10. update post

hey everyone!

so, as you may, or may not, know, i am now a college gal.  i am in new york city studying to become a fashion designer, a crucial step in helping to achieve my goal of making it in the fashion industry.  i've only been here for about a week, but so far i really am loving living in this city.

initially, this blog was only for posts about makeup, fashion and reviews, and i still plan to and want to do posts like that; but i figured that since i already have a blog and am now living in the most glorious city in the world that it would be fitting to also post updates on my life.  this way, friends and family who want to keep up with the happenings in my life can do so here (if you don't feel like shooting me a text or call), and others who just want to read my fashion posts will still be able to.

sound good? good.

so, aside from activities such as moving in, exploring brooklyn and seeing some fabulous cousin visitors, yesterday i got to go see the meat packing district aka chelsea and ride the subway for the first time!

some cousin pictures

of course, being way too excited about a subway ride

the actual reason i went to chelsea was because two of my friends needed to get their iphones fixed at the apple store, and being a new new yorker, i felt the urge to get out and explore a new area of the city.  the area was absolutely beautiful; so clean and overflowing with sidewalk restaurants and beautiful designer stores such as alexander mcqueen and moschino.  i even got to eat lunch at chelsea market, which was one of the coolest places i've ever seen.  talk about making decisions, every bakery in there looks better than the last.

i could have stayed and looked at every store there was; however, shopping wasn't the point of the excursion.  i'll definitely be going back to chelsea sometime soon though.

today starts the first day of classes!  i'm so excited to finally get started on learning the tricks of my trade.  orientation week was fun, but i am really feeling ready to begin on my education here; after all, that's what i'm here for.  however, my monday class is just english.  so tomorrow, the real learning begins!

until next time, xoxo.

9. OOTD: photoshoot edition

hey everyone! 

sorry i've been absent for some time, i'm going to explain why (and when i say why, i really only mean that the end of the summer got pretty busy) & a few other things in my following post after this one, but i wanted to post this one first because this happened first, back in july.  i've actually been meaning to post this outfit for quite some time but just haven't gotten around to it until now, so i'm sorry for being a blog slacker!

basically, these are some photos from a mini (& just for fun) photoshoot with one of my friends, Grant Myatt.  he takes great pictures and we occasionally like to go out and just have a good time.  i figured this would be a perfect outfit to document, considering i wanted to look good for the camera! (just so you know, if you want to see a picture bigger, you just click on it.)

top: free people

bandeau: free people

skirt: top shop

shoes: steve madden

hair: 1.5 inch hot tools curling iron

so, i hope you all enjoyed this post and seeing some of the pictures from the shoot.  i will be back tomorrow with a post on an update on my life and some changes i plan to make on the blog (don't worry, it won't be anything too drastic)! 

xoxo!

8. holy grail product

so, being a lover of everything beauty related, i love to test out new products as often as i can.  i feel like i'm constantly looking for new products to fall in love with, especially ones that aren't going to cost me a ton every time i finish and need to repurchase.

however, there are some products i feel like are worth spending the little bit of extra money on, the main one being face products/foundation.  to me, having my skin as flawless as possible is the biggest confidence boost.  i feel as though if my skin looks nice, nothing else needs to.

with that being said, i have one main product i use to make my skin look, what i think is, the best it can look.  and that is MAC studio fix powder.

i use the shade c4 and the way that i find this product most useful is over a liquid or cream foundation (if your someone who steers clear of liquids, it works well solo too, i just prefer the base).  so i'll use a liquid foundation or a BB cream to mask any redness and as a base for this product.  then i'll put some concealer on and once i have my skin looking up to par, i'll push this powder into the skin using a big brush. and let me tell you, it works.  it makes your skin instantly look flawless without looking cakey or like you have too much makeup on.  it doesn't feel heavy and if you need to touch your makeup up throughout the day, you can do so without it looking heavy.  it also leaves you with a pretty matte finish, which is how i prefer my makeup.

this product is decently pricey, retailing for $27 at MAC stores and counters, but it's worth every penny.  besides, it lasts for a pretty long time, depending how often you use it.  i can usually keep mine for up to 6 months before i'm scraping at the remainders.

i figured i would write a post on this because in the past month, i have sold this product on two of my friends (to the point of going with them to purchase the powder) and after doing so, it really hit me how much i love this product and the effect it has on the skin. i could just rave on and on about it.  and for that reason, i wanted to recommend it to all of you.  i promise, it's that good.  go test it out!

i honestly don't think i will ever stop using this product, because i can't imagine something else working better.  thank you MAC, for being amazing.

xoxo!

7. little loves: light a candle

as i prepare to shut my sleepy eyes for a few hours of much needed sleep, i decided to leave a little life tip i like to live by before i do so.  and that is to light a candle.

that may sound silly and irrelevant (and it probably is), but candles are so relaxing and comforting.  there is a scent (or loads of scents) out there for everyone, and i promise that lighting a candle everyday will not only make your room smelly lovely, but it will create an ambiance and help to relax the soul.  sometimes it's the little things in life that calm our hearts and make us smile.  so, i advise you to go purchase yourself a brand new candle, (i love the slatkin & co. ones from bath and body works) set it in the room you're in most, and light it whenever you're present in that place.  just don't forget to blow it out when you leave ;)

goodnight and xo.

6. outfit of the day post

hello everyone!

so, this morning i felt inspired to pull myself together and look nice (it's easy to frump out in the summer, especially with the heat).  i curled my hair, put on some makeup, went and got a manicure, and put on some pieces i recently purchased and am currently loving.  

so, i decided to share my finished look with you guys!
(just click on the picture if you want to see it enlarged!)

makeup: 

stila beauty balm

tarte concealer

mac studio finish powder

nars laguna bronzer

mac soft and gentle

mac painterly paint pot

they're real/lash blast mascaras

mac cream cup lipstick

top: free people

bandeau: free people

hi-lo skirt: urban outfitters

nails: atomic orange by OPI

sandals: report

curls: 1.5 inch iron by hot tools

i hope you enjoyed this post and got inspired/got some new outfit ideas.  leave comments if you like this kind of post!

xo!

5. summer (makeup) favorites ♡

hi few people that read these posts! sorry i've been gone for quite some time - i started writing this blog at perhaps the worst possible time in my life (the end of my senior year of high school).  there was so much going on that it was easy to get lost in the things going on and not have much extra time for other things.  however, now that it's summer and i have loads of free time, i figured i would start posting more often, because i do enjoy writing these posts.


for today's post, i figured i would talk about my top three favorite beauty products this summer.  i figured this would be a helpful post, not only because it's summer, but because, i know for myself at least, that my makeup regimen in the summer is very different from the winter: i'm tanner, it's hotter outside, everything looks better in the summer, and things just don't stay put as well.


hopefully, you'll find this post useful and will discover a new product you're interested in trying out!


1. stila beauty balm

available at: ulta, sephora

i love it because: this product has been a lifesaver for me this summer.  beauty balms have been super popular, so of course i wanted to try one out.  but i always fear purchasing foundation-esque makeup when my skin color isn't set, because it can end up being a big waste of money.  what sold me on this product was that it meshes with most skin types.  my cousin, who was lighter than me at the time, tried it out when she was visiting and it worked just as well on her skin (she actually ended up purchasing it when she went home, and she doesn't even like wearing makeup!)  it has a slight skin tone color to it, but when you put it on, it just melts away into your skin.  not only does it even out your tone, canceling any redness you may have, it leaves you with this lovely glowing finish and smells nice as well. it has a very light consistency, which is also nice for the summer, especially considering how hot it's been.  the last thing that i love about this product is that it's easily layered.  some days, i just wear the balm; but on days when i want to feel a little more glamourous, i will layer it with a face powder on top, and it acts as the perfect base, making me feel like i have flawless skin.  i would definitely suggest trying out this BB cream!

2. the lip slip by sara happ

available at: boutiques, online

i love it because: a good lip balm is an essential year round.  lips are chapped in the winter from the cold and chapped in the summer from the heat.  wearing a lip balm in the summer protects your lips from the sun, and most of the time, they have SPF so your lips don't burn, which hurts.  in addition, having a lip balm on is an easy way to tie together any look - it looks like you put forth the effort to make yourself look nice with doing basically nothing.  also, anyone can tote around a lip balm, as they are easy to apply and generally on the smaller side.  basically, this lip balm is the smoothest, most luxurious i have ever used.  it has a pretty thick consistency, but isn't sticky.  it also leaves the most beautiful, slightly shimmery, sheen on your lips.  it smells lovely, and it just is lovely.  i feel that it's worth investing in a great lip balm that will last you a while, and this one is my current favorite.

3. chanel emerveille illusion d'ombre long wear luminous eyeshadow

available at: neiman marcus, chanel counters

i love it because: although the name is a mouthful, this is another really luxurious, great product.  this is a cream eyeshadow you can just apply with your fingers.  it's easy and quick, and leaves the most beautiful finish.  the color is pretty neutral, with pink undertones, and there is the slightest shimmer to it.  it really makes my hazel eyes pop (i can't really vouch for any other eye color, but i'm sure it would on anyone).  it's a bit of a splurge, but i feel as though it's important to have a few really nice products in your makeup collection, rather than a bunch of just okay products.  i waited a while to purchase this one, and i'm really glad that i ended up doing so.  cream eyeshadows are such an easy way to bring together a look, especially if you don't feel like dealing with the hassle of layering powder shadows.  finger in product, finger on eyelid, mascara and done.

so, hopefully you found this helpful and are inspired to try some of these products or variations of them!  happy summer and i will be writing another post soon!  if there are any posts you'd like to see (reviews, favorites, what i wore, fashion, etc.) feel free to leave a comment and i will do my best to do a post on it!  i'm thinking about doing my favorite summer clothing pieces for my next post...

xo

4. my loves: red lipstick

now obviously, there is an appropriate time & an inappropriate time for this look.  red lips can be very intense, and most of the time, wearing them will cause you to stand out.  however, i find this look to be so classy and alluring, i try to do it as much as possible.

three ways i like to wear red lips:

1. with no mascara & no eyeliner: i love wearing red lips when my makeup is really minimal, because they make everything pop.  also, it's important not to have too much makeup on when wearing this look, because if you aren't careful, you'll have the potential to look clowny.

2. with navy & white/nautical colors: in my opinion, navy, white and red are so flattering together.  one of my favorite ways to wear red lips is with blue & white stripped tops.  this may sound very "american pride" to you, but with the right shades, i promise this look is so nice.  it's just a very classy look and the two colors do a fantastic job at balancing out eachother.  try it sometime!

3. to dress up an outfit: whether you're wearing a little black dress with heals or leggings and a flowy shirt, red lips is the perfect way to make any simple outfit special.  this bold statement not only shows that you're not afraid to be yourself, but somehow wearing red lipstick has this magical ability to make everyone look more sophisticated and sexier.  in my opinion, red lips shouldn't be worn with crazy, colorful patterns; it's the perfect attribute to any simple outfit.  it looks fantastic with neutrals or if you're only wearing one loud color.

obviously, there are so many shades of red and so many different places to get them.  from drug stores to high end makeup stores, there is a red for everyone & a shade that flatters every skin tone.

some of my favorite reds include:

MAC Red by MAC

Russian Red by MAC

Blackberry by Revlon

whether it be bold, dark, or subtle, i hopefully you'll all try out a new shade of red in the new year! xo