Having a car is such an annoying pain in the…
Travelling can throw everything out of whack. I know you…
Having a car is such an annoying pain in the ass, isn't it? I grew up in the burbs, where getting a car when you get your license at 16 or 17 is the norm, and I never imagined I could live a life without a car. This is part of the reason why I put up with engine failures,…
New York City is, like, everyone’s dream. And there’s no wonder as to why. As we landed in NYC on this latest trip, which was the first trip that marked a business reason why, I realized that something peculiar happens to me internally each time I touchdown on the tarmac at JFK or LGA: I feel an overwhelming sense of calm washing over me, as if I’m returning home after a long, gruelling trip amongst foreign cultures. Visiting NYC for a Purpose I’ve been to New York, I think, about 11 times now. And it’s a city that both never gets old and immediately feels familiar, as if it was once your home. I still haven’t quite figured out why this is, and why it seems to be a general consensus amongst most travellers. Could it be because we see the cityscape and culture of New York City in our favourite TV shows and movies all the time? Or is it that NYC has every single culture somehow living cohesively on a tiny island? Whatever it is, I urge everyone I talk to who’s never been to make the trip, for these two reasons, and many, many more. Once you’ve made it to New York as a tourist, it’s only natural that you start dreaming of a more concrete excuse to visit the city on the regular. This is why I was so excited when I got the chance to visit NYC for a business purpose. A client of ours at Studio Media, Sandra Phillips of movmi, made it big this last year in the world of TED Talks. After winning the Next Visionaries contest in Berlin, Sandra was on her way to the TED NYC Stage at their headquarters in Soho. So, without hesitation, we booked our flights to support her. My Changing Purposes For so long now, my main purpose has been to travel, and I’ve done so through my blog and through my freelance writing capabilities. But on this last trip to NYC, I felt a pivotal moment encompassing my purpose in both life and business. As I try to navigate the business world and growing an agency of my own from a one-woman-show to something a little more legit, I’ve also been trying to figure out what to do with Love, Alexa. What will happen to her? Can she continue to exist? As I approach these answers, I feel…
I recently had the opportunity to attend a wonderful event by LD Beauty at the Chateau Fairmont Whistler. This event brought together all of the most well-known beauty brands into a marketplace which presented itself like trick-or-treating – except, instead of candy, makeup! I’ve compiled (literally put into a pile) some of my favourite products that I discovered from this event, plus a couple of others that have come into my life in other ways. The winning highlighters are… Almay Instant Glow Highlighting Duo: This one made the winning list for me because of its quick application. It comes in a lipstick-like form, allowing you to quickly swipe it across your cheekbones and bridge of your nose. You can simply blend it in with your fingertips. It’s not tacky either, meaning you can add it on top of your base makeup without ruining or smudging. You can also opt to use the other end for a lighter application; I like to use this side for my upper lip and brow bones. Makeup Revolution Luxury Baking Powder: At first I wasn’t sure how to use this, but after my friend showed me, I realize how magical it is! Use a blending sponge to apply the baking powder underneath your eyes/on your cheekbones. It will erase any look of tiredness/puffy under-eyes as well as any “fallout” from your eyeshadow. The trick is to add the baking powder last. Makeup Revolution Luminous Gold: This dropper allows you to add a few highligher dots along your cheekbones, upper lip, the tip of your nose and above your eyebrows at the arch of your brow bone. This is the best highlighter to use if you want something really noticeable, and I particularly like to use it for photos. It shows up and makes you glow! The winning brushes are… NYX Professional Makeup #22: This uniquely shaped brush has a little divot in the center, making it look ergonomically shaped, but really working wonders when you blend your foundation. I honestly can’t get enough of this brush! Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Complexion: But, I couldn’t go without mentioning this brush, because it’s double-sidedness really makes it so versatile. The small side is perfect for spot correcting and getting in those sensitive places around your eyes, and the bigger side is great for your all-over foundation. The winning foundation is… Emani Deluxe Creme Foundation: This foundation is one of the best I’ve found…
Travelling can throw everything out of whack. I know you know this. I know you feel this. In addition to putting everything from your digestion to your sleep schedule to your productivity out of norms, it also has a tendency to change your skin. You may become lazy at night, not wanting to spend the time analyzing your pores in the mirror like you do at home. Or, perhaps, your skin just reacts differently amongst the sea and sand and congested plane air of your travels. Don’t get me wrong, I’m an absolute lover of travel (obviously) but I’ve encountered far too many breakouts and bouts of dry skin while travelling, which I’ve realized, has a tendency to take away from the trip as a whole. Avoid this by establishing the best skincare routine for travelling. Follow these steps with a natural skincare line – my recommended being of course Rocky Mountain Soap. Travel-Sized Skincare Products First things first: size! In this case, size really does matter. LOL. I remember the days when I used to pack my full-sized skin and haircare products into my luggage without thinking twice… until I was lugging my bag around various cities in Europe in the stifling heat of August. Lotions and liquids and glass bottles will add weight (and a hell of a lot of space-taking-uppage) to your suitcase, so just don’t, okay? Not to mention, if you plan on taking a carry-on, all of your expensive products will be systematically thrown in the trash. I like to keep a separate collection of travel-sized minis of all the skincare products I would normally use (plus some) for my getaways, even my one-nighters. These can of course be refilled as you go from your full-sized bottles. But they are a lifesaver: they’re light, they’re tiny and compact, and they’re totally carry-on safe. Shop the RMS to-go kit here. Hydrate and Balance with Calming Face Serum Depending on where you’re travelling to, you might find that a higher humidity leaves your skin feeling oilier than it normally would – but this doesn’t mean it’s properly balanced or hydrated. To ensure that your skin remains soothed, use a calming face serum either in replacement of your moisturizer or in addition to. You can add it underneath your moisturizer and your makeup, and use it as an overnight treatment to balance your skin as well. Refresh with Calming…
Ohhhhhhau. How I love thee. How you never get old, you see, near or far, so many dreams of being island me. Your shores so warm, you sand so soft, your island studded with beauty and… bees? I digress. But I do love Ohau so much, it almost makes me want to attempt to write poetry. Which, as you can see, is not such a great idea. This past trip to Oahu was for work, so I got to bring along my business partner/travel buddy/favourite person/one of my dearest friends, Ally, and we spent a week gallivanting around the island, eating delicious foods, touching “tourist” destinations on the island we’d never seen before, having naps on the beach at 4pm, going to bed at 8pm because we’re elderly, and even enjoying a very Hawaiian/very not Hawaiian show/magic show. There was, of course, never a time during this week where we didn’t have a camera or video camera in our hands, but creating content is not only our job, it’s our passion! So where better to explore one’s passion than Oahu? If you’ve had a trip to Oahu before but didn’t leave Waikiki, shame on you! Lol. But no, really, you should leave Waikiki, because you may as well be in Vegas or LA or any other major American city with high-end shopping and overwhelming amounts of people. That’s not to say that there aren’t great people, restaurants (Duke’s, eh ehm), and entertainment in the heart of Waikiki, but still: there’s no Pali lookout, no Hanauma Bay, no sea turtles, no ridiculously long and humid hikes, or long winding roads through pineapple plantations in Waikiki. There are, however, all of these things, if you simply get your hands on a steering wheel and just go. If you’re elderly like us, you might want to find a way to fuel yourselves and feel young again. We did this with Bulletproof Coffee‘s new Cold Brew… which gives you instant brain energy like HELLO YOUTH! WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN HIDING? So… anyway… here are my favourite photos from the week – to be honest there are a bagillion more, but who has the time? I’ve listed my recommendations for Oahu down below, and you can also check out my previous post on discovering Oahu here. Where to eat on Oahu: Duke’s Waikiki – EVERYTHING YOU COULD POSSIBLY WANT! Doraku Izakaya – SUSHI! More suggestions here Where to…
Everybody loves music, even the greatest psychopaths among us, but… why? It’s obvious that scientific studies show that music – particularly classical – helps to improve mood and feelings of well-being and happiness, but what always intrigues me is learning about the psychology behind music and hacking my own lifestyle to leverage the most in music. Here are a few tips I’ve tried and that work AMAZING! 5 Ways to Let Music Enhance Your Life Use music to get into a “flow” state. Flow is a psychological state when you are completely focused on a single task. Time disappears, and not surprisingly, this is when most people feel their happiest, most connected, and most productive. Certain music can help you achieve flow, particularly those with hypnotic or ambient sounds like violin or piano. I always find listening to music on a low level helps me to concentrate on the task at hand and reach flow. Use music to anchor memories. We all have a certain songs that bring back a flood of memories, and you can use this to your advantage. Whenever I go on a trip now, I create a brand new playlist before I’m about to leave, with songs that I haven’t heard more than once or twice. During the trip I listen to ONLY this playlist, and then for perhaps the rest of time, I can access a flood of memories from the trip by replaying the playlist. The key is to use new songs, and not listen to them too much before and only selectively after the trip. Listen to new music for a boost. The reason why a new song you love feels so good is because it releases dopamine. When your brain can accurately predict the next beat of a song, it rewards you by releasing dopamine. This is the happy, feel-good, or reward chemical in the brain. But when a song gets old, it no longer feels good anymore. The dopamine stops coming. For this reason, you can give yourself a boost of happiness by listening to new songs. When learning, play Baroque classic music in the background. Studying for an exam or just trying to learn something new via Youtube? Consider playing some Baroque classic music in the background. This type of music is scientifically proven to lower anxiety levels and change brainwaves, putting you into an alpha state that allows you to learn much easier…
“Oh, you got botox? But you’re only 25…” “Yeah, but it’s preventative.” We’ve heard it all before: but the reality is, there are better ways to prevent your skin from aging than injecting toxins into your face at a premature age. While botox is all the rage right now, making it mainstream, it completely scares the crap out of me and I don’t agree with it – at least not for my face. I once filmed a video for a past client during which a patient was given botox and I nearly fainted. As much as botox is viewed as glamorous it is far from that. They stick needles in your face and inject a toxin that temporarily paralyzes you. It’s fucking gross. What is botox, really? So what is botox, actually? It’s medical name is botulinum toxin, because it is a neurotoxic protein which comes from a bacterium called Clostridium botulinum. The scariest part? If infected with this bacterium in the natural way, the host develops a disease called botulism, a fatal illness which characteristically turns the patient into a zombie – first affecting the muscles of the face. Of course, botox is successfully used for a variety of medical conditions and relieves pain for many patients, which is great. But voluntarily injecting this poison into your face for vanity? I don’t judge anyone who chooses to go this route, I just can’t. So here are my 5 skin secrets to replace the necessity for botox. 5 skin secrets to replace botox Use a patting motion to apply your moisturizer, day and night. Yes, moisturizer should be applied to clean skin morning and night. But instead of just rubbing it all over your face, use a patting motion which helps push the product deeper into your skin – otherwise, most of the product ends up in your hands. Use a cleansing oil to balance and hydrate. A lot of cleansers strip the skin of its natural oils and leave it dry and unbalanced. I’ve recently started using the Transformative Cleansing Oil from Rocky Mountain Soap (all natural!) and I love it. It might seem odd, but oil fixes over-oiliness and balances the skin perfectly, while removing your makeup and prepping your skin for bedtime during which the majority of your cell turnover takes place. Exfoliate your skin twice per week. For a long time, I didn’t understand the purpose of exfoliating and I didn’t particularly…
I can’t sit still today. My nerves won’t stop bubbling up from my stomach to my esophagus, getting caught at my throat, creating immense pressure around my head like a champagne cork about to go off. Except there doesn’t seem to be too much celebratory about this… particular emotion. Last night I sat at the hospital for 6 hours trying to figure out what’s wrong with my vision, which has been steadily declining for the past six months. And, though perhaps “no news is good news,” today now seems to be inherently hindered by a perspective shift I experienced last night as thoughts of glaucoma, a detached retina or a brain tumour ran through my list of possibilities, albeit hypochondria. The question remains: Are we all completely fucked? Live like you’re dying… We all know the saying but it doesn’t seem all that real, all the essential, until we’re delivered with some kind of diagnosis. It’s not until life isn’t promised that life becomes more gratifying, more real, and more appreciated. It’s not until we’re unsure we’re going to make it that we really try to make the most of it. Defining what binds you… If you have a job, or a child, or a family, they most often that not become what binds you. They bind you to certain agreements, a physical location, and a particular routine which you stick with because you love them. At times you may resent them binding you, but the truth is: we all need to be bound by something. I myself do not have a traditional “job,” a child, or a family, and so I must look elsewhere to define what binds me. My relationship ensures I have a more structured routine, my reward being that I get to spend time with Scott when he’s home, instead of working weird, sporadic hours throughout the day and into the night as I used to when there was nobody to be expecting home. But I hit points in my day when I just can’t. When the pressure of running my own business and satisfying clients becomes too much. When my ever-intense emotions overwhelm me, and the task at hand just can’t be performed. When my wandering mind takes over, urging me to do it all and paralyzing me all at once because that’s impossible. I suddenly realize how tired I am of worrying – worrying about not making it, because there is no guarantee in the…
Who, what, where, when, why. These are the 5 W’s to problem solving, the essential unknowns to conquer, or the pieces of knowledge to gain clarity on before moving towards any sense of progress in both schoolwork and, in well, lifework too. The 5 W’s may have been introduced to you early on in grade school, perhaps even with an additional H tacked onto the end, but I’ve found they are also the most essentials points to cover when determining what to do with your life and when trying to understand your purpose. I always love to have these conversations with people, not because I necessarily deem myself esteemed enough to be a life/business coach nor knowledgable enough to be a therapist, but because I have been through the trenches and I have found my purpose in life. Before you read forward, however, you have an important decision to make: why should you listen to me? This is an important question you should always ask yourself before you take any sort of life advice from anyone. The lesson I once learned is concrete and solid: you should only listen to people who have what you want. Otherwise, how are you ever supposed to get what you want? So here’s a quick preview of who I am and what I currently have achieved in my life: I am 27. I dropped out of University in my 3rd year, during which I had decided I wanted to become a writer. At this time, I started a personal blog and entertained a freelance writing job where I got paid $12 per 500 world article. It was pennies, but I put my head down, wrote 10 articles a day to get by, and went travelling for about a year, more or less all on my own in Europe for half of that time. This is where I found myself. Today, I run a successful digital marketing agency where 10K months (albeit top line, that’s an important disclosure to make) are now the standard. I say this not to gloat, but to let everyone else out there know that you too can do what you love and be successful at it. On the side, I do this: my passion, my hobby, my blog – whatever you want to call it – and most months I pull in extra revenue (sometimes a sizeable amount), sponsored trips, and plenty of wonderful gifts. I work hard,…
You reach a certain age when the longest locks you can possibly grow simply isn’t on your agenda of tasks anymore. For me, this age is 27. 27 is an interesting one: it’s the first year you can’t argue your way out of the “late twenties” category, and yet for some who are lucky (like myself), it might also me the first year you don’t care to. I’m genuinely so relieved to finally feel this way – to accept the passing of time as an achievement rather than a grieve it as a loss and to see all the positive aspects of being a little bit older. I don’t feel old, I haven’t given up on my incessant lust for life and travel, I don’t have babies and therefore don’t have any real responsibilities – so what’s the big difference? The Differences of Turning Late Twenties I had to sit on this one for a couple of weeks before publishing this post, because honestly, I hadn’t quite decided what the big differences of turning late twenties were yet. However, after some self-reflection and a couple of nights staring up at the dark ceiling thinking on just this, I’ve definitely begun to see a few. You no longer rely on your long locks for confidence. I went in for a shorter, blunt cut at Eccotique Salon and Spa and didn’t even feel a thing. I even told the stylist: I’m 27 now… I don’t need to have such long hair. That never would have happened during my early twenties, when I’d be gripping the seat of the salon chair, sweating with every loss millimetre, wondering what my identity would be with shorter hair. Your identity no longer has much to do with your looks. Aside from this photo shoot, where I actually took the time to do my hair and makeup, I no longer worry much about the way I’m looking. I’m much more concerned with the way I’m presenting myself and how I’m making others feel in any given moment. You realize how young you actually are. This is the biggest thing I’ve noticed so far, and it’s the opposite of what one might expect. Perhaps thanks to the ability to have a clearer idea of the ‘grand scheme of life,’ I’m not seeing how young I actually am, how much time I have to accomplish my dreams, and that it’s totally okay to take a moment, breathe, and regroup on the things…