7 Day Vegan Challenge!

This was sooooo much harder than anticipated.😅 Ya girl went full-on vegan for 7 days, and it definitely was no walk in the park.

Even though it was a challenge, I am so sooo glad I did it. I have a new appreciation for plant-based eaters and the major commitment they have made.

As is, I don’t eat that much meat. But, I do eat a lot of fish and diary. Like, a lot. So that’s where the difficulty was for me.

I’m always looking to make that 80% of the time where I am eating healthy even healthier. Going vegan for a week was a great way to learn some new plant-based recipes to integrate into my diet. 😄

Honestly was SO nervous to post this video because people tend to get really passionate/cray when it comes to vegan/vegetarian/meat diet choices. It’s kind of like politics. 😖

That being said, this is Skinny Belle. And we talk about it all. 😏 The spicier the better. 😉

If you guys liked to see how it went being vegan for a week, would super duper appreciate you going to Skinny Belle Youtube and hitting the “thumbs up” button on this video👍🏻 AND leaving a comment!❤

All and all, I am super happy to be reunited with my one true love: cheese. It was so hard to be apart. 😂

If you want to know some of my favourite vegan products, recipes, and restaurants, I put this all in the youtube description! With links, of courseeee. I gotchu girl. 😉

Hope you enjoyed this vlog!!

xoxoxo,

some big a** trees
(Avenue of the Giants)

big a** rocks
(Southern Oregon Coast)

me admiring the big a** ocean

tbh I was super proud I got those two birds in the shot

Road trippin from Santa Monica –> Vancouver

Hello hello! If you follow my instagram stories (if you don’t, shame!!), you already know I have been on an epic road trip from Santa Monica to Portland for the last few days.

It was been a TON of driving (total driving time is something like 26 hours) but we have seen some pretty amazing sights. Pictured above, obviously. 😝 We drove part of the California coast, and part of the Oregon coast. Honestly I had no idea half the stuff we saw even existed so close to home! Girl was like 😍😍😍 for most of the drive.

I am writing to you from Portland, Oregon. We spent my bday night here last night at The Nines Hotel (highly recommend, the inside of this place looks like a Tiffany Box which OBVIOUSLY makes me v happeh) and went around and did some beer/cocktail tasting. There are so many “micro” and “nano” breweries here it is hipster heaven.

Anywho, today we are driving from Portland –> Vancouver which will definitely not be as scenic, so this will probably be the last of the photos I share from this trip. If you have ever driven from Portland to Vancouver (Canada) you also know it is a pretty borrrrring drive. Luckily, Troy (bae) and I have my beautiful singing talents to entertain us for the drive. LOL. I’m actually the worst at singing. Like, the worst ever.  😭

BUT!

We are stopping in Seattle today, which means I will likely hit up Din Tai Fung (aka the best Chinese dumpling spot everrrrrr) for some Xiao Long Bao. If you know what this is, you know what’s good. Basically Xiao Long Bao is a traditional soup-filled dumpling from Shanghai that is just TO DIEEEE FORRRRRRRRRRR. THEY EVEN HAVE TRUFFLE FLAVOURED ONES!!!! (Not excited one bit.😁) Anywho, follow instagrammmm for updates on my dumpling journey. I will likely post about it here too because dumplings = life. 😊

OK GOTTA GO. Time to get on the road peoples.

TALK SOON!

Luvs ya. 😘

xoxo,

Birthday glam tutorial! <3

MY BIRTHDAY IS IN 3 DAYS WTF!!!!

How did this happen? I’m freaking out.

Every birthday over the age of 25 just gets worse. I swear. I’m not even willing to type out how old I’m turning because teens will think I am ancient. Teens, do you read my blog? I feel like you don’t….. 15 year olds thing anyone over 20 is soooooooo old. *cue eyeroll* I know this because one time I told my 14 year old cousin that “I really liked instagram” and she told me “instagram is for old people.” I laughed it off like it was no big deal (because I am obviously a chill/cool/hip older cousin), but I really went home and cried.

The entire experience was V traumatic.

To console my rapidly aging self…

***PAUSE FOR DISCLAIMER*** to anyone reading this who is older than me and thinking “you little piece of sh*t you are so young”….. 1) You remember what it was like when you suddenly went from your early 20’s nearing 30. PRACTICE EMPATHY MY FRIENDS. 🙏🏻 2) I know 27 is actually SO YOUNG it’s cray cray. I am just being dramatic/jokey/this is all in good fun. 😝

*Back to the regularly scheduled programming*

To console my rapidly aging self, I made this video on how I’m gonna glam myself UP for my birthday this Sunday! And, more importantly, I made this video so everyone knows my birthday is coming and sends gifts. 😉

Anywho, this makeup tutorial is a bit longer than I normally do, but it is honestly SO HARD to fit a full face glam into under 10 mins, PLUS this time I did two different first impressions in the video as well. One of which was the Sephora birthday gift for this year. Which is V relevant cuz you need to know what to pick when your birthday comes!!

Lots of good stuff in this one.

Take a gander, and if you like the tutorial pretty pleaseeeeeeee go to Skinny Belle Youtube and throw a thumbs up on this bad boy. It helps a lot. And it makes me feel happeh inside. V V happeh. 😊

LOVE YOU TO THE MOON AND BACK.

xoxo,

Honestly, if you don’t eat pizza…

What is even the POINT.

Of life. You know?

(Deep thots)

(Artichoke added for guilt-reduction purposes.)

Skinny Belle is all about BALANCE. I eat psycho-healthy 80% of the time, and the other 20%… GIRL GOES WILD.

Like, spring break wild.

Tonight I had the self-restraint equivalent to a college girl at her first kegger.

“Just one moreeeeeeeee you guysssss, I’M NOT EVEN DRUNK I SWEARRRRR. Serrriouslllyyyyyy. But I love youuuu sooooo muchhhh.”

^That’s me, tonight. Except with pizza slices and not beer. I am a refined and classy lady in my elder age. Obviously beer makes you bloated AF so I guzzle wine instead. Like I said, classy.

Anyways.

Currently I am in a pizza induced coma. It isn’t pretty. There’s a reason I am not being photographed tonight. I am just a pizza eating woman trying to eat her pizza and drink her wine on a Sunday night in peace.

You feel me?

You do. I know you do.

Because we are all in this shit together. Sometimes you just don’t want to make a gourmet meal or make anything at all (cuz tireddd), and just type a few things into the internet and BOOM. Some guy shows up at your house with pizza.

Isn’t that amazing that we can do that? Push a few buttons on our phone and someone appears with pizza?

I LOVE BEING A MILLENIAL. Jus’ sayin.

Ok I am all over the place tonight.

I wanted to blog this because… well this is just about all I have going on tonight. Clearly I am a very important person. Doing important things like attending the Oscars and all…

For those of you who are also home tonight stuffing your faces with takeout and watching the Oscars in your jammies… I SALUTE YOU.

xoxoxo,

First time in a wedding dress waddup!

Want to come with me to a photoshoot?

Well my dear friends, this would be the vlog for you!!! (Oh god I sound so salesy… but whatever, if I ain’t gonna sell my DOPE ASS VIDEOS, who will?! #realtalk.)

Anywho, this was a photoshoot I did with my dear friends at And Forever More Photo in Joshua tree, where we wore some stunning Anthropologie dresses. (Didn’t even know they had a line!) It was my first time visiting Joshua Tree, and oh my god IS IT EVER BEAUTIFUL.

My eyes could not handle all the beauty in Joshua Tree. So so so real. I really want to go camping there… and just like, be at one with the nature with a nice espresso martini in hand. That’s how you camp, right? RIGHT?? 😅 I would be great at camping. I know it. 😉

MOVING ALONG.

Joshua Tree. Bridal shoot.

Just to clarify, this was not MY bridal shoot, this was a creative shoot I modeled for. Saying this because I shared a photo on my instagram story and got a few crazed DID U GET MARRIED?!?! messages.

Lol so no, not married…. yet. 😉 JK jkjkjk.

Funny fact about me? I am not superstitious about anything but wearing a ring on my wedding finger. For this shoot my friends were talking about whether or not I should wear a fake engagement ring and I was like guys we CAN’T.😱 I have this weird voodoo belief-thing that if I put a ring on that finger I will never get married. 😂

#Logic

I told you… I’m weird. Anyways, was low key thankful I didn’t have to wear a ring for this shoot because, #cursed!!!

hahah

Kidding.

Anyways, hope you enjoy the vlog! If you do, please click into youtube and give the video a big thumbs up. You can think of it like a virtual hug.

xoxoxo,

PS: My boyfriend literally picked cactus pricks out from between my toes in this vlog. I really want to show you ALL sides of my life. Not just the pretty and insta-worthy ones. ❤

How to turn a setback/failure into an opportunity

Okay. Some real talk today you guys. I need to get this out of my head, and I feel like what I am experiencing right now is something we all go through at some point or other.

Skinny Belle is about keeping it real. THE REAL FOR REALZ. Sometimes that is messy, controversial, and just taboo. I will always share my favourite fashion, food, fitness routines, beauty tips, etc…  (because those things make my world go round 🙂 ) but I want to make sure we talk about the other stuff too.

The “things you aren’t supposed to talk about.”

You know?

I want to be honest with what’s going on with me rn and how I am dealing, in hopes that it could help you too

With that being said…. I can’t actually tell you what has happened. If I would, I could. Because I basically tell you everything. This one is out of my control tho.

Here’s what I CAN tell you: I’ve experienced a major setback as of yesterday. MAJOR.

What has happened is something I have wanted my whole life and have worked very hard for has been taken away from me.

I cried. A lot.

Anyways.

*Setbacks.*

This is today’s theme because I can’t really pretend to talk about anything else. And, I feel I am pretty good at handling these things despite my lack of ability to control my emotions at times.😝

Setbacks come in all shapes and sizes.

From tiny things that happen on a daily basis like missing a deadline and having your boss freak out on you, to big things like having something happen that alters your life plan.

Of the many shapes and sizes setbacks come in, they all have one thing in common. They hurt. Not like they actually hurt your life (I’m getting to that) but they hurt your feelings. It’s normal to not feel happy, or good when you experience a setback.

Believe me, I know.

If you have also experienced a “setback” or “failure” in your life, it’s okay to let yourself be sad about it for a minute. In my very unprofessional opinion. (For real tho, this is just what works for me. Always do what is best for you! I am not a pro by any means. This is just my two cents.)

That being said, allow only a SHORT AMOUNT OF TIME to wallow. Being sad about something is not productive, and does not bring forward a solution. And for every hour/day/minute you feel bad for yourself, is a lost hour getting creative and problem solving. Acknowledge how you feel, feel it, let it the fuck go, and decide your next move.

GIRLBOSS KIND OF STUFF. 👑👍🏻

You now need to look at your “setback” (in quotations on purpose), however small or large it may be, as an opportunity.

FAILURE = OPPORTUNITY

Let that one sink in for a second. And never forget it.

Failures and setbacks are really opportunities to do something bigger, greater, more exciting, and DIFFERENT than you had originally planned.

You are probably like yaaaaaa right. *Eyeroll*

But, it’s true. If I think about all my “failures” or “setbacks” in my life, they have pushed me to find new avenues to achieve what I originally wanted OR switch directions and do something better.

In the micro it might seem like everything is going to shit, but if you look at the big picture, usually things work out even better than you had planned. 👌🏻

There is a 100% chance you are going to have to work hard and get creative. But this is good news. Because nothing great in this life comes easy.

If you have experienced a setback lately, please please please don’t just give up. Look at it as a new opportunity to do things better than you ever imagined possible. And always live your best life.

*PAUSE FOR BREATH*

Wow guys. This post was so real. The realest of real. But it’s what I am feeling right now and it needed to get out. Bad.

One day when I can, I promise I will tell you specifically what I am talking about. It might be a ways away tho.

For now, let’s push through these pesky setbacks!!

If you can relate, please leave a comment and let me know we are in this thing together! Love to hear from you guys. I see you reading (on my analytics), and it makes me really happy when you leave a comment and talk with me. Skinny Belle is the place where we can talk about it all. And stop with the bs social media trend of pretending that life is a highlight reel.

YOU FEEL ME???

Lol anyways, I hope this post inspires at least one person. ❤

Off to finish editing my vlog from this weekend! Can’t wait to share. It’s funny lol.

xoxo,

How to get PERFECT, BIG, SEXY, eyelashes!

Hey babes!

My latest beauty tutorial is here – how to get perfect eyelashes!!!👀 I get asked almost daily about my lashes, if they are fake, and if not, which mascara do I use?!

All V good questions.

Because when people see me WITHOUT mascara (referencing the horrifying image on the left) they never believe that my eyelashes are real. So, here we have it! The super-duper-officially-official eyelash tutorial. And proof that I don’t wear falsies every day. 😂 Because, ain’t nobody got time for THAT. 🙅🏼

I am obsessed with this video because there are SO MANY GOOD TIPPITY TIPS IN IT!! ✔ It’s great being able to share all the tricks I learned over my many years modeling and working with makeup artists.

And makeup is fun. I’m never not having fun whilst glamming. So there’s that too.

What do you guys think? Do you like this beauty tutorial? Or, do you have another favourite? Comment and let me know!

Ifffffff you like this tutorial, pleaseeeee click here and give it a thumbs up 👍🏼 on YouTube! I’m still a noobie in the Youtube world, and the “thumbs up” really helps my content get seen. 🙏🏼 Pls and thankssssyou! ❤

Also: thanks for your patience with the quality of my videos. It’s still only been about 3 months since I first shared a video, and I didn’t even notice the EXTREME difference in quality between my first posted video and now. I actually had someone comment on YouTube the other day saying how I used to look really shy and awkward and now I am being myself and the quality of my editing/filming has improved drastically. After she commented I went back and watched my earlier videos… OH MY GOD. I am already so embaressed and want to delete hahaha. Fuck. Oh well. They will be there for us all to laugh at I guess. Anyways, kind of a random tangent I am on here but I just wanted to thank you for your patience — I am so used to being photographed and writing all the time, but the video thing is new for me. The learning curve has beena wee bit steep, but I promise you things will be better and better with every edit. If there is something you ever want to see, please TELL ME! Slide on into my dms, comment here, whatever. I value your input a LOT. ❤

LOVE YOU ALL. GOOD LUCK IN THE OLYMPICS!  WHICHEVER TEAM YOU ARE CHEERING FOR! The whole world has come together for this event. Pretty epic considering the climate of things right now. (Again, the olympics really has taken over my life lolz.)

OK BI.

xoxooxox,

WADDUP VANCITY!

Yayyyy I love it when James Manzano and I work together on videos. His videography skills are like 100x better than mine, and his edits are SO DOPE.

With that, you should watch this vlog of mine from Vancouver! James absolutely killed it with the editing, and I had a really fun day that day. So yah, check it out.

K I NEED A MOMENT HERE FRIENDS.

I need to talk about my belated Valentine’s Day yesterday. 💞

If you aren’t into mushy gushy stuff, probably just go watch the video above and stop reading now.

Okay back to my moment. 😂

So Troy and I decided to not to Valentine’s Day on the 14th, because 1) it was a Tuesday, and 2) the restaurant scene is a hot frigging mess that day. Not a fan.

Sunday was our decided Valentine’s Day date. Troy planned the date and refused to tell me anything outside of: be ready at noon, it’s going to be a “mind-blowingly-awesome” date.

I was like KAY I LIKE ALL THOSE THINGS. 😄 Ready at noon I shall be.

The date started by us driving up the Pacific Coast Highway from Santa Monica to Santa Barbara. We stopped for lunch along the way. But the drive itself is the real highlight here. Some of the most beautiful oceanfront is along this drive and it was prettttyyyyyyy. 🌊

Once we arrived at Santa Barbara I still have no fing clue what we are doing. Troy proceeds to tell me we have dinner reservations later at some mystery restaurant. I’m like k but what NOW THO..

Turns out, until dinner we would be WINE TASTING! 🍷🍷🍷

Something about me to know, I fucking love wine tasting. It fuels my soul. And I’m like, really really good at it. hahaha. I was so happy. It was awesome.

We tasted away, and got progressively more drunk as time went on. I embarrassingly documented this on my instagram stories but what else is new. I have no shame.

It’s time for dinner and Troy had to drag me away as I was begging to “pleaaaaaseeeee just do one moreeee!!!!”🍷I was having fun, don’t judge my alcoholism. You know how it is. 😉

He managed to get my away from the vineyards to go to this little Japanese restaurant. It had (hands DOWN) the best Japanese food I’ve ever had. And you know me, I like to eat a LOT, and am super picky about quality. This place, was the SHIT. (Like the good ‘the shit’ not literal shit.)

Anyways it’s one of those fancy shmancy restaurants where they have one set menu, and that’s it. No a la carte bs here. This is what we serve, and you will like it.

OBSESSED.

I am 99% sure I was making inappropriate groaning noises super loud through the entire dinner and other people were looking at me and wondering wtf was going on.. BUT IT WAS SO GOOD. Just thinking about it now I want to drive back up there and relive the experience. 🍲 🍥 🍣

If you are interested, the restaurant is called Yoichi’s. If you are ever in Santa Barbara, GO. Trust me on this one. You will love it.

****Disclaimer: the entire meal was delicious, except for the desert. Major fail on their part because after such an over-the-top amazing meal, they should have finished strong. Still would go again tho cuz everything else was unreal.

Anyways, thank you Troy for a fabulous belated Valentine’s Day. I love you and appreciate you. ❤

Ok going to do my laundry now, and go to bed. Was that weird I told that whole V day story here? LOL jk nothing is weird here at this point.

xoxoxo,

When you’re expecting a puppy…

LOL! Totally kidding, I am not actuallllly expecting a puppy for Valentine’s Day.

… or am I… 😂

hahah anyways,

Happy Valentine’s Day lovers!!! ❤

No matter what your relationship status is this year, I hope you are having a happy day. Treat yourself, buy yourself something sweet/salty/carby… whatever floats your boat and wash it down with some rose. Because, we deserve it.

All about just having a great day today, with or without a significant other! You can easily get drunk and judge the olympics from the comfort of your own  home, and have a  grand old time. I did it last year (minus the olympics part) and it was fab.

This year, I have a bae, and we are actually just chilling out tonight. We will be doing our very official ‘Valentine’s Day date’ this weekend when the restaurant craziness calms down.

So the plan to get drunk and be an at-home olympic figure skating judge still stands lol.

Anyone else doing this tonight?? Just me?

Message me your vday plans on instagram! Love to catch up with you guys and know whats happening in your lyyyfeeee.

Hugs and kisses! 😘

xoxox,

Lake Tahoe is the best!

Ah yes, here it is friends! My official travel vlog from Lake Tahoe. I love this because I feel like I get to have you along with me on my trip. Much more personal 🙂

We skied a total of 3 days, and I give my reviews on all 3 mountains local mountains we tried: Northstar, Squaw, and Alpine Meadows. Lake Tahoe is one of the most beautiful places, and there is nothing quite like traveling into the nature for a few days.

If you guys like this vlog, it really super helps my content get shown through the YouTube algorithm if you throw it a “thumbs up” and/or leave a comment! 👍🏻

More importantly, it helps me learn which videos you like the most. 😊

I need to go to sleep meow, because I am meeting a friend for an early morning hike tomorrow. FITNESS AND SUCH. 💪🏻

Talk tomorrow! 😘

xoxox,