January 2019 – Life with Ariana

Binge Worthy Netflix Shows YOU NEED TO WATCH// 2019

January 30, 2019January 30, 2019Lifestyle, Uncategorized6 Comments

Hello everyone, I hope you all are having a fantastic day so far. Currently in the Chicagoland area, we are experiencing freezing temperatures, with the wind chill it currently feels like (-45 ℉) 😬, so to all my Chicago peeps, please keep warm and safe! However, last year I wrote a post on must-watch Netflix shows (2018), so I figured I’d update everyone on new shows I’ve watched within in the past year. All of the following shows, happen to be Netflix Originals and they are all my favorites. I tried to include a variety, so that there is at least one show that appeals to you, (however there are no horror shows that I have watched entirely, so I apologize to all my spooky lovers). take out the snacks, and prepare for the Netflix marathon that awaits you!

YOU: This dark and mildly romantic thriller will keep you intrigued and addicted to keep on watching.

Synopsis: A bookstore manager (Joe) becomes instantly infatuated with a woman (Beck) who walks into his store, he soon becomes very obsessive and goes out to extreme lengths to be apart of her life, doing no matter what he has to do to make that happen.

Why you’ll love it: As more begins to unfold throughout the series, the mystery begins about who Joe really is, and he’s not the person Beck believes he his.

Sex Education: For those that like raunchy comedies with some heartfelt content, then this is for you.

Synopsis: Takes place in modern-day Great Britain. Otis is a young teen virgin, who seems to know a lot about sex problems, maybe because his mom is a sex guru. However, when him and the school’s tough gal Maeve both meet, they decide to make some extra cash by creating a sex therapy clinic on the down-low to help their classmates sexual issues.

Why you’ll love it: It’s a masterpiece that touches on all aspects of sex, through all genders and orientations, we see genuine humor and content that everyone can relate to in some way. (And hey, you learn a little about sex ed too!)

Master of None: This witty comedy is perfect for those who are young and confused about what they want.

Synopsis: 30-year-old Dev lives in the great New York City, he’s at the age where he’s struggling with what he wants in his life, both personally and professionally with his career. Throughout the show, it glimpses through Dev’s past and we see the important roles his friendships play in his life.

Why you’ll love it: This comedy is very realistic and is the epitome of millennial culture.

Love: A quirky Rom-Com that fulfills both a comedial and romantic standpoint perfectly.

Synopsis: Two millennials both recently become single. When they coincidentally meet and befriend each other, they develop a friends-with-benefits type of relationship, until they realize that they both feel more for one another.

Why you’ll love it: These two seem like polar opposites, however they may just have one of the best relationships.

Atypical: A heartfelt, authentic comedy, that glances in the life of someone living with autism.

Synopsis: Teenager Sam is on the autism spectrum, he decides that he wants to find a romantic connection, however he needs to learn how to be more independent, which causes his helicopter mom, to make changes in her lifestyle. Sam and his family learn how to adjust to these new changes and each experience challenges in their way of navigating life.

Why you’ll love it: This sincere show, gives you an understanding of autism, by both through the person with autism and those close to the person with autism.

Everything Sucks!: A quirky coming-of-age series, that takes a different perspective on high school.

Synopsis: It’s 1996 in the town of Boring, Oregon. Boring High School’s two clubs, AV and drama clubs decide to team up to create a short film production, that will help them get more recognition throughout the school. Of course, teenage romance issues take place, especially between the two main characters.

Why you’ll love it: The humorous show sharply touches on what goes through the minds of many teenagers throughout high school, from both a seriousness and comical view-point.

I hope you all enjoyed this post, and hopefully check out one of these shows. Even if they do not call your attention at first, I highly recommend giving them a shot. Comment down below which Netflix Original you’re most interested in watching! 💻

If you enjoyed this post then do not forget to like it and please subscribe with your email in the sidebar, to be notified of new posts through your email, (be sure to confirm subscription in email).

talk to you all next Wednesday, ariana. ♡

Check out my last post: Everything you need to know about going Cruelty-free/// Why I went Cruelty-free.

Connect with me on my social media: Instagram//Facebook//VSCO//Poshmark//Buy Me A Coffee//

Everything you need to know about going Cruelty-free/// Why I went Cruelty-free.

January 23, 2019January 30, 2019Beauty, cruelty-free1 Comment

Hello all, I hope everyone is doing well. Today’s post is going to be on why I decided to go cruelty-free in my beauty routine. This has been a post I’ve been wanting to do for quite some time, in regards to explain why I am now cruelty-free and refuse to use beauty products tested on animals.

I started my cruelty-free journey back in late 2016, I started to become more aware of which brands were marked as cruelty-free, I began checking the ingredients of products, and researching into brands that did not have any sign of being cruelty-free. Thankfully, there are a good amount of beauty brands that are dedicated to being cruelty-free, however through my research I had also found that many brands I would have thought would be cruelty-free were not. Also I came to the realization that there are still many brands that test on animals.

Not going to lie, for some of my favorite products that were from brands that tested on animals, it was difficult finding a replacement, however I was dedicated to doing my research and finding a better product that was 100% cruelty-free even if it took some time.

I am strongly passionate and committed to being cruelty-free, making the switch is not very difficult, and I hope more people can come to the realization of the harm committed on these innocent animals when you support brands that test on animals. As a disclaimer, in no way am I trying to persuade people to stop buying from these brands, I just wanted to share my reasons as to why I choose to switch to only cruelty-free products.

Reasons why I decided to go Cruelty-free:

No animal should have cosmetics or any type of product tested on them.
It makes me suspicious as to what are companies hiding in their products, that they feel the need to test them on animals first, and then humans. (Are there chemicals in these products, that may react differently on an animal than human?)
Typically CF brands are more dedicated to more natural, eco-friendly, organic, or sometimes even vegan products.
CF brands often use cleaner ingredients, in regards to unknown chemicals.
Support ethical beauty brands.
These laboratory animals, are innocent creatures that deserve better.
Animal testing is cruel and inhumane.
There is no need to test products on animals, it’s unnecessary and there are alternative ways.
Going CF is better for the environment.
In the long run it is ethically, morally, and healthier to make the switch to a cruelty-free lifestyle.

How do you know is a product is cruelty-free?

Typically when a product is CF it will be certified through one of the organizations of PETA’s Beauty without Bunnies, Cruelty-free International’s Leaping Bunny, or Choose Cruelty Free (CCF). Each of these organizations has a CF bunny logo, however since not every company can afford this licensing fee, some brands may not have their products labeled. Even if brands, claim their products are cruelty-free, we cannot assume that they are unless they are certified by one of these organizations.

What are some cruelty-free brands?

Skincare brands:

Yes To
Burt’s Bees
Trader Joe’s
Lush
Pacifica
Glossier
Thayers
JASÖN

Makeup brands:

Tarte
Too Faced
Nyx cosmetics
Wet n Wild
The Balm cosmetics
Urban Decay
It cosmetics
Morphe
Colourpop
Anastasia Beverly Hills

Since starting this journey, I can now say that my beauty routine is fully cruelty-free, from my makeup, to my shower staples, and even toothpaste. I have incorporated this CF switch to other aspects of my life such as cleaning products. I hope that this year I can start to only use solely based CF products in all areas of my life from personal hygiene, to laundry detergent, and other household products.

Thank you for reading as to why I chose to make the switch to a cruelty-free beauty routine. I will be having more cruelty-free posts in the near future, from brand reviews, to routines, and my favorite cruelty-free picks. (As a side note, I will be posting on my blog every Wednesday, since that day will work best with my schedule once I start my spring semester.)

talk to you all next Wednesday, ariana. ♡

Check out my last post: My First Semester in College

Connect with me on my social media: Instagram//Facebook//VSCO//Poshmark//Buy Me A Coffee//

My First Semester in College

January 15, 2019January 15, 2019college life, Lifestyle4 Comments

Hello everyone, I am back with a new blog post as promised. For today’s post, I will be talking about a general overview of my experience during my first semester in college. A huge part of why I was not blogging for months, was because I had started college and I was adjusting to the college life. However going forward when I start the spring semester, I am planning on continuing with my blog, by posting once weekly.

I will not be enclosing what school I go to as of now, for safety reasons, however I am from the Chicagoland area and I do attend school not very far from my house, at a Liberal Arts College. I did choose to dorm on campus, to really engage myself in the college experience and to practice independence.

The day I moved into my dorm was such a blur, I remember feeling heighten emotions of anxiousness, surprise, and excitement. From where I was the first half of 2018, going and starting college was a massive change from everything I had been used to. The main feeling I felt, was that this was unbelievable, I am no longer living at home, I’m away from my family, and I am starting this new chapter of my life alone at college. Orientation was great though, I participated in this pre-orientation program, before my school’s main orientation, and it helped me meet new people and feel more comfortable in the environment before transitioning to a larger group setting.

The biggest adjustment at college was definitely living in the dorms. I live in a quad, so I have three other roommates, and living with strangers is difficult, you have to open up, and thankfully we all did and become close later on. The cafeteria food is alright, although after two weeks, I got real sick of the food and just wanted a home cooked meal. The most difficult aspect of living in a dorm, was the whole bathroom situation, my dorm building has communal bathrooms and man was that an adjustment, for others it’s not too bad, but something I miss is the luxury of my bathroom at home and the privacy I had, although it is part of the college experience.

As far as classes go, they are way better than in high school without a doubt. I took an english composition course, my freshman year seminar which was about gender and college experience, and an intro to psychology course. I was also enrolled in a math class, however I ended up dropping that class (a story for another time). My classes were very good for the most part, I had the best professors and I was so thankful to have made friends in each of my classes. It’s very nice having a different schedule every day, having time in between classes to relax and go back to your dorm or to chill in the main lounge and get some work done.

Overall, college has opened me up to so much more, I have met many cool people, I have gotten out of my comfort zone, took risks, and have gotten involved in campus life. There has been some struggles throughout the semester, where I had wanted to move back home or felt alone, but I pushed through it, like most students. I appreciate the pretty great moments I had with friends, the laughs that I had not felt in years, and the one-time opportunities I partaken in.

I hope you enjoyed reading a bit about how my first semester at college went. I am planning on starting a college series on my blog, where I write about a variety of aspects of college life, so if you have requests as to what you would like to see, then comment them down below!

talk to you soon, ariana. ♡