Fun fitness Ideas

As a busy grad student, I don't always have the chance to go to the gym, especially here at UCLA where, now that the academic quarter has started, it is very busy and crowded.

When I'm done working a 12 hr day where I have just been running around all day, the last thing on my mind sometimes is working out (although I do feel guilty and wish I would just go to the gym), but dinner and sleep sound more appealing since I have to be up and about early the next day to continue my experiments. 

How to fit in working out?

Here is what I do (and I wear cute gym clothes to help me feel fabulous and stylish while working out, I have posted about these before):

I try to work out on the weekends. Since I hope that I wont be in lab on the weekend (unless needed), I tend to go to a fitness class on Saturday Mornings or, if I would like to sleep in (as is the case now), I will go for a run around the UCLA campus or go lift some weights (some type of upper body combination, either biceps and back, or shoulders and abs, or triceps and chest; I pick a combination that I feel like working out and go with it! I add about 20-30 min of cardio at the end.

On Sundays, I tend to work on legs (my fav day of workout), where I go in the early afternoon where it isn't as busy, and I can easily find a squat rack. I do weighted squats, wide squats, lunges, deadlifts, hamstring curls, and other various leg exercises. And then I get on the stairmaster and do that for 15 minutes. Man, is it a workout, you are sweating within 10 minutes and already feeling sore! 

If I decide I want to be outside, the boyfriend and I have recently started biking to Santa Monica by the beach - we rented bikes last week and it was so fun, that we decided we were going to buy our own bikes! I ended up buying a bike on Saturday and I am in love! Went and took it for a test drive yesterday, rode a total of 20 miles round trip from my apartment down to Santa Monica by the beach down to Manhattan beach and back to my apartment in West LA. It was awesome, fun, and I was able to be out in the sun. And its a hidden workout, since it works your legs and gives you a serious calorie burn!!! I am so sore this morning! 

Makeup palette galore - Maya Mia!

Happy Friday! TGIF! 

I've had a pretty stressful week at work, so glad it's the weekend! 

Recently I have been watching eye makeup tutorials on YouTube and I came across tutorials using this Maya Mia palette by Anastasia Beverly Hills. The looks were AMAZING! I did some searching and even went to sephora to try it out but they didn't have it in store, so after some thinking and more tutorials, I took the plunge and just ordered it online! Anyway, the looks that were created with it were amazing, AND it is rather "cheap" if I may say, at only $29.00 (compared to Urban Decay Naked palettes at $50+!). So I ordered it from Sephora and I finally received it in the post last night! Opened up this beautiful baby and can't wait to try it out! 

The shades are so beautiful and contain a mix of matte and shimmery shades that I can't wait to experiment with! A lot of other blogs have swatched these colors already so I'll leave it to them. 

I will start a makeup series of daily looks with this palette next week! Stay tuned! 

I have recently gotten into Anastasia Beverly Hills products, I purchased the Dip Brow pomade which is awesome to define your brows (again more on that later), and now they have started an entire line of eye shadow palettes based on make up artists from Instagram! This one is based off of Tanzanian makeup artist Maya Mia (and this palette is limited edition), but there are other palettes such as the Amrezy palette (can't find this to buy) and the Tamana palette. 

Casual Fall Fashion Easy Transition Work to Play

Recently, I have been working really long days (12 + hrs ) in lab, so  I have been wearing easy to transition clothes (such as a dress with leggings) and can easily wear out for drinks with friends or dinner. Here are some simple outfits, my main staples right now, dresses with leggings or long shirts with leggings and some flat boots!
What are your staples for this season?

- xo Andrea

Casual Fall Fashion Easy Transition Work to Play by andreah227 

Updos, Hairstyles and more

I decided to do a different type of post today, with a little more substance than just my outfits for the day! Today I will be talking about appropriate and easy hair styles you can wear in the lab!
I want to try each of these each day this week and will post the pictures in next week's Monday post! Or if you can't wait I will be posting each hairstyle on my Twitter (@vanillaxcupcake, link on left ) so follow me there!

Since the strict lab safety rules have been implemented at UCLA this past year, we not only have to wear flame resistant lab coats, closed toe shoes, pants, gloves, and goggles, but our hair needs to be securely fastened out of our face, so it doesn't catch on fire, especially if you have long hair (like me!)! Whenever I don't tie up my hair I notice it is in my face, in the way, and since I am touching chemicals with my gloves I can't really move my hair out of my face without getting some chemicals on it!

The way to solve this problem? Tie your hair up! BUT, it doesn't have to be a boring pony tail (this is my fall back, and the quickest way to just get your hair up and out of your face, and what I usually end up doing because I'm lazy).

Here is my schedule of hair styles for this week:

Back to School Fall Fashions

The new school year is starting next week and I am kinda bummed that summer is over. Time for classes and other commitments! But that doesn't mean you still can't be fashionable!
I came up with a bunch of things that I will be wearing this fall, that are still lab appropriate (hopefully this heat wave in LA goes away so it's more comfortable to wear pants!). I am all about the dark colors and blues this fall. Leggings are a staple in my wardrobe, so i can pair it with a flowy shirt, skirt, or dress and still be able to wear it to lab!
I also fell in LOVE with booties from Zara this weekend (the stiletto one, down below) but I couldn't spend 80$ on them because they're not as practical for me to wear to lab (although they still made the cut on this board, haha!). I'm all about the natural makeup while still looking stunning. This is what I normally wear to lab every day anyway as far as eye makeup (thanks to my Naked3 Palette)!

What do you think? What are you wearing this fall? Is there a staple to your wardrobe this fall?

xo - Andrea

Back to School Fall Fashions by andreah227