Burt's Bees!

Hello! Today I want to get you excited about the "Burt's Bees" skincare solutions (plus their other products as well). 

Here are a few of my favorite products:

1. Lip Shimmer (in order from top to bottom): Fig (my fave!), Watermelon, and, Caramel. ~~$5

2. Sensitive Facial Cleanser with Cotton Extract.~~$10

3. Sensitive Night Cream.~~$15

4. Rejuvenating Lip Balm with Açaí Berry.~~$3

5. Natural Acne Solutions: Daily Moisturizing Lotion.~~$18

6. Tinted Lip Balm: Hibiscus (a really rich deep pink color--nice for summer!)~~$5

7. Honey & Shea Body Butter.~~$13

What's really great about the acne solutions: They are all natural (with additives like cotton extract and treatments from willow bark) and great for sensitive skin. I have a combo of an oily T-zone and dry cheeks and chin, but the cleanser cleans out my pores really nicely, while taking care of redness and irritation. It's soap and fragrance free, as well as hypoallergenic, and it leaves your skin feeling fresh! However, should dry spots occur, the Daily Moisturizing Lotion doubles as an acne and dry skin treatment. It really works too! And for nighttime moisture-retention, there's nothing better than the Sensitive Night Cream--I wake up with silky smooth skin.

Why I love these products: They produce really good results without breaking the bank! There are lip colors for every style and taste--I'm sure you'd find something you like! You can pick them up at just about any grocery store, Target, or Walgreens.

I really hope you give these natural products a chance--they're good for you, and make you feel great!

--Emma

It's H-H-HOT Out There!

Well, the dreaded month of August is finally here! :( But don't worry, these last 20 some-odd days before school starts up again are what you make of them: you can either look at this time as the "dog days of summer" or you can think to yourself "hey, let's all do one last week of crazy fun"--you know, end summer with a "bang" instead of a "yuck, how do I hold a pencil again?" So, in light of the inevitable, I've come up with a list of fun things you could *possibly* put on your summer bucket lists (because school is pretty much the equivalent of being dead for 9 months, right?).

We'll Miss You Summer--Good Ol' Friend, Until Next Year!! <3

Here ya go!:

1. Dye your hair. (Just nothing too crazy... Like neon purple. Promise?)
2. Throw a decades party!!! :) '60s Night could be loads of fun... Did I hear someone say "The Beatles"?
3. Take up a new hobby--see how talented you can get by the time school starts. 
4. Go parasailing with a group of your closest friends.
5. While we are talking about water: jet skiing.
6. Surfing (CALI HERE WE COME!)
7. Scuba diving.
8. Diving did you say? SKY DIVING!!
9. Take a horse-riding lesson.
10. Sneak into a movie.
11. Mess with the clerks at a department store.
12. Find a way to get kicked out of a Walmart (Check it)
13. Do something weird: i.e. Go to Starbucks, order their frappuccino. When they ask for your name, say "Primrose Everdeen." When your "name" is called, shout "I VOLUNTEER AS TRIBUTE!"(Unoriginal as of late, but I'm sure you can come up with something just as entertaining)
14. ROAD TRIP.
15. Bungee Jumping!
16. Be someone else for a day--Trump, Obama, Perry... Dumbledore? I don't know what your style is!.... ?
17.  Wear something you'd normally never wear--and show it off! 
18. Do ab-so-lute-ly nothing. Will you get another chance like that during the school year??
19. Go on a date in a hot-air-balloon... Sigh, romance-y...
20. Learn to ride a motorcycle! (preferably NOT by some shirtless werewolf in Forks....)

I hope you can draw some inspiration from this list and enjoy your last gasps of summer (I know I will)!!!! :)

 --Emma

Music Madness: Milo Greene

Hello again everybody!  Today I'd like to introduce you to a new Alternative band that should be trending: Milo Greene.  I just purchased their album yesterday, and I have to say, I'm impressed--you could call me a "music snob" because I am SO-O-O picky about what I listen to, and for me to say that I'm "impressed" with a new band is kinda a big deal.  

The cover to their debut album:
Milo Greene

Okay, so the cover is, well, interesting (maybe "odd" is the more appropriate term), but it almost exemplifies what their music is about.  To me, I'd only see this colorful guy in a dream (you know, if I'm lucky and don't become certifiably insane), and Milo Greene's music is just that: dreamy.  Like you'd listen to these songs on a purple cloud somewhere in the middle of the watercolor sky as you gaze into the setting sun...  Sorry, lost myself there for a sec, but seriously, this is what happens to you after you hear the music.  This band is great--go on iTunes now, before they gain popularity outside the Alternative community, and their $9.99 album turns into $14.99!!!

And, people, THE BAND. Left to right: Marlana Sheetz, Graham Fink, Andrew Heringer, Robbie Arnett, and Curtis Marrero

The Facts:

1. The name "Milo Greene" was created as a fictional person, used to endorse the music (and the band) behind the man.
2. If you like Beach House, Fleetwood Mac, even the Flaming Lips, you'll probably like Milo Greene. (If you don't know who these bands are, this music doctor is prescribing you one healthy dose of "get a clue," which you can take via iTunes and their search bar)
3. They will be performing at Lollapalooza on August 4th (oh yeah--HAPPY AUGUST 1ST EVERYBODY!) so get some tix and head over there (even if you don't like their music, there will be tons of other bands to get your freak on to--including the Black Keys)
4. Their site, milogreene.com, reveals that they have 2 official music videos, plus live versions of their songs of their debut album.
5. Just on the style of their music: it's perfectly Indie, kinda like what you would want to listen to when you're tanning at the beach.  The sound quality totally reminds me of that costal-ish vibe you feel when your feet first hit the sand....

As it happens....

I have a song I'd like to share with you (it is MY personal fave off the album).  Everyone, may I please present to you: "Cutty Love"!!!

***I do not own the rights to this song, band name, or any of the pics above--I'm just telling you all about them! ;)

Until tomorrow!

--Emma

Berries: The Miracle Fruit!!

Okay, let's be honest, how many people actually eat their daily recommended amount of fruits and veggies (I would ask you to raise your hands, but we wouldn't want a friend or family member to walk into your computer room to see maniacally waving at your monitor)? Yeah, me neither, I too prefer the 1400 some-odd calorie, frosting covered "Pop-tart"--that is, until I heard about the "miracle fruit" and their true super powers.  Da da da daaa: Berries!!!

 (Sorry--ate up all the berries, had to make
some straw-- and blue-- myself!)

 

For instance, did you know:

1. Blueberries have the HIGHEST antioxidant capacities of all fruits! In other words, they prevent premature aging!! (Not that I need to worry about that)
2. Rub them over your face.  All over your face.  They make for a great natural, oil free cleanser.
3. They help out our memories too! (After I eat strawberries, I spit out random tidbits of info--Ulysses S. Grant was our 18th president--see what I mean?)
4. Random fact: bananas are berries.  If I just turned your world upside down, I apologize.

So, seriously everybody, get your berry on! It's the perfect snack for summer: they are light and refreshing (especially after this wicked heat wave in the Midwest.  I wish my azaleas could eat berries--they would be dying right now) and, guess what?  THEY ARE MY FAVE SMOOTHIE INGREDIENT! Let's do our part and enjoy the fruits (literally) of Mother Nature--they're out there, so we might as well enjoy them.

--Emma  

Oil Free Moisturizers

Even if you don't have oily skin, the summer heat does have an effect that produces extra oil on our faces. For those of us who moisturize daily, it's important to use a moisturizer that does not have extra oil. Here are a few excellent ones!

Alba Oil Free Aloe & Green Tea

Neutrogena Oil Free

Kate Somerville Oil Free

These are all great products to use! I hope this was an enjoyable post for my first :) Please leave a comment below-- I'd love to see your thoughts and check your blog out too!

-Emma