Tuesday, July 29, 2014

July Beauty Favorites

This month has been a bit hectic for me, but these products have definitely made the month go by a bit quicker which I am extremely grateful for!


Maybelline's Fit Me Powder
First up is Maybelline's Fit Me Powder in 355 Coconut. This is the first powder that I have ever experimented with on my own and so far I am pleased with its results. This actually took the place of the Rimmel's Stay Matte Powder that I was desperately searching for but could not find, but for my first powder it got the job done. When I say this I mean that it somehow gave my skin a nice glow, while subduing its normal oiliness. Although I am happy with how my experimental powder turned out I still would LOVE to try a matte powder, so if any of you use it please tell me what you think of it or any other powders you love!


NYX's Green Tea Blotting Paper
My second item is definitely one of my favorite makeup buys of all time, even though it isn't technically makeup (although it does help me look a little more presentable which is greatly appreciated). On a whim, I picked up NYX's Green Tea Blotting Paper and I am very impressed with how much oil it can pick up (sorry if that sounds a bit gross but it is quite true). After a midday nap I woke up to find that my face looked like it had been slathered in Vaseline and with me only having 15 minutes to get to a banquet I was not too keen to the idea of taking everything off only to put it back on again. Thankfully I had these which got rid of my oiliness but kept my makeup intact. They also left me feeling quite refreshed!


Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus Foaming Milk and Body Wash
I am currently the owner of ten Shea Moisture products, and this Coconut & Hibiscus Foaming Milk and Body Wash  is my favorite of the body products I have by them. Not only does it smell like a fresh mix of tropical and sweet scents, but the texture of it feels absolutely luxurious. I must say that I am a complete sucker for the Shea Moisture Coconut & Hibiscus and this wash only encourages my obsession.



Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara
Next up is my Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara. I often use this particular mascara for a more individualized lash look but I also enjoy layering it with other mascaras for a more dramatic look. Although it was a free gift, I intend on buying the mascara when it runs out. I must say that I am not too fond of the attached lipstick but I believe that the idea of a combined product is a great concept but the color of the lipstick doesn't really suit my skin tone as much as I would like.


Kiss Perfect Curl Eyelash Curler

I was SO incredibly excited when I finally bought this Kiss Perfect Curl Eyelash Curler!  I have wanted an eyelash curler for an extremely long time and after trying this once I couldn't believe I went so long without it! It truly makes my lashes and mascara pop although I must suggest that you heat it up for 15 seconds (and let it cool) for the best results but I think that may work with any lash curler.


Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Intensive Moisture Mask
Because my job required me to be in chlorine three times a week I was quite paranoid about the damage it could cause even with my regular washings and conditionings so I pulled out an old favorite to protect my hair from any damage. My life saver was this Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Intensive Moisture Mask. I would work through a generous amount through my hair after rinsing off after pool time which left my hair feeling soft and moisturized. Even after rinsing it out later it sill made my hair feel like butter which I absolutely loved!


Thanks for reading! xox











Wednesday, July 23, 2014

Summer Haul Pt. 2

As promised, I have finally posted the second part of my summer haul! As I was doing this I noticed that I actually purchased a lot more beauty products and school items than I thought so I will be doing a "July Beauty Favorites" and a "School Haul" as well. 

First up is my bar necklace from Forever 21. I have recently fallen in love with bar necklaces and minimalistic jewelry in general so purchasing this was not a hard decision for me at all. To be quite honest I was unaware of the heart cutout until I was at the cash register and was a bit skeptical about it, but it definitely adds a sweet touch to the overall simple necklace. 

F21 necklace

My second necklace from Forever 21 was a bit longer and has a more rockier look which I love because it does add a bit of edge to any outfit I where it with. Aside from the opal necklace I wear everyday it has already become my favorite accessory. I love how the triangles are made out of silver and gold metal and even how the chain seems to be made out of a pewter looking metal because it makes matching metals easier to wear and also makes it appear like a more pricer piece of jewelry. The length of the necklace is also perfect because it does not compete with any other necklaces I might be wearing at the moment.

F21 necklace 

This next piece is a stark contrast to my previous necklace because of its jewels. Although I love the look of layered necklaces sometimes you need to just focus on one major piece or "clear everything out and focus on one thing"(as Travis stated in Clueless). This necklace is such a statement piece I could easily dress up any jeans and tee outfit with it. 

H&M necklace (sold out)

In preparation for school I have spent my summer buying multiple sweaters and wardrobe basics. One basic that I desperately needed was a striped t-shirt and after searching multiple shops both online and in-stores I finally found this H&M tee for under twenty dollars and I am quite excited to see how many different ways I can wear it.

H&M tee

On a whim I also purchased this gold barrette. Unlike some other items in this haul this barrette was not something that I was actively looking for but I simply purchased it while looking at bedspreads at Urban Outfitters. I remember seeing a girl with a similar one in high school and I loved how it contrasted with her auburn hair. If it stood out with her hair I can only imagine how cool it will look in my dark brown curly hair. 

Urban Outfitters barrette

This next item is not only my favorite in this haul, but it is also the only item that will truly help me better myself. After about two years of lusting after them, I finally have a pair of sleek looking Nikes and I could not be happier. I have never been a "sneaker-head" and I rarely believe the hype of performance enhancing sneakers, but I must admit that these feel as good as they look. As silly as it may sound, I truly feel as though these Nikes will motivate me to work out and run more in college. These particular shoes are the Nike Free Run 5.0 and although they may be the most expensive shoes I have ever paid full price for ($108. 56 to be exact), they are extremely worth it. 

Nike Free Run 5.0 trainers


The next haul I will do will be my back-to-school haul which should be an EXTREMELY long one, so please stay tuned!

Thanks for reading! xox

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

Taking Risks

Hey guys! I will be posting a regular post tomorrow, but today I just wanted to say that I sincerely appreciate all of you who read or even glance at my blog. You will never know how much it means to me to have people other than my closest friends and family reading and taking part in something that means so much me. I have wanted to start blog for years and I am overjoyed that I have finally been able to build up the courage to actually start it. That being said, I've realized how putting myself out there was a MAJOR leap of faith for me and since taking that chance I have noticed how I have become more confident and driven towards my goals. I have mentioned before that I will be starting college in the fall but I have never discussed how I am both ecstatic and overjoyed at the fact that I will be moving to a major city (where I do not know anyone) that I have only visited once. In my life, especially in high school, I was never a risk-taker and only dreamed of living as a journalist in the city. Although I am taking a major risk with my education I know it is a worthy investment for my future, much like this blog. 
In closing, I want to apologize if this was a bit sentimental and uncomfortable for any of you all, but I felt the need to say that taking risks are worth the pain and terror because in the end its better to have learned and grown stronger from your mistakes and risks than to waste your life on the fear of the unknown. 

Thanks for reading! xox

Tuesday, July 15, 2014

Atlanta Street Food Festival


This past weekend was an unusually busy one for me. I spent all day Saturday in the city at the Atlanta Street Food Festival and Atlantic Station. I must say that the food festival was the highlight of my summer and I am extremely grateful for my best friend finding it. For those of you who might not know what the Atlanta Street Food Festival is, it is a festival where over forty food trucks gathered in Piedmont Park to give the public a chance to experience various dishes and expand their pallets. This was my first food truck experience and none of them disappointed. Through out the course of the day I had Peach Bubble Tea, Asian Tacos, a Japanese soda called Ramune, Acai Berry Tea (courtesy of Keurig), and a Chocolate Sea Salt Pop. Aside from the AMAZING food, my favorite part about the fair was that a percentage of proceeds went to a charity and this year it was The Giving Kitchen


My best friend Caroline and I with our The Bubble Tea Truck Peach Bubble Tea Caroline is an incredibly talented artist and writer so please check out her stuff at Wattpad and Etsy!


Bento Bus Asian Tacos with Teryaki Chicken, seasoned lettuce, Asian pico de gallo, tempura bits, and special sauce. Also, the hardest soda bottle I have ever had to open in my 18 years.
 
King of Pops Chocolate Sea Salt Popsicle 
My free Keurig Acai Berry Vitamin Burst Tea


 Since this was the only festival I will be attending this summer, I tried to dress the part (without going full-blown Coachella) with an old H&M empire waist dress, H&M sunglasses, and Forever 21 boots. Later on in the evening I added a Forever 21 boyfriend blazer.

H&M dress similar here, Forever 21 blazer, Forever 21 boots

All in all, I had a great time experiencing new foods with old friends and would definitely recommend anyone to try a street food festival at least once in their lifetime.

Thanks for reading! xox


Sunday, July 13, 2014

Sunday Best

H&M dress (similar here), Kohl's necklace, Tiffany & Co. bracelet

As sad as this may sound, one of my favorite things about the weekend is getting dressed up for Sunday. A lot of the time I would much rather stay at home and spend my Sundays surfing Tumblr and YouTube but when we do step out on Sundays I do use the day to put on some of my more dressier outfits and this has been one of my favorite outfits all year.
The dress was a H&M purchase from last spring but it did not begin to see life outside of my closet until August. It played a large role in my senior year of high school because I wore it for both senior pictures and graduation and if its one thing I love it's a classic piece steeped in nostalgia.  



The necklace does not hold as many memories but is still a very lovable and well worn piece from a Kohl's sale.



The bracelet is from Tiffany & Co. and was a Christmas gift from a few years ago and because it is such a classic piece I know I'll be wearing it for years.

Thanks for reading! xox

Thursday, July 10, 2014

New Classics

Old Navy shirt, SheInside skort, French Connection sandals, ASOS watch

I believe that I made it quite clear in an earlier post that I am in love with this skort, and with that being said I am quite surprised at how little I have actually worn it. It embodies all of my favorite current trends but it is such a classic piece that I know I'll be wearing it for years. 


Another classic piece that I have in my wardrobe is my denim shirt. I believe I bought it last spring when denim shirts were a big trend but only wore it a few times because it I could not find too many ways to wear it. However, in the past year I have realized how diverse it can truly be and am looking forward to experimenting with new ways to wear it. Because my style incorporates classic colors and prints in tailored shapes I never thought I would really wear such a casual piece but I am particularly in love with how I paired the two pieces because of the overall juxtaposition of the crisp, clean skort and the loose, casual shirt.

I love its simple shape and classic wash because it makes it seem like such a neutral piece that will be perfect for layering. The soft material also doesn't hurt either!

Thanks for reading! xox

Also, if you have any suggestions for what you would like to see on the blog please feel free to tell me in the comments below or any of the social networking sites mentioned above! I would love to hear any feedback you guys have!









Saturday, July 5, 2014

Breaking Tradition on the 4th



Vintage top similars can be found here and here, Old Navy shorts, ASOS watch, Old Navy sandals


I hope you all had a great 4th of July! Mine was quite eventful and a little untraditional. For as long as I can remember I have spent Independence Day in Indiana with my family where we would cookout and launch massive amounts of fireworks. Because of work I was unable to go this summer and instead I spent the holiday with close friends making vegan food, watching “Jaws”, and launching some somewhat disappointing fireworks. Throughout the day I constantly thought of how fun it was to try some new things and began to think of other traditions that might change now that I’ll be on my own. Despite the anticlimactic ending I really enjoyed my nontraditional Independence Day and cannot wait to make new traditions and encourage you all to do the same.

My Independence Day outfit was a mix of vintage and old purchases from Old Navy. The top is a vintage find courtesy of my mom, the shorts and sandals are both from Old Navy. I will try to find similar items and link them.

Thanks for reading! xox


Close friends

My failed attempt of spelling with sparklers! : (
  

Tuesday, July 1, 2014

Summer Haul Pt. 1


Hi guys! I would just like to start off by saying thank you so much for reading my blog! It took me a long time to build up the courage and confidence to start it, let alone continue it. That being said I am so excited to share my first ever haul with you all! I recently went on an unplanned shopping excursion with my best friend that ultimately led to us both buying QUITE a lot. I have also been ordering things for school offline in an effort to slowly build up my college wardrobe, and because of this I will be doing a few separate hauls over the next few weeks and I cannot wait until I show you everything!!!

Crepe Woven Boyfriend Blzer can be purchased here

To start things off I have a white crepe blazer from Forever 21. This was a purchase from the very beginning of summer and although I have been daydreaming of various ways of wearing it, I have not had the chance yet. I am currently obsessed with white right now and have always been a fan of boyfriend blazers so this blazer was clearly needed in my closet.


Refined Asymmetrical Mini Skirt can be purchased here

Close up of asymmetrical hem with exposed zipper

When I bought the blazer mentioned above I envisioned wearing it with this miniskirt and a white tank. Along with me loving white right now I also love how popular asymmetrical bottoms and exposed zippers are right now. This skirt embodies both trends, but is still simple enough for me to wear it even after both are dead and gone. The skirt also has a cream-colored faux leather trim at the top. I am especially excited to wear the skirt because its material is cool enough for me to wear this season, but will also keep me warm if I want to wear it with tights in the fall.


Harem pants similars can be purchased here

Close up of the abstract print

To round up my Forever 21 purchases is this pair of printed harem pants. As I was searching for the link on the F21 website I noticed that jogger and harem pants look extremely similar in style. After some brief research I am here to tell you the difference between the two. Joggers tend to have a more relaxed look (to imitate sweatpants) and are made with a more casual, inexpensive materials such as cotton and rayon. Harem pants on the other hand are more like baggy trousers. These pants have a plethora of names with most of them deviating from two people who made them famous: MC Hammer and Princess Jasmine. Because these are such an unusual purchase I will be doing a post on the various ways I wear them.


Racerback draped tank similar can be found here

Moving on to H&M, I bought a simple racerback tank with a draped hem. If there is ever a time to wear a loose white tank top it is in the middle of a hot summer in the South. I have unfortunately worn my last loose tank to pieces but knowing the quality standard of H&M I should be having this one for a while.


Abstract printed scarf similar can be found here
A close up of the print (camera does not do it justice)


Next up is a beautifully printed scarf that is perfect for the cooler days of summer. The scarf has become my favorite piece at the moment and it most likely because of its flawless combination of colors such as coral, navy blue, sky blue, gray, ivory, and even maroon. 



Unfortunately, I was not blessed with fingers that easily fit rings. I have always struggled with finding rings that properly fit without cutting off my circulation and after the midi-ring trend became popular I found it quite sad to love the trend so much yet not be able to try it. With these rings however, I can finally join the trend and the mixed metal rings in the set allow me to switch up what type of jewelry I want to wear with them.


Two tone cat eye sunglasses similars here 


I wear my glasses quite often so I never wear sunglasses that much, but since blush pink is one of my favorite colors I will definitely have to start wearing my contacts more! I love the frame of these as well as contrasting tone on the arms.


ASOS Boyfriend Watch can be purchased here 

Last and certainly not least is my ASOS Boyfriend Watch in Rose Gold. I had a similar one by XOXO a few years ago but had to give it up after it was destroyed from day to day wear and tear. I have literally been eyeing it for a little over a year and was ECSTATIC when it finally arrived (although how it arrived is a story for another day). This piece has already been a staple in my daily wardrobe and I must say it has made me feel like an actual adult (which is both terrifying and exciting)!

Thank you for reading! xox