My Opinions...

   Ok, I feel after certain events in my life I feel the need to get this off of my chest. I would like to apologize in advance if this post offends any of you in any way, but this is just my opinion.

   Just about five minutes ago I was watching funny videos of Pierce the Veil on YouTube. I'm not a huge fan of them, but I do like their music, and I respect them greatly as people. I believe that anyone who looks at their life story can draw great inspiration from them.

   Anyways, I was showing my Grammy the video because I didn't spend much time with her lately and I thought that it would be fun to show her. My cousin walks up beside her and watches the video too. I was OK with that, because I couldn't blame him for watching a video I was showing my Grammy even though he didn't like the band. ( I will post the video in the bottom of this post )

   About five minutes into the video, he starts calling them 'gay' because of Vic Fuentes' long hair, or the shirts they were wearing. This really annoys me because when I asked him why he thinks they're gay, he replies, "Because they look so gay! They have long hair and wear pink shirts (this was during a BryanStarz Interview) and they just look gay. That's so gross. Ew." Now please excuse me if this wasn't an appropriate reaction from me in your eyes, but I was really mad at him for saying that. I was thoroughly annoyed and angry that he was immature enough to believe that you can tell a person is "gay" by looking at them. He believes that the gay stereotype is OK to use in public.

   While I admit there are some things that are associated with a male person with homosexual tendencies, I do not believe it's OK to label people as gay because of their looks or actions. They are people, not cans of soup. Do. Not. Label. People. Moreover, I am a strong supporter of homosexual rights, and when people just call people gay like calling them a boy or girl, it's really frustrating.

   I understand that some people are uncomfortable with seeing bxb or gxg couples showing PDA. I get it, but please don't think that being a homosexual is something a person does by "choice". A person gets as much choice in his/her homosexuality as he/she gets in his/her gender. It is already decided for you. Studies prove that these people have higher levels of certain hormones than they should, therefore determinating their sexuality. Read more here. So obviously, one cannot just "choose" to be gay.

   Extending this topic, please do not call people gay because they "look like they are". Some may be radiating their homosexuality because they simple do not care if people know. Others are scared of how the public will treat them, so they hide it from others, or as most people say "they're in the closet". Also, it isn't right to discriminate against them. It doesn't make sense. What have they done to deserve that? Nothing.

   If you bring up the Bible, that is not a good back up either. One of my very good friends, who is a Christian, told me today that there is a story about a gay couple in the Bible. Now, I don't know to what extent this is true since I don't follow the Bible, but obviously it isn't "God's will" to discriminate against people of the same-sex tendencies. The Bible also says many things that we humans do today. It just doesn't make sense to treat them differently. A person said that people shouldn't be gay or lesbian because it decreases the world's population. What? The last I heard, the increasing population has been becoming a major problem in terms of having enough resources to feed the kids, so homosexuals are doing us a favor.

   I am not asking you to change your opinions. I respect them as much as I do mine. Nor am I intending to start one of those heterosexual vs. homosexual arguments. I would like for anyone reading this to just think about what it would feel like if you were discriminated that way. Try to refrain from using any stereotypes or discriminating anyone. It hurts.

   It really doesn't matter if they are now does it? How are they affecting your life? If you don't like the homosexual PDAs, calmly tell them about it. Screaming and discriminating and bullying them will only make matters worse.

   Again, excuse me if this post has offended you in anyway. I needed to let this off my chest and calmly tell people how I feel (the post has turned out calmer than I expected seeing that I was about to punch my cousin earlier).


What if being straight was frowned upon instead?

  ^^The video that I was showing my Grammy and cousin.^^

*reposted*

Skincare

Hair/Skincare

The second topic of the 2014 Blogger Challenge in skincare. I'm not much of a person who focuses a ton on skincare, but doing this post helped me look into a lot of easy and natural ways to improve your skin which I may end up trying!

1.  Java Lip Exfoliator 

   Ingredients:
   1/2 teaspoon of moisturizing lotion (such as Olay’s Active Hydrating Body Fluid)
   1/4 teaspoon fresh coffee grounds
   1/4 teaspoon Kosher salt
   
   Directions:
   Mix well in a bowl. Apply to entire mouth area and massage around for five minutes. Wipe clean with a warm wet washcloth.
   
   I haven't tried this yet. I usually use Burt's Bee's Natural Lip Balm to moisturize my lips. It works great in the winter! I have a habit of licking my lips often, and in the winter it leaves my lips cracked with  a slight red irritation under my lips. Using the lip balm  easily gets rid of the cracks and irritation.

2. Shea Butter:

   High in fatty acids, shea butter is an emollient — meaning it provides a layer of oil on top of the surface of a hair strand, significantly reducing the amount of moisture (water) lost
   
   
   I don't use Shea Butter, but it has been recommended to me before by my aunt, not for my hair though. If you shave your legs and start getting dark spots on your legs, (I will make a post later explaining why) Shea butter can help clear those up. I believe you can find some in Victoria's Secret.

3. Coconut Oil:

   Many natural hair products contain coconut oil, another emollient perfect for sealing moisture into the hair. Coconut oil provides both shine and strength to locks, making it a popular ingredient for naturals.
   Coconut oil can also be used as a leave-in conditioner for for thicker textured hair. Because the natural hair oils have difficulty sliding down the curls, you'll need to use an abundant amount of coconut oil.
   
   
   This is one that I currently use. The one thing I don't like is the scent it leaves, so I suggest massaging it onto your hair on a Friday or Saturday night, and wash it off the next morning so you have the oil in your hair now and the scent is gone too  

4. Dry Brushing

   Dry brushing improves circulation in your skin, which is necessary because your skin is the largest organ there is! It removes dead skin, eliminates clogged pores (i.e. the red dots on your legs after shaving) and cellulite (a condition in which the skin appears to have areas with underlying fat deposits, giving it a dimpled, lumpy appearance. It is most noticeable on the buttocks and thighs, and usually occurs after puberty. Read more)
   The directions copied from Mind Body Green:
   
   1.} Start on dry skin before bathing & work in gentle circular, upward motions, then longer, smoother strokes. You can use an exfoliate too ( I like this one ).
   2.} Always begin at the ankles in upwards movements towards the heart – the lymphatic fluid flows through the body towards the heart, so it’s important that you brush in the same direction.
   3.} Your back is the only exception to the preceding rule; brush from the neck down to the lower back.
   4.} After you’ve finished with the ankles, move up to the lower legs, thighs, stomach, back and arms. Be cautious of softer and sensitive skin around the chest & breasts, and never brush over inflamed skin, sores, sun-burnt skin, or skin cancer. ( Also: ensure you shower to wash away the dead skin cells and impurities ).
   Tip: alternating temperatures in the shower from hot to cold will further invigorate the skin and stimulate blood circulation, bring more blood to the outer layers of the skin.
   Then follow it up with a slick moisturizer to nourish the skin— coconut oil works great!
   
   
   
   So there you have it folks, my top four recommendations for Hair/Skincare. I hope you liked this short tip. Sorry about the short descriptions, but I found one website very helpful in learning about new ways to take care of your skin: The Skinny Confidential. Take a look at the site to look at more in depth explanations. 

*Quick Note*
I found another great post on Mind Body Green on Why Everyone Should Get To Know Ghee. I want all of you to know this because my family's been using ghee ever since I can remember! (I am Indian, so it would make sense!) The article is completely true and I suggest giving it a once-over.

Whew! Ok, this has been my longest post yet. Thanks for reading this far! ^.^
Have a great fantastic naturally beautiful day <3
*Muah*

TAG | "My First Time"

I saw this tag on +Daniela Vasco 's Blog and thought that it'd be a pretty cool thing to do since I haven't blogged in a while. So here you go! =)

This tag consists in several questions, regarding different topics, about your first time. Let's

1. FIRST YouTube video you ever watched?

   I don't think I remember exactly the first video I watched, but it was probably some kind of lyric video. #sorrynotsorry

2. FIRST person you subscribed on YouTube?

   The first person I subscribed to was Superwoman. I love her videos! They're fun and totally relatable. For anyone who has not seen her videos, desi or not, I recommend watching it! You'll spend hours laughing at her videos.

3. Do you still talk to your FIRST love?
   Hmm, no I guess, since I haven't really 'loved' anyone like that yet...

4. FIRST kiss?
   Haha, nope! Nada. Question invalid. Haven't had my first kiss yet people ;D

5. FIRST soft drink?
   Well, for starters, I had to tone down this question so it's suitable for me to answer, haha. Secondly,

6. FIRST car?
   Hmm, not old enough to drive yet, BUT I would absolutely love to have a black 1969 Mustang Fastback:

7. FIRST job?
   Hmm, again. Not old enough for a job. But I'm hoping to become a BioMed Engineer OR a singer =)

8. FIRST pet?
   I've never had pets, but I want a cat, or a small dog.

9. FIRST celebrity crush?
  David Henry. Guys. Can we talk about him for a moment? He be so perfect.

 10. FIRST real boyfriend?
   Umm, lol, I shoudn't be doing this tag if most of my answers are no. Never had a legit boyfriend.
  11. Who was your FIRST person to text you today?
   I actually didn't text anyone today, but the last person to text me was my friend Christina.

12. Who was your FIRST grade teacher?
   I believe her name was Ms. Rebolt or something XD

13. Where was your FIRST sleepover?
   Actually at my old house with my neighbor. Lol, he was only a few years younger than me, but we were really good friends, and our parents were good friends. So why not right?

14. What was the FIRST thing you did this morning?
   I checked the time to see how long I could take a shower without being late to my bus. Which ended up being 7 minutes. Not too bad.

15. FIRST concert you ever went to?
   An A.R. Rahman concert when I was pretty small with my mom and dad. It was pretty cool, although I started crying because it was too loud! haha.
 

16. FIRST broken bone?
   Nopeeee....Never broken a bone. Almost sprained my finger in gym though.

17. FIRST movie you remember seeing?
    Is this possible to answer? It's probably a movie called Hum Tum. It's a hindi movie that I absolutely LOVED as a kid, and I still love it now.

18. FIRST sport you were involved in?
   Uhh, swimming I believe. I love to swim, but my skin gets really realllyyyy dark and ugly because of the chlorine or whatever, so I had to quit *sad face*

19. FIRST tweet?
   Oooohh, don't have a Twitter, but if I had one, it'd probably be something like "Rocking out my band shirt and leggings with a cup of hot cocoa by the window" or something haha. But my birthday was a month ago, and my friend photoshopped this tweet:
I got so happy!!

20. FIRST Facebook profile picture?
   I don't like posting pictures of myself on the internet, haha. Most of these questions were invalid for me. Why am I even doing this tag? XD

21. FIRST piercing?
   I got my ears pierced as a baby (the normal ones). I want a lip ring though, or maybe one snakebite. =)

Because I thought this was such a nice tag, I would like to thank Barbs for tagging me, and I would like to tag anyone who sees this and wants to do it. =)