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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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

Hits & Misses

When you're in the habit of trying new things you're bound to discover some real gems, but not without bumping into a couple of duds along the way; I'm always a sucker for recommendations from other bloggers and for the cute mini versions of popular products that you'll find when you're queuing to pay at the shops.

Photo courtesy of: www.soapandglory.com

Product Name: Soap and Glory Trick & Treatment Concealer

Love: I loved that the one colour took the guess work out of figuring out what colour to buy (although this could prove tricky for others no doubt) and that it had a full coverage but easily blendable formula.

Hate: The formula was quite dry for an under eye concealer, considering under eye skin tends to be a bit drier and delicate than the rest of the face, I found that after a couple of hours it wasn't just settling into fine lines but it was also flaking right off my face.

Overall Rating: Miss.

Photo courtesy of: www.sephora.com

Product Name: Bliss Ingrown Eliminating Pads

Love: N/A

Hate: TMI WARNING! So I get really bad ingrown hairs in my bikini area, I'm talking really bad. Waxing is no fun, shaving is even worse and due to some tattoos laser is completely out of the question so when I heard great things about these I was so excited to have possibly found the solution to all my problems, alas that was not to be. I bought the smaller 10 to try them out and found they made absolutely no difference for me whatsoever, so for now I'm still on the hunt for a good in grown hairs solution, if you've got one let me know!

Overall Rating: Miss.

Photo courtesy of: www.sephora.com

Product Name: NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

Love: FINALLY! An under eye concealer that actually works for me! Full coverage and so creamy and hydrating it doesn't crease or flake, no one has asked if I'm tired since I've picked up this bad boy which is massively impressive thanks to some sketchy genetics.

Hate: I mean the $32 price tag is less than desirable but since it's taken me so long to find an under eye concealer that does the job, I'm not about to complain.

Overall Rating: Huge Hit!

Photo courtesy of: www.sephora.com

Product Name: Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder

Love: N/A

Hate:  So I went into Sephora looking for a new dry shampoo and the girls there were ranting and raving about the new Bumble and Bumble one and while the $31 price tag was significantly higher than the $8 I usually pay for my Batiste dry shampoo, I've loved everything of Bumble and Bumble's I've tried in the past so I figured I'd give it a try. It's the absolute worse. Fails as a dry shampoo - I started with just a little bit, did nothing, so I gradually added more and eventually wound up with a greasy mess full of powder. It added no volume, if anything it weighed my hair down, extremely unimpressed with this product.

Overall Rating: Massive Miss!

Photo courtesy of: www.firstaidbeauty.com

Product Name: First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream

Love: I've been putting off trying this for ages because I have so many hand creams and none of them seem to help my dry, itchy alligator hands, but I finally caved and bought this a couple weeks ago and I'm so in love! It's super hydrating without being greasy and has made the scaly rash on the backs of my hands disappear, thank god!

Hate: That I didn't try this sooner.

Overall Rating: Hit!

Photo courtesy of: www.ebay.com

Product Name: Tarte Maracuja Oil &Tarte Maracuja C-Brightner Eye Treatment

Love:  I picked up the mini set of these from Sephora because well, miniature and Tarte, need I say more? The Maracuja oil has since replaced my normal facial oil in the morning and I love it so much because it's super hydrating but sinks into the skin quickly so it doesn't affect the wear of your foundation.

Hate: Unfortunately the extreme amounts of Vitamin C in the C-Brighter Eye Treatment severely irritated my sensitive eyes so I can't attest to whether or not it really helps with dark circles but if you're a sensitive sort like me proceed with caution.

Overall Rating: I chucked the C-Brighter in the bin but went and bought the large Marajuca Oil, so a little hit and a little miss.

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All About Orange!

While Radiant Orchid is supposed to be the colour of the year; Spring 2014 seems to be all about the orange, and I'm totally ok with that. I remember the day orange make up was a terrifying prospect for me but Lady Danger lipstick by MAC was still red enough that it wasn't orange (who was I kidding, it's totally orange) and from there it was all down hill, so I for one am super excited to see more and more companies and designers embracing the orange trend this spring.

Top 5 Orange Picks:

MAC's Powder Blush in Modern Mandarin

theBalm's How 'Bout Them Apples? in Crisp

Zoya Nail Polish in Arizona

Mac's Lipstick in Vegas Volt

Butter London Nail Lacquer in Trout Pout

I also registered for my first ever Tough Mudder event that will be happening this September; aside from being a badass mental and physical challenge it is also a fundraiser for The Wounded Warrior Project which helps care for injured servicemen. Right now there is a big emphasis on treating PTSD, as someone with many friends in active service who have completed several tours I know what the face of PTSD looks like, it looks just like me and you, you can't see it and so often it goes untreated with deadly consequences. If you'd like to make a contribution THIS is my donation page for the event, and it will be linked at the bottom of all my posts as "Tough Mudder" until September. 

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My Fragrance Affair

It's no secret I have a fragrance obsession, at this point I guess it's almost on the verge of a hoarding problem so I figured I would show you guys what I've stocked up on, and talk a little bit about the science of perfume (yeah, I'm a nerd, get over it!)

I first got into perfume at a really young age because my older sister was always wearing Calvin Klein's Obsession and being the little sister I wanted to be just like her, so I pestered my mum for years to let me wear perfume (sneaking into my sisters room to use hers as well, shh....) and finally for Christmas one year, I was about 13 I think, I opened my very own bottle of Obsession and it's all been down hill from there...

The Layers of a Fragrance

Let's talk a little bit about the science of perfume so my fragrancy jargon isn't lost on you; a perfume is fundamentally made up of three layers:

Top Notes: These are usually what you smell first and make up the majority of the scent, they're usually quite strong but tend to recede after about 10-15 minutes.

Middle Notes: After the top notes have gracefully bowed out this is when you'll really begin to smell the middle notes (or heart notes as I've heard them called and we all know I love every thing heart related!) These acts like a transition from the top notes to the base notes, not quite as strong as a top note but instead of fading away all together they tend to melt into the base notes.

Base Notes: This is the foundation of your fragrance, long after the others have faded away the loyal base note still lingers on.

The Body Sprays

Body sprays are a nice addition to your fragrance collection because they allow you to layer your fragrances without adding so much perfume that you get a headache. They're also a great way to freshen up your scent on the go and usually a much more budget friendly option.

• VS Vanilla Lace - Top notes of Vanilla & a base of Musk
• VS Love Spell - Top notes of Cherry Blossom & a base of Peach
• VS Amber Romance - Top notes of Amber & a base note of crème anglaise
• B&BW Snow Kissed Berry - Top notes of Juniper and Cranberry & base notes of Amber  and White Musk
• VS Passionate Kisses - Top notes of Cherry & a base of Vanilla, Amber and Musk
• B&BW Dark Kiss - Top notes: Bergamot, Incense, Mirabelle Plum, Black Raspberry, mid notes: Amber, Burgundy Rose, Geranium, Peony, base notes: Dark Vanilla Bean, Labdanum, Vetiver, Balsam and Musk
• VS Ravishing Love - Top notes of Blackberry, a heart of lilac and base notes of aloe and chamomile 

I tend to stock up on my body sprays whenever Victoria's Secret or Bath & Body Works has a sale one...

The Little Guys

These wee perfumes I picked up from Victoria's Secret ages ago and they're perfect to keep in your purse or for traveling, they provide more of a scent pay off than a body spray but still not quite as much as some of the more high end perfumes and are still very budget friendly.

• Love Spell - Top notes of Cherry Blossom & a base note Peach
• Secret Craving - Top notes of Black currant & a base note of Vanilla
• Coconut Passion - Top notes of Coconut, mid notes of Lily of the Valley and base notes of Vanilla
• Amber Romance - Top notes of Amber & a base note of crème anglaise

The Fresh Scents

• Vera Wang's Princess - Top notes of Water Lily, Apple, Mandarin and Apricot, heart notes of Guava, Tuberose and Cacao with a base of Vanilla, Amber and Wood. (This particular treasure made my March Favourite's List)
• Katy Perry's Meow - Top notes of tangerine, pear, jasmine and gardenia, heart of honeysuckle, lily of the valley and orange blossom with a rich base of amber, vanilla, sandalwood and musk.
• B&BW Midnight Pomegranate - Top notes of Pomegranate, Citrus, Dewberry, Anise, Cinnamon, Nutmeg, heart of  Blackberry, Jasmine, Raspberry, paired with a Base of Musk, Sandalwood, Vanilla, Tobacco and Patchouli.
• Betsey Johnson by Betsey Johnson - Opening with Top notes of grapefruit, pear, black currant and tangerine, a heart of freesia, lily of the valley and red apple, while the base finishes with cedarwood, sandalwood, praline, amber and musks.

The Warm Scents

• Fragonard's Fleur de Vanille - Opens with fresh vanilla flower, melts into a heart of vanilla, ylang-ylang, heliotrope and rose and finishes with a cozy base of chocolate, cacao and musk. (I've also been using and abusing this fragrance so much lately it landed a spot along side Princess last month)
• Calvin Klein's Obsession - Top notes are composed of mandarin orange, vanilla, peach, basil, bergamot and lemon; the heart is rich with coriander, sandalwood, orange blossom, jasmine, oakmoss, cedar and rose; and the base notes are amber, musk, civet, vanilla, vetiver and incense.
• Katy Perry's Purr - top notes of peach, apple, gardenia and bamboo with the heart of jasmine, freesia and Bulgarian rose and the base of vanilla orchid, sandalwood, white amber, coconut and musk.
• Tokyo Milk Dark's Bittersweet - A very prominent top note of cacao, a creamy heart of cake flour and osmanthus, finishing with a base of musk.
• B&BW Dark Kiss - Top notes: Bergamot, Incense, Mirabelle Plum, Black Raspberry, mid notes: Amber, Burgundy Rose, Geranium, Peony, base notes: Dark Vanilla Bean, Labdanum, Vetiver, Sensual Balsam, Musks
• Nuxe's Prodigieux Le Parfum - Top notes are orange blossom, bergamot, mandarin orange and orange; middle notes are rose, magnolia and gardenia; base notes are vanilla, coconut milk and pebbles.
• Tokyo Milk Dark's Tainted Love - Top notes of orchid and tea with a base of sandalwood and vanilla.

One of my favourite fragrance websites is Fragrantica; it lists the notes, reviews, where you can purchase it and recommends other fragrances you may like based on a particular perfume.

What are some of your guys' favourite fragrances you think I should check out?

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MAC's Patent Polish Lip Pencils

Chubby sticks have been taking the make up world by storm lately; Clinque has the Chubby Stick Shadow Tint for Eyes and the Chubby Stick Intense Moisturizing Lip Colour Balm, Tarte has had the LipSurgence Lip Tint or some variation of it, for YEARS and the list just continues for brands launching their version of the chubby stick and now it's MAC's turn.

I've never been a huge lover of Chubby sticks, don't know why but I never really hopped on the chubby stick bandwagon so I didn't have too high of hopes when MAC announced it was releasing it's own version of the chubby stick, the Patentpolish Lip Pencil. The website describes them as "The colour and shine of a gloss, the precision of a lip pencil - now in one colour stick. M•A•C Patentpolish Lip Pencil instantly achieves a luscious shine with a single swipe. Effortless twist-up keeps application clean and simple, with no need to sharpen."which sounds pretty good to me but I've been let down by website claims before...

The line consists of twelve different shades that cover all the bases; soft and natural, bold 

and flirty, pretty corals for spring days and more sultry tones for the evenings.Now I was pleasantly surprised by these, Fearless was the first shade I got and I loved it because it was a nice bright pop of colour but still very wearable - I've since Picked up Go For Girlie (a bright coral pink), Revved Up (a peachy nude) and Teen Dream (a bright orange- not pictured since I left at work, boo!); these lip pencils did not dry my lips out like some of the lipsticks and delivered the shine of a gloss without being at all sticky. I found the wear time on them to be mediocre at best but because they're so easy to reapply (in other words I could do this walking without a mirror) I didn't mind that I needed to touch them up a little more often.

I really enjoy these pencils and have already made a shopping list of the next couple of colours I want to pick up; I'm glad MAC finally joined the chubby stick party even if they were a little late to get the invite because these are definitely worth the wait!

This is what Teen Dream looks like on!

You can find them online here for $24 and they just hit counters in North America on April 4th if you want to pick up a couple for yourself as well!

The winner of the March Giveaway was.... drum roll please! Kelsey Anderson, you should have received an e-mail with some questions to help me personalize your box of goodies, if you haven't seen it yet make sure to check your spam box! Everyone else, thank you for entering and supporting my passion and keep your eyes out, there is only more giveaways to come!