Hello lovelies!

First off, these are, by far, my favorite videos to watch on YouTube. I could spend hours on hours watching people talk about what they carry every day in their purse. Don't ask me why. I guess it's just that nosy fascination to see if that person has an holy grail product that they cannot leave the house without and you're missing out.

It also does not help that my favorite fashion item is and always has been bags. I am obsessed with handbags and I am always on the hunt for that perfect bag to add to my collection. This Christmas, I received my very first designer handbag, a Louis Vuitton Speedy 25 and I thought it would be perfect timing to do a blog post!

These are the items I cannot leave the house without:

1. Phone (iPhone 6) Because of course, I can't go anywhere without my phone!
2. Phone Charger I always keep my charger with me just in case. 
3. Earphones I just bought a new phone so I am determined to keep these earphones in the case, untangled!
4. Agenda (Kate Spade) I love staying organized and I am old fashioned in that I love writing things down. This agenda is perfect for keeping up with meetings, work, classes, etc.
5. Pen Because what am I going to write in my agenda with? Plus, having a pen is always handy.
6. Gum (Orbit Sweet Mint) Sometimes if I need an afternoon pick me up, I chew a piece of gum and it makes me feel instantly better. Sometimes little things like that can help you get through that 2 o'clock funk.
7. Floss Who likes having food in their teeth? haha
8. Wallet (Michael Kors) Of course I need a wallet to keep my ID, cards, and cash.
9. Hand Lotion (Soap & Glory) This dry winter season does not do my skin any good so I always keep lotion with me to moisturize. Hand Food from Soap and Glory is my favorite.
10. Lip Balm (Baby Lips) I cannot leave the house without lip balm and the regular Baby Lips is my ultimate favorite.
11. Oil Blotting Sheets (Neutrogena) I tend to get shiny in the afternoon so I always like to keep these in my bag to blot.
12. Hand Sanitizer Can't spread them germs!
13. Umbrella I live in Central New York where the weather goes from sun to snow in a matter of minutes. Always good to be prepared!
14. Nail File/Clippers I don't think there is a worse feeling in the world than when you break a nail and do not have a file or nail clippers to take care of it.
15. Sunglasses (Ray-Bans) Love these for sunny days.
16. Perfume I happened to receive some travel-sized perfumes for Christmas so if I use one of those, I keep it in my bag. If I only have the full sized bottle, I don't bother carrying that.
17. Feminine Products No matter which bag I am carrying and no matter what time of the month, I always, ALWAYS make sure I have some sort of feminine product with me at all times. You. Never. Know. 
18. Tissues I have allergies so I always need these!
19. Ibuprofen For headaches or pains throughout the day.
20. Neosporin I keep this just in case I get a cut or burn or in the case of extreme dry skin.
21. House/Car keys I need to get back into my house, don't I?! 
22. Q-Tips To touch up any makeup.
23. Bandaids I lived in New York this summer and if there is anything I learned, it's to keep Bandaids with you for blisters from your oh-so-cute but not-so-comfortable shoes. I usually keep a regular Bandaid for any random cuts and a blister Bandaid for any shoe incidents.
24. Makeup Bag


• Concealer (NARS) This is my favorite concealer to date. I carry it in my bag for touch ups throughout the day/after blotting.
• Powder (Rimmel) To apply after blotting! This powder is so inexpensive and a makeup staple of mine.
• Lip of the Day (MAC Rebel & Magenta Lip Liner) Right now I am SO into bold lips and Rebel from MAC is one of my all-time favorites.

And all of that and more can fit into this great bag! Leave a comment below and tell me what you can't leave the house without! Talk to you soon!

Xo,

Nat

My Accutane Experience (Before & After Photos)

Hello, lovely bloggers!

Happy New Year! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday season, I know I'm very bummed it's over. Can I just keep my Christmas tree up? Would you judge? 

But it's a new year and for many it means making some self changes and resolutions. For me last year, it was to obtain clear skin.

Acne does not get the credit it deserves when it comes to how negatively it affects your life. I have always, ALWAYS had skin problems. I first got acne when I was about 9 years old and I have been on every medication, pill, topical cream, gel, you name it, ever since. Finally, my dermatologist recommended Accutane as a last resort. At this point, I had had acne for over ten years and I was ready to just get rid of it already. I had a few reservations about the side effects and the controversy surrounding the medicine (which I will get into later) but ultimately, my desire for clear skin surpassed my fears. 

To take Accutane, two different forms of birth control are required. This is because if a woman were to become pregnant while on Accutane, it may cause birth defects on the infant. This was my scariest concern: if I were to become pregnant later, off of the medicine, would my child have birth defects? My dermatologist assured me that once it is out of my system, it no longer has that effect. My two forms of birth control were the pill and male condoms. Others may include IUDs, female condoms, etc. 

To begin the process, I needed to have blood work done to obtain baseline levels. Accutane can affect different things like cholesterol (which I personally had to watch closely throughout my experience). I also needed to take a pregnancy test and start/continue my birth control. I say continue because we needed to have on record that I took a pregnancy test and was on the pill for one month before I actually started Accutane. 

One month later, I returned to the dermatologist. I had blood work done and had to take another pregnancy test. You will start to see a pattern here. Once all was cleared, I began a low dose of Accutane. 

If you begin Accutane, do not be scared by the packaging. It had "FEMALE PATIENTS DO NOT GET PREGNANT" and symbols like this all over it:

Very intimidating, but do not be scared, it is only meant for your safety. 

The first thing I noticed was dryness, which is the most common side effect and was warned by my dermatologist. My lips were chapped and dry but what stood out to me was my nostrils were very dry. However, a positive side effect was that my hair did not become as greasy as quickly. I thoroughly enjoyed not having to wash my hair everyday. Not even every other day. This is probably gross to admit but I could have probably went a good week without having to wash my hair. << Favorite part of Accutane, besides the clearing skin part, of course. 

After a month on Accutane, I returned to the dermatologist for my monthly check up. Again, I needed blood work and to take a pregnancy test. My dermatologist increased my dosage slightly and recommended a simple nasal spray to moisturize my nose.  

I began to notice my skin clearing after about two months and it became near-perfectly clear after about five months. This may seem like a long duration, but after ten years, I was grateful to see clear skin. 

I finished my dosage after nine months but had to continue my birth control and do blood work one last time a month after I was officially off of the medication. Fast forward to three months later, I had a check up last month. My skin is still clear and my blood work looks like Accutane did not affect other health aspects. 

I could not be happier with the results from Accutane. If you suffer from acne and have tried everything, I highly, highly recommend you ask your dermatologist about Accutane. (I am fully aware I sound like an infomercial right now). I had been on everything from Proactiv to prescription topicals and pills, and nothing provided results like Accutane. The dryness side effect was nothing compared to the years of low self esteem from my skin. 

Here are some before and after photos if you still do not believe me. I have nothing but good words about Accutane but if you have any questions, please do not hesitate to leave a comment below!

Before: (Absolutely none of these photos were edited in any way)

After:

Like, is this stuff real?!?!

Hope you guys have a lovely week and Happy PLL Day!!

Xo,

Nat