Going Clear with Proactiv

HI EVERYONE! I apologize for my absence for the past week or so; last week was just a crazy week and if you've been following me on Instagram, Twitter, or Facebook, then you'd know that my cousin's wedding was in Vegas as well, so that prevented me from doing tons of stuff for my blog as well as far as actual blogging. 

One thing that I was able to do in Vegas was maintain the facial routine that I've been using for the past couple of months! 
I have been SO blessed to get to work with Proactiv for the past few months on a project to improve my skin! Proactiv is a brand that I've been hearing of on tv for so many years and through a cousin who used it when he was in high school 10 years ago too, so I was excited to finally try it out. 
I received 4 products of theirs, 3 that go together in a 3 step routine and a 4th one that can be used in conjunction with the three: the Skin Smoothing Exfoliator, the Pore Correcting Treatment, the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator, and the Skin Purifying Mask. 
I will say that I don't have terrible acne to begin with, but sometimes I will have breakouts where I have a few big pimples on my face that are pretty embarrassing. I also have a lot of acne scars especially on my cheeks from previous breakouts.
Here are my before & after photos from before Proactiv til today: 

There isn't a major difference, but you can definitely see that on my right cheek (middle photo), although I still have acne scars, they have definitely faded quite a bit since when I first started using Proactiv. 

When I first started using it, however, my skin dried out A LOT (I have combination skin) and I broke out a lot too. During the times when I had breakouts, Proactiv did a great job at getting rid of them within a few days. And even though my skin dried up (winter probably also contributed to it), the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator helped my skin feel lively. 
Having a 3 step process to clearing my skin with 3 different products may seem like a lot, but it really isn't. It just takes some getting used to. 
When I wash my face, it goes like this: 

1. Use the Skin Smoothing Exfoliator all over my face then wash it off. 

2. Use the Pore Targeting Treatment on the parts of my face with acne on it. It's used like a medicine so you don't wash it off.

3. Use the Complexion Perfecting Hydrator to moisturize. 
It's that simple! For a bonus step, you can use the Skin Purifying Mask and leave it on for 10 minutes or spot-treat with it overnight. 
Proactiv has helped control my breakouts and even fade some of my acne scars so I'm pretty happy with the way my skin has turned out as a result. If you have acne like mine or worse, I definitely recommend giving Proactiv a try! 
This post was sponsored by Proactiv. All opinions are my own.

Pinterest-Style Typography with Stencils

I love crafting and DIY stuff and always have. Ever since I was a little girl I've dreamed of having my own craft studio and still have every intention of having that when I have my own place. However, I usually don't have time to craft or am out of ideas for what to do. 

I recently got DIY Type: 50+ Typographic Stencils Perfect for Decorating, Crafting, Gifting courtesy of Blogging For Books, and I was very excited to try it out. 
Its style is pretty vintage, which is pretty popular among crafters and people on Pinterest. The stencils include the entire alphabet in large, capital letters, capital letters that are shorter and stubbier (but still vintage looking), and some little embellishments that one could use. 
I decided to paint a canvas with my initial, a "K," to see how it would look like, and I was pretty pleased with the finished product for the most part. 
The stencils are made out of cardboard, which makes them pretty good for tracing outlines and stuff, but when my paint got a little watery (partially my fault), the paint went right underneath the stencil. However, I was able to recover from that so it's all good!

I did a pretty simple design for now and hope to add more to it and really make the stencil shine. These stencils are perfect for the upcoming holiday season so I can't wait for that! My only other criticism with this book is the variety of stencils. I think there should've been lowercase letters, script letters, or something more with the variety of the stencils. Other than that, I approve and recommend this book for all the crafters out there! 
Disclosure: I received this book courtesy of Blogging for Books. All opinions are my own.

Eyebrow Routine ft. Billion Dollar Brows

Happy Sunday! I just wanted to interrupt your Sunday to remind you that I have a Youtube channel! I have videos on there that sometimes accompany blog posts (which I always post for you on here), but not all videos do. 
For example, this week's video is my eyebrow routine featuring Billion Dollar Brows! It's a full-on review, first impressions, and demo video so I go in depth about the products. Please be sure to check it out and subscribe if you haven't already! 
This post was brought to you by Billion Dollar Brows and Brandbacker. All opinions are my own.

The Dean's List VoxBox + First Impressions!

It's the middle of the semester, and so it's that time where I'm beginning to get very tired and exhausted from everything that is happening at once. 
Thankfully, Influenster sent me the Dean's List VoxBox just in time for a little pick-me-up during this time of year. I'm excited to try everything out! My video unboxing and reactions are linked below, but if you'd prefer to read about it or get a more in-depth review on some of the products, keep reading!

This voxbox was pretty solid, if I do say so myself. I have a snack, a few beauty items, a couple new pens (my obsession!), and some lady products. I'd say that this box rounds out pretty perfectly what is necessary for this time of year. It's a combination of treats and necessities that I love. 

Let's get onto the box!

Friends Start with HELLO

I'm an extrovert, so I love being around and connecting with the people around me. We are made to be in community with other people, so being social with my friends is something that I love and really cherish too (quality time is one of my love languages).  And of course, in any relationship you have with anyone with your life, it all started with "Hello!"

Heat Wave #ootd

Last week, Southern California had a massive heat wave and it was so unbearably hot and sticky outside. Luckily, I managed to survive it by wearing loose and flowy outfits like this particular one to battle the heat. 

I spent some time hanging out with Adriana of Alaska Renee and we decided to hang out at a typical spot that many people from our school normally go to (it's called the Anti-Mall. How hipster is that? Haha). We've both been there before, but we're not there often so we took the opportunity to explore this cute little corner that was perfect to snap a few photos. (We even did a video together!)

Dress: Forever 21 | Sandals: Payless (old) | Cross necklace: c/o BornPrettyStore | Elephant Ring: c/o Collegiate Standard | Gold midi rings: c/o BornPrettyStore | Flower earrings: Forever 21 | Heart stud: Walmart | Bralette: local store

Flowy dresses that kinda hang on the body are starting to really become a thing. It's funny because I remember a few years ago I'd try on dresses like this and thought they looked unflattering on me. It's funny how people's perceptions change according to current trends!
BornPrettyStore sent me a bunch of cute accessories, and I love how dainty they are! It makes them easy to style and mix and match stuff as you please. They are also super affordable as well, so check them out when you get a chance and use the code "KDDT10" to receive 10% off your purchase! 
Disclosure: I received one or more products courtesy of BornPrettyStore. There was no monetary compensation, and all opinions are my own. 

Chili's At Home is Perfect for College Students!

As a broke college student, I am always trying to figure out how to eat good meals in my dorm room that are better than just instant ramen. So when I found out that Chili's were going to start offering entrees to eat at home, I got so excited! I love Chili's food, so I had high expectations for Chili's at Home to deliver. 

Image source: Chili's at Home

I got myself the Bacon Mac & Cheese, because bacon. What I love about this that makes it different than just simple bacon with mac & cheese is the add-in of poblano peppers because it adds a nice kick to the simple dish. 

So unfortunately, my roommate threw away the box to make space for this in our fridge, but here's how it looks. I got the family-sized entree from my local Walmart. 
What makes this great is that you can just pop it in the microwave and voila, you're done! Since I'm living in a quad-type of dorm that doesn't have a kitchen, it's so nice to know that I could buy this, make it, and share it with the girls that I live with! Even with just eating a little bit of it is very filling, which is great even if you're trying to watch how much you're eating. 

Sorry for the terrible photo. I could've sworn that it wasn't this blurry when I took it!

If you don't want bacon mac & cheese, don't worry! Chili's at Home has tons of other entrees for you to choose from, from different rice entrees to pasta to nachos! 
Thank you, Chili's at Home for sponsoring today's post! 
Who else is excited for Chili's at Home as much as I am? What dish are you excited to try? 

Makeup by One Direction: First Impressions and Honest Review!

One Direction is currently the most popular boy band in the world, and I just so happen to be a fan of them. I didn’t get into them until early this year, and up until then, I just didn’t care much for them. However, when I first got into them, I first noticed how talented they were… and then I noticed how attractive they are not too long after, haha.

I also always thought (and still think) it’s so weird how crazy girls go for them! I’m a huge fan of them too and follow them all on Twitter and all that, but it still mindblows me how much of an influence they have over the 12-15 year-old girls of this generation.

So when I first heard that 1D was coming out with #Makeupby1D based off of their 3 albums, I was intrigued. I’ve never really been into fan merchandise for any band/artist other than T-shirts, mostly because of how corny fan merch usually is, so I was curious as to how the boys would approach this makeup line when the announcement was first made.

And then, I received the opportunity to receive and test out one of their 3 collections courtesy of Markwins and BrandBacker, and I just had to jump on it!

The boys have 3 different collections, one for each of their albums. I got to test out their "Up All Night" collection, which is a mostly blue color palette with cool neutrals and nice pinks to balance it out.

My first impression of the collection is that the makeup itself and its presentation was pleasing to look at. And although it is pleasing to the eye, now that I think about it, the tin itself and the plastic cover with the boys feels a little young and childish. If friends saw the tin, I felt a little immature with it. Even though I’m not yet 20 years old and I’m the same age as Harry, I definitely am one of their older fans.

Anyway, back to the makeup.

Must-Have Apps for Your Tablet

I'm so ecstatic and thankful to have gotten the Dell Venue 8 from Intel! I've had it for almost a month and I still get excited to use it! I've loved being able to take it with me everywhere so that I can work or just stay distracted in general. I especially love that I'm even writing this post on my tablet right at this very moment :]

Of course, one of my biggest struggles have been figuring out what apps to download for my new tablet. I already had the usual apps that most people have, like Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram. I also had a few other apps that I'll be mentioning later, like Evernote and the Bible app, but I wanted to try some other stuff that I wasn't familiar with before or that would be better suited for a tablet instead of a smartphone.

I asked a few blogger friends for their opinions and I took some of their suggestions on top of apps I already had. Here are my must-haves:

1. YouVersion Bible App

Verse of the Day!

When I don't have my physical Bible or don't feel like looking for it, I go to the YouVersion Bible App! It has some great features, like a bunch of different biblical translations, devotionals to choose from, and even sermon notes from churches in your area. My church uses it for that too, and it's cool so that you can follow along with the notes right in front of you when you're at church!

Oh, and the Dell Venue 8 also allows for you to install widgets for most of your apps right onto your tablet screen for easy access. I decided to download the Verse of the Day so that it's right there in front of me without having to open the app itself!

Available for: iPhone, iPad, Android, Windows

2. Evernote

I downloaded this app on my MacBook so that I could take notes on it for class. I read lots of great reviews but didn't think it was amazing. I kept reading about how this was a must for people to have to take notes but I never really (and still don't really) understand why people think it's the greatest app ever. Don't get me wrong, I'll be honest and say that I do really enjoy this app and I recommend it to all of you, but it's not spectacular like Disneyland fireworks. It's just really user-friendly. Maybe that's what it is.

Anyway...

My New Baby: The Dell Venue 8

Let's face it: we're all addicted to the internet and always want to feel connected to the world around us, whether we like it or not. First there are computers, then smart phones, and now tablets.

I'll be honest and say that when tablets first came out, I didn't think that I'd ever want one, much less own one. I didn't think they were necessary and thought that my iPhone and Macbook were all I needed.

Then, Intel decided to gift me with the Dell Venue 8 and my world was changed forever.

I was excited, but nervous to receive my new tablet because the possibilities of what I could do with it were endless.

One of the main things that I love about the Dell Venue 8 is its small and portable size! It is small enough for me to pack in my purse and go wherever I need. And even with its portable size, the screen is still large enough (8 inches wide) and clear for someone wanting to type out an email or watch videos on it! Because of all of that, I always take it with me because it's so much easier than lugging around my laptop.

This tablet is my first Android product ever, so I've really enjoyed using it and getting familiar with the Android operating system. There were things that I preferred from the Android system from before because of my parents having Android phones, but now I get to have it for myself! Like for example, I like being able to use some cool design for the lock screen. It makes me feel like my stuff is more secure. I just have to make sure that I remember it.

I love being able to use Instagram, Twitter, Pinterest, and Facebook on my tablet. The bigger screen just makes everything bigger and makes me feel cooler because I'm holding it in the palm of my hand, compared to a laptop that is bulkier and my phone that is smaller.

I'm still getting used to using a tablet, but I'm loving it so far. Another feature I love is that it has both a front and back camera, perfect for skyping people (and selfies... whoops haha)! I haven't taken many photos because I still feel weird using a huge tablet to take photos, but I'll probably talk about that more in another post.

Until then, I just want to know what apps I should download from the Google Play store. I have a few (like Buzzfeed, Evernote, Blogger, the Bible App), but what else do you recommend?

Check out more Intel Tablets here! Join the Intel Advocate Experience!


#spon: I'm required to disclose a relationship between our site and Intel. This could include the Intel Corporation providing us w/content, product, access or other forms of payment.

Don't worry, all opinions are completely my own.