Favorite Music of the Moment - May 2015

Music is one of the things that lifts my mood no matter what situation I'm in. I love singing, dancing and everything else that has to do with music. I wanted to share some songs that I have been loving recently.

Now, some of the songs-by that I mean most of the songs are oldies but goodies:)

1) Stay With You - John Legend

This song makes me feel...safe. I just have a lot of things going on in my life at the moment, which most of it isn't all fun and games. I feel like everything is just going to be alright whenever I listen to this. 

2) What Hurts the Most - Rascal Flatts

I used to LOVE this song when I just about 10. My best friend at the time and her mom really liked this album so I really got into it as well. I think I've grown out of country songs, don't really ever enjoy them (sorry for all you country lovers out there) but this song is still amazing. I have been putting this song on repeat for the past month of April. I believe this song was on the soundtrack of Cars maybe? 

3) No time for Caution - Hans Zimmer

I went to the cinema to watch Interstellar a few months ago and I thought the film was amazing! I went through lengths to see it in imax since one of my friends insisted on it. But I have to say it was well worth it. Anyways, the music played a HUGE role on creating the intense atmosphere in EVERY scenario. I know Hans Zimmer from a lot of movies, Oblivion, Sherlock, Spiderman, etc but I think this is one of his best works yet. This song always gets me motivated for some reason. Maybe I feel like an astronaut trying to save the world?

4) Il Y A - Vanessa Paradis

I have always been a fan of french songs or "Chanson" as you would call it. Vanessa Paradis is my favorite french musician.

5) Explosions - Ellie Goulding

This always gets me. Always. 

These were some of my recent favorite music. Hope you found somethings you like as well. 

Please feel free to leave any suggestions as I am open to just about anything (well, maybe with the exception of country but never say never right?)

Seihee xx

♡

Review: Himalayan Salt Lamp/Candle Holder (Is it really beneficial & worth the hype?)

Since these salt lamps were the big hype, I decided to get one for myself and see what it was all about (tbh, I just picked one up cause it looked cute)

I have to say, well first of all, I got the candle holder version bc I didn't want there to be a black cord connected to the lamp since my desk was full of them already. And I love burning candles :)

Himalayan Natural Rock Salt Tea Light Holder by Ancient Secrets

When I first got it out of the package, I was really confused since there were little particles of salt coming out from the candle holder. So I just wiped it off with a tiny bit of water and a paper towel. 

Also, a another problem I had was that in the summer, the candle holder created a small puddle of water. I googled about the issue and found out that himalayan salt attracts water, so of course since summer is extremely humid, this issue was more evident. The way I fixed this problem was by burning the candle more often (basically everyday) and it became fine after that.

I became so satisfied with my purchase that I bought 2 more. Now there is one in my bathroom, one in my bedroom and the study.

But does it really have the benefits that it claims to have?

There is an abundant source of information that claims that salt lamps are beneficial for many reasons but especially because it generates negative ions. 

Now, there are thousands of research from acredited sources that proves that negative ions ARE beneficial for our mental health. 

However, there seems to be insufficient research on directly linking the production of negative ions from salt lamps to human health (since the salt lamp generates very LITTLE amount of negative ions)

Read more about the benefits here: http://www.rocksaltlamps.com.au/benefits/

Read more about the contradictory opinion on salt lamp benefits here: http://kerryg.hubpages.com/hub/The-Truth-About-Himalayan-Crystal-Salt-Lamps

And Here:http://blog.golbsalt.com/2012/09/27/healthy-or-hype-himalayan-salt-lamps-negative-ions/

Honestly, even though I agree that himalayan salt lamps is not the best source to get your extra negative ions (if that's what your looking for) I still love it anyways. It's such an eye candy! It reminds me of rose quartz crystals.

Garden

It is officially the spring/summer season of 2015!

The flowers have bloomed in the garden of the house, so I wanted to share some photos.

This is probably the favorite part of the house. I love doing yoga out here (this is probably the closest I can get to nature in my neighborhood)

 Lucy enjoying the sun

       Seihee xx

   ♡

Cooking & Baking

I wanted to share some of my cooking & baking that I have been doing lately.

1) Blueberry Muffins

2) Fresh Tomato Pasta

(made the tomato sauce myself!)

3) Raw chocolate Fudge Brownies

I love making healthy meals & snacks for myself. It's amazing how food can be both healthy and delicious at the same time! (unlike those Chips Ahoy cookies and basically 99% of everything else on the market) 

Hope you enjoyed :)

Seihee xx

♡

My Skin Care Regime (organic, natural, chemical free)

I've been interested in the "organic, natural" world for quite some time now (since 15) and since then I have changed every product in my bathroom for natural alternatives. I have been using these products for just over a year and it has been working wonders for me! Turns out, chemical free is really the best way to go! (though I was a bit skeptical at first) 

1) Toner

First of all, I ONLY use mist type toners just for the convenience and prevention of unwanted skin damage caused by cotton pads. I never really understood the concept of toning your face for excess makeup removal. Isn't that what cleansers are for? 

This toner is great for literally "toning" my face. It really balances out (and hydrates) my skin right after I get out of the shower. Also, in my experience, it also has a brightening effect which makes my skin look fresh.

-Mist-on toner by Ecco Bella

2) Moisturizer 

Instead of your usual cream based moisturizer, I have opted for marula oil. 

I feel like this oil is also the best option for first time oil users where oils might come across as scary (it won't make your face greasy, I swear!) Maurla oil contains vitamin c and essential fatty acids, which are all beneficial for your skin. 

With my marula oil, I like to mix a pump of the vitamim c serum. I love this product because of the Coenzyme Q10 properties. Whenever I wake up the next morning after using this combination, my skin looks glowing and bright :)

Learn more about Maurla Oil here: 

http://www.africanbotanics.com/the-beauty-and-skin-care-benefits-of-marula-oil/

-Marula Oil by Acure Organics

-Super Vitamin C by Skin by Ann Webb

3) Eye Cream

One of the many peaks of switching over to a natural/organic lifestyle is discovering this eye gel! I really really love this product so much. It's very cooling and soothing for my eyes and can reduce puffiness. 

Another awesome factor is eyelash growth. My eyelashes have never been this long! (but I think that's a combination of healthy food & eye gel) Unfortunatly, this is not recommended for ladies/gents with itallian dark circles since it does not seem to lighten anything. I would much rather eat broccoli for that. 

-Calm Glow Eye Gel by Coola

These are all the product I use on an everyday basis. I try to keep it simple since I just have the time for it! I hope this was somewhat useful/inspirational :)

Much Love, Seihee xx 

♡