Back to School Outfit Ideas!

Hey everyone! I'm not sure if it's too late to post this but I figured since it's back to school season, it's still appropriate! Today I'm gonna be sharing some outfits that you can use for ideas for when you go back to school shopping. Going back to school is not exciting for most (if not all -_-) people but hey, it'll give you a reason to go shopping! Most of you probably already have similar items in your closet, so this post can hopefully give you some ideas to put outfits together.

My Ring Collection!

Hey guys! First off, I want to give out a huge THANK YOU for checking out my blog! I've recently hit 1K page views and I'm so grateful to everyone who takes time out of their day to read my blog posts! I love you all so much! :D

As a small thank you to you guys, I'm going to let you in on one of my little secrets - I have a tiny obsession with rings! Today, I'm gonna be sharing my little ring collection with you all. These are rings that I've gathered over the past year and I'm in love with every single one of them! <3

Look Good and Feel Great with VaVaVoom!

VaVaVoom, a popular beauty store in the Middle East, recently launched a recycling program that caught my attention and I really wanted to share it with you guys!

'Look Good and Feel Great' is the message behind this campaign. VaVaVoom encourages customers to recycle their old cosmetics in return for gift vouchers! I thought this was really sweet of them! It's nice to look good on the outside but it's even better when you feel good on the inside as well. Recycling, particularly cosmetic packaging, has a lot of positive effects on the environment.

If you would like to participate in this campaign, bring in your old cosmetics (any brand of lipstick/lipgloss, mascara or perfume) to your nearest VaVaVoom store and look for the drop off point (usually by the cashier). They can even explain the campaign to you further if you like! For each product you recycle, they'll give you a 3KD voucher that you can use anytime during the whole month of September! But hurry guys, this program will only run until the end of August! I stopped by a few days ago together with my sister and we turned in a whole lot of products and received these vouchers that I'm really pumped to use!

I really hope you participate in this great program! Happy recycling!

Kisses,

S

My First Day of College Experience + First Day of School Tips!

Whether you're going into high school or college soon, first days can be nerve wrecking! In today's post, I'll be sharing my first day of college experience with you guys as well as some tips that you can use on your first day of school!

I was 16 when I graduated high school here in Kuwait. I moved to the Philippines (Bacolod City) for college and it was going to be my first time being out on my own! Well, I wasn't exactly on my own since my brother was finishing off his senior year in college and I would be staying with him. So, I was more excited than scared at the time! I remember arriving to the Philippines a month before my first semester and still having to register for my classes! It was a stressful time but I was grateful I had my cousin help me out since we were taking the same major. I wasn't fluent in Hiligaynon, Bacolod's dialect, so most people avoided talking to me because they had to speak English. This bothered me at first but eventually I got over it. Anyway, once I had finished registering for my classes and got my schedule, I had a couple of weeks to kill before school officially started. I took this time to move myself in, buy my school supplies and just relax. The night before my first day is when I started getting nervous and excited. First day eve feelings cannot be put into words but I'm sure every one of us has been there! I somehow managed to fall asleep that night and the next morning, I remember feeling so confident that since our housing was close to the school, I didn't need to be in a rush. Big mistake on my part because I ended up being stuck in traffic and arriving 10 minutes late! As if that didn't stress me out already, I got lost and couldn't find my classroom! In my head, I thought I knew where it was but wow was I wrong. I texted my cousin hoping she would come to my rescue but she was already in class. Thankfully, there was a man I spotted in the hallway and I went up to him frantically asking for directions to my classroom and just my luck, he turned out to be the school's disciplinary officer and first, I got told off for not approaching him "politely" but he ended up giving me the right directions and I FINALLY made it to my class. Before I stepped in, I could already hear the teacher's voice and that was my cue to prepare myself for the walk of shame - walking in late. He did cut me some slack though since it was the first day. We went around introducing ourselves and since most of the people in my class came from the same schools, they knew each other. I made one friend that day who thankfully, did not feel awkward speaking in English with me! I tagged along with her for the remainder of the day and made it to all my classes (without getting lost!). We didn't do much on the first day aside from just introducing ourselves and getting to know our classmates and professors. More of the actual school work took place the following day.

Overall, I wouldn't consider my first day the best but it wasn't that bad either. It definitely didn't define the rest of my college experience. I would say the 4 years I spent at college were some of my best years!

We all could learn a little something from my experience so here are some tips for your first day!

1. Start school shopping early! Get the basics first - stationary, school bag, outfits (some schools may require a uniform so have this prepared in advance). If you're taking classes like calculus, architecture or any class that requires you to bring special tools, take note beforehand!

2. Print out a map of your school and class schedule and familiarize yourself with the buildings where your classes are going to be held!

3. Set a reasonable bedtime where you can get at least 8 hours of sleep and follow this schedule a couple of weeks before the beginning of school.

4. On the night before your first day, have all your things prepared (you're not going to need much - I pretty much just carried a notebook and a pen) and have your outfit already laid out and this will save you a ton of time in the morning.

5. On the morning of your first day, give yourself enough time to have a decent breakfast because it will help you get through the day! Take it from me and leave your house early! In case you get stuck in traffic, you'll still make it in time for school.

6. My final and most important tip for you guys is to BE YOURSELF. Don't be pressured into doing things and acting differently to get people to like you. You will never feel comfortable this way. Be yourself completely and you'll attract the right kind of people that will like you for you!

I hope I helped some of you guys out! If you have any more tips to share, please leave them in the comments below! I'd love to read them. I wish you all a great school year ahead! Good luck!

Kisses,

S

Tips To Keep Cool In The Heat!

Who remembers my first ever blog post!? I'm giving you virtual hugs right now if you do!! I shared some tips with you guys on how to stay warm during the cooler months and today I'll be sharing some more tips with you guys on how to keep yourselves cool under the heat!

I have a love/hate relationship with the sun! I will long to be under it's warmth throughout the entire winter time but once it's summer, I'm over it. Don't get me wrong though, I LOVE the summer time but I hate feeling so hot and sweaty to the point where I feel like I'm gonna pass out! Unless you can control the temperatures everyday to the point where it's perfect outside, here are some tips to help you stay cool this summer!

1. Stay hydrated! The first thing that I cannot stress enough about is hydration! It's so important to keep yourself hydrated especially when you're under the sun for long periods of time. Trust me guys, dehydration is not fun and VERY dangerous! Always carry a water bottle with you and drink up even when you're not feeling thirsty. Something nice to also have around is a cooling spray that you can spritz on your face to cool down quickly.

2. Dress wisely! Cotton is your best friend during the summer! Stay away from dark colors as they can absorb the sunlight making you feel more hot. Choose clothes that are light weight and loose fitting. It will promote air circulation and make you feel cooler. If you have long hair, keeping it out of your face by putting it up will save you from that gross feeling of it sticking on your neck and back (eww)! Keep it simple when it comes to accessorizing. Stay away from metals - they can absorb heat! When it comes to footwear, I know it's tempting to avoid it and go barefoot but please, think it over! Roads, pavements and even the sand can get pretty hot so instead keep your feet cool and safe by wearing sandals or flip flops. If you do want to wear closed shoes, don't skip the socks! They will keep the moisture away.

3. Look for shade! This one's pretty self explanatory. If you can't find any shady areas where you are, make your own shade! Choose a wide-brimmed hat to keep your head cool and it will lower the temperature of your body.

4. Pick a reasonable time to work on your activities. The time when the sun is at it's highest is between 10am - 3pm. So if you're planning on exercising or doing any activities under the sun, it's best to do them before or after these times!

5. Cool your pulse points. Remember how putting a cold cloth over your face cools you down when you have a fever? Same thing works here! Since the blood vessels are close to the surface of the skin, placing something cool on them will lower down the body temperature. Here are some of the body's quick cooling spots (credit to LifeHacker):

6. Watch what you eat! Consuming large portions of food rich in protein and carbohydrates will require more metabolic energy. Instead, eat smaller meals throughout the day. As ironic as it may sound, spicy food can help lower your body temperature! It will make you sweat without increasing your body temperature. Once your skin is damp, you will be cooled off by evaporation! Not into spicy food? Go for treats like snow cones or popsicles to help lower your body's overall temperature.

7. 'Chill' the environment. An easy way to chill the air when you're indoors (if you have no air conditioning) is to place a bowl of ice in front of an electric fan. Another tip for a more comfortable sleep is to place your sheets and pillowcases inside a bag and pop it in the freezer for a couple of hours. Once you're ready for bed, take the bag out of the freezer, make your bed and say hello to the best sleep of your life!

8. Always, always, always put on sunscreen. I know this has nothing to do with keeping you cool but I cannot leave this out! Sun burns are never cute and neither is skin cancer!

That's about all I could think of right now! If you have any more tips to add, please leave them in the comments below. Stay cool and enjoy the rest of the summer!

Kisses,

S

What I Loved In July!

Okay how fast is this year going by!? Honestly, I can't believe we're already in August!! 2013 just needs to hold up a little bit! But anyway, I wanted to talk to you guys about some of the stuff I fell in love with in July. Let me know in the comments below if you'd like to see more of these!

Bath and Body Works Fresh Picked Tangerines body lotion

I wanted to start this post off with something that basically is my summer staple scent - citrus fruits! This particular lotion embodies, in my opinion, everything that reminds me of summer. It's refreshing, energizing, fruity and clean. I'm not even lying when I say that I used this at least twice on a daily basis!

Bath and Body Works Bali Mango glowing body scrub

Again with the fruity scents! This scrub is amazing to use before shaving because it exfoliates your skin pretty nicely giving you good access to the hair shaft. My skin felt incredibly soft after every use!

Lush Cupcake fresh face mask

I've been trying out this mask the whole month of July and at first, I didn't really love it but as I kept on using it, it turned me around. It really helped me tame out my breakouts (thank you very much hormones!) and I'm surprised it worked on me! So, plus points for you, Lush!

Fresh lemon juice as spot treatment

While we're on the topic of breakouts, I've also recently discovered this nifty trick my sister taught me - using lemon juice as a spot treatment! It dries up the zit overnight and helps in the healing process! I will warn you though that it does sting a little bit, but it's worth it.

Maybelline Color Bloom color changing lip balm in Pink Blossom

I've had this lip balm for a while now but sort of neglected it and I have no idea why because it's fantastic! I love how the actual color is white but when it reacts with the heat from your lips, it turns into the prettiest shade of pink!!

Cody Simpson's 'Surfer Paradise' album

I've actually dedicated a whole post about this that you can read here! I am obsessed with the entire album, I listen to it on repeat shamelessly. My favorites are Sinkin' In, Summertime of Our Lives and Rainy Day from the bonus tracks. Those three in particular are more on the chill side so they make me feel really relaxed and happy! :)

Shane Dawson's podcast - Shane and Friends

Shane Dawson, if you don't already know, is a hilarious YouTuber and he recently came out with his own podcast and I've been obsessed with it! I haven't had that much free time on my hands to read books and stuff so I've been listening to podcasts instead. There are about 5 episodes up already, if I'm not mistaken and you guys should definitely check them out if you haven't! You can listen to it on Sound Cloud or get it from iTunes (it's free!). It's super funny and you won't regret it!

Gold leather flip flops

Kuwait's weather has been insane in July (and still is!). I cringe at the thought of using closed shoes and walking outside so I've resorted to these cute flip flops from Accessorize! They're comfy and go with any outfit!

Middle parts + winged eyeliner

If you know me, you know that I don't change my hair part ever. I've had my hair parted on the right for basically the past 4 years so it's a big deal that I've finally gone out of my comfort zone and tried something new! I've been loving pairing my middle part with winged eyeliner! I feel that it completes the look.

Cooking!

When my parents assigned us (me and my sister) Ramadan cooking at the beginning of July, I dreaded even the thought of having to prepare food every single day. But now that Ramadan is coming to an end, I've actually really enjoyed this responsibility! We're not amazing at cooking so it's an experiment everyday and that's the most exciting part.

Bananas

Bananas are one of my favorite fruits and I think they're in season right now because they're pretty cheap! I once managed to get 3kg of bananas for less than 1KD! I used some to bake a loaf of banana bread and froze the rest for my smoothies (which I've also really gotten into!).

My baby nephew!

My eldest sister gave birth to her first baby towards the beginning of July and it's been such a delight to have him around! He's such a cute little munchkin and I'm including him in this post because he has honestly made me smile so much!! <3

Those are the things that made my July amazing! What did you love in July? I'd love to know in the comments below. <3

Kisses, 

S