2013 In Review: Instagram

1. i started the new year by spending it pittsburgh with some of my best friends from IUP, needless to say it wasn't one of the best new years i have had

2. starting the new year right by spending the 12th in the hospital after waking up at 3:30 with shooting pains in my stomach and finally calling a friend to come pick me up to drive me to the hospital. i then spent 4.5 hours there.

3. i came home one weekend and spent the day with bailey in georgetown where i bought my first sprinkles cupcake. if i remember we went for a smores one but they were out so i settled for this one, still wishing i had that smores one but none the less the cupcake i had was good. yet i'm still obsessed with georgetown for some reason...

4. like everyone else i told myself i wanted to start a healthy lifestyle (which i can say i stuck to it the whole year! may have been a little lenient during summer but still tried) i have kept working out and watching what i eat and i can happily say i'm happy with the path i'm on. i recently just bought my first size small shirt for the first time in forever the other day! :)

5. after spending valentines day with my roommate getting free drinks at a bar my dad gave me his gift that weekend when i came home. chocolate covered strawberries yumm!

6. i spent spring break in new york city with my mom and met up with my best friend a couple days where we went on a sex and the city tour, had lunch at the plaza, and had gossip girl inspired drinks at the empire hotel

7. this is where i first fell in love with hockey. i attended my first capitals game with amazing seats, out friends have season tickets 10 rows away from the ice. i love having connections. i have now become a huge hockey fan because of this game. c-a-p-s CAPS CAPS CAPS!

8. as always i went back up to iup for IUPatty's weekend. it was probably one of the best weekends at IUP (besides homecoming of course)

9. easter weekend i spent with just my dad and i while my mom and sister were in florida for lacrosse. since it was just my dad and i we decided to go look at some bulldogs! this is the day my dad became obsessed with getting another dog, and if i might add i don't hate it.

10. i went to my first ever JMU hosted concert and it was macklemore. to this day still one of the best concerts i have ever been too! he is an amazing performer and puts on an amazing show.

11. the best roommate i have ever had graduated last semester! i'm so proud of her and the rando roommate we got is nowhere as amazing as her! ps. she just got engaged on christmas!!!!!!

12. i went to my first ever nationals game, needless to say it was miserable and boring. i never want to attend another baseball game in my lifetime.

13. when i moved to the beach this summer the first week was spent with 2 friends from IUP. needless to say it was the start to a very interesting summer filled with a ton of highs and lows

14. after a week of being spoiled by my friends who cooked for me almost every day they visited i finally had to cook on my own again. i cooked my first steak this summer! i made a steak with sweet potato fries and green beans, it was a great meal.

15. this summer was filled with plenty of firsts! i paddle boarded for the first time, its definitely hard and an amazing work out. i also learned how to skurf, extremely proud of myself.

16. we got a truck this year (my family finally listened to me) and i drove it on the beach almost every day i could. it was the best decision my family has made in awhile

17. dear sunshine crepes, you make the best crepes i have ever had. keep doin' you. as the summer was winding down i had to get my last crepe of the summer

18. this picture was from my last trip to the beach, it was also that last summer i will be living and working at the beach *brb as i cry*

19. i came home from the beach early to take a quick (but not at all quick) bus ride up to nyc for the night to take my friend to his ring dance for the merchant marine academy. it was... interesting and it is definitely a story for the books

20. i went to my first ever washington redskins game with a couple of friends. it was a lot of fun with a ton of memories. i swear this year was the year of sports, i went to almost every possible washington team sporting event for the first time this year

21. this semester i started to get into my groove at JMU and making great connections with new friends. i surprisingly only went to a few JMU football games this season.

22. i found a new love for printmaking. although i had many sleepless nights because of this class i wish i knew about this earlier. i'm taking an advanced class next semester just for fun

23. i also made the most brilliant decision to join the art honors fraternity, kappa pi. i'm pretty mad at myself for not joining earlier. i have the best big ever and am a triplet! one of my triplets is my best friend :)

24. i surprisingly went to a keith urban concert during the winter, i never allow myself to listen to country music unless its the summer. i also went to a ton of other concerts this winter including, mistletoe madness and jingle ball where i got to see some of my favorite artists such as backstreet boys, gavin degraw, fall out boy, and miley cyrus. i also went to WMZQ at the beginning of the summer

25. at the beginning of this winter break my car was in need for some fixing up. it was so bad it was to the point where my dad almost threw in the towel on marvin (my car) but seeing as we just got a paint job for him my dad decided it was worth fixing him up! i almost cried when i found out i wouldn't be getting him back so when i did the first thing to do was hug him

going back through my instagram brought back a ton of memories. i didn't realize how much of my life i actually documented through instagram. i had an amazing 2013 filled with lots of memories. bring it on 2014!

NOTD | Essie Wicked & The New Black Demi Lovato Safari

For the past couple months I have been on the hunt for a deep red wine colored nail polish, i found the color wicked by essie and thought i would try it out. not quite what i wanted because 1 coat is to sheer and after 2 coats you might as well be wearing a black nail polish. i don't regret the purchase though because when i don't want to go as harsh as black i can wear this color. for my accent nail i used the glitter polish from demi lovato's nail polish line with the new black, from the collection safari. the color is absolutely stunning, i would describe it as gold, green, and turquoise flakes. the polish isnt glitter its more like different size flakes, which i'm in love with. I received 2 of her collections for my birthday and plan on reviewing both very soon!

does anyone have any suggestions of red wine colored nail polish? i would love to find my perfect red wine color!

Save or Toss?

with the new year approaching fast this is usually the time when i go through all my makeup and throw out everything that is expired. i put together a little makeup expiration guide to help you go through your makeup products and decide whether to save or toss. just remember: when in doubt, if it smells rancid, throw it out!

Smashbox Full Exposure Palette

my birthday was on the 9th and for my birthday my parents got me the smashbox full exposure palette, i have been lusting over it for about a month. from looking at different reviews and swatches this palette has been a love hate relationship for most people. for me i love it. its actually quite different than my others.

this palette contains 7 shimmer and 7 matte shades, and when i say shimmer... i mean packed with shimmer/glitter. the palette also includes a dual ended brush and a sample of the full exposure mascara. this palette is a great neutral palette with equal warm and cool shades. for me i wish that not all the shimmer shades were packed with glitter, the only one thats not is the fourth color in (S4) which is more of a satin finish. I wish the palette had a combination of satin and shimmer finish, none the less this palette will be great with creating "going out" looks with the fine glitter packed into the shimmer shadows. speaking of all the glitter in the shimmer shadows they do tend to have a small bit of fallout, but what else do you expect with a heavily packed glitter shadow. but none the less the palette has great color pay off for both shimmer and matte colors that last me throughout the day! the matte shadows have a velvety fell to them, not so buttery as the lorac pro palette, so there is less fall out for the smashbox matte colors. i read some reviews where people thought that the shimmer colors were gritty, i didn't think so. yes, when you rub the product through your fingers over and over again it feels slightly gritty, but when applying them to the eye i had no problem.

the smashbox full exposure mascara come with a huge wand. for me this mascara wasn't amazing but it wasn't bad. it was a nice add to the palette but i don't think i would purchase it after this palette. the mascara separated my lashes and gave them some length and a tad bit of volume but I feel like there are better mascaras out there, but lets be real... i didn't want the palette for the mascara.

overall i really enjoy this palette! the packaging its a little bulky they probably could have made it skinnier but nothing thats going to weigh you bag down! for me i think this palette is a bit overlooked, i haven't heard much hype about it but hopefully more people will start falling in love with it!

have any more questions? feel free to ask!

Victoria's Secrets Fashion Show 2013

The iconic Victoria's Secret Fashion Show was last night, I watch it every year. The six themes of this years show were "British Invasion," "Birds of Paradise," "Parisian Nights," "Shipwrecked," "Snow Angels," and "PINK Nation." While everyone was gawking over the models (ok, i gawked a little) I was obsessing over the outfits. I don't think I enjoyed this years outfits as much as last years but they were definitely extravagant. Above were my six favorite outfits, as you can tell my favorite theme was Shipwrecked. The craftsmanship of these outfits are incredible, i always love the big wings, feathers, sparkles and colors throughout the show.

The performers for this years show were Taylor Swift, Fall Out Boy, A Great Big World, and Neon Jungle. I could have done without Taylor Swift... just not a fan of her anymore. Fall Out Boy was amazing, I wish they took over Taylor Swifts portion of the shows. A Great Big World world played during the Shipwreck theme of the show and Say Something went along perfectly with the tone of the show. Neon Jungle performed during the PINK Nation theme during the show, which wasn't really favorite part of the show... which is usually my favorite.

Overall this wasn't my favorite fashion show, also... did it seem like it was shorter than usual? I feel like usually its longer, maybe I just expected/wanted more so thats why I was so bummed.

Did you watch the show? How did you like it and did you have any favorite looks or moments?

Winter Favorites

seeing as it is snowing here i thought that my winter favorites would be a perfect comeback post! so lets get into it!

beanies // i'm a huge fan of beanies in the winter for three reasons; one, they keep you warm when its freezing outside. two, they are really cute. three, they are perfect for a bad hair day!

smokey makeup // during the winter i love that its socially acceptable to wear dark and smokey makeup on the daily basis. recently i have been loving the lorac pro palette, especially the colors pewter and garnet. i usually mix those two together and use them all over the lid and in the crease for a quick and easy look. another one of my favorite smokey makeup looks for winter is the maybelline color tattoo in gold shimmer (limited edition) and overtop that i use maybelline color tattoo pure pigment in improper copper.

moisturizer // a must have for me during winter is a great moisturizer, as you can tell i'm in need of a new one. my skin gets extremely dry during the winter so i need a moisturizer so my face doesn't look or feel like a sandbox. my favorite is Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè

candles // if you know anything about me its that i have an obsession with candles. during the winter it gets a billion times worse, winter candles have the best scents! i'm a huge fan of spiced scents so i'm all about winter candles.

dark nails // i'm not a person that wears a ton of color (my wardrobe consists of black, gray, and blue) so during winter dark nails are my jam. i usually add a glitter accent nail to give it a little umph. my favorite colors are OPI opi nein nein nein ok fine and for glitter polish i love essie beyond cozy.

starbucks // excuse me for my common white girl moment, but i had to. when its cold outside i love having a warm drink in hand, or sitting in bed with a candle lit and starbucks (can you tell what i'm doing right now?) my favorite starbucks drink is a caramel chai latte. but i don't always need starbucks, i also love hot chocolate and apple cider!

scarf // big cozy scarves. enough said right? i love infinity scarves, i wear a scarf with pretty much everything during the winter.

ps. my birthday is tomorrow, i turn 22. help, i'm getting so old! :( 

Birthday & Christmas Wishlist

Woah long time no talk, but lets not get into that now. Its that time of the season where everyone starts making christmas wish lists and buying gifts for others, follow me on pinterest to see my wish list and maybe it will give you inspiration for buying gifts for others or even use it as a gift guide for your own christmas list! hopefully ill be back soon! 

Out With The Old In With The New

fall is coming (even though it feels nothing like it) which means its time to switch out my wardrobe. out with the old in with the new! I am selling 25+ items of my wardrobe to friends and whatever is left to plato's closet. seeing as i'm pretty much selling everything its time to restock my closet. so for the past week i have browsing forever 21 online and slowly but surely filling up a wish list. one i decided that my wish list was complete i moved everything to cart and in about 3-5 days i'll have some new pieces in my closet! I thought I would share with you some of the items I'll be rocking this fall

L to R: Cutout Craze Cardigan, Essential Cutout Top, Cozy Contrast Top, Pleated A-Line Shirt, Low-Key Contrast Tee, Tribal-Inspired Layered Top

After placing my order at forever 21 i was still in the shopping mood, so i opened up another tab to tobi. I dont shop here often because a lot of the clothes are super expensive but right when the page loaded i saw in big bold letters "50% off site wide". right then and there i thought i was going to have a heart attack! I knew i had to take full advantage of this sale. it was pretty much fate because it was the last day everything was 50% off so obviously i hopped right on it! I didnt buy much from here though because a lot of their site was still summer clothes and even though its freaking 90 degrees here i'm looking for more fall clothes.

L to R: Calling Dannielle Blouse, Marlene Twist Blouse, Wannabead Top

I want to throw it out there and say that without the 50% off promotion i would have had to pay $154 for just those three items, but i saved $91!! 

I cant wait for my new clothes to arrive! do any of you have any favorite clothing item for fall? mine is definitely oversized sweaters and cardigans

Tootles Summer

Going into my second week of classes I thought I would do a little goodbye post to summer. This summer has been one of the best summer yet. i was finally 21 which meant i was finally able to experience all the fun beach activities (aka seacrets) and i tried so many new things i was so proud of myself. Not many of my friends visited this summer but when they did visit it was crazy, beach all day, party... well all day as well. i went paddle boarding for the first time ever, standing up for me wasnt the hard part it was going against the current. I totally give so much credit to people who paddle board often because it certainly wasnt easy, but its an amazing work out. i also learned how to skurf! probably one of the highlights of the summer. the weather could have been better but that didnt stop us, storm? pshh beach volleyball in the rain! it was amazing to have all the goon kids together, summer is quite possibly the best bonding experience with them ever. who could forget fitting 8 people in car to go out in dewey for a night. i'm going to miss summers like this, it was my last summer living at the beach. next summer calls for a big girl internship/job. but you better believe that every weekend i'll be at the beach.

now i'm back at school and already in a funk, which is why i haven't posted lately. its only the second week of classes and i already had to pull an all nighter. my classes seem like classes i'm really going to enjoy so hopefully everything will get better soon. i'm hoping to get a website for my artwork up and running soon. maybe i'll post some things on here if i really like it. and if you havent guessed the "back to school series" has ended. those posts are a lot of work and as of right now i dont have time for it. sorry for the lack of posts i'm hoping to get back into the swing of things. i hope everything is going well with your back to school craziness!

Beauty Blender

To be honest, I wasnt even going to review this product because i didnt think it was even worth my time. but recently i picked it up and it changed my mind, well kinda. i'm going to go over the pros and cons of this product and tell you if its worth all the hype. 

how you use it:

1. run dry beauty blender under water

2. squeeze it a few times to evenly soak the beauty blender

3. squeeze dry

4. wrap in towel or tissue and squeeze again 

if you take proper care of your beauty blender it should last you about 6 months. you will know when its time to retire your beauty blender when it no longer dries to the normal size

how to properly use your beauty blender:

when using my blender i used the cover girl 3-in-1 foundation. I applied small dots of foundation over my face and then took the damp beauty blender and bounced/patted the beauty blender in circular motions. this allows the beauty blender to distribute the foundation evenly. 

time to be real, this took forever. i used the beauty blender for about a week and a half and just couldn't take it anymore. applying foundation is a timely process to begin with so this just made it take even longer! i'm not going to lie, this process made my face book flawless and smooth. but to do this even day was just getting annoying.

concealer & other products:

i recently picked up my beauty blender again and thought i would give it a second chance... but this time with my benefit porefessional. porefessional usually works best when it is patted into youre pores, so why not use the beauty blender for this step! i dont even know why i didnt think of this earlier because the appearance of my pores shrunk even more by properly applying this product with the beauty blender! it regained my hope in the beauty blender

next i figured why not try it with my concealer. my concealer has never looked better! i have super dark circles under my eyes and the beauty blender helps the concealer go on smooth and evenly to cover my dark circles and make the concealer look natural and not cakey. i have also noticed that my concealer has not creased since using the beauty blender. 

cleaning your beauty blender:

the brand beauty blender sells a pretty big size sponge cleaner from anywhere between $15-$20, which i have yet to buy because i feel like that is ridiculous. I have a brush cleaner that I use to clean my beauty blender. I have even heard that facial soap does the job. 

luckily i received a sample of the beauty blender cleanser in a birchbox awhile ago. which was used up after about 3-5 washes. you really should clean your beauty blender after every use because germs can collect in the sponge and ultimately be transferred to your face. i'm not going to lie here... aint nobody got time for that. I clean mine at the end of every week. 

overall thoughts:

if you haven't been able to tell, i have a love hate relationship with this product. do i regret buying it? no. do i neeeed this product? no. i will continue to use my beauty blender everyday for my concealer and primer and only use it for foundation when i have time to use it or for special events. the beauty blender to me has some pros and cons. one of my biggest cons is that it gets stained by foundation and concealer, i'm super OCD about things like that so this is a huge con for me. if you have money to blow and want to try it out go right ahead and get it. but if you dont have a ton of money its truly not a big deal. this product is hyped up to the max when i truly dont believe it should be. I understand makeup artists that use this on clients because their clients have hours to sit in the chair and get their makeup and hair done... but for normal peasants like you and me, its not a must have. 

Back to School: Glam

[ ae cropped t-shirt, love culture studded shoulder bag, forever 21 faux gemstone bib necklace, motel leopard print flippy mini skirt, gojane stretchy chain mail sandal]

when creating this glam look i tried to channel my inner beyonce/kim kardashian. surprisingly i found making this glam look was quite difficult, glam is not a huge trend right now. it seems to be more edgy, more studs than glitter. but none the less i looked to my eight essential glam pieces and put together this look. i feel like leopard print can be done in a glam way instead of a trashy way, you just have to make sure your accessorizing it right and that the leopard print isnt over powerful. so pairing this leopard print skirt with a plain black top helps balance the look. adding some bling sandals and a necklace glamify this look. instead of a backpack try an oversized tote to carry your books in!

Peach Cobbler

For the past 3 days i have made this peach cobbler twice, I was supposed to make it for my neighbors as a gift but ended up eating that one so I obviously had to make theirs again. I thought I would share this recipe with you guys because it has become my obsession over the past couple days.

ingredients:
1/4 cup butter
4 cups peeled peaches (this was about 5 large peaches for me)
1/2 cup sugar
1 tablespoon plus 2/3 cup variety baking mix (pancake mix)
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
2 tablespoons firmly packed brown sugar
2 tablespoons milk

directions:
1. in a medium mixing bowl combine peaches, sugar, 1 teaspoon baking mix and cinnamon. once combined then place mixture in a 9 x 9 pan.

2. in a separate mixing bowl, mix remaining 2/3 cup baking mix with brown sugar. once combined add in butter until mixture is combined completely. to moisten the mixture add milk

3. drop spoonfuls of the crust mixture onto the peaches mixture. i noticed that the crust mixture will be doughy so you might need to use your fingers to get it onto the peaches

4. bake at 400° for 30 minutes or until toothpick inserted into crust comes out clean. let stand 5 minutes

this makes about 6 servings, or if you're like me you will devour it in a matter of minutes... just kidding, or am i?

let me know if you try this out and how you like it!

Back to School: Indie

[chicnova irregular hem loose modal t-shirt, brandy melville black bullet stone necklace, brandy melville finn knit, ae high-rise festival shortie, vans original classic authentic, brandy melville gold three ring set]

awhile ago i did a series on eight essential pieces a certain style should have their wardrobe. i thought i would bring it back in the form of back to school! i'll hopefully keep up this "series". the series will consist of: indie, glam, classic, boho, edgy, and girly. first up is indie!

i really like this look because its carefree, comfortable, and still put together. i recently bought a festival shortie from american eagle and they are some of the most comfortable shorts i have ever owned. pair it with a baggy top that you can either tuck in or wear as it is. add a pair of converse and you have a complete look. if you live somewhere cooler you can add an oversized cardigan to give you some warmth. if you want to add some bling to the outfit add a necklace and some knuckle rings.

Elie Saab Fall 2013: Couture Collection

while looking for formal dresses in my price range i somehow started looking at dresses not so much n my price range. elie saab is one of my favorite designers so of course i began to look at his fall collection of gowns. this seasons gowns were a bit more simpler than last seasons, well i say simple but i probably couldn't make anything like this. maybe a better word is the dresses look effortless. This season was inspired by jewels in a crown: ruby, emerald, and sapphire. when designing he is a big believer in monochromatic, red sequins on red fabric, blue gems on blue chiffon and so on, which is why his last dress was such a surprise to many when the model walked out in head to toe multicolored beads, needless to say she left an impact.

out of the collection these are my favorite dresses, yet all of them were stunning it was hard to choose. I think i enjoyed these the most because they were the most wearable ones I saw. once of my favorites was elie saabs bridal dress, which i didn't add to this group because you need to see it large in all its glory. she was truly stunning, there were layers upon layers of tule embroidered with quartz, crystals, and glitter with a veil to match. i'm not sure if this is my favorite collection of his but it was definitely beautiful. my dream is to wear a dress by him, maybe a wedding dress ;)

NARS And God Created The Woman Palette

i was browsing youtube videos and came across a video that included this palette. i didnt hear much about it so decided to look up some reviews on it. i came across a review by the beauty milk and fell in love. i have zero nars products because they are so damn expensive. i let this product sit in my mind for a few days and finally gave in to this $60 palette that includes a primer and brush. i was surprised when i received this palette that it was about the size of a credit card. after i got over the fact that i just paid $60 for a eye shadow palette with 6 eyeshadows being .03 oz i fell in love all over again.

(swatches & photograph by thebeautymilk)

i swatched it myself and took photographs but the photo didnt turn out well and i decided this photograph showed the swatches perfectly. this pigmentation of these shadows are soft and very pigmented. this palette is a limited edition palette but includes some permanent shades. i fell in love with kalahari which is a bronze taupe color. this palette is a mix between warm and cool colors.

alhambra- a pale champagne color with some shimmer which is perfect for the inner corner & brow bone highlight. you could even use it all over the lid for a light wash of color

bellisima- a matte gray-brown taupe color. this color has a wonderful velvet texture to it that is one of the most versatile shade in the palette. bellisima can be used as a light wash of color all over the lid and or used in the crease for some light definition of the crease for a daytime smokey eye 

kalahari- this is my all time favorite shade in this palette, actually the main reason i bought this palette. its a bronze taupe color. this shade is also pretty versatile, it can be used lightly all over the lid for a day look for smoked out nighttime look

galapagos- a warm brown color with fine gold glitter that barely shows up. a problem i have about this product is it seems like the glitter is only on the top of the product, when swatched it looks like the glitter comes off and because a matte or satin color. of course i haven't gone through the pan yet so i could be wrong. this shade looks beautiful in the outer two third of the lid and into the crease for a smokey look. 

coconut grove- a warm matte dark brown which can be used lightly in the crease for a daytime smokey eye or amped up for a night time smokey look. or even all over the lid and smoked along the bottom lash line for a smokey look in the fall! 

night clubbing- is one of the most unique colors in the palette. it is a black color with what i think is a hint of mossy green with fine gold glitter. along with galapagos i'm nervous that the glitter is only on the top of the product... but only time will tell. this shade will help create a true smokey eye for a night out. i will most likely use it as eyeliner! 

over all i'm super happy with my first nars palette. as i was telling my fellow blogger bailey, everyone needs a nars product. its one of those luxurious product that you should splurge on at least one! but as i told her choose your product wisely, i think limited edition products are the way to go! this palette proves to be packed with pigmentation, soft and easy to blend eyeshadows, and the perfect size to travel with. I feel like this product contains more fall colors rather than summer colors. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo Pure Pigments

one of my most sought after products in the drugstore lately has been the maybelline color tattoo pure pigments. perusal they were no where to be found in any of my local drugstores because i live in the middle of no where that usually gets drugstore products last. so when i went shopping in a town close to mine i had to stop at the local kmart to look for bathroom products (rugs, towels ect.) and i walked past the display for these babys! i found them when i wasn't expecting to see them, isnt that usually how everything works? there are 12 colors in this fall 2013 collection and shocker... i picked up 3 of the neutral colors; barely brazen, improper copper, and breaking bronze. at kmart i was able to get them for $6.99 which i thought was a steal seeing at at CVS they are most likely $7.99 (a dollar can go a long way!) 

 i used pigments when i was first starting off with makeup, it was bare minerals and it was probably the most boring color possible. so when i saw these pigments i felt a kinda nostalgic feel when looking at them. its also not very common to have pigments in the drugstore. i know there are plenty of pigments out there that you can buy (MAC, also makeup geek has some kick ass pigments) but never in the drugstore. 

the pigments promise intense color payoff while still being blendable and buildable. from my experience i would have to say that this is kind of true. the colors are rather sheer at first but you are able to build them up to an intense color. 

barely brazen- this is the lightest color in the whole collection. its the classic champange-nude color with finely milled shimmer. i bought this especially to brighten up the inner corner. it applies very smoothly and more consistent compared to the other two

improper copper- i really love copper shades for more of a fall look to really bring out the color of my eyes, which is why i was drawn to this color. like the name of the product it is an intense copper/brown color with multidimensional gold shimmer throughout it. this color will really pop with blue and green eyes! 

breaking bronze- so who doesn't love a bronze color? this color, like improper copper, is true to its name. its a straight forward bronze color. for me i wear more bronze colors during the summer because i am tanner and it complements a tan perfectly. unlike the other two shades i had a more difficult time applying this color evenly, it was a little more flakey compared to the other (but nothing i couldn't work out)

when using pigments you are bound to have fall out, its kind of a given. these products will most likely apply better with less fallout with a sticky base (such as the color tattoo cream shadows haha! i see what you did there maybelline) also a tip for less fall out is to tap the shadow onto your eye, no swiping motions! my overall thoughts on these are that these are pretty good for a drugstore pigment, there are definitely better pigments out there but if you're on a budget these aren't terrible. i do enjoy using these but don't see myself buying any more from this collection. to be honest, makeup geek has pigments that are the same price and seem a bit more interesting than these colors. 

have you seen these in your local drugstores? will you/have you tried these out? 

My Favorite Youtube Gurus

Youtube gurus have had a large influence on my life. I used to do youtube videos because I would watch them non-stop so i figured i could do videos too... well I failed. then i went onto blogging and i think i'm doing much better! but i get lots of questions on my tumblr about what my favorite youtube channels are, and to be honest... this list was probably the hardest thing i have ever had to make! but these are some of my favorite youtube gurus right now, i'll probably make another one soon because i'm realizing some people i forgot! 

nicole guerriro- i pretty much stalk her videos. i love them all! she's gorgeous and makes some amazing tutorials. she's probably one of the gurus that i actually try the makeup on myself. whenever she recommends a product i want it. i don't know what it is about her, she seems very genuine and nice. she actually does videos she likes and isn't just sponsored videos over and over again.

pixiwoo- i have been watching nic and sam for years now. they always make some of the most interesting videos. i also look forward to their videos, even if the makeup they do isn't wearable. they are probably one of the most creative makeup artists i have ever seen on youtube. 

itsjudytime / itsjudyslife- judy was probably the first youtube guru i watched. i learned make up from her so i had to add her to my list. she hasnt been making many videos because she did just have her first child but she has been doing a lot of review videos that i find to be some of the most helpful ones on youtube. i also put itsjudyslife because i wake up and before i do anything i watch their vlog for that day, it has become a routine. 

pixi2woo- i find myself always watching tanyas videos, i think the reason i watch them is because she uses a lot of the same products i own so i'm able to find inspiration from her videos to do my own looks on! she also seems so sweet and bubbly, and can i mention how beautiful her fiance is (sam & nic's brother jim!)

zoella280390- zoe is probably one of the most recent youtube gurus i subscribed to. she is adorable and drop dead gorgeous. she just started doing real tutorials (shes usually hauls and other things) shes friends with a lot of the youtubers i like so i figured i would give her a go, and so far i'm really enjoying her videos!

i'm just now realizing that 3 out of 5 of these gurus are british... obviously i have a thing for accents! i would love to know some of your favorite gurus, i'm always interested in subscribing to more people! i'm probably going to do another video with some of the lesser known gurus. 

Style Crush: Shay Mitchell

the other month shay was on the cover of SELF magazine which started my obsession with her. after reading her interview you could tell she was one of the most down to earth celebrities who is an amazing role model (she made me want to get back into the grind of watching what i eat and working out). they printed a couple of her instagram pictures in the magazine and i automatically followed her. i'm just going to put it out there... shes stunning and holy cow does she have an amazing sense of style! shay can pull off the styles from super sexy to edgy chic, she is never afraid to push the envelope which is something i truly admire! she is one of my fashion inspirations and a huge inspiration overall.

i suggest everyone follow her on instagram; @shaym // and you can check out her blog; shaymitchell.com

Maybelline Dream Sun Bronzer - 130 Matte Medium

i have been looking all over my local drugstores for maybellines new (or fairly new) dream sun bronzers and i have finally found them. I ran into cvs looking for the new maybelline pigments (which i found and will have a review soon) and happened to see they had a few of the bronzers left! they only had one 130 matte medium left which was perfect because it was exactly the color i needed. 

one thing i really enjoyed about this limited edition line was that came in a range of finishes; matte, four seasons, and glow. I personally didn't want anything other than matte because i try not to put to much shimmer on my face.

dream sun matte bronzer is extremely soft and easily blendable. it is a dark shade of tan with a slight orange undertone. the product is quite dense and picks up easy with a kabuki brush, but the color doesn't go on too heavy so it is easy to build color without going overboard. the matte color works well with all skin types but especially with oily skin as it contains no glitter or shimmer. it produces a natural sunkissed glow that everyone loves to have during the summer. 

no matter what finish you want maybelline has the product for you. i usually use NYC sunny bronzer but for the rest of the summer this is going to be my go-to bronzer. I find it somewhat comparable to the MAC bronzers. if youre a big bronzer fan like i am i would highly suggest checking out this line. 

June Favorites

(pictured L to R: bath and body works coconut line breeze body butter, aussie 3 minute miracle, MAC woodwinked eyeshadow, benefit the porefessional, make up forever smoky lash, bath and body works coconut lime breeze body mist, covergirl 3 in 1 foundation)

my oh my has it been awhile since my last favorites. i dont mix up my routine enough to do a favorites every month. seeing as its summer i dont use a ton of make up especially since i'm usually just going to the beach and work, but none the less i still have some new favorites this month so lets get into it. 

bath and body works coconut lime breeze body butter- seeing as i'm in the sun nonstop this summer my skin has been extremely dry and i absolutely love the scent of this collection. i'm not a fan of lotion but i love body butters because it sinks into the skin so fast and leaves my skin feeling moisturized

aussie 3 minute miracle- i recently ombred my hair again and seeing as bleach isnt to hot for you hair i use this deep conditioner once a week and my split ends are one again. i actually reviewed this product earlier on my blog which i will link to here

MAC woodwinked eyeshadow- i love love love this eyeshadow, possibly one of my favorites out of my MAC palette (which i will be doing a post on very soon) its an awesome antiqued gold which turns into a burnt orangey-brown when blended into the crease, so youre pretty much get 2 colors from one

benefit the porefessional- i use this about everyday, i'm super self conscious about my pours and i feel like they are ginormous and everyone stares at them, which probably isnt true... but this helps! i actually just repurchased this because i'm about to run out

make up forever smoky lash- as much as i hate spending $23 on mascara i just repurchased this for the 4rd time. i use this as my last coat of mascara (out of 2 others) it separates my lashes and makes them have extreme volume. 

bath and body works coconut line breeze body mist- i have yet to find my summer fragrance so in the mean time i'm going to be a 4th grader and use this because as i said earlier i'm obsessed with this scent so why not have it in body mist

cover girl 3-in-1 foundation- i am finally tan enough to use this foundation and i love it. its perfect coverage for the summer and very light weight. if you guys would like a review on this i would be happy to do so

there goes another month gone so bring on july! any new products you guys tried out this month that i should try out? i would love to know some of your guys favorites!

ps. dont forget there will no longer be google reader tomorrow! dont forget to follow me via bloglovin'

Hard Candy Tiki So Baked "Bronzer"

I have heard so much about this baked "bronzer" through different blogger and youtube gurus but have never really rushed out to buy it because I usually never go to walmart, which is where hard candy make up is sold. but seeing i like at the beach in the middle of no where there is a walmart about 30 minutes away and i needed to pick up some things so while I was there i decided to pick up this bad boy. this is considered one of hard candys so baked brozers and I call it a "bronzer" be there is no way i would ever use this as a bronzer, i consider this more of a highlighter than a bronzer. tiki is a bronze champagne shimmer. I have applied this on my cheek bones, down my nose, and as a inner corner highlight.

(look ma, my first ever swatch! L: dry R:wet)

This product is very pigmented and extremely buildable. I was actually very surprised when i first used it how pigmented this actually is! I found out that this product also looks beautiful when used wet! I would double up on this product and use it as an eyeshadow as well! this product is extremely versatile. If your ever in walmart I would say that this is a product worth trying, especially since it can be used in so many different ways! 

ps. please be nice to me on my swatch picture! i'm planning on doing more swatches so hopefully they get better! this highlighter was extremely hard to swatch so hopefully you guys get the gist of it! 

Tootles Google Friends Connect

If you have not heard Google Reader will be no more as of July 1st. Which is in about 1 and a half weeks. I haven't really been worrying about it until a little notice popped up and then I started to worry. I then quickly followed all my favorite blogs on bloglovin.

I myself have a bloglovin and an rss feed that you all could follow, and would love if you would follow me so you can keep updated with my posts! i know i have a few followers that i'm not following and i would love to but with google friends connect i was never able to figure out your guys blogs! So if you guys have a bloglovin feel free to leave me a link and i'll check out your blog! 

So you can follow my blog via bloglovin' and rss. if you would like to keep up with my daily life feel free to follow me on my instagram, twitter, pinterest, and tumblr. i actually have 2 twitters, one personal and one for this blog, i'm actually thinking about giving out my personal over very soon! so keep an eye out for that! also i'm constantly updating my pinterest and tumblr so would love for you guys to follow me on there as well! 

Hope to see you guys on my other social networking sites!

All About Makeup Brushes

I know i said i would get back to blogging on the reg but i have been busy with work, classes, and just havent been doing anything interesting lately. but for awhile now i have wanted to talk to you guys about make up brushes, I'm a huge brush girl so i figured why not answer the questions i was always asking. please excuse the dirty brushes, i just deep cleaned them and was to lazy to spot clean them before taking pictures! anyways, I own only two brands of brushes sigma and real techniques brushes. I first got sigma's make me classy essentials kit for christmas awhile back because i didn't own any brushes and wanted to start getting into using brushes! i had these for a few months and then the real technique brushes launched at ulta and decided to pick me up the real techniques starter kit, and over the years i have begun to pick up more and more brushes as they started to release more. i figured i would start of my showing you my favorite brushes i use and then show you my favorite brushes for each product.

right now these are easily my favorite brushes. i'll name them from left to right: 

• real techniques expert face brush: i love this brush for foundation, its "ultra firm" and blends out my liquid foundation perfectly. i compare it to my sigma F82 round top kabuki but with the foundation i am currently using i like the real techniques expert face brush just a little more
• real techniques deluxe crease brush: when i first got this brush i used it to blend shadow into my crease but now i love it for flawlessly applying my concealer. it blends it perfectly for an airbrushed look
• real techniques setting brush: i use this brush for exactly what it says, a setting brush. its perfect for setting your under eye concealer and controlling your setting powder all over the face
• sigma E25 blending brush: i actually own two of these, one travel size that i got as a free gift with one of my purchases. i use this brush for applying eyeshadow in my crease and blending out shadows 
• real techniques base shadow brush: i love this brush for applying color all over the lid, i use it with cream shadow (maybelline color tattoos) and just normal eyeshadow
• real techniques accent brush: this is my all time favorite brush for the inner corner highlight! this brush is perfect for little details, highlights, and smudging. 

now these are the brushes that i use almost everyday, depending on the type of look i'm going for. also most of these are repeats, so i wont explain what i use them for again. like before i'll name these from left to right:

• real techniques deluxe crease brush
• real techniques setting brush
• sigma E25 blending brush
• sigma F60 foundation brush: i actually use this for the complete opposite of foundation, i use it to apply my highlighter. I have used it before to apply foundation but i just dont think i like using foundation brushes, i feel like it doesnt buff the foundation into my skin well
• sigma F40 large contour brush: i use this brush for blush, i find it to big for contour but perfect for blush. it makes the blush go on for a natural flush of color
• real techniques expert face brush
• real techniques powder brush: i use this to apply bronzer around my face, not so much to contour but just to blend bronzer around my temples, forehead, jawline, and down my neck

so now for the big reveal, sigma or real techniques? to be honest i love them both, they both have their pros and cons. I was hesitant to buy the real techniques brushes because i'm so OCD i wanted all my brushes to have a black handle but once i got over that i was so happy with my decision to get real techniques brushes, the bristles are so soft! a lot softer than sigma's. some of sigma's brushes still shed on me too... the say after a couple washes it shouldnt shed anymore but some of the bigger brushes do. over all i will continue to buy both sigma and real technique brushes. of course real techniques brushes are cheaper but sigma brushes are also reasonably priced compared to MAC brushes (which i will most likely never buy, their brushes are ridiculously over priced). as for how i wash my brushes i use MAC brush cleanser for spot cleaning and when i want to deep clean my brushes i use either olive oil and dish soap, or johnsons baby soap depending on what i have handy! 

if you have any other questions feel free to leave a comment, tweet me, or message me on tumblr! i would love to answer any questions you have! 

Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè (24-Hour Miracle Cream)

well hot damn look who's finally getting around to reviewing this product! I ordered the Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentrè (24-Hour Miracle Cream) a few months ago, probably around the middle of winter, after having a sample of this in one of my birchboxs. during the winter my skin is very dry and is constantly asking for moisture so after hearing many people rave about this product and trying it for about a month i knew a needed a full size. i went without this product for about a month and my face went crazy without it.

its very moisturizing leaving the skin with a dewy look. let me tell you that a little goes a long way! for the first couple weeks i was definitely using more than i needed. my skin is also very sensitive so whenever i apply any moisturizer it tends to get red for a few minutes but then goes away, with this moisturizer it stayed redder longer than normally and faded away slowly so if you have this problem as well you have been warned. it wasn't a big deal to me because it was doing wonders for my skin. i used it sparingly around my nose, cheeks, forehead and chin area to give a smooth base for my make up. i loved to apply this moisturizer right after i used my clarrisonic, my skin felt as smooth as a babies bottom! now that it is spring/summer i have put this moisturizer away but do pick it up from time to time when i have dry patches around my nose. if you have dry skin i would definitely say this is a must product for you! if you have oily skin to begin with i dont think this product is worth the investment, it may be nice for the first couple weeks but i think your skin will eventually become even more oily. 

have any of you tried this product before? what did you think of it?

Collective Haul

Over the past couple of weeks i have been doing some random shopping before i move to the beach for the summer. along the way i have done some damage in the beauty department and havent done so well in the fashion department. the main reason i have been going shopping is i need a dress for the wmzq concert (a big country concert that comes to my town) and every year i have the perfect dress for it and this year i havent had any luck! but despite my miss in the fashion department i have gone a bit crazy in the beauty department. I have made a few trips to ulta, the drugstore, and sephora since i have been home and picked up a few things. so lets just go left to right: 

first i picked up the real techniques expert face brush because i have had my eye on it for awhile so i finally just decided to buy it. i own almost every real technique brush and i can easily say that i use them more than my sigma brushes. 

next i got 2 nail polishes a few weeks ago when i visited home and forgot to bring some nail polish to do my nails. they were lookin real rough so i figured i would go buy some to do that weekend. i got opi gargantuan green grape, which looks like a very pale mint green, similar to essie mint candy apple. also i picked up essie in the cab-ana from the new resort collection, i did a post on this recently. 

next i got the new cover girl outlast stay fabulous 3 in 1 foundation. i got it in the color 857 golden tan because i'm going to use this once i get tan during the summer. i picked up a pretty dark shade but i know i get really tan over the summer seeing that i live at the beach. i have never bought a drugstore foundation but i currently use the tarte amazonian clay foundation and i feel like this can be compared to this in some way so i'm excited to use it. 

i decided to get the new revlon lip butter in juicy papaya after seeing baileys blog post on it, i talk to her on the reg. and i always tell her i'm not a lippy type of girl i usually just stick to chapstick but she was completely in love with this color and after seeing her blog post on it i was too! i hate the color pink (i know how am i even a girl) so i stay away from everything that color so when i saw this color i knew it would be perfect! 

today when searching the mall for a wmzq dress i found myself in sephora wandering around looking for the beauty blender, i have wanted it for ages now so i figured it was about time to get it! when i started using make up i used a sponge and actually loved it, it wasnt until about a year ago when i first started using make up brushes to apply my foundation, so why not go back to a sponge. 

i always get questions about how i do my hair and this product is literally the only thing i use... herbal essence totally twisted curl boosting mousse. honestly all i do is get out of the shower and use about a handful of mousse and scrunch it in my hair. i would have to say i was blessed with curly hair so i dont have to do much to it. 

finally the only fashion purchase i did buy was the vans canvas authentic shoes in pool green/true white. i did a post on this a few weeks ago on debating between this color and another but decided to go with this color because it wont get dirty as fast, although i did notice my shoes had a stain on them so they will be going back asap to exchange with a new pair! 

totally forgot to mention that my new 50mm lens has arrived and i will be back to posting regularly (hopefully) now that i have a new lens and i'm feeling back in the groove of things.