5 | 31 | 13

Object : 01. "Gelato" Bath and Body Works Candle- I just purchased this on my last trip to Bath and Body Works with Miss Lindsey, and we were both really drawn to the unique smell. It's not overly sweet- it's kind of sweet and sour but it totally smells like candy and goodness. Not to mention it's a pretty pale pink and complements my room decor very nicely!

Beauty 

02. Stila "Kitten" Eyeshadow- This is a gorgeous champagne eyeshadow that can be used for the lid or  brow highlight. I love wearing this foiled on my lids for a nice shimmery summer eye. Check out how to foil this in my last post. 

03. Mac's Rubenesque Paint Pot- One of my favorite Mac Paint Pots, especially for summer. This color looks gorgeous on its own, but also does enhance any pink or gold shadows. I would most definitely recommend purchasing this for summer!

04. Mac's Soft Brown Eyeshadow- I have been obsessed with this color this month- I've been using it in my crease every day! It's a matte, soft brown color that is perfect to deepen up any eye look.

05. Maybelline's Rocket Mascara- Once again, this has been a product I've been reaching for about every day this month. I love the consistency and brush of this particular mascara. 

06. Bath & Body Works Hydra Glass and Mac's Tinted Lip Balm in Cheery Cheery- With summer just around the corner, it's super important to be wearing SPF on your lips! I've been reaching for these two the most this month, for they have the sun protection I need and are pretty high shine glosses!

07. Mac's Marilyn Monroe Blush in "The Perfect Cheek" and Benefit's HOOLA Bronzer- I've been loving the matte combination of these two for blush & contour. Matte blushes and bronzers are brilliant for those hot summer days.

Scrubs/ Hair

08. Ocean Salt by Lush- My by far favorite face and body exfoliator for summer. It smells absolutely amazing and fresh and when used as a face scrub, it does a great job brightening your complexion. 

09. Retread by Lush- I'm FINALLY using this conditioner again! I took a break from using Lush products for my hair for a little- but I'm so happy I'm using this one again. This is an awesome conditioner- makes your hair silky smooth to the touch. I definitely recommend this one!

Fashion

>>>Graphic Shirts 

10. Love this Cross Tee from Forever 21. Perfect with high waisted shorts or a cute summer skirt.

Word

I had this piece of paper stuck with the rest of the stuff on my little inspiration board at my desk, and I really like this word... (just thought I'd share).

Instas!

01. My OOTN the other night, 02. Meg's Birthday, 03. Military hatting, 04. And finally my last Freshman week at school!

"Journeys end in lovers meeting”

[Twelfth Night. 2.3]

Cheers! x

P.S.. obsessed, obv...

5 | 28 | 13 ♡

As a huge makeup enthusiast, one of my by far favorite makeup products ever are Mac Pigments. I know tons of people are easily intimidated by them, for the most common question I get is "Well, what are they used for?" The answer is, they can be used so many different ways. The problem with them is that alone, they can be super messy. 

Pigments are most commonly used as eyeshadow -either to sparkle up the lid or add highlight to the brow bone. Contrary to how they appear, pigments (as well as loose shadows) can be foiled- or made into a more thick and creamy consistency- to create the texture of a paint-pot or cream shadow base. 

On top of that, any pigment, mixed with clear nail polish can be made into the nail polish of its color. 

So essentially, pigments are a three-in-one buy. Also, I'm convinced that you can never run out of a single pigment- the amount of product in every container is potentially life-long.

This post will delve into how to foil a pigment.

What you need:

1. A flat eyeshadow brush- here, I'm using a Mac 239

2. A pigment or loose shadow- I'm using Mac's Blue Brown Pigment- one of my favorites!

3. Water or a mixing medium (water is obviously the cheaper alternative and works just as well)

O N E ::

Start by opening up your pigment- as you can see, it is extremely powdery and a little chunky. Remember: a little goes a long way when using a pigment.

[Note: Never spill one of these if you can avoid doing so- they are a pain to clean up.] 

T W O ::

Wet your shadow brush under running water. If you are using a mixing medium instead, I suggest like two or three drops of it. 

[Note: You can also use a sponge tip applicator instead of an eyeshadow brush- it will work the same]

Since I'm using water, I like to dab the brush a few times against a towel to make sure it's not too wet. You don't want the brush to be soaked, you want it to be wet enough where the pigment will stick to it.

T H R E E ::

Slightly tap the wet side of your brush onto the top of the pigment>>>you don't want to put the brush in the pigment cause that's just a bad idea (lol). Tap it enough to get some of the powder to stick!

To further mix it, swirl your brush onto any flat surface- I like to use the lid of the pigment for this- it's the easiest. You'll begin to notice that the pigment is becoming creamy and gaining a paint-like consistency.

F O U R ::

You're done! 

You're ready to apply your foiled pigment. This is a side by side comparison of the regular Mac Blue Brown Pigment (LEFT) and the foiled Mac Blue Brown Pigment (RIGHT). As you can see, the foiled pigment is a lot thicker and brighter in color and texture, while the regular mainly looks loose and glittery. 

[Boo for my missing Jesus on my Jesus bracelet]

I also did some foiling with Mac's Melon Pigment 

Although the color is bit hard to distinguish, you can clearly see the consistency difference in this one. 

[Note: Mac's Melon pigment is basically Mac's Rubenesque Paint Pot in pigment form- they are great dupes of one another through this method!!]

I also decided to show you guys how I do this with a loose shadow as opposed to a pigment. Foiling loose shadows follows the same exact steps as above. 

Here, I've used Stila's Kitten Eyeshadow. (If anyone has this shadow, you know how loose and chunky it can be- but it's still a gorgeous color!)

Foiling pigments is one of my favorite tricks to do with eye makeup, and it really allows your shadow to pop. 

Happy Foiling!

"Love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind; 

and therefore is winged Cupid painted blind"

[Midsummer 1.1] 

(The only Shakespeare quote I could find with the words eye and paint- loll)

Cheers! x

5 | 26 | 13 ♡

01. The best drink ever- San Pellegrino Blood Orange! 02. Current organization of all of my lipsticks- that's the bottom of a Kate Spade Jewelry Box. 03. Mexican food from Blue Moon with Amanda the other day- my favorite, cheese quesadilla! 04. Manicure this week- [Sinful Colors "24/7" (neon pink)]. 05. The Starbucks guy drew a smiley on my Green Tea Frap:) 06. New "Gelato" candle burning from Bath and Body Works. 07. Cupcakes this week that I made (FUNFETTI!) 08. Me, earlier, holding a tiny toothpick flag for Memorial Day. 09. My blue and red breakfast.

"Good wine is a good familiar creature, if it be well used."

[Othello 2.3]

Cheers, x

P.S... Daffffft Punkkkk...

5 | 24 | 13 ♡

Temperature Rising : Review 

In an attempt to purchase a lot less makeup, [I have to really use all that I have], I decided to allow myself to get only three things from the new Mac Summer Collection, Temperature Rising.

01. "Hot Nights"

02. "Sheer Seduction"

03. "Copper Strip"

First of all, I love the packaging! I wasn't a big fan of the packaging of last summers "Hey Sailor" collection-- or actually much of the recent packaging for the newer collections, but Mac surely redeemed itself with this summers sleek, dark bronze packaging. 

01: "Hot Nights" is described as 'midtone berry pink' blush [Maccosmetics.com]

It's actually a really pretty color, and super super pigmented. A little of this color goes a LONG way! I'd recommend this for darker skin- the deep berry complements dark features more so than light features. It's still appropriate for summer despite the deepness of the color, and is slightly shimmery.

02. "Sheer Seduction"(Dazzle Lipstick) is described as "super dazzle bronze" [Maccosmetics.com]

This color is GORGEOUS. It's a bit reminiscent of Lush's liptint in Latte, but it's slightly less gold and more bronze. I think this tone is pretty versatile and will suit just about any skin tone.

03. "Copper Strip" [Powerchrome Eye Pencil] is described as a "frosty midtone copper" [Maccosmetics.com]

I was looking for a similar eye pencil to "Lord it Up" from the Mac Archie's Girl collection, and this is pretty close! The consistency is the same as "Lord it Up"- although the shade of the pencil is slightly more copper. Really pigmented and it has some sparkle!

Side by Side with Archie's Girl "Lord it Up"

Swatches of all three

I'm totally more than satisfied with all three- Well done, Mac.

"Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear"

[Romeo and Juliet 1.5]

Cheers! x

5 | 21 | 13 ♡

With SUMMER just around the corner, I thought it would be a good idea to share with you guys my favorite self tanners/ tanning products.

Tanning Tools; 

01. Hawaiian Tropic Protective Dry Oil- SPF 15- A beach must! I generally am not a huge fan of tanning oils- but I decided to purchase this one last summer on a whim, and I fell in love with it. It's not overly greasy- although, it's oil- what do you expect? (ha). But, it dries rather quickly and has been good to my skin. 

02. Jergen's Natural Glow Daily Moisturizer (Medium to Tan Skin Tones)- I've been using this moisturizer for years- but I have to say, this is not a good sole tanning lotion. It creates very little color on my skin, but gives a nice shimmery glow to my natural skin color. This is a great product for enhancing a tan, but not for creating one. 

03. Jergen's Natural Glow Foaming Daily Moisturizer (Medium to Tan Skin Tones)- My number one actual self tanning product. Unlike the lotion, this foam does an incredible job of creating color. It may be a tad too orangey for some skin tones, so I'd be aware of that before purchase. Otherwise, this foam does wonders.

04. St. Tropez "Perfect Legs Spray" Self Tan- Similar to Jergen's Foam, this is another number one self tanning product. I only have the small bottle of this, but after a few uses, I want to purchase the bigger bottle. This self tanner goes on as a bronze/ brown spray, and it creates absolutely gorgeous color. This is definitely one of the best self tanners I've ever purchased for sure- the only con I can think of would possibly be getting an even coat because of the spray. Overall, however, this is a great product.

05. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock-SPF 70- This is my favorite sunscreen by far. I'm way more of spray-sunscreen kind of person as opposed to lotion sunscreen- it's way more efficient, easier to apply, and dries a whole lot faster. As for the "SPF 70"- It doesn't make so much of a difference than any other SPF- (SPF anything above 25 is just about all the same)- but this is the one I happened to be using!

My Self Tan:

This is essentially my routine for self tanning- I like to use the Jergen's Foam, followed by the Jergen's Lotion.

01. Make sure you shake the foam- this is very important so that all the contents are mixed well.

02. When you squeeze it out, ALOT will come out- so make sure you evenly distribute the foam for whatever area you're tanning.

03. Follow up with the lotion for an additional shimmery glow (that sentence just sounded like a line from some sort of infomercial, yikes! ha) 

04. Make sure to WASH your hands well- if not, you're going to go to school/ work/ out tomorrow with orange hands. No one likes the oompa loompa look ( :] ) !!

As for some face glow and bronze, I tend to like to use just regular powder bronzer. All of these lotions/ foams/ sprays are not meant for your face. 

Bronze: 

My two favorite powder bronzers:

01. NARS Laguna- This is a beautiful bronzer for anyone with an olivey skin tone like myself. It's a bit shimmery so it looks amazing blended from the temples of your forehead down to your contour and into your neck.

02. Benefit's HOOLA- This bronzer is good for many different skin tones, because the pigment is flexible enough to be pretty sheer or pretty deep depending on how much you work with it. This is a matte bronzer, so it's perfect if you have oily skin, or if you are going to be out in the sun (it will keep your face matte and not too shiny). 

Swatches:

Laguna- more orangey undertoned

Hoola- bronzey undertoned

(making up these words as I go along ;])

As for face makeup, definitely try to use BB Creams or Tinted Moisturizers with SPF. It's really important to wear SPF on your face for these hot summer days!

Happy Tanning!

Ironic Shakespeare quote that fits this subject:

"Better three hours too soon than a minute too late"

[Merry Wives of Windsor. 2.2]

Cheers! x

P.S- Yay for summer playlisttttt...

01: week of summer [13]

5 | 20 | 13 ♡

01: The skyline the other night- absolutely gorgeous.

02: Me in a military hat, lovely. 03: The coolest balloons I've probably ever purchased- they were like water-marble-lized. 04: Schmeg's cake, sans her head (kind of funny). 05: Lindz & I in the car. 06: Our pinata friends. 07: Meg & I- YONO. 08: Lindz, driving some more. 09: Sir Fine Man and myself. 10: my photogenic cereal.

"Love sought is good, but given unsought, is better"

[Twelfth Night. 3. 1]

Cheers

5 | 18 | 13 ♡

On Tumblr.

[Taken from Tumblr]

I find myself saving some pictures I end up reblogging on Tumblr, and this happens to be one of them. This not only is a perhaps, a good piece of advice in itself, but also reminds me why I have remained loyal to Tumblr for so long.

Scrolling through Tumblr for hours has been a pastime of mine for about 3 and a half, almost 4 years now. Tumblr, a medium of expression, has lately been only used by individuals who merely get a Tumblr, to "have one." But to most of us who were the original Tumblr fiends, it means so much more.

Sounds pretty silly, right? A social media website that means "so much" to some people. What Tumblr really began as, was, for me- at least, an outlet. An outlet where I was able to express my thoughts, post pretty pictures, and do silly "Letter challenges," etc. I remember getting a Tumblr around May of 2010- [it may have possibly been June, but let's say May]. My reasoning then, being a vulnerable and an immature 15 year old spirit, was as follows: I recently had ended a "long relationship", and was so emotionally "crushed" at the time, so what was my solution? .... How about I get a Tumblr?!

I felt drawn to the concept of being able to have your own website, post your own photos, but more so, share and talk to the other members of tumblr out there. 

It was a world in itself, a universe to it's own. 

It was an escape for me. Something that allowed me to block out stress of my current "situation." But regardless of how I felt at the time, I still find it just as mesmerizing almost four years later. It allows for the creative process of thinking and relating to simultaneously connect with photos, words, and objects reblogged on a screen. It's rather soothing- almost a type of therapy to many of it's users. 

But just as in the "real" world, there was, and still is, drama. Tumblr drama.

[I cringe at the senselessness of that statement].

Any website that creates community backhandedly creates conflict. And it has created and will continue to create trouble amongst members within the Tumblr community, and with individuals on the "outside world."

For something I considered at the time to be an almost "online diary" if you will, I quickly learned that what is private matter should not necessarily be exposed in public space. And, that's how I learned to be careful with my posts. A website is only as public as you make it.

Despite my past issues with Tumblr, (as I have purposefully vaguely discussed), to me, it is an escape which inspires. I've honestly learned really insightful things through the posts and photos that I have stumbled upon in the past few years-- and it is this level of insight that not everyone is exposed to if they are using other social methods of media. People in this "Tumblr community" are from vastly different backgrounds, influences, and parts of the world. Unlike Facebook or Twitter, however, Tumblr is the reblogging and constant sharing of original thought- not just witty commentary or conversation and debate. It is a platform for worldwide collaboration. 

And plus, I'll be honest here, it's really damn pretty.

But more so, it is a teacher as well. I'm a huge believer of learning through experience through relationships with people- but in our modern world, a lot of these relationships have been made isolated through online means. One no longer calls up someone, or meets up with someone- one texts them, or Skype's them. Media takes relationships into another dimension, and it is that experience (via said dimension), that is able to shape individuals- like one in "reality" would. So with the same influence, I've gained the same amount of insight and maturity through experiences I've had online as well as in life. The same human plights of conflict arise in both our world and Tumblr's "world", and although one is clearly more publicized than the other- it is this high stake of publication that further drives an individual to want to solve the problem and find a solution. 

So that's essentially my love for Tumblr in a nutshell, and just a tad of my reasoning for why I love social media.

"Ignorance is the curse of God,

Knowledge the wing wherewith we fly to heaven"

[Henry VI. Part 2. 4.7]

Cheers

5 | 15 | 13 ♡

In lieu of the fact that I just got my third iPhone 5 in 5 months- [yes, I said THIRD- I've suffered from many phone causalities in the past few months- I shattered my first one's screen, and the lock broke on my second- don't worry though, I had insurance..] I thought it would be interesting to do a post sharing with you guys my favorite APPS!

Here's what my new iPhone 5 looks like now::

Favorites:

01. Instagram- I think this one's pretty self explanatory, and I haven't met people who don't like or don't use this one. It's pretty, has complementary colors and symmetry, and it's fun. That is all.

02. Facebook- This is obviously another must and is pretty self explanatory. 

03. Twitter- A need for me, in light of the fact that I love to quote my friends' ridiculous commentary as it comes.

04. Blogger/ Tumblr- I threw these two together, but if you're a blogger of any kind, it's always good to have an app around for when you get bored!

05. Snapchat- nuff' said.

Now the fun stuff:

For photo editing--

06. Afterlight- This is one of my FAVORITE photo editors of all time! It has really cool filters, frames, and allows you to edit the brightness, saturation, etc. 

07. Squaready- Another awesome one that allows you to create your own sort of frame for any photo (i.e you can move the photo to the left/ right, make the frame huge/small)

08. Pixlromatic- Another one of my favorites, the filters and cool edits you can make to photos is incredible in this one. Really cool for making vintage effects.

09. PicFrame- This app is like 200% better than PicStitch guys, it essentially does the same thing minus any "picstitch" trademark stuff. 

10. Lumie- This one is pretty cool as well, and allows you to add sweet star/heart/cosmic effects that I've never seen in any other photo editor!

11. A Beautiful Mess- Created by one of my favorite blogs, this app is adorable and so fun for editing photos.

12. Fisheye- This is a great app if you want a cheaper and easier alternative than a real fish eye lens (lol).

Photos created with BeautifulMess: 

Photo created with Fisheye:

Photo created with Squaready:

Finally, another one of my favorite Apps for my phone is CocoPPa!

This app creates short-cut apps that allow you to have cool looking application squares for your programs!

As you can see, I've changed my Tumblr, Blogger, Snapchat, Insta, Facebook, Twitter, and Youtube Apps.

These apps make my iPhone way cuter and more efficient for me!

"Who ever loved that loved not at first sight?" >> APPS, obviously :)

[As You Like It 3.5]

Cheers