Alive!

It lives! Moving was the biggest hassle...everything went wrong, from the truck to the internet company screwing us over to the boyfriend leaving his phone in the truck and having to drive home the next day to get it.

The place is still a mess, even though it's been almost a week! We both just have SO much stuff. Yesterday I picked up the ferrets, who are now living in their new giant ferret palace that I put together for them. I think they like it.

We may have found a gym, which is awesome because it's a great price and very close. Nothing around here has bumper plates except for one gym very far away and, of course, crossfit gyms. Crossfit isn't my thing for a few different reasons (in particular, the cost), so I was delighted when the girl at this new gym said I could bring my own. I may pick up a pair of 10lb ones just to work off of for cleans and whatnot.

Just a quick check-in...school starts for me next week but at least I'll finally be in a routine instead of a constant chaotic scramble, so hopefully I can get to blogging regularly!

Things I Love: Le Metier de Beaute Lip Creme

As an apology for being so sporadic lately, here's a fun beauty post!

Le Metier de Beaute is one of my favorite brands, and has been ever since I first discovered them. I was first enamored by their eye kaleidoscopes (which are still a staple for me!) and the rest is history. I've been known to call other cities and other states to get my hands on counter exclusives. I could wax poetic about my favorite LMdB products for ages...don't get me started on Creme Fresh Tints!...but today I'll be focusing on their Lip Creme formula.

Described as "a hybrid of gloss and lipstick", Lip Cremes span that whole spectrum, from the sheerer shades all the way to the brightest and most pigmented. They have a light, glossy texture that slides on smoothly and is never thick or sticky.

Le Metier de Beaute Lip Cremes in (L-R) Creme de la Creme, Sweet Creme, Peche Creme, Fraise Creme, and Red Velvet

Creme de la Creme, Sweet Creme, Peche Creme, Fraise Creme, and Red Velvet (With Flash)

 Creme de la Creme, Sweet Creme, Peche Creme, Fraise Creme, and Red Velvet (Without Flash)

I unfortunately only have these five, but as you can see they're perfect for layering, a little kick, or a big bang. One of my favorite things about Lip Cremes is how hydrating they are. I hate when a lipstick or lip gloss...particularly after they've been worn for a bit...seem to leave your lips a bit sad and dry. Lip Cremes are one of my favorite if not my very favorite in terms of moisture. My lips never, ever feel dry, even after I've had them on for hours. In fact, they may even leave my lips a bit softer!

Lip Cremes can be found at your local LMdB counter if you're lucky enough to have one, or online at the usual retailers: Nordstrom, Saks, Neiman Marcus, Bergdorf Goodman.

Catch-up Post, New PR, and Some Personal Stuff

I know I promised I would be better about posting! I've been out of town probably three times in the past five days, including a four-hour drive to IKEA (the nearest one!) to get some last-minute apartment stuff. Moving day is Saturday, and I still have so much to do.

On a better note, today I upped my deadlift and hit another PR...190lbs! I tried for 200lbs but it was a bad pull from the beginning for some reason. I knew the second I grabbed the bar it wasn't going to happen. I think if I'd had a normal good pull, I would have hit it, but I'm definitely happy with 190!

I am a bit worried about the weight I've put on over the summer. I've struggled with eating issues in the past (understatement of basically ever), so this is really bothering me. When I'm really down about my weight, it affects everything in my life. I don't want to do anything, I want to stay inside, and of course that sadness just makes me eat more. It's a really terrible cycle. I had spent the last school year being moderately lean with pretty good intake, but the second I got home it just went downhill.

My chaotic and inconsistent schedule over the summer combined with the "donuts for all meals are okay" attitude of my house has been hell on my body in many different ways. I can't say part of me didn't love the splurge...most of ED past revolved around sweets and baked goods as comfort for my anxieties, and that calming feeling I get when I have a cupcake or chocolate bar hasn't really gone away despite years of therapy...but then there's the aftermath. That's the worst part. And once that cycle begins, it's hell to get out of, particularly when you're in an environment that fosters it. I know that once I move I'll be eating clean and have a better schedule, but until then I'm just trying to make it through. I feel like I just have a million pounds of fat to lose, and I do have plenty of muscle under there so I think I'll look okay once I lean out. It's just a lot of extra worrying that I don't need right now, you know?

Anywho, this week will be hectic, but I'll try to get some posts and pics in! I do try to post on my Instagram more often, so check that out!

"But I can't NOT buy them!"

Yesterday was one of those horrid gym days where nothing goes right and you miss sets you shouldn't be missing. It's extra awful when it happens on squat days, because those are usually my best days!

So as a consolation, today I went to the mall to pick up a few things. In particular I wanted to grab shampoo and conditioner from Carol's Daughter, which I had gotten as a sample from my last Sephora order and immediately fell in love with. My hair feels cleaner, smoother, and less tangled. However, going into Sephora for one thing never means leaving Sephora with one thing...

Along with the shampoo and conditioner, I picked up Clinique Wash-Away Gel Cleanser, which is one of my go-to products (that I'm almost completely out of, so I considered this an essential purchase!). I wear tons (TONS) of makeup every single day, and this is the only thing that gets rid of it in one shot. It's fantastic, and the bottle lasts me about a year.

The more...spontaneous, let's call them...purchases were slightly more fun. Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Native is a lovely light pink-nude that I sampled the other day and found extremely flattering on my quite pale complexion. All Sephora by OPI nail polishes were on sale (3 for $10) so I really couldn't resist grabbing three. I thought I was set, but in the queue I spotted some OCC Lip Tars, which are something that our store has never had and I've never had a chance to try! After rummaging through the quite picked-through selection, I decided on Stained Gloss in Rhythm Box. I'm excited to try it out!

After an intense afternoon of shopping, a milkshake break was necessary. My favorite indulgence (maybe ever) is Cold Stone Creamery's Oreo Creme Filling ice cream. If I were on death row and had to choose one final food to eat before I died, it would probably be this. It's so rich and so delicious. It had disappeared from the stores for a while, but it's suddenly reappeared and I simply couldn't resist.

Definitely excited to start the new week with some new makeup (and I have a box from Urban Decay to pick up tomorrow with a clearance eyeshadow palette that was an incredible steal!), because I have lots of packing, cleaning, and PCAT reviewing to do!

Friday Fabulousness: Favorite Pink Light Lipstick

No, not my favorite light pink lipstick (that's a whole other post!), but my

Favorite Pink Light Lipstick

To me, there are a few different types of lipstick. There's the full opaque formulas (such as Tom Ford or most of Guerlain's Rouge Gs), and then there are slightly sheerer, not quite as heavy ones. Guerlain's Rouge Automatique and YSL's Rouge Volupte Shines are two of my favorite "lighter" formulas. Rouge Automatiques are less slippery and balm-like than Rouge Volupte Shines, so they do tend to last longer but are not quite as moisturizing. I do love them both, but today's post will be focusing on my favorite Rouge Volupte Shine: 6 Pink in Devotion ($34).

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine in 6 Pink in Devotion

As I mentioned above, this formula is more of a lipstick-balm hybrid than a straight-up lipstick, yet it's more pigmented than a tinted balm such as Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment. It also leaves a lovely, glossy finish. Pink in Devotion is described as a "bright hibiscus pink", which I think describes it spot on. The sheerer formula allows for a bright color to be worn in a more subtle way. I think it's a great "beginner bright" for those who aren't quite ready to go full-on in-your-face! The formula is so smooth, and although that comes with the downside of a shorter wear time, it's tremendously comfortable and moisturizing. There is a slight fruity scent, which personally I love but may be a dealbreaker for some.

Pink in Devotion (without flash)

Pink in Devotion (with flash)

Check it out at Sephora, Nordstrom, YSL, or anywhere YSL Beauty is sold!

So, hit a deadlift PR yesterday, which was really cool!

I'm a notoriously terrible deadlifter. Like, there was a point in time where my squat and deadlift were terribly close. I don't know if I just don't have the body type for it (I think this is part of it...I'm built for squats!), but I was stuck for a really long time and I was getting extremely frustrated. My boyfriend tried to help me with my technique, and he'd get furious because I just wasn't getting it down. It wasn't that I wasn't making an effort, it's just that my body didn't DO things the way his does. A lot of it, I think, I can attribute to my pretty different center of gravity, which is loads lower than his or even a lot of women. I tried sumo, which was eh, but I still wasn't making the progress I should have been.

One day I showed up at the gym and someone had left 135 sitting on the platform. I just went over, picked it up, and put it in the rack. All of a sudden I stopped...the week before, I struggled terribly with 135. Confused, I grabbed it out of the rack, put it down, and picked it up again. That day everything changed. I stopped overthinking. I stopped taking tons of time to set up. That just made it worse. Just walking up and picking up the weight...as ridiculous and simple as this sounds...was what worked. When I did that, it was like my body automatically shifted into the position I needed to be in to lift the weight as easily as possible, the position I had been trying so hard to find. I struggle with reps, because when I put the weight down, I lose that position, but things are looking up.

Yesterday I pulled 185, which isn't really a lot to most people, but for me (I'm 5'2, and even when I'm heavier like now that's definitely more than 1.5xBW) that was a goal that I had set for myself. And it wasn't too awful! I maybe could have even pulled a bit more! I'm pretty hard on myself a lot of the time, but this was the first time in a while I felt satisfied, and almost a bit proud. I still hear myself reminding my head that, hey, you're heavier than you usually are, of course your weights should go up a bit. But I'm trying to just concentrate on the fact that my first deadlift ever was 65lbs and I'm up to almost three times that.

Now onto the next goal...the elusive 2 plates!