Back to School: College Edition pt. 1

Fashion and Beauty Must Haves       

       Cue the school supplies commercials and back to school sales at the mall because, ladies and gentlemen, its that time of year again. August can be defined as the "Sunday of summer", and I completely agree. This is normally the time where you begin to realize that more than half of the summer is gone and if you're going off to college, there is a big chance that you recently realized, "wow...there is a lot of stuff I have to get before I leave..". Well, I'm here to help! I am the definition of an over packer and I personally know what it is like to live in a dorm that has too much stuff in it. I take full responsibility for that too, I was a little too over-prepared. Plus, through out the year, you accumulate a lot of stuff so pack lightly in the beginning.

     Without further ado, I've composed a list of the essentials for everything hair, fashion and beauty related. And also a few "things to avoid".(Keep in mind that I live in a place where it gets extremely cold).

FASHION

 1) Rainboots and a raincoat! There is nothing more annoying than walking to class in the rain and having to deal with wet clothes/shoes for the rest of the day.

2) Winter jacket with the works. The works being gloves, scarves and hats....if you have morning classes in the winter than you have my deepest sympathy. Bundle up! 

3) Other than scarves made for warmth, bring a few cute ones. I recommend infinity scarves. They are great for those days where you just want to wear jeans and a t shirt and you need a little extra something. 

4) Fuzzy socks and slippers. If you don't want to always slip on shoes to go do your laundry, slippers are the best thing for you. And fuzzy socks are just so comfortable.

5) Sweaters/sweatpants/sweatshirts have to stay warm! not going to lie to you, this was the majority of what I wore..

6) Some sort of jacket for the fall before it gets too cold. I recommend a leather jacket. 

7) Obviously jeans..

8) some sort of an everyday pair of boots. I have a pair of Chelsea boots from ASOS. It gets rather annoying and the cost really adds up to buy a pair or boots with fur or moccasins just to ruin them every winter. Avoid them.

9) Other shoes are; a pair of sneakers, flats, some flip flops for the shower and maybe a pair of high heels. 

10) PAJAMAS! make sure they're comfy!

11) An ID holder and lanyard. You'll most likely never carry cash around with you so you'll want something easy to just grab and take to class. 

FASHION TO AVOID

1) Leave all those heels at home. (except for a pair of nice black ones in case you have to dress up for an interview) There are a lot of misconceptions that you will be going to a lot of parties where you get all doll'd up and wear heels...at least in my experience, I have never been to a party where heels were a main thing that girls chose to wear. 

2) Fancy dresses. Once again, not worth using up space for them. A few cute casual dresses is more suitable but remember that the majority of the school year is in the fall/winter.

3) Actual snow boots...unless you do plan on playing in the snow

BEAUTY 

1) Eye shadow palettes. They are a lot more practical when it comes to traveling and going back and forth from home. 

2) Travel sized bottles for various things like lotion, perfume, and shampoo. Like I said before, they're great for those weekends that you go back home. Packing full size shampoo and conditioners is just plain annoying.

3) Face masks/body moisturizers I find that the air in the dorms, especially in the winter, is very dry so you'll need a little extra moisture to put back into your skin. Plus, who doesn't love a good face mask girly night??

4) A couple nail polishes...don't bring your whole collection..asking people if you could borrow some of theirs is a good way to start talking to people and making friends!

5) CHAPSTICK

AVOID

1) Bringing your whole lotion and perfume collection. It's honestly just a pain to pack up...bring a couple of your favorites or put them all in smaller bottles. Remember that you will accumulate more throughout the year. I brought my whole collection and then ended up buying more and it was ridiculous especially since I only wore a couple..

Obviously I did not name ALL of the beauty and fashion related stuff but I just wanted to list few things that i found essential and some that I thought I would need but I really didn't. 

Keep an eye out for my next post which will be essentials for your dorm and classes!


                      Leave a comment with some of your college essentials and ill make a post of what you guys say!
                                                      XX

Ah, college.

It's that time of year again, folks.

 Some are going headed to high school while others are about to start a big, exciting chapter in their life, also known as college. This is an extremely exciting but also a very nerve racking time in anyone's life. It's a chance to invent a new version of you, let your past go, and make an entire new group of friends (only if you want, of course). I, for one, was really excited that I was going to a school that no one from my high school was going to. A fresh start was exactly what I needed. 

      College is not just a chance make new friends, you truly do find out who you are. In high school, whether you like to admit it or not, you do mold to fit into to the people around you. Reputations are a hard thing to get rid of but moving away to college is definitely an easy way to get rid of it, and boy, does it feel good!

      One of the main contributors to finding out who you really are is being on your own and actually having the chance to put yourself out there and make new friends. There is a big chance that you went to school with the same kids from kindergarten throughout high school, well like I mentioned before, you mold to the people around you but if you have some alone time, you're forced to become you. You have to branch out and make new friends so you get to decide how you want to be perceived. No one will know who you were in high school. When I say alone time, I don't mean that you will literally be alone 24/7 but you have more time to think about what you like, what you don't like and who you want to be. 

      You're going to be around some types of people you may not have been around before, you're going to experience SO many new things. New styles, music, sports, subjects that interest you...you may think you know exactly what you want to do after college but chances are, you may change that 15 times before you graduate. That's whats amazing about college. You can become ANYTHING you want! Want to be a vet? Go for it! Teaching sounds fun to you? You go teach your little heart out. 

    Anyways, before I ramble on too much, this is just an introduction to what I'll be mainly blogging about throughout August. I call it, "Back to School: College Addition." I thought I'd branch off a little bit from makeup since I'm running a little dry with ideas and this sounds like a really fun thing to write about!

    This will include dorm room essentials, makeup/ fashion essentials, the do's/don'ts when it comes to new friends, roommates, and just overall tips and tricks to surviving your freshman year. Plus a few more that I'll randomly think of. '

                 Do you have anything you want any advice on? Any other suggestions for posts? 
                                                        Leave me a comment below!
                                                                         Xx

Have I gone a bit lip crazy?

     Every time I've done my make up, I get done and think "now, something is missing?". It finally hit me that I need to add a little pizzazz to my lips. I hear about good lip products all the time in the Youtube videos I watch but I never seem to pick some up. Until recently, that is.

    My birthday was about a week ago and I took no time in running to ULTA to spend a little bit of my birthday money. Did I say little? I meant a good majority of it. In my defense, I am stocking up to head back to school in a month. But hey, a girl doesn't need to make up an excuse to spoil herself a bit!

     Now, back to lip products. I noticed that there were some great deals happening at ULTA so all the more reason to go. One of the deals was buy one get one half off NYX products and when I read that, I knew automatically what I wanted to get. NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Beige! This is pretty much a cult beauty product. I've heard Ingrid from Missglamorazzi, Tanya Burr, and many others talk about this so I knew I had to snatch it up right away. This is such a good everyday gloss to wear. It's not too much color, it's not sticky, and it tastes like cherries! Im definitely going to be trying more NYX lip products now!

   Another product that I already knew I loved was a Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter. I already owned two of them but they both got pretty beat up and melted so they aren't used much but this time I thought I'd go with a little darker color, you know, branching out a bit. This time I bought (I actually got it for free after spending 12 dollars on other Revlon products) Berry Smoothie. Theres nothing much to say about these products other than I LOVE them. A bit of a sheer, sparkly color which is good for everyday wear. I love that fact that you don't need a mirror to apply them. The only downside I have to these products is the fact that they are easily smooshed.

    The last product I got was a bit of random purchase. I saw it and just new I had to have it because I've, once again, seen it all over the internet. It is the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey. Youtuber LeighAnne from LeighAnneSays constantly raves about this product so it was a pretty easy decision. I love the moisturizing affect and the fact that it smells like peppermint. All around good product.

Left: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Honey, Center: Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie, Right: NYX Megashine Lipgloss in Beige

                                   
                             What are you favorite lip products? Leave a comment below!
                                                                        Xx

Is Summer Over Yet?

             I know some of you are going to think I'm crazy, but I am soooooo over summer. To be honest, I was over summer by the end of June. I don't do well in heat, I get sunburned easily, and my hair does not enjoy the humidity in any way. I am definitely an autumn girl at heart. I'm a much happier person when I get to wear big comfy sweaters and curl up next to a fire in the fireplace and order my favorite hot drinks (hot apple spice from Caribou Coffee in case anyone was wondering). There's football, Halloween, the leaves changing to pretty colors, pumpkin picking, NO BUGS, the list is never ending. A good way to put it is, autumn is my prime time.

Anyone else with me or am I alone here??

Xx

Covergirl: Not Impressed

      Ah, bad reviews are never my favorite to write, but it has to be done! I'm all about trying out new drugstore products to save money but still get some bang for my buck but I find that one of those drugstore brands that just doesn't ring my bell is Covergirl. I'm not saying that all of their products are bad, but I recently bought two lip products that just a bit lack luster.

Top: LipPerfection Jumbo Gloss Balm in Blush Twist, Bottom: Lipslick Smoochies in Luv U

                                                 Right: Lipslick Smoochie Left: Jumbo Gloss Balm

        Both of these products are balms and are meant to be moisturizing so I knew not to be blown away with the color outcome, and I will admit they are moisturizing but one thing I cannot get over is the smell and taste. Remember when you were little and you got your first lipstick? Remember that taste? Get ready to take a jog down memory lane because that is EXACTLY what these taste like, more so the Smoochies. Speaking of Smoochie, I'm not a fan of the name. Seems very childish to me, maybe that's why I'm not a fan of Covergirl. It reminds me of the makeup you wear in your early teens. 

      I don't think I will continue to wear the Smoochie since the scent and taste is much stronger in that one but I will continue to wear the Jumbo Gloss Balm with a slight gloss over it to add a little more color and get rid of the taste. I do prefer the Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains because they have more color pay off and they have a lovely peppermint scent and taste. 

     Is anyone else over Covergirl? Any products that you DO like and want me to try? Leave a comment below!

Review: Wet n' Wild Blushes!

     So I've never really been into blushes before, but I thought why not see what all the fuss is about. Seeing as I was new into the world of blush, I didn't want to spend a fortune on a NARS or MAC blush so I did a little research about drugstore blushes and one brand that had quite a big fan club of was Wet n' Wild. At around 4 dollars, I thought "what the hay," and took a trip over to the local Walgreens.

                                                    Mellow Wine (left) Pearlescent Pink (right)

Firstly, I apologize for the bad quality...I always have some weird lighting in my room. Anyways, these blushes are AMAZING. The pigmentation is awesome for the price tag. I would have to say that Pearlescent Pink has to be my favorite for the summer and Mellow Wine is a great autumn color.

Pearlescent Pink has been said to be a great dupe for NARS Orgasm...but at 3 to 4 dollars, I think I know which on I'm going for! The Pearlescent Pink has a slight shimmer to it and that just adds to the overall glow of summer. Mellow wine does not really have any shimmer to it which I am a fan of. 

These blushes are so pigmented that all you need is a dab on the brush and even then you need to tap it off. I then, sometimes, take my powder brush and blend it even more. 

Overall, I am definitely jumping on the blush bandwagon but you won't see me spending a lot of money on expensive blushes when these are so cheap!

Has anyone else tried them? What do you think?

Summer must haves!

      If you haven't noticed, summer is now in full swing! Days are spent at the beach, nights are spent by the bonfire, and the typical summer fashions are back on the shelves. Summer time and the hot weather also means that its time to bring out some of the essentials to survive/still look good on those extremely hot days.

      Starting off with the obvious...SUNSCREEN

      If you are one of the unlucky ones like me, you start to get sunburned the minute you step outside. So sunscreen is an essential in my summer go to's. I usually go for brands like Banana Boat or Coppertone as they are on the cheaper side and they do the trick. For everyday wear, I go for SPF 15-30 but if I know I'm going to be at the beach and some of the skin that is not normally exposed to the sun I definitely go for the 50+. And we mustn't forget to reapply through out the day!

Another thing we CAN NOT forget is to protect our lips. Have you ever had sunburned lips? Owwy mamma. I always try to look for chapstick with some SPF in it and the most recent on I found is one from the Babylips range! This gem is peppermint flavored and has an SPF of 20..but sadly I left mine at my friends house this past weekend :(...looks like I'll be taking a trip to the store soon!

      Rolling with the idea of SPF, it's very convenient to find a foundation with some SPF in it. My drugstore foundation of choice is the Rimmel Match Perfection in the shade True Ivory (or a shade darker depending on my tan). Bonus, it has SPF 18 as well! That is the perfect amount for day to day wear. Of course, if you are going to be exposed a lot longer, you should put a higher SPF on underneath.

    This foundation offers a medium coverage, it goes on rather well, its feels like (which is great for summer because who likes to feel like they have an extra layer on in 90 degree weather?) but it does offer a dewy finish so I definitely recommend powdering, especially in hot weather. If you want to completely avoid the dewy affect, another Rimmel foundation that is great is the Rimmel Stay Matte Foundation. I feel that it does not feel as light on your skin but it is still a great product. That brings me to my next must have.

    My all time FAVORITE powder has to be the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder. I own the powder in translucent. I can think of nothing bad about this product. I just dab it with a kabuki brush and put it all over my face, focusing on the t-zone and any place that I've put concealer. It is only 4 dollars, it does its job, and its easy to travel with. Rimmel has to be one of my favorite drugstore brands at the moment. Great products for the price!

That being said, on to hair products!

       What is more summery than beachy waves? Um, nothing. One way to achieve those "just walked off the beach" is with Not Your Mothers Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray. Wow. That's a mouthful. All you have to do with this is, spray it on to your dry to damp hair, scrunch a little bit and voila! You are a beach babe. 

What are your favorite summer products? Leave a comment below and let me know! Enjoy the rest of your summer Xx

Review on: NYX Dewey Finish Setting Spray!

Well hello there everyone!

It's been awhile since I've written but I've recently gone on a little shopping spree and picked up a few products. I took a trip to my version of heaven, also known as ULTA. They were having some amazing deals that I could just not pass up.

One section that I've surprisingly never looked at was the NYX area. They were having a buy one get one half off sale, so how could I say no?? One product I picked up is something that I've never had of any brand before.

         I finally joined the make up setting spray "party".  I've heard from all over the blogisphere that NYX is a great, cheaper alternative to much more expensive sprays like Urban Decays' All Nighter Setting Spray or the De-Slick Spray as well.

        Since there were 2 options, a matte finish and a dewy finish, I didn't know which one to go for since my skin tends to be a little dramatic and change from oily to dry from day to day in the summer. One this that is certain, my skin is extremely dry in the winter. So I thought that since I tend to wear more make up during the school year, rather than in the summer (I hate the feeling of sweat mixed with makeup), that I should get the dewy finish spray. 

        So far, I am liking it! As of now, I don't have much to compare it to, but I did notice that my makeup did stay looking fresher, longer. I'm interested to know if it is the spray that is making my face dewy or if it just  the natural oils in my skin, so to answer that question, I'm going to write another review later on in the colder months! Stay tuned!