Because I love products.

this is not an aspirational blog. i like to buy things.

[tolookatyou]

[hisnameisbryce-blog]

that's all.

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E.L.F. Haul:

I would buy every single one of these products again, and can't recommend the brush set enough. There's always a ton of sales and offers (even if you're ordering from Canada) so I encourage you to consider buying online (just google E.L.F. coupon code.) 

Polyvore Link: http://www.polyvore.com/cgi/set?id=105994402

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coat.

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F21 Sleepwear, or How I'm Continuing to Fetishize Sleep

I'm already a huge fan of F21 for jewelry (especially necklaces) and have a tendency to be constantly ordering and returning items ordered online. I was hesitant, however, to venture into F21's sleepwear department, but have been blown away by what I've bought.

My first purchase was the grey pajama set on the right, and I LIVE in these things. They're so soft, and I love how simple the design is (suspiciously Eberjey-ish.) I just ordered the white bathroom on the left, and can't wait to get it.

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Beauty Sleep

Forgive my aggressively uninspired title, but to me, beauty is really tightly wound up in sleep. I am, by my own admission, someone who doesn't wake up looking great. I have a pale skin tone which doesn't hide imperfections (like dark circles) well, and while I don't think I'm unattractive at all, I feel I look my best when I'm wearing makeup and have gotten enough sleep.

As of late, I've been tackling a bout of anxiety that's unlike anything I've experienced since an unfortunate bout of the anxiety/depression two-punch combo I went through when I was in university. Though this is nothing compared to that, I'm taking steps to keep one step ahead of this omnipresent beast, and part of my strategy is getting enough sleep. Even if sleep doesn't technically reduce my anxiety, it at least gives me a couple hours outside of my overly busy awake mind. Here are some game-changers I've adopted that have made it easier to fall and stay asleep.

Sleep Cycle App ($1.99) - Out of all of these products, I've been using this the longest. It's an app that many are skeptical of, but has many converts. It's a paid app, which may keep some from using it, but for me, it's been invaluable in terms of my sleep patterns. From my science-averse brain, this is how (I think) it works: This alarm gets you to choose a time at which you must wake up, as well as a time range in which you permit the app to wake you up before the alarm. The app is magically able to detect your level of sleep (deep, light, etc.) and will wake you up when you're closest to being naturally awake. This makes the wake-up process much less painful, something I can appreciate since I wholly believe this is the worst part of my day. That's not all though: you also set up 'sleep notes' to keep track of, like 'Blackout Drunk,' 'Soul-Crushing Day,' 'Forced Self to Eat Vegetables' etc. With these notes, the app is able to draw ties between your quality of sleep and your habits. In case you're wondering, alcohol makes my sleep worse, and having coffee slightly improves my quality of sleep (before 3 PM, natch.) I love having data on pretty much anything I do, and absolutely live to find out what "grade" I got on my sleep the night before.

The Body Shop Deep Sleep Dreamy Pillow & Body Mist ($16.00) - I know how absurdly overpriced this might seem for a pillow mist, but I bought this at half price, and after reading the surprisingly positive reviews on MUA. In my opinion, this isn't a great smelling product. I expected it to smell more like the Healing Garden pillow mist I bought when I was probably in eighth grade, but instead, it smells much more woodsy than I was expecting. It's not that it smells bad, it just isn't something I would want to smell like. That being said, however, and my app can back me up on this, I sleep more soundly when I liberally spray this on my sheets (I actually avoid putting this on my pillows in the fear that it'll break me out.)

Melatonin - For me, the biggest issue with sleep isn't having a restful sleep,  but actually falling asleep at a decent hour. About a month or so ago, my mom passed on a bottle of 3mg melatonin after it didn't work for her, and it's been a total game-changer. I take one pill at 9:30, and have no trouble falling asleep come 10:30. I try to use it only on nights when I sense I won't be falling asleep easily, and find that I can get by without it as well. I've never been one to wake up throughout the night, so I can't comment on how well it does in terms of keeping you asleep. I had heard that taking too much of this can lead to scary, horrible dreams, but the only thing that's affecting my dreams these days is falling asleep listening to the Catching Fire audiobook. The other night, I had a dream I was trapped by the father of a kid I used to take care of, and he moved myself and friends into a lavish Capitol-style mansion that soon turned into a death trap. In the end (I survived) it turned out to be just a movie, so if anyone wants to analyze that please don't let me know what your conclusions are.

With sleep and health issues in general, there's never a one-solution-fits-all miracle product, but this is what worked for me. Sweet dreams!

PS - If you're working on a Mac, I strongly recommend downloading an app call 'Flux.' It tints your display yellow which cuts out the blue tones that keep your brain alert. I still can't believe no one's made an iPhone app for this.

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feeling this.

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My Top 5 Beauty Products for Broke Ass Bitches (Like Me!)

I've always been a fan of beauty products, and have been drawn to brands both expensive and affordable alike (though, obviously, always a little more drawn to the dope ass packaging that luxury brands afford you.) Though it's only been, like, two months since I've been able to feasibly afford brands like NARS, I find satisfaction in seeking out really, really cheap products that also happen to be great. Bonus points if they don't look as cheap as they are, but (insert cliche here.) I have an obsession with finding products in sale on general; I've borderline/completely developed a superiority complex around this. Here are 5 cheap products I would continue to buy even if I could afford a pricier competitor:

E.L.F. Acne-Fighting Foundation ($6) - I live in Canada, and don't have a great selection of E.L.F. products nearby (they occasionally sell some at Winners, but not the full line.) Even with shipping, though, ordering from E.L.F. is well worth the cost. I recently ordered an enormous haul from the site, a total of $40 for almost every type of product, including a full brush set, but the real stand-out from my order has been this foundation. I thought I'd found my HG full coverage foundation with the pricey Vichy Dermablend Corrective Foundation ($35,) which I bought with points, but have found that this foundation does as well in terms of coverage, and has the added bonus of including acne-fighting ingredients like salicylic acid and witch hazel. Also, it's about 1/7 of the cost (what is math) so that is a thing. Word to the wise: don't order the stipple brush from E.L.F. (it's too long to work with foundation.)

TRESemme Naturals Nourishing Moisture Conditioner ($10, but usually on sale) - I originally bought this in my venture into the world of co-washing. Though my co-washing phase was short-lived (I have very thin, fine blonde hair that seems to love a regular dose of shampoo and occasional dose of sulfates) I've continued to use this and even re-purchased. TRESemme is completely hit or miss as a brand for me, and their dry shampoo is literally the worst on the market, but I prefer this conditioner to even the most praised Pantene conditioner (which breaks me out, ugh.) Silicone-free but also supremely moisturizing, this affordable conditioner will probably be my go-to forever, provided my commitment issues chill for a bit. My beef with this product, which is probably unjustified, is that this is one of those ~natural~ branded products that you would THINK wouldn't be tested on animals (kind of like Aveeno.) I always consider this a bonus, and not a deal-breaker, but something to look out for, I guess.

Essence Volumizing Lash Powder ($3~$5) - This is so my jam, but only when going out. I LOVE products that go above and beyond the basics, but often find that the most innovative products come at a price (like Sephora's lash applicator tool.) This, however, goes for under $5, and works incredibly well on my lashes. It's basically a powder that you apply before putting on mascara. It comes with a brush, which is great, but fair warning: putting this on is pretty awkward. Also, you'll probably end up with a little bit of it in your eyes. Push through though, because the results are immediate and gratifying.

Essence Lip Liner ($1.99) - I'm a recent lip-liner convert, especially when it comes to using darker colors (in which case I'll use the liner on my entire lip.) This cheap cheap cheap liner, however, has made the transition all the easier. I love it because it's creamy enough to blend, and lasts impressively long. So far, I've only tried the Soft Berry (a deep burgundy) and Red Blush.

Salux Japanese Bath Towel ($6) - I originally discovered this thanks to Hannah from xoVain. I bought it at a nearby Japanese store, but they can also be ordered online. This very long, rough cloth, and the best part is that it's an effective way to actually exfoliate your back. Since going off the pill, I've been dealing with ~issues~ on my back and chest, but this has been a huge help. If I could still be bothered to self-tan, this would be an awesome way to exfoliate beforehand. I use this nearly every day, and it's even helped my eczema stay at bay (sexy.)

This is only a few standouts from a huge collection of affordable products I love, but I hope this is helpful! If I'm missing out on any similar products that won't contribute to my financial anxiety, let me know.