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  • the best perfume scents

    April 7th, 2022

    Choosing a perfume scent is deeply personal. I was hesitant to share these, because it is really personal taste, but maybe someone will discover a new scent they fall in love with. Below are the best perfume scents I’m using right now!

    How to Choose a Scent

    You need to consider how you’re choosing your scents. I don’t recommend just googling “best perfume scents” and seeing what comes up, dropping that into your shopping cart, and calling it a day. It’s a process. I’d gather a few scents from different scent categories (for instance, some floral, some fresh) after some research and then go get test-sized bottles at the store. Sephora usually allows you to test a lot of scents in-store, so I’d spend some time understanding what kinds of scents you like and go from there. Don’t just get the most popular one trending on TikTok, or the scent your favorite influencer swears by, get something that’s you – that is what will make the hefty price tag worth it.

    Versace – Bright Crystal

    This is a floral scent that blends the scents of yuzu and pomegranate, making it a very floral, sensual scent. Perfect for dates!

    Replica – Sailing Day

    This is a fresh scent that is under the fresh aquatics umbrella – meaning that it’s super refreshing and good for everyday use in my opinion πŸ™‚

    Estee Lauder – Beautiful Belle

    Another floral scent that’s definitely sensual as well. This was created to make the modern woman feel like “the most beautiful woman in the room” – I highly recommend wearing this for parties, intimate events, or dates!

    Nest – Seville Orange

    This is a fresh citrus/fruit scent that is fun for wearing in everyday situations, sometimes πŸ™‚ I like to switch between this and Replica’s scent for everyday use, and then use Estee Lauder’s or Versace’s for evening events.

    Thanks for reading! Head over to our beauty hub to see more content like this.

  • how to handle anxiety

    March 24th, 2022

    I think everyone gets anxiety from time to time. A big issue with anxiety is when it impairs your ability to function, or ability to complete daily tasks. There’s a lot of different types of anxiety. I am also not a doctor or expert in mental health, so this is basically just my take on anxiety from my experience. I wanted to write a short, non-exhaustive list of ways to handle anxiety in the moment in hopes it might be helpful to some. My main focus is social anxiety in this post, but I think some of the advice can be applicable elsewhere.

    Take Your Time

    Often my anxiety speeds up my thoughts and makes me think I have to make a decision right away. Whether that’s a decision to decide if someone likes me or not, decision to leave where I am, or a decision to act out in hopes someone will realize I am feeling anxious, I need to remind myself that my thoughts are racing because of the anxiety. It’s never that intense of a situation because my anxiety is blowing the entire situation out of proportion. My biggest issue is social anxiety and it creates a wall between me being able to enjoy myself in social situations without crutches and even then, sometimes the crutches don’t do enough.

    Do What You Gotta Do

    I do not by any means condone avoidant behavior which can often make anxiety disorders much worse, but I do condone taking small steps and taking care of yourself in the process. So what if you have to leave a party early because you got to your height amount of socializing you could handle. Your real friends will understand and not hold it against you. Keep pushing yourself with small steps (hopefully something you’re working on with a therapist, if that’s your thing), and one day you’ll be able to stay at that party and be one of the last one’s there. But right then, in the moment, do what you gotta do to take care of yourself and not push yourself too far. And only you know what that perfect amount is for yourself.

    Fuck It Mentality

    Who cares if you leave a party early? Who cares if you feel anxious and need to have more time to yourself after socializing? There are people out there that feel the same way and don’t need to be in a massive group of friends to socialize. Extroverted people, in general, actually feel envious sometimes of those that are quieter in groups. They need to be around big groups of people and thrive on the loud, jumping into conversations atmosphere. They actually fear intimate, one on one conversations. Not that everyone who has social anxiety is introverted, but those who are both introverted and have social anxiety, this may help frame that fuck it mentality that gives you freedom to be yourself without hesitation. Hopefully this gives you peace of mind in the fact that everyone has something they get insecure about – nobody is perfect at everything social, no matter how it may appear.

  • switching careers

    March 10th, 2022

    Switching careers isn’t easy. Even in your first few years in the workforce, it’s not easy. Once you’ve gotten yourself into an industry or skill-set, companies often don’t want to hire you for something that you’re not well-versed in. Here’s my best advice on how to switch careers.

    Go The Non-Traditional Route

    Find a company that looks for β€œdifferent” types of candidates. For instance, I found a start-up that was looking for someone without any marketing experience, because a core value of theirs is disrupting their industry. This means they wanted to hire someone who didn’t have previous experience and could offer a fresh perspective.

    Find What Makes You Happy

    You spend all day at work. You talk about work when people ask how your day was. The last thing you want to do is spend most of your adult life talking about something you dislike. Choose what will make you happy to talk about day to day for a position and industry.

    Challenge Yourself

    Find something that challenges you. Not too much of a challenge, of course, but challenges you enough to keep it interesting.

    Highlight Your Strengths

    Do something that highlights your strengths. If you really want to know how to switch careers, this is it. Don’t go after the jobs that ask you to do projects you won’t thrive in. Choose something that will help you shine, not dull your shine.

    Find Passion Projects

    Find side projects you can work on outside of your career that showcase your skills or understanding of an industry that you’re trying to break into.

    Network

    Network with people on LinkedIn who work in similar positions you’re going for. This will help you understand what it takes to get where you want to be and hey, it might even help you land a job.

  • how i take care of my mental health

    March 1st, 2022

    Taking care of your mental health is key to finding joy in the everyday. I think this is the most important aspect of your day-to-day happiness and perhaps one of the easiest if you implement it correctly. Here are some easy items to incorporate into your every day that will improve your mental health.

    Take Walks

    Take at least one walk a day. This can be challenging to execute if you live somewhere that has a winter, but my workaround for this is getting a super cheap gym membership that allows me to walk on the treadmill once a day. Even if you don’t lift crazy weights at the gym, you can still go and do small workouts to help your mental health. If you’re tight on money, bundle up in the winter and take a very short walk around the block. It will still help πŸ™‚

    Read Instead of Scroll

    Read at night instead of scrolling on your phone. I’ve mentioned reading a few times on my blog, and the positive effects it can have. I personally have had a great experience incorporating reading into my daily routine but I understand it’s not for everyone. I, too, have started books that weren’t that interesting to me, that I couldn’t help but skip reading for weeks because I just couldn’t get into the book I was reading. But there are books out there that will interest you, you just have to find them! As I mentioned in my post on 10 Small Habits To Make Your Day Better, you can even just plan to read one page a night and you will most likely end up reading more.

    Therapy

    Talking to a therapist has really changed things for me. I think it’s extremely powerful to have a licensed professional give you advice and listen to you discuss your life in a way that they can help direct you in the best direction possible. I chat with my therapist once a week and it’s like a friend almost, with how close we’ve gotten over time. I highly recommend searching for a therapist you click with because when you find one, everything in life seems to fall into place! At least that’s what my experience has been like so far.

    Take Breaks

    Taking a break for me looks like going for a walk if the weather permits, making lunch, meditating for a few minutes, all with my laptop closed. It’s really important to take breaks that work for you, but even more important to make sure you take them midday while you’re working so you don’t get burnt out. Everyone needs a break sometimes, and midday is a perfect time to do so. Whether you throw on your favorite tv show, call a loved one, or take a nap, the important thing is that you take a break from working to allow yourself to recharge before heading back into the endless tasks and asks of the workplace (or your own business).

    Plan One Self-Care Day a Month

    This is my favorite on this list πŸ™‚ I love planning self-care days. My favorite day to do self-care days is Saturday! I like getting a good night’s sleep the night before, which typically happens on Friday nights because I’m too tired to do anything else after work except relax and sleep early. A self-care day for me looks like waking up early after getting a full night’s sleep, getting ready, getting a coffee or tea, and going for a walk. After that, I usually like to grab a bagel for breakfast midday and then work on writing for my blog. Because these activities bring me a lot of joy, I like spending time during my self-care days working on my blog and going for walks, but you can really replace that with anything that brings you joy to do. Sometimes that evening I’ll make a nice dinner for myself, do a facemask, or watch a tv show. All of these activities really calm me down and bring me joy to simply just exist, not worrying about the never-ending cycle of the workweek, which I usually do every Sunday night vs Saturday nights.

    Find Things That Bring You Joy

    If you remember anything about this post, it should be that you should find things that bring you joy and do them more. It’s so easy to get caught up in the day-to-day of life where you often have to do things you don’t want to do, which turns into a cycle of you doing lots of things you don’t really care for. And the time adds up. I guess what I’m trying to say is that, when we do things that bring us joy, it does wonders for our mental health. Identify those things whether it’s running a blog, reading, going for walks, or cooking meals for yourself, find some things that you truly lose yourself in and find joy in, and do those things more. Your mental health will thank you.

  • time away from the city

    February 22nd, 2022

    Time away from the city is so so important for my mental health. I visit Indiana lots because my boyfriend’s family lives there, and before you judge, it’s actually kind of beautiful sometimes. There are actual trees (!) and some sort of nature and slow pace mentality that can be really refreshing when you live in one of the busiest places in the world.

    Nothing beats the city, but the people can be tough to be around and the grind is nothing like driving down an empty highway in the middle of nowhere. There are even pretty sunsets, sometimes. Whenever I’m in the city, I miss the rural life, and when I’m in the countryside, I miss the city. I guess you can’t really win between loving both.

  • reminiscing on fall in nyc

    February 1st, 2022

    I was recently going through photos on my phone and found some from the best season there is. Fall is my favorite season, and fall in New York City is… as corny as it sounds, magical. The leaves are changing, the air is crisp, and every walk you take you’re reminded of the fleeting joys of warmer weather. I personally also love overcast weather and that is more common in the fall time than in summer.

    My favorite part about Central Park is the dogs off of leashes in the morning. But my very close second favorite thing is all the people you see there! There are all kinds of people in Central Park at any given hour during the day, all trying to soak up the enjoyment of being in the park. Everyone is there to enjoy nature and the space away from the busy streets of Manhattan. We all know Manhattan is a melting pot of people, cultures, and backgrounds, and Central Park is no different.

    What I find most interesting is the difference between the types of people that live in Manhattan; there are those that go out until 4:00am when the bars close and sleep until 2:00pm the next day, which makes up a large part of the extroverted Manhattan population, but there are also the people more like me, who enjoy getting a good nights sleep on a Friday night and waking up for some time in Central Park in the morning. On a typical Saturday morning in Central Park, you can find many people running, biking, or walking through the park’s many trails. This is what I enjoy about walking through the park on a Saturday morning, even if I’m by myself, it makes me feel less alone in not enjoying staying out until 4:00am when the bar closes. There are so many others just like me, in New York to enjoy things like a morning walk in Central Park, and the community feeling of that makes up for the sometimes lonely feeling you can get being in a big city.

  • books i’m reading

    January 25th, 2022

    Reading calms my nerves and takes me to a place that often calms me when I am feeling anxious. If I’ve had a rough day, I usually try to check two things off my list: going for a walk and reading. These two things impact me deeply because they help me stop thinking about my anxieties or stressors for a while and once I return to them, they’re never as bad or as daunting as they seemed before. I recommend trying to fit reading into your schedule, even one or two pages if that’s all you can do at one time. You’ll get better at it over time and learn to enjoy the time escaping from the stress of everyday life. I really enjoy well-researched books and that’s what I’ve been reading lately. Here are my book recs for this month:

    The Body Keeps The Score

    This is a book on trauma I’m currently rereading because it was so informative and insightful the first time around. As the book says, “trauma is a fact of life,” so I thought this was a book many people would be able to relate to. This book is full of interesting content related to understanding your trauma, how it affects you, and how to overcome it. I think a big part of trauma can be the daunting, am I ever going to move past this feeling a lot of us often experience when we go through something traumatic. It can weigh you down, cause you low self-esteem, and ultimately take away your passion for life. This book was instrumental in my healing through understanding better how trauma affects the body and how you can overcome the things that may have been holding you back for months, even years. This book has truly changed my life and I cannot recommend it enough!

    Breaking the Habit of Being Yourself

    I am still currently reading this book. It’s… something you need to keep an open mind for. The book has three parts and I still haven’t gotten to the best part, the third part, where the author outlines the exercises that will improve your life. The book takes the stance that you are not hardwired to be a certain way or be a certain person. The book gives step-by-step instructions on how to improve in any area of life, and who wouldn’t want that? It’s something I’m constantly trying to do and that’s what initially urged me to purchase this book. It is definitely one of the more out-there (does that even make sense?!) books I’ve read in a while, but I find the perspective to be refreshingly different from what I typically consume. It has a certain motivational tone to it that you can overcome anything with the right mindset. It’s worth a shot if you’ve been feeling stuck in life to see if this book could possibly help you. And let me know if it does, I still haven’t finished it yet!

    Quiet

    I’ve never found a book that really gets me as much as this one does. And I’m not even done with it yet! This book dives into what it means to be an introvert or an extrovert, and more specifically, the power behind being introverted in a world that favors extroverts. I’ve never felt more seen by a book, ever, and I’ve read quite a lot of self-help books. This one really hit home. Even if you are not an introvert, I highly recommend reading this book because it will give you a much bigger appreciation for those that are on the quieter side, those who prefer listening over speaking, or a quiet night in instead of going out. Check this book out for a change of view on people and how you view yourself if you’re introverted.

  • lip kit review

    December 21st, 2021

    I was so curious about the Kylie Jenner beauty products when they came out, but it took me awhile before actually trying them out. I thought the products were a bit too expensive to purchase (incase they ended up not being very good quality), but one of my friends actually ended up buying me a matte lipstick for Christmas! She knew I wanted to try the products, so she got me the color of lipstick I’d been looking for, a bold red. Find the product here on the Kylie Cosmetics website.

    Why did I choose to do a Kylie Jenner lip kit review? I chose to do a Kylie Jenner lip kit review for a few reasons:

    Her products are expensive. Almost $20 for one lipstick seems steep to me. I reserve that kind of spending for something that is designer-level makeup, such as Charlotte Tilbury or Chanel. A Kylie Jenner lip kit review is important to let my other makeup enthusiasts know if Kylie Jenner’s products are really worth the price.

    There were some things I didn’t like about the product. I feel like a lot of my posts on here are about my favorites – favorite italian restaurant, favorite fashion brands, favorite books – but what about the products, experiences, and items I don’t love the most? What I don’t like about them might be a shared belief by my followers, and I want to both hear my followers input and opinions, as well as be transparent and authentic to my own taste on my blog, which means sharing posts about products that aren’t my absolute favorite.

    I want to inspire my readers to try new things and experiences. Although this is just a post about one small lipstick, it can be an an inspiration to try something new. I hadn’t found a red lip I particularly loved for a while, so I hadn’t worn a bold makeup look with a red lip in quite some time. Doing such a look can be a bold change from your regular lipstick. My friends all noticed the new makeup look and even commented on it (all good comments of course!). I hope that my blog inspires my readers to life their best life, which means they must try new things and figure out what they like, and what they don’t like.

    The Application

    I’ve worn this lipstick on a few occasions, but the most recent time was the one I wore makeup for an entire evening, so I’ll be using this experience as my example to review. I think it gives the best full-picture and wear of the makeup. I have to say, the scent of this product is AMAZING. It is so enjoyable to apply because of the beautiful scent it comes in. I wanted to keep applying it just for the scent! So my first impression was off to a good start.

    Once applied, which I apply this lipstick with the Kylie Cosmetics lip liner in the matching red color, I really liked how it looked. It is a thick consistency that dries true to matte – no other matte lipstick I have used has been this easy to apply and have it dry the consistency that I desire. You have to be careful while applying this product. One wrong move and you have ruined all of the foundation around your lips and may have a stain on your skin for the rest of your night! That’s how potent this lipstick is, so be careful when applying and ensure you are completely focused on the liner around your lips.

    The Wear

    I wore this lipstick bike-riding through the city, a dinner, and a Halloween bar-hopping evening. I only had to re-apply the lip color once throughout the day and evening, which I’d say is pretty good wear considering all of the activities I did. I did notice that, closer to the end of the night, the lipstick color wore off on the inside part of my lips. This made some photos turn out weird-looking when I smiled without my teeth: My lips were pressed up against my teeth and therefore flattened, causing the parts of my lip that had missing lipstick to appear much more obviously. I did not like this at all and couldn’t use any of the photos taken with that kind of smile. The photos I took smiling with my teeth, however, all turned out great. The lipstick appears a bold red even in photos, which is what I was looking for in this product.

    I wouldn’t say Kylie Cosmetics is now my favorite beauty brand, but it is one I would buy from again. The product I tried was well-made and did its job better than most matte lipsticks I’ve tried in the past. Usually, they are just a bit too shiny to be considered matte and wear off quite early in the evening. I’d recommend this lipstick as a gift to a friend, or a pick-me-up purchase for yourself. This is a nice gift for someone who wears bold lip colors and also someone who doesn’t, because you may introduce them to a new makeup look they have never tried before! I’d say if you’re looking for a nice matte lipstick, any of the Kylie Cosmetics colors would be a safe bet.

  • the perfect saturday in chicago

    November 30th, 2021

    Homesickness is really real when you live what feels like ten billion miles away from home. I stopped by for a weekend in Chicago to refresh myself and make sure I was still alive (joking) but actually not. Here’s what I got done for my self-care weekend. Highly recommend if you need a reset, no matter where home is for you.

    Afterwards, we went for a walk towards Lake Michigan (the Fullerton ledges to be specific!). We stopped by Collectivo Coffee, which is a cafe that I used to go to all the time in college. Collectivo was super packed. If you’re going to study or get some work done, get there early so you can grab a seat. They have a spacious patio with an outdoor fire pit. It’s pretty aesthetically pleasing and right in the heart of Lincoln Park.

    I got the Salted Carmel Latte, which was not that good. The salty flavor was too prominent in the drink and overtook any caramel flavor that might’ve been in it. I got decaf espresso because I cant have too much caffeine later in the day. My boyfriend ordered the Mocha Shake (basically a coffee milkshake? It tasted like a chocolate milkshake, but had coffee in it!) and a blueberry muffin. I didn’t find the blueberry muffin to be that great either. Has my palette changed since moving to New York City, and that’s why a lot of the restaurants in Chicago just don’t taste the same? Could be. Either way, Collectivo Coffee has a wonderful ambiance. I’d go back there to study, read, work on my blog, or grab coffee to catch up with a friend (if there’s table space).

    Coffee from Collectivo Coffee! (Don’t mind my un-manicured nails)

    The Lake

    We completed our walk to the Fullerton Ledges of Lake Michigan, which is my favorite spot by the lake in Chicago. It’s very calm for the area it’s in. There are people biking, walking, running on the lakeshore trail, but by the water, it feels extremely calming to hangout with people or even by yourself. We stayed by the lake to chat and drink our coffees (yes, I still order iced coffee drinks in 60 degree weather).

    I love Chicago, although I’m bias, and this was a perfect Saturday afternoon in the city to me. We felt so relaxed afterwards. Especially after a long work week, a calm Saturday afternoon can help you completely reset. This itinerary is specific to Chicago, but you can always take the inspo and have a similar day in whatever area you live in.

  • stop being a workaholic

    October 26th, 2021

    Taking time off is SO important for your mental health, for better relationships, and for fun. Take this as a sign to request a few days off in the coming months for a vacation, as big or as small as you can afford, and take it! As the year comes to a close, I’ve been reflecting on the past 10 months, and I realized one thing: I do not take enough time off. If this sounds like you, keep reading for some advice on how to overcome your workaholic tendencies.

    Personally, my projects and tasks at work feel very personal to me because I am responsible for them day-in and day-out. They’re like my children, and it makes me reluctant to give up the responsibility to someone else on my team. I also used to have a fear of being “found out”, called imposter syndrome. Imposter syndrome is when you have a fear that people at work will find out you are not good enough, not working hard enough, not smart enough, etc., to do your job. It can be quite debilitating and is something I’ve struggled with in the workplace. In turn, I rarely took time off for fun because I didn’t want to be viewed as lazy or incompetent. Keep in mind, I’ve had unlimited paid time off for the past year.

    Another major reason I hated taking time off was that I felt bad if someone asked for something from me and I was not online to help them out. This is a major issue because, time off is time off for a reason – you should take it and get a well-deserved break from constantly being available to your coworkers.

    When requesting time off and feeling uneasy about it:

    You have paid time off for a reason.

    Time off is time that allows you to decompress and unplug from the worries and stressors of the workplace. It does wonders for both your mental health and your productivity – everyone needs a break sometimes! Including you. Even if it’s one mental health day where you take the time off and lay in bed watching Netflix all day, it’s worth it. Your time off does not need to be a big extravagant vacation, it needs to simply be a relaxing time for you to recharge and enjoy life – simple as that.

    A few steps to overcoming your workaholic tendencies

    1. Schedule mental health days in advance throughout the year, at least one every month (if your job allows that amount of time off).
    2. Plan fun vacations with friends who live far! Sometimes the planning can be just as fun as the vacation is!
    3. Ask your manager for reminders to take time off when you haven’t in a while (if you have a good relationship with your manager).
    4. Set reminders every month on your phone with reasons why taking time off is helpful and healthy for you to ensure you stay on track with taking breaks as needed.
    5. Find a job that has unlimited paid time off or a flexible work schedule. Obviously, this is one of the harder points on this list, but something to think about when searching for a job in the future.
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