What's the Deal With "No-Makeup Selfies" & Why You Should Do One For Yourself

There have been a lot of no makeup selfies cropping up around social media recently. Just last week I was tagged on Facebook by a friend who wanted me to participate. It didn't take me long to decide to do it, but maybe it wasn't for the right reasons... 

I had no idea that many of these no makeup selfies cropping up had to do with Cancer Research UK's campaign to raise money for Breast Cancer. The theory is you can raise awareness and gather donations by women posting pictures of themselves barefaced, encouraging people to donate and pass it on. Apparently the theory works, according to the BBC over 2 million has been raised. That's nothing to turn one's nose up at!

Confessions of an Insomniac: Natural Sleep Tips

As a self proclaimed insomniac (yes the real kind, not the "I like to stay up at night" kind) I know a thing or two about trying to wind down and shut my brain off in order to get a good night's rest.

Some say that insomniacs are highly intelligent individuals who just can't stop the wheels in their heads from turning (cool right?) but the truth is, not getting a good enough sleep is really dangerous, especially for those of us who suffer from this at a young age. A New Study Out Recently From Taiwan shows that insomniacs have a greater chance of having a stroke than those who get a good sleep every night. Insomniacs are also at greater risks for diseases such as diabetes, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol.

It's easy to become an insomniac when you're in the midst of college or university and you stay up late trying to get all those papers and assignments done last minute.

But enough with the why's and the statistics. Today I am going to share with you some of my favourite tips for winding down the mind and hopefully getting some decent shut eye. I like to follow a routine. I find that most insomniacs (in my experience; yes it's different for everyone) lack a lot of routine in their lives and often can never get on a good sleep schedule but for me, creating a little routine before bed (regardless of when I am going to sleep that night) helps my body and brain to understand that it is time to shut off.

Tip # 1: Take a Warm Shower


Image Courtesy of www.ideachampions.com 

Taking a warm shower, for me, is very relaxing and sets the scene for my next few tips. The warm water temperature is very calming and soothing. I like to use my Nivea Harmony Time Shower Cream which has a wonderful Rose and Almond scent that is very calming.



After, I get out of the shower, I don't like to be awake for more than 2 hours because I find that once I go past the 2 hour mark, I loose my "sleepiness" and insomnia kicks in again.

Style Icon Saturdays By Cate: Featuring Grace Kelly

Anyone who knows me knows that I love Grace Kelly. I distinctly remember being in the 10th grade in Photography class and looking through a book of famous photographs and coming across a photograph of Grace Kelly and thinking to myself that the was one of the most classically beautiful women I had ever seen.

This is the photograph that started it all:

Image Courtesy of www.glamasia.com

Grace, like so many other classic hollywood beauties, embodied style and well, grace. Her looks are so timeless and elegant. I feel like everything that women like Grace or Audrey wore over 50 years ago is still as beautiful and as timeless as the first time they put it on. 

Here are just some of my favourite parts of Grace Kelly's iconic style. 

Her "To Catch a Thief" Dress

Image Courtesy of www.indlugy.com

To this day I swear, if I ever get married I would wear a dress like this. It is so beautiful and classic. It fits like a glove and is romantic. 

Divergent - Dual Book & Movie Review

I watched the movie Divergent first before reading the novel (against true English major and book worm fashion; oh the horror!), as I did with the Hunger Games. I have to say, unlike the Hunger Games, a movie which really drew me in, the pull for Divergent was basically non-existant. This may be against popular opinion, but I left the movie feeling kind of "meh" about the whole thing. That being said, I still wanted to read the book(s) because of the "too much to put in with too little time" deal that often happens with book to movie transitions.

I think I went in expecting another Hunger Games- a powerful, emotional, dystopian story that hits you right in the feelings, but what I got was empty and hollow.

I'm not sure what was wrong with movie exactly, but I have a couple of theories. It could be, perhaps, that Shailene Woodley who plays Tris, despite holding her own in The Descendants, was unable to bring the same enthralling performance to this movie. I don't think she quite conveyed the strength and power that one needs to embody in order to pass as a member of Dauntless, though she did quite well as playing a meek member of Abnegation. But I can't entirely blame her, disconnect is prevalent in the movie. There is no spark between Triss and Four, despite Four being pretty darn cute. Even Kate Winslet's acting as Erudite leader Jeanine Matthews, is lacklustre and formulaic (and I can barely stand to say anything negative about my dear Kate!). I don't blame the actors themselves, it is likely what they had to work with, the script and the way the movie came together that made for a film that fell by the wayside. Diverent was disappointing in the way that it was nothing particularly special.

Four, played by actor Theo James.
Photo courtesy of People

But now... the book!