LEMON SODA

If you are not a morning person (like me) or put off getting ready in favor of some last minute tv watching or just got caught up in the shower singing a really good song (like me), sometimes you might find yourself with a little less than 10 minutes to actually get yourself out the door. An all too familiar time crunch I’d say. I usually prefer to panic a little, but I don’t recommend it.

Know where you’re going
Unless your boyfriend has just invited you out on a surprise date, make sure you know where you are going and who is going so that you can choose your outfit. It is always best to be a little overdressed. If your boyfriend really is inviting you out on a surprise date, ask him what dress code would be appropriate — you don’t want to arrive at the fanciest restaurant in town wearing jeans! As a general rule one should try to leave the house looking one’s best. This does not mean go all out on makeup and jewelry, nor does it mean go out in sweatpants and sneakers. It just means, look as decent as possible (you never really do know who you’re going to meet or bump into!)

Plan while you freshen up
Buy yourself some time, and instead of just staring at your closet trying to pick something out, go through it mentally while you freshen up. Brush your teeth (decide on a top.) Cleanse, tone and moisturize your face (decide bottoms and shoes. Unless you went for a dress, then think of the shoes.) If you really are panicking and some pieces of your outfit are in the wash or not properly ironed, go for something simple and classic: dark wash jeans, a flattering top and a blazer are always a good alternative. Or if you must wear a dress, pick a versatile one and throw a cute cardigan over. Shoes can ultimately make or break the outfit, so choose wisely! Consider whether and how long you’ll be standing up for or walking.
♥ Tip: if you had not had time to wash your hair, use dry shampoo or baby powder. It works.

Actually get some clothes on
Put some music on, whatever makes you feel pretty, and start getting dressed. Do not overlook your underwear. Make sure it doesn’t show through or peek out at inappropriate places. Depending on how much mother nature has blessed you with, decide what kind of support is best for that look. Most of all make sure you feel amazing in them!
♥ Tip: spray on perfume before you get dressed so that it sinks in your skin. This works really well if you’re using a body spray that compliments your body wash or body lotion. Before you leave the house do an extra spray and ‘walk through it’. Don’t spray over your hair, otherwise dust is bound to stick on and make it look greasy by the end of the day.

Quick makeup
Go for simple makeup: cover up untimely breakouts or facial redness, brigthen any undereye circles, pile on the mascara, moisturize your lips and add a light lipstick or lipgloss. Ready! If you must go through your makeup routine, try to keep it simple.
♥ Remember: if you are emphasizing your eyes, keep your lips light or nude; if you are emphasizing lips, keep the eyes simple with some eyeliner à la Dita Von Teese. If you have no time to comb your hair in place, a messy updo will make it look intentional and as long as the rest of you is well put together, it won’t matter too much.

Turn off the music, grab your bag (which should have your keys and phone inside at the very least) and go!
♥ Tip: unless you are a master, do not run in your heels! Remember that you want to actually make it wherever it is you’re going.

Good luck!

My fine hair has been battling frizz eternally, and no matter how dry it is where I live, rainy days will be sure to ruin my life. It is a damn struggle. The worst periods of frizz fighting occurred while I was living in Hong Kong (thanks to the unbelievable humidity). At that point I decided to give up on straightening and blowdrying and just let my hair naturally curl and frizz any which way it so pleased. I have to say that actually did wonders for my super damaged ends.

But you know the old “we want what we can’t/don’t have”, and so I have always been set on straight hair. Or at least wavy NON FRIZZY hair. Here are six main principles that years of trial & error, frustration and hairbrush fights have taught me:

1. Do not wash your hair every day! This will strip it of natural oil and your ends become dry. Figure out how long you can go without washing it before you look like you’ve had an olive oil shower, and keep that interval. I’ve always washed my hair every other day, but I’m finding every two days works as well! I have yet to try the wonders of dry shampoo, and I’m guessing that would reduce hairwashing by about a ton.
2. Do two rounds of shampoo, massaging the scalp for volune (great for fine hair). Rinse and condition from your ears down. I have found that it is actually better not to comb hair at this point, but that may be personal preference.
3. Before you jump out of the shower, rinse your with cold water to close the cuticles; this seals in proteins & actually makes it look healthier.
4. Gently towel-dry your hair. Add a little bit of protecting serum and start blowdrying with cold air and finish off with hot air. Keep the nozzle on the hayrdryer so that the air hits exactly where you want.
5. Pick out soft hairbands to tie your hair up. I usually go for hairclips or bobby pins though.
6. Water, lots of water and protein based foods (hair is protein after all); healthy diet healthy hair! I’ve also heard salmon is good for its omega-3 fatty acids — did someone say salmon sushi? YUM!

I’m sure some of these were no mystery to most of you, but man did it take me long to figure out the entire routine! What is your hair care routine? Any favorite products?

So you’ve decided to go long distance; the bothers and pain of your s.o’s absence is worth it and trust rules above all in your relationship. (Not sure whether to take the leap? Consider these and think about it!) That is absolutely great, but it doesn’t mean it will be easy. In fact it won’t be and you will be miserable at times. Luckily, there are ways to endure this situation and actually sprinkle bits of amazing along the way. Here are some ideas to brave distance:

• Skype – No, I don’t mean just talking on it. I mean actually setting up a time and day for it; a Skype Date. Having your s.o on speaker is pretty much like having them there, minus the fact that they actually are just on your screen. But we will omit this tiny detail and proceed to plan out an amazing date where you two will enjoy wine – red or white, your choice, champagne if you’re feeling particularly festive – and maybe watch a movie or TV show online. After a few glasses you both will be slightly tipsy, which will be great for trying to beat each other at online games or just looking through funny Facebook pictures (which may or may not be your own.) Optional: you may take a screenshot to remember the night :)
• Little somethings in the mail – E-mailing is fast and we are so impatient that the Facebook inbox will probably soon take over it (if it hasn’t for you already), but mail can’t and never will lose its appeal. For a long distance relationship, I am not asking you to communicate solely through letters, though maybe sending each other a little week re-cap now and then would be nice. But for the full effect, send your s.o random gifts of goodness through the mail. Do not warn them about it, the surprise is half of it! It can be anything: leaves from your walk home accompanied by a short letter or poem, the last book you read, a photograph of yourself, a drawing, a riddle, chocolates/candy…
• Random calls/SMS – Just to let them know that you miss them, or to wish them a good day or good luck on that presentation. I love getting these in the middle of the day, it just makes you feel remembered and important (which you should be!)
• Scheduled calls – Pick a day of the week (or as many as you’d like) where you will have a catch-up session. You’ll most likely be using Skype for this (unless you are in the same country) as international calls are crazy expensive, but it still counts as a call.
• Visiting! – Frequency will obviously depend on how far away you guys are and your schedules, but it is incredibly worth it to plan some time to see each other. The importance of visits is not only getting to see your s.o, but the quality of that time spent together. It is perfect for planning outings, dinners, sightseeing, little romantic escapades around the park…because you have such little time together and because it probably won’t be an every-other-week thing (though lucky you if this is the case!), you are less likely to argue and just focus on having a good time. The hardest part about this will be saying goodbye, but it is in that moment that you will realize again just how important they are to you and why you need to keep going.

These little tips combined with patience and will should keep you two busy for a long while. Christmas is coming up, so is his birthday, and what about random presents? I’m cooking up a little list of creative gift ideas for LDR couples out there; should be fun so watch out for it, counts for overseas friends too!

Want to remember why you decided to go for long distance in the first place? Go back to Surviving LDR Part I!

Do you find yourself sitting on top of your luggage so you can get it to zip shut, only to find you forgot to put your socks in? And what about all the annoying chargers for all our nifty gadgets? For the crowded-closet owners out there: packing is not easy! Especially if your trip is only a few days long. Here’s how to narrow it down to the essentials!

1. Define categories
   Generally your stuff will/can fit in the following: outfits, shoes, toiletry & makeup, intimates & pj’s, technology, and entertainment. Make a list!

   Outfits & Shoes
   Depending on the number of days you are going to be away and your destination, you’ll need different outfits. I will be going away for five days, so I will think up at least six outfits, just in case one doesn’t work out or I change my mind. It usually goes a little something like:

   • Two ‘day’ outfits
   • Two night outfits
   • A fancy outfit
   • An extra day-to-night outfit

   This is for going to the UK where I will be mostly dwelling within cities, but of course if I were going to backpack around China my outfit range would obviously differ! Ideally all day outfits would easily transition from day to night, just because I am usually in some sort of time crunch and going back to change isn’t always an option! Every two outfits share a piece, that way my two day outfits may include the same jeans but two different tops and accessories. So you have twice the options available but only have to carry half the volume.
   Then of course, one must always carry a fancy option (I recommend two) for unexpected party invites, or for when you’re walking around and spot the perfect restaurant for a romantic dinner. Or maybe just to wear around the hotel room with your friends and have a vogue photoshoot à la GaGa. Whichever the case, you most definitely want to have a non-jeans option for these.

   I realize shoes are part of an outfit, but the reason I separated them is because when you are tight for space, you will have to sacrifice your delicious shoe collection in favor of a chosen few. I usually pick:

   • A pair of shoes that go with everything, that can be dressed up or down, like flats
   • A pair of statement heels for my fancy look
   • A pair of comfortable walking shoes (this does not immediately equal sneakers. In fact I own many super comfortable flats, good enough for walking! Converse might do the trick.)

   Toiletry & makeup
   Here’s a part I struggle with a lot; all the pots and bottles take so much space! I usually narrow down the bare essentials that I need to keep my face clean and moisturized, and then I usually include most of my makeup because I am indecisive and you never know when you might use that red again! Items that always make it: mascara, concealer and lipgloss. If you have a huge bottle of, say, toner, you can buy those cheap little bottles from any drugstore and fill them up instead of carrying the whole thing around. I like to do this with perfume as well, but mostly because I’m paranoid that somehow the bottle will smash and everything will be ruined. Which is quite possible actually.

   Intimates & pj’s
   This is quite straightforward, but I will say it anyway. It is very wise to bring more underwear than the number of days you will be away for. I like to put these in little ziplock bags so that they aren’t all over the place. With pj’s, I usually go for a comfy top and underwear (^_^). Also, very important: don’t forget to bring an extra plastic bag for all your dirty laundry.

   Technology
   Ah, technology! Yes. All those beautifully shiny electronic devices, and all of their annoying, tangle-prone chargers and computer adapters and whatever else they may come with. Sounds like a hassle, but it can be easy! For each charger (/whatever else), roll the cable around the main body and make sure it stays in place by tying a rubber band around. Then just stick them all in a bag!

   Entertainment
   Any type of personal music device and reading material or laptop should go in your hand bag/luggage, for two main reasons: a) for easy reach while you’re waiting around the airport and while you’re on the plane, and b) so that, in the event that your checked in luggage goes missing, you at least have the items that are hard to replace. I do this with all of my earrings as well, because they are irreplaceable as my collection is made up of pieces from everywhere I’ve been.

2. Choosing bags/suitcases
   If you have more than one piece of luggage at home, choose the one that will give you the least hassle when packing up: Does it have extra pockets? Does it expand in case you decide to bring back some goodies from your trip? Does it have wheels (very important for me)? Will it fall apart/unzip/break as soon as one of those buff luggage men throw it on the conveyor? These may sound stupid but trust me, they are important questions! Also, make sure you identify your bag not only with a personal card but also make it easily visible so you can grab it as soon as you see it and go! This will remove any confusion or the surprise that you have taken someone else’s stuff.

• Extras
  Remember to carry some feminine hygiene products, you know, just in case! Pack any meds you currently take or might need, like, say, some Pepto. Having curry in India might be lovely, but after five days straight it may not be. Most of all, remember to bear in mind all the (sometimes ridiculous) carryon measures! That means no liquids, lotions or sharp items (tweezers, razors or nail files). It definitely is not fun to have your bag opened up and rummaged through because you forgot about your tweezers!

There you have it! I do this every time I travel and it works. Maybe it’s a bit OTP, but it’s nice to be prepared when you’re away from home :)

“It’s the tragedy of loving,
you can’t love anything
more than something you miss.”

A lot of couples have been there; whether it’s 1,000 or 7,000 miles in between, distance finds a way to come between two lovers. What distance doesn’t know is, two hearts that are truly in love will also always find a way to overcome it. Hearts just know.

Distance decided to get in the way of three past relationships in my life, and has decided to come barging in a fourth time – with Tom. The difference this time is everything. Let’s bundle up the past three relationships: I was very young and inexperienced so to speak. I held on more to the idea of love and being loved than love itself; I shut my eyes from the whole picture, and while you are allowed to float above the clouds when you are in love, you have to manage to be able to land again. I didn’t. I pretended that any imperfection was normal, and I was willing to settle for any of it. So on the surface it seemed like we would last, and we of course said we would. But it wasn’t realistic, the bond between our hearts wasn’t strong enough. And so those relationships faded, some suddenly and others took a little more time. Do I regreat any of it? Am I sad over it? The answer is no, not really. Those relationships ended because they had to, and would have at some point or another (something I was well aware of myself).

It has been a year and a half since, and exactly a year ago I met Tom in Beijing. I had seen him around campus before and was completely blown away! All I knew was that he was English*. One day we were sitting at a cafe, he with his friends and I with mine, and I heard Death Cab for Cutie coming out from his computer. This is the moment I decided he was perfect. But I didn’t approach him, I just left it as a passing thought. Then comes Wednesday night, Pub Quiz night, and that is where we happened to be in the same group (and not by chance, I made sure I joined his group thanks to a common friend of ours). We talked since the minute we introduced ourselves til the second he dropped me off at my door. I was confused at first, didn’t want to get into anything serious because I knew that a year later we would each be on our own path. But Tom persisted, and I gave in, and ever since then we spent literally every day together. We lost touch with the whole party scene because we would rather stay home talking or drawing or just watching a movie together.

Now we have both returned to our countries to start university, and having to say goodbye was a punch in the stomach. It hurt. And I have no problem crying when I am hurt, so I did; I cried my eyes out, I let the tears collect in my lips, I gasped for air once every now and then.

When I arrived home I got on skype and we talked until he had to go to bed to catch his flight in the morning. All of a sudden, I wasn’t as close to death as I had previously thought. There is only one hour of time difference between Cardiff and Spain; we can be on skype all afternoon after classes if we want to. We can visit each other on long weekends, spend holidays together, send each other things through the mail (because snail mail is so underrated).

So far, long distance is proving to be hard, and I am anything but patient. So I have come up with a few ideas that I will put to practice soon enough, to ensure that we don’t go crazy while we wait. What about you, have you had any LDRs? How did you survive?

*We later found out from him that he was actually born in Wales.