jobs and grown up life

how's it going everyone?

as some of you may know i've been rather unsuccessfully searching for a job. i thought i wouldn't have any problems finding one seeing as all the university students have left for school and high school students are at school during the days. but it seems i was wrong with that assumption. WHERE HAVE ALL THE JOBS GONE!?

i'm still on the search but in the mean time i'm literally doing nothing productive during the days. my parents are cool with it and say it's actually a great opportunity for me to sit and think about what i actually want to do for the rest of my life since most people my age don't have that opportunity. my sister for example didn't go to university but got a job at my mom's work as a general admin. right out of high school. she's worked her way up to office manager which is amazing but she is really unhappy at her job! it pays her bills but she wishes she had gone to university or college so that she would have had more opportunities to try something different. she also moved out at 16 and has had two homes, mortgages, and other such bills to pay for which i never really experienced. when i left for school i was 18 and i came home to visit rather often and my school bills were basically payed for through a scholarship and my granddad's help (thanks granddad!). my sister had help from my granddad for her houses as well since that wouldn't be fair if i got money for school and she didn't. but it was still a struggle for her to stay afloat. it is just funny to see how our different choices have put us in such different places right now. the funnier thing is, we're both jealous of each other right now! i wish i had a job to make some moolah and she wishes she wasn't working so she could test the waters with different job options. although my parents are cool with this, i think my grandparents are panicking a bit haha they're concerned for what my future is going to look like (40 year old me living in my mom's basement is probably what's floating around their heads). so, that, my sister should be thankful she doesn't  have to deal with.

a couple days ago i actually had a great entrepreneurial idea. it's a secret for now though muahaha;) anyways i've been like a mad scientist in my kitchen experimenting with different things. if it turns out, which hopefully it does, then i'll share it with you guys. i hope to sell it when it's perfected:)

stay cheeky!

twitter handle

hey guys!

for frequent updates of what's going on in my life or just for some of the random thoughts floating around this noggin of mine, add me on twitter!

@alexandra_allan

how to make your hair dye last longer

so, as some of you may know, i reverse ombre-ed my locks a week or so ago and i loved it! well, actually i still do, but i have a little problem...it's almost all washed out! i was warned by my hairdresser that red hair is actually the hardest to dye because of it's bright colour, bright highlights and just it's over-all red tone! apparently it just doesn't like to hold on to dye. *sigh*

anyways, i'm pretty cheesed that it's basically washed out in only 6 days seeing as it was done with permanent dye! i was hoping my hair would hold it's colour. of course, i can go back to my hairdresser and try it again but she's pretty busy and i'm pretty poor...post university problems :/ so i've been sort of bummed about that but i now know that i have to do certain things if i want my hair to keep it's new colour for when i get it done again next time!

here are my tips to have your hair dye last longer:

1. don't wash your hair as often. however, if you are like me, that's not really an option. i have extremely greasy hair. i can shower in the morning and my hair will be greasy by 5pm. it's horrible. i've always been that way though so don't tell me it's because i shower too often, that's a myth my friends--greasy people need to shower daily. but i have a semi-solution to this problem, try using baby powder or spray in shampoo like batiste to buy yourself an extra day. or just wear your hair up and hope no one comments on your unwashed hair :).

2. wash your hair with cold or tepid water.

3. use colour enhancing shampoos or shampoos that protect dyed hair.

4. use hair dyes that have little or no red tone to them, those are the ones that wash out fastest! (that includes auburn and warm browns).

5. use permanent dye not semi or demi permanent they won't last very long at all.

stay cheeky!

20 few things travel has taught me

1. walking is the best way to explore some place new. your feet can bring you to many cool places that a car can't. it's also good exercise.

2. the popular "must-sees" around the world are great, but it's the places that nobody talks about that are cooler.

3. if your bag is so heavy you can't lift it, you have a problem. only pack what you need, odds are you probably won't wear half the clothes you packed!

4. bartering with someone is a skill. a skill you should learn.

5. people hearing about your travels are as inspired by them as they are envious. just remember that.

6. sleeping on airport floors is gross and extremely uncomfortable but you gotta do what you gotta do sometimes. who knows it could be more comfortable than the bed you may get in your hotel room.

7. postcards may seem lame, but trust me, anyone who receives one will love it and probably keep it forever. it's the thought that counts!

8. try and learn the language of the place you're staying in. you don't have to be fluent but it can really help you out if you get lost, are ordering food or just trying to say a friendly hello.

9. write about everyday. believe me, there are some things you forget, no matter how fun they were in the moment!

10. you'd be surprised how small the world actually is.

11. go with the flow, don't let anything stress you out. everything always turns out.

12. if a street performer made you stop and stare, they deserve a couple bucks.

13. deep fried cactus is actually pretty good. slimy but good. but then again, everything deep fried is good.

14. be careful of the water where you are. it can mean sickness if you're not careful.

15. always carry snacks.

16. coconut water is like water of the gods. it can cure anything. it will give you diarrhea if you have too much though.

17. lose your passport, you're fucked. guard it with your life.

18. home sickness comes as fast as it goes.

19. sunscreen is a necessity.

20. celebrate always.

10 travel tips

1. pack lightly-- if you can get on a flight without having to check your luggage, that's a major plus!

2. bring a refillable water bottle and be sure to carry it with you everywhere, you never know how long you'll be without seeing a place to buy or get some water.

3. bring your camera everywhere and pack loads of batteries!

4. suncreen is your friend.

5. make sure you have more than one bathing suit, it's just better to have two, trust me.

6. wear comfortable footwear.

7. sleep as much as you can whenever you can.

8. grab a little souvenir from every place you go, and when i say little i mean little. grab something like a cool rock or buy a small button from a local shop, you can make cool travel memory boxes with these! (i collect buttons personally, i have a backpack absolutely covered)

9. talk to as many locals as you can, they're usually friendly, and always have the best advice for local places to eat and sights to check out. or, they could just be an interesting person to talk to!

10. try and see and do every single thing that you can when you're there, you never know if you'll be back again!

contests!

don't be fooled by the title of this post, i am not doing a contest for you guys just yet. but i've come to realize lately that my blog which i sort of started off as and hoped to be a beauty blog has turned into more of a travel blog, which i personally think fits me better since i travel lots and i love to blog about it. so i thought what i am about to talk to you all about is quite fitting for a travel blog! one of my friends just entered this contest run by Free and Easy Traveler called "100 day giveaway" on facebook and i thought it looked pretty rad. they're giving away 100 days of travel to a lucky winner and you can pick from a number of places like Indonesia, Peru, Thailand and Greece! *hearts in my eyes* so here's the thing, when you enter you get this url and if people click on it to enter as well, it gives you more chances to win, pretty sick, right? so i thought i'd post it on here for all of my lovely cc readers to check out and enter as well ;) and then get your own url's and post those on your facebook, twitter, and possibly blogs if you chose! it's free, why not enter?

here's my url
https://fnez.com/dream-trip/9ol2yfvd1qb37ch8

if you enter through my url thank you so much and good luck!

stay cheeky!

new hair

what's going on cheeky chatters?

on saturday i went to get my hair done for the first time in a year...i know, gross. i had been thinking about doing something a little different with my hair since i haven't really done anything fun with it in years. when this whole ombre fad became popular it intrigued me. i love the way it looks and it's a style i could do on my ginger hair. i've always wanted to dye my hair but knew that i just wouldn't be able to deal with the up-keep of constantly dying my orange roots. ombre has no up-keep which is sweet. so, i have been going back and forth for the past two weeks deciding whether or not to go with the ombre or to just leave my hair the way it is. but also if i did end up doing ombre, would i do dark or light on the ends. i looked on the internet for pictures to see what either would look like and i honestly had so much trouble finding either! especially pictures with dark on the ends. so, at the last minute, after talking with my hair dresser i decided i wanted to do reverse ombre. not only because i felt like blonde on my ends would make my gingerness stand out more but also because i really haven't seen reverse ombre on anyone, and i like being the person who takes something popular but changes it slightly to make it unique ;). i also had my younger sister beside me getting BLUE put in her hair, so i felt like maybe i should be a little more adventurous like her haha anyways this is how my hair turned out!

i love it, it's so different from what i'm used to but i like the change! it's just what i was hoping it'd look like so props to my hairdresser, she's awesome. 

excuse my horribly messy dresser...

here's another picture to give you a better look at it. what do you guys think of it? i want to hear your honest opinions!

beautiful flower

also my hairdresser's daughter who is around 5 or 6 years old and is totally into art and knew i went to school for art, gave me this amazing painting she did! honestly how good is it!? that was probably the cutest/sweetest thing anyone has ever done for me. i was so flattered. 

as always, thanks for reading:)

stay cheeky!

l'oreal true match foundation review and life update

hello my cheeky chatters!

my, it feels as though it has been forever and a day since i have made a post. i wish i could say it was because i'm too busy with stuff in my life lately but i really don't have any excuse as to why i haven't posted in so long. anyways i've missed y'all!

now that i am finished with university and supposed to be starting my "grown up" life i feel overwhelmed by the pressure to get myself a good paying full time job, get a boyfriend/husband, and start a family. maybe i'm getting a little ahead of my self but i'm not one to stay relaxed and let all the pieces fall where they may. i am also being pestered by a mother who got married at 19, had her first baby at 22 and had two more by 26, to get my life going. most 21 year olds aren't thinking about having babies just yet but i've always wanted kids in my early twenties as well so that i'm not too much older than my children haha. i'm a tad nuts aren't i? i digress. yesterday i dropped off a few resumes at some local restaurants as i am looking for a waitressing job and while doing so i had the pleasure of meeting one of the restaurants manager's. he was very nice but leave it to awkward me to make an otherwise normal conversation into an uncomfortable one. when he first came over to me he had his one hand out, as if he was going to shake my hand, but i had my resume in my shaking hand. so as i went to put my resume into my other hand, it looked like he was going for my resume so then i got flustered and went to hand him it but then he went in for a handshake again! ugh. it was just awkward, but i guess that was on both our parts haha. i hope i hear back from them in the next couple of days, but if i don't, i'll know why! *hangs head in awkward shame*

let's get to the l'oreal true match foundation review shall we?

I hardly ever wear loads of make up and i was always a little hesitant to buy a foundation because i was fearful of it being too heavy and giving me the dreaded cake face. but i was watching one of BeyondBeautyStar's youtube videos called Watch Me Get Ready (video below) and she used l'oreal's true match foundation. it looked like it went on really nicely, it looked light and most importantly it looked natural!

so after watching this and seeing how good it looked on Claudia i went out and bought it, in a much lighter shade though because i'm as white as a piece of paper. my first impression of it was "wow, this looks too dark for me" (i got it in porcelain W1). but, surprisingly it went on very light in colour, light in weight, and made my skin look absolutely perfect. it stays on all day and you can't feel it on your skin at all. overall, i was very impressed with it and would encourage anyone looking for a light, natural looking foundation to try it! 

                                        

stay cheeky!

small charlotte russe haul

while i was in las vegas my mom and her boyfriend's daughters, my sister and i decided to do a little shopping. we went to a store called charlotte russe which i had never heard of before. maybe i just live under a rock, but they don't have them where i am from. it reminded me very much of a forever 21, lots of styles, clothes, colours and all for reasonable prices. 

i only picked up three things but here they are!

(from left to right)

taupe coloured knitted hat - $7.99 US

black and white crop top - $9.99 US

neon orangey pink tank - $17.99 US

stay cheeky!

past travels part 3!

i'm back everyone!

although i have called this post "past travel part 3," the trips that i would be talking about in this post, i have already talked about with you guys (exuma and las vegas) as well as Spain but i thought i'd spare you from the boredom. so i thought that i would use this post to tell you guys why i'm boring you all with these stories of the trips i've taken in the past.

my intention with these posts was not to brag or tell you about all the things you are missing out on, but instead i was hoping to encourage you to travel. you will never find anything more exillerating and satisfying than trying new things in new places, seeing new faces and living a different way of life - even for just a little bit!

the world you live in is so much more amazing than you can even imagine, why not explore it? i just got home from arizona last night, after staying in las vegas for a week prior to that and during the drive home from the airport i looked around at the city i have been living in for my whole life and i realized just how, well, boring it is! of course there is no place like home, but i've come to realize that there are so many interesting places surrounding me that need to be explored!

my family and i stayed in sedona, arizona for the past week and i can honestly say that i have never visited such a beautiful place before in my life. everywhere you look there are these amazing burnt red mountains encircling you. whilst in arizona, we visited a place near our rental home called the devil's bridge. i thought this was just an interesting name for a trail, but i later found out why it was named so. this "hike" was  much longer than we had anticipated and you could say we were a tad ill-prepared. with no water, no sunscreen and blistering heat, i'm pretty sure we all thought we were going to pass out and fry up under the sun. but after about 2 hours of walking (yes 2 hours!) we reached the end of the hike and made it to the devil's bridge, which a number of fellow hikers who passed us by had told us we "had to see!" i then realized why this trail was named devil's bridge.

when we got there i was totally blown away, all that walking and thinking that i was about to die was completely off my mind and worth it after seeing the view. i turned around to my mom and said 'isn't it amazing that we could've gone on living our lives at home, never have come on this trip and had no idea that this place was even here?" it was breath-taking.

all in all, you'll never know what's out there if you don't go out and look for it! travelling is truly eye opening.

hope everyone had a wonderful last two weeks and is ready for the month of september!

stay cheeky :)