sephora favourites // my recommendations for the VIB/ROUGE sale event

Hey friends! So I decided that it was time to upload a video consisting of all of my Sephora favourites - it's about time, amirite?! If you're interested in some of my recommendations then click here, or watch the video directly down below. And if you aren't already, please subscribe to my channel (thinksandra) for more video updates! 

Best,

Δ Sandra Δ

Where else can I find you?

Youtube // Instagram // Twitter // Tumblr // Bloglovin

life update

Hi friends, it's been a while hasn't it? I don't think i've ever posted a 'life update' on here but I thought i'd just catch you guys up to speed on my current life events. 

So the semester has begun and i'm officially in my 3rd year of university (i'm an upperclassman, I can't believe it - where has all the time gone?). I am currently SWAMPED in a sea of midterms, essays, and group projects, so that is my excuse for my sad and non-consistent video-uploading. I'm also juggling work...so there's that.

Still though, I am so amazed and surprised at the amount of lovely messages I get from viewers - it warms my heart! I can't believe I'm almost at 1500 subscribers! That may not sound like a lot to some of you but that's a heck of a lot of people to me. Thank you guys so much for the support and I promise, I'm trying my best with the videos. 

Best,

Δ Sandra Δ

Where else can I find you?

Youtube // Instagram // Twitter // Tumblr // Bloglovin

photo editing apps // my favourites

One of my favourite apps of all time is Instagram - I'll probably go on it at least 10x a day (it's an issue, I already know). Although the in-app filters and tools are much better than they used to be, I still rely on other photo editing apps. So I thought, why not compile a post of all my favourite photo editing apps?  

VSCO Cam (free)

Before - original photo

After

VSCO Cam is my absolute favourite photo editing app. I use this app for every single photo that I edit - ALWAYS. Of all the apps I have tried, this one has the best pre-set filters for what i'm looking for. Some of my favourites are: M3, P5, and T1. Most of the time I choose T1 and turn it down to about +3/+4, then I go to 'tool' and manually edit it. I usually like to turn up the exposure a couple of notches, make the temperature a little more cold, lessen the contrast (maybe by 2), and turn down the saturation. The result is a more dull, vintage-y looking photo (as you can see illustrated above). 

Snapseed (free) 

Before 

After

Another really great app. I use it majorly for its 'tune image' function. There I am able to resurrect a really bad quality photo (usually one that is really dark and/or yellow). 

Afterlight ($0.99)

Afterlight - Film Borders ($0.99) + Light Leak 11 (filter from VSCO cam) (white borders from Squaready)

Afterlight - Dusty 02 (filter is from VSCO cam)(white borders from Squaready)

I used to be a huge fan of Afterlight. I use it less religiously now, but still quite frequently. Right now my top two reasons for using Afterlight is for its dusty effect (which adds a nice air-y subtlety) and the polaroid film borders (which are an in-app purchase). 

Squaready (free) 

This app is awesome if you don't feel like cropping your image into a square. I used to use this app for every single one of my photos, however recently i've been loving uploading my images as cropped squares (I really like how it makes my profile feed look!). 

Instagram (free) 

Like I said, I don't usually use Instagram's features (I usually upload my photo already edited and ready to go). However, since i've been enjoying the square composition for my photos lately, i've been dabbling into some of the features - and i'm quite impressed! I still don't use the filters, but I really like using the tools! I'll usually tamper with the brightness, saturation, warmth, and contrast for some last minute touch ups. The tool i'm most impressed with (and use the most) is the straightening tool. Lately i've been noticing the importance of horizon lines and how much better images look when straightened up so I highly recommend this tool (I love the small grid - it really helps with straightening things up)! 

Well, that's it folks! Those are some of my favourite photo editing apps and how I use them. I hope this was helpful. What are some of your favourite photo editing apps?

Best,

Δ Sandra Δ

venice, you were good to me.

*pictures taken by a very talented classmate of mine. Venezia, Italia

It's been a couple weeks since i've returned from the craziest month of my life in Venice, Italy. My month of May consisted of art, gelato, a shit-ton of walking, vapouretos (Venetian water buses), and pizza-galore! I can honestly say it was the best month of my life and I have a big dent in my wallet to prove it. 

By the end of the whole experience, I was no longer a tourist, I was a Venetian local. I walked those streets as if I knew them on the back of my hand. It was definitely a huge change to come back to Canada and see roads instead of canals, and cars instead of boats and gondolas. I'm not sure when, but I do know that I will go back there one day. 

In the mean time, i've been trying to settle back into a routine. I start working in about a week so once I begin making/saving money, I do plan on buying a better lens for my camera (considering the fact that I broke my kit lens). I'll be uploading my first video since my 3 month long hiatus on my youtube channel very soon - look out for that! 

Best,

Δ Sandra Δ

Triangl Swimwear // first impressions

So I took the plunge and bought a Triangl bikini! I've been wanting one ever since they  became popular last summer but held off because of the price. I finally decided to treat myself because i've been doing really well on my midterms (thank goodness). No regrets, whatsoever. 

I purchased the colour Indiana Ice in 'xs' for both the top and the bottoms. I know a lot of people have issues deciding what size they should get but I just referred to the sizing chart and it worked out fine for me! Do remember that the material is neoprene (the same material used to make wetsuits), so it is very thick and very stretch resistant. So if you are really worried about the bottoms cutting in, then size up. Personally, i'd much rather the swimsuit be slightly tight than have to worry about them falling off. Since the top has strings and you can adjust it, just stick with your normal size. 

I hand-wash mine in cold water, and i've had no issues with that. Also, I really stress storing it completely flat (just like it says on the instructions). Mine accidentally got folded one time and it took a lot of effort to get the wrinkles out. 

I would like to give an honourable mention to the amazing bag that comes with the swimsuit (also made of neoprene). It's super cute and great for storing the swimsuit. Overall, I give this swimsuit a 4.5/5 for it's high quality and amazing look. 

*UPDATE (1 year later)* 
This pains me to say, but I just want to be completely honest. I regret buying this bikini. I loved this bikini last summer but I've come to realize that it's not worth the money. Mine has begun to pill and it's less than flattering. The material of the swimsuit is also not too flattering on slim figures (aka. it makes my butt super flat). Unfortunately I will no longer be purchasing form Triangl. 

Best,

Δ Sandra Δ