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Product Review: Milk Makeup Watermelon Brightening Serum

June 4, 2018 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food 1 Comment

Product Name: Milk Makeup Watermelon Brightening Serum...

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November 2017 Favorites

December 4, 2017 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:

  • One Day at a Time & Baby, You Make Me Crazy - Sam Smith (the whole album is great!)
  • 9th of october - Tove Lo
  • Get Over Yourself - Kelsea Ballerini
  • Lemon - N.E.R.D, Rihanna
  • Homemade Dynamite - Lorde, Post Malone, Khalid, SZA
  • Beautiful Trauma - Pink
  • reputation - Taylor Swift, yep, the whole album. I didn't want to like it but I've been listening to it non-stop so it would be wrong not to include it
  • Havana - Camila Cabello
  • Bones - Alexandra Savior

Shows:

  • Lady Dynamite Season 2 (it's a kooooooky show, but different than anything else on TV and really enjoyable and easy to watch. If you're into Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt I think you'll like this too)
  • Marvel's The Punisher (it's violent as hell and super graphic but I am really enjoying it so far. I find it gets better the further in you get)
  • I Love you America (Sarah Silverman's new talk-show. I know she's a love her or hate her type comic, but I love her and I find this show really refreshing and important)
  • SMILF

Beauty:

  • Annabelle Eyebrow Pencil $6.99 - this has been a favorite for a few years and it's such a steal! It stays on really well and holds your brows in place perfectly.
  • French Formula 3-in-1 Texturizing Dry Shampoo - another steal, also only around $7 and works like my bumble and bumble texturizing spray which is about 5 times the cost!
  • Josie Maran Argan Oil - an oldie but a goodie, I always come back to this because it works like nothing else on my dry skin!
  • feel pumpkin walnut facial cleanser - SUCH a good cleanser/exfoliator

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

 

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November 2017 Ipsy Glam Bag Recap

November 19, 2017 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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BEST OF SUMMER 2017

September 1, 2017 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:

Podcasts:

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

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.

Music:

Take Me - Aly & AJ They're back babyyyyy!!!!

Get Free - Lana Del Rey So catchy!

Kendrick Lamar - King Kunta

Hair:

 Maui Moisture Bamboo Fibre Blow Out Mist - Smells so good and makes your hair feel thicker and softer!

Maui Moisture Bamboo Fibre Blow Out Mist - Smells so good and makes your hair feel thicker and softer!

Makeup and Skincare:

 ColourPop Lightning Bug - A super rich and beautiful colour. A swipe of this on your eyelid makes ya baby blues POP!

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

Tarte Amazonian Clay Waterproof Bronzer

 Sephora Coconut Lip Balm

Sephora Coconut Lip Balm

 

Books:

Bad Feminist - Roxane Gay

 Roxane Gay is an excellent writer and these essays give you a whole lot to think about!

Roxane Gay is an excellent writer and these essays give you a whole lot to think about!

 A perfect, mysterious, easy beach read.

A perfect, mysterious, easy beach read.

TV:

 SUCH a funny show, rich with comedy legends and it

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

 

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APRIL BEAUTY FAVES (& Sephora VIB Spring Sale Picks!)

April 16, 2017 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!

SEPHORA PICKS:

 A gentle retinol formula perfect for people just starting to use it!

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! 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. 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! 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! 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.

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. 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! MY ALL TIME FAVE CONCEALER! So dewy and moisturizing and such great coverage! LOVE!

OTHER PICKS:

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 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!

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. 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

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Must-Have Makeup and Skincare Products for Dry Skin from Sephora

March 27, 2017 by Chelsea Kram – XO&So: Vegetarian Comfort Food Leave a Comment

Our skin is basically like sausage casing for our bodies (nice thought, right?), except sausage casing doesn't agonize over how to look FLAWLESS in every light. It's just busy holding our bones and all the other ooey-gooey stuff inside of us where it's supposed to be, while also providing a pretty great water-proof shell for us. Needless to say, skin serves a very important purpose.

While the appearance of our skin won't have much effect on how well it does its job for us, most of us have some concerns about our skin and how to make it look and feel its very best. The biggest concerns tend to be anti-aging, wrinkle treatment, acne, redness, dullness, and managing oily or dry skin.

I'm lucky in a lot of ways with my skin: it isn't overly sensitive and I can sample a lot of products and not suffer reactions or breakouts from them. I get a few small bumps here and there, but I've never struggled with major acne or anything like that. That being said, my skin is nowhere near perfect. My skin is on the normal to dry spectrum, but I've had times of really painful dry patches many times (I've also had eczema since I was a baby, although only on my hands and luckily not my face). My biggest complaint about dry skin is how it affects the way makeup looks.

Think of applying foundation on a snake and how it would look going over the scales. Yeah, not good! Of course, that isn't the only reason you shouldn't makeup on a snake. Anywho, putting makeup over your own dry skin is very much the same. Makeup clings to the edges of dry, rough patches and it gives your skin a dull, flaky appearance and magnifies areas of dryness. When your skin is painfully dry, it can also really hurt to apply anything to it.

But have no fear, I've got you covered.

As a Sephora junkie, I've tried a LOT of their products over the years, and I've compiled a list of tried and true makeup and skincare products that are saviors for my dry skin!

*This post is NOT sponsored in any way. These are products I genuinely use and enjoy. You can click on any image to go right to Sephora and shop these products.

SMASHBOX PRIMER OIL $50. This is my OG primer. The most moisturizing primer I've ever used (and it doubles as a facial oil as well). It makes your makeup glide on seamlessly and this is something I keep repurchasing.

First Aid Beauty Coconut Skin Priming Smoothie Moisturizer $35. An excellent moisturizing primer, that can be worn on its own as well. It smells SO GOOD and if you do decide to wear it on its own, it has a very, very subtle glow to it that lights up your whole face.

Dr. Brandt Microdermabrasion Exfoliating Face Cream $98. Don't let the price of this one scare you away - it lasts forever because you don't use much, and you also don't use it every day. You might think exfoliating dry skin is a bad idea, but a gentle exfoliant is so important to remove dry patches and keep the surface of the skin clean and smooth. This is the holy grail of exfoliants (just check out its reviews on Sephora!) and is a total game-changer for overall skin texture.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask $32. Another old fave! This super rich, moisturizing mask is affordable (and it comes in single use packs as well!) and works wonders. When my skin feels extra tight or dry, I slather this on and wake up feeling so much better! I also love to put it on before a long flight!

Smashbox Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer $32. Ever had dry under eye skin? For your sake, I hope not! It hurts and covering it up is nearly impossible. A lot of people choose regular eye cream to moisturize, but the nice thing about this one is it adds an extra bit of light to the under eye area and starts the dark circle coverup process before you even apply concealer.

 

 

 

 

 

L'Occitane Cleansing and Softening Shower Oil With Almond Oil $25. If you love hot showers, you've probably noticed they aren't the best thing for dry skin. If you want to protect your skin from the hot water (and smell great in the process) this shower oil will be your new best friend! It kills two birds with one stone because if you don't have a chance to moisturize again when you get out of the shower, you're already covered!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Makeup Forever Ultra HD Invisible Cover Stick Foundation $52. I love the ease of a stick foundation, and this one is great for dry skin. Some stick foundations (Anastasia Beverly Hill's version, for example) are designed to work better on oily skin, but this one works really well on my dry skin. It applies smoothly and blends evenly. I use shade Y225.

Laneige Power Essential Skin Toner for Normal to Dry Skin $33. I love love love this stuff! I use it every night after I wash my face as well as before I apply my makeup. I used to think toners weren't for me because they seemed to aggravate my dry skin, but this one is gentle and effective. Your skin doesn't feel tight and dry after using it, but it does feel clean and smooth. Any little flakies I would get around my nose or chin have been handled by this!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sephora Collection Cleansing and Exfoliating Wipes $10. I've used the coconut version and the rose water version and I love them both! Another great product that cleanses the skin and removes makeup really well, but doesn't dry out your skin and leave it feeling tight. And you can't go wrong with that price!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation $47. If you have dry skin, powder products might be your worst enemy because they have a tendency to make you look cakey and cling to dry patches like white on rice. This one is an exception though! I've used this for years and I love that it's loose, versus a pressed powder. You can easily control how much coverage you get from it and it leaves the skin feeling soft as though you used a liquid foundation.

Okay, I could go on forever, but I'm going to stop here with these holy grail products for dry skin! I love trying new stuff, so please comment your fave dry skin products from Sephora down below!

- xo C

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The Dirty Down-Low on Cosmetic Labels

February 20, 2017 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......

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About Chelsea Kram & XO&So

Hi! I'm Chelsea and I'm the Canadian food blogger behind all of the XO&So vegetarian comfort food recipes. Click here to get to know more about me.

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