blah!

Hey there.  Long time no blog, but this time I have loads of legitimate reasons - car accidents, surgeries, my dad almost dying... hence the title, "blah"!

Anyway, I've missed blogging so much, and I'm glad to be back!  I have a new layout (which will need some tweaking, obviously! anyone know how to make the images not automatically stretch to fit the whole page?  ahh!) 

As it's March 29th, I'm hoping to get a March Favorites post up before the month is completely gone.  Wish me luck!!!  (:

Haul - ELF Matte Lip Colors

I had to stop by the Dollar Store a couple of days ago, and look at what I found while browsing:

elf Matte Lip Colors!

Most elf products are already fairly cheap as it is, so I never thought I'd find them in a store that sells mostly discounted items.  (;

They had other different elf products, mostly from their studio line which runs about $3 a piece.

I picked up these three colors:

Coral, Rich Red, and Natural.

I'm really excited to try these out.  I don't think I've ever tried a matte lip product before, so I'm excited.  They go on nicely, not as drying as I had expected, which is good!  I'm a bit worried about how they'll fare during the cold we're having right now - my lips can get dry pretty easily.  I can't wait to test these out and do a review! (:

Have you tried out these lip colors?  What's your verdict - do you hate them or love them?  Leave me a comment and let me know!  

xoxo

About Perfection

I haven't been very consistent in posting again, or even really commenting on others' posts lately. If I'm completely honest with myself, it all comes down to the fact that I feel my blog is not 100% how I'd like it to be. 

This is completely silly and it's something I need to get out of my head right away. Nothing is ever going to be perfect! If I keep letting this hold me back, I'll never get anywhere! (;

I don't know about the rest of you ladies, but I struggle with confidence a lot. I'm constantly comparing myself to anyone and everyone and I just feel as if I never add up to what everyone else does. How depressing is that?! 

I do know better though. We've all heard that everyone is unique in their own ways and such things. But sometimes (or most times) it's not as easy as just hearing/reading something and then believing it - especially when we constantly compare ourselves to others. 

So from here on out, I'm going to push myself to write about what makes me happy. The whole reason I started this blog was to share my love of beauty with as many people as possible, and that's what I aim to do drom this point on. No more deleting posts or ideas because I worry how they will compare. That isn't fair to me or the ones who read my blog. 

Sorry if this seems like a pointless ramble. It's been eating at me for a while and I really have missed blogging! Now that I've got my head on straight, I can't wait to start my next post. (: What would you like to see? Another haul? Some reviews? Let me know!

xoxox

BareMinerals Haul

A few days ago I visited Ulta after work... I had some gift cards that I needed to use up... here's what I came home with!

This is basically everything I purchased: The BareMinerals 'Get Started Complexion Kit', BareMinerals Renew & Hydrate Eye Cream, an eyeshadow duo and an eyeshadow quad. 

Here's a look at the inside of the Get Started Complexion Kit. (Please excuse my shoddy job of covering up the reflexion in the mirror!!) (:

I didn't necessarily need any of these items, as it comes with everything I already own, but I was sucked in by the packaging. I love the sleek black travel case! (It says "hello gorgeous" inside above the mirror. How cute!!) 

I use everything inside on a daily basis (aside from the primer and mineral veil, which I only use here and there). Usually I use the 'medium' shade of foundation, but it's starting look a little too dark for the wintertime, so I purchased this kit in the 'fairly light' shade. I was a little worried about the color having neutral undertones but I really think it suits me.

Inside, there is a an original foundation, a matte foundation, a small all over face color in the shade "warmth", a small mineral veil, a little prime time foundation primer, and a flawless application face brush. 

It was $49 and the Ulta's website says that it's a $109 value. (;

Here are the two eyeshadow palettes I picked up: The Dream Sequence and The Enlightenment. 

The Enlightenment (on the left) has two matte neutral colors. I picked this up with the intentions of testing out the color on the right to fill in my eyebrows. 

I had originally received The Dream Sequence (on the right) from my boyfriend on Christmas, but when I opened it, it was cracked. So technically, I didn't purchase this... just exchanged it for a new one. (;

Lastly, I needed an eye cream, because my beloved Benefit one was causing me to break out. Since I love everything else BareMinerals, I opted for one of their Renew & Hydrate version. 

It's such a little jar! (It's pictured above between the eyeshadow palettes to give you an idea of how tiny.) It was $32 for this little guy, so hopefully it lasts a long time! 

One of the (many) reasons I love shopping at Ulta are the free samples they have with purchase. I got a few this time for purchasing BareMinerals.

They gave me a sample of the Multi-Wrinkle Repair (hopefully it works as prevention as well, since I'm only 26!) and an adorable little sample of a matte foundation and brush. I'm not sure which brush this is, but I like it for under my eyes and around my nose. 

So that's it for my BareMinerals haul! What's your favorite BareMinerals product? Let me know in the comments and I'll look in to it. (:

2013 Favorites

What better way to start back to blogging than at the beginning of the new year with a yearly favorites post?

~Favorite Products/Brands~

The Republic of Tea - I love so many different things from this website that it would be impossible to list them all.  (I should probably do a review on the teas I have from here!)  If you try anything at all  from TRoT, I'd recommend getting one of their Custom Overwrap Tea Gift sets... you can pick either 12 or 24 individual flavors to test out first so you don't end up with a container of a flavor you dislike.  (: 

Cetaphil - Another brand I've loved in general... at the start of winter, I was having absolutely awful dry skin, especially on my face.  I tried out so many different lotions and creams (and spent oodles of money) trying to find something that wouldn't break me out, but would still be a strong enough moisturizer to stop my skin from feeling so dry.  I had heard about Cetaphil and always shrugged it off because of it being such a common drugstore brand. I am so very glad I tried it!!!  I love their Gentle Daily Skin Cleanser and their Restoraderm Skin Restoring Moisturzer and I'd absolutely recommend them both.

Taylor - I love Taylor Swift and her music, but I completely adore her perfume "Taylor".  It smells so different from any other perfume I've owned before and it lasts all day long. I always get compliments when I wear this and I love how it smells on my skin.  I love layering the perfume and the lotion together (although I'm not sure if the lotion is sold separately... I received mine in the gift set pictured to the right.) I'm terrible at describing scents, but her website lists it as "luscious fruits, blushing florals, and soft woods. If you happen to see this in a store, give it a sniff.  I promise you'll love it.  (:

BareMinerals/BareEscentuals - Yep, you guessed it; another brand that I've loved in 2013.  From their makeup to their skincare, I love it all!  They're a little (well, maybe a lot) on the pricey side, but I find that you definitely get what you pay for.  And as far as things like their loose foundations and eye shadows, they last practically forever.  

OPI Nail Envy Nail Strengthener (for Sensitive and Peeling Nails) - I'll admit this isn't the cheapest nail treatment, however, this stuff has saved my life. Or at least my fingernails' lives.  Haha.

I'd fallen in love with the original Nail Envy, as I have really thin nails that can't grow at all on their own.  Thanks to OPI, my nails could grow out a little and not break off.  Hooray!

Once I found the "Sensitive and Peeling" version, I don't think I've went a day without having at least one coat of it on my nails.  I always hear people talk about their "holy grail" beauty products... well, this is most definitely my "holy grail nail care product".  I honestly think I'd cry if I couldn't get this stuff anymore. 

Organix Light Penetrating Oil - Although the name is a little misleading (I honestly don't think that there is a single ingredient in this that is "organic"....) I still love it.  I have thin, fine hair, that I have been trying to grow the color out of.  I ombred my hair to allow the natural color to grow out (so I don't look silly having a solid line between colors across my head!) and I honestly didn't even realize how dry my hair was until trying this out as a sample from Ulta.  

I prefer the 'light' version, but honestly, the normal version wasn't too heavy for my hair.  As with all oils, definitely start out with a teeny, tiny amount, and add from there, or risk looking as if you haven't washed your hair for weeks.  haha.

 

                                     ~Favorite TV Shows~

The Vampire Diaries - Not a beauty favorite, but still a favorite nonetheless.  I haven't been caught up with any shows currently airing since I was in middle school.  (Which would sadly be about 13 years ago!) I am completely caught up with The Vampire Diaries and am eagerly awaiting it's return on January 23rd.  ♥ Delena.  

Once Upon a Time / Once Upon a Time in Wonderland - I'm also a pretty big fan of the UOaT series.  I love how they've taken all the usual fairy tales and created new worlds and stories with them.  I'm caught up with these shows as well.  Go me!  (;

                                      ~Favorite People~

Kim Dao - I love reading about her travels and seeing her fashion posts.  If you enjoy Japanese travel vlogs, gyaru fashions, and things like that, check out her blog.  (:

Lillian Masie - I always get so excited when I see a Lillian's posted a new video on YouTube.  I love her sense of style, her makeup tutorials, and her blogs.  

Zoella - I adore Zoe.  I've been watching her videos on YouTube for a while now, and I just love her to pieces.  It's quite motivational to watch her overcome her anxiety and do things that I could only hope to do one day!

I'm sure there's many, many more things I could add to this list, but I feel like the list is long enough already.  I wouldn't want to bore you too much on my first post back. (;

Were any of the things I listed also in your favorites of 2013?  Let me know!

And if there's something you really enjoyed that I've not listed that you think I'd enjoy, also let me know!  

I hope that everyone has a wonderful 2014!!!!

xoxox

June Favorites

So this is a few days late, but it's better late than never! (; 

I figured I'd just do my favorites this month because I didn't really have anything I didn't like this month, and that would make a 'hits and misses' post kind of silly to do.  Hehe.

1- Clarisonic Mia : Ever since I purchased my Clarisonic, I have been in love with it.  It cleans  your face sooo much better than just a wash cloth/bar soap. I have the standard brush head on it right now, but I purchased the blue brush head for my next replacement and I can't wait to try that one out!
2- Mario Badescu Drying Cream : This is by far my favorite overnight acne treatment product!! (although it's not an overnight treatment, lol) Whenever I use this, any breakouts that I have are significantly reduced by the next morning!
3- Simple Eye Makeup Remover : I got this little tester size towards the end of the month, but I love it so much I had to include it in this post.

4- Julep Nail Polish in Daphne : This color is so pretty!! It's like a Tiffany blue, but with more green in it.  Love it.
5- Julep Nail Polish in Kate : I have been looking for a white nail polish that wasn't super sheer for so long.  This one is perfect - it's really opaque and you can get away with one coat of it, but I usually go with two.  (;
6- Julep Nail Polish in Jessica : Since I already had two Julep polishes, I figured I'd go aheaed and throw in another one of my favorites.  I love that this polish has my name, and I love that it's a robin's egg blue!  I have the Zoya polish called 'Jessica', but it's not a fun color like this one, lol.
Anyone else love Julep? Let me know your favs!


And last but not least, I had to include a non makeup/beauty item because I can't seem to do a monthly favorites post without having at least one of these included, lol. I've been absolutely loving my Village Candle in Lemon Pound Cake.  It smells just like lemon pound cake - yum!!  Even if it's too hot outside or I have a fan on and I can't light it, just leaving it sit open with the lid off is enough to catch a hint of the tangy lemon scent.

Sorry this post is so late!! I had originally hoped to have it up Independence Day (and I even had the basic gist of the post laid out in my drafts) but I just haven't had time to finish it up until now.  D:

Anyway, I hope everyone had a safe and wonderful Independence Day, and I'll see you in the next post!! ♥

Quick Update!

Hey everyone! (:

I haven't been able to post much again lately, and I apologize for that!

I just wanted to do a quick update and let you guys know that I changed my layout today.  I'm not completely satisfied with the header, but it's a lot better than the one I previously had! (;

Also, I recently hit 70 followers.... wow!!!  Thank you all so much!  I will be doing a giveaway/contest soon for you guys! (:

I hope you're all staying cool in this hot summer weather!