Vibrant Esprit

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[maddieonthings]

Hello yes 👅

[sirenofstpete-deactivated202107]

[vibrantesprit]

Right?

[gaws]

Don’t do it for anyone else.

[vibrantesprit]

Essential Beauty Products: Part 1

We all have a set of beauty products that we consider 'must have' items. I consider 'must-have' products as something that I not only use often, but also results in a repeat purchase. I will feature some of my favorite items in a series of posts because, well, I love them and hopefully you do/will too. So let's get right to it!

One of the 'must have' items for me is MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil by boscia. It's a great product first and foremost because -

category Preservative-free, botanically-based skincare

boscia skincare regimen boscia is a comprehensive line of skincare that includes cleansers, moisturizers, treatments, blotting linens and other products. Each of the boscia skincare products, with the exception of the Blotting Linens, contains Willowherb, a unique anti-irritant, and Jojoba Leaf, a strong and effective antioxidant. Together, the integrated boscia line combines the strength of cutting-edge botanicals and the latest scientific research to help its customers achieve healthy skin.

I wear contact lenses (for longer periods of time than I wear my glasses) and I would consider my eyes to be quite on the sensitive side. I've tried several makeup remover creams, oils, and wipes and they all have either not been as effective as I wanted or irritated my eyes, and a couple have even caused an allergic reaction making me look like my eyes have been stung by a bee while I was sleeping. Trust me, it's not a good look!

I was skeptical of using this at first because it contains oil and it just didn't seem like it would be a good idea for someone with (extremely) oily skin AND sensitive eyes. But I made my first purchase from Sephora and as you Sephora veterans know, their return policy is pretty awesome.

I use this product to remove eye makeup only, although it can be used all over the face. My normal daily eye makeup is very simple and consists of water-proof mascara and eye-liner (if I have an extra minute to spare). I have a bit of a pet-peeve with residual makeup after I've removed it. MakeUp-BreakUp Cool Cleansing Oil removes ALL of my eye makeup (whoo-hoo!) and doesn't irritate my skin at all. I've re-purchased it and looking forward to continuously doing so!

[eatherbrains]

#freepussyriot

[vibrantesprit]

I left my heart in Portland, OR.

Three words: Coffee, Beer, & Traveling. Keep these words in mind throughout this post. I went to Portland, OR last month and although home is always nice and missed no matter where you are, Portland definitely made an impression on me.

First thing you notice is how much greener it is compared to Southern California. Precipitation has made a beautiful canvas of Portland alright!

Picture above is from The Japanese Garden full of beautiful elements. Surprisingly  relaxing sights and one of my many highlights of the trip. I loved stealing 30 seconds of alone time with my beau to try and take in breathtaking views and sit in silence. If only I could visit this place daily, perhaps my sanity would stick around for longer periods of time... No? Fine!

This was my first taste of a latte in Portland. You may recall a post attributing to my homemade latte process. Definitely didn't look like that!

Bikes are a staple form of transportation and lifestyle in Portland. I was definitely a fan of that! Check out Hopworks Urban Brewery with various bike accessories throughout the establishment. Watch out now because there's also a Hopworks Bikebar to further quench your cycling thirst!

Visited Stumptown Coffee several times for more delicious coffees! Check out the latte art below.

Voodoo Doughnuts was another fun yet delicious stop. Unfortunately, we devoured our doughnuts before taking pictures of them but believe you me that the Bacon Maple Bar and the classic Maple Bar were worthy of yummy-in-my-tummy chants. And yes, we did get two variations of the maple bar. I think I kinda like maple bars...

Till next time Portland, I shall dream of you in the meantime. <3

[vibrantesprit]

Bargain & Delicious: How to Make a Latte at Home

A daily staple in my household is making coffee. One obvious reason, it gives me ample energy to begin my day, whether it consists of work, chores, or just relaxing at home. Additionally, it doesn't hurt that it compliments my breakfast wonderfully and or makes the morning commute a tasty one.

Luckily my boyfriend and I share the same palette for coffee. He likes his coffee served black preferably brewed with a pour-over using a Hario Ceramic Dripper.

There are countless articles published outlining the health and beauty (and more) benefits of drinking coffee so I won't get into that. Of course with anything, the rule of thumb applies 'everything in moderation' because excessive or heavy consumption have been associated with cardiovascular problems, including an increased heart rate or blood pressure, etc. so therefore be mindful of your portions, and do your research to determine your tolerance.

My set up at home is fairly simple and definitely in the beginner region of espresso machines equipment.

Le'Lit Espresso Machine (Similar one here)

Le'Lit PL53 Espresso Grinder (Coffee Wishes)

When I can, I take every opportunity to splurge on a professionally prepared latte, but I happily save my $4-$8 and make my own at home. It's critical to know that saving money doesn't mean you should lower your standards by any means. In fact, I will always choose to splurge on quality and freshly roasted coffee beans, over a professionally prepared latte, made with coffee beans that have seen their better days.

If you haven't smelled freshly ground coffee beans, I suggest you get familiar.

Extract coffee for approximately 25 seconds and voila your 2-ounce shot of espresso is ready!

Froth your milk of choice if you like your latte served hot. If you like it served cold (I like iced vs blended), then just pour milk and mix with espresso then add ice.

Optional: Use a sauce or syrup of your choice. I love either mocha or pumpkin. I like to mix the sauce/syrup with the espresso first, then add the frothed milk or the milk and ice afterwards. If you are cool enough to make some art with your frothed milk, go for it. I have gotten pretty great at making, well, a frothed milk design. Ha! I love the creative design but frankly enjoy the taste even more.

Serve in a medium to large latte cup and saucer if you're enjoying at home. Don't forget to say "aaaahhhh" and be mindful of that only-sexy-in-got milk? ads milk mark on your upper lip!

[vibrantesprit]

Current wish list: Shoes!

So if you're anything like me, when pressed for time to browse and most importantly, money, I tend to delete email notifications for sales and new collection arrivals in an attempt to minimize temptation to indulge my shopping evil twin. 

Recently, however, after abstaining many pat-in-the-back deserving impulsive shopping moments, I feel the need to reward myself with some well deserved treats for my feet. In no way am I condoning impulsive shopping and or irresponsible purchases, but who said virtual window/screen shopping isn't okay? ;)

These are just a few shoes that I've been lusting over lately. Some are similar to one another, but of course that's because I try to find a cheaper alternative to the ones that are out of my price range. As I wait for Spring, my eyes seem to ogle toward bright colors, wedges, t-straps, platforms, and color-blocks. But let's be honest, add some boots/booties, peep-toe pumps, and sneakers to this and you have my ideal shoe spread.

In no particular order of loveliness:

[vibrantesprit]

Burgers & Beer

I try to eat healthy. Well, as much as I try to, I must admit that a good burger and beer (especially beer!) will usually cause me to smile, give in, order, and enjoy.

I'm all about a simple, home-made burger, but a more unique and perhaps tastier burger always has its edge. A place that I've been a repeat customer to lately is Slaters 50/50. They currently have three locations, and I've been to all of them as of this past weekend.

They're most known for their specialty burger patty that's 50% Beef and 50% Bacon, which has always been my trusty order of choice here. Whenever the opportunity arises, I always order egg on top, on the side, in and on everything. So of course my burger had to come with one. You have quite a variety of options in either designing your own burger or ordering some already designed-for-you burgers. If designing your burgers isn't enough, satisfy your creative thirst by customizing your Mac N' Cheese by adding toppings.

My favorite factor of Slaters 50/50 is their excellent (draft and bottled) beer selection. It's no secret that I have a great love with craft beer, so I'm always thrilled to see a restaurant, lounge, and or bar that offer an impressive selection of craft beer. All three locations vary in selection and quantity but I've had no trouble finding some delicious IPA and or Belgium beer.

I mentioned that I have been to all three locations. The location in Anaheim Hills is steadily busy from my experience, but I've always been lucky enough to score a table in the bar section thus avoiding the dreaded wait. Service in the bar section have been good in multiple visits, no complaints there. I've had inconsistent experience in the quality of side orders here but I simply found it a reason to opt out of eating the fried junk.

I enjoy the (more) sports bar feel at the Huntington Beach location. There are plenty of TV's that show your game of choice - can't find your awesome team? Just ask someone that works there to kindly change the channel and they are more than happy to.

My most recent visit was at the San Diego location. We were celebrating my boyfriend's birthday with friends, when I attempted to make a reservation the day before, and received the bad news of having a fully booked Saturday night. In an attempt to avoid changing the itinerary at the last minute, we opted to go to the restaurant an hour or so before the attempted reservation hour, to well, wait... The hostesses were very sweet and really tried to be as helpful as possible, but I couldn't help but notice the not-so-quick turn-over of the tables by servers and bussers. We waited a little over 2 hours for a table for 15, luckily with pitches of beer and conversations to keep us entertained. The food was good and the beer kept coming making for a happy and full group.

Finally, our server brought this Bacon Brownie w/ice cream for the birthday boy which the entire table of friends shared.

Cheers to eating healthy but also treating yourself with some good ol' burgers and beer!

[analoguestudies]

Question - Milt Break Pt. 1

A little preview of a project I’m working on. Experimental stages, so please excuse the lo-fi acoustic drums, I played it all live with one mic. MILT BREAK by Question. Enjoy!

[vibrantesprit]

Good ish for your ears!

[vibrantesprit]

Portlandia Tour at the Echoplex, LA

The line wrapped around Glendale Blvd. and Park Ave., upon arriving at the Echoplex at 8PM, when doors were supposed to open. I must admit, the line didn't move fast enough at first, however, once the bouncers were in sight, it was quite a hassle-free entry. Welcome to Portland.

If you haven't heard of Portlandia before, you can see their official website here. It's on the network IFC starring Fred Armisen and Carrie Brownstein, who are also both the co-creators. You can find their individual wrap sheets accordingly, but I am most impressed by their sweet friendship and on-stage chemistry. They're basically best friends that just had so much fun together and decided to film their sagacious and simply hilarious shenanigans that has now evolved to the show.

Some beloved characters from Seasons 1 and 2 made appearances, like a few of my favorites, Toni and Candice from the feminist bookstore "Women and Women First" along with special guest Aubrey Plaza, who by the way is from LA and ensured she represented the "East Side" by screaming it out in the audience.

Comedian Kumail Nanjiani also made an appearance, playing an unhelpful, or rather overly helpful, rental car representative, a skit reminiscent of an episode from Season 1. 

Another guest was Susanna Hoffs closing out the show with some performances together.

The deliberate scenarios with impromptu scripting, this tour definitely did the show justice in my eyes. The harmony of their thoughts and bond of friendship are just the foundation of their true talents of being musicians and having composure in front of a live audience and a camera acting out parodies of their most beloved city of Portland. Surely, brought upon by the show and perhaps tour, admiration for Portland has cultivated for many, as it has for me.

They've added a few shows to their tour, so if you're lucky enough to score tickets, you should go!

Thank me later.

[vibrantesprit]

Real Techniques Makeup Brushes

One of my recent makeup/beauty purchases were these Real Techniques brushes. I have a small collection of makeup brushes from various brands but I couldn't resist these babies. I mean you can't have too many brushes right? RIGHT?

Real Techniques brushes have great reviews, they're affordable, and need I mention their fabulous colors? Additionally, they're color-coded, to distinguish their use - base, eyes, and finish. To add icing on the cake, they are taklon/synthetic and are 100% cruelty-free.

The pictures above show the Core Collection along with the Foundation brush and the Powder brush. Below, (from left to right) I have the shading brush, lash-brow groomer, and the starter kit - comes with 5 brushes + case : base shadow brush, deluxe crease brush, accent brush, pixel-point eyeliner brush, brow brush. I love that they have extended aluminum handles which make for easy application.

This brush below is the stippling brush which is a great tool to use to create an airbrushed/high-definition makeup look.

You can purchase these brushes and more from the website directly, or from Ulta which is where I purchased mine from. They're all very reasonably priced, ranging from $6 to $18 (sets).

My personal opinion is that these brushes are a great deal. They work just as well as my MAC brushes and are able to create great looks from daily plane Jane makeup to an evening out. After the initial wash and dry, the bristles felt great and makeup application was a breeze with the brush names printed on the handle.

Here's my final picture using all Real Techniques brushes! :)

[freddiejoachim]

Freddie Joachim - “You Want You Get”

just some chill stuff. new music for 2012.

DOWNLOAD MP3

[eatherbrains]

[vibrantesprit]

I love this list!

[vibrantesprit]

Vegas Shenanigans!

So about a week ago, my bf and I went to Vegas with family and friends to celebrate a friend's birthday. The weekend pretty much flew by me - not in the Vegas terms, of not remembering anything, but in a sense, that time just went by way too quickly!

I was able to capture some moments with my camera phone, which by the way, I've been raving about, the Samsung Galaxy Nexus just in case you wanted to know. =P

Anyway, a few of our city adventures included The Bellagio - festive decorations made with flowers.

Also, Caesar's Palace for some Fat Tuesday's famous Daquiri drinks and Ketchup chips, and posing in the middle of the Nike store.

For our evening out, we went to Pure night club in Caesar's Palace (the rest of the pictures remain NOT posted on tumblr =P) but rest assured, we had lots of fun!

I enjoyed some delicious Adobo Fried Rice Omelette from Aloha Kitchen on Maryland, pictured below.

For a lack of decision making, we went two days in a row. Had 'meh' service the first time, then had TERRIBLE service the second. Unfortunately, this will probably be my last time visiting this particular location to satisfy my Aloha Kitchen cravings. Thank goodness for their other locations! Let's keep this post positive, as much as I would like to vent, I'll digress...

And finally, we had dinner with my parents at a local Thai restaurant. We devoured the food before pictures could be taken but here are the desserts - Green Tea Ice Cream and Mango with Sticky Rice, and of course, my cool parental units.

So, I have a confession. This post isn't really about Vegas - I just wanted to say that I hope you have some wonderful shenanigans of your own in December working up to your Christmas/Holiday celebrations.

I hope that you are lucky enough to celebrate with your loved ones, whomever that may be; Friends, family, better halves, pets, neighbors, etc. Who cares, as long as you're happy, then that's all that matters!

Till next time, Hugs & Kisses! <3

[vibrantesprit]

I've had 'bloggers block' lately for one reason or another, just feeling uninspired to blog. Hopefully I can get out of this rut, and post some good stuff for you soon. :)