That L.A. Writer

These yummy little suckers, however, are baked so they kind of are good for you! Foodies rejoice! Truth be told, I had to get used to sweet potato fries at first because they just don’t compare to my beloved french fries. But after trying sweet potato fries enough times, I am in love and they are so easy to make at home.

Garlic Rosemary Sweet Potato Fries

5 medium sweet potatoes 3 tablespoons olive oil 2 1/2 teaspoons honey 2 teaspoons salt 1 teaspoon pepper 1/4 teaspoon thyme 1/4 teaspoon rosemary 1/4 teaspoon garlic powder

Parsely for garnish

Preheat oven to 450º and line a sheet pan with foil.

Peel and slice sweet potatoes to your desired size.

Mix together the oil, honey and spices. Place sweet potatoes in a large bowl and pour in the oil mixture. Using your hands, mix until each sweet potato slice is evenly coated.

Spread the sweet potatoes out evenly on the prepared sheet pan and bake for 30-35 minutes or until the potatoes have browned. Turn up the oven to broil and broil for an additional 3-5 minutes or until crispy.

Remove from the oven, sprinkle with some chopped parsley and enjoy!

On the last day of Christmas my true loves gave to me, two eyeshadows, three mascaras,  six liquid lipsticks and a whole lotta slaying.

The Carli Bybel BH Cosmetics Eyeshadow Palette

YouTube sensation Carli Bybel collaborated with BH Cosmetics to create a palette of 10 eyeshadows and four highlighters. I was super excited about the highlighters because I (gasp) didn’t own any. I know, I’m bad. So I’ve now swapped my makeshift eyeshadow highlighters for the real thang. All of these colors are soft, pigmented and easy to blend. The already affordable $20 palette is on sale for $12.50 on the BH Cosmetics website!

UD x Gwen Palette

Although I wasn’t down to run out and drop $60 on this palette, my loving little mama did it for me and I love it. I’ve yet to use the bright blue, but I like the neutral blend of matte and shimmery colors.

Lancome Noel Eye Set

Three mascaras, two eyeliners and eye makeup remover. I’m in heaven! I love the curve of the Grandiose mascara, it makes it easy to coat my bottom and inner lashes, and it’s so pretty! I’ve yet to try all of the products, but I’m very excited about the white mascara conditioning primer and will make a future blog post focusing on just this gift set.

OFRA Cosmetics Liquid Lipsticks

My boyfriend bought me all of the liquid lipsticks in the New York collection. Above I used the deep brown, “Brooklyn” with golden “Fifth Ave” to create an ombre lip. I applied Fifth Ave just in the center of my lip and blended it out from there. This was my first time trying an ombre look and it was very bold, but I’m pleased with the way it turned out.

I really like the mauvey purple, “Manhattan” color and found this is the shade I’ve been reaching for the most. These liquid lipsticks do have a satiny finish, but I have to apply them extra carefully so I don’t mess up the outline or smear them. I’ll make an individual post about these lippies as well!

Did you collect any great makeup over the holiday season? I’d love to read your hauls! Tag your Christmas/holiday haul links in the comments below.

Until next time, XO- Ashleysita.

I’m always looking for new beauty, food and lifestyle blogs to follow! Connect with me on Instagram (@ashleysita) or Twitter (@ashley_sita)! For more good reads, head over to AshleyRuizWrites.com

See that yellow flowered weed that is growing in your yard? One day it’ll burst into a silly looking, white dandelion seed head. You’ll either stomp on it, cut it out, or have the same mentality as I do about them. That dandelion means something to someone like me. When I was younger I was told that they make wishes come true. Close your eyes, whisper a wish into the seeds, then blow them into…

Saturday Styles in LA 1/16

I am loving this cold weather in Southern California. Today Los Angeles will be a lovely, yet chilly 66º! That means keep your cool weather clothing out longer and continue those cute layered outfits. (more…)

I love easy breakfasts that are packed with flavor and that is exactly what this recipe is. If you’ve never hopped on the brioche train before, now’s your chance, my friend. This sweet buttery, melt-in-your-mouth bread is the perfect complement to the eggs, avocado and mozzarella. (more…)

Desperate to know what the hype was about with this men’s shave balm, I went to Target and purchased it for sensitive skin. What intrigued me is that this product contains no alcohol so it won’t dry your skin out. The non-sensitive one, however, does contain alcohol.

The packaging for the product is very nice, the bottle is opaque glass and there’s a hefty amount in it -3.3 FL OZ.- for just $6.

The consistency is that of a very liquified gel making for a smooth application. The gel feels cool and initially dries to a tacky texture then smoothes to the light feel of a moisturizing lotion. There is definitely a generic “manly” scent to it, whether you think it’s good or bad is up to you. The scent is strong upon initial application but fades entirely within 5 minutes.

One of the main reasons Nikki tried this product was because of the Glycerin content. Glycerin absorbs product, helping it to set and last longer. I liked the spreadability of the balm- a little goes a long way and it was very easy to apply.

To be honest, I didn’t notice anything different when applying my foundation and concealer. There was a splotchy area near my jawbone where the foundation had clumped that I needed to smooth out further, so it was basically a normal day as far as application goes. However, many YouTube reviewers felt that foundation and concealer applied easier and lasted longer with this product.

My makeup did seem to last well throughout the day and my skin wasn’t oily at all. The downside? I think the gel made me break out! :( I have about four small pimples around my chin area now and I can’t help feeling that it’s from this product.

I’m not sure if it’s a menstrual related, I did test the product during “that time,” or if the product just doesn’t mesh well in that spot. My chin is the only area that feels greasy after the product application.  Of course, all skin types are different, so this may not happen to you.

So there’s my two cents, take caution with this product because it may cause breakouts or it may be a gift from heaven- most people swear by it.

Have you tried this product? What did you think of it?

Until next week, XO- Ashleysita 

I’m always looking for new beauty, food and lifestyle blogs to follow! Connect with me on Instagram (@ashleysita) or Twitter (@ashley_sita)! For more good reads, head over to AshleyRuizWrites.com

Okay, okay making bread is fun, but why sunflower bread you ask? Well, I love sunflowers and I love bread, so naturally, I decided to combine the two and voilà! Also, after some serious scrounging on my part, I discovered an entire bag of uneaten sunflower seeds and a packet of yeast…

Sunflower Seed Bread

2/3 cup whole milk, warm 1 1/2 tablespoons honey 1/2 tablespoon active dry yeast 2 tablespoons olive oil 1 egg 2 cups whole wheat bread flour 1 teaspoon salt 1/3 cup sunflower seeds

In the bowl of a stand mixer, whisk together the yeast, warm milk and honey. Let sit for about 5 minutes to allow the yeast to bloom.

Whisk in the oil and egg and, the attach the dough hook and mix in the flour, salt and sunflower seeds.

Mix on medium speed until the dough begins to pull away from the side of the bowl and you can form a window. The dough will be sticky.

Cover the bowl with plastic and let sit in a warm spot until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

Preheat oven to 375º.

Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and shape into an oval. Place in a greased loaf pan, cover and let sit until it has doubled in size again.

Brush the top of the dough with oil and sprinkle some sunflower seeds on top. Bake until the internal temperature has reached 185º, about 30-40 minutes.

Let cool completely, slice it up and enjoy!

I sprinkled Epsom Salt into the bath to relieve sore muscles and rid my body of the cold creeping up on me. With enough pamper time set aside, it was the perfect time to use my Skin Purifying mask.

This mask is one of the ones that make you look really weird when it’s on. In the privacy of my bathroom, I peeled the mask from the packaging and prepared to be one with it for the next 30 minutes.

I couldn’t help feeling like I had a soggy tissue on my face the entire time, but when I took it off, my skin felt fresh and moisturized. And the best news? My unwanted friends had disappeared the next morning leaving my chin nice and smooth!

For the rest of this week, I’ll be using the Nivea Men’s Post Shave Balm as a makeup primer, which is reported to improve complexion as well, so stay tuned for my post on it Tuesday!

Until next week, XO- Ashleysita.I’m always looking for new beauty, food and lifestyle blogs to follow! Connect with me on Instagram (@ashleysita) or Twitter (@ashley_sita)! For more good reads, head over to AshleyRuizWrites.com

With Christmas behind us and a new year right in front of us, we have one day left before the countless halfhearted resolutions we make for ourselves. One final day before our week year of productivity and health begins to binge on netflix, alcohol and of course cookies. Why not ring in the new year with champagne and chocolate crinkles? (more…)

Instead of buying pounds of christmas candy, I opted to make my own this year and as the countdown dwindles to just one day, what better way to celebrate the holiday season than with some homemade salted caramels? They’re also perfect as a last minute gift!

Salted Caramel

175 ml heavy whipping cream 1 teaspoon vanilla 60 grams butter, divided in half 2 teaspoons sea salt 250 grams sugar 160 grams light corn syrup

Line a greased 9×9 inch baking pan with parchment paper.

In a medium saucepan, bring the cream and half of the butter to a simmer over medium/high heat and set aside.

In a large sauce pan, cook the sugar and corn syrup over medium/high heat until a candy thermometer reads 300°, do not stir the sugar while it is cooking. Remove from heat and slowly whisk in the cream and butter. Be very careful here as the sugar will bubble a lot when adding the cream.

Return the caramel to medium/high heat and cook until a candy thermometer reads 250º. Pour the caramel into the prepared pan, sprinkle with sea salt and let cool.

When the caramel is cool, slice using a sharp knife, into individual squares and wrap in parchment.

Voilà! Look at you, you candy making machine!

Alright, first step. Keep your eyes peeled at stores like Target, CVS, Walgreens and Walmart. Drugstore makeup like NYX, Wet N’ Wild, Essie and ELF release special gift packages for Christmas that have great deals. They’re typically “best of” packages for the brand.

First stop- Kohl’s.

If you have a Kohl’s card, you should have received a flyer in the mail for 10-30% off. I received 20% off and this store is always having sales, plus you can layer discounts here!

 Earth Therapeutics Beauty Blender

Great for sponging on and blending makeup. Get one for $3.90 or a two-pack for $6.50

Real Techniques Brushes

This set of elegant brushes is on sale for $10 off and, at $38.99, is sure to impress.

Second Stop- Ulta

It is seriously deals on deals at Ulta right now. L’Oreal Cosmetics are buy one get one 50% off right now which is a serious steal.

Find a complete list of Ulta deals here!

With that deal, I recommend buying both of the La Palette Nudes because they’re a must-have on the makeup market right now according to many YouTube beauties/MUAs.

Third Stop- Sephora 

Sephora has a pretty nifty website! On their page, you can search sale items or select your prize range. Here’s what I suggest.

Buxom Look All You Want gift set

At $29, this discounted gift set includes a mini mascara, eyeliner and 6-pan eyeshadow palette! This may be one to wrap, rather than stuff!

Tony Moly Face Mask Sheet 

Sheet masks are the sheet right now. See what I did there? But, really. Pick up one of these babies for $7.40 and you may be her new fav. person.

Last Stop- Good Ol’ Target

Amongst the phenomenal gift sets that Target sells, they’re also having GREAT deals on roller ball perfume.

Rollerball Perfume 

Find perfume favorites like Viva La Juicy, Britney Spears, Ed Hardy and Taylor Swift for $8.50!

  Amongst the last minute hustle and bustle of the holidays, take a moment to enjoy it while it’s here!! I hope this little survival guide helped you save time and money!

Until next week-

XO, AshleyI’m always looking for new beauty, food and lifestyle blogs to follow! Connect with me on Instagram (@ashleysita) or Twitter (@ashley_sita)! For more good reads, head over to AshleyRuizWrites.com

Persimmons. I had no idea what a persimmon was until 2010 when I moved to Seattle and people were eating them left and right. Though I’ve known about these plump little fruits for some time now, it wasn’t until this year that I finally started experimenting with them in my baking and, friends, it has been life changing! Okay, maybe not quite life changing, but persimmons are amazing so go buy…

Quit scrolling, we've got you covered.

You’ve decked the halls, now don’t forget to decorate your paws! (more…)

One of my favorite ‘family’ gifts as a child was the huge three gallon tin of popcorn random people would send us around the holidays. I would sneak popcorn out of that thing like it was nobodies business. The plain popcorn was good and the cheesy popcorn was quite delicious, but everyone knows that it’s the caramel corn that really matters. (more…)

I’ll admit it, I totally judged the product by it’s packaging on this one. The white plastic tubes and skinny lipsticks didn’t lure me in at first. I thought they would be difficult to apply and didn’t trust the pigmentation. Boy, was I wrong.

I have the “Vixen” collection which contains 6 lippie stixs for $30. These warm-toned lipsticks make an excellent holiday gift! They’re also great to don at holiday parties. My favorite color is the highly coveted “54” a pearlescent burgundy red with sparkles.

The packaging is beautiful and keeps lippie stix organized. It even has a little mirror inside! I love that the colors vary from neutrals to in-your-face pops of color.

These lipsticks are as moisturizing as Chapstick, long lasting, pigmented and easy to apply. I haven’t yet tried the lippie pencils, but the lippie stix make great liners themselves!

None of the colors in the “Vixen” collection are sold separately.

“Last Call” on the right and “Ruffle” on the left. I love these nudes!

While I’m still a fan of the liquid lipsticks, I have to turn to these lippie stix for everyday use. I don’t have to worry about the lipstick flaking off and my lips don’t feel dry during or after using the product.

Have you tried the lippie stix? Share your fav colors with me, because I’m on the hunt!

Until next week, XO- Ashley. I’m always looking for new beauty, food and lifestyle blogs to follow! Connect with me on Instagram (@ashleysita) or Twitter (@ashley_sita)! For more good reads, head over to AshleyRuizWrites.com

LATE DIY Bottled Nebula

Have you ever written a blog post or typed out something for class in Word then accidentally deleted it. Like, to never be seen again? As in there is no way in getting it back? No? Just me? Great. (more…)