Real Talk with Sara Ellen: Long Distance Relationships (SPOILER ALERT! We're Engaged!!)

So for the last year and a half any time I tell someone about my relationship with Pete it opens the flood gates for the same questions; "How do you guys do it?" "Isn't it hard?" "Don't you miss him?" Let me start off by answering these three questions for you guys:

1. With a lot of work. (I'll get into that later in the post...)
2. It's hard as hell.
3. And yes. I miss him very much.

Long distance relationships are not easy and they are not for everyone but when you find that person that you just can't live without you do whatever it takes to be with them; flying back and forth across the world just to see one another, moving to a country where you don't know anyone just because it means you're finally on the same continent, letter, post cards, FaceTime, WhatsApp, you name it - we've done it, but the fact of the matter is there isn't a thing in the world I wouldn't do for Pete. 

I've had so many people ask me how he proposed over the last few days I figured I'd share our story with all of you guys so here it goes...

Pete flew up for this past weekend and I decided to make the most of it and planned a trip for two to the Rocky Mountains!

On Saturday we took a trip to the Athabasca Falls, after to staring at the thunderous falls for a while we made our way down to the river bank, one of my favourite places in Jasper National Park. We snuggled on a rock being that obnoxious PDA riddled couple just staring at our gorgeous surroundings and talking...

After a bit Pete asked me to stay on the rock he wanted to get a photo of me with the beautiful scenery in the background...

When I turned around to stand up he was down on one knee with a ring. I was in such shock I couldn't even get up off my knees, I just knelt there crying and smiling while Pete proposed. We were both shaking so hard we sat down just holding each other and smiling until our legs steady themselves enough to make it back to the car.

We're planning to get married in August 2015 and I have no idea how to plan a wedding! If you have any tips or resources for a bride-to-be please leave them in the comments below!

9 Tips for a Long Distance Relationship That Rocks!

1. Always set a date. Doesn't matter how long you have to wait between visits, whether its 2 weeks or 2 months, having a countdown makes the time apart a lot easier.
2. Communicate. I'm not talking about texting each other all day every day, I'm talking about being open and honest with each other, especially when it's hard. You can't kiss and make up so you have to make every word count.
3. Jealousy. Jealousy is a part of all relationships but especially when there's a great distance between you and your partner. Jealousy is a natural emotion, it shows you care but it's how you deal with jealousy that will make or break your situation. Before flying off the rails at your partner first pinpoint what it is that's making you jealous, is in't something your partner is doing or is it an insecurity in yourself? Either way discuss this with your partner, your relationship won't survive the distance if you can't trust one another.
4. Snail Mail. Call me old fashion but there's nothing I love more than when the mail man has a package for me! Send each other things the good ol' fashion way, they don't have to be expensive gifts; send a love letter, a postcard and little trinket you saw that reminded you of them. When I went back to Ireland last summer I sent Pete a postcard from every town I went to, he still has them all to this day!
5. Be Positive. Being apart from your partner is not easy but if you focus on all of the things standing in your way you'll wind up miserable, focus on the positive. Pete and I realized that the distance between makes us appreciate every moment we have together; holding hands while we walk down the street isn't just something we do out of habit, we do it because we spend 90% of our time wishing we could.
6.  Stop Listening to All the Haters! People will tell you that you're wasting your time, that it'll never work, why don't you find someone closer. All I can say is that you don't need that kind of negativity in your life! Your friends and family are meant to support you; and yes, your relationship may not work but not every proximal relationship works out either, they should celebrate your highs and pick you up at your lows.
7. Don't Be Afraid to Get a Little Bit Dirty. I really hope Pete's family isn't reading this, if you guys are please feel free to skip to tip #8... Being intimate with one another is an extremely important part of every relationship with the distance you've got to get a little bit more creative. Send each other sexy text messages and teasing photos, keep your partner on their toes...
8. Get to Know Each Others Friends & Family. You guys are part of a team and one day (hopefully soon) it won't be YOUR life and THEIR life, it'll be BOTH of your lives. Make an effort to get to know one another friends and families, or as I like to joke with Pete I'm worming my way into his family.
9. Have a Foreseeable End.  Talk about your future, where you guys plan on ending up, what kind of timeline you guys have for these goals. 

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At Home Facial: Skin Pampering While You Study

Sorry for the quiet spell on the blog last week but I'm still learning how to be a student again! How do people balance work, school and the rest of life?! But I've snuck away from my text book, made a hot chocolate (there may be more than a smidge of Bailey's in it...) and curled up with my lap top to bring you this weeks addition of shenanigans.

While time is short I've had to figure out how to keep my skin from showing all the long nights and early mornings of late, but who has time for a proper facial these days, certainly not me, I'm lucky if I find the time to brush my hair and clean my teeth these days. So here is my at home facial that I do while studying, but any of you lovelies with a busy life can put this routine to use!

Step 1. Remove any make up.

I am currently on the last legs of my Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil that you may have seen in my Evening skin care routine post, but this is a quick and easy way to remove your make up from the day. I then use Bioderma Sensibio Micelle Solution to make sure every last stitch of make up and grime is gone!

Step 2. Clay Mask Time!

Any time I put this mask on I feel slightly racist, can anyone say black face? Awkward social aspects aside, Origins Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask is seriously the bomb, it draws all the gunk from the week out of my skin; that being said it can sometimes result in little blemishes so I tend to do this mask a day or two before my day off from work so that if I get a blemish I can treat it with B. Kamins Blemish Gel and be back to work and no one is any the wiser! While this mask is drying hit the textbooks for the next 20-30 minutes!

Step 3. Cleanse, Cleanse and then Cleanse Some More...

Using a warm damp muslin cloth, gently remove the charcoal mask and then massage a generous amount of Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel (which is so amazing it got its very own post right here!) into the skin. Next comes my favourite part: Clarisonic time!

Step 4. Another Mask? Another Mask!

 Collagen sheet masks were my gateway drug to all other skin care, let's be honest. This is where I pop on a sheet mask, what I use varies from week to week depending on my skin needs for that week, for some of my favourites check out this post. Once I've popped on one of these bad boys I usually return to my desk to study for the next 45 minutes- 1 hour while my skin absorbs all the serum-y goodness.

After the full face sheet mask I like to use a separate eye mask (all these late nights of memorizing are no friend to my already shady under eyes!) and let that guy buck while I study; I found the bit that goes on top of my eye irritated my sensitive eyes so I trimmed it so that it fits the under eye and outer corner only and I can leave these guys on until they dry out now. 

Step 5. Concentrated Goodness

Here is where the serums come in; two drops of Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Serum and two drops of Tarte's Maracuja Oil patted into the skin and then BACK TO THE BOOKS!

Step 6. Lock It All In

Alright, so you've made it through an evening of studying and now it's bed time, but you can't let all your hard work go to waste, you got to lock that stuff down! Instead of slapping a thick night cream on I like to use a sleeping pack; equally hydrating but light weight and enhances all the goodness we've spent the last couple hours infusing our skin with. And don't forget your trusty night cream!

Any of you lovelies have any good tips for studying? Or juggling school, life and work? Let's here them!

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Monthly Favourites: May 2014

May was a whirlwind of a month over here at Facepalm base (aka the comfy overstuffed couch in my living room); this month I returned to school after a five year hiatus - I do not remembering being a student being so difficult! How do normal people juggle work, school and having a social life?! With that being said there's been some awesome discoveries this month, particularly in the skin care department!

Fragrance

Molecule 01 by Escentric Molecules. I got it! I finally got it! If you don't know what I'm so excited about you clearly haven't read this post yet! Pete, my amazing boyfriend got this for me as a birthday gift and I have been wearing it non-stop since. It's a really unique fragrance, more of a social experiment than a perfume but it layers amazingly with all of my other fragrances.

During a recent trip to Sephora with a girlfriend she was adamant that a smell a little rollerball from a company I'd never heard of and never given a second glance to before but holy hell am I glad she was so adamant! Vanille Coco by Comptoir Sud Pacifique is AMAZING! Seriously guys, it's like vanilla sugar and coconut had a baby; a sexy. sexy baby. The only was I can explain this fragrance without getting a little too risqué is to say it's like a romp through your wildest fantasies. With a shirtless Ryan Gosling by your side...

Skincare

Between work and school work I've had a hard time unwinding at the end of the day but Aromatherapy Associates Relax Body and Massage Oil has definitely been helping with this. I make my self a nice hot cuppa and slather my body in this wonderfully relaxing oil and curl up with a book (or Netflix if my brain is fried post studying) and have a little me time at the end of a hectic day.

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel has been my saviour this month, I wrote a review on it here so I won't go too much into detail but I love it so much I've added the Oskia Renaissance Mask and Oskia Micro Exfoliating Balm to my Cult Beauty wishlist!

Lavanille's The Healthy Deodorant; armpits have skin so this is part of skincare, right?! I know like it seems like a bit of a random thing to have in my monthly favourites but this stuff is seriously awesome. I'm not really a sweaty person so I steer clear of antiperspirants (also, the thought of something stopping my body from what it is designed to naturally do kinda freaks me out) and this deodorant has filled the void in my underarms life. My armpits are super soft and wonderfully scented now, just in case you were wondering!

With all of the late night studying sessions and early mornings for work I figured it was time to pull double duty; I've been applying My Beauty Diary Dark Circles Intensive Eye Care Masks in the evenings and leaving them on while I study and so far the lack of sleep hasn't been showing in the mornings!

Bits and Bobs

Life: My birthday was on May 1st and I had a week full of celebrations with friends and family including dinner with my closest friends at my favourite local vegetarian restaurant Padmanadi's and a super cute Betsey Johnson watch from my mother!

Tea of the Month: Pomegranate & Acai Berry Tea Lemonade (mix 1/3 cup lemon juice with 6 cups of brewed Pomegranate Rooibos & Acai Berry Tea by The English Tea Company, sweetened to taste and served over ice) 

Book of the Month: This will probably be my last book of the month for a while as reading for pleasure is quickly becoming a thing of the past unfortunately. This month I re-read an old favourite that I read annually; Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, no matter how many times I've read it I always find myself completely engrossed and moved by the book.

Netflix Obession of the Month: North & South, I binged watched this mini-series not once, not twice but THREE times during this month it was so good. I won't go into too much details as not to ruin anything but let's just say it's yet another British period drama and if you like Austen you'll love this romance filled mini-series.

Blogger/Vlogger of the Month: So my blogger/vlogger of the month is usually a beauty account but I recently stumbled upon SmarterEveryDay on YouTube and I'm hooked! Destin from SmarterEveryDay takes scientific principles that are usually quite dry and hard to understand and makes them easy and interesting (see: slow motion cats and How Houdini died)

Monthly Dose of Crazy Dog Lady:

I've been informed that for being the crazy dog lady that I am my mutts never seem to make it on the blog; so the newest addition to monthly favourites is the best dog photos of the month!

Meet the Mutts: Joe is my big boy, he is a 3 year old Rottie X that I adopted from Second Chance Animal Rescue Society back in July of 2011 and Reece is my little trouble maker. She is a 2 year old Pitbull X that first came to me as an emergency foster  back in October of 2012 while I was fostering dogs for Whitecourt Homeless Animal Rescue Foundation, her and Joe bonded immediately. She had Parvo and got really sick and spent awhile at the vet trying to fight the deadly virus off. Joe paced listlessly while she was gone; when she came home, she never left again.

What have you lovelies been loving this month?

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Recent Arrivals: Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel

Those of you that follow me on Instagram may have seen my recent arrivals from Cult Beauty and how flippin' excited I was to try them all out; well, I've dabbled and there's one item in particular that's standing out from the crowd and that is the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel.

I was first turned onto this product after watching Viviannadoesmakeup's Skincare Hall of Fame video and knew I just had to try it! It is everything I wanted the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm to be and if you don't know what I'm talking about, click here to get in the loop!

Photo courtesy of Cult Beauty

I've only been using this cleanser for about two weeks now so this is more a first impressions review than anything else, but so far I'm hooked! Let's just say it's replace my MAC Lightful Cleanser and you all know how much I loved that guy... So just why is this stuff so amazing you may ask? Let me break it down for you...

1. It's pink! Yup, that's actually a selling point for me.
2. It has an amazing rose and chamomile scent that is super calming, especially at the end of a hectic day.
3. It doesn't leave an oily residue like I've found certain other balm type cleansers do.
4. It has a pump! No more dipping my fingers into a tub every day, and the pump dispenses the perfect amount to cleanse the whole face without being wasteful.
5. My skin is looking more radiant than ever, even after only two weeks. And even the spots that tend to creep up at that time of the month have been held at bay.
6. It's chalk full of vitamin-y goodness and natural ingredients (Pumpkin Enzyme, Vitamin A Palmitate,Vitamins C and E,Omega 6, Magnesium and Vitamins B2 and C)
7. The price! It's £32.50 for a 150ml in comparison to £55.20 for 50 ml of the Omorovicza cleansing balm.

The only downside to this cleanser I have found so far is that you can't use it in the eye area so you've got to remove your eye make up another way, but that small inconvenience is SO worth it!

Have any of you lovelies tried this cleanser, what did you think?

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Molecule 01: Science Meets Beauty

You may remember my Top 10: Wishlist Items post from back in March where I shared my most lust-worthy items; since that post I've been gradually making my way through that list, treating myself every now and then to a more luxurious item but try as I might I could not find anyone that would ship Escentric Molecules: Molecule 01 to Canada. Imagine my surprise when I opened my birthday gift from Pete then and low and behold in that massive cardboard box filled with tissue paper there was a little black box nestled safely inside.

Eccentric Molecules: Molecule 01 has been described as being "created solely from the aroma-chemical Iso E Super, traditionally a perfume basenote that adds allure to a scent, which works as more of an effect than a fragrance. The scent has a subtle, velvety, woody note which will meld with your natural pheromones, vanish, then re-surface after some time, making it totally individual and personalised to the wearer. You will rarely smell this fragrance on yourself, Molecule 01 perfume is more about the effect it has on others." 

The concept of wearing a fragrance you can't really smell yourself is a strange one but I like to think of this perfume as more of a social experiment than anything else; I've made many friends and family try it on just I can smell it and it honestly smells so different on everyone, always warm and slightly musky but still unique.

I was wearing this to work one day and had a rather interesting reaction; one co-worker said that my perfume was a bit strong and another co-worker standing right beside her said she couldn't smell it at all, meanwhile I had clients all day complimenting me and asking what I was wearing.

All in all, this isn't a fragrance I wear every day because I do enjoy being able to smell my fragrance but I do love this so much, I'm curious how it would pair with another scent as well so I'll report back my findings on that after some experimenting! 

Back to School

Hey lovelies!

So you may have noticed the blog has been a little bit more quiet than usual and there's a good reason for that; it's not that I don't love you fine people any more or that I've fallen off the beauty wagon, I have actually returned to school! It's been 5 years since I was in school last so I'm learning how to balance life, work and school and I'm finding myself much busier than I know what to do with.

I will continue blogging whilst at school but instead of twice a week it will be a weekly post every Wednesday, until then you can check out the last post here and I'll see you beauties on Wednesday!

-Sara

Ghosts of Beauty Products Past #2

It feels like I just wrote the original Ghosts of Beauty Products Past post, you'll probably see some repeat offenders that I just can't get enough of, I'll post them but won't go into too much detail so if you want to see what I really thought of them you can refer back to the original post!

Hair Care

It seems I've been finishing off a lot of products that have been on the go for a while now so I'm super stoked to share some of these gems with you guys! Everyone knows my love for Batiste dry shampoo so I won't go into that, BUT I've finally finished some of my favourites that I've been using for about a year now.

Difiaba Hydressence Conditioner:  I've been using this conditioner for over a year now and I adore it! It's super hydrating without leaving your hair feeling heavy, has the most amazing scent and is perfect for any heat junkie, styling addict or just general hair abuser that needs a little help getting those locks looking luscious again, this will definitely be a repurchase. You can find it here!

Difiaba Luminessence Hydrating Serum: This is an amazing treatment I use once a month, a combination of hair care and aromatherapy. I follow up my shampooing with a vial of the hibiscus scented hydrating serum, comb through and leave for five minutes before rinsing. For $36 here you get enough to last you a whole year! I've already placed an order for more.

Skin Care

MAC's Lightful Cleanser and Lightful Softening Lotion are staples in my skin care routine so clearly it's not a surprise to find them in another GofBPP post...

Delarom Revitality Cream: I used this cream for three months and when I first talked about it back in my What's My Age Again? post I thought I could never live without this cream but since finishing it off I'm not so sure I still feel so strongly about it. While I did notice a slight improvement in the fine lines on my forehead whilst using this product, I've found that since I've stopped using it my Keihl's Powerful Strength Line Reducing Treatment does just as good of a job at keeping the lines at bay, if not better and only for a fraction of the price! Needless to say I will not be repurchasing.

Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm: This is a product I have yet to mention on the blog because I've been so on the fence about it and I still can't decide if I like it or not even after finishing the pot and here's why: the thermal mud is packed full of mineral rich goodness and because it's a cleansing balm it makes removing make up and cleansing the skin a piece of cake which is what everyone wants after a long day, is it not? So then you
may ask why aren't I head over heels in love? Well for starters it's £46.00 for a 50ml pot that barely lasts a month, which if it did amazing things for my skin would make it a little easier to justify but the fact is it just doesn't. I wanted to love this product, I've tried so hard to love this product, but in the end, I just can't. It's definitely worth a try (and if you're curious you can find it here) but it's not something I will be repurchasing. 

Body Care

Nuxe Huile de Prodigeuse: This is the third bottle of this glorious oil that I've finished off in the last six months and I've already cracked my fourth. For a full review of this product click here.

The Body Shop's Body Butter in Coconut and Chocomania: As far as I am concerned there is no other body butter in the world, or at least none that can compete with the Body Shops, I've already restocked my cupboards with four more of these bad boys!

Bath and Body Works Aromatherapy Body Lotion in Sleep:  I talked a little bit about this guy in my Night Routine post, and since finishing it I've realized two things about it; 1. It's not the most hydrating lotion and 2. The scent was way more relaxing than I had noticed, since finishing I've found my mind doesn't relax quite as quickly, hopefully my Aromatherapy Associates Relax Body and Massage Oil shows up soon so I can go back to sound sleeping!

Caudalie Divine Oil:  I first mentioned this in my recent post about beauty oils and when I wrote that I mentioned it was heavier than Nuxe's and almost sticky, but since switching it to an evening use only product, I've fallen in love. It hydrates scaly spots on my legs, tames parched hair and smells just heavenly. You can get your hands on a bottle of your own here.

Hand Care

Tokyo Milk's Tainted Love Hand Cream: While it smelled absolutely amazing it wasn't the most hydrating for my seriously dry hands, I think in the future I'll stick to the perfumes from Tokyo Milk because those never disappoint. 

Sanoflore Miel Nourricier Hand Cream:  I mentioned this in my January Favourites post after returning home from a romantic weekend in Paris with the boy. This was definitely a gem that I stumbled upon whilst ravaging the French pharmacies and am glad to have someone back in France to mail me some when it runs out because woah man is this stuff awesome! Smells amazing, super hydrating and calming if your hands are sensitive like mine and just all around amazing! There may be a tube of this sitting in my goodie box waiting for the next giveaway.... just sayin.

Holey Butt'r:  This product is designed for stretched earlobes, which is why I have it but it is good for so much more! It contains a blend of Karanji seed oil, Jojoba seed oil, Soy butter, soy wax, Candelila wax and Neem seed oil which are a potent blend of moisturisers and emollients to hydrate and heal dehydrated and stressed out skin. I like to put this on my elbows, knees, knuckles, heels and anywhere else feeling particularly crocodile like.

Make Up

L'Oreal Mega Volume Miss Manga Mascara:  I mentioned this in my February Favourites post as it was something I picked up from Boots on a whim whilst in Brighton back in January and I'm so sad I didn't pick up another because now that this one is done I can't seem to find it here back in Canada or anywhere online, we all know I'm queen of online shopping, and I'm struggling to replace it. There is a mascara shaped void in my life now...

MAC's Studio Fix Powder in NC15:  This has been a staple in my make up bag since I was about 13 but since my skin shifted more to the drier side I had been avoiding using it, now that I've got my skin back under control, a light dusting of Fix powder with a fluffy MAC 187 Duo Fibre Face Brush over top of my Jouer Matte Moisture Tint creates the perfect finish.

Bath and Shower

LUSH's Snow Fairy Shower Gel: I've ranted and raved about this stuff multiple times so if you want to see more about why I love it you can check that out here and here.

Soap and Glory's Sugar Crush Body Scrub: This stuff is amazeballs. Like seriously. I went into raptures here about my nostalgic love for this product and why I was so happy to see it back in Canada. If you're looking for a good scrub look no further!

Tokyo Milk's Tainted Love Shower Gel: This faired much better than it's hand cream partner I mentioned earlier in the post; it has that amazing combination of dark vanilla bean, orchid and sandalwood that lingers after the shower is over.

Pure Potent Wow Muscle Soak Bath Salts: If you lift heavy weights you're going to feel it the next day, and since I'm constantly lifting weights or running my muscles are always aching and sore and this stuff definitely helps me keep moving. I'm always trying out new bath salts so the chances of repurchasing this aren't very likely but if you're someone that enjoys a good bath on the regular these are a must try!

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