Author: dangchristine

Live Blog: Early Morning Gym Session

Fitness, Personal

4:50 a.m. Shut up alarm, for the second time.

4:55 a.m. Who’s idea was this to go to the gym before work? Oh yea, mine. So. damn. tired.

4:57 a.m. Keeping my eyes closed for as long as I can. Including while brushing my teeth.

5:05 a.m. Ok, I’ll leave now. Good thing I packed my gym bag last night. I predicted I would’ve used that as an excuse not to go if I didn’t pack it.

5:25 a.m. Made it to the gym. Still not fully awake at all.

5:27 a.m. Warm up on the bike. I wonder if I could sleep and bike at the same time…

5:43 a.m. Ok, warm up woke me up. Plus the Kane Show podcast had me laughing to myself. I wonder if anyone saw me…

5:44 a.m. Moving on to the stair master. Bout to get real sweaty!

6:05 a.m. I’m feeling good! I love a good sweat during a workout. The more sweat the better! Am I alone with this one? My legs are about to be dead though.

6:07 a.m. In love with my new shoes. Sooo comfortable. Thanks, boyfriend! I have 23 minutes to lift before I have to shower. Leg day is my favorite day!

6:25 a.m. Let me see that booty work booty work boo boo boo booty work. Song popped in my head as I was doing booty pops. Thanks, Top Shape!

6:27 a.m. Time to shower! I would’ve cried if I forgot flip flops for the shower.

6:45 a.m. Welp. Seen a lot of topless women this morning and a few pantless. Ain’t no shame!

 

Must Try Beauty Products

Girl Time

MustTryProducts

After hearing so many good things about these products – from both YouTube beauty gurus and online reviews – I compiled a list of beauty products that I must try. I’ve decided that once I purchase these items, I’ll do first impressions and reviews as well! Keep a lookout for those soon! My budget-friendly self is just waiting for Ulta’s next sale.

1. L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation I’ve been looking for a new liquid foundation that would live up to my Revlon ColorStay foundation, but always find myself going back to it. This Pro-Matte foundation is described as a Lightweight and creamy, foundation that goes on smooth with a demi-matte finish that lasts up to 24 hours (not that I’d ever wear foundation for 24 hours)—hiding imperfections for a smooth, clear complexion. The fact that it’s matte is what initially drew me in, since my face can get as oily as fried chicken.

2. L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Spray & Set Makeup Extender Setting Spray I used to use the Urban Decay De-Slick setting spray, but found it to be a little too costly. When I heard that this is comparable to the UD one, I knew I had to try it, especially with it costing half the price. This setting spray is described as a Lightweight, oil free setting spray that locks in your total makeup look, Face, Eyes, and Lips, preventing color from smudging or settling into fine lines for all-day staying power.

3. L’Oreal RevitaLift Triple Power Eye Treatment I’ve been on the hunt for an eye cream for a while now and this one seems to be one of the best drugstore ones. I’ve always heard that you should start treating your skin while you’re young before anything even happens. I wear eye makeup almost every day, so with the process of taking off my makeup, I feel that it would be best to start using an eye cream to prevent any signs of skin tugging! This claims to Repair Wrinkles. Reduce Bags. Lift Eye Area.

4. L’Oreal Youth Code Texture Perfector Serum Concentrate As with the eye cream, I want to prevent before anything happens to keep my skin looking healthy. I’ve also been looking for a serum that would minimize my pores and even out my skin tone. My pores are pretty huge, which is a big contributor to my super oily skin. This serum is described as a Luxurious serum that visibly improves skin quality working on uneven skin with visible pores and fine lines. It visibly corrects skin by tightening pores and revealing petal-soft skin texture.

5. NYX Highlight & Contour Pro Palette I first heard of the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit and was lusting over it, but didn’t want to spend $40 on it. Then this baby popped up for a fraction of the price and I fell in love. One of my favorite parts of doing my makeup is contouring and I feel that this palette would be a great addition to my collection. I’m not one of those crazy face sculptors by any means, but I feel that this would help take it to another level. Plus, it’s refillable!

6. L’Oreal Infallible Pro-Matte Powder Can you tell that I’m really eager to try out this Infallible face line? I always set my liquid foundation with a light powder to really lock in my foundation, control oil, and give my face a smooth finish. This powder claims to Absorb excess oil and reduce shine on the skin’s surface for up to 16 hours. It creates the perfect matte finish. The pro look of longwear.

Lemon Shrimp & Asparagus Stir Fry

Clean Eating

IMG_4702

Trying to balance school and work while trying to stay physically active can be really tough, especially when I used to be able to cook meals every day. Thankfully, my boyfriend has become a great cook in midst of my (kinda sorta) absence from the kitchen. I can’t stay away for too long because I start getting an itch to cook. I find joy and relaxation in cooking and experimenting with new flavors. When I do come across a night where I can squeeze in some time to make dinner, I always try to cook something that isn’t time consuming or complicated. With that being said, I tried out something new and did a light stir fry with a simple lemon sauce. This literally took 15 minutes!

IMG_4689Heat 2 tablespoons of olive/coconut oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add shrimp, season with a little salt, and cook until slightly undercooked. Set aside.

IMG_4692In the same frying pan, heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil and add the asparagus. Season with a little salt. Cook until they are a bright green color and are crisp and tender.

IMG_4693Add the garlic and ginger. Stir to combine with the asparagus and cook for another minute.

IMG_4698Add the shrimp back in to the pan along with the lemon sauce. Mix everything together and let it simmer for a couple minutes until the sauce is thickened. Now it’s ready to be served!

{Here’s what you’ll need:}

1 lb. shrimp, peeled and deveined

1 lb. asparagus, cut in to 2″ pieces and ends trimmed

3 large cloves of garlic, minced

1 teaspoon of ginger, minced

4 tablespoons of olive/coconut oil, divided in half

salt and pepper to taste

Lemon Sauce

2/3 cup chicken stock

1/4 cup lemon juice

1 tablespoon of low-sodium soy sauce

2 teaspoons of maple syrup or honey

1 tablespoon of cornstarch

{How to cook:}

In a small bowl, whisk together the ingredients of the lemon sauce and set aside. In a large frying pan or wok, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil over medium-high heat. Add the shrimp, season with a little salt and cook for about 3 minutes, just long enough to slightly under cook them. Remove them from the pan and set aside. In the same frying pan, heat the other 2 tablespoons of oil over medium-high heat and add the asparagus. Season with a little salt. Cook until they are a bright green color and are crisp and tender – about 4-5 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger. Stir to combine with the asparagus and cook for another minute. Add the shrimp back in to the pan along with the lemon sauce. Mix everything together and let it simmer for a couple minutes until the sauce is thickened. Enjoy!

Makes 3-4 servings.