Shadowing Practice: Alone but Not Lonely - ep. 1 - Learn English Speaking with YouTube
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Good morning guys, it's Syd and welcome back.
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Good morning guys, it's Syd and welcome back.
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So, let me explain.
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I didn't post last week and to be honest,
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I didn't think anyone would notice but actually quite a few of you guys did
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and it was actually so sweet
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because I was like wow it mattered to some of you
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so thank you guys the reason I didn't post is I was just in a slump last week
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when I was kind of in this lonely mental state I
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was thinking to myself wow like you live alone you're alone a lot of the time that's
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so lonely
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but then I realized being alone does not have to be synonymous with being lonely you can be alone
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and have such a good time with yourself.
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So I want to take today to just have fun with myself and just do things that I really love to do.
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I also feel like I'm kind of on FaceTime with you guys sometimes and it makes me feel less lonely.
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This is like how I talk with my friends so we're gonna have a fun day together.
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First things first, coffee.
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Let's go.
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Okay so I'm at the coffee shop and introduce yourself.
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Hi I'm Aileen.
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And Aileen just like came up to me and was like,
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I watch your videos.
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I was really awkward to come up,
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but No, you were so sweet.
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And you're from Amsterdam?
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Um, I live in Amsterdam,
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but I grew up in LA.
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Thanks for saying hi.
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You're literally so sweet.
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Thank you so much.
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I decided to come outside.
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I love the employees in there.
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They're so nice.
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I'm like kind of friends with them now.
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Well, I'm not friends with them.
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I wish I was friends with them, to be honest.
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But they play Lana, like so loud and it's so fun.
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Like I usually love it in there,
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but I just, I don't want to get copyrighted.
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Wow, this is so awkward.
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I hate filming in public.
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I forgot that I hate it.
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You guys know like filming in public is just like hard for me.
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I'm trying.
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One of the main reasons I think I wasn't feeling good last week,
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actually I know this is why,
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is because I was just on social media so much.
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When I'm on it for extended periods of time I just don't feel good.
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I'm like not being productive.
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Sadly I don't have self-control and I have to delete it to not go on it so.
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My mom also got me this book a couple months ago
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and I wanted to start it
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because one of my friends said it was really good too and I usually read I love New York work
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I decided to come to this little cute neighborhood I want to just read here for a little bit
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because it's quieter over here Thank you.
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I'm selling my
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teeth not going on social media today.
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I'm sorry.
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Just like helped my mood be so much better I'm eating my go-to snack recently.
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Actually, this has been my snack for like probably the past
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year I get these little things pretzels from Trader Joe's
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and then I have some little baby carrots with some hummus
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all three of these together it's just dream dream combo you
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can tell I love this hummus I'm feeling a lot better
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today honestly I think just not being on social media is something
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that I really needed it's so important to take breaks
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and I forget to do that sometimes social media definitely like I think affects everyone differently
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because some of my friends aren't like me where they get kind of compulsively comparing to other people
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but when I'm just like on my phone for too long
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and I'm just scrolling endlessly I feel like I just compare everything about me to everyone else
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and then I feel bad about my own life
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when I shouldn't I have like such an amazing life it's just like the trick
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that social media can play on your mind
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and I've talked about this before like if you guys watched my video three
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or four years ago it was called dear teenage girls
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and I talked about how I struggled with just comparing myself online to people
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because it's such a real thing
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and it's like just an important reminder i guess for me to get off my phone
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and just know that like
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if you're ever feeling bad about yourself on social media you're
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only seeing someone's highlight reels i know everyone always says this
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but sometimes i need a reminder
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so i'm actually kind of just saying this for myself too
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i think i'm gonna go actually to this bookstore i've been wanting to try out new bookstores in new york
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because i feel like there's just so many of them wow i'm just like reading
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so much like i was reading in the the beginning of
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this video now I'm going to a bookstore we'll take the train there I love bookstores there's a specific feeling
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that you get in a bookstore that you don't get anywhere else Guys,
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that was the coolest bookstore I think I've ever been in.
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It was so, like, magical in there.
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But I didn't know that a lot of it was,
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like, acting, playbook, script-type books.
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So I didn't find anything when I was in there.
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But yeah, now I'm just sitting here on this bench, romanticizing my life.
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Everyone's looking at me.
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Wow guys, I've been vlogging in public so much today.
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Are you guys proud?
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I'm scared right now.
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I'm at the grocery store because I need to get a few things for dinner.
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I got this new salad bowl and it's like making me want to make more salads.
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I also got this milk.
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I usually don't even really drink like normal milk,
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but this is so good that I can't not.
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It's the little Horizon strawberry milks.
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Like I said, I got this new salad bowl.
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And something as simple as this has been like making me want to make more salads
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so that's good for me I've been making this Caesar salad
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with chicken that's kind of been my go-to growing up my mom would always coat the chicken breast
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and egg and then bread crumb
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and flour that's kind of what I like to do now just
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because she taught
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that way i also like can't cook without facetiming someone damn well never mind it's just you and us you and me
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my salad is done guys looks so small just
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because this bowl is so big i'm so excited to eat this guys
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so good i promise guys
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if you get a big salad bowl like this you're gonna
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love making salads like 10 times more i got these at
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the grocery store this is the most random impulsive to purchase ever because I don't even like raisins.
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Mom, look at the salad that I made.
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Let me see, what's in it?
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Chicken and like vinaigrette and lettuce?
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Yeah.
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Did you make the chicken?
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Yeah.
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Oh my God, wow.
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Okay guys, so it's actually two hours later.
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I ended up eating my salad.
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I don't know what came over me,
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but I just like cleaned my entire apartment.
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Like I did a deep clean that I didn't think I was gonna do.
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And then once I got into it,
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I was like, I just can't stop.
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Like I need to make it perfect.
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I really went at it.
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And I really tried to clean my floors.
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My little kitchen area is all clean.
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I have a pimple you guys that like, it's starting right here.
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I don't know if you guys can even like see it that much, but it hurts.
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You know that those are the worst pimples when you can't really see it,
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but it just, it hurts.
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It's marinating right now.
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And I know it's gonna be just this big,
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it's gonna erupt on my face basically.
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Okay, so maybe it is more visible than I thought it was.
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Ooh, I am gonna do this Mario Badescu drying lotion.
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It's like one of the best things that I use for like spot treatment.
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Oh, but I don't have a Q-tip.
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Okay, I'm just gonna use these clean tweezers because I need to get to the bottom of this sediment.
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Well, we did all we can do.
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Now we just go to bed and pray.
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So since I was just cleaning my apartment,
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I set aside a lot of PR that I've been collecting in a little pile over here.
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You can see it in the corner right there.
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And I've actually been kind of collecting this pile for a while.
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I know some of you guys saw this a few vlogs ago.
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I basically asked you guys where you would prefer me to like have a giveaway.
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If I should do it on TikTok, Instagram, YouTube.
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And most of you guys said YouTube.
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That's why I'm doing it on here.
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And it feels right, you know,
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like YouTube is at the end of the day, my home um
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so i just have a few things
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that i wanted to give to you guys
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because you guys truly mean the world to me i can't
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even like express how much you guys mean to me
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so this is just a little thank you i'm
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so excited for one of you guys to get this stuff
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i love these brands they're truly the best i just get
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so much pr sometimes
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that i like don't have anything to do with it all
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by the way this is all gonna be for one person
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but the first thing is this this is the ysl black opium perfume i have this perfume already
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and i love it you'll also be getting another ysl product
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this one's not a perfume though this is their mascara i'm pretty sure yes this is their waterproof volumizing mascara
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and obviously haven't touched it
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so okay i'm starting to realize this is going to be a lot of ysl products this one's
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so cool these are their lipsticks definitely a variety of different shades in here
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so you can try them out ever since middle school i've been a big benefit girl
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and these are two of my favorite products from them the hula bronzer
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and the professional and you'll get even more benefit products
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because they sent me this they collaborated with scrub daddy
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which is actually genius
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and they have tons of skincare in there some makeup remover face masks setting spray
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so you'll be getting this i almost forgot you'll also be
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getting this from benefit they have a mascara i've been waiting
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to give you guys this this has been sitting in the in the corner of my room for like,
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honestly not that long, probably like four weeks.
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This is so heavy.
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This is a box just filled with Mario Badeschi products.
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This is just so exciting because I'm just like such a big fan of them.
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And I use a lot of their products all the time.
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Like you guys saw, I just used their drying lotion.
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And I really want you guys to also experience them if you haven't.
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This comes with so much,
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you're gonna get a lot,
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but I'll just show you guys a few of them.
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It comes with the brightening eye serum,
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the same drying lotion that I just used,
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some pimple patches, their pore minimizer,
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an overnight mask, vitamin C cream,
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their facial spray, which is probably my favorite thing from them,
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a cleanser, basically an entire skincare routine.
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So yeah, if you guys wanna enter, what should you do?
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I didn't even think this far, honestly.
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Comment below three things you're grateful for.
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Can be short, long, it doesn't matter.
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And if you want a bonus entry, follow me on Instagram.
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Just make sure to put your Instagram username in your YouTube comment.
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It's gonna be international so anyone can enter.
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Anyways, I think I'm gonna go to bed because it's 11.13 p.m.
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But I love you guys so much.
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Thank you for everything and thanks for watching.
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And I'll see you in my next vlog.
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Bye guys.
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Why practice speaking with this video?
In the first episode of "Alone but Not Lonely," the speaker, Syd, shares a candid glimpse into her experiences of feeling lonely despite being alone. This authentic context provides a unique opportunity for English learners to practice speaking skills through relatable content. Engaging with this video means immersing yourself in a conversational style that mirrors real-life interactions, making it easier for you to improve your English pronunciation and fluency.
By shadowing this video, you can practice not only repeating Syd's words but also mimicking her tone and inflections. This method of shadow speaking enhances communication skills which are vital in everyday conversations. It allows you to connect emotionally with expressions while helping you develop a natural rhythm in speaking English, making it perfect for anyone wanting to refine their ability to express feelings and thoughts.
Grammar & Expressions in Context
- “Being alone does not have to be synonymous with being lonely” - This construction emphasizes a contrast, a useful form for expressing differing ideas or feelings. It’s a common structure that English speakers use to clarify their points.
- “I realized…” - Using the past simple tense here demonstrates how to discuss personal thoughts and reflections accurately, essential for storytelling in English.
- “I was just in a slump” - This phrase illustrates an informal way to describe feeling down. Phrasal verbs and idiomatic expressions like this are crucial in conversational English.
- “So sweet” - This expression shows how to express appreciation in a casual, friendly context, highlighting the importance of tone in everyday language.
Common Pronunciation Traps
While practicing with this video, pay attention to specific words and sounds that may pose challenges:
- “Awkward” - The vowel sounds in this word can be tricky; practice emphasizing the “awk” sound followed by the “ward” to make it flow smoothly.
- “Lonely” - Note the pronunciation of the “o” and “ly” endings, as they often blend together when spoken naturally.
- “Productive” - This word can be a tongue twister. Focus on articulating each syllable clearly, especially the “prod” and “duct” parts.
Using the shadowspeaks technique, you can streamline your practice by repeating phrases and sentences after Syd. This will help improve both your fluidity in speaking and your overall English proficiency. Explore more and continually enhance your skills on a trusted shadowing site that specializes in english speaking practice.
What is the Shadowing Technique?
Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.
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