Tag: Blogger

Collaborations, Fashion Finds

My Collaboration with “Fairly Local Apparel”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on My Collaboration with “Fairly Local Apparel”

Hi my beauts, and welcome to my channel if you are new! Hello, my name is Alyssa and I completely apologize if I have been MIA lately, a lot has been happening over the past month! I have been working nonstop, and I am learning how to balance work and blogging altogether. I promise I will be back into my normal blogging routine again soon! I just have to get a  routine down pat and stick to it, which I am still trying to figure out. The weather also has not been the greatest for taking pictures, unfortunately! Also, I am now limited to take my photographs on the weekends now as opposed to throughout the week like I used to do. I am now living in my hometown out in the country and not living in Hamilton anymore. I love it out in the country, it is so peaceful and I get to see all my family members out here which is awesome. I want to take the time to thank companies I have recently been collaborating with for their patience and understanding, you guys are amazing and bless you! I hope you guys have been doing well and everything! I miss you all so much and can not wait to show you the companies I have been working with lately. One company that caught my attention a while back on Instagram was a company called, “Fairly Local Apparel”. I found and came across this company while browsing on Instagram one day, and what caught my attention was their clothing and t-shirts. I am a very simple girl, I do not like over the top t-shirts at all, I love ones that are stylish, simple, and ones that you can style in many different ways. I decided to reach out to this wonderful company, inquiring about a potential collaboration. They were more than happy to collaborate with me, and I was stoked!

Fairly Local Apparel’s goal for their company is to design a brand that fits your style which I adore. They are urban fashion, with unique and an artistic make to their clothing. They are a small local company founded in 2016 and is based out of Cincinnati, Ohio. They always strive for the best quality, customer service and they guarantee 100% satisfaction.

I could not wait to receive my package in the mail and see my t-shirt! When the package came in, the material of the shirt was excellent quality, and I absolutely loved the colour red, made the shirt really stand out. I received the “Red Striped Tee” which retails for $15.99. I absolutely love my shirt, it is super comfortable, and I literally wear it to work all the time. I have worn this shirt with leggings, jean shorts, ripped jeans and my jean skirt which can be seen in the pictures on this page. There are so many other clothing pieces that you can purchase as well which are adorable!

I want to personally take the time to thank Fairly Local Apparel for allowing me to collaborate with their amazing company, you guys are awesome and it was an absolute pleasure working with you guys! Again thank you for your patience! I absolutely love my shirt and wear it ALL the time. If you guys have not checked out their Instagram page I highly recommend checking them out! Their Instagram page is “fairlylocalclothing”, be sure to come spread some love! Also, check out their website over at http://www.fairlylocalapparel.com“. Also be sure to check out my social media pages located on my homepage for more blog posts to come in the near future! Take care have a great week and much love xo.

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Collaborations, Fashion Finds

My Collaboration with “Equilibrio Gems”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on My Collaboration with “Equilibrio Gems”

Good morning my beauts! Welcome to my channel, I hope you all are having a wonderful Tuesday morning so far! Again, since the beautiful weather is here I have been busy working on some interesting and neat collaborations with you! Some people who I have worked with and interviewed in the past was the beautiful POESY herself, and the wonderful Michael Landsberg which will be in the near future. I am always on the hunt to reach out to talented companies, and companies who catch my attention.  One thing that I have been recently into lately, is jewellery that helps balance your soul, calms your state of mind, and helps with stability. I find these types of jewellery so interesting and intriguing to learn more about. I managed to find this beautiful jewellery and watches account on Instagram called, “Equilibrio Gems”, created by the talented Ariana Stefancic.  I decided to reach out to her over Instagram as I adored her page and loved her jewellery she created! Flawless! Ariana was a pleasure to speak to! I know what you beauts are thinking, tell us a bit more about the company!

Equilibrio Gems was created in January 2018. Ariana explains, “I named my jewellery company Equilibrio Gems behind the word ‘Equilibrium’, which means a state in which opposing forces or influences are balanced. A calm state of mind. Symmetry. Stability. That is why when you take a look at my logo, I have the scale that’s balancing my logo name. Gemstones are meant to balance the mind, body, and soul through their natural properties. Not only are they beautiful, but each gemstone carries a specific frequency. When worn or held, these frequencies are translated into a vibration energy that gets transferred to the wearer, ultimately clearing them of any uncomfortable energy and balancing their inner core (known as the chakras). All of my jewellery designs are meant to help with a person’s equilibrium. Also, each design is finished with a touch of minimalistic glam (because who doesn’t love a little bling bling :D). Simplicity is what we all want to achieve in life, but no one said jewellery had to be simple. Equilibrio Gems is edgy, fashion-forward, and one-of-a-kind. 

As a child, I was always fascinated by jewellery and the composition of jewellery. I also grew up collecting rocks and stones from all over the world. My younger self-loved the way each rock and stone sparkled in the light along with the different textures and colours that came with it. I started creating bracelets for myself about two years ago and had a lot of my friends and family ask me if I could make them some pieces as well. I didn’t think to turn my jewellery designs into a business at the time as I was managing another business that I founded full-time. I stopped making jewellery all together as everyday life occurrences kept my time occupied. I realized I missed the creative aspect of making jewellery and the passion I had for it. I believe wholeheartedly that passion is an essential quality of success. I relaunched my jewellery company January of this year, fully branding Equilibrio Gems and properly making a name for myself”.
Ariana is the sole creator of “Equilibrio Gems”.  She expresses that it gives her the power and option to let her be herself, and have that translate into all her designs. Being from Vaughan, Ontario, Ariana is on her way to success, and she already is doing so well for herself! She had sent me a picture of what she had specifically made for me in regards to one of her gorgeous bracelets. I was in awe. I remember my mom being right beside me, and I showed her the picture, she was in shock! We both could not believe that Ariana had made them for me, and had taken the time out of her day to do that. What a talented individual! I could not wait to get the mail and receive my two bracelets!
I received two beautiful bracelets in the mail from Equilibrio Gems. The first one, the white one which is called, “White Howlite“. This bracelet has a calming effect, aids in sleep, teaches patience, enhances your ambitions and also absorbs anger. Like how could you not want this bracelet? From someone who personally suffers from generalized anxiety disorder, I needed something to help calm me, and I find this bracelet does just that! It is absolutely stunning on, and I have been getting numerous compliments on it. Love this one Ariana!
The second bracelet which is a blue one is called, “Sodalite” is absolutely stunning as well. They look beautiful together and really compliment one another. This bracelet helps with harmonizing and soothing, helps strengthen confidence,  as well as helps one develop their intuition. This is also an idealistic stone which is gorgeous. I love wearing both of my bracelets and I am so fascinated at how they work and the benefits of wearing them!
If you are interested in purchasing some bracelets or requesting an order from Ariana and Equilibrio Gems feel free to contact her through email at equilibriogems@gmail.com. She also has various designs and options on her Instagram page @equilibriogems. Ariana is currently working on an Etsy page that will be set to launch by the beginning of Summer 2018. I want to take the time to personally thank Ariana and her company “Equilibrio Gems” for allowing me to collaborate with her! She was such a pleasure to work with and makes such gorgeous bracelets. I am currently typing up this blog post with my bracelets on! I love them, thank you so much again, Ariana, for making these gorgeous bracelets for me, I appreciate it a ton, Be sure to come spread some love on her Instagram page. Enjoy the rest of your week, and take care.Much love xo.
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Collaborations, Fashion Finds

My Collaboration with “Wondrous Blue Clothing”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on My Collaboration with “Wondrous Blue Clothing”

Hey, beauts and welcome to my channel! I am so glad you guys decided to pop by and say hi! I always enjoy having your company and love sharing new brands that I managed to find on Instagram. I literally spend half of my days sometimes just searching new clothing brands and lines on Instagram and love reaching out to companies. The companies that I reach out to are the ones that catch my eye on their Instagram page. I literally don’t look at how many followers the company has, I look at how attractive their page is, their clothing line and the message they present.  Honestly, a company that has 100 followers may even be better than a company who has 1000 followers in my opinion, you never know. I was searching on Instagram one day and came across a wonderful company called, ” Wondrous Blue Clothing“. I decided to reach out to the company and ask if they were interested in a collaboration with me.  I was happy when they agreed right away to collaborating! Wondrous Blue Clothing brand launched in June 2017, bringing in a twist of culture from the New England Area. The company states, “I have always been a man of action; someone that was not worried about taking a risk because everything in life is worth taking a chance for. Even when I thought I was starting too many businesses at once, it was the adrenaline and thought of success that kept me going to make sure every business had a chance to succeed.

Every day I would get congratulatory messages about how everyone was proud of me for doing what I’m doing. It was an amazing feeling. Even getting calls and messages asking, “how can I start a business?”, “how can I make shirts?”, “what do I need?”, “let’s meet up to talk about how you got started and what I should do.” I was extremely happy to hear that people wanted to hear from me and see what they could do to progress to the state that I was in. It was a great feeling knowing people wanted my help even though I was still learning how to do things correctly myself – it’s what made me persistent and focused. I was always excited to teach them what I had learned and share my knowledge. Especially when I would hear it come from life-long friends that I haven’t seen in a while – it gave me that extra oomph to just blab all I learned to get them started.

My life-long family friend, my brother, Lucas Salem, was one of those people. He wanted to start a t-shirt business and since I had an established t-shirt printing company, with my good friend Joe Castro, he came to me. It was great to hear that he wanted to meet up and talk about how he should get started and what he should do but we always kept putting it off. Unfortunately, I never got that chance to meet up with Lucas. He passed away due to a tragic car accident before we ever got a chance to talk about the t-shirt company that he wanted to build. I wish every day that I never pushed that date back to meet up because tomorrow is never promised and that is something that we always take for granted. That is how Wondrous Blue was born! People say that in life you die twice; once when we leave this earth and then again when we are forgotten. I will not let that happen! Lucas Salem was a man of the sea, a fisherman, a great and honest person, and a great friend! His memory lives on with Wondrous Blue!”  I absolutely love this story and pay great respect for this company as this is a beautiful story. As soon as I  had read a bit about the company that’s when I decided to reach out to them and inquire about a collaboration. I love companies with a powerful message and love seeing what different companies are all about.

While looking on their website, I was amazed at how beautiful the clothing line was.  There are three categories of shirts to choose from such as; short sleeve, long sleeve and little anchors. I am especially drawn to long sleeve shirts as I am always cold all the time, and just love the look of these shirts in general. I especially loved the pocket style t-shirts! There are so many different colours to choose from which is amazing, but since I am a very plain girl I really enjoy either black or white shirts in general. I really liked the “Long Sleeve Ship Graphic Pocket T-Shirt” in white which retails for, $34.99.  I decided to get mine in a size medium which fits absolutely perfectly and I am so happy for that! I could not wait for my shirt to come in and was super excited when I received it in the mail! The material is super comfortable, stylish and is something I would for sure wear.

I was also amazed at how friendly and down to earth the company was, they were a pleasure to talk to! Again, absolutely love companies that are super engaging with their clients, and are super friendly to speak to. I would for sure order more clothing from this site by far, I absolutely love the style, the company in general and love everything they have going for them. Again, loving the pocket tee style!

“… the t-shirt company he would’ve started”

I want to personally take the time to thank Wondrous Blue Clothing for allowing me to collaborate with their company! You guys are such wonderful people. Be sure to come spread some love over on their page at “@wondrousblueclothing”. Also be sure to follow my other social media accounts located on my home page for future blogs! Take care and much love xo.

Collaborations, Fashion Finds

My Collaboration with “ I Am Who I Am Apparel”

by alyssahotrum5 Comments on My Collaboration with “ I Am Who I Am Apparel”

Hey beauts, welcome to my channel, I am so glad you chose to pop in and say hi! I hope you beauts have been doing well. I have been busy blogging lately and have been babysitting my mom’s dog for the week while they are on vacation for March break! Lucky Bum’s! I don’t mind being with baby winnie though, we are bonding and having a great time together! I have recently been collaborating with a clothing brand called, “I am who I am Apparel”, and let me just say this, they are a newer company but are amazing so far and their clothing is inspirational as well. As you beauts know I am all about positive vibes and love anything that has to do with inspiration and empowering vibes. I am who I am is a Canadian Clothing company that stands for showing the world who you are; quirks, flaws, and all! I absolutely love this! Also, they emphasize the quote, “be proud of everything you are”. On their Instagram page, I love how it says in their bio, “peace and self-love”. I am all about self-love, practising self-love and expressing it as much as possible.  I was so ecstatic when the company agreed to collaborate with me on a blog post, I love working with different companies and was thrilled to see this was a Canadian company which was awesome. There are so many different t shirts and hoodies to choose from which was great! I chose two specific t-shirts that caught my eye right away. The first is called the  “Probably Late Tee”, which retails in store for $22.00. I got my shirt in the royal blue colour which was absolutely stunning. I feel like you can pair these shirts with a lot of different outfits which is great. I simply paired mine with a pair of ripped jeans, combat boots, and a baseball hat.

(Clearly couldn’t just decide on one picture because I liked them all as you can tell !) I just absolutely love and adore this shirt! It completely suits me because I am usually always late to things, I like to take my sweet ass time getting ready!

The next shirt that I received in the mail is absolutely adorable as well and I am in love! It suits me to a T. This shirt is called the , “Seriously Sassy Tee”, and it retails in store for $22.00. I love this shirt as well I think it is absolutely adorable and looks so cute on. I got mine in the colour black and it literally goes with anything which I love! I do feel extremely sassy in this t shirt which is awesome. Of course had to wear this with my sunnies!

Collaborations, Fashion Finds

My Collaboration with Conscious Community Wear!

by alyssahotrum7 Comments on My Collaboration with Conscious Community Wear!

Hey, beauts, how are you guys, and how have you been?! I know I know, I have been mia and literally dropped off the face of the earth. I have been sick for the past month with the lovely flu, which has been crappy, so I have been trying to recover to say the last. I even stopped going to the gym because I had zero energy which feels so terrible. But, thank goodness I am finally starting to feel better and I am getting back on track with my blogging and so forth. I am still doing collaborations with different companies and have some exciting ones in store for you guys which is super exciting and I can not wait to share these companies with you beauts, such wonderful people. One company that I have been in touch with and speaking to is called, “Conscious Community Wear”, and they have been absolutely wonderful to work with. I spoke to Kevin about his company and I absolutely loved his clothing line. What really caught my attention about this Instagram page was the meaning of the clothing line, which was promoting love and positivity in a new way of thinking, meaning thinking and being free. I absolutely love this. You beauts know that I am all about spreading positive vibes and good vibes all around on my page. I think that there needs to be more positivity spread throughout the world which is exactly why I created my blogging channel in the first place. Speaking to Kevin, he was very sweet and a very down to earth person. Right away he complimented me on my blogging channel and fashion sense which was extremely sweet of him. He stayed in contact with me, letting me know when I would receive my package in the mail and so forth. I absolutely love companies who keep you updated and stay in touch with you, it’s extremely helpful and I admire that.

There were a couple of shirts that I absolutely adored within his clothing line of “Conscious Community Wear”, and that’s why I knew I had to reach out to him. I was s happy when Kevin agreed to collaborate with me on a blog post and was super excited when I received my package in the mail. Kevin was super generous and sent me 3 shirts which I absolutely adore. I know you beauts are dying to know a little bit about the company and what not so I’ll share some background information with you guys. The company was established in 2016, and consist of a group of young entrepreneurs whose duty is to help shed some light in a world that seems full of darkness. I love this. Personally, I could not think of a better company I would like to represent and show off to you beauts. The company has dedicated their lives to help the positivity of humanity combat the negativity.   So now that you beauts have a little more insight into the company I have been working with, let’s show off some of their beautiful t-shirts and designs for you guys!

The first shirt that I received I immediately fell in love with right away. I absolutely love cropped shirts and sweaters, I think they are extremely fashionable and they are super cute to wear. I received my “Free State Cropped” sweater which retails for $27.00. I got mine in the colour black, and always wear mine with a pair of leggings, which is super comfortable.  I think this top is super flattering and I love the message it is spreading as well. This sweater is super soft… you beauts need to get your hands on it for sure!

(How adorable is this though!?)

The next shirt that I received in my package I am a huge fan of! I love the message it is spreading across the word, pretty much-promoting love and not hate in the world, which is beautiful. This “No Hate Tee”, retails for $20.00 which is a great deal, and I just simply paired it with some ripped jeans and tied a knot in the shirt with my hat. I think there are so many different ways to style this shirt and I absolutely love it. For sure going to be wearing this a ton!

Lastly, I had one more top in my package and it is called the “Kaep Tee” which retails for $19.00 which was great. Not going to lie I had no idea who this person was, until my friend informed me about him! Hey, learn something new every day! I love this Tee, I think the design is neat and I really do love it a bunch!

Again, just simply paired it with my ripped faded jeans, a dad hat, and tied a knot in the shirt to style it.

I want to personally thank Kevin and his company “Conscious Community Wear” for allowing me to collaborate with them on this blog post. You guys are such amazing and sweet people, I really do believe there need to be more upbeat and positive people in this world like yourselves! Keep up the great work with your company, you guys are doing fantastic and I absolutely love your clothing line. Be sure to come spread some love on their Instagram page over at “@consciouscommunitywear”, and give them a follow! Also be sure to follow my other social media accounts located on my homepage for more blogs in the near future! Take care and much love xo.

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Beauty, Collaborations, Home Decor

My Collaboration with “ Eleven Past Eleven Candle Co”

by alyssahotrum1 Comment on My Collaboration with “ Eleven Past Eleven Candle Co”

Hey there my beauts and welcome to my blogging channel if you are new ! Thank you for stopping by and taking the time to read , I greatly appreciate it beyond words! If there’s one thing you need to know about me is I absolutely love my candles. I’m that one always shopping at bath and body works, stocking up on candles! I also love searching and looking up candle companies on Instagram! Some beautiful companies I came across included Heaven Scent Soy Candles, as well as Lavish Beauty Baskets. Being a blogger , I love reaching out to companies and meeting new amazing people. I meet new people everyday and I am overwhelmed with all the love and support, it’s amazing! So thank you guys! I recently came across a beautiful candle company called ” Eleven Past Eleven Candle Co”, and what grabbed my attention was how beautiful the candles looked! There is nothing better than a beautiful candle to grab your attention let alone one that smells absolutely incredible. If your candle looks appealing chances are more people are going to stop by and check out your page! I reached out to this company and spoke to the owner and creator, Cassandra, who was such a sweetheart! She kept me up to date with the tracking information and with everything which was so helpful. It really helps when the companies you reach out to are so kind and caring, makes a big difference that is for sure!

So I knew that I was going to be receiving a candle but did not know to what extent the candle would really look like! I was completely and I mean completely blown away at the elegance and how gorgeous the candle was! I received a beautiful note from Cassandra which was so sweet !

When I saw the candle I nearly died, it was absolutely gorgeous. Even the outside of the candle was adorable and grabbed my attention right away! I received the “Positivity Candle” which retails for $27.99 in store. The outside of the candle states ,”positivity- ( noun) the state or character of being positive ; a positivity that accepts the world as it is”. I absolutely love this. I think this is such a great touch to this candle , and really adds to the appearance! When I opened it up , the scent was unreal. I could not stop smelling it ! The candles are made with all natural soy wax, and can be used in the home or office for an instant pick me up!

The positivity candles are scented with endlessly in love fragrance, and each candle’s estimated burn time is 30 hours. I also love how the candle has the wooden wick to create the crackling noise. I honestly have not seen any candles like this before until I collaborated with Heaven Scent Soy Candles who uses the same beautiful technique! Love it! So cozy and calming.

What I absolutely love about these candles that makes them so unique is the crystals that are located on top of the candles! How unreal and beautiful is that? Ontop of my positivity candle, there were rose quartz and Dalmatian jasper crystals. The rose quartz has a powerful but gentle energy that soothes and calms the aura. It is considered to be the crystal of unconditional love, opening the heart to foster empathy and promote self love. It emits a soft healing vibration that is joyous to the soul. I honestly absolutely love this you beauts! I am all about self love and empowering/ growing as individuals. I think this means so much and I think it’s so interesting to read the meaning behind the crystals!

The next crystal , the Dalmatian jasper, has a wonderful energy that promotes happiness and restores a sense of fun and child-like wonder, a true pick me up. The black tourmaline inclusions help to cleanse and purify the aura. It transmutes any negative energy in the auric field, transforming the negative into positive.

Again, love the meaning behind these crystals , they are so empowering and send powerful messages to the user. I have tried burning my candle for a little bit to test it out and it’s absolutely beautiful. The scent is amazing, it’s super relaxing. It is honestly like Cassandra knew what kind of scent I would fall in love with. I am also all about positivity and promoting positive vibes to my channel . Cassandra could not have picked a better candle for me! By far , go and check out her Instagram page at ” 11past11candles” and spread some love on her page! Her candles are amazing, so unique, fun , and mean different things! Incredible!

From Newcastle Ontario, Cassandra is doing amazing for herself and her company. I was so fortunate to be given this opportunity to collaborate with her and Eleven Past Eleven Candle Co. I want to personally thank her for allowing me to work with her, it has been a wonderful experience! I wish her nothing but the best in her future endeavours! Be sure to follow my blogging channel and other social media sites located on my homepage to be up to date on the latest blog posts! Take care!

Beauty, Collaborations

My Collaboration with “Lavish Beauty Baskets”

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on My Collaboration with “Lavish Beauty Baskets”

Hello and good morning my beauts, I hope you are all doing well and fantastic like myself! I have been slowly planning out what to get my friends and family for Christmas, what about you beauts!? Christmas shopping is always stressful and sometimes you never know what to get people, or that’s what is always my problem anyway! I recently came across a beautiful Instagram page that sold beautiful candles, body scrubs and handmade beauty products. Guys…. if you know anything about me, you know that anything beauty-related screams my name, and I absolutely love these kinds of things. I find handmade beauty products to be so relaxing, soothing, and more personal by far. I reached out to the company “Lavish Beauty Baskets“, and spoke to the creator Krystle Ajaegbu.  She was so kind and down to earth, kept me updated when it came to my order and when it would be coming in! She was such a kind soul to work with and super friendly to speak to.

When I received my box, I was super excited to be a part of this collaboration with beauty products. I opened it and was created by a personal card from Krystle and her company which was adorable.  I absolutely love my personal cards, they mean so much to me and I keep every single one of them!

Thank you so much, Krystle, for the sweet card I appreciate it a bunch! I then received two beautiful products in my box which I was super excited about trying! I received a beautiful box scrub in the mail by Lavish Beauty Baskets which is called the “Lavish Glow Scrub“.  The ingredients in this scrub are to die for. This scrub contains sugar, coconut oil, apple extract, glycerin, phenoxyethanol, ethyhexylglycerin,  and fragrance.  I absolutely love this body scrub, it feels so smooth on my skin and makes my skin look glowy afterward. I love the scent as well which is an added bonus!  It goes on so nicely, and I love how much product is in the container.

I also love the design of this product as well, and all the products in general. I think they look absolutely gorgeous and are super glamorous as well! The next product that I received from Lavish Beauty Baskets was a gorgeous candle. If there is one thing that you beauts need to know about me is I absolutely love soothing candles with Eucalyptus scent in them. I find this scent to be super relaxing, especially someone who suffers from anxiety, these scents are calming and amazing. Even after a stressful day these are great.  I received a candle in “Eucalyptus Mint” from Lavish Beauty Baskets and let me just say beauts, the scent is to die for. I absolutely am in love. It literally feels like all my worries disappeared after smelling this. I also love the cute little design labels on it as well, adds such a nice touch to it. What I find so amazing about these products is that they honestly would make such great gifts for someone! Whether it be a birthday, Christmas gift or gift for your girlfriend or mom, they are beautiful. I highly recommend checking out Lavish Beauty Baskets Instagram page at “Lavish Beauty Baskets“, and simply DM Krystle if you are interested in purchasing something, or send her an email at : lavishbeautybaskets@gmail.com for ordering.

I absolutely love these two products so much and want to take the time to personally thank Krystle and her company “Lavish Beauty Products” for allowing me to collaborate with her ! I absolutely would recommend purchasing some of her products, she is super talented and takes a lot of time in her products, you can tell! Thanks again Krystle! Be sure to show her some love on her Instagram page! Also be sure to subscribe to my blogging channel and follow my other social media sites located on my homepage! Take care!

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Inspiring Articles

Mental Health Update- Chat Chat with me

by alyssahotrumLeave a Comment on Mental Health Update- Chat Chat with me


Hello my beauts, Alyssa here! It’s been a while since I have talked to you guys, sat down with a cup of tea, and just shot the shit with you beauts. I have been so busy doing collaborations with companies lately, that it is nice to take a break and just sit down and talk to you guys about what has been going on in my life so far. As you beauts know I am always real with yous, I never hide anything and I am always sharing updates about what is happening in my life, especially on topics such as mental health. As most of you guys know mental health runs in my family, and it is not something I am ashamed to discuss with you guys, infact it is a topic I am extremely open about. I am an advocate for mental health and love sharing with you guys everything how I am feeling and my emotions. Lately, my family has been struggling with a lot of personal family matters, something that I am not going to broadcast because it is rather personal. As a result of this I have not been myself whatsoever, it has been constant days where I am completely up and about, and other days where I just want to sleep all day. It does not take a lot for me to worry about things, so I have been to say the least.. a mess. I have thought long and hard about what I am going to do, knowing that something needs to be done. I am not one to sit there and do nothing about the situation, I am not going to sit there feeling sorry for myself, that’s not me. I like to do things about situations and I think that is exactly what you have to do when life gets in the way of things. You need to make a plan. So that’s what I started to do. As you beauts know I am in college right now for Social Service Work and it has been extremely hard for me to focus on school at the moment for the past month or so. I let a professor know what was going on, and she was extremely supportive. I tried from then on to keep attending classes and try to focus on assignments and so forth but it was getting tough. I knew that I needed to start taking care of myself whatever that meant to do.


I recently was supposed to start placement the other day and knew I just could not do that right now. I am not in the right state of mind, I have no motivation for school whatsoever, and I would be setting myself up for failure not knowing if I would wake up and not want to go to placement that day. I then thought long and hard about what I was  going to do, breaking down to my mom about everything that has been going on. I am so glad I have that support there for me.  Family means absolutely everything to me, they are the closest people you have to you. I let my mom know that I don’t think I can do placement right now, and she completely understood. I let her know I was not in the right mindset and that I have not been myself lately whatsoever.  People who struggle with mental health issues can sometimes be up and down, and different things trigger our emotions, it can also be completely out of nowhere. I came to the conclusion that I decided to postpone school, for now, I am almost done, but I feel like I am not going to do my best or even go for that matter if I continue right now. This was a big decision to make but honestly, mental health comes first before school. I just wanted to chat with you guys and let you know that sometimes life gets in the way of things, it’s unplanned and it happens but you just have to sometimes think of a different plan and deal with it. I am now in contact with some counsellors from my college and I think I am going to start seeing my own personal therapist again just to touch base and get things off my chest. I can not emphasize how amazing it feels to chat with someone, whether it be your mom, dad, friend, or a counsellor, someone is always there to help and you don’t have to be embarrassed about it whatsoever.  I never thought I was going to share my own personal life on the internet, with complete strangers and with others but something in me told me it was the right thing to do, so here I am today. I want others to know they are never alone, that there are options out there, and that it is okay to put your goals and dreams on hold. That is exactly what I am doing and I am content with my decision. It doesn’t mean I will not finish my program but it means that I will finish it at a later date and that is okay. My program is not going anymore, what matters the most and what is the most important thing right now is my mental health and making sure everything is okay.

Of course, it helps with this little one here with me, this is baby Winnie. She is a cockapoo puppy and has helped tremendously in our household as our therapy dog. Puppies and any animal for that matter as huge life savour when it comes to making you happy, smile and bring peace into your home. We have only had her for a few days and we already notice a huge difference in our home which is wonderful when I go and visit my mom. I highly recommend having an animal in your home if you are struggling or just need a bit more happiness/peace in your home.

I hope you guys enjoyed this little chit chat blog! I always like keeping you guys updated when it comes to my mental health and I always love sharing any piece of advice that I have! Also, want to give a shout out to @dodolashes for these beautiful mink lashes that you can purchase with my discount code “thatothertwin_xo” for 5% off at the checkout. Absolutely love these lashes, they are super easy to apply and look stunning for daytime/ night time looks. Take care, much love xo.

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Collaborations, Home Decor

My collaboration with ” Heaven Scent Soy Candles” 

by alyssahotrum2 Comments on My collaboration with ” Heaven Scent Soy Candles” 
My collaboration with ” Heaven Scent Soy Candles” 

“Igniting memories through fragrance” 

Hello my beauts, I hope you all are doing well! I had a wonderful weekend and I hope you guys did too! One thing I absolutely love about the fall time and it’s literally mandatory are fall candles and candles in general.  Something about getting all cozy, getting snuggled up on your couch and relaxing with a tea as a candle burns on the table.  I absolutely love candles, they make you so happy and fill the air with positive vibes. Candles are great for gifts for any birthday, special occasion and so forth. I know if somebody surprised me with candles I would in a heartbeat be so grateful. I am always on the hunt for new candle stores and places to purchase beautiful candles. I always shop at Bath and Body Works but wanted something different this time. That is when I came across this beautiful cute shop on Instagram called, “Heaven Scent Soy Candles”. I absolutely loved their page and had to reach out to their company. They were more than happy for me to collaborate with them and review some of their products!  I reviewed their link to their online store and it was beautiful. You can tell they put a lot of work into their company and website it was so dainty and cute.

About the Company 

Heaven Scent Soy Candles was first established in 2012, while sitting on the couch watching a home fragrance commercial. The entrepreneurs of the company had used a significant amount of the store-bought home freshening products but nothing ever seemed to have the lasting smell which would fill up your entire home with an amazing scent. When looking at the ingredients in candles, it is so hard to pronounce half of the things in it.  This was when Heaven Scent Soy Candles was created. The overall idea was Heaven Scent. In December 2016, her 16-year-old son gave her her first candle making kit keeping in mind that he knew she had been talking about starting her own candle business for years now.  The goal of Heaven Scent Soy Candles is to make you feel at home in a place that is not your home or to bring back a happy or even a sad memory. It is fantastic how the sense of smell can take you to places that none of the other senses can.

Overall the process and establishment of Heaven Scent Soy Candles have been long but well worth the wait.  Heaven Scent Soy Candles is a committed company striving to provide a natural, beautiful and inspiring home fragrance to their customers.

So why make soy candles is what you may be thinking? Soy candles have a cleaner burn which has no toxins, carcinogens or pollutants.  Heaven Scent Soy Candles provide a long lasting burn that allows you to enjoy a longer lasting candle while creating a strong hot and cold scent throw.  The candles are created using fragrance oils that are infused with natural essential oils. One thing that took me by surprise when opening the candles was the wooden wicks, I have never seen a candle with a wooden wick before. Heaven Scent Soy Candles uses wooden wicks to help create the crackling sound while it’s burning. I absolutely love this. I would have never thought about that in a million years! Heaven Scent Soy Candles states that “living in South Florida, we don’t have fireplaces like many other cities, the crackling provides comfort, warmth and relaxation that brings memories for those that have lived in the more colder climates of the word“. I absolutely love this so much.  Also, wooden wicks create a faster melt pool than many other wick types and also provide a stronger scent throw.


Heaven Scent Soy Candles was kind enough to send me two of their products. I received a soy candle from their classic collection called, “Sweet Indulgence” which is a smooth and elegant blend of soft floral notes with salty highlight. The fragrance is infused with calming notes of jasmine, sweet cream and musk. I absolutely love the smell of this, it is so homey and gorgeous. I am picky when it comes to candles but as soon as I tried this out I fell in love. The decor of this candle is beautiful and looks so elegant. I would for sure give this as a gift to someone no doubt about it!  These candles retail for $25.00 which is amazing, as they are 11oz so you get a lot of product to it. These candles are made with all natural soy blend wax grown in the U.S. These candles provide you with 60 hours of burn time which is amazing. I personally love the sound of the wooden wick burning, I think this is what made me fall in love with the candle even more. Beauts I am blown away, once you are done burning the candle you can make it into a drinking glass. How cool is that? I am completely doing that. There are several amazing fragrances to choose from as well which is great! Some of the other scents include Faith, Sea & sand, Queen, Blessed, Goddess, Tiki Beach, and Amber Noir.


The other product that I received from Heaven Scent Soy Candles was their beautiful travel tins in the fragrance, “Fall Leaves” which retails for $13.00 and is 6oz.  I absolutely love fall candles and scents so when I received this scent I was literally dancing around. Anything with fall I am hyped about.  It is such a cozy smell and puts Bath and Body Works to shame with their fall candle collection. Even with the wooden wick burning too, oh my goodness, cozyness overload! These candles provide up to 35 hours of burning time and I absolutely love how cute they look in their travel tins.  This would also make a great gift for someone as well!

As soon as I started burning this candle my grandma stated, “this smell is so relaxing, it feels like you are in heaven, I love it. You can relax, mediate…. it is so calming”.


There are also so many other goodies located on their website! The link is located in their bio on their Instagram site at, “heaven_scent_soy_candles“, so be sure to come check it out and show some love on their page! You can also follow them on Facebook at “Heaven Scent Soy Candles“.  You can receive free shipping on all orders $75.00 or more which is amazing. I have nothing but great things to say about this company and will for sure be ordering products in the future! If you are looking for a gift for someone, I highly recommend checking out their store! I personally want to thank Heaven Scent Soy Candles from the bottom of my heart for allowing me to collaborate with them and their company, you guys are amazing and are really going to go far with your company! I wish you guys nothing but the best! Again be sure to check out their page, and make sure you are following my other social media accounts located on my homepage for upcoming blogs in the near future! Take care.


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Collaborations

My Collaboration with Vichy Canada

by alyssahotrum2 Comments on My Collaboration with Vichy Canada
My Collaboration with Vichy Canada


Hello my beauts, thank you for stopping by and welcome to my channel! So as you all are aware skincare is so important and having a proper routine helps out so much. I have always been really bad when it came to skincare, and really just did not care so much about my skin. My skin is super sensitive so I really have not found any proper products that have worked for me lately. My skin is acne prone, unfortunately, and I tend to break out all along my chin area as well as around my mouth which is super annoying!! I am always on the hunt for new skincare products! I have had the wonderful opportunity and I am so grateful that Vichy Canada allowed me to partner up with their beautiful company and collaborate with them. I have always admired Vichy Canada for the longest time and knew I had to reach out to them. They were such lovely people to get in touch with and I could tell right away they were very welcoming.  I had messaged them on Instagram, and they sent my request to their PR agency. Within a couple of hours, Vichy Canada had sent me an email asking for my mailing address and so forth. It only took a couple of days until I received a box with 4 beautiful full-size products in it to review and share with you beauts. I am not going to lie this is the first time I have ever tried Vichy before, and I am beyond impressed with the results. I have tested out all of the products for you guys, and have been using them for a couple of days now. I am already seeing results when it comes to my face and how much my acne has gone down, it’s incredible. Not going to lie I was a little hesitant when I received the products because they are not scent free and my face is extremely sensitive. To my surprise and amazement, my face has not broken out once and it has completely calmed my acne 100%. I am going to review some products from the new Idealia Line for you beauts, and can not wait to share my results with you beauts!


First, I am going to discuss with you beauts the new “Smoothness & Glow- Energizing Cream” which has Blueberry Polyphenois and Fermented Black Tea Extract in it as well. This cream is for sensitive skin which is amazing and was exactly what I needed. It creates a long-lasting glow, evens complexion, refines pores, and smooths lines. This cream is for dry skin and is a 24-hour moisturizer. This cream is also non-greasy and non-sticky not to mention it smells absolutely amazing. This cream retails for $39.99, and I highly recommend trying it out for yourself if you are looking for an incredible day-time cream. I apply this after I cleansed my face in the morning and before I apply my makeup application.


Next, I have to show you guys this wonderful product that Vichy Canada has to offer. Again, it is for sensitive skin, it’s like Vichy Canada knew me exactly down to a T.  This product is called the “Idealia Eyes, Eye Contour Idealizer Care“, which helps transform skin quality, and colour around the eye contour. This cream helps reduce the look of dark circles, illuminates shadows, and smooths the look of fine lines and skin texture. After 4 weeks, it reduces 21% of the appearance of dark circles, 23% of signs of fatigue, and 25% of fine lines. This was a clinical study that included 29 women within 4 weeks. The cream includes a smoothing applicator and has a fresh hydrating texture. I have only been using this product for almost a week now and it literally feels so soft on my skin, I love it. I will let you beauts know after the 4 weeks is up and how I think of the products. This product retails for $39.95.

Thirdly, I am going to talk to you beauts about the amazing “Idealia Peeling” product which is the radiance activating night peeling care. This is probably my most favourite product out of the 4 of them, I absolutely love it. You apply this product during your nighttime skin care routine and apply it to your face with a cotton pad. After applying this product to your face, do not rinse it off. All of these products smell unbelievably good, and my skin feels so fresh after using them.  I have noticed a difference in my face after using this product, as my face looks glowy and beautiful when I wake up in the morning.  This product retails for $39.95, and I highly highly recommend trying this out for yourself, you will not be disappointed whatsoever.


I absolutely love this last product that I am going to tell you beauts about.This is called the “Spa-Shower Gel-Cream” from the Idealia collection.  This product includes Vichy Thermal Spa Water, is rich in 15 minerals, and includes shea butter and white clay. This gel-cream provides lasting comfort, hydrates and softens the skin. Beauts, literally no joke, my skin felt so amazing and soft after getting out of the shower, I was in awe. Again, this is for sensitive skin which was amazing for me. I absolutely love this gel-cream and just use a loofa to apply it all over my body and then rinse it off. I am for sure going to keep using this in my shower routine to wash my body,  it smells heavenly.  This product retails for $16.95. I highly recommend trying this out as well!

I just want to personally thank Vichy Canada for being so kind and generous and sending me 4 beautiful products of theirs to try out and review for you beauts. I literally have no negative comments to say about the new Idealia line, as I absolutely adore the smell and how the products are on my skin. I have super sensitive skin and these products worked amazingly for my skin-type 100% I use these products every night before I go to bed and when I wake up in the morning. Come and show Vichy Canada some love on their Instagram page at “VichyCanada”, and be sure to let me know if you beauts tried out their new Idealia Line! Also be sure to follow my other social media accounts for more blog posts to come in the near future! Take care, much love xo.

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