I've been on a recent kick of taking super super good care of my hair, and part of that is using hair masks to nourish and protect it as much as I can.
These are the hair masks I've been using and loving lately....
by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
I've been on a recent kick of taking super super good care of my hair, and part of that is using hair masks to nourish and protect it as much as I can.
These are the hair masks I've been using and loving lately....
by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
I'm so excited to talk about one of the best products I've ever used, so get ready for an informative gush-fest.
Product Name: FarmacyGreen Clean Makeup Meltaway Cleansing Balm with Echinacea GreenEnvy...
by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
Thank-you SO much to everyone who gave me feedback about the new product review format. I've implemented your suggestions, and I'm super excited about the detailed reviews I can hit you up with now. Let me know what you think of the final product, and if you come up with any new suggestions, I'm always open to hearing them.
To kick off the new product review extravaganzaaaaaaa....
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by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
I picked up the Becca Anti-Fatigue Under Eye Primer a month or so ago, and it's become one of my favourite products. I thought it deserved its own post, so here we go!
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by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
It's December 1 and about +6 outside so it certainly doesn't feel like a classic Canadian winter. "They" say this winter is supposed to be colder and snowier than last, but so far it's hard to see that happening (knock on wood!). Anywhoozles, here's a recap of my favorites from the past month.
Songs:
Shows:
Beauty:
Books:
Hunger - Roxane Gay (I'll probably do a whole post about how powerful this book is later on, but for right now, all I can say is if you're a woman with a body (aka 98% of you)
Movies:
Lady Bird - such a heartwarming, funny, and relatable movie.
Clothes/Shoes:
Spring Legivia Over-the-Knee Boots $109
Spring Culkin Over-the-Knee Boots $109
I had to get both. They're essentially the exact same boot but one has a heel and the other doesn't. They're SO comfy and they're a cruelty-free "suede" winter boot option.
That about covers it! What were your favorite things this month? Comment down below!
xo - C
by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
Like sands through the hourglass, so are the Ipsy Glam bags of the month...
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by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
I firmly believe summer is only ⅔ complete and September still counts as a month of summer. If you try to come at me with "summer ends at the end of August" I say "NOPE!!!! You're wrong!" Especially if you're done school and don't have to think about going back, summer definitely doesn't end when OTHER people have to go back to school. (PS. I've been out of university for three years now and around the end of August I still get that sinking feeling of "Shoooot, school starts again soon." Does that ever go away? I also still dream at least 3x a week about flunking out of university the day before graduation!!!)
But I digress....
It's been a long, hot, GOOD summer. I got to do so many things this summer that 9 0r 10 months ago I couldn't imagine ever getting to do again (horseback riding, boating, girls trips, etc).
Here are some of my favourite things from one of my favourite summers:
If you're a fan of Chris D'Elia's standup, you should know each episode of his podcast is basically an hour of standup, except he's sitting and you can't see him. But seriously, it's so funny. A really good, easy listen.
American politics is a giant dumpster fire right now and this podcast (hosted by three guys with incredible resumes including White House work for Obama!) addresses all of the issues and topics we need to know about. They explain things really well, have great guests, and often bring things up that don't get as much coverage in the news as they should.
Take Me - Aly & AJ They're back babyyyyy!!!!
Get Free - Lana Del Rey So catchy!
Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta
Maui Moisture Bamboo Fibre Blow Out Mist - Smells so good and makes your hair feel thicker and softer!
ColourPop Lightning Bug - A super rich and beautiful colour. A swipe of this on your eyelid makes ya baby blues POP!
Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer
Sephora Coconut Lip Balm
Bad Feminist - Roxane Gay
Roxane Gay is an excellent writer and these essays give you a whole lot to think about!
A perfect, mysterious, easy beach read.
SUCH a funny show, rich with comedy legends and it's so easy to watch.
I think there are a million more things I'll think of as soon as I hit "publish" so I'm sure I'll be back to update this soon!
Happy summer-ing,
xo - C
by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
Hope you like cheese cuz this is one cheeeeeezy article, my loves!
For the most part, I'm a self-confident person. I think part of that comes from how I was raised, and a lot of that is just in my nature (wait, nature vs. nurture?!) But my goodness, I've had, and continue to have, moments where I talk about myself as if I were shit on a shoe. The kind of words you wouldn't dream of saying to anyone else, but somehow they flow so smoothly when you're speaking to yourself. Sometimes I talk about my body as if it were an acquaintance I can't stand. I pick out its perceived flaws - you know, cellulite, a butt flatter than the Canadian prairies, yadda yadda yadda) and complain about them until the cows come home.
It can be hard to appreciate what your body does every day until its functioning is put to the test.
Keeping us alive is no easy task - just ask my liver from when I turned 18!
But when any part of your body is compromised, you gain a new perspective on all that's going on behind the scenes with your bod and what it does for you every day - what YOU do for YOU every day, without even knowing it. I used to take a normal, healthy body that could get up every day and function at whatever capacity I needed it to for granted.
And then I got sick.
The best way I can describe my health since my Whipple surgery (you can read about that here) is that I live most days as if I have a bad stomach flu. It's been almost 8 months since my surgery and for some or all of just about every day since my surgery I experience extreme fatigue (think "can't go up the stairs without help" kind of fatigue), being nauseous/sick to my stomach throughout the day and night (doing any kind of activity, including standing, for more than a few minutes usually brings on extreme nausea), occasional bouts of pancreatitis, and just general feeling-crappy-ness.
I know I'm painting a not-so-pretty picture here and the truth is, it isn't pretty most of the time, and it's certainly not the life I imagined for myself, especially at this age.
BUT - I still have "moments." A lot of them. I've been able to go to concerts, on walks with friends and the dogs, to movies, to bars (without the drinking, rather unfortunately), to celebrate birthdays and holidays with my friends and family, and generally still have a fun and happy life.
From the outside, my life looks pretty normal, good, and happy. And now, from the inside, I'm seeing it that way too.
Having one of those "Moments" recently; celebrating with some of my best friends
Me, as in my body and my mind, have been through hell. I've had organs removed that drastically change the way my body functions. My abdomen and the organs that inhabit it were basically taken apart and put back together, but with some pieces missing.
OF COURSE that's going to be difficult.
But even after all of that, my body continues to WORK.
It still tells me when I'm hungry, when I'm tired (okay - a lot more often now than it used to be); it carries me, literally, through every day and has never "given up," when I'm sure with what it's gone through, a body would want to!
But no, my heart keeps on ticking and my brain and lungs and other remaining organs work for me to the very best of their ability. That is LUCKY! I don't care what anyone says - to be alive at all is lucky. It's a gift.
It's so easy to be harsh about our own bodies and to pick on any little detail you think isn't perfect (the reason we think we're imperfect is because we constantly compare ourselves to models, or whoever society tries to tell us is perfect).
We pick out these little details that make us, US - and agonize over them instead of looking in the mirror and yelling, "DAMN GIRL!!!!! Looking GOOD!" I mean, random guys in cars can drive past us and point out how hot we are, but we can't do it for ourselves?!
I've always loved this quote and i think it's v. relevant to this post
I'm working really hard on loving myself and my body exactly how it is now. My scar, flat butt, cellulite, all of it.
Your love for yourself, for your body, should be UNCONDITIONAL.
mr. scar that i'm working on learning to love.
Our skin is a shell that holds all our juicy and bony bits in. What did your skin ever do to deserve you cursing at it or wanting it to be different?
Your body is inherently awesome; I know that without ever meeting you or seeing your body. Its very existence is a miracle, and this vessel that carries our souls through the world is worthy of celebration - not criticism.
It may have taken a life-altering event for me to fully realize all of this (I'm still in the process of realizing it, actually), but it doesn't have to for you.
THANK your body each day for doing what it does and let that gratitude sink into you like butter on toast.
You're so, so, so good how you are and you're already worthy of all the love in the world.
I know, I know, this essay is reading like a Hallmark card, but I really want someone who needs to read this to come across it and feel better about themselves and cultivate gratitude for their amazing body. I need the reminder, too. If you're already on that path, that's fucking awesome. Keep going. But a lot of us are still trying to get there.
Life is so much more fun that way!
I'd like to open this conversation up and hear what loving yourself really means to you, because I know it can be different for everyone. Please comment below if you're so inclined.
XO - C
by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
For the final installment of April faves, I give you: APRIL BEAUTY FAVES! The timing is perfect because the Sephora VIB Spring 2017 sale is only a few days away! If you're a VIB Rouge member (you spend $1000+ a year at Sephora) you get first access to the sale, beginning on April 18. You get 15% off EVERYTHING, in-store or online, and the code that will work for you is ROUGESPRING. If you're a VIB member, you can shop the sale starting April 19, and you also get 15% off everything with the code VIBSPRING. The member level available to everyone, Beauty Insider, gets access on April 20 and gives you 10% off everything with the code BISPRING.
Some of my picks for this month are a bit more on the pricey end because the sale helps me justify them 😉 A few of them are repeats because they're THAT good and a sale is a good time to stock up on them! Here we go!
A gentle retinol formula perfect for people just starting to use it!
I know, I know, I've talked about this before . But it's on the pricier end and if you're ever going to buy it (WHICH YOU SHOULD!) the best time to do it is during the sale!
The lightest shade is the most incredible contouring color for fair skin. Benefit usually nails their cheek palates and Cheek Parade is no exception!
Mixing this with my Makeup Forever HD foundation stick is my all-time fave foundation combo!
Say what you will about Kim K, but her hair and makeup are flawless and she swears by this primer!
These drops had a big learning curve for me. At first I thought there was no way I could make them work, but with a little experimenting, I learned that mixing ONE drop with primer/moisturizer gives you a beautifulllll glow that lasts even under foundation. The preeeetttttiest eyeshadow you can use dry or with a wet brush for a more intense look.
MY ALL TIME FAVE CONCEALER! So dewy and moisturizing and such great coverage! LOVE!
A few of these picks are affiliate links, which mean I may earn a small commission from your purchase, at no extra cost to you. These are, however, products I personally use and swear by!
I've used this line for years and you can't beat the subtle scent!
I have super dry skin on my hands and when I saw this at Safeway and read the ingredients I thought it sounded like a really gentle hand soap option and I was right! Love this stuff!
I love spritzing myself with this because it isn't flowery but still gives you a fresh scent.
This. Stuff. Rules. Smells amazing and makes your hair so soft. A really great option if you're looking for a heat and UV protection spray!
You can use this on your hair, body, and face so it's a great multi-use option for travel and it smells delicious, of course.
ColourPop makes AWESOME brow pencils that are comparable to ABH's Brow Wiz but at a fraction of the cost! I use the shade blonde.
That should do it for this month! Share your faves down below so I can try them out pleaaaase and thank-you!
xo - C
by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment
If you're like me, the back of a cosmetic product provides lots of fun reading material. I end up googling ingredients and getting the down-low on what they are, how they work, and what they do, like a creepy little wannabe scientist. There's also familiar lingo used on these products like "no animal cruelty," "not tested on animals," "all natural," and I've learned these are all loaded terms, and not nearly as straight-forward as they seem. I'm certainly NO EXPERT on this stuff but today I just wanted to share some of the interesting things I've learned about the phrases and symbols used on cosmetic products. Dun..dun..dun......