Senior Slump

Hey all,
I'm sorry I've been so M.I.A. lately... but I'm back with a playlist full of beautiful, indie music for your pleasure.

• Sleepyhead by Passion Pit
• Rhythm Of Love by Plain White T's
• Chinese Translation by M. Ward
• French Navy by Camera Obscura
• Mayfly by Belle & Sebastian
• Baby by Devendra Banhart

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Updates soon!

Battle of the Bottle

For any eco-ista, a reusable waterbottle is a must have.  Having owned either a Sigg or a Klean Kanteen, two of the most popular metal waterbottles, I can say that these waterbottles have increased my water intake and have been lifesavers.  Though both come with their own benefits, the biggest of which is decreasing plastic bottle consumption, I have to say that one comes out as the clear winner for me.

Sigg:
Pros:
- Thick walled
- Cute designs
- Easy to drink from the narrow top
Cons:
- Difficult to clean - you can buy a special brush to wash it, but you definitely can't wash it by hand
- Heavy - because it's so thick, it is pretty heavy (though you could use it in self-defense)
- Dents easily - for someone like me who drops their waterbottle constantly, this is an issue
- The lid of the bottle can grow mold if it's not cleaned very thoroughly - gross!
- My Sigg started shedding paint/plastic bits at the top, so that was the last straw for me
- Made out of aluminum, which has some questionable health/safety issues (i.e. BPA in the lining)

Klean Kanteen:

Pros:

- Easy to wash - you don't need a special brush to wash it and there are no places where mold can grow

- Wide opening - you can put ice cubes into your waterbottle

- Made out of stainless steel, which is safe for you

- Light and easy to carry

- Seems to dent a lot less - I've dropped mine a few times and no dents yet

Cons:

- Wide opening - I know that I put this in the pros, but I also spill a lot of water while trying to drink out of this

- Few designs and limited colors

- My roommate says that hers leaks, but I haven't had that problem

Tally:

Sigg: +3, -6

Klean Kanteen: +5, -3

And that is why I say that my Klean Kanteen is the winner.  I love it!

Picture That: Winner

Hi all,
I wanted to thank the few of you who entered into the giveaway contest.  Using Random.org, I'd like to congratulate Meri for winning the giveaway!
Meri, please send me an email with your shipping information (i.e. address) at your earliest convenience.

Everyone else, thank you for following!

Lengthen Your Lashes

Over the past few weeks I've been using Tarte's multiplEYE natural lash enhancer.  It is formulated without parabens, phthalates, sodium lauryl sulfate, and synthetic dyes and fragrances.

I'd wanted to try Revitalash or Latisse, but I couldn't really justify getting it.  I was scared of the reviews that claimed that using these products changed the color of your eye so who knows what else they could have done?  When Tarte came out with this product, I decided to give it a try.

My eyelashes are short and straight, but I definitely noticed growth after using this product.  It's a little pricey, at $65 for a tube that'll last about two months.

You definitely have to follow the directions exactly, so that means using it every day on clean eyelids, which was probably my downfall.  It also stings a little bit after application, but nothing terribly unpleasant.

So will I buy it again?  Probably not.  It did work for me, but it was hard for me to remember to put it on and failing to put it on clean eyelids meant that it wouldn't work.  However, if you know you're going to be diligent about it, it's definitely worth trying out.

Finally, I'd just like to remind all readers to enter into my giveaway!

Picture That: Giveaway

I am really excited to offer to my lovely readers my first ever sponsored giveaway!


This giveaway is hosted by CSN, which is comprised of over 200 online stores, where you can find everything from eco-friendly modern furniture to cookware.


Many of their websites have a "Go Green" link right at the top, letting shoppers know what items they're offering that are environmentally friendly.


I will be giving away one 16x16 piece of stretched wall art by Inhabit, which creates art from recycled polyester and comes ready to hang.  A lot of Inhabit's artwork is inspired by nature, with modern and artistic renditions of trees, bamboo, and grass.  I've chosen a modern interpretation of a coral reef in a gorgeous plum for one lucky follower.


To enter for a chance to win, become a follower (if you aren't already!) and let me know one way you're cutting down on your environmental impact this year.  This giveaway is limited to US residences only and the winner will be announced next week.

Getting Organized: Revisited

I thought that I had gotten organized before, when my brother pointed out that he couldn't tell the difference.


Granted, he is a boy and not accustomed to keeping all his eyeliner pencils in order, but I knew it was time to move on to a bigger organizer.


I ordered this Lipper International Bamboo Adjustable Drawer Organizer from Amazon and love it!  It can be used for office supplies too, but I think that it's perfect for my makeup.  It comes with some dividers built in, but 8 smaller dividers so you can customize the space for your personal needs.


Best of all, it's made out of bamboo, which is a quick growing grass - a renewable resource (when harvested responsibly)!

Freezing Hair

I've gone through three years of college without owning a hair dryer.  My roommates have always had them but I hated drying my hair because it was so time consuming and it gets just so hot - not to mention hair dryers consume a ton of energy.

I was at Target a few months ago looking for a lamp, and ended up with a hair dryer.  I hadn't planned on buying it, but I saw the "Eco" mode setting on this hair dryer, which promised to use less energy than a regular dryer and I was intrigued.  It has three add ons - a diffuser, a concentrator, and a beachwaver (shown in the above picture).

I have to say that I think all the different attachments will work better for someone who doesn't have naturally stick-straight hair.  I'm Asian, and my hair air dries straight - I can't even curl my hair without it becoming straight within a few hours, so most of the attachments left me with hair that virtually looked the same as if I had just dried it by hand.  I was, however, pleasantly surprised by the beachwaver, which left my hair tousled for the whole night.