Tag: Beauty

Affiliate Links, Life, Product Review, Skin Care Beauty

When Self Care becomes Priority…

Everlasting Sirua

I started this blog as my journey for self love and self care. I try to make it my forefront in everything I do. I try to take care of myself. Somewhere along the way I began to ignore my skincare. Granted it can be time consuming. But I’ve accepted that some days I don’t need to do the full regimen and make it short as needed.

Recently, I had to go to the dermatologist. Ever since 2016 my skin began to break out in this itchy, flaky and red blotches. It would happen if I was stressed, not sleeping enough, or anything that brought me out of balance or disturbed my peace. This caused discoloration on my skin. This issue was from scalp to face. 6 years later and I final fl decided enough was enough. Yes at some point it was very controlled but other times it wouldn’t be.

I am now diagnosed with seborrhoeic dermatitis. She advised me to used medicated shampoos and to try my skin care regimen again. Essentially the way to control my symptoms is to self care and use medicated products. I’m not a fan of washing my hair every single day. But, I find that being in the shower for a few minutes and massaging my scalp is relaxing. Those 10-20 minutes are heavenly and it reminds me to take care of myself. Moisturize and start my skin care right away. It’s been a few days and I’ve seen a complete change in my overall skin and hair. I’m still thinking about whether or not to cut it since shorter hair would be easier to manage and wash. But I miss having color in my hair so perhaps some rose gold highlights or any added pink color would be amazing.

The product I’m using for my seb-derm (that’s what I call it now) is Head and Shoulders Clinical it has this citrus scent that I love and lathers up pretty well to get into the scalp leaving it refreshed and clean. I work this into my hair, around my ears, and even carefully into my eyebrows (yes I get it here too!). Some conditioner and I’m done with my hair. After getting comfortable I start my skin care regimen which I’ll talk about and update in another post with all the steps and products I use. My skin has cleared up and no flakes so far. I have to be diligent and do this at least every day or every other day. Or else I start to feel my skin flaking all over again. It’s amazing what self care can do and prevent in cases like this. I’m sure I’ll have my bad days or week. But I need to remember this is for me and my physical health. I’m on this journey for myself. A healthier me and to share this with others struggling too.

What about you all? Any struggling skin condition that consume your time? Or any self care tips/tricks/products that have helped you? Comment below and let me know.

As always. Thanks for reading. Stay sweet everyone!

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Affiliate Links, Discounts, Hobbies, Product Review

Natural Deodorant Journey: Small Reviews

Everlasting Sirua

Underarms.

They’re a nuisance for some and others they hardly think about it. Puberty was a weird time for me with my underarms. Shaving the hair made it itchy. While different deodorants I tried cause the one my mother thought would work didn’t work and white tees would yellow. Yeah, thanks aluminum salts for always making me self conscious and tuck my elbows out of fear.

Recently it’s been said that the aluminum in some deodorants are potential hormone disrupters. Although not proven; scientists have what I would call an inkling that aluminum can potentially be harmful. Why is there aluminum in deodorants? Well it’s to plug the ducts and to stop/prevent sweating which causes body odor. Thus why some say antiperspirant.

Of course none of this is actual concrete evidence and frankly I’m not sure what to think. But knowing that it caused yellowing in white clothes and the idea of my sweat getting clogged up. And years of having dark underarms. I figured why not make the change to natural deodorants and go on a journey (self care journey?) I’ve tried a few different deodorants in the natural category: Native, Lume, Little Seed Farm and Each & Every. Little warning if you’re planning to switch to Natural Deodorant. The first few weeks are body crazy. You might sweat more then usual, skin changes, odd smells as the adjustment period follows. It took me about 6 weeks when usually it’s 3-4 since I had issues with one of the deodorants I tried.

Native

Native was the first one I tried and oh man I wish I would of read ahead of time. For those who aren’t aware there’s a chance that baking soda can have side effects on your skin. Native has a line of baking soda deodorants and non baking soda for people with sensitive skin. I tried the baking soda one and essentially my skin began to burn and peel. At first I thought this was normal? My underarms were unplugging and breathing again. But then it began to worse and I couldn’t use it anymore. Unfortunately I became aware that my underarms are allergic to the baking soda ingredient found in deodorants. It wasn’t pretty. The peeling made it look like a chemical peel. The skin was pale and pink while the outer edges were dark. Perhaps if I had tried their non baking soda option I would of liked it more and probably wouldn’t have had an issue. But, I ended up moving on to another brand since at the time I was sure if they offered a non baking soda option. Which they do! Silly me.

Lume

Lume was first starting when I ordered a tube. Now they have a line of scented ones that I’m curious about. The first tube I ordered wasn’t a fan of the smell but it did do it’s job. I healed from the chemical reaction from using Native and the tube made it easy to use in other parts of my body (under boob sweat? Groin? Thighs? Covered!) Although it worked for me, I frankly couldn’t get over the smell and wanted something either floral or scented to at least feel like I was smelled nicer? Currently they do offer different scents that I have not tried. the tube is sort of like toothpaste and you simple squeeze, apply and done.

Little Seed Farm

Amazon purchase for the win. So I found Little Seed Farm on amazon when searching for best natural deodorants to use. I was happy to see they had samples to try in case you have a scent you’re looking to try but don’t want to commit to a jar just yet. You can find the samples to try here for all their scents. For their larger size they have glass jars so yes you essentially take a small amount and apply to your underarm. It melts down and you’re good to go. I personally enjoyed the lavender and cucumber options but they also have charcoal as an option. In total they have 7 scents and an unscented option. The little jars are perfect to wash out and use for little things afterwards if you’re a fan of reusing things! You can purchase a full jar here. Honestly, this is my second favorite and first favorite for my brother who also made the switch to natural deodorants.

Each & Every

This is my go to. The different scents and their plant based packaging. You can even return the bottles you’ve used up for points towards your account since they recycle it. They provide you with a shipping label and off it goes in the mail. They have different scents including my favorites: Rose Vanilla, Lavender Lemon, and Geranium Snow Mushroom. There’s many other amazing sounding scents. But these scents especially if there’s a sale specific for some odors I tend to buy it in bulk to share with my husband or mom who also fell in love with the brand. It glides on smoothly and the essential oils are such a lovely scent. It feels so luxurious and who doesn’t love luxury when pampering themselves?

How do I know it works? Well let’s just say I can definitely smell myself when I don’t use it or forget to apply deodorant (oops!). If you’re looking to try this one you can click here for a 5 dollar off discount on your first purchase!

Thank you for reading! I always enjoy doing product reviews for you all with my honest opinion. There’s still more to come!

Disclaimer **As an Amazon associate I do receive compensation for any Amazon links clicked above**

Life, Succulent/Plants

Everlasting Echeverias

Everlasting Sirua

I did it! I made an instagram to start posting one succulent a day and seeing how long it takes me to finish going through them all! I swear I probably have more than 150 different ones. Mostly Echeverias if I’m honest. They’re my weakness especially pink ones.

Luckily, succulents don’t require much care to keep them happy. Especially smaller Echeverias that I’ve dealt with. I’ve been stressed a bit with my sea dragon and it’s leaves dropping. Seems like I can’t keep it happy unfortunately and that I might lose it. I recently planted it in better draining soil and giving it more light than all my others. It’s perking up but I’m wondering if the damage is done. Guess I’ll never know now.

It’s been hectic working, being a mother and wife. While trying to keep up with succulent care, blog, daily tasks and an almost non existent social life. Not that I’m upset about it. Personally I love how my friends and I are. Sometimes one night out is all we need to refresh and catch up on everything before going about our lives.

Anyway, that’s my update for now. Follow me and my succulents: @Everlasting_echeverias

Till next time my beloveds.

Life, Product Review

Natural Deodorant

Everlasting Sirua

A few months back I decided to change my deodorant. At first it was cause oh no there’s aluminum and all these articles about how it’s linked to breast cancer. Besides the fact that even though most deodorants would just “stop” working for me or I still smelled no matter what I would do (scrubbing skin almost raw doesn’t work for long.)

I decide to venture in finding something more natural and help against odor. Even if research is little I rather not take my chances with the risks since my family members have a history with breast cancer. Plus trying new things would probably help. Who knows.

I’ve tried a few including Native, Lume, & Bends soap company. I did love them all don’t get me wrong. One issue I ran into was the ingredient baking soda. To be fair I didn’t know this until I actually tried some products. Since I read there’s adjustment period I figured that’s what was going on. No. Not at all. Apparently, my armpits don’t agree with baking soda. At first it was a soreness I couldn’t explain. Soon the pigment of my skin began to change and my skin started to peel. Lume is baking soda free so when I switched back to that I finally realized that the soreness slowly went away and the skin in my armpit soon felt better. Took 2-3 weeks for my skin to heal from the peeling and dark pigmentation. Looking back now I laugh because of all things to irritate me it would be baking soda. I do enjoy Lume but I’m not the greatest fan of their unscented version. Since I bought it. They’ve released different scents. I bought the tube with the cream since it’s good for other areas. Including under boob (sorry guys! Us ladies sweat underneath there too sometimes) and near our private bits. A small amount goes a long way!

The one I’ve been using constantly. That I always go back to and eventually plan on trying other scents soon is Little Seed Farm Natural Deodarant.

I’ve only used the lavender scent so far. Smells lovely and it didn’t irritate at all. They also have a sample pack here to try each of their scents here: Little Seed Farm Deodorant Sample Pack

It comes with a little wooden stick to apply. I usually just use my finger and make sure to get the whole area and outer just in case. It’s definitely one of the better natural deodorants I’ve used. I’m in love with it and can’t wait to try their other scents! I love that it’s made with organic ingredients and I haven’t noticed anymore weird odors. Overall it’s worked for the past 3 months that I’ve had it! The container is small but it really does last anywhere from 2-4 months depending on how much you use or need. Definitely will continue to purchase this.

Thanks again everyone for reading. I do reviews from time to time on different things that I’ve tried and have made my life a little easier like this deodorant transition. Next, I’ll probably do things I used or didn’t use when my son was a newborn and even now for any mommas out there. Much love everyone!

*As an Amazon affiliate I do receive commissions on qualifying purchases made from the provided links*

Life, Succulent/Plants

Growing Succulent Collection

Everlasting Sirua

I started off with about 14 plants back in the beginning of October. I didn’t think much of it cause since I was never a “plant” person. Well…I was wrong. Since then, which only a month has passed, I’ve gotten over 100 succulents in over 80 varieties. Crazy right? They weren’t kidding when they said you’ll get addicted and still more pending to come. I have everything from common varieties to rare Korean imports in my collection. I eventually am looking to sell some of them in the future if they happen to have offsprings or if I run out of room and have to cut down. My top favorites at the moment are many but I’ll name three in the order of my favorites with photos down below and where/who I got them from. If you’re looking for anything different or similar I recommend joining Succulent Market Place on Facebook. There’s so many beautiful and different kinds of succulents sold. Thank you for reading and comment below if you’re a fellow succulent addict like myself! I’ll post more of my collection soon if anyone’s interested. Much love everyone!

Echeveria Sea Dragon from The Sacred Succulent

Echeveria Monroe from The Sacred Succulent

Echeveria Lingxue from Lynn Zou in Succulent Market Place

Succulent/Plants

Getting Started with Succulents: Beginner Tools and Essentials Guide

Everlasting Sirua

As an Amazon associate I do earn commission from qualifying purchases from the links I provide below

I promise you that you’ll be obsessed the moment you start. There’s so many kinds of succulents it’s hard to choose rom all the beautiful kinds that there are! From tiny to large ones. Common to unique there’s a succulent (or succulents) for anyone! You’d think that would be easy. Then there’s the pots you choose. You can choose from terra-cotta, cement, ceramic and even wood types! The soil types, tools, etc. It can be a bit overwhelming. I cannot begin to tell you all the amount of information there is out there. As an amateur myself (started August of this year) just wanted to share some things that got me started.

Of course you’ll need succulents! My favorite place to order from so far have been from Mountain Crest Gardens. They have a large variety of succulents to get you started and has in depth information about the type you’re getting, lighting and watering needs. How big it’ll grow (both height and length wise). They come packaged so well! There are some delicate succulents that no matter what it’s almost impossible to avoid bruising. Be aware. I can warn you though that you’ll love what you see. Once I was done scrolling through and adding different succulents into my cart. I had over 20 in there and no signs of finishing. Of course I settled for the ones I felt I could NOT leave behind. If you decide to check them out you can use my referral link and you’ll receive 10 percent off your order: Mountain Crest 10 percent off!

Succulents ordered? Check. Now what?

Where to put them? There’s so many pots to choose from it’s insane. It’s important that they have drainage holes to let the water drain out. If you’re looking for something affordable I recommend terra-cotta pots. They let your plants breathe, come in all kinds of sizes and you can get them almost anywhere (Home depot, Lowe’s, Amazon). Here are some that I’ve found to get you started:

Set of 16 terra-cotta clay pots 3x3inches

Set of 9 terra-cotta clay pot 3.5 inch

If ceramic are more of your thing I would definitely recommend these:

Set of 6 geometric white ceramic succulent pots with Bamboo tray

Set of 6 white ceramic plant pots with bamboo tray

There’s also cement pots:

Set of 2 Cement Pot With Tray

Set of 3 different size cement plant pot

Or maybe you want something out of the ordinary, cute, and overall different:

Set of 4 Blue Seashell Plant Pots

Set of 4 Groot Plant Pots

Set of 6 ceramic wood pattern pots

These are just a few out of the many that Amazon offers. Always make sure to check sizes and measure how big they are beforehand by reading the measurements. Sometimes pots are tinier than expected or bigger.

Okay, now to the important part of potting them. The soil and/or fertilizer. Succulents needs well draining soil. Personally I mix cactus soil with gritty mix to achieve better drainage. They only need to be fertilized once a month during their growing months (there’s winter dormant and summer dormant succulents).

Here’s some soil and gritty mix that I’ve used so far:

Hoffman Organic cactus succulent soil 2 pack

Organic succulent and cactus soil mix

Next Gardner succulent Gritty Mix

These can also be added to the soil or used as a top dressing:

Next Gardner Red Lava rocks

Next Gardner White Onyx Top dressing

Another place I like to order grit mix from is Bonsai Jack. I order their grit by the gallons (used 5 gallons myself and ordered some for others) since surprisingly it goes quickly every time!

Fertilizer I’m currently using once a month: Cute Farms Succulent, Cacti, Aloe Monthly Fertilizer Formula

Last but not least: Tools! For the most part the tools are mostly to help make potting and getting your succulent well put together easier. If you prefer to use your hands or things you have around the house. Feel free to do so! These are just some tools to get you started in case you don’t have any. Especially if it’s your first time getting succulents or cactuses (like me!)

Tools I’ve gotten and used so far:

13 piece Mini garden tools set

There’s many more with more pieces. Definitely check them out and see if it’s something you’ll need to get your succulent addiction started!

I’ll be posting more about succulents with tips or tricks and the things I add to my collection, where I get it from as time goes. Let me know below if this helped you or if there’s anything else I should add. This is what worked for me so far. I love sharing these beauties and giving advice. Feel free to comment below anything else that I missed. Much love and happy planting!

Some pics of my beauties *cover photo is part of my setup*

*Some links provided I do earn commission on qualifying purchases as an Amazon affiliate*

Succulent/Plants

The Succulent Life

Everlasting Sirua

Recently started a new hobby. It’s crazy how things start from something as simple as an idea. I’ve always wanted plants in my home. I feel like they brighten a room. Add flair to the home. But, I never fully looked into it. Every plant I would see whether it be at Aldi’s, Bjs, or a supermarket we’re usually toxic for the cats. I didn’t want to take the chance of something happening. You never know with these critters.

As most may know I purchased some succulents in a terrarium at aldis after looking up if they were toxic to my fur babies. Apparently, they’re not! I was excited. Now that went from that to purchasing more succulents, learning their names, their individual care, joining Facebook groups. The whole mile. I find that it’s more enjoyable than I thought. I went from one container of plants to 11 soon to be 14! I’m telling you all. It’s addicting. Hopefully I have a green thumb. I shall lost the ones I have so far both scientific and given name/type:

-Echeveria “Morning Beauty”

-Cryptanthus “Pink Earth Star”

-Aloe Albiflora (not sure but closest ID)

-Graptopetalum paraguayense “Ghost plant aka Mother of Pearl”

-Echeveria Perle Von Nurnberg

*Plants on the way*

-Sempervivum “Black Lotus”

-Sempervivum “Bronze Pastel”

-Graptoveria “Debbie”

-Green rosette looking plant (not sure)

That’s my collection so far! I’ll share some before and after pictures of what I did with the space in my bedroom. These shelves have been a life saver!

BEFORE

AFTER

Can’t wait for the others to come in. The shelves make it look so organized and lovely. I totally recommend them. Hopefully I have a green thumb. I’ll be sharing my trial and errors with my succulents. Good or bad. Hobbies are learned through trial and error. Wish me luck!

*As an Amazon Associate I do earn commission on qualifying purchases* Succulents are excellent beginner plants for those who would like to start gardening or simply adding life to their home. There’s different ones to fit any lifestyle from bright light to low light areas. They hardly need to be watered. But, they’re also easy to kill if they’re overwatered or under watered. They susceptible to things like mealy bugs, root rot, sunburn etc. Always do your research when getting these beauties.

Life

Cruising Experience

Everlasting Sirua

I’m back! Took a few days to settle in. After being on a ship for a little over 8 days. Stepping on land was interesting. For two days standing still or even laying still was an issue. It felt like I was still on the ship so I kept myself busy cause the feeling is weird. Thankfully it’s gone.

The experience overall was amazing. You have all this anxiety beforehand to get ready, pack, leaving our son behind with his grandparents (ended up being the least stressful thing. He loved being with them!) and overall first vacation as a couple jitters. Once you’re on the ship, checked in, in the room or hanging out up in the deck with the view. Your body, your soul, everything just relaxes. We couldn’t believe it! As a parent we were going to miss our boy. As a couple it was lovely to know that we would have this time to ourselves and savor being away for a bit.

First off, there’s so much food! Buffet, Tacos/Burritos, burgers, Pizza 24/7, Deli, bbq, pasta, gourmet dinners, desserts and of course drinks! Most of these are included but some cost extra money (specialty restaurants, alcohol, things from the islands or port you stop at)

Overall everything tasted wonderful! I tried my best to try new things and I went with things that either looked appetizing, sounded good or would order something familiar just in case. There’s always something new to try or you can go with what’s wonderful already. Which is what I love. Cooking at home can be stressful. I love cooking but some days I just don’t know what to make so having that all done for you and not have to worry about what to eat on a vacation is a definite highlight. There’s so much to share and tell. I’ll probably save for another day if anyone’s interested. For now I’ll share some photos or click here to follow me on Instagram for some photos and of course any updates. Back to the real world I go!

Life

Green and Loved

Everlasting Sirua

I’ve always wanted a plant to brighten and liven things up a bit in my home. It’s hard because having three cats there’s so many plants that can be poisonous and I rather look in person than online. It was long forgotten till today. I was able to get a terrarium succulent while grocery shopping today. It’s adorable, small and I fell in love with it. I researched how to care for it. Bought the fertilizer for it every month. Put it in my room (which faces south and has bright light coming in) and now we have a lovely little plant. Hopefully these cats don’t try to mess with it. They were more curious than anything. We shall see how it progresses. I never took care of a plant or even owned one in the past four years. Do I have a green thumb? Or will this be an epic fail…

Enjoy this photo of my cat Makoto checking out our new addition

Any tips about succulents or plants that aren’t poisonous to my cats while being easy to take care of. Let me know in the comments! Or drop a comment if you have a succulent and let me know how it’s doing.

body modification

Industrial Piercing 1 Week Update

Everlasting Sirua

Alright so this is where it gets real. It’s been over a week actually I’m on Day 11 of having this piercing. I have to admit y’all it’s definitely has been annoying to say the least. My nose piercing I would occasionally forget and rub my nose by accident or if I needed to scratch my nose I would forget too. No big deal. But with this piercing just about everything irritates it. I have long hair and washing it has been a bit of a hassle. Requires lots of patience for sure. I sometimes forget the piercing is there and that the bar is a bit longer to give it space to swell. I miscalculate and accidentally bump it while washing my face, washing my hair, if someone brushes my side, trying to tie a ponytail, having my hair down irritates it. Cleaning it no matter how gentle I end up taking an Advil to help with the swelling. It itches which is a good sign. There’s yellow crust around it which is also a sign of healing. It doesn’t throb and the swelling isn’t excessive. Thankfully! No signs of infections and hopefully it stays that way. I have a couple of products that I’m using that has been a huge help. Cartilage piercing take MINIMUM about 3 months to heal to a year depending on your body, healing processing and aftercare. Purchasing these products can definitely help with the healing process and a good addition to your piercing aftercare routine.

H2Ocean 4oz Piercing Aftercare Spray

Urban ReLeaf Piercing Care

These are the two main products I’ve been using to care for my piercing. The H2Ocean is a sterile spray that has sea salt and mineral that help speed up the healing process. You can choose to make your own which I did at first. However, there’s a chance that it won’t be sterile or the amount of sea salt won’t be enough or too much. Plus this is more portable in case you have to be away for the day or a while.

The second product is the Urban ReLeaf Piercing care. This is contains sea salt and botanicals which makes it not only smell lovely but also helps prevent infections. It’s for soaking the piercing for a few minutes to flush out the piercing and soften the crust that forms. The tea tree oil is a natural disinfectant and aloe Vera is known for its moisturizing properties. Overall, the ingredients are beneficial to your healing piercing in both preventing infection or if you notice signs of an infection starting to form.

*As an Amazon associate I do earn commission on qualifying purchases on the above links*

I hope this helps anyone who has gotten a recent piercing or still trying to find ways in helping their piercing heal. I don’t regret getting my industrial just wish the healing and care wasn’t so tedious. Overall I have to say that I love how it looks and hopefully no infection starts. I’ll update next week with how things are progressing. Thanks for reading!