Get The Look: Torn By Ronny Kobo

1. Torn By Ronny Kobo Mandy Tribal Dress 

2. Paul Andrew Alexandria Sandals

2. Forever 21 Tribal Print Bodycon Dress

3. Forever 21 Fit and Flare Dress

4. Steve Madden Realove Heels

Workout Tips

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The following tips are those that I've learned through trial and error, advice from trainers, and through my own research. Each have made a HUGE difference in how I feel as well as my results. I wish I had known about these tips when I started working out so that I could've been more efficient and pleased with quicker results.

-Drink Caffeine before working out. Caffeine is a stimulant. It gives you extra stamina and increases your heart rate, improving blood flow from the heart to the rest of your body, therefore it helps you perform well during a workout with less fatigue. It also increases the amount of adrenaline in your system, causing a rush of extra glucose and oxygen to your muscles. With the extra glucose rushing into the muscles, your muscles will use less glycogen, which is essentially energy. Instead of using up glycogen as you exercise, your body will instead begin to burn fat first. This is described as "glycogen sparing". I like to drink an iced {black} coffee about an hour before I work out, and I'll drink some as I exercise (with water too, of course).

-Do all strength training before cardio. Your body uses stored energy (glycogen) during exercise. When glycogen levels are low, energy levels will subsequently be low. So, if you do your cardio before strength training, you'll use up your body's energy source for an intense workout. For this reason, it's best to lift weights first for maximization of muscle building and fat loss. I used to always do cardio before strength training, and after a very kind trainer educated me on the many reasons I was doing things backwards, I noticed a HUGE difference in my energy levels, muscle growth, and fat loss. If I take a weight lifting class or a cardio based class, I make sure to incorporate weights before the cardio class or cardio after the weights class. Most days I work out on my own, and have a strength training/cardio routine.

-Eat carbs before your workout, and fill up on protein after your workout.  Here we go again with glycogen talk! Eating carbohydrates about an hour before a workout will load your muscles with preferred energy, AKA glycogen. This doesn't mean you should eat a baguette or 10 candy bars! I usually eat 1-2 mashed sweet potatoes or 1-2 brown rice cakes topped with raw almond butter before a workout. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition published an article stating that consuming protein after your workout will replenish your muscles to promote growth and repair. Not eating protein afterwards is almost counterproductive. This is why you'll see some people downing a protein shake as they finish a workout and leave the gym. I am not a fan of protein shakes, so I bring my protein pancakes with me and eat a couple after I complete a workout.

-Practice High Intensity Interval Training {HIIT} Cardio. Conventional cardio wisdom says that doing cardio for a long time at a steady state is the most beneficial for fat loss, but several studies have shown that this is complete hogwash. When you do cardio at a steady state for long periods of time, your muscles will deteriorate, and they will lose the ability to absorb glucose, thus you will lose muscle tissue. HIIT is described as "A strategy that involves alternating periods of short intense anaerobic exercise with less-intense recovery periods." I will be sharing my HIIT workouts next week!

DIY Boyfriend Jeans

I had these very old bootcut jeans in the back of my closet waiting to be DIY-ed for years. I am the anti-pack rat and get rid of clothing that I don't wear or that doesn't fit, so it was meant to be that I saved these two sizes too big, out of style jeans! I knew I wanted another pair of boyfriend jeans, as the one pair I do own are light blue and are pretty distressed. 

Super unflattering and too big! 

STEP ONE: Mark your jeans where you want to cut them. I wanted the bottom of the jeans to hit my shin a few inches above my ankles. 

STEP TWO: {Not pictured} Cut the bottom of the jeans in a straight line across at the place marked. 

STEP THREE: {Not pictured} Roll the cut-off portion to cover the frayed edge that was cut and sew to secure at seams. I actually pulled mine in a bit as well to eliminate more of the flare from the bootcut shape. Don't fear the sewing part--it's very easy with just a needle and thread. This part took me 30 minutes total for both sides.

STEP FOUR: Place the cardboard underneath the area(s) to be distressed to protect the other side of the jeans. 

STEP FIVE: Take a razor blade or exacto knife and gently move it across the area you want your jeans to be distressed. Gently remove excess jean fuzz that will ball up as you distress.

I distressed the pockets and both sides around the outer thigh and hip. I'm considering adding some more distressing, but it's better to take it slow if you're not sure how much distressing you want.

 

TA-DA!

Disneyland Outfit

Last weekend was sweltering hot in LA, and being at Disneyland on one of the highest record temperatures in the last year was *extra* special. I wore a slouchy Zara tee, a light, airy pair of scalloped shorts and flat sandals--a similar outfit that I posted in my "What To Wear To Disneyland" post.

Zara Tee, similar//Old Navy Shorts, similar//Target Sandals//Bag, similar//House of Harlow Sunglasses//

On another note, please join me on Bloglovin' as Google Friend Connect is going away. You can stay updated by following me here, and/or stay tuned for new blog posts via twitter and facebook. 

How To Master An At Home Manicure

L/Oreal Lacey Lilac

The Tools:

Cuticle Trimmer//Cuticle Pusher//Glass Nail File//Eyeliner Brush//Nail Clippers//Toothbrush//Cotton Balls//Rose Hand Cream//Small Hand Towel//Nail Buffer//Cuticle Remover Gel//Orly Bonder Base Coat//Out The Door Topcoat//Nail Polish Remover//Spray Bottle (not pictured)//

Step 1: Remove your current nail polish if you're wearing some. I like to use an acetone remover for a quick removal process.

Step 2: Clip and file nails to your desired length and shape. I use a glass file, as classic emery boards are too rough on nails and can create snags.

Step 3: After your nails are shaped how you want, clean them with the scraper that attached to most nail clippers and then dip an old toothbrush in warm, soapy water and scrub each nail. 

Step 4: Apply cuticle remover gel to your cuticles, and gently push them back with a cuticle pusher. If you have a lot of extra skin around your nails, use a cuticle clipper and gently remove excess dead skin. Wipe your nails off with a warm, moist towel.

Step 5: (Optional): Buff and shine nails with a buff and shine block. 

Step 6: Hydrate your hands with your favorite moisturizer. I love L/Ocittane's Rose Hand Cream, as I'm obsessed with rose scents and it leaves my hands moisturized, not greasy.

Step 7: Create a mixture of about 70 percent rubbing alcohol and 30 percent water in a spray bottle and spray it directly to your nails. This step preps your nails for nail polish by removing oils and also acts as an antibacterial agent. 

Step 8: Apply your base coat. My favorite is Orly's Bonder Base Coat. It does what is says it does: bonds the base coat to the nail polish for a longer wear. I love that it's thin too.

Step 9: Apply your nail polish of choice. I chose L'Oreal's Lacey Lilac today. It's the perfect lilac with a hint of soft pink. 

Step 10: Remove any nail polish that got on your skin with a thin eyeliner brush dipped in nail polish remover. I like to do this before the topcoat is applied because I find that it helps to do this step before the polish completely hardens.

Step 11: Apply your topcoat. My absolute favorite is Out The Door. And it's true, it dries SO fast, that you can literally be out the door in three minutes after painting your nails.

Forever 21 Finds

Scouring the racks at Forever 21 can be daunting and exhausting (at least for me). I've recently been doing a lot of shopping at Forever 21 online for this reason--it's so much easier to find great items online, and I've had better luck with finding different and chic pieces online rather than in store. See below for some of my most recent, favorite Forever 21 purchases, all online now!

 




Neon Pleated Maxi Skirt//Leather Wrap Bracelet//Square Cat Eye Sunglasses//Lace Trimmed High Low Top//Filigree Cuff//Van Halen Tank//Black Jumpsuit//Tribal Print Dress//

If you shop at Forever 21, do you prefer to shop in store or online? 

Banana Boat Deep Dark Color Sunless Tanner Review and How-To

I am a self-tanner junkie. I hate being as see through white as I am naturally, and think I just look better with a natural looking tan. I have tried so many different self tanners, both high end and drugstore brands. After my old favorite, the St. Tropez mousse ran out I wanted to try something new. I ordered a knockoff/cheaper version that will remain nameless as I don't want to bash something that may work for someone else. As with some other self tanners I've used, it looked great after it was applied, but once I showered, the tan was gone.

I'd heard great things about Banana Boat's Deep Dark Tanning lotion, and after using it once, I was hooked! I've gone through two tubes of it, and it's safe to say it's my favorite self-tanner. Major score that it's cheap, and doesn't turn my skin orange! It lasts better than any self tanner I've ever tried, and it gets better with each application for a darker, natural look.

{Left: No self tanner. Right: After one application, 24 hours after applying and rinsing the color guard off.}

Dove Cream Oil Lotion//Latex Gloves//Banana Boat Deep Dark Color//Jergens Natural Glow//

The steps I take to ensure an even application:

1. Shave and exfoliate well, especially over knees, ankles, and wrists.

2. Apply body lotion to knees, tops of hands, elbows, ankles and feet after drying off. This will prevent these areas from looking orange and extra dark.

3. Put latex gloves on before applying self tanner to avoid dark palms.

4. Apply self tanner, starting at the feet, massaging in circular motions and moving up to the rest of your body. 

5. Remove your gloves and apply a light layer of self tanner to the tops of your hands.

6. Let the self tanner dry for at least 20 minutes. Lock yourself in your bedroom if you have kids or roommates, or make your significant other extra happy while drying.

7. After at least 6 hours, wash the color guard off in the shower with your regular (non exfoliant) soap or just with warm water. This is one of the most important steps. When I've failed to wash the color guard off in the past, I end up with patchy-ness on the inside of my elbows and elsewhere after working out especially. This usually results in having to exfoliate all of the self tanner off and starting from scratch. When you rinse, the color will stay (unless you're using a crappy self tanner)!

8. Keep your tan dark by applying the self tanner following the above steps every other day. If you want extra moisture and are a tan-aholic (like me), use Jergen's Natural Glow in between self tanner applications.