Mini Haul: January Purchases

Here's a photo collection of some purchases I've made recently. I was in the market for a new moisturizer and used some samples I had lying around of the Ole Henriksen Sheer Transformation Moisturizer. It ended up working really well for me. The $40 price tag isn't ideal, but my skin has had a real turnaround since I've started using it. If you have combination skin that is rather acne prone with tricky dehydration issues, I'd recommend trying this out. Or, if you've got that skin type and have a cheaper alternative to share, I'd love to hear it!

I also went to H&M and used a gift card I had left over from Christmas. I picked up some high waisted skinny pants. They're quite a stretchy denim which is what I need in a pair of skinny jeans. I also got a long knit cardigan. It isn't exactly midi length, but it does go past my butt and that's all I really wanted.  It's quite a bit thinner than I was originally looking for, but it was only around $12, so that's to be expected. The last thing from H&M was an orange change purse/wallet. I needed a smaller wallet to use in my tiny crossbody purse and this was only $3 in the sale section.

Lastly, on a whim, I purchased the Burt's Bees Lip Crayon in Sedona Sands. I'm pretty sure I watched Stephanie/SoothingSista's video the same day I purchased this. She featured it in her 2014 favorites and I guess I was really obsessed with it because I NEVER buy anything that quickly after seeing it in a blog or video. I guess I shouldn't continue with that impulsive streak because this lip product ended up being a bit of a downer for me. It's pretty much the EXACT same color as my lips and not even in a "my lips but better" kind of way. Oh well...you win some, you lose some.

Have you picked up anything recently?

SAG Awards Makeup Spotlight

Now I know that the SAG Awards aren't exactly the most-viewed or chatted-about awards show, but there was still plenty of great makeup -enough that I figured it deserved its own post while we all stew in anticipation for the arrival of the Academy Awards. Or is that just me? 

Maybe its because this is my first year as a declared film major and all my classes are buzzing about nominations, but I have been completely dedicated to award season this year.

But I digress...Here are some of my favorite looks from the 2015 SAG Awards!

LAURA CARMICHAEL

Okay, maybe I'm a bit biased at my inclusion of Laura because I just think she's all 'round gorgeous anyway. I'm still obsessed with the video she did with Lisa Eldridge. That aside, this makeup is still beautiful -I love the freshness achieved from the combination of the shimmery eyeshadow and the glowing cheeks. 

UZO ADUBA

I don't even watch Orange Is the New Black but I was still so happy that Uzo Aduba won the Female Actor in a Comedy Series award. What I've seen of her performance on the show is brilliant and her acceptance speech, I think, just shows how humble and deserving she is. As far as makeup goes, this was the one stronger eyeshadow look that stood out to me. I mean, how can you not acknowledge just how flattering this look is on her? The addition of (is it gold, silver, olive?? can YOU tell??) shimmery shadow is the key, I think. It brings so much life to the eyes.  And then the glowy skin and rosy lip color? Perfect.

EMILIA CLARKE

I love the really tonal effect of this makeup. Rose is already my all-time favorite lip color, but the overall warmth of this look makes me slightly obsessed. It makes me wish I looked good in eyeshadow so I could recreate this on myself for the next month. The warm brown eyeshadow leans quite rose-toned in some of the photographs of Emilia on the red carpet and then theres the pink blush. I think what makes this look so appealing is that she doesn't have overly dewy skin. It's rather creamy and velvety qualities that, again, add to this look's overall warmth.

FELICITY JONES

I love that this look is so barely there though there is still plenty of interest. There's that subtle silver shimmer to the eye as well as the thinnest swipe of liner to define the lashes. The silver and the really soft, pale pinks on the cheeks and lips just complement her fair skin so well. I don't typically fawn over light pink shades like this and I don't even know how to describe what I love so much about it. Maybe I should venture into the realms of glossy lip products a little more...

And also, it's really giving me a Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector vibe? Anybody?

REESE WITHERSPOON

I won't go on too much about this look because I don't remember being overwhelmed by this makeup during the awards show BUT! Look at this lip and cheek combo! Man, do I love a good lip and cheek duet. 

LUPITA NYONG'O

I just couldn't not include Lupita for one simple reason...Just look at that glow! Plus her lip color has almost a lacquer finish.

Lastly I just wanted to squeeze in my overall favorite look of the night. With out a doubt Maisie Williams. Might be a bit of a controversial choice but I just think she killed it. Dress, shoes, hair, makeup. All complement each other so gosh-darn well.

What are some of your awards season standouts?

My Top 5 Lip Products

I wasn't much of a lipstick person before about a year ago. Since then however, lipstick has become my weakness and it seems there is always some new lipstick I have my eye one. Therefore, I've comprised a list of my top 5 products at the moment and I'd say there is quite a pattern going on here!

Mac Lipstick: Plumful (Lustre)

Plumful is the first Mac lipstick I've ever owned. I don't even know what made me want it... (Actually, that's a lie, I saw it in one of Essiebutton's videos and she makes me want pretty much any lip product she talks about.) I guess what I'm trying to say is: before I owned this lipstick I didn't even really like lipstick, or any lip product for that matter apart from a clear balm. This lipstick, though, is so perfect for someone who is in that transition. Most of that is thanks to the finish of it (Which I'll add as a side note is one of the strengths of Mac Lipsticks, I think.) Plumful is a Lustre and has the perfect balance between being glossy and satiny while still being really comfortable to wear. What I love most is that, if you apply just a bit, it almost sinks into the lips -kind of like a stain would- because it's so smooth. It doesn't gather, nor does it look too heavy.

As for the color, I'll be a bit redundant because it really is a plum color as the name suggests. It's a good color for those of us that aren't into really bright pinks and such. It's got just the right amount of color that really brightens up the face, which I think is a plus for any of the plummy/berry types of colors.

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Becca Beach Tint: Dragonfruit

Now that I think about it, this is another purchase that was influenced by a beauty blogger. My favorite beauty blogger. The beauty blogger that I am obsessed with. Karima McKimmie on YouTube and her blog ShamelessFripperies. She has a post about warm pink lipsticks and I fell in love with the color of the Becca Beach Tint along with the idea of it being a multi-purpose product. Once I acquired said Beach Tint, I became even more obsessed because it is so much more than just a pretty color. I love the finish -I would say it's matte, but it is not entirely drying. Of course, as with any matte lip product, wearing it for a couple hours won't give you the most moisturized lips, but compared with others it's quite comfortable. It also has a bit of tackiness that I really like which I think contributes to it's rather long-wearing formula. It feels like it really sticks to the lips and doesn't just dry completely and then quickly fade or flake off. Overall, this is probably my favorite product in this post. I love to wear it like Karima did in her post: on both the lips and cheeks.

The color is described as a poppy pink on the Sephora website. It's a rather warm pink, which is why I love it so much. Cooler pinks don't work so well on me. It does lean a bit coral-y in the photo below but its really just quite a bright pink. Because of the warm undertones its not nearly as scary as some bright pinks can be.

I must say though, that none of the other colors in the range really stand out to me other than this shade. I guess I should swatch a little more extensively the next time I'm at Sephora and hopefully find another gem in the bunch.

Becca Beach Tint-Dragonfuit (Top:blended out, Bottom: one swipe)

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NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream- San Paolo

This was just an impulse purchase one day and I didn't really expect to love it as much as I do. I picked it up more out of curiosity than anything.  I'd heard some good things from different blogs and videos and I love a good matte, so I figured why not? I must say, for a drugstore product (though NYX stuff tends to be pretty good quality on the whole anyway, now doesn't it?) it is pretty darn good. Now, it does have that dry matte finish to it, but I wouldn't say it's overly uncomfortable. I usually don't wear it as a full layer though, so that might have something to do with how I feel about it.  I typically apply a bit to the center of my lips and bend it out with my finger to get more of a stain. 

The color is a rosy pink and it does have a bit of brown to it, which I am really happy about. I've been burned before when I bought something strictly because the color of the packaging led me to believe I was buying more of a rosy color than straight up pink. (I'm looking at you Revlon Elusive.) 

NYX Matte Lip Cream-San Paolo (This photo's a bit dark -the color's a little brighter. Sorry that you get a better idea of the color of my veins than you do the lipstick...)

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Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment-Berry

This is a product that I have a bit of a strange relationship with. I love it. I really do, but I can't help second guessing myself every time I wear it because its just a tinted lip balm and its $22.50. It's not too much for a lipstick for me (I have my eye on a Burberry one that's $33, I think?) but I always have this doubt in the back of my mind as to whether its truly that much better than some other lip balm out there. However, every time I wear this I love how it feels and love how it looks. It really smoothes out texture on my lips after I have it on for a few minutes and it's so comfortable-its smoother and silky-er than any other lip balm I've used. It's quite soft, as in its not a very hard balm texture nor does it feel waxy, which is great.

The color is quite similar to the Mac Plumful, which is probably another reason why I'm so on-the-fence about whether I should repurchase this, because I already have such a similar product. But I can't help it, its just so moisturizing and comfortable with the perfect amount of color and gloss! Maybe I should try out some other colors (I'm quite intrigued by Tulip, Petal and Honey) and see if that makes the price tag worth it.

Fresh Sugar Berry Lip Treatment

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Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate Moss Matte in 104

I take back what I said about the Becca Beach Tint being my favorite product in this post. I forgot how much I love this lipstick. Most of that love comes from the color because it isn't the smoothest or most comfortable matte in the world, but for a drugstore matte it's still pretty great. It can be a bit dry when you build it up but, personally, my favorite way to wear this is to pat it into my lips, either straight from the bullet or with my finger. It looks really natural and leaves a good, even finish.

I bought this a while ago and at first it sat at the bottom of my lipstick pile. One day, however, I was watching Downton Abbey and admired Lady Mary's (Michelle Dockery) lip color. I love the makeup for Downton Abbey in general because I love a good luminous, youthful "no makeup" look, but Mary's lipstick was always the focus of my obsession and I decided I needed to find the perfect color. I searched the drugstore extensively and almost turned to higher end lipsticks before I realized I already had the answer sitting at the bottom of my makeup drawer!

104 is a rose shade and I'd say it leans to the deeper rose side. It has the perfect mix of brown to make it a very natural shade, as well as a hint of mauve which was the key, I think, to finding the perfect Lady Mary color.

So I have Downton Abbey to thank for the discovery of my all-time favorite and most-worn lipstick.

So, what are your top lipsticks?

The Contents of My Bag:

I tend not to carry a bag around. Mostly that's because I'm at school and I carry around a backpack all day, but also because I'm not much of a purse type of person. I'd rather throw my wallet and keys in my pocket and run where ever I need to go. I do have my go-to bag though, and I throw all my crap into it. Since I've used it a lot recently, I thought that I should make a post about it since I personally love to see these sorts of things. 

I have the imitation Alexander Wang Rocco bag that is all the rage over on Ebay. I wouldn't recommend it since my zipper broke on what was pretty much my first day using it. Then again, its an imitation bag and the real things costs about $900, so I think taking a risk with only $40 is a chance worth taking. Unless, of course, you'd rather be out of $900. (Which I definitely would be if I had the cash, but I'll have to settle for the fake one... for now. )

So studs on the bottom, of course. I sewed on the little metal rings on the side in order to attach a strap. When I ordered mine, the listing showed a strap in the picture, but it showed up without one. Yet another reason I wasn't all too happy with my purchase, but once again it's all perspective.

So here is what I shove into it!

From the left working toward the right, I've got a stack with my creme colored wallet on top of my Hamlet book and monthly planner. In front of that is my book of the moment: A Clash of Kings which is soooo long! I love it, but its taking me forever to get through. I don't get enough time to read as I would like, so I only end up reading about two chapters a week. I'm even more anxious because I'm forcing myself not to watch the second season until I'm finished with the book. I watched season one before I read the first book and it ruined the whole book for me. 

Okay, I got really side-tracked there. Moving on. Then I've got a collection of Vaseline Hand lotion with hand sanitizer, an ELF red lipstick, Carmex, and Maybelline Baby Lips in Pink Punch. Unfortunately, my calculator must be toted around because I can't forget to bring it to my Calculus and Physics classes. I've got a water bottle to keep hydrated and some pens. There are my headphones wadded up like usual, often in a knot at the bottom of my bag, my car keys, and lastly my sunglasses which are just some gold aviators I got at Charming Charlie a while ago.

Oh, and I forgot my phone in the picture, that's in my bag too.

Autumn/Winter Makeup 2012

The makeup artists at Burberry have captured my favorite look for the autumn! I love the look of dark(ish) red lips, bare eyes and strong eyebrows. Since I don't like to wear much makeup, especially eye makeup, I have fallen in love with this look. I love how it looks so polished, yet requires barely any effort.

I wore something along these lines to school the other day, but my lipstick didn't stay on long at all. So my next mission is to acquire the perfect red lip stain!

Style Inspiration

All of these photos are from Tumblr, so none of them belong to me.

New Shoes

Now I previously hated wedge sneakers. I remember seeing Miranda Kerr in them a few months ago and I thought they were hideous, but once I saw the black sneaker wedges that were styled well, I fell in love with them. For the most part, I never buy things from trends that I like-mostly because I'm not much of a fashion-wearing person. My wardrobe pretty much consists of tee-shirts, button downs, jeans and sneakers. I loved all the casual outfits I saw on street-style blogs featuring the Isabel Marant wedge sneakers and figured these would be perfect to add something different to my everyday outfits (Not that I wear them everyday, I'm still loyal to my Adidas Samba shoes and my Converse)

Now I almost had to resort to buying some off of ebay since all the the pairs from Topshop, Asos and not the mention the Isabel Marant ones were out of my price range. 

But to my excitement, I found a pair on GoJane for around $25 . For as much as I love this trend, I would never spend over $90 for a pair of shoes that are a fad and I will get bored of and stop wearing after a while (Not that that's anytime soon) The only thing that I was disappointed about was that the GoJane shoes had a white sole, whereas the Isabel Marant and Topshop ones had a brownish sole, which I preferred. Other than that they are great! They are about a 2.5" wedge so I'm only about 5'10"-5'11" in them, which I can handle. 

Poem #1

Ring though my ears
A short, simple tone
That brings forth the hope
Of the places I'll go.
'Cross a valley so wide,
"It's just not meant to be"
Oh, but haven't you heard?
I'm just meant to be free,
Of the chains of the mind,
Of the weight of the heart,
I'm living my life, not playing a part.
It's not simple, not easy
"You're so hopeless, so greedy"
But the life that I lead is not governed by roads
But just following, following
That short, simple tone.
Unpaved and unknown,
It will never come free,
But living is nothing
But me being me.

Life Post #1

Well I have not had a post in forever as I was cramming all of my summer homework into the last few weeks of summer break, as usual. The good thing is, as it's my senior year, I will no longer have to worry about summer work. I read The Awakening by Kate Chopin and Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison for my AP English class and The Devil in Massachusetts by Marion Starkey for my AP History class. That on top of AP Calculus work and essays, I didn't do much else (other than complain about having to do the work, which took up time in itself.)
So I've only been back in school for three days and I already caught some sort of illness, so I ended up staying home today. I re-watched a few Game of Thrones episodes from season one and did next to nothing.  It gave me an excuse to not have to think about anything. I've been thinking for the past year. The past three years really, ever since the start of high school. But now, going into my senior year, I'm going to have to think nonstop until I get that diploma in my hand. But I'm sick of thinking. I'm sick of doing things because its expected of me. I'm sick of having to worry about pleasing people and doing what I think I'm supposed to do. No matter how I try, I always end up being held back by my need to please people. Whether its giving the right answer in class, saying the right thing to a friend, or doing the right thing for my school club presidential duties.
It all makes me wonder how I seem to people. I'm in the advanced and honors courses, I'm captain of the track team, I'm president and vice president of two different school clubs. What does that make me look like to people? Do I look like one of those girls who has her life figured out, who cares about her school, who is smart and involved and is a good organizer and leader? Is that what I look like? Because I'm none of those things, and I care about having none of those things. I care about being happy and none of those things make me happy. I do all of these things because I was pleasing other people, but the further along I get, the more I realize how unhappy I am. I realize how much I dislike the work I'm doing, the places I have to go, not to mention that I'm not too keen on the people I'm surrounded by.
Sure, I care a whole lot about education, but one of my favorite quotes is "Never confuse education with intelligence". You can put someone in school for their whole life, but it doesn't mean they'll learn a thing unless they want to. I can happily life my life outside of school now, but I know that will never happen. I will go on to college where I will study something I dislike to go on to a job that I hate. Live a life that is unfulfilled, and I will die along with my dreams. Unless...unless I do something about it. That is what I want: to do something, but it feels like everyone in my life wants me to do the exact opposite. Be nothing, do nothing, become nothing.
Maybe nothing is a harsh word. They want me to accomplish something, to make something of myself. But it has to be something safe, something acceptable. A musician is definitely not safe or acceptable. Doing what I love, pursuing my passion, what burns a fire deep down inside of me, is not acceptable.
Sometimes their doubts pollute my mind, but still I rise and keep beating on toward the light at the end of my tunnel. Because I know that the only people that have made it, that have won the battle, have conquered their dreams, are the people that still continued to rise and kept beating on. There are few who have the determination to make it, and I think and hope that I am one of them.

John Mayer Trio- Try!

I just found this at the store today for only $4.99 when the album on iTunes is $9.99. (Yes, I do buy my music, for the most part at least. Many people that I talk to tend to give me a weird look when I say that I do. I don't know, do most people still buy music these days?)

I already bought the individual tracks "Who Did You Think I Was" and the Ray Charles cover "I Got a Woman" which are both really good songs. Now I've got the whole album though, so I'm pretty happy, especially with the live version of "Vultures" which is one of my all-time favorite JM songs.
So this find prompted me to write this post since "Try!" is one of the few live albums that I will listen to. (Probably because I love "Who Did You Think I Was" and "I Got A Woman" so much and JM3 unfortunately doesn't have a studio album.) It's definitely worth a shot if you've never listened-whether you're a blues fan or not.

So on that note, I will leave you with "Vultures"!

Album Review: Gotye's Making Mirrors

One of my biggest albums of the summer is Gotye's Making Mirrors, the album with the famous "Somebody That I Used To Know". I absolutely love that song first of all, I don't understand how someone could criticize it. It's a beautifully written and executed track and there is nothing I could even think to change about it. But besides "Somebody That I Used to Know" (and its strong lovers and haters) I think the rest of the album is pretty spectacular. Of course, if you know anything about music or have a strong ear for it, you'd be able to tell from the famous track that Gotye has some serious ability to write and put together some great work. This is even more evident in the remaining tracks of the album.

Now I must admit, not all of the songs on Making Mirrors are on repeat for me. "State of the Art" is just a little too out there for me to listen to it much, its more of a novelty, once-in-a-while song for me. "Bronte" does not get much air time either since it's a bit slow-going, just not my cuppa tea. However there are some real gems on this album including "Easy Way Out", "I Feel Better", "In Your Light" and my favorite "Eyes Wide Open" which has quickly become one of the best songs I've ever listened to. And no I'm not exaggerating.

One thing that made me appreciate that song even more was watching a video on Gotye's YouTube page, "The Making of Eyes Wide Open". Check it out here. I love the beat and, of course, the unique sound of the Musical Fence.

Suffice it to say that you should check out this album if you have yet to. You won't be disappointed.