What’s a Friday without some daydreaming? This year my Wanderlust is taking me down to explore the Caribbean to search for new experiences.
While I love traveling and still have tons of places to visit, the last few years have been focused more on diving trips than visiting new cities or hiking through ancient ruins. Hopefully I’ll get some of those on the calendar in the next few years, but for now I’m enjoying tropical destinations, exploring the oceans, and seeing new plant and animal life.
After Costa Rica and Cozumel, this year’s destination is the furthest south of the Caribbean islands, Bonaire, in the Dutch Antilles.
{Is there anything that makes you think of vacation more than crystal clear water?}
{The diving is supposed to be INSANE. Lots of undisturbed areas and beautiful plant and animal life. I’m hoping to find Atlantis.}
{Isn’t this insane? It’s salt. Salt pyramids. So crazy}
{Beach me please. I love jumping off of cliffs into water and tide pools, but sometimes a beach is just what the doctor ordered. Even though I hate sand. :)}
{I’m beyond excited to take my diving to a new level on this trip – We’re going to level up and get our Advanced Open Water certification while we’re on vacation.}
I’m a total Sephora junkie, it’s where I order 90% of my skin care products and makeup, so I thought I’d share my latest order with you. I don’t love the “haul” blog posts or YouTube videos, but when I see someone who’s opinion I value in a particular area, I do like to see what type of products they’re buying. I thought it would be a good chance to share how I shop for skin care and beauty, and my first impressions on a handful of products.
To begin with, I adore the Sephora website. Their searching capabilities are outstanding – You can adjust the product list by your goals, your age, ingredients you want or don’t want, and more. I also love reading reviews on the site, if I’m on the fence about a product I’ll sort the reviews by Lowest and see what people didn’t like about it.
In general, try not to buy products with sulfates, parabens, or phthalates. But sometimes I let something slip through if I’ve heard raves about a product.
Josie Maran Whipped Mud Mask Argan Hydrating and Detoxifying Treatment: First up, this smells amazing. It also feels really great, and has a bit of a granular texture which is nice for rubbing on your skin before washing off. Overall I really like this, though there isn’t an immediate change your skin.
Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra-Clarifying Face Oil: I’ve never tried Sunday Riley before but have heard and read great reviews of these products in the past. I decided to try two new products, including this blemish clearing face oil. You can use it as an all over product or for spot treatments, and I tried it both ways. First thing to mention – This has a very strong smell. One of the main ingredients it tea tree oil so if you’re not ready, it’s a bit overwhelming. That being said, I like this so far. I didn’t cause any break-outs and the spot treatment function seemed to work well.
Sunday Riley Good Genes All-in-One Lactic Acid Treatment: The second Sunday Rileyproduct that I ordered was this anti-aging lactic acid serum. Again, this product has a fairly dramatic scent, but I’m enjoying it. It feels great going on and I haven’t seen any of the dryness that some of the reviewers mentioned. I started out using it once or twice a week and am now using it every other day in the mornings.
bareMinerals Mineral Veil Setting Powder: I really enjoy bareMinerals so this setting powder seemed like a no-brainer. I don’t wear foundation or BB/CC cream daily and sometimes need a little oil control by the end of the day, so I thought I’d give this lightweight powder a try. It has a bit of shine, almost like a highlighter, but it’s really subtle and pretty so no objections here!
The weather is starting to warm up. You’re starting to have (more) trouble concentrating at your desk. Social media is filled with beautiful people posing in beautiful locations… That means time for Summer vacation!
So, as we’re heading into vacation season, I thought I’d do a series of posts to help you prepare, pack, and execute a killer trip. There’s nothing worse than forgetting a vital step in the process and feeling like your trip is ruined.
You’ve planned the trip, now it’s time to make sure you can get there!
Photo ID and/or passport {make sure they aren’t expiring within 6 months of your trip!}
If you’re renting a car, do you need an international drivers license?
Do you need a travel visa?
Will you be purchasing travel insurance?
Travel Warnings:
Before a trip to a new country, or even a new city in a country I’ve already been to, I like to do a few quick checks to make sure that I’m totally prepared.
CDC notices – Always good to check on things like water, bugs, vaccinations etc on the CDC site
Miscellaneous:
These may seem like no-brainers, but you’ll be glad that you made sure to check!
Weather – Be sure to check the weather! It’s easy to fall into the trap of “it’ll be warm” and not check the specifics. Especially when it comes to tropical locations, because being aware of storm and monsoon seasons can make all the difference in the world!
Food – I like to review the restaurants and shops near my accommodations before I leave using TripAdvisor. That way I know that I can find something to eat in a pinch. I also like to pack a snack bag for my trips.
Language – If you’re going somewhere that speaks a different language, it’s a good idea to learn a few helpful phrases. Apps like Duolingo are a great way to brush up on or learn bits of new language. Even if everyone is predominantly able to speak English, they’ll appreciate the occasional please and thank you in their native tongue.
Stay in Touch – I always use WhatsApp when I travel internationally, no data fees or international phone plans necessary, just download the app and text whenever you have WiFi.
Currency – Be sure to check on what the local currency is at your destination and do some research on the best exchange rates. Often times your bank will have a good rate and you can just use a local ATM. Which brings me to my last tip – Update your credit card company and/or bank with your plans so that you don’t get fraud alerts while you’re traveling.
Next up – Packing! Stay tuned for posts on packing your toiletries, clothes, and extras to make sure that you have everything you need, but aren’t bringing the whole house!
What’s YOUR most important item to tick off when you’re getting ready for a trip? Am I missing anything?
One of the great things about running is that it can be as simple as lacing up your running shoes and heading out the door. Because, really, shoes are all your need. No gym membership, no equipment, just you and the road. Sure, you can find all sorts of fun toys and accessories and gear for running, but they’re not necessary.
Today, I thought that I would share some of my favorite running shoes that I’ve worn over the years. Everyone needs something different from a pair of shoes – We all have different feet, we have different training regimes, we run on different surfaces. That being said, most of the top companies have multiple styles and options that you can choose from once you’ve narrowed down the brand.
So, in no particular order, here are my top shoes of the last five years:
Brooks Ghost 10 – This is my current pair of shoes and I ran my February race in them. They’re incredibly cute, comfortable, and fairly lightweight and compact. One thing that I’ve noticed is that they’re better for shorter distances if you have high arches, I start to get an ache around 9 miles on concrete. They’re also great for classes with running segments like OrangeTheory or Barry’s Bootcamp.
Saucony Guide 9 – These babies are one of the longest lasting pairs of shoes I’ve ever owned. I trained in the Guide 9s and did 3-4 races in them, with zero issues. They’re a little bigger than the Brooks in terms of “bulk,” but they’re still not an incredibly heavy shoe. They’re heavy-duty enough to really handle road running though, and I never had any pain or blisters with them.
Brooks Launch 3 – These are very cute and quite lightweight, but I found them a bit too minimal for the pounding your feet undergo during an intense road run. These ended up becoming a walking shoe for me, that I wear to walk to and from the office each day.
Do YOU have a go-to brand of shoe for running? Any pairs I need to try?
Welcome back to another NatureBox giveaway! If you missed the first two giveaways, here’s a summary – NatureBox is a wholesale, membership-based online snack company. Once you’ve created an account, your monthly $5 fee goes towards your orders each month, and rolls over if you don’t get around to shopping during a particular month.
The website carries all sorts of goodies – From vegan snacks to low sugar treats to paleo items. And the website allows you to sort all the yumminess by diet and eating style, so that you can find what you’re looking for. Some of their best-selling items are cheddar caramel popcorn, vanilla bean wafers, vanilla almond clusters (YUM), and mocha almonds. What I really love about this site is the variety of items – I’ve ordered everything from almond butter and oatmeal to raw nuts and trail mix packets. All great for Summer traveling!
Some of my personal favorites are the cassava and plantain chips, and the crispy coconut squares. I’m completely addicted! I also like to get raw nuts and dried fruit, and mix them together to create my own healthy trail mix concoctions for easy after-dinner snacking. 🙂
This amazing company has offered to team up AGAIN for another killer giveaway. Read on for the rules on entering and what you can win!
Using the giveaway graphic below you can join this content in a handful of different ways. Follow NatureBox or Moi Contre La Vie on Facebook, Twitter, or Tweet a message and you’ll be entered to win.
You can enter as many times as you’d like and the giveaway will be open until March 7th and then I’ll announce the winner!
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Hello & welcome to MCLV! I'm Caity, a San Francisco based freelance writer and fashion, food & fitness blogger. Find out more by visiting About MOI.
{Is there anything that makes you think of vacation more than crystal clear water?}
