valentine’s day or just another day?

By: courtneychristina
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Let’s be honest here… Valentine’s Day is really just a day made up by Hallmark to celebrate love. Don’t get me wrong, if you celebrate it or you want to celebrate it, go ahead! But, for the single people out there.. it just tends to make us feel like we need to reach these expectations by Valentine’s Day to join in on the fun.

That’s definitely not the case. Valentine’s Day can be about any L O V E you have in your life. Your friends, family, boyfriend, girlfriend, husband, wife, cat or dog. Whether you go full out, dress up and go out on a date or stay home with take out and pjs on, is up to you to decide! And for the ones of us without a significant other to celebrate with but feel like you need to, it doesn’t matter! Go out with your girlfriends, have some cocktails, go full “Sex and the City” and enjoy yourself! Or, stay in and have an excuse to drink a lot of wine and eat a lot of chocolate. Don’t let society make you feel like you neeeed to celebrate v-day a certain way!

Either way, regardless of what you do that day or week.. it’s still a fun holiday to dress up for. I love the website Vici Collection lately and that’s where I got my super cute “Heart on the Sleeve” sweatshirt I’ll be sporting for V-Day! They have an endless amount of cute clothes and accessories but their valentine shop is to die for! I picked out a few of my favs below!  ∨∨

(Also! Don’t worry about just getting it in time for Valentine’s Day! You can sport these beautiful prints and colors all month!)

Josephine Crochet Top

Heart on my Sleeve Sweatshirt

I Love Carbs Sweatshirt

Chicka Pocketed Romper

Piece of Work Puff Sleeve Top

Hot Tamale Knit Sweater

Red Carpet Ruffle Wrap Dress

Sugar Mama Fuzzy Knit Sweater

Red Hot Pocketed Jumpsuit

And last but not least, my favorite and best new purse!

Highland Bag- French Rose

I hope you enjoy all these looks! They go from casual to fun to full on Valentine’s- fancy- date -night out! But yourself something fun and enjoy the holiday however your h e a r t desires!!

xx, Coco

let’s talk about skin, baby

By: courtneychristina
Lifestyle, Uncategorized, , , , Leave a Comment on let’s talk about skin, baby

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Figuring out your skin is like solving a really hard math problem. It takes awhile and a lot of work, but it’s totally worth it. I turn 30 this year and I’ve decided to truly take care of myself, starting with my skin.

I got a facial at the beginning of the year and found out that my skin is blotchy and extra sensitive. When I heard the facialist say those two things, a lightbulb went off in my head and I was like, “Oh, ya she’s totally right.” And yes, I wash my face every night and “take care” of my skin but I’m not focusing on exactly what my skin needs, therefore, it doesn’t look as good as it could. I need to be using products for sensitive skin and stay away from the ones that will irritate it more. My goal isn’t necessarily to have skin where I never need to wear makeup again because, come on, I love makeup and it’s my career, but just to have clear, beautiful, bright, healthy skin!

So, I started researching… I took what my facialist told me as well as things I knew and decided on a brand called “Avène”. It’s a French skincare brand and they mainly focus on sensitive skin and sun protection. It’s all pretty light, unscented and calming. So far, I’m extremely happy. I think my skin looks less red and it’s less dry. I’m loving the way it feels as well.

The products I started with are the Gentle Milk Cleanser, Gentle Exfoliating Gel and the Redness Relief Soothing Cream with SPF. My skin feels like silk and the exfoliating gel took away dry skin patches. Also, the cream helped a ton with redness!

On top of using the right products, I’ve also promised myself that I will gift myself a facial about every 3 months.

1. it’s  E X T R E M E L Y  necessary for bright, healthy skin.

2. it’s relaxing

3. I deserve it!

Do yourself a favor and take care of your skin too! Start with a facial! You never know what you’ll discover about your skin.

[[  S H O P  Avène Skincare Products here  —> Avene USA ]]

xx, Coco

Forever 21 – a c t i v e

By: courtneychristina
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Let’s be honest, workout clothes aren’t usually cheap. The good brands last the longest, but buying a pair of leggings for over $100 makes me cringe. Of course, I have a mixture of different brands and qualities of active clothes, but when I find good deals, I have to share! Forever 21  W I L L  A L W A Y S  B E  my go-to for just about anything. I get it, sometimes you order something from there and it comes and it’s just not gonna work or it’s not made well. But, majority of the time, everything I pick up or order I’m super happy with and I get comments CONSTANTLY.

I wanted some new athletic attire and thought F21 because I didn’t want to spend a lot. But, little did I know I’d find the cutest things and end up with a $9 sports bra. YES, 9 DOLLARS. Win win! See below for my cute finds and the links to shop them!

  • Floral Sports Bra $17 but IN STORE was $9
  • Camo Sports Bra $17 (in store offer was BOGO)
  • Surplice Sleeveless Tops $14
  • Panel Leggings $22
  • Active Zip Front Jacket $27

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Floral Sports Bra  //  Camo Sports Bra (only in Peach color now)

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Active Sleeveless Surplice Top

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Active Zip-Front Jacket // Threaded Panel Leggings

 

E N J O Y and go find some more deals!

xx, Coco

+ pilates / – pain

By: courtneychristina
UncategorizedLeave a Comment on + pilates / – pain

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I’ve always heard Pilates was a great workout, but I never knew the depth of what the exercise was actually capable of. Fifteen years ago, I had brain surgery to remove a small brain tumor. It was considered an “incidental finding”, I had surgery two weeks later, and it was benign. I was very lucky and still am. Brain surgery isn’t just a walk in the park and isn’t always easy. I came out alive and I was thankful, but the surgery did cause some nerve damage. At first, the nerve damage didn’t bother me too much. Yes, I was numb and tingly but it wasn’t something I couldn’t handle. Cut to 2011.. I was graduating college, stressed and figuring out where life was going and all of a sudden my nerve damage was  O U T   O F   C O N T R O L.

Stress and anxiety are major factors that come into play with nerve damage. When those things are heightened…. the symptoms majorly increase. It wasn’t just that friendly numb/tingly feeling anymore, now I could barely feel my arm, it was tense and felt like it was made of concrete. I panicked, of course. I had meltdowns and I finally broke down to my parents. I couldn’t handle it anymore. We talked and we came up with some solutions, and that was to go see any type of doctor that would help. I started seeing a physical therapist and a chiropractor. Don’t get me wrong, they were both working and I was feeling great and I believed things would get better from there, but…

T H E N, I came across a Pilates Groupon and the rest is history. I decided it was something I would try because I wanted to start working out again but I wasn’t a fan of the gym. Little did I know, I’d love it and it would change my life.

img_64502T H R E E  years of Pilates later and I can honestly say it’s changed me for the better. Not only has it drastically changed my body, it’s almost totally cured my nerve damage. Even though I didn’t create this form of exercise, I’m pretty damn excited that I thought to try it one day and ended up helping myself for the better. It’s the little things, but this is something I’ll forever be grateful for and it’s all thanks to Sumbody Pilates in Studio City! I can’t thank Heather Leon, the owner, and Isaac Hughes more than I already have. They’ve helped me so much just by doing what they do best and I’m so thankful! I’ll never stop doing this form of exercise because I truly love it.

Do something out of the ordinary, you never know what might come of it!

xx, Coco