‘:) by Rachel White2012 on Flickr.

Full credit goes to the image authors.

When I first started breaking out a few years ago, I was in my mid-twenties and was desperate for a solution to clear up my skin. I used neosporin to speed up the healing process and to prevent scarring. After a while, neosporin didn’t cut it anymore so I searched for another natural remedy and found the egg white treatment to calm down the break outs. That was two years ago. Now I’m in my late twenties approaching the big three-oh (cringe) and I’m still suffering from acne. On top of that, I have to deal with wrinkles, fine lines and dark spots. Enter EVOO.

Olive oil is high in antioxidants and vitamin E. These nutritional powerhouses protect against age-accelerating free radicals and will guard your body and skin from inside out. “Extra virgin” is a type of olive oil that has not been refined and conserves all its nutritional values. It was discovered over five thousand years ago by Egyptians who used it for their hair and body, and believed olive oil was nothing less than gentle and pure.

I have been using EVOO as part of my nightly skin regimen for almost two weeks now. At first it felt really dirty putting oil all over my face but once you wash it off, you can see a difference immediately.

First, I use make up remover around my eyes to remove the waterproof mascara. Once that’s off, I use a dab of EVOO on my cheeks, forehead, nose, and chin to take off the rest of my makeup. I gently rub in the EVOO in circular motion for a few seconds then use a simple face cleanser to remove the oil. It will feel really thick like it will never come off but I use Neutrogena Naturals Purifying Facial Cleanser and the oil, makeup and dirt melts right off. After a thorough wash, I pat dry with a clean face towel and I apply night-time moisturizer before bed.

Two weeks using the EVOO treatment (and I’ll admit that I get lazy and skip a night or two, but…) now my skin has a wonderful glow and seems plumper and healthier. I’m breaking out less frequently and my pores are noticeably smaller. I’m really happy I found this new skin regimen and I hope this will help you too!

I love making Zuppa Toscana but I always end up with left over kale until I came across this recipe and thought I’d give it a try! Kale is lighter and has less calories than fried potatoes. Plus they’re greener which means many more vitamins to add to your daily intake. You’ll be feeling less guilty if you ate a bag of kale chips than heavy potato chips. At first it may taste bitter but once you start with one, you can’t stop until you finish the entire batch!

Ingredients
1 bunch of kale
1 tablespoon of olive oil
1 teaspoon of salt

Method
1. Preheat the oven to 350˚F.

2. With a knife or kitchen shears carefully remove the leaves from the thick stems and tear into bite sized pieces. Wash and dry thoroughly.

3. Lay the kale on a non-insulated cookie sheet and drizzle olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and put into the oven.

4. Bake until the edges brown but not burnt for 10 to 15 minutes. Remove and enjoy!

Lana Del Rey is the newest addition to my playlist and she’s on repeat all day, every day. The first song I heard by Del Rey was Without You. I was immediately pulled into a nostalgic dream of mellow, moody songs I listened to in my high school years. Her album, Born To Die, delves deep into the female psyche that explores issues of gender roles, sexuality, consumerism, and drug use. My favorite tracks are Video Games (her first single and viral video), Radio, Summertime Sadness, and This Is What Makes Us Girls.

There’s no denying these noir-shaded numbers—many of which are built on orchestral accouterments and subtle vocal samples reminiscent of Kanye West productions. Del Rey’s husky narrative lingers like smoke clouds, leaving wafts of rhythmic phrasings delivered by an icy, heartbroken femme fatale.

For more information about Lana Del Rey, check out her website.

To order her album Born To Die, hope over to iTunes.