Mar 23: The letter 'L'

Tonight I went to my youth leader and mentor's 21st birthday party. She is the most amazing and joyful person I have ever met and I don't know what or where I would be without her.
It was a themed costume party, centered around the first letter of her name 'L'.
It took me awhile to figure out what I was going to go as. I like being original and too be honest there were already so many leopard and lady bugs that they didn't need anymore.
In the end I went as a french moon 'la lune'.

I borrowed a white dress off my friend, and put a sheer white top underneath to keep me warm(er). I paired that with white tights and a silver piece of material that I tied around my waist. I also wore a red beret and curled my hair to look a bit more french.

I completed the costume with a white piece of cardboard cut in a circular shape and decorated to look like a moon. My shoes are little vintage styled blush coloured heels bought at a local store.
Over all I kept my makeup very simple and fresh, with a brilliant red lipstick that matched my hat and winged eyeliner.

I had loads of fun and it was great to be able to sit down and just chat with everyone.

Until next time,
Liana xx

P.S this was supposed to go up this morning but I am lazy, and was running late.

Feb 24: My Acne Story.

Hi guys,
Something I try not to let people know is that I have struggled with oily, acne prone skin since I was 11.
During the time between then and now I have tried pretty much everything under the sun to try and control/prevent them. From medication to proscription creams to the pill to drugstore products and even ProActive. They all started off promising however within a month or two my skin stopped reacting to it and it would end up the same as it was before I tried the product. It was very frustrating.

Sensing that it was something else, I turned to face mapping and a change in Diet. A lot of my dad's side of the family are wheat or gluten intolerant so that's where I started. I cut out all bread and cereals. Seeing that it was actually doing something, I went to my doctor to have tests done. Seeing as I was still on my wheat/gluten reduced diet the tests came back negative even though I was displaying all the symptoms. My doctor then recommended me to go see a gastroenterology. Though I'm still in the process of being tested but it is all going well.

As well as cutting out bread and cereals I have also started cutting out refined sugars and refined/white rice and have stopped eating fast food and junk food (mostly). I was taught the importance of eating fresh fruit and vegetables since I was very young, something I am incredibly grateful for.

I also started doing little things like:
- changing my pillow case twice a week
- making sure my phone is clean
- regularly washing makeup brushes
- getting more exercise
- not eating straight before going to bed
- getting more sleep
- reducing stress by doing yoga
- making sure I get enough vitamins everyday.
This article also helps with treating specific places that are breaking out.

I've now found that I need to swap around my cleanser every few days. I now use the 'gel cleanser' from this range most days, using the 'antibacterial cleanser' from this range every few days.

I also found a homemade face mask that works really well for me.

EXFOLIATING FACE MASK
Ingredients:
2 tbsp Honey
1 tsp Cinnamon
1 tsp Nutmeg

1. Combine 2 tablespoons of honey with a teaspoon of cinnamon and a teaspoon of nutmeg until it forms a paste.
2. Rinse face with warm water and pat dry with a towel. Apply mask using fingers starting from the nose working your way out and around the face avoiding the eye area. This should only be a thin layer other wise it will drip.
3. Do something else for 30 minutes then rinse off using warm water and a face washer. I usually cleanse using my everyday cleanser afterwards like I normally do just to get rid of any dead skin left behind.

Honey has antibacterial properties so can help the skin heal promoting new skin growth (perfect for scars) and can help fight swelling by killing infection when applied to acne. Similar to honey, nutmeg and cinnamon also have antibacterial properties as well as anti-fungal ones to fight infection. The cinnamon and nutmeg also act as an exfoliate and bonus points because is it smells amazing too. However nutmeg can be harsh on sensitive skin, so I recommend testing a bit on your inner wrist to make sure its okay to use.

I hope my story helps someone.
Until next time,
Liana xx

Feb 1: Don't cry over spilt... pasta?!?

So the past couple of days have been really full on, but first of all Happy February!!
Yesterday was my last first day of high school which was kind of scary but really awesome at the same time. I got lost a few times on my way to new class rooms and met some new people who have just transferred to my school, one of them being this really cute guy in my english class but shh.
I've already go homework and it's only been two days including a test on Monday, yay!

But right now I'm going to get stuck into the weekend.

But the real reason this post is going up today is because from about six last night to ten thirty which is like four hours!! We had no power which made cooking so hard but luckily we have a gas stove. We had about fifteen candles lit in our house including a few in my parents new en suite. We didn't burn the house down which is a good sign.

Cooking by Candlelight

But of course the first thing I did while cooking dinner was to take a picture of my sister cooking and put it on my instagram (at)lianam216

Today was also pretty dramatic. As last night we had issue with the power this morning was really rushed and I had to go to school without makeup on, not even mascara which is something I hardly ever do.
I had to look after my baby brother to night and while I was getting my dinner ready he accidentally dropped his bowl of pasta on the ground and spilt  it everywhere. He burst into tears and stood there crying. It was heart breaking. I felt terrible and it wasn't even my fault. Me and the dog cleaned up the mess and I made him more food (toast pizza) and everything was good.
It reminded me that sometimes we get worked up over little things, when say emotions are running high or you're hungry or tired, that are really not that big which not only has it had an effect on you but also people around you without you realizing.

Until next time,
Liana xx