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Thursday, July 31, 2014

July Favorites

Can you believe that today is the last day of July?  Seriously, summer is WAY to short.
Here are my July favorites, beauty and non beauty favorites...let's jump into it:


July Favorites

And July is just about over…summer is going by too fast.  For July as I was home resting from PCS (read my post all about it here) I got to have lots of time to do my skin care routine and watch some shorter episodes of some series that I never had a change to watch it.  I am going to stop rambling and get to the products:  

 

1-Olay Toner: This toner is a life saver when my breakouts are suborn.  When you apply it you can feel tingling where the breakouts are.  Toning and clearing my skin at the same time what’s not to love.

2-Urban Decay B6 Spray:  I got this product on my birthday at Sephora, got the travel size as my skin is wicked sensitive and I didn’t want to spend so much money and not be able to use it.  BUT I will be re purchasing the regular size when this one is done.  I use it after I wash my face and after I use my toner, it’s so refreshing and has vitamins for your skin…win, win.

3-Tarte Maracuja Oil: And continuing with my sensitive skin, I ran out of my favorite moisturizer which by the way it’s from Trader Joe’s, I really, really wanted to try a face oil so online I went to look for something that I could get a sample or buy a travel size, and I found it.  Tarte is a great brand as their product runs more towards natural products instead of chemicals.  Sephora trip happened and not only I got a small travel size of the Maracuja oil but it came with a travel size of the eye cream too, YEAH. Well getting to the product in hand, I fell in love with it and use it every single night as part of my skin care routine.

4-Olay Fresh Effects BB Cream: I am in love, literally, I mean I dead serious.  This was the best re discovery that I made this year.  I cannot tell you how much I love this product.  It moisturizes your skin leaving a little tint behind, which is perfect if you don’t have to go out of the house and still want to look good.  I use it alone with blush and bronzer or if I want a more full coverage I use it as a primer.

5-Maybelline Lumi Concealer: This one is a re discovery…Was looking on my makeup collection for a brightening concealer and the minute I saw this one I just remembered how great it was.  And it didn’t disappoint me at all…brightening and concealing at the same time? Love.

6-Julie G Nail Polishes: Know Julie G?  If you don’t what are you waiting to go check her YouTube channel, not only she does nail tutorials she does makeup tutorials too, go ahead and thank me later, she is such a sweetheart.  She has her own nail polishes line and I cannot get enough of them, I currently own 4 of them and their color payoff are amazing and the staying power just perfect, lasts me over a week sometimes.  2 colors that I love for this summer are: Miami Beach (peach color) and Canary Island (yellow)

7-Eye Masks: I cannot believe that it has taken me this long to try eye masks.  I just started using them the end of June and I just love the feeling they feel under my eyes and the amazing job they do, de puffing and clearing my dark under eye circles, it’s a little miracle product.  I get mine at TjMaxx, they are pretty affortable there. The ones show comes in a pack of 4 pairs and it’s by Ellen Tracy and only cost me $4.99.

Non Beauty Favorites:

Flavored water: So I love flavored water but during the winter I always stop taking them and drink a lot of hot tea instead (it’s cold in New England).  So I just started making and bringing them again and I just cannot get enough of it, it makes it so much easier to consume my daily water with a nice flavor to it.  And did you know a lot of the flavored water combinations serve as detoxing drinks?  Oh YEAH.
  
Melissa and Joey: So tell me something, where have I been?  I starting watching it and hands down one of my favorite comedy shows.  And it was great that the episodes are small so I wasn’t over stimulating my brain.  I have watched all seasons and want more.


 Baby Daddy: I just started watching it a couple weeks ago and well, I love it.  They are so freaking hilarious. I am still in season 1 but cannot wait to catch up to this series.

That’s it for July favorites, tell me what is your favorite comedy show?

XOXO,

Nelia

 

Post Concussion Syndrome (PCS)-My Story

I wasn't sure if I wanted to write this post or not, but I figure that there are people out there that are dealing with this same condition and would like to know how other people is dealing or has dealt with it.
Let's start from the beginning, I think I may have mention in a previous post but I was on a car accident on Memorial Day (5/26), we were driving in the highway and traffic started to slow down and the car behind us didn't pay attention and rear ended us.  I was the passenger, my husband was driving and I had my son and dad in the back seat.  We had gone fishing for the day, it was our first fishing trip and we were pretty happy, however we left pretty early as it was raining.
During the impact I lost consciousness for I don't know when and to tell you the truth it still bothers me a lot that I can't remember much of it.  When I woke up I checked on everybody else in the car, they were all fine thank God.  I started to panic and started crying, my eye was hurting me, my left calf was hurting me too.  Someone called 911 and when the ambulance came they took me to the nearest ER.  Once there they did a CT Scan and some X-rays, they did glue stitches right under my eyebrow on my left eye.  I did complain of nausea, headache and sensitivity to the light, I thought it was a migraine headache as it feel pretty much the same.
When I got home my eye was closing shut, I couldn't eat, my headache was just crazy painful.  I didn't sleep well that night and ever since.  I had to go to a nearest clinic 2 days after as my stitches were infected, was started on antibiotics for 1 week.  My headaches got worse and worse as the days went by, 9 days after the accident I saw my PCP and she diagnosed me with a concussion I had all the symptoms in the book but the vomiting.  She started me on some medications, but after 3 days the headaches just got worse so I went back to see her, I was put out of work and was started on a specific concussion headache medication prescribed my a neurologist, which I saw a week later and was diagnosed a PCS (Post Concussion Syndrome).  I have been out of work for about 8 weeks now, not only that I also couldn't drive or use any electronics at all.
I just saw my neurologist this week and given the ok to drive and work for a couple hours a day as tolerated, I was also told to start cutting my medication which I just started this morning and it's not really working to tell you the truth, will see how I do it for a couple more days.  I have started to use my phone, iPad and my computer for a couple hours a day and I do need to take a lot of breaks but I am hoping it will get better as the days go by.
Are you wondering what PCS is, below is the medical explanation:

Post-concussion syndrome, also known as postconcussive syndrome or PCS, is a set of symptoms that may continue for weeks, months, or occasionally a year or more after a concussion – a mild form of traumatic brain injury (TBI). The rates of PCS vary, but most studies report that about 15% of individuals with a history of a single mild TBI develop persistent symptoms associated with the injury. A diagnosis may be made when symptoms resulting from concussion last for more than three months after the injury. Loss of consciousness is not required for a diagnosis of concussion or post-concussion syndrome.
The condition is associated with a wide range of symptoms: physical, such as headache; cognitive, such as difficulty concentrating; and emotional and behavioral, such as irritability. Many of the symptoms associated with PCS are common or may be exacerbated by other disorders, so there is considerable risk of misdiagnosis. Headaches that occur after a concussion may feel like Migraine headaches or tension-type headaches. Most headaches are tension-type headaches, which may be associated with a neck injury that occurred at the same time of the head injury.

It hasn't been easy, some days I feel pretty good, other days I am moody, depressed and in pain and those are not easy days.  But I was told that eventually I am going to be 100%, I am looking forward to that day that's for sure.

Now that I am allowed to use electronics I am ready to dive into my blog 100% and one thing that I have promised myself is to blog everyday in August.  I have so many posts on the way already, it will cover anything from beauty, fashion to books. 

Stay tune because August 1st is TOMORROW...happy girl right here.

XOXO,
Nelia

Monday, July 21, 2014

What's In My Beach Bag?


What’s in My Beach/Pool/Boating Bag?

1-The Bag: Got it at last Black Friday at Bath and Body Works (I removed the bow that was attached and love it to bring it with me to the beach).
 

2-Hat-Got at Target last year and I still LOVE IT.  It makes me feel sophisticate at the beach lol
3-Sunglasses-I am such a sunglasses junkie…the more I have the more I want, but I always get discounted or really cheap sunglasses because the more I have also the more I lose lol.  I really like the ones from F21 like the aviators in the picture, stylish but wicked cheap, the other sunglasses is by Becky Johnson, I got it at TJMaxx for about $16.
4-Sunscreens: Face OMG, for sure this is my favorite product for the summer. Olay Fresh BB Cream doesn’t give you that much coverage but what I love most about it is that it has SPF and you can reapply it during the day while you are out in the sun.  And it smells AMAZING.  I also got this mini sample in one of my Ipsy bags; it’s by MD Solar Sciences, has SPF 30 and let’s not forget that is tinted, YEAH.  Body: I really like this one by Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration SPF 30, but I do switch it up a lot during the summer.
 

5-Bikini- I will confess (not easy but), I gain a little weight these last few months while recuperating from a concussion and because of that I’m into the tankinis, this one is from Target and I ALWAYS buy my bikinis/tankinis at the end of season for sooo much cheaper.

 

6-Cover up-Most of the time you will see me with shorts and a tank top, but there are times that I like a nice cover up, I got this one at Walmart last year at Cape Cod (as you can see).
7-FlipFlops-I don’t know about you but this is one of the reasons I love summer, Flip-flops J I usually hit the $1 Old Navy sale every year, but I didn’t this year (Bummer).  These ones are from last year’s sale, colorful to be easy to find them at the beach hahaha
8-Beauty Items: Olay Fresh BB Cream (see aboveJ), Waterproof Mascara I actually just got this one from my Ipsy bag this month and I love it, the packaging  is so darn cute, I love how the top looks like it has water drops) it’s by Pur Big Look with Argan Oil. Lip balm: EOS, I have been using EOS lip balms for years and I still cannot get enough of them.
9-Water/Drinks: I always carry water or some other drink to the beach, I not a usually someone that drinks a lot during the day, but when I am at the beach I kind do get thirsty.  This is by far my favorite flavored water, strawberries and mint-so delicious.  Do you like flavored water? What is your favorite?
 

10-Snacks: It’s just a need.  It varies every time I go, but I always bring some kind of fruit, nuts, and crunchy stuff

11-Reading Materials: I love reading and going to the beach just means more reading time and that makes me so happy.  I am currently reading Hexed, I’m still under medical care for the concussion and I am not allowed to spend too much time reading so I have been doing about 10-15min only.
Love my Samsung Note tablet...currently still reading Hexed, loving it.

 

12-Hair Pieces: Pretty explanatory, right?  My hair is curly and frizzy, I don’t get those beachy waves so I need hair ties to pull my hair up and look somewhat decent…I bring a clip and an elastic.

 

And that’s what I usually bring with me to the beach, what about you?
Here is a beautiful Sunset at Cape Cod...


XOXO,

Nelia
 

Friday, July 11, 2014

Outfit of the Day

Here is today's OOTD-easy and breezy. 

Dress: TJMaxx
Shoes: Target
Watch: Michael Kors

XOXO,
Nelia