12/20/17
Living in Pittsburgh for the past two years I've learned that I have dry skin, which I never experienced living in The Bahamas. It was most noticeable during my first winter so I had to quickly learn how to improve my skin in two months testing different skin routines. The key that I have found was to use more than one product to help me get better-looking skin. I think I've put together the perfect combo for my dry skin which is shared below with the benefits of each one.
Morning & Night menu:
Skin wipes
This is my first step and the most important to me. I use the skin wipes to remove makeup and excess dirt that is on my face. This ensures that when cleansing my face the majority of the dirt is already off and my cleanser doesn't have to work so hard.
Cleanser
This is the second step in my routine. I use E.L.F daily face cleanser to remove dirt, impurities and any makeup that's left on my skin. It also helps to brighten skin with purified water and citric acid.
I was a bit skeptic about using oil on my face but I'm finding that using oil helps me to achieve a better complexion and clearer skin. I use Shiseido cleanser oil. What I love about this oil is that it can be applied on wet or dry skin. It has both mineral oil and grape seed oil which helps to maintain my skin's moisture by locking it into my skin.
Gel
Gel-cream is a must in my skincare routine. Dr. Jart + water fuse ultimate hydrogel is my favorite! I like to apply this on my cheeks and my forehead where I get dry the most. It creates a water cushion to keep my skin hydrated.
Moisturizer
We can't forget about the moisturizer. This is such an important step in any skincare routine. I like to apply this all over my face and even on my ears and neck. I use E.L.F daily hydration moisturizer because its packed with Jojoba, Alde, Shea butter, Cucumber, Antioxidants, Grape, Bilberry and Vitamin E.
Eye cream
I love using E.L.F's Illuminating eye cream. I use this in the morning and night, gently dabbing the cream over and under my eyelids to soothe and nourish my eyes.
Weekly menu:
Masks and scrubsI use masks/scrubs 1-2 times per week. I really love using mud masks, coffee scrubs, and Korean sheet masks. My favorite coffee scrub is from Skinny Fox Detox skin line "You make me Coco" and Purlisse blue lotus seed mud mask. Its perfect for helping me get a deeper clean.
Extras:
Daily concepts your facial micro scrubber.This little goodie came in my September 2017 Birchbox Subscription. This is the best part of my skin care routine honestly. It's designed with a pocket to slip your fingers in easily rotate it depending on which texture you prefer seeing that its different on each side of the scrubber. I love the rougher side. I feel like this is the perfect exfoliator tool for my skin.
12/1/17
26 THINGS ABOUT ME
I wanted to share a little about me in this fun blog post "26 things about me". I want to do a part two to this blog post so you guys would be able to ask me some questions that's not answered here. Send questions as a comment or to iamchristinaxo@mail.com
- I'm a tea drinker
- I don't drink alcohol (no more)
- I'm obsessed with anything chocolate
- Me & my husband has known each other for 10 years
- I hate hate hate roaches
- I clean every Friday
- Obsessed with music (I listen to 100jamz about three times a day... eat to the beat, roll call, free ride at five fav times)
- Don't can't pay attention to movies
- I can't swallow pills properly
- Marilyn Monroe is my fav icon.. I use her as inspo for photoshoots
- I get nauseous when I have to speak publically
- Nassau, Bahamas born & raise living in Pittsburgh, Pennsalvania
- I have my bachelor's degree in Fine Arts with a minor in Education
- I day dream a lot sometimes it keeps me up at night
- I'm a journal/Sketchbook type of girl
- I'm one of those people where everything has to be perfect
- My biggest fear is not accomplishing my goals
- New York is my fav
- I was born on 09.09.1991, my favorite number is 9, Christina is 9 letters
- My favorite quote "Everything happens for a reason"
- I'm a Virgo
- I have a Pitbull name Max
- My middle name is Willnika
- My next vacation destination is Greece or the Maldives
- I always ask my husband "Does that make sense?"
- I have three birthmarks
11/6/17
HAIRCUTS & CONFIDENCE
Although, I loved my long hair with the endless braids, high buns, and long ponytails, I've been bored putting it in the same styles over and over again. Five years ago I had cut my long hair for my 21st birthday and instantly regretted the decision. In my opinion, I looked better with long hair and at that time it was a part of who I was. I've always had long hair so to cut it was a very dramatic experience for me. I am so happy that my new haircut wasn't such a horrific experience as the first time. I feel like the new cut even helped me to gain some confidence in myself. Hair can be very personal and sometimes we get lost into thinking it makes us who we are even though its not near true. Hair grows, we grow, so I'm here to remind you to challenge yourself with a dramatic change to reveal what was once lost or hidden behind our many layers of fear. Step out of your comfort zone, use a pop of color in your wardrobe, change up your Instagram feed, embrace your flaws, and you will wake up everyday a happier you. Cutting my hair was one of the changes I needed to challenge and overcome my fears and I can truly say that it was a relief.
Hair Cut & Style:
Sarah North
@sarah.bei
Sarah North
@sarah.bei
10/27/17
It's funny how sometimes we use social media to keep tabs on people, finding out who's doing what and how they're doing it. I constantly find myself reflecting on my Instagram pondering why I started it in the first place. Instagram isn't the focal point in my life; let me make that clear but, for me its an art form; a place to create. Creating content for every tiny square is a small part of a bigger whole to make a comprehensive composition. When I first started Instagram I really didn't care what I posted, I even slapped filters on images like it was nobody's business. There was no real thought in the process; I just posted and moved on. At the beginning of the year I decided to create a blog, and to put a 'face lift' on my Instagram I didn't know much about Instagram themes but, I knew I wanted something cohesive and I wanted it to look good. This has been more difficult than I ever imagined but its all worth it in the end, and I have learned never give up even though I came close many times. I don't know if you ever heard the term 'shadow ban' but, I've been shadow banned three times on Instagram. This only allows the people who already follow you to see and like your content, meaning no new followers or likes, and no new people trafficking the profile. How was I suppose to grow and reach new people? It still doesn't make sense, but the point is I didn't stop, I kept on creating new accounts and learned to 'tip toe' on Instagram. I rarely post more than twice a day, I don't use all 30 hashtags, and I don't copy and paste the hashtags in Instagram anymore. Why do I even hurt my head about all of this some may ask, but the reality is that I didn't want to give up on my dream. My dream is to get content out there that will inspire others and to one day become an influencer. Some may not understand why I take Instagram so serious, but the truth is I couldn't sleep some nights because of the endless ideas running through my mind. I'm very artistic so I have to sketch it out and write down my ideas in my sketchbook.
If something is constantly on your mind why not chase after it? Ask yourself, what keeps you up at night, and what gets you excited? I'm an artist and a designer, and that stuff gets me excited, but also does photography, editing pictures, creating Instagram feeds, and creating content. I'm so fortunate because in all the planning and stressful moments, my husband was always there helping anyway he could with the most important being the photographer. He always tries to give me advice on how to make my feed better but of course I didn't listen every time. Now reflecting on things he said to me in the past, I'm realizing that he was trying to get me where I am today and I could have possibly gotten here a bit faster. For the past month, I've been slowly listening to him more and mixing our ideas. We are a team, and even though you see mostly me on my Instagram he's the one taking each one of those pictures and even recording videos. He's really the backbone of the page and I'm just there to look good in the pictures and edit.
I recently did a poll on Instagram and asked the question "If I create a how I edit and plan my Instagram on Youtube would you watch?" I had some of my followers say yes! I was so flattered, and I felt like I was forming my own little tribe. But although I am so excited about the thought of me speaking about something I truly love, I don't think I'm ready to start something new yet. I'm still searching for the sweet spot. Even though having every I dotted and T crossed doesn't matter for some, I would still prefer to be confident in my feed before I give any advice on how to's. I've figured out a way to get some Instagram tips out there but not necessarily jumping into it all at once. Me and my husband will start our vlogging series on our Youtube channel entitled 'weekends with us', where you can get a glimpse of what we do on the weekends and see the behind the scenes of our photoshoots. This isn't the Instagram series you may have wanted but its my way of getting my feet wet. This weekend I'm challenging myself to only figure out place and the outfits for the shoots so we can wing the rest. I will keep you updated as to when you can expect our vlog. We as in Kita is still editing out first vlog (he has a big Architecture exam on the weekend so I can't pressure him) but as soon as we are done editing the first vlog we will post it. We promise to not keep you waiting long for the others. I'm thinking every Wednesday to post our weekend vlog. Hopefully that's enough time to edit, but what do I know; I don't edit the videos lol.
9/9/17
For my birthday I decided to do a creative photoshoot involving 20 images and 6 materials to signify me turning 26. I couldn't wait to share this with you today on my birthday 09/09/2017. So much effort and thought went into this and I'm so grateful for my husband Nikita who not only took the photos but also created a video for me. Each material used meant something to me and I wanted to showcase each material differently. If you know me, and follow my artist journey you would know that the process and meaning of materials mean so much to me. I hope you get a feeling from each photo and get to know me as an artist a little better. I know some people may say that this is a bit much, or that I'm simply just playing 'dress up', but this photoshoot means so much to me and I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I do. I'm off in Barcelona now but please feel free to comment and tell me your thoughts or any feedback you may have!
The video is at the end :)
8/16/17
You can't go wrong with a black leather jacket!
For this photoshoot I tried to challenge myself by picking out something I wouldn't normally wear. So I went through my drawers and closet and pulled out my leather jacket to be the center piece of my outfit. Originally, I wasn't going for an all black and white look, but you cant go wrong with classic black and white! I decided to pair my jacket with a white spaghetti strap linen dress, a jeweled choker with velvet ties and my black combat boots. The goal was to emulate that biker chic look so the heeled combat boots worked like a charm.
We were looking for ways to up our game with this shoot so we decided to try a reflector. Unfortunately, we didn't have enough time to buy a reflector, so we decided to make one with foam board and foil. Kita didn't have anyone to hold the reflector while taking the images, so we arranged the makeshift reflector in a way that it shone on me while holding itself up. I really wasn't sure how the picture would turn out, as it was our first time testing a reflector (and a DIY one at that). But I'm currently obsessing over the glow on my cheeks! We decided to continue to use the makeshift reflector until we purchase a real one.
The night before I was showing him some of my favorite bloggers on Instagram and asked him how we can get our images to look better. I know some of you think the pictures we take now are good, but I think there is always room for improvement and I really want my new images that i'll be sharing on Instagram to be more crisp and clean. We're still learning and everything is a process, but we'd like to know how you feel about these images in comparison to our earlier images on the blog! You can leave your reviews in the comments!
8/11/17
Going home is always exciting for me. To be honest I get home sick a lot! Apart from missing my family, I really miss the food, beaches and of course the sun! Living in Pittsburgh has taught me how unique the weather is in The Bahamas. In Pittsburgh the weather is constantly changing, one minute the sun can be shinning and the next its cloudy and stormy. Very dramatic I know! The 1st item on my to-do list was to go to the beach, so on Sunday our second day home we decided to go to Cabbage Beach on Paradise Island. My little sister (Angelique) and I did a mini photoshoot together which was exciting because we have any professional type photos together. Apart from taking photos, my husband was gifted a drone for his birthday so we were very excited to to try it out and get some shots on the beach that day.
Monday was a long day filled of paper work that was inescapable like renewing our licenses, etc. But the day was saved by getting the best lunch from bamboo shack. We drove to fish fry and parked on the beach to enjoy our meal. For me, it brought back so much memories because that's where me and Kita had most of our lunches when we were still attending COB. It was super hot but I can remember the cool breeze flooding the car. I got the urge to take some photos in my polka dot dress so we headed to Junkanoo beach where we captured the shots below.
After our photoshoot we had to rush home to get ready for the main wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I don't remember much from the rehearsal but I can remember it being really hot and thinking how grateful I was that we decided to get a tent for the wedding day! We had a lot of laughs and everyone seemed to understand what it was they were suppose to do. So we headed over to green parrot for some food and to hang out. Later that night some of us headed to watch both the Saxons' and Valley Boys' junkanoo practice. If you know Kita then you know he wasn't missing that!
(Mally Photo cred)
It was finally Friday, the calm before the storm. I really wasn't as hectic as I thought it would have been. We met the photographer to pick the wedding photo locations, checked in at the hotel, picked up my veil, and got ready for Kita's grandparents anniversary party later that night. It only started to get a bit busy during the ending of the day trying to stay on schedule, but we managed to get everything done in time. Later that night I found out that my bridesmaids threw me a party in the hotel room! I had a feeling it was going to happen but I wasn't sure about it. I still felt so surprised and I am so happy they went through all the trouble for me! Prior to the surprise party I was having a mini melt down and it made me feel so much better! Again, I want to thank them for making that night extra special for me.
Saturday! Oh the wedding day. Time truly slows down for no man.
One minute we were getting ready and the next we were getting ready to leave Luciano's. If you want to read more about my wedding experience follow this link... https://iamchristinaxo.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-1st-was-truly-magical.html
On Sunday I had the best sleep ever! I was so happy that the wedding was finally over and it was time to just relax and enjoy each other. That morning our good friend Ray was able to take Kita to get some breakfast! I really didn't want any pancakes or eggs so instead we got a real Bahamian breakfast... stew fish and souse with johnny cake. Later that evening we went to dinner at Bimini Road. To be honest I should have taken Kita serious when he said we should order the conch salad. But I knew I wouldn't have been able to eat all that food! So unfortunately, that was the one thing we didnt get to eat while we were home! But we did get a bomb photo of Willy D making one at our rehearsal dinner!
Tuesday already?? It felt like time was moving too FAST! Tuesday was all about hair and nails which ate up most of the day! At the end of it all, the only thing I wanted to see was my bed. Wednesday was the official day when the fun started. Everyone who was a part of our bridal party was finally in Nassau, so we decided to have a mini rehearsal before the official rehearsal on Thursday at Luciano's. BEC decided to turn off the electricity the entire time we were practicing! So we went outside, played the music from a car and made jokes of the situation. It was truly a great bonding moment for everyone in the wedding in-spite of the apparent issue of the electricity being off. Thursday was all about Stride the Runway x I am Christina. We did our photoshoot that morning after 10am at Compass Point. This was exciting for me because it was my first time there! It was such a beautiful and colorful venue and it was exactly what both me and Kahtura were imaging for our photoshoot! We wanted to showcase tropical vibes in our photos and compass point did just that.
After our photoshoot we had to rush home to get ready for the main wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. I don't remember much from the rehearsal but I can remember it being really hot and thinking how grateful I was that we decided to get a tent for the wedding day! We had a lot of laughs and everyone seemed to understand what it was they were suppose to do. So we headed over to green parrot for some food and to hang out. Later that night some of us headed to watch both the Saxons' and Valley Boys' junkanoo practice. If you know Kita then you know he wasn't missing that!
(Mally Photo Cred)
One minute we were getting ready and the next we were getting ready to leave Luciano's. If you want to read more about my wedding experience follow this link... https://iamchristinaxo.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-1st-was-truly-magical.html
On Sunday I had the best sleep ever! I was so happy that the wedding was finally over and it was time to just relax and enjoy each other. That morning our good friend Ray was able to take Kita to get some breakfast! I really didn't want any pancakes or eggs so instead we got a real Bahamian breakfast... stew fish and souse with johnny cake. Later that evening we went to dinner at Bimini Road. To be honest I should have taken Kita serious when he said we should order the conch salad. But I knew I wouldn't have been able to eat all that food! So unfortunately, that was the one thing we didnt get to eat while we were home! But we did get a bomb photo of Willy D making one at our rehearsal dinner!
Coming home was the highlight of my summer. I not only got married to the love of my life, but I was able to spend time with my family and friends and of course go to the beach! Now we're in the process of planning our honeymoon trip to Spain! We'll be traveling to Barcelona, Valencia, and Madrid. We can't wait to see what adventures we take on next. Our Bahamas 2017 video round up is now live on our Youtube Channel just click the link below! Don't forget to like and subscribe!
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