Eating Healthy in College

This post is to share some of my tips and tricks on how to eat healthy in college because I have become quite the health freak!

1. Hummus. One of my favorite things in the world. Hummus is a great alternative to any dip because it's really healthy! Skip the chips and buy cucumber, celery or carrots to dip in the hummus. If you're feeling brave try and make your own! All you need is a small (magic bullet like) blender, one can of garbanzo beans, oil, garlic, and some spices! Sesame tahini makes it better but if you don't have it, it's not a big deal. Blend it all up and voila- hummus! You can add hot sauce for spice, avocado, edamame, or anything you enjoy into the dip. 

2. Quinoa & Black Bean Chips. If you are a chip lover, I have found the most amazing chips from Trader Joe's- Quinoa and Black Bean Infused Tortilla Chips. I am obsessed with these things. They're gluten free, have all natural i
ngredients and not to mention delicious. I'm talking almost better than a potato chip...

3. Kale. I have recently been loooving kale. I buy it prewashed from Trader Joe's, de-stem it and place it in a salad bowl with a small mixture of olive oil and soy sauce- sounds weird but its amazing. Then I add some avocado. This is an easy and tasty salad and only takes a few minutes with minimal ingredients. If you have access to an oven, mix the kale in a big bowl with a tablespoon of olive oil and soy sauce. Make sure that the kale is dry before mixing it with the ingredients. Place the kale on a baking sheet and bake at 375 until the kale turns crispy. Delicious! If you enjoy the taste of kale, try it with just olive oil and sea salt (same procedure).

4. Steamed veggies. These are great for college, especially since you can throw them in the microwave and they cook inside the bag. Super cheap and easy! Trader Joe's has great ones and so does the SteamFresh brand that you can find at Target.

5. Spaghetti Squash. If you have access to an oven this is a great alternative to pasta (I might even like it more!) Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds and drizzle the squash with a little olive oil. Place it face up in the oven with about an inch of water on the pan for around 40 minutes at 375. I prefer to eat it either with a little salt and parmesan or my favorite pasta sauce. 

6. Fruit, fruit, fruit. I can't stress enough how great it is to start off your day with fruit. Whether it be a smoothie, granola with berries, or just fruit alone, this is my favorite way to start my morning. A cheap and easy way to make smoothies is to buy the prepackaged frozen fruit, but make sure there aren't any preservatives. Trader Joe's is really good with that, but if you go to Target, for example, be sure to read the ingredients. 

7. Green Tea. Another thing I cannot walk out the door in the morning without having. I love green tea. I drink between 2 and 4 cups a day. I have gotten to the point where I don't even need sugar. There are amazing health benefits to green tea and it's a perfect alternative if you don't enjoy drinking coffee. If you don't enjoy green tea, try and drink any type of bagged, natural tea and check the ingredients!


8. Rice cakes. Rice cakes with peanut butter & jelly are a great alternative to using bread. They're light, crispy and tasty!

Now that I have a full kitchen in college, I have become absolutely obsessed with cooking healthy dinners and snacks for myself. It has become one of the highlights of my day. It makes me feel great knowing that I am putting good food into my system and I'm not sitting around eating Oreos and Doritos. 

What are your favorite healthy snacks?

--Ms. Makeup

Review: Alba Even Advanced Sea Lipids Daily Cream

Face lotion is always a product that I feel like I struggle with. I just settle for whatever I have at the moment and I've never really used a great lotion for my skin. However, after using the Alba Sea Lipids Daily Cream, I now realize how important it is.

This lotion caught my eye because it's supposed to help the appearance of skin to make it look more even and less blotchy/dull. It's also hypoallergenic and Alba is generally a more natural based brand. It's paraben free, too- very important!

I am almost finished with this product and I will be repurchasing it. It's a really light moisturizer but it's still hydrating. It doesn't clog my pores or cause me to break out at all. I actually feel like it has improved my skins texture. This lotion has a nice, fresh scent, but it's not overpowering. It wears nicely under makeup and doesn't cause me to get greasy during the day. One thing I will say is that if I shower with this on my face at night, it tends to get in my eyes and this stuff burns a little. So watch out for that.

The container has lasted me about a month and a half and it costs $16.99, so it's not too bad on the price. I would recommend this for any skin type. This comes in a night cream as well and I'm interested in trying that out, too. You can find this at most drugstores, Target, and some health food stores.

Link to Alba lotion

--Ms. Makeup

Review: YSL Lipstick

Long time no blog! I have lots of posts planned out so prepare yourselves for makeup overload!

Today's post is on an item that I have always, always wanted but never felt the urge to splurge on lipstick. Luckily, I received it for Christmas!

The YSL Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks are amazing. Hands down. They are extremely pigmented, creamy, glossy and luxurious. The only drawback is that they're $34... but its YSL, people! I got one in the color "Fuchsia in Excess" (5). Its a hot hot hot pink and it looks nice on pale skin (me.) These also taste and smell delicious. Not only that, but they are really moisturizing as well which is often hard to find in a lipstick. Nothing like sticky MAC lipsticks. I loved the feeling of 5 so much that I went to Sephora and got the Volupté Sheer Candy in 03 Juicy Grapefruit which is just clear with a hint of shimmer. It actually tastes like candy, not kidding! Now, for $32 this may seem crazy to spend on something that is essentially a chaptstick, but let me tell you... My lips haven't been chapped since! The sales woman at Sephora told me these are pumped with vitamins and rosemary oil which is supposed to be really great for your lips. And by how they feel, I'd have to say I agree! Basically, if nothing else, you put this on and it feels like you've gone to heaven... They're that good. 

If you can, try and pick one of these up. Even the packaging is gorgeous and elegant! You need at least one in your makeup collection! 

-Ms. Makeup 

Color 5