Summertime Essentials

Today I decided to make a post consisting of some of my summertime essentials excluding things like clothing and specific makeup items. Obviously this isn't everything, it's mainly just a few random categories+products that I like... Hopefully you'll somehow find this helpful! 

Anti-Breakage Serum: All that swimming (whether it's in a pool or ocean or even river/lake) is going to damage your hair one way or another, and if you need something more steady than a once-a-week hair mask, I definitely recommend some sort of serum or extra conditioning something rather that you can use after every hair wash.  The one I use and love is the Organix Nourishing Coconut Milk Anti-Breakage Serum. Not only does it smell amazing but it makes my hair so soft and shiny, and because of my hair type I can't brush it that often otherwise I'll get a poofy mess, but since using this stuff I don't even need to brush it! It never gets knotted anymore! And if it does get knotted and I comb it, the comb just runs so smoothly... it's wonderful. 

The actual Organix shampoo and conditioner didn't do much for me, but I have tried their hair treatments and I really do like them! Plus the packaging is really cute! 

Facial SPF: SPF is definitely a must, even when the sun isn't out! I went to a dermatologist recently because of my annoying sensitive skin, and although I did switch to Cetaphil products about a year ago, she recommended me try the CeraVe line, the Facial Moisturizing Lotion with SPF 30 in particular! Let me tell you it's SO much easier having something with SPF already in it. I have been using this for about a month (as well as the body lotion) and I have a lot of good things to say about them! The moisturizer itself is very lovely and your skin soaks it up. The only downside to this item is that because of the SPF, throughout the day you can end up looking a bit oily but it's not anything major. If it does bother you blotting sheets or setting powder can definitely fix that! I'm not sure if this would suit oily skin but I'm sure there are other SPF moisturizers out there that would work on you!

 All over SPF is important too. I would recommend a good sunscreen for everyday use but I am currently still on the hunt for one! If you have one you love definitely let me know in the comments!

Setting Spray: I don't use this every day but when I know I am going to be out and about and it's going to be sweltering hot, I always spritz some on before I go out the door. I wanted to try out the different Urban Decay ones to see if one was better than the other, so I currently am just using the mini version of the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. You wouldn't think that some chemicals in a bottle would stop your makeup from melting off but it really does... Where was this when I went to Kona last Summer??? At least I know the first thing that is going in my makeup bag when I go again this year! 

Mint Sorbet, Flip Flop Fantasy, Butler Please

Nails: If you always have a color on your nails, like me, definitely invest in a good base coat and top coat! It actually makes all the difference in the world! I have trouble with polish peeling on me and literally just popping off, and I thought it was just because of my oily nail beds (is that a thing?) or something like that... My mani usually lasts about three days before it peels off, but since I started using the Beauty Secrets Base Coat my manicure literally lasts about a week! I don't think it'll last that long if your in and out of the water but I have a feeling my nails will be lasting way longer than two days! As for a topcoat I swear by Seche Vite... I refuse to use anything else. I also would recommend staying away from matte/satin finishes unless your planning to use a topcoat.. Those chip a lot faster than regular creme formulas. And if you need your mani to last as long as it can, go for a textured polish like something shimmery or glittery... Those won't budge! But if your using the Seche Vite topcoat I would try to avoid Zoya nail polish... For some reason it shrinks it and your left with something that looks like tip wear.

Summer colors usually vary from person to person but I thought I would include a few I know I'll be loving this season! 

Snacks: I know these are a bit odd to add in here but Summer is the season for fruit! Don't take that for granted (*cough* like me *cough*). Definitely eat as much fruit as you can before the winter months come! I've been obsessed with oranges lately but what I am so excited for is the WATERMELON! YAASSSSSS. 

For something to drink I would definitely go with an iced tea for some sort because unlike soda it doesn't bloat you and in the end you actually can lose weight just by cutting it out, on top of that it's so much more hydrating! Obviously drinks TONS of water but if your like me and get sick of water because of how much you consume, definitely go for some sort of tea! 

Swimwear: Last but not least is swimwear. Okay, I know this is most obvious thing in the world but I want to stress how important it is to find something that not only fits you really well because that makes all the difference in the world! My friend is super insecure of her body and uses nothing but one pieces however she tried on my friends bottoms a few weeks ago and let me tell you this is the first time in two years I have seen her in a bikini.

 Everyone has different body types so definitely try on a lot of different styles to see what looks the best on you! Especially with the bottoms. 

For me, since I have kind of big hips, wider bands look better than simple string bikini's. These particular ones are from Pull & Bear and I also have them in black!  I love the cut of these... They are more cheeky than your average bathing suit bottoms but they don't expose your entire backside which is always lovely for those people who weren't blessed with a nice butt (aka me). 

For my top, I have this black one from Topshop which is lovely because it goes with everything, and it fits really nicely and not to mention comfortable. The underwire is a god-send because it helps me in the boobage department (itty-bitty-titty-commitee member right hurrr) and that's always nice.

                                                                                                                                                                  

Anyway, I hope this somehow helped you! Definitely let me know what your summer essentials are! 

One of these days I'll actually get to the beach and take some photos for what I keep in my beach bag so definitely look forward to that! 

Outfit | Wanderlusting (in a concert sort of way)

Shirt: Forever21 |  Shorts: Hollister | Bag: Brandy Melville | Sunnies: Smiths

All Time Low just finished their Love Like War tour, 5 Seconds of Summer are finishing up their tour (I think; don't quote me on that), One Direction just started their Where We Are tour, and the Monumentour is coming up (that one really makes me sad because it's Paramore + FOB + a band I can't remember the name of oops). What breaks my heart is that I am not going to any of those or gone to any of those. I'm literally stuck on this little rock in the middle of the ocean. I've had to resort to breaking out my favorite band tee seeing if that can soothe my soul for now. 

In happier news, the weather has been perfect beach weather. Summer is coming guys... get ready. 

Adios for now... I'm off to eat. 

Monthly Favorites: April

Seriously can't believe that yet another month has flown by. Crazy.

Anyway, for this months favorites I don't have too much... They are mainly just random items that I have seemed to grow a liking too and I thought I might share them with all of you.

Miscellaneous

Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky: In all honesty I wasn't even sure if this book would make to be in a favorites post but when I was gathering everything to take photos I just said 'what the hell' and threw it in. After seeing the movie (looks like I did it backwards usually people read the book first) I wanted to get my hands on the book but I wanted to make sure I got the original cover instead of the motion picture cover. I finally went to a physical store and purchased this for $15 which is kind of expensive considering how small the book is, both physically and in thickness, as well as it being a paperback. I justified buying it though mainly because the money went to a bookstore which I feel are going extinct. Anyway, onto my actual thoughts on the book; it wasn't fantastic but at the end of the book I was like "hmm... That was rather good".

For the most part it's mainly personal preference when it comes to a book but I wanted to quickly mention that the movie is a lot cleaner than the novel. To my surprise they use a lot of drugs (same as in the movie but Charlie did a lot on his own) as well as sexual content. There isn't a whole ton of sexual stuff in there but there was a lot more in the book than there was in the movie. 

But all in all, I did enjoy it and if I went back to that day in Barnes and Noble and got the chance to   re-purchase it, I would. 

Kitty Ears from Claire's: Ok... This is a super random favorite and your probably wondering what the heck I am thinking. I got these ears half off at Claire's last year because I was a cat for Halloween (original, I know). They are actually really dang cute and it's a pity it's socially unacceptable to wear cat ears out in public. One day while I was cleaning my room I randomly put them on and they seemed to have found a place on my vanity countertop. Since then, I use them daily to push back my baby hairs when I apply my makeup in the morning. (I may or may not leave them on for a little while longer even after my makeup is on). 

Amethyst Bracelet: This was a late Easter gift from a lady who owns the boutique next door to where I work. I had never received an Easter gift before but honestly I fell in love with this! The color is sooooo gorgeous and it just makes me happy looking at it! Need I say more?

Smith Sunnies: Someone had left these at my dad's store about two years ago and never came back to claim them. My dad never used them so one day as I was heading out the door I happened to grab them. I have another pair of sunnies but they were rather expensive so I don't like bringing them to the beach or squishing them in my small purses.  

I ended up liking these a lot more than I thought I would and I kind of forgot about them until this month when I went to a beach party with some friends. First off I love how slim these are! They don't fit in my HOBO bag sadly but still. Second, I love the material of these. It's plastic but... Bendy? It's not bendable but it doesn't feel like hard plastic. It's very difficult to explain but hopefully that gives you an idea of what I am getting at. Because of that feeling, I don't mind throwing them around because I know the frames won't get scratched (the lens are a bit scratched but not anything too bad). Lastly I love how dark the lens are. 

Clearasil Scrub: I try a lot of scrubs. A lot. Every time I finish a tube I go out and buy a different one from a different line or brand because I heard somewhere that your skin can get immune to whatever scrub you use. I bought this sometime last month just so I could be ready when my Simple scrub ran out, but my friend had purchased the wash version of this and told me that it broke her out really badly. 

This made me so nervous because I have incredibly sensitive skin however I am so happy to announce that this didn't break me out! The opposite, in fact! My skin has never looked better! Ok. To be honest my skin isn't all that horrible to begin with but I have these year round gross bumps on my nose and skin and since using this they have loosened up and gone away! And my skin in general just looks so good (not to toot my own horn or anything). 

The cream part of this scrub is literally like a heavy duty moisturizing cream. It's almost like it's not even soap. It just feels so good on your skin (especially because I have dry skin) and afterwards my face feels so nice, fresh, clean, and moisturized. The beads are also really nice... They aren't too wimpy (like the Clean and Clear ones) but they aren't super rough (St. Ives). There is also a nice amount spread throughout. 

The scent isn't awful but it's not the best... It just smells like a moisturizer. 

Overall I love this product and it will definitely go on my re-purchase list!

Haagan-Dazs Rocky Road Ice Cream: Ok I'm literally such a loser for adding this in but I am obsessed with this!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes that many exclamation points were necessary). CAN WE PLEASE DISCUSS THE MARSHMALLOW IN THIS?! It isn't like a regular marshmallow it's melted or something and it's seriously one of the greatest feelings in the world when your casually eating the ice cream and hit a marshmallow spot! And it all just oozes out and your sitting there squealing with joy because it tastes amazing and... *le sigh*. I've bought over 4 of these this month (and yes the banana is there to let y'all know I do eat stuff other than ice cream). 

Music Favorites

1. Surfboard by Cody Simpson 

I am not by any means a Cody Simpson fan. I rarely even listen to that genre but my friend sent me the music video and the tune ended up getting stuck in my head. I found myself searching it up on Spotify over and over again until it finally made it on my guilty pleasure playlist. It's a really catchy tune and if your looking for something easy definitely give it a try! 

2. Little Lion Man by Tonight Alive (Cover)

If you haven't listened to any of the "Pop goes Punk" albums they are seriously awesome. This cover by Tonight Alive is my favorite though and although it's kind of intense the chorus is amaaaazinggggggggg. If your curious the original is by Mumford and Sons. 

3. The Mighty Fall by Fall Out Boy ft. Big Sean

Not much to say about this song other than it's really fun to jam out to in the morning when I get ready. Big Sean (or should I say Little Sean he's so skinnyyyyy and tiny) has a very distinct voice and way he says "oh god" in the beginning and I've managed to mimic it pretty well resulting in it being sort of a little joke between my friends and I. My friends will text me "oh god" in response to something and then write " *big sean voice*. It's actually pretty funny for some dumb reason? 

That's it for this month! Sorry for lack of clothing items and beauty items but I'm in the process of trying some and I don't really know how I feel about any of them yet! 

If you have a favorites post up on your blog or want to let me know what your favorites are, definitely tell me in the comments! I would love to know! 

Outfit | Sunday Heat

Tee: Brandy Melville | Shorts: Hollister | Bag: HOBO | Shoes: Forever21 (Not Pictured)  

I can't even begin to explain to you how scorching hot it was today. I wasn't expecting it at all because the last three days have been cloudy and rainy... Where did this weather come from?

Either way I spent most of my morning and noon fanning myself and putting whipped cream on brownies. It was so sunny that I couldn't even take photos in my usual place. The sun was too strong so I used the shade from this tree... I think they turned out all right. 

I was originally planning on wearing something a bit more... Complete (not just a tee shirt and shorts)  but within three seconds my original outfit got too hot so I had to resort to this.

For shoes I went with my grey t-strap suede sandals from Forever21, and just for fun I thought I would use this bright colored scrunchie! It's literally such a pretty orange and I'm semi-obsessed with it. 

In the afternoon my friends picked me up and we actually hiked down to Slippery Slides which is this place on the river. It's kind of a pain in the butt to get down to because it involves a lot of rock hopping and wading through the stream, but the end result is so worth it! It's beautiful! It's this giant cliff that is a waterfall and you jump off the side and into the cold water, and in the "rapids" area of the waterfall (right before the water runs off the cliff), the rocks are somehow formed so it's the perfect slide! 

I only jumped off once (wasn't brave enough to do the slide) and then spent the rest of the time at the edge of the waterfall. There is another cool rock formation right at the end which is kind of a... lagoon type thing (but obviously it's not a lagoon) but it's like this nice little pond within the stream thanks to the rocks which surrounds it in a circle. We just sat at the edge and watch all of our friends jump off the cliff... So fun! This was my first time going and I can't believe it took me this long!

All in all, my Sunday was awesome... 

How was yours???

Outfit | Feeling Cozy

V-Neck: Forever21 | Shorts: Hollister | Cardigan: O'Neill (Macy's) | Bag: HOBO | Shoes: American Eagle

Weather here has been rather crummy and chilly however it's not cold enough to put on pants (as you can see). I decided to try out my new V-neck and a pair of my new shorts from my last post and I am so so SO happy with both of them! The shorts are really lovely on and I am so happy I got a large in the v-neck. It fits exactly how I want it to. I decided to throw on my favorite knit cardigan which hasn't seen much love in the past few months so I'm desperately trying to find new ways to style it. Really casual outfit, but so comfy. 

I literally spent this morning doing absolutely nothing in town besides driving around and killing time, and I ended up stopping by the drugstore (which is so ghetto ew) to see if they this concealer in stock (which they did). I also caved and bought this blush brush because I am now 99.9% sure that my local drugstore stopped selling real technique's because I can't even seem to find the label for them in the brush area. 

Besides these two small purchases, I decided to partake in Earth Day so I went to the garden section of The Home Depot and bought another succulent. This time I've done a bit of research so fingers crossed I won't kill this one. The fact that I even managed to kill two succulents before this goes to show how bad I am when it comes to taking care of things. Wish me luck. 

Preparations...

I know spring has only just arrived but the warmer seasons sort of blur together here in Hawaii. So basically... Summer comes early. Hopefully that was a good enough reason to get started on my pre-summer shopping.

Bikini (HERE) | Bandeau (SIMILAR) | V Neck (HERE) 

I originally put in an order with a different bikini top that was floral and strapless and the back of it was incredible... Sadly, I mixed up the shipping address with my billing address and I had to cancel the order. When I went back to re-order all of the smalls were sold out! Just my luck! Ugh! 

Anyway, I had to settle with this top instead and I was pleasantly surprised. Reminds me of an ikat print of some sort. It's not pink in real life though... More of a bright tangerine/coral/orange color. It does weird things to the camera. I'm a 32B (itty bitty titty committee) and the small fits perfectly. 

The only reason why I put in the order was for the bikini top but with the shipping being $10 that would be dumb so I quickly threw in a white v neck (large) into my basket as well as this black bandeau (small). 

Shorts (HERE) | Shorts (HERE) | Jeans (HERE)

As usual, Hollister was having some sort of promotion and this one one happened to be jeans for $25 + free shipping with a jean purchase. I ended up getting these light wash boot cut and two pairs of shorts which were on sale. 

I'm pretty happy with everything but I admit... The light wash shorts ended up being REALLY short so I need to tug them down a bit. I also needed to trim the fringe. 

The only complaint I have is that the shipping takes so dang long. I ordered it on the 28 of last month and only got it this Monday... I think it has to do with the free shipping option of whatever. 

Lastly was this baby... This was definitely my "big" purchase.

On Kauai we don't really buy our bikini's in box stores or anything, but we support the local businesses who import their bikini's from brazil and other places. The cuts are a lot tinier than those you see on the mainland but that doesn't mean that the prices are any cheaper. 

My friend and I went on a coffee date down in Hanalei and that is where most of the suits are sold. We went to a couple of the surfshops and a beach boutique, and I found this glorious one piece. My heart broke in a million pieces once I saw the $200 price tag. I then sort of slumped out of the shop and we were on our way. 

After browsing through some racks at another surfshop, I spotted this suit but in a lovely seashell pink color. And then I nearly shrieked when I saw it in black. The price was a hefty $140 but I could totally justify that rather than $200. I waited a week so I could save up for it and then went back and bought it. I figured I would wear it a lot and definitely get some good use out of it. 

I tried it out for the first time yesterday and it really is a lovely suit. The material is so soft and the gold detailing is beautiful.

Anyway, definitely not much but it's a start! Have you gotten around to preparing your summer wardrobe?

Outfit | Southside

I have these days where I just want to leave town and apparently Sunday was one of those days. Instead of going across the world I had to settle for just going to the other side of the island. I basically played tourist that entire afternoon. The sun had finally come out to play and even though I hate getting tan (even though I am already super tan), I can't deny that the vitamin D felt amazing on my skin. Along with the sun came the wind, and the wind was insanely strong.

For lunch we stopped at this little grocery store called Living Foods Market and ordered an ahi wrap. The wind was so bad we actually switched tables and sat on the other side of the building. I also had to resort to putting up my hair because it was getting everywhere. 

My outfit was pretty casual. I actually ate lunch twice (brunch and then lunch a few hours later... Yea... I am kind of a fatty) and in the morning on the way to bakery and brunch with a friend it was kind of cold so I threw on this incredibly comfy knit sweater. The pairing with the top looks kind of funky on camera for some reason (I think because the tank looks more blue that it actually is...) but I received quite a few compliments stating that "looked nice today". Weird because I literally rolled out of bed, jammed out to punk rock music and then headed towards the direction of food. 

I used the cardigan all morning and then when it warmed up around noon I ended up not grabbing it again until evening rolled around. 

Tank: Billabong | Bandeau: Forever21 | Shorts: Hollister | Cardigan: O'Neil | Bag: HOBO 

I actually forgot about this "Mermaid at (heart)" tank up until last week. Out of nowhere it popped into my mind and I literally leaped out of my seat and ran to my closet because I hadn't seen it in a while. To my dismay, I couldn't find it and after panicking for a little I remembered that tops like this slip off my hangers all the time. Sure enough, I pushed everything aside and there it was... All crumpled up.

Thank you so much for stopping by and definitely let me know if you have gone on any out of town adventures recently... I definitely am curious to know!