Hey everyone, 

Essences...what are they, what do they do, and why you'll grow to love them. Those three points are my main topics for this post today, and I hope that by the end of it you will be just as obsessed with them as I am! For my ladies who have never heard about essences, or my girls who need a little more advice on where to look, I hope you all can take away something from this post. 

What is an essence? 

An essence is a highly concentrated liquid that targets your skin's concern at a cellular level. Wait, what?! I know, it sounds wordy and, admittedly strange, but stay with me here. 

What can it do?

Unlike what you're probably thinking, it is not an item that can cover all of your bases. An essence is something to help your routine, not complete it. Although, arguably it is one of the more important steps, don't automatically read about all of the benefits and start thinking that all you need to do is apply some essence and you're good. An essence is a crucial step of skincare that can help target things such as: moisture, hydration, redness, dullness, wrinkles, and more.

Doesn't a serum do the same thing?

Contrary to what many people shrug off as being the same as a serum, or "close enough to", an essence simply does not work the same was as a serum. I can most certainly go into more detail on what a serum is, but let's stick to the focus here. While a serum is thicker than essences, the difference comes in the ingredients. An essence has strong ingredients that target a multitude of areas, whereas a serum has fewer, higher concentrated ingredients that only target specific problems. 

How do I apply an essence?

Essences are best followed up after your toner. I take a small amount in the palm of my hand and rub them together, warming up the liquid. Then I gently pat the essence on my skin and wait a few minutes for the product to absorb into my skin before proceeding. 

How do I know which essence to use?

This is likely to be the hardest part of your routine, as it always seems to be for mine. Finding the right product takes time, and research, but the fun comes in trying everything out. I have dry, sensitive skin that is prone to redness. For this reason, I often go back and fourth between using the DewyTree Cell Essence and The Essence by TATCHA. DewyTree's Essence focuses on flawless, dewy skin and the product itself is very light and has a very soothing affect on my skin. The TATCHA

essence is a plumping, skin softener with anti-aging properties that has a smell similar to Malibu Rum but absorbs quicker than the DewyTree.

So, what do you think? Have I done a good job of convincing you to try your hand at essences, or are you still a hesitant to add it to your routine? All questions are welcome; I will do my best to help you out! 

Hi everyone, 

Today I wanted to share some of my first impressions and thoughts of the current spring semester. I have never done a post like this before, so let me know if you like it and what you think! Would you like to see more of these posts in the future? Comments are open so leave me your thoughts below ↓↓↓

Historically, the spring semester has been my slowest, most uneventful ones. However, this time around I’ve decided to load up my plate and take much more than I’m used to. By this I mean I will be taking 18 credits, 6 classes, and will be hoping to God that I succeed. I’m taking 18 credits to hopefully make my last semester one of relaxation and one where I can be fully present with Hawaii and enjoy more of where I am. In the meantime, let me tell you a little bit about my classes...

Taking 18 credits is no joke, and I have quite a few thoughts about my classes and what they'll end up being like. For me, I'm much more of a traditional, pen-to-paper note taker where I can sit down for an hour, listen to my teacher lecture, and be on my merry way. For some reason, and probably because of the time we live in, all of my teachers are part of this wave of educators who prefer to be "creative" and "hands on" with their teaching. And let me tell you, I hate that style of teaching. Group work, group projects, multiple presentations, and the "I'm not going to talk much because that's not my job" attitude makes learning so much more harder for me. With two weeks under my belt, I've already found that I enjoy class a lot less when I don't have to keep sharing my thoughts.

Don't get me wrong, I understand why teachers do this. But to have all of my classes be taught this way is exhausting. I believe that teachers have the right to implement their own kind of teaching style, however I do wish that more teachers remained traditional in the pen-and-paper sense. 

Another tough concept to grasp is the lack of homework. Now, I don't mean to say that I end class every day with nothing to do, (quite the opposite, actually) but rather, all of my classes seem to be reading heavy and don't focus much on writing or testing. This makes me constantly feel like I'm forgetting to do something, and I also catch myself wondering, "Well if I don't understand the reading will I understand the class?" Turns out, if I don't understand the reading I likely won't understand the class. 

With all of this being said, we can move on now to more uplifting news. You guys already knew this, but I am extremely excited to be one semester closer to graduation! In this new season, I am going to be consistently reminding myself that it is okay not to rush through things (note: take time) and that things don’t have to be perfect to be good.

My new mantra for this semester is, “Surround yourself with people who deserve your magic.” I love this phrase and think it is such an important message to keep at the forefront of my mind. I know letter boards kind of took off this past year, and I won't lie, I kind of love them! You can purchase one similar to mine here. I've been switching out quotes every so often and finding that, when I place it in an easy-to-see place, I tend to start my day feeling more confident. 


I hope this has let you get a glimpse into my life these past few weeks. To end off, let me share some words of advice for this new semester: surround yourself with people who deserve your time and energy. Life (and the semester) is too short to be miserable with your company!

Hey everyone!

I can't believe how much time got away from me these past few weeks, it seems like I was just in Shanghai typing up blogposts for you and now I'm suddenly back in Hawaii starting the spring semester of my junior year!

First, I think it's good for me to reflect on the fall semester abroad. This would sort-of bring, to all of us, a sense of closure and allow me to more eloquently begin my postings regarding the spring. I want to, however, wait until I am in a better place academically before doing so. If you are interested in seeing a little bit more behind-the-scenes, I will leave a link to my instagram HERE where you can catch up on anything you might have missed. Carrying on...

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Boy, is it good to be back! Being back in Hawaii feels so good, and it's not just because I can go around wearing shorts and not freeze to death, but mainly because I am back near the ocean and back in my element. After a busy winter break, consisting of 4 flights, three hotels, and numerous hours lost in TSA lines, I am breathing easy knowing that I'm back home for another few weeks.

Unlike last year, the weather here has been great. I distinctly remember weeks going by with just gray, cloudy skies. Well, needless to say there's only been one day similar to that, and all the rest have been bright and sunny. I cannot wait to get back to soaking up the sun at the beach.

This semester is my second to last semester here at UH, and I'm sure you're all going to think I'm crazy for taking 18 credits this spring, but truth be told it doesn't feel like I'm almost done. I think that by taking so many credits I'm almost forgetting that I will be done with school in a few months. 

Over the next few months I hope to bring you all around Oahu with me, as I will be making numerous trips to beaches, farmers markets, and more. Who's excited?! I know I am. 

Until next time,