Gift Guide Part One: Beauty Buys

Happy December first! This is my absolute favorite time of year with the holidays coming around and the festive music, shopping, and food. I personally love buying gifts for all of my family and friends, so I decided to do a little gift guide for you guys to see what I have on my own list and what I'm planning to buy others. I split it into two sections, so today is the beauty guide, with the next part coming in a week. I hope this helps you guys or gives you some ideas as you shop!

Origins Gift Sets Kit / Caudalie Beauty Product / Tom Ford Lips / NARS Cosmetics / Benefit Cosmetic / Sephora Favorites Fragrance Rollerball Sampler For Her / CIATE Caviar Manicure Luxe Set / Lush

Fall Fashion

"Bittersweet October. The mellow, messy, leaf-kicking, perfect pause between the opposing miseries of summer and winter." -Carol Bishop Hipps

DIY Makeup Brush Holders

College is a funny place. Even though you have such a tiny little dorm with limited space, you still end up needing to buy a whole lot and spend way more money than you thought possible. In order to minimize this, I decided I needed to get crafty and work on some DIY projects to personalize my area while not spending an absolute fortune like I gladly could have. In the end, these makeup brush holders that I made are probably my favorite DIY that I did. They're now sitting happily on my desk at school, taking up so much room that my desk resembles a vanity rather than a proper working space. It appears I've got my priorities straight!

Summer 2013 Reflection

Wow - the end of summer. I can't believe it's actually here! Instead of doing an August Favorites post, I decided to do a more personal post as this year this September means a big change for me: moving out of my house and heading to university. I feel like it's something that I've been waiting for my whole life, but something I've also been dreading. I enjoyed high school; yes, it was stressful and there were so many times I just wanted college to get here already, but I had amazing friends and enjoyed every second of it. Now that I'm moved out and on my own living with a stranger in a dorm in college, it's all too surreal for me still. I feel like this is just a test run or something and I'm heading back home in a few days - it hasn't quite sunk in that I'm not.

I have had such an amazing year so far, including this summer. I was able to go to Florida, travel to London, go to a concert, visit Martha's Vineyard, and so much more. I'm so grateful for all of that and still in shock that it's over. I think it's best described by the ultimate cliche: "It was over in a blink of an eye". That being said, I'm also excited at the possibility of what is to come in this chapter of my life. I know I'm going to meet some amazing (and not so amazing) people, go to different classes and learn new things, develop more interests and passions, and so much more.

Almay Liquid Lip Balms

It has been a good amount of time since I've been super curious about a product and pretty much raced to the drugstore to get my hands on said product, like Christmas had come early. However, when I simply heard the phrase "liquid lip balm" I became intrigued and wondered as to how the product worked, felt, looked like, etc. After seeing many a good reviews on blogs and YouTube I decided enough was enough and I had to purchase one. I started off with "Nudetrients"as I've currently been loving nude lips and heavy eyes. With gorgeous specks of gold shimmer, the liquid lip balm easily glides on, similar to how a lip gloss would. However, not only is it unscented and not sticky, it actually feels as though I just put on a tube of chapstick in just.. liquid form!

Estée Lauder 'Raisins' Duo

The 'Raisins' palette by Estée Lauder is an infamous palette in the beauty blog world. A gorgeous yet simple two-shadow palette became a staple in many everyday makeup stashes this past year when it was released as a limited edition. The first shadow is a flattering pale, shimmering pink color, balanced out with the deep burgundy second shadow. Highly pigmented and blended beautifully, I've yet to see this duo look anything but flawless on every single type of skin tone. 

July 2013 Favorites

As I say every time I put up a favorites post, I honestly cannot believe that another month has come and gone. This time, it's even more dramatic as this will be my last month before starting a huge chapter in my life: university!! It's so crazy I can't believe it, much less think about it, so let's just get right on into my favorites for the past month (which is much more lighthearted).

LONDON

It has been a while! I last popped up a post right before I left for London. I wanted to try to write up a blog post whilst away, but was so busy I barely had a minute to relax! Thus, I decided I wanted to simply write up a post on my experience in London and then post a huge haul!

Martha's Vineyard Days 3+4

My mantra for the last two days of my trip was sadly singing "rain, rain, go away" while skipping down the streets full of fog and clouds. Although it was pretty cold and windy, we were determined to make the most of this trip, even in the pouring rain.

After a late morning of board games, we decided to venture out bravely into the cold with sweaters and thoughts of warm to lunch. We were back in Edgartown and stopped for lunch in an adorable little cafe named "Among the Flowers". As all we wanted was warm comfort food, I opted for a classic grilled cheese, which was as warm and gooey and comforting as it looks.

Martha's Vineyard Day 2

Hey, everyone! I'm so glad that my last lifestyle post was taken well, so I decided to continue on and talk about my next day on the adorable (and my current favorite) island of the Atlantic. 

After crashing late and a bit tired from all the travel, we took the overcast morning to sleep in and take our time getting ready before going out for the day. We tried our absolute hardest to catch a bus to the center of Oak Bluffs as we were car-less due to our friends off at work, but when two buses drove by us with no indication they saw our waving, we decided to take to walking there ourselves. The walk was so lovely, even in the overcast weather, and we passed by some of the infamous colorful houses that make up the Vineyard.

Martha's Vineyard Day 1

One of the best places on earth? A hidden treasure of shops, restuarants, cafes, beaches, and bikes. Martha's Vineyard is all of the above: a cute little island off the coast of Massachusetts, only 100 square miles of 7 tiny towns. However, in the summer more than 100,000 people cram into this popular island, myself now included. As I have a few friends staying here for the summer (and it only being a train, bus, then ferry ride away), I'm so excited to be taking a mini vacation here.

Yesterday I caught the ferry in, settling down easily for the 45-minute ride in the sun. 

Martha's Vineyard Weekend

We're bringing it way back, here. In an attempt to bring more lifestyle into my blog (as I've been loving the beauty blogs who've been incorporating more life posts), I decided to share a post on a trip to Martha's Vineyard I had way back in February. I'm pretty much in love with all of these photos I took on one morning when I was up for the sunrise on a beach. This was my first time to Martha's Vineyard and it's such a cute place that it's easy to see why someone would fall in love and live there all year round. I'm definitely excited to go during the summer, though, when the island is alive and full of people.

This is really just a post to share these gorgeous pictures and show the beauty of Martha's Vineyard. Sorry it might be a bit boring, but maybe once I get used to more lifestyle posts I'll be able to actually have a decent post! On that note, do you have any summer vacation plans? I've got a few things in the works and could not be more excited. BRING ON SUMMER!!

Graduation

So as I'm typing this up, I'm officially a high school graduate. Obviously my blog is not so much lifestyle, but I couldn't help throwing up this little post (mainly to have for myself later on). I just had my graduation ceremony and am now sitting in bed going through all of the pictures, liking all of my classmates pictures/statuses on Facebook, and retweeting all of the sappy tweets on Twitter. It's so weird to think that in September of 2009 I went into high school with only one friend from my previous school, and how much everything has changed.

I've drifted away from a lot of friends who were everything 4 years ago, when I was 14 years old. That being said, I've grown so much closer to a few old friends and made so many more amazing, new friends from my amazing high school. Words can't even describe how much they all mean to me and even though I have so much more coming up in college, I hope I at least remain in touch with them. This is a huge deal and going off to university seems so scary right now. I keep going through the phases of excitement and then nervousness. I can't seem to decide on one emotion! 

I know that in the grand scheme of things, high school is a mere four years of your life. People always say that you don't want to peak in high school, that there is so much more to come, but I'd like to think that it will always have a very special place in my heart. My graduation means the end of everything I've known. It's the end of a life at home with my parents, more independence, and the real start to creating my own life. It's so weird to even think about! Even though I hopefully don't think I've peaked in high school, I think I've had a pretty great time. I wouldn't change my school or my classmates for the world, even the ones who I wasn't close to. I've had the privilege to meet so many amazingly talented people who I don't think I'll ever be able to forget. It's weird to think that I may not even see every single one ever again. 

I obviously won't go into specifics, but I've met some pretty amazing people at this school. I don't think I could have asked for a more perfect group of friends. Along with that, I don't know quite how it's going to be without my family by my side 24/7 next year. I've got the best two little sisters a girl could ask for along with the most loving parents and best grandparents, uncles, aunts, and cousins. Just thinking about it makes me nervous, but excited because I want to do them proud, as most people do. 

I can't help but throw in a cliche: high school really did fly by. I remember at the beginning of this year, my homeroom teacher stood up in front of the class and looked at us all sternly to say that the year was going to go by in the blink of an eye and before we knew it, we'd all be getting ready for graduation with her. At the time, we all burst out laughing. Now, I completely understand. It seemed so overwhelming: all of my AP classes, the whole entire college process just beginning, etc. But, I was able to handle it. I shed so many tears this year, that I have to admit. Whether it was from pure stress and exhaustion, a bad test grade, a busy week, or sickness. There were times I felt so miserable and overwhelmed it was crazy. In the end, even though those days or weeks felt horrible and as if I'd never make it through, I always did. And the good truly outweighed the bad. I went on vacations this year, I was accepted into amazing colleges, I became closer to my friends and even made some more, and have so many memories I hope to never forget. I only wish I had realized this fact sooner and maybe payed more attention. I wish I took some more pictures and jumped at more opportunities. All in all, I made my experience the best I could have ever imagined and I wouldn't have changed all that much. 

I guess I'm just a big mess of emotions right now, but I wouldn't have it any other way. I hope this wasn't too annoying to read, especially if you made it all the way down to the end. I'll have a new post up in a few days. Thanks for reading and taking this peak into my life!

Would You Rather - Beauty Edition

This is not a post that needs much of an introduction! This tag has reappeared on the blog scene after Kayleigh from Couture Girl did it a week or so ago and everyone has jumped on board and done it as well. I absolutely love reading tag posts, although I rarely do them myself (I'm not sure why!). Anyway, I've enjoyed reading everyone's take on these questions and decided it was time to do it myself. Without further ado, here's the tag!

Would you rather lose all of your mascaras, eyeliners, lipsticks, and lipglosses or lose all of your palettes and eyeshadows?

Ah, okay. We're starting off with a tough one. I think, right off the bat, that my gut would be to lose all of my palettes and eyeshadows. I'd be much more comfortable with bare eyes and the rest of my face covered instead of just having a nice eye look. I do love my palettes, but I'm afraid they'd have to go!

Would you rather chop off all your hair or never be able to cut it again?

If pictures aren't an indication, my hair is decently long. I've never really had it short (I think it's because I was bald when I was a baby for so long!). Ever since then, I've been determined to keep all of my hair. I don't think I could handle cutting it off!

Would you rather have a coral cheek or a pink cheek?

No question, a pink cheek! I'm so pale that coral does not typically work well on me, so most of my blushes are in the pink range. That being said, I do love Benefit's "Coralista" in the summer. However, it really only works for me in the summer when I have a little bit more of a tan, so I'll have to go with pink overall!

If you had £1000 to spend, Would you rather buy clothes or makeup?

Clothes. Clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes, clothes. I honestly wear the same few things over and over, so if I ever came into money, a major clothing splurge would definitely be necessary. I have to buy my own clothes and makeup, and I used to wear a uniform to school, so I'd always just spend my money on makeup! Now that school is over, I've realized how little clothes I have and the amount of shopping I'll need to do before school! Eek! If only money grew on trees!

Would you rather apply lipstick as eyeliner, or eyeliner as lipstick?

Now, this whole question definitely does throw me for a loop. In terms of a texture thing, neither option seems doable to me and makes me feel squeamish just thinking about it. I know for a fact that I would never be able to apply lipstick as eyeliner because that has the worst connotation for horrible textures, so I guess I'll have to go with eyeliner as lipstick. It would be kind of similar to a lipliner I'm assuming, and hopefully you can have some fun colors to try out!

Would you rather only shop at MAC or Sephora?

This is an absolute no brainer! I'd pick Sephora in a heartbeat without a thought. I absolutely love my Sephora (and have the VIB Card to prove it) and would rather spend my money there over MAC. I've never been a MAC girl, and although I'd like to expand my collection a little, I'm happier using different brands who are just as great. 

Would you rather only use one eyeshadow color or one lip color for the rest of your life?Would you rather wear winter clothes in summer or summer clothes in winter?

For the first question, I think I'd much rather use only one eyeshadow color for the rest of my life. I almost always just have a natural smokey eye, so it's quite boring anyway, whereas I love to try different lip looks and go super vampy to bright orange. For the second question, I'd rather wear winter clothes in summer only because of the fact that I honestly am so cold all of the time even in winter clothes, that I'd be absolutely miserable in summer clothes during winter. I am not a fan of winter or the cold, so I'd have to always be bundled up.

Would you rather dark nails or bright nails all year round?Would you rather give up your favorite lip product or your favorite eye product?

I'm a fan of bright nails, so I'd have to say bright nails all year round. I do wear darker colors in the winter, but I've never been a fan of black nail polish or anything of the sort, so most of my nail polish collection consists of lighter colors. 

If I had to give up one or the other, I'd probably chose to give up my favorite lip product. I'm a mascara junkie, and don't think I could ever give away one of my favorite mascaras as I love them way too much. It hurts either way, but keeping my mascara will help just a little!

Would you rather only be able to wear your hair in a pony tail or a messy bun?

This question pains me. It literally pains me! If you knew me in real life, you'd know that I absolutely never wear my hair up. It makes me look much younger and it also just does not work with my face. I feel like it makes my face look bigger and highlights my tall forehead, which I've never been a fan of. So, I'd rather not wear my hair in either way! However, if I had to play along, I'd say a ponytail, just because you'd get more possibility with that.

Would your rather never being able to paint your nails again or never use lipgloss?

Easiest question yet! I would much rather toss out any lipgloss over any nail polish. I am a nail junkie and own far too many than need be and never ever wear lipgloss. Didn't have to think twice about tis one!

Would you rather shave your eyebrows and have none at all? or sharpie them in everyday?

Not only am I a mascara/eye lash junkie, I'm also obsessed with eyebrows. I've always had a thing for thick, full eyebrows ever since I saw pictures of the model Bambi when I was younger. So, if I had to shave my eyebrows, I would have no choice but to sharpie them in. I could never leave them gone! I'm sure there's ways to make it more natural if you really took your time and perhaps used a brown sharpie? I'd find a way!

Would you rather live without makeup or nail polish?

The question I've been avoiding. I love nail polish, yet I love makeup as well. This is killing me! Honestly, though, I think I'd have to do I'd rather live without nail polish. Oh, how that pains me to say aloud (or via blog post)! I'm purely saying that because I am able to live for about a week without nail polish, whereas I rarely go more than a few days without some sort of makeup. Ah, I still feel bad! I think we're just going to pretend this question didn't really happen.


And that's the tag! I hoped you enjoyed reading my take on the questions and let me know if you did this tag yourself! See you next post. 

DIY Peppermint Lip Scrub

Hey, everyone! I'm super excited to share this little DIY with you all as I love a good DIY that I can recreate myself. This one is so easy that anyone can create it, and probably won't even have to go out and get anything to do it! I'm sure I've mentioned this before, but I'm a huge fan of lip scrubs. I use my Lush "Sweet Lips" religiously every night and swear that lip scrubs help amazingly. As I'm such a fan, I decided that it was time to find a way to make my own, so in December I did just that. 

After doing some research and then deciding on what I wanted mine to be, I came up with this cute and simple little recipe that's easy enough for everyone. It smells absolutely heavenly and unlike any other lip scrub that I've tried before.

What you'll need:

-bowl

-spoon

-granulated white sugar

-dark brown sugar

-oil (canola, preferably)

-honey

-peppermint extract

First, you'll want to dish out about three tablespoons of white sugar and about 1-1 1/2 tablespoons of dark brown sugar. Mix it all together, getting the clumps out of the brown sugar.

After mixing the sugars together, I add about 1 tablespoon of honey and then 1 1/2 tablespoons of canola oil. The oil is the trickiest part and the aspect that you can decide yourself. I like my scrubs to be a bit more texturized, so I don't add as much honey and oil as I could. I like the scrub gritty to really get the dead layers off of my lips. However, if you'd prefer yours to be more moisturizing, then add some more oil and honey to get a "wetter" look to the scrub. The way I make mine remind me more of a Lush scrub than most handmade scrubs.

The best part of this is to add just a drop or two of Peppermint extract. I haven't had any peppermint lip scrub before, nor have I ever found any, so that's what I think makes mine unique. It smells so stunning and easy to lick right off the lips. If you find the same extract as me, however, be warned that a little goes a long way! I only need the drop or two and it is perfect.

And that's that! I love to jar mine in plastic containers which are only a few dollars at my local Container Store and even add a label if I'm feeling adventurous. I made a ton of these in December and gave my friends one, which I hope they loved. I think that these are perfect for yourself or making a fun treat for others. 

Let me know if you decide to make a homemade lip scrub or even if you've made one before! I'd love to try some more DIYs in the future as I think they're so fun. 

Dreaming and Wishing

It always seems that I find the best things while broke. The other day I went up to my local mall to pick up an application for a job and walked through only two stores and was in physical pain with how much I wanted to buy. All of the shops are putting out amazing spring and summer clothes and accessories that have me literally salivating with just how much I want it all. Of course, this happens just as I'm so utterly broke that I can't even pick up a single thing. Woe is me!



To make myself feel a bit better, I decided to throw together a small list of what I've been lusting over.

I chose two of my favorite maxi dresses I've been eyeing which you can find here and here, both from Nordstrom BP. I have to admit, I actually don't own a single maxi dress. I know, I'm just as shocked and have therefore made it my ultimate goal to find at least a half dozen lovely maxi dresses this summer. I can just picture myself wearing them this summer with some cute wedges and feeling totally relaxed and comfortable! Also from Nordstrom BP is the ombre shirt, which you can find here. I'm loving that the ombre trend is growing this year into shirts and dresses (to match my hair) and this shirt's ombre colors simply scream spring and summer. The light pink and light green are so beautiful, but not in a weird-watermelon-type way. It's so subtle and lovely, I think this should would look so pretty with a pair of shorts, like pictured.

Now, the next two items on this wishlist are all from the single online shop, Tobi. I recently just came upon this website and I'm shocked that I've never investigated into it more, as I'm completely obsessed with it. I know that my next paycheck will be dedicated to buying a number of items from Tobi, hopefully including this dress and skirt. Lately, I've loved the skater skirt look and have seen so many cute skirts appear all over, online and in stores. I really love the look of this one from Tobi (found here). The lilac color and cute cutouts at the bottom only add to the skirt, and I think that it's just an overall fun look. I also had to include a short summer dress as it is all that I live in once summer comes. I've been eyeing up this tank dress (found here) which comes in so many colors, that I feel like I'd have to buy three minimum. I can picture myself living in these during the summer with cute belts and sandals.

The last item on my current wishlist, and probably the item I want the most is this adorable sweater from Brian Lichtenberg. You've probably seen this sweater somewhere on many fashion bloggers, as many of his shirts are making their way around the blog scene at the moment (or knockoffs from Ebay). The whole idea of his shirts are basically to poke fun at designer labels, and make them into something quirky, or in my opinion, absolutely amazing. I do have to say, though, that my favorite is this "Feline, Meow" sweater, which you can find here. I recommend poking around his other shirts, as they're all really clever and I'd take any. However, with the high pricetag, this isn't the most reasonable piece to buy, but I still love it.

Now that I'm feeling slightly better finally getting all of that off my chest, I think I'm going to go browse and start compiling my next wishlist (it won't take too long). What are your must-haves at the moment? Any online stores to recommend?

50 Random Facts

Hi everyone! As I've seen this tag popping up around everywhere, I thought I'd try my hand at it as well. It's pretty self-explanatory, so here's 50 random facts about me!

1. I'm going into my first year of university next year - no idea where I'll be yet!

2. I love Diet Coke. It's really quite bad... a slight obsession.

3. I'm a cat and dog person. I've grown up with both.

4. I've been able to go to Disney World countless times and it has never lost it's magic. The fact that I have little sisters only means I have the excuse to still go at age 17!

5. I've always wanted to go to California - I even applied to a university out there!

6. I've only been out of the country one time - Canada.

7. My favorite fruits are red apples and purple grapes.

8. I started watching YouTube videos in 2006 (I was only 11!) . The first videos I watched were "Shoes" and Shane Dawson.. I used to hide the videos from my parents because I thought they were bad with all of the swears!

9. I'm addicted to my iPhone, I'm literally never without it.

10. Favorite books include: A Thousand Splendid Suns, The Kite Runner, The Perks of Being A Wallflower, Vanity Fair, and so many more!

11. I love any and all music. Hip hop, rap, indie, country, pop, electronic, oldies, classical, rock, etc.

12. I adore the French language and culture. I've been learning the language in school for 4 years now!

13. Favorite shows include: Breaking Bad, Downton Abbey, Say Yes to the Dress, Four Weddings, Modern Family, The Middle, New Girl, Game of Thrones, The Newsroom, VEEP, Dance Moms, and more.

14. If I had to choose one continent I'd love to travel, it would be Africa, hands down. I want to travel all over, from south to north and east to west!

15. I'm going to London in July!! I'm beyond excited, I can't even put it into words!

16. I have two little sisters, who are 8 and 10 years old!

17. My kitten's name is Brady, after the New England Patriot's Football quarterback (Tom Brady).

18. When I have spare time, I love to sketch.

19. During the summer, I love going into Boston with friends.

20. When I was younger, I was petrified of going on trains after a stranger had tried to talk to me and I freaked out.

21. I hate potato chips. Never liked them!

22. I dream of working in New York City, London, or Los Angeles.

23. I'm very excited to own my own house or appartment one day so I can decorate it exactly as I'd like.

24. My lucky number is 11.

25. I've dealt with anxiety since I even knew what it was when I was a little girl, so it's been nice to read and learn from so many other bloggers and YouTubers who I admire talk about it and share tips on dealing with it!

26. I have more than a slight obsession with nail polish. I'd hate to count just how many I have as it's far too many for one person to need.

27. I always try really hard to save my money, but it never lasts too long.

28. I'm taking the most advanced level classes in my entire school - you could definitely classify me as an over-achiever.

29. I don't think I've ever loved a pair of shoes as much as I love my Hunter boots and my prom heels from last year.

30. I usually don't eat breakfast, but lately I've been making myself eat an apple so I start my day with something.

31. I get sick a lot - I have a very weak immune system!

32. My favorite colors are pink and green.

33. My favorite drugstore is my local CVS and Target. No other CVS compares to mine!

34. I hate getting my hair cut, I avoid it like the plague!

35. I used to read a lot when I was younger, and I'm trying to get myself back to that habit now.

36. When I was younger, I was obsessed with the Lizzie McGuire show and Hilary Duff - I even met her in person in New York City!

37. My main goal in life is to make a difference in the world. A bit bold, a bit of a reach, but I want to make a difference. I love volunteering and helping others, so this definitely stems from my community service.

38. One of my all-time idols is Audrey Hepburn.

39. Even though I don't always eat breakfast, I love a good breakfast for dinner. Eggs, pancakes, waffles... best food!

40. My laptop is pink!

41. I don't like cold water - I always keep water bottles in my room so they'll be room temperature.

42. On Sundays, I do not like to get out of my pajamas. Of course, sometimes I'll be really productive and run errands, but for the most part I like to stay put.

43. I actually run a little charity shop! I sell nail polishes over on Etsy, which you can check out here.

44. I am a cookie monster. If I had to choose one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be a chocolate chip cookie.

45. I have been a vegetarian for 3 years this week!

46. I truly don't think that nothing can beat a bowl of Kraft Mac and Cheese.

47. In the autumn, I love watching football, college and professional.

48. I absolutely love television and movies - however, I'm always really bad at remembering to watch television shows. Netflix is a lifesaver!

49. I first started wearing makeup in 6th grade. Eyeliner was definitely what I loved and I completely over plucked my eyebrows. I cringe when I see old pictures! 

50. In the summer, I live in flip flops. I'm partially convinced that I have a weird spacing in between my toes because of how much I've worn flip flops in my life. 

And that's it! I hope you learned a few interesting facts about me that maybe you didn't know before. I'll see you all in a few days with a new post!