial cleaning brush. Then, I use the Neutrogena oil free SPF 30 under my moisturizer to protext me from the sun. After that, I apply my face, pick an outfit, and grab a bite to eat of something dairy free (new blog post about that soon) and I'm ready to go about my day.

5 Tips to Protect You From the Sun

1. Apply sunscreen with at least spf every two hours and make sure to let it soak in to your skin before swimming.
2. Wear hats to protect your face and maybe shoulders and neck as well and wear sunglasses with UV protection to protect your eyes.
3. Wear light cover ups to add an extra layer between the sun and your skin.
4. Accept your skin tone and don't try to change it with the sun. The healthy glow you try to aim won't seem as healthy anymore when you suffer from permanent or serious damage.
5. Try to stay out of the sun during the sunniest hours of the day. 

I hope these tips helped you and inspired you to start wearing more sunscreen and taking extra steps to protect your skin. Follow me on instagram @eliselemans and on twitter @lemanadee and comment down below it would mean a lot.

XoXo, 

Lemanade<3

Review: Maybelline Color Ink Eyeshadow

I just tried the Maybelline New York Color Ink eyeshadow and I'm impressed. I love cream eyeshadows for an everyday look. I particularly like neutral colors that I chose. Them being BE-1, a champagne vanilla-y color, and PK-1, a shimmery pastel pink color. These eyeshadows were purchased in japan while I was on vacation so the packaging may be different in other countries. I know that in america for example, it is called the Maybelline color tattoo 24 hr metal.

I like to apply the eyeshadows first with my finger and then I blend it out with a domed shadow brush. The BE-1 color looks great all over with a gold or copper color in the crease/outer corner, a thin stripe of black eyeliner, and a good coat of mascara.
When I run out of this, I will definitely repurchase this to keep in my collection.

I hope you like this short little review and follow me on instagram @eliselemans and comment below if you have any suggestions for me to review or anything else you want to talk to me about!
XoXo,
Lemanade<3

Review! Mask of Magnaminty

A Little Background Info

     So I have been struggling with my skin since 5th grade. I used to and continue to be very self-contious about my situation. Although I am no expert, I have tried a fair share of skin care products ranging from drug store to higher end products.
     One particular product/ range of products is the lush fresh face masks. In particular, the love lettuce and catastrophe cosmetic ones do the best for my skin. Since I love these two products so much, I try to get them as often as I can, usually about once a month. This month in particular, I went to go buy a pack only to find that they were sold out completely of any fresh face masks. To say I freaked out would be an understatement. The lady working on the floor informed me of the self preserving mask of magnaminty. She said that it was similar to the fresh face masks so I decided to try it.

Image from google images/polyvore

Get to Know my Skin

     I have skin that breaks out very easily. My t-zone is quite oily, especially my nose, and the rest of my face can get rather dry. My break outs are usually targeted around my nose but not on it and at my temples. I cleanse daily with the Kiehl's ultra facial cleanser and about once a week I use The Body Shop tea tree skin clearing face wash. To moisturize I use the Kiehl's blue herbal moisturizer.

Images from google images/mens journal and google images/the body shop

What I Thought

     When I first applied it all over my face, I liked the creaminess of the mask as well as how soft the beans felt. I'm not a big fan of the smell though. It was a bit too herbal for my liking. I left it on for about 7 minutes and I loved the icy fresh feeling it left on my face, similar to the effect of a mouthwash in you mouth. It came off quite easily and it left my face feeling smoothed and refreshed. 

Better Than the Fresh Face Masks?

     In my opinion, no BUT when there isn't a refrigerator around and my skin is having a bad day then I definitely will repurchase it. Lush has never disappointed me and I hope to continue to be impressed with more products as time goes on. 

     Make sure to follow me on instagram @eliselemans and tell me what brought you there. It would mean so much to me if you comment below and tell me about your favorite skin care products! 

XoXo,

Lemanade<3