The thing about naps…

...is that for me, it's like waking up from an extended trip to hell and back. After having a discussion with a coworker about our mutual distaste for napping, I felt that sharing my bad experiences might help me move forward in my nap-less life.

Let me preface this by saying, I wake up in the morning based solely on the fact that there is coffee to drink. That, in its own, should be the first indication that I do not fare well with routine morning tasks. Regardless of weather it's rise and shine at nine or a nap in the afternoon, some rather strange things happen to my body during this time. I know that your heart rate slows when you sleep, this happens to everyone. But for me, it feels like my heart rate slows to an abnormal rate. This is what I believe to be the root cause of my problem. The slowed heart rate means a decreased number of breaths and in turn, a lack of oxygen is supplied to my brain. Upon waking, my face is flushed and feels like an inferno is taking place somewhere inside of my head. I can't speak; any sound that does manage to come out is mere gibberish followed by a lot of groaning. My muscles feel like I've ran 6 straight marathons and I find myself usually rolling (ever so gracefully) out of bed. Then there is that awful feeling of trying to pry my eyes open while at the same time trying to spare them the obnoxious glow of the light.

For the next 20 minutes I sit in silence, drink my coffee and usually attempt to beat level 33 of Candy Crush (day 4 and still no progress on that one). Studies say that power napping has countless benefits including enhanced creativity, decreased stress levels and improved motor skills, so I truly wish it wasn't such a hassle for me to wake up, as I'd love to benefit from all of those lovely things. 

None of this would be too much of a problem if it were not for the invention of movies. This leads me to my second dilemma. If it's anywhere past 8:00 PM and you put a movie on, I am going to fall asleep and that is a solid fact. Movies = nap time. It took me almost three days to finish watching Finding Forrester. 

- Lyss

Beauty | L'OREAL Rouge Caresse

Lately I've been really into lipstick and lip butters and have started testing out a few different ones to see which ones I prefer. I've had this one for quite some time but I use it almost daily. The L'OREAL Rouge Caresse product line is available in about 13 different shades ranging from a beige to fuchsia. I much prefer a lighter or more neutral colour at this point so I had purchased it in 01 Fashionista Pink. 

The marketing imagery on the L'OREAL website makes it seem much more prominent on your lips but in reality, its very translucent when it goes on. Unlike wearing a bold red, I like this one because I can put it on without needing a mirror or worrying too much about it bleeding out. Although I'd prefer if it was more opaque, it certainly goes on light-weight and it's low maintenance. You could pretty much substitute this for lip balm because of how soft and moisturizing it is, which also keeps it from getting dried out and flaky on your lips. Overall, it's a good product but i'll probably opt for the 504 Nude & Cute shade next time around.

 

My Rating:    

- Lyss 

Stick To 3 Colours

On a less serious note from yesterdays post, I want to start sharing some of my go-to outfits for a simpler means of fashion. Referring back to the "minimalist" approach, I'm constantly looking for simple pieces that tie in nicely with one another and dressed up with a few statement pieces. Since my office does not have a strict business dress code, I normally opt for a more business-casual look. Something that says I put in some effort to look nice, but not too much effort. There is a fine line between trying, and trying too hard, which I have definitely fell victim too on more than one occasion.

This first outfit is one of my favourites. Black and gold work so well together in a nearly effortless classic look. The best part about black is that it goes well with almost any colour, and I love the coral tee with the black and gold. I would have to say anything more than 3 colours in one outfit might be a little too much for my personal taste, so I try to keep it near that range. 

Rummaging through my closet, I noticed that the majority of my clothes are black. It's certainly an easy colour to work with but also incredibly slimming. WARNING: Be mindful of the amount of black you are wearing in one outfit, especially for you ladies who have dark hair and fair skin like myself. You could find yourself slowly morphing into Morticia Addams (Exhibit A).

Exhibit A

More to come soon!

- Lyss

Progression

Imagine yourself in deep state of REM. You've begun dreaming. Images and ideas are intertwined and convoluted to a point of absurdity. Your dream morphs into a long, deserted highway and you are alone, biking down the yellow line in the centre. In the distance you see something. It is something memorable that brings a wave of nostalgia over you, yet something that you've longed for your entire life and have never had the pleasure of deeming your own. Consciously, you start pedalling the bike faster to reach your target at the end of the long, desolate road.  

As you continue, objects begin to appear near the edges of the highway. They're accomplishments, memories and experiences filled with both joy and remorse. With every passing recollection you slowly approach the end of the highway. The desire to reach the end builds so greatly inside of you that you've become inpatient and ignorant to the processes happening around you. The progression towards the end of the highway has ceased. 

You are stuck half way and no matter how hard or fast you pedal you are no longer moving. Every breath you take becomes more rapid and your heart beats frantically wanting to escape entirely from your body. 

This is anxiety. 

Panic finds its sweet place of residance inside of you and you've now started to question every one of those memories that you see passing by. Was it enough? How could I have done it better? Was that the right decision? 

And so, this is where I find myself. I am stuck in this hypothetical dream struggling to find my progression to the end. I'm not moving backwards and yet not excelling in anything in particular. Stuck and surrounded in an abundance of mediocrity. 

-Lyss