I know this is being posted SUPER late, but it's been quite a busy day for me. I'm officially done with college (which feels really weird), and for some reason I thought it would be totally fine for me to start my big girl job tomorrow with no break whatsoever. That was probably a bad idea, in hindsight.
Anyways, welcome to day 11 of Blogmas! Today I wanted to share the some lipsticks I've been wearing a lot recently; there's one nude, but I've been loving darker lipsticks these days! It's just something about the colder weather, I don't know...
I did a post earlier this year about how I have an addiction to finding super cute desktop backgrounds. So it should come to no surprise that I have a specific folder on my computer full backgrounds for the holidays. I currently have it set so that it goes through the entire folder and changes the background every 5 minutes...yes I have a problem.
Today I've rounded up a few of my absolute favorites, and links to where you can download them and use them as your own desktop background!
Sometimes giving gifts can be tricky. I know multiple people who I have the toughest time finding gifts for. That's why I love finding gift guides this time of year; it really helps with finding unique things to give to people who you have no idea what to give them.
I knew I wanted to do a gift guide, but I didn't want to do a generic "Gift Guide for Him/Her" type of a deal, so I went with one of the things I know best - cats. If you have a cat lover in your life and don't know what to get them, maybe this will help! :)
This post is pretty straightforward - these are the beauty items I wish I could receive this year (or any year, really). Most of them are more on the expensive side, but when else can you wish for expensive beauty items then at Christmas time?
First up is the Zoeva Plaisir Box ($72), which contains 3 eyeshadow palettes. Side note: I just realized in the past month that Zoeva ships to the USA. For some reason I thought that I couldn't get Zoeva products here, and even though shipping will probably be a lot. Anyways, the 3 palettes are all supposed to be based on chocolates and sweets (yum yum), and they look marvelous. The individual palettes are $26.50 each, so you're only saving like $8 haha but look at that gorgeous box! I've included pictures of the palettes below...
Ever since I was a kid, I've been a nail biter. I remember my mom used to make me pay her a quarter any time she saw me biting my nails haha. She eventually stopped making me do that, but I continued the horrible habit of biting my nails. A year or so ago I realized that whenever I had nail polish on, I didn't bite or pick at my nails at all. I think because my nails looked so pretty, I didn't want to ruin them by biting my nails. So since then, I've had nail polish on basically all of the time. It might not be that healthy for them (although I always use a base coat to help protect them), but I think it's A LOT better then biting them!
Out of my extensive collection of nail polish colors (I have a whole box full, I'm probably going to have to find another storage solution soon), I've rounded up my favorites to wear during the winter/holiday time.
Today I just wanted to go over how I've been doing my makeup since it's started to get colder here in Virginia. Now, I don't do this every day (most days I just wear some concealer, mascara, and swipe on a sheer lip color and call it a day), but this is what I normally do when I want to look a little more put together. It's still relatively simple and quick once you do it a couple of times, though! Click through...
I have to say, I actually don't own any ugly Christmas Sweaters. I know, I know. I really should. I love sweaters, and also love Christmas. I should own some. I'm going to try to rectify that this holiday season, and so I've compiled a little collage of some of the sweaters I would love to have. I've included some on the cheaper side, and also on the more expensive side. Click below to enjoy!
So I have to be honest - my family doesn't really "do" Christmas movies. We normally just watch A Christmas Story and It's a Wonderful Life and call it at that. So I've never seen those really old claymation movies (like Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer), I think mainly because my mom thinks they're a little creepy.
If I had my way, I would go all out with the Christmas decorations (which will definitely happen when I get my own apartment). But for now, I have to settle for the few decorations my family puts up in our house every year.
To me, Christmas is never complete without music. And Christmas music always puts me in a great mood. For this year's Christmas music playlist, I really tried to include a lot of different things, although there's a lot of jazzy numbers (they're my favorite, sorry not sorry!). I also REALLY REALLY tried not to repeat songs, but there's so many different versions of a lot of songs! And to be completely honest, I think they're all excellent.
Very recently, things ended with someone I care about deeply. And it wasn't because either of us wanted things to end; we both want to be together. But without going into too much detail, the circumstances of how we came together weren't the most favorable. And that was eating away at him.
So I write this not really knowing what to do, but finally realizing the significance of the saying "right person, wrong time". I know that I'll eventually move on, but right now I'm just going to stuff my face with chocolate ice cream.
It's currently 80 degrees outside...and it's November. This year has truly been a WTF Virginia weather year. I should be wearing coats and scarfs and boots right now and...I'm in a tank top. And flip flops. Why.
Anyways, today I bring you my October playlist, and also my very small collection of favorites for this month.
I'm pretty late to the game with this one, aren't I? I've been wanting a new eyeshadow palette for a while now and I saw this one in Ulta and it was ONLY. 7. DOLLARS. So yes, I got it. and I don't actually think it's all that bad.
Madewell is honestly one of my favorite stores, and when I found out they had done a collab with Sézane, I was SUPER SUPER excited. Sézane is a 100% online French clothing and accessories business, and since it's based in France, I always figured it would be really expensive to order clothes from them. BUT NOT ANYMORE. Well, for a limited time, not anymore. Below you'll find my top picks from the collection, while I go cry and wish I had unlimited amounts of money.
Hello all, coming at you with another playlist of the month. September is finally over, and you know what that means? IT'S CLOSER TO CHRISTMAS. The best time of the year. I'm planning on a lot of Christmas-themed blog posts this year, so get ready.
I also decided that I needed a new look to my blog, and I absolutely love this one from Georgia Lou Studios! It's super simplistic and clean, which is exactly what I was looking for. All of their designs are beautiful, really easy to install, and on the relatively cheap side for blog templates! Take a look at their website!
So the first day of fall was officially last Thursday, but it definitely still feels like summer outside. I have yet to experience crisp air and leaves changing color. But that doesn't mean I don't long for it with literally EVERY. FIBER. OF. MY. BEING.
....Anyways, I thought I would do a really simple makeup look that had elements of fall without it being the super dark, vampy looks you normally see in like, October and November. I'm also kind of realizing that makeup doesn't really show up on my skin, apparently.
I LOVE MOVIES. I love going to the movie theater, watching movies at home with friends (and playing drinking games while we're watching... *ahem*), and watching movies by myself curled up in bed with a nice cup of tea. Although I do love a good romcom, my favorite genre of movie definitely has to be British comedy. The humor is just so dry and witty (almost the exact opposite of American humor...), and I just love it. I've also included the trailers for each movie, since I thought that would be better than me trying to describe them haha but I will give an explanation as to why they're my favorite movies...
10. The Silence of the Lambs
My #10 favorite movie of all time is The Silence of the Lambs. There's something about psychological thrillers that I just love; they're not so scary that I'll have nightmares, but they're scary enough so that I'll keep watching. This movie is no exeption. Anthony Hopkins is definitley the best Hannibal Lector in my opinion. The reason this movie isn't higher on my list is because I can only take so much of that accent Jodie Foster uses.
9. Breakfast at Tiffany's
How can I NOT have this movie on here. This was one of the first old timey romantic movies I ever watched, and it definitely holds a special place in my heart. Holly Golightly is everything I wish to be: beautifully imperfect, living in New York, and has a cat named Cat. What more can you want from life.
8. Stranger Than Fiction
I'm so surprised that not more people have seen this movie. This is my favorite Will Ferrel film, mainly because it's not really a typical Will Ferrel film. Also the soundtrack is great. And if that doesn't persuade you to watch it, Emma Thompson is in it. That's really all the information you need.
7. Death at a Funeral
EVERY TIME I mention that Death at a Funeral is one of my favorite movies, people go "Oh, that was hilarious, I love Chris Rock!" -_- Um, no. I'm talking about the original British version, which is 1000 times better than the American version. Just watch it. You'll thank me later.
6. The Great Gatsby
First off, this is one of my favorite books. And this particular film adaptation is one of my favorite movies. I've always loved Baz Luhrmann's movies (like Moulin Rouge); he puts so much thought and effort into the visuals, and his movies are breathtaking to watch. And the soundtrack! I love when movies use music from today when they're set in a different decade.
5. The Shining
So, I love this book, even though the movie is slightly different. Like I said before, I love psychological thrillers, and in my opinion, The Shining is one of the best. This is one of those movies that even though you might not be interested, you really have to see it. Just so you can say you've seen it.
4. The Princess Bride
Wow, I really like film adaptations of books, don't I? With The Princess Bride, I can for sure say that I love the book more than the movie, but I've been watching the movie since I was a kid and it's just fantastic. It really does have everything (like the Grandpa says): "...fencing, fighting, torture, revenge, giants, monsters, chases, escapes, true love, miracles..." *Side note: Miracle Max is my favorite scene :)
3. When Harry Met Sally
Definitely my favorite romantic comedy. This is the movie I always watch when I'm sick; it somehow always makes me feel better. And you really can't beat the restaurant scene (you know which one I'm talking about).
2. The Grand Budapest Hotel
Oh my god. What a wonderful movie. I like Wes Anderson films, but this is the first one of his that I truly LOVE. The use of color is just great, and the witty dialogue always makes me smile. And the part with the cat.
1. Hot Fuzz
I know. This is my favorite movie. This has been my favorite movie since high school. I don't even remember the first time I watched this. I own the DVD. I own the soundtrack. I've watched it with the fun facts turned on AND the commentary. I kid you not, I can quote the entire thing. Every single person I've made watch this movie agrees that it's is fantastic. I just...I don't know why I love this movie so much. WATCH IT. WATCH IT NOW. IT'S ON NETFLIX.
Well, those are my top 10 favorite movies of all time! Let me know if your favorites made the list! :)
I think August has been the most stressful months of my entire life. That's why I haven't been posting anything, just an FYI. I moved out of my parents' house back down to school, got my first Brazilian ever (which actually wasn't that stressful), started classes, and am now working 2 jobs.
The thing that stressed me out the most was that one of my roommates and I had to move out of our apartment into another one. I don't want to go into too much detail, but there were issues with our other roommate. Things have been gradually getting better.
Anyways, I'm looking forward to posting more now that the craziness of classes starting and moving in/out has ended.
How the hell is it August already. This summer has been majorly flying by. I feel like I'm definitely getting older. Sorry life, I'm not ready for that yet.
This week is super bittersweet for me. My last day of my internship is Friday (although I'll be working part-time remotely during my last semester of college), and I'm moving into my new place on Saturday. I'm actually SO FREAKIN EXCITED to get out of my parents' house. It's time. It's really time.
So July was very busy for me - birthdays, work, kickball games, work, getting stuff ready for my new place....did I mention work? Yeah, wasn't expecting to work 40 hours a week. Real world stuff, I guess.
I did manage to rummage up a pretty fair collection of new music. This was also the month where I really got into Jon Bellion. As you'll definitely notice. I can't put my finger on why I love his music so much. But it's awesome. Give it a listen.
For a very long time now, the internet - particularly the beauty scene over on YouTube - was blowing up over that super expensive, weird, blue, face oil. And I wanted it. So bad. However, I didn't want to pay that ridiculous price tag. After doing some research, I decided to buy Sunday Riley's Power Couple kit - which includes the Luna Sleeping Night Oil (the blue stuff) and the Good Genes All-In-One Lactic Acid Treatment (which I was also intrigued about, so this seemed like a win-win). Don't get me wrong, this is still pretty expensive (under $100, but definitely more than I would normally pay for skin care), but I WANTED it. I NEEDED it. So I got it.
I've been using these for the past couple of months, and maybe it's because I'm still in my 20's and maybe I don't need a retinol or lactic acid treatment right now, buuuuuut I didn't really see much of a difference. I should also note that I ran out of Good Genes a long while before the Luna Sleeping Oil. I finally got it to twist open a couple of days ago and realized that there was a good amount of product left, but the pump thing didn't even go down that far. And the opening is too tiny for me to stick my finger in and I have no idea how to get the product out. ANYWAY.
The box these came in (which has been long gone - oops) said to only use the Luna Sleeping Oil at night (hence SLEEPING oil), and to use the Good Genes treatment in the morning or after Luna in the evening. I used Good Genes in the morning, but not at night (I thought maybe putting retinol and lactic acid on my face at the same time might be a bit much).
The Luna Sleeping Oil did make my face really soft, but I feel like I can find something that does the same thing for a cheaper price. As for Good Genes, I didn't really see any improvement in my uneven skin tone (which was the main reason I was trying it).
Soooooooooo yeah. These past 2 months have been even more crazier than this past semester had been. I thought that I would probably be working a part-time job again, and have more time to post on here. Well damn I was COMPLETELY wrong in that regard. I'm currently interning full-time at a company in Richmond, and although I'm absolutely loving it, I haven't had time to really create good content for here. And I don't want to post crappy stuff just for the sake of posting things, I don't want to do that to you guys.
The first initial shock of working 4 hours a week and having something major to do every single weekend up until now has been waning, so I now feel like I have time to give you guys some good stuff. Which brings us to today's post....
Which is another playlist. I have a problem. I just keep making more. BUT I wanted to do something different from what I normally do, and I came up with a solution. Has there ever been songs that you haven't listened to in a while, but when you hear them again, they just take you back to a certain time in your life? No? Just me? Alrighty then......
But anyway, I decided that I would create a playlist for every month, and just add all of the new music I listen to each month to that playlist (I love the Spotify Discover playlists that they make for you every Monday). And then when the end of the year comes, I'll combine all of the playlist to make like, a '2016' playlist or something. I think it'll be a great way to look back or listen back and relive memories from every year. And June has already come and gone (like, where the hell is this summer going?), and the first playlist of this....series, I guess, has been completed!
So it's been a while.....it's been a whiiiile. The last month of the semester was SUPER BUSY and SUPER STRESSFUL and I didn't have the time or energy to post anything. But now I'm back home for the summer and have lots of ideas for future posts that I can't wait to share :)
Whenever I was feeling particularly stressed or not very motivated/productive, I noticed that I tended to listen to the same songs. So I compiled those songs into a playlist - now whenever I need a boost of inspiration or motivation I can simply just click play on this playlist, and you can too! :)
I've never really been a lipstick person, mainly because I couldn't be bothered with re-application. And I was also terrified that my lipstick would be a complete mess after I had eaten/drunk (drank? drunken? words are hard) something. BUT I have been trying to get more into it, since I love the way lipstick can completely transform your face (and also your day too).
Here are my 5 favorite lipsticks at the moment:
But Sara, 3 of those are Rimmel London Kate Moss lipsticks. Oh yes, I do know that. These happen to be my favorite drugstore lipsticks; the formula, pigmentation, and wear of them are just amazing.
From left to right we have:
Rimmel London Kate Moss lipstick in the shade 05 - if it looks like I haven't used this a lot, that would be because I haven't. I just bought this a couple of weeks ago and haven't really had the chance to wear it yet. But the color is super pretty!
Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick in the shade Watermelon - these just feel soooo niiiiiice. I used to wear this shade a lot my sophomore year, I don't know why I don't wear it more often these days.
Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Color Moisturizing Lipstick in the shade Bronze Berry - I actually swatched this at Macy's one time when I was home last year, loved the color, and then DIDN'T BUY IT. A week later I was still thinking about it, but had already gone back down to Newport News. AND I HAD FORGOTTEN THE NAME OF THE COLOR. I hunted this sucker down for weeks.
Rimmel London Kate Moss lipstick in the shade 107 - this is actually the lipstick I'm wearing in my pictures in my 'About' section on here. This is the perfect deep red for my skintone, I'm absolutely in love with it.
Rimmel London Kate Moss lipstick in the shade 17 - I had to save the best for last, right? Guys I LOVE this lipstick. It's the prettiest salmony pink color, and it's great for everyday looks. This is the one I wear most often since it's not totally OUT THERE.
And there they are swatched in the same order as the pictures above! Please enjoy and try not to be blinded by my astounding paleness. *that's an indent from my watch, for those that are wondering. I have to wear it a little ways up my arm since it slides around on my actually wrist area*
If there was one store that I could get ALL of my clothing from, I think it would have to be Zara. Ok, some of their stuff is kind of too ~out there~ for me, but most of it is exactly what my style is based off of: simple, clean cut pieces that are stylish and comfortable at the same time. I did have a little bit of irrational thinking and placed a Zara order a couple of days ago that I probably shouldn't have, but I just had one of those moments where I was like "I NEED this". So that should be coming in the mail soon.
I was looking through the website and decided I should create a kind of wishlist - all of the things I would most definitely buy if I had the moolah for it. *I do want to say that all of these pictures are from the Zara website, and I have no intention as passing them off as my own.*
School and work have been keeping me super busy, so I haven't posted in a whiiiiile. But I did want to do a March Favorites post, since there were a number of products that I fell in love with this past month.
1. The first isn't actually all that new (it came out a while ago), but it's new to me. Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Eraser Dark Circle Treatment Concealer is a mouthful, but it works woooonders. I have pretty prominent under-eye circles and this covers them up super well. It's a really creamy formula, which I love.
2. The second product is kind of weird, but it's Lush's T For Toes. It's basically a deodorant for your feet. I used to work at a Lush and this product always intrigued me, but I never actually bought it. But summer's coming up and no one likes smelly feet, so I picked this up the last time I was home. It has a citrusy, herbaly kind of smell (which I think is quite pleasant), and it does help with odor and sweat (TMI sorry haha). It IS kind of messy, but I've just figured out a way to get it on my feet that works for me.
3. There are so many good things I can say about Tarte's Tartelette In Bloom palette. It's just....it's so nice. All of the colors are so pretty, and it has almost every color I would ever need (I do love my golds, which this palette doesn't have). The packaging is super pretty and there's so many different looks you can get just from this one palette. I did notice a little bit of fallout, but I don't really have a big problem with that.
4. I mentioned this product in my Memebox haul post, and I've been absolutely loving it! Banila Co.'s Clean It Zero is just amazing. It takes all of my makeup off and leaves my skin feeling soft and clean. Which is all I want and need in this product.
5. Ok so this isn't a beauty product at all, but THIS CANDLE, MAN. This pink magnolia candle from Target smells SO GOOD. SO GOOD. It smells like flowers and springtime and sunshine and happiness, and I know that Target's candle section has a somewhat high turnover with their Target brand candles, so I'm just gonna have to stock up. Because this candle is amazeballs. *It also comes in multiple sizes :D*
6. So I saved the best for last, because I've finally found a shampoo and conditioner that I am in LOVE WITH. This is the only haircare system thing that I've tried that I could actually tell a difference in my hair after the first time I used it. And it's amazing. Dove, I don't know how you did it, but your Regenerative Nourishment line is just A+. It makes my hair feel soft, clean, and strong, and it's extremely affordable. I don't know if I'll be able to find another shampoo and conditioner in the same price point that will affect me on the same level as this stuff has.
Aaaaand that's it! I can see the light at the end of the tunnel that is this semester, so I'll be able to post more over the summer :)
Korean skincare has been something I've been wanting to try for a while, and through my sister I was introduced to Memebox. What I like about this site in particular is that they have a whole bunch of different sample boxes that you can just buy whenever you feel like it, so it's not like a subscription where you pay monthly (or yearly) and get a box once a month. For my first order though, I just ordered some full-sized products I had been eyeing for a while.
The first product is Clean It Zero from Banila Co. The reviews on this are insane; it seems to be a holy grail product for a lot of people. I've only been using this for about 5 days or so, but I'm already in love. It starts off as a solid balm and then becomes slightly oily when you massage it in. It is SO GOOD at taking off makeup. Like, SO GOOD. I had been using Pond's cold cream cleanser, but Clean It Zero just does such a better job. It makes my skin feel soft and clean, but not squeaky clean, which I really love since I have slightly dry skin. It also has a nice, pleasant scent that isn't too overwhelming.
I also got the Power 10 Formula VC Effector from It's Skin (which from what I understand is Memebox's personal brand...I think). I got this mainly because the description said that it reduces the appearance of acne scars and helps even out skin tone. Like Clean It Zero, I've only been using this for about 5 days, but unlike Clean It Zero, I haven't seen any immediate effects, so I think it's one of those skincare products that takes awhile to show results. It's a lot thicker than I thought it was going to be (which isn't a bad thing!), and it has a pretty citrusy scent, which is nice in the mornings.
The last product I ordered was the Cacao Brightening Mask from WondeRuci. To be honest, I immediately added this to my basket without really looking at the description because CHOCOLATE. But the description said that it would "moisturize, brighten, and soften the skin", which checks off all of my face mask musts boxes. And guys. GUYS. This product is so great. I've only used it twice, but it definitely moisturizes and softens, and after the second time I could see it brightened my skin as well. AND IT SMELLS SO GOOD. It's like putting thick chocolate icing on your face. I want to eat it. All of it. The only somewhat bad thing about this is that it's kind of hard to wash off. But I can deal with that.
Memebox also sent me a sample of Tony Moly's Red Cheeks Girl's Patch, which, to be completely honest, I'm never going to use. I actually had to use the Google machine to look up exactly what this product was because Memebox didn't even have it on their site. It's basically these patches that you put on your cheeks to reduce redness. I do have some slight redness on ma face, but not enough that I need an individual skincare product to combat it. I'm giving this one to my sister, who has a SLIGHT obsession with Tony Moly products.
And that's it! I'll probably do an individual review of the 3 products I got after I've been using them for a month or so, just to see if they make ma skin look amazing or if they end up completely breaking me out/drying out my skin/something equally horrible.
So confession time...I'm a little bit obsessed with desktop backgrounds. Why? I have no idea, I'll let you know when I figure it out.
Through this obsession I've been to a lot of different places on the interwebs that have free, awesome, backgrounds. The one always seem to go back to is Design Love Fest. The nice lady behind the site, Bri, has TOOOOOONS of free backgrounds that are all super gorgeous. And she uploads them on a fairly regular basis, as well.
I highly suggest going over to her site (I linked it up above in pink) and taking a look. I can guarantee you won't be disappointed :)
I usually keep my makeup pretty simple for work/school, since I don't want to spend half an hour putting stuff on ma face. I'll switch up what mascara or eyeliner I use, but it's always basically the same.
This is actually after about 8 hours of wear, I didn't have time to take a picture before work...oops.
I've been hearing good things about Rimmel's new foundation, and I really wanted to try it out. Their website describes it as "instant perfect coverage that feels extra comfortable and lasts all day". The 'comfort serum' part really intrigued me, and I also like how it has SPF 20 (I'm super duper pale, although everyone should be wearing some sort of sun protection on their face daily). The one thing that was worrying me was their shade selection; they only offer 6 shades, and normally when there's not much of a shade selection the lightest shade is still too dark for my skin. I was actually pleasantly surprised that the lightest shade (091 Light Ivory) was only a little too dark (which I'm fine with, I've come to terms that I'll never find a foundation I like that is exactly my skin tone). And it has a pink undertone!!! Cue happy trumpets and fanfare.
For $7 this is a pretty awesome foundation. The lasting power is actually really good, as well. It clings to my dry spots juuuuust a little, not enough for me to never use this again though.
I've never understood Virginia weather. Just a couple of weeks ago the temperature was around 70 degrees, and yesterday it snowed. What the hell.
Anyways, when it gets really cold out I always end of missing summer, even though it's not one of my favorite seasons. So today (instead of doing homework) I created a playlist full of songs that have that ~summery vibe~. Give it a listen and think of warm weather and sandy beaches :)
