I always catch myself looking to see if I have a stray hair using the reflection of my iPhone. Or checking if my lipstick has faded by using the front-facing camera.

I can’t be the only one! If I am, my coworkers must think I’m insane.

It got me thinking how amazing these phones are. Not only can you get an app for everything, but they’ve replaced the pocket mirror. I don’t even know where my pocket mirror is, at this point.

So imagine my surprise when I saw this screen protector from the website I bought my iPhone case from, SwitchEasy:

How cool is that? Now your phone can replace yet another item in your purse. Though I do wonder if this would get annoying and how well the screen would shine underneath. Does it work like a two-way mirror?

I hope one day my phone can also open my apartment door, turn on my car, and pay for me at checkout. I would have a major problem if I lost that, wouldn’t I?

Do you use your smartphone as a mirror? And would you ever buy a mirror screen protector?

I remember when colored contacts were first being released in the US through prescriptions. I was probably in the fifth grade, and after a few friends discovered them I was dying to try. Unfortunately for me at the time, I had no need for contacts. Also, they were far less natural and comfortable than they are today.

These days they’re still available by prescription but they’re also easily attainable online. You can even order them plain if you have perfect vision, which was unheard of when I was a kid. I now consider colored contacts an accessory — it’s no different than dying your hair for a new look. Fortunately, lenses aren’t permanent! Therefore, they become a more casual way of changing your look without a permanent commitment or many trips to the salon and an empty wallet.

Of course, availability comes with issues:

• People will be uneducated about lenses and perhaps get the wrong type or use them incorrectly, resulting in permanent damage to their eyes.
• These days anyone with a credit card or PayPal account can easily obtain them.
• It’s important to order from a legitimate source.
• In addition to lenses, things like solutions and cases are needed.

I’ve personally ordered colored contact lenses from HoneyColor, and you can read my review here. After much thought, I believe my lenses were defective and that’s why they were so uncomfortable. I’d like to try a blue pair in the future.

What do you think about colored lenses? Dangerous or yet another casual accessory? Personally, I can’t wait until wigs are widely accepted. Before you know it we’ll look like the people of the Capitol.

Image Source: 1 (Aren’t her eyes gorgeous?)

I prefer to shop in places where I can walk  in the door and already know where everything is. Psychology 101: People like the familiar.

When I shop, I’m a girl on a mission. I’m not looking to spend extra change — I’m looking for a specific type of item, and I want to go home after I purchase it. You may have guessed correctly that I’m not much fun to go shopping with.

When I walk into Loft, Gap, Banana Republic, etc. I like that I know where to get what I want.The new arrivals are all in the front of the store. Jeans are in one section. Essential tops and tanks are in another. Clearance is at the back of the store, along with shoes.

So when I walked into Forever 21 last weekend hoping to get a basic t-shirt and new pants with whatever I had left on my Christmas gift card, I nearly had a heart attack. I easily get sensory overload. Walking into Forever 21 has gone from a teenage, “This is exciting, I don’t even know where to begin!” to an adult, “Holy crap, I need to get out of here.”

Long story short, I left with a basic gray t-shirt (which took me over an hour to find) and  three other shirts. Now that my conscious/gift card is cleared, I think my Forever 21 days are coming to an end. The styles are becoming odd and ill fitting, and I can no longer empathize with the teenagers congratulating each other on a “good find.” I prefer not to dig through 50 different tops crammed onto a rack for a “good find.”

My point being that a shopping experience should not be like this because:

• If you come for something specific, you usually leave with something you didn’t come for instead.
• The prices are low, so you feel you can grab as many as you want and not feel the burn.
• How are the prices so low, you may wonder? Truth is that shops like Forever 21 aren’t as innocent as they seem.
• If it didn’t come out within the past month or so it’s on a rack and there are a limited number left, making you feel like you have to take anything good you find. After all, what are the chances it’ll still be there next weekend, or that you’ll even find it again?
• It’s a type of marketing that tries to put your mind into shopaholic mode.
• You’ll pull something off the rack and not be able to cram it back on. We’ve all been there. It’s ridiculous.
• Quality of the clothes aren’t the best because everything is overproduced. My Forever 21 clothes last about 3 months.

A shopping experience should be easy, fun, and straightforward. It should not make you feel like you’re trying to find a needle in a haystack.

I’ll take my shopping simple, please.

What are your thoughts on Forever 21 and shopping layouts? Let’s Discuss!

Image source: 1

Dry skin, scalp flakes, psoriasis, damaged hair… Coconut oil has nutrients that skin loves, and it can be used to help soothe all of these issues. Who’d have thought?

To use coconut oil for application, make sure you’re purchasing pure, organic coconut oil. Most health food shops such as Whole Foods or Trader Joe’s offer this type of oil.

To use as a hair treatment, follow these steps:

1. Warning: Coconut oil is solid unless heated. When heating the oil, make sure it isn’t too hot or you will burn yourself. Use caution and do not over-heat!
2. Melt it: Grab a teaspoon of the coconut oil. To turn it into oil for hair, you’ll need to heat it up until it melts. I usually do this by dropping my teaspoon into a bowl and popping it into the microwave for 30 seconds. Do not melt the entire jar!
3. Serum: For a serum, pour a dime size amount into your hair and distribute evenly for silky, coconut-smelling hair.
4. Hair mask: For a hair mask, saturate your hair (especially the ends) and leave the oil on for as long as possible. I usually leave it on for about three hours before bed, and then wash it out. Your hair will be extremely soft after drying! If you wash in the morning, feel free to don a shower cap and leave it in over night.

Have left-over oil? Here are ways to put it to use:

1. Save it: Put it in the refrigerator and it will solidify again, ready to be re-used.
2. Moisturizer: Use the oil for your skin, similar to how you would use a moisturizer.
3. Nails: Use the oil as a nail treatment, rubbing it into cuticles to soften. Works great during a manicure.
4. Scalp: Rub into finger tips and use as a scalp massage to help sooth dry scalp and dandruff. Let sit on the scalp for as long as possible, and it will soothe itchy areas and moisturize.
5. Soothing: Concentrate the oil by massaging into problem skin areas. Any itchy areas will be relieved and redness should decrease.
6. Face: Use as a facial moisturizing treatment by massaging into the skin. This not only helps with dry patches and does wonders for dry skin, but it will even soften eyebrows and lashes.

Have you ever  used coconut oil for moisturizing treatments? Would you recommend it?