Summer has officially hit here in Seattle, and it keeps getting warmer and warmer. I’m so happy that it’s been a really sunny summer so far, and honestly this 70 degree weather has been pretty nice. I can go outside and comfortably eat my lunch without getting too cold or hot, and the weekends have been perfect for hiking, going to the beach, or doing anything outside!
With how busy I’ve been doing fun things, (keep up with me on Instagram to see!) I wanted to share with you my summer essentials! I was inspired to do this post by Warby Parker and their new sunglasses collection – definitely check them out because they have some really cute styles right now! I’ve been a fan of their glasses for a while now, especially since I had to get glasses of my own recently, after years of swearing I had perfect vision. I guess that’s what five years of blogging does to you 😉
1. Polaroid camera
I invested in a polaroid camera a couple of months ago, and I’m so glad I did! It’s so nice to be able to print photos right then in there, instead of just keeping them on your phone and computer, and never having them in person. I also love the “vintage” quality of the photos, and there’s so many cute ways to display them! You can easily turn them into a focal point in your room, and hang them up wherever you want.
2. Versatile eyeshadow palette
If you read my last post, you saw that I got the Jaclyn Hill x Morphe Palette! It’s perfect for the summer – and all year round, honestly – since it has some really pretty turquoise colors, as well as a warm shades. You really get it all with the palette! If that’s not your cup of tea, though, there’s plenty of palettes out there that are perfect for summer, like the Urban Decay Heat palette.
3. Comfy pair of shorts
I went to Pacsun this weekend and got a couple of pairs of shorts, and they’re so comfy! They’re mom jeans so they’re high wasted, which is perfect for summer since there’s so many crop tops to wear. I’ve been needing jean shorts for so long now, so I’m really glad to have picked up a couple of pairs! I’m really picky with them because I wear them a ton over the summer, so it’s super important to me that I can wear them for the whole day..
4. Comfy sandals
I have had Birkenstock tan lines for probably three consecutive years now because I wear them year round. I wish I was kidding, but there’s also a little part of me that’s proud of the lines. They’re seriously the most comfortable shoes I’ve ever worn, though, and I highly suggest looking into them if you haven’t before! There’s also a lot of cute sandals at Target right now, I recently got a pair for around $20 and they’re really comfy!
5. Cute swimsuit – bikini or one piece
I finally got a one piece this year that has a really low back, and I absolutely love it! It’s really convenient to just wear with a pair of shorts over them if I’m walking around but want to swim later, and it honestly just looks like a cute body suit. The plus side is I don’t even have to wear a bra, so it’s a win win. A staple swimsuit is definitely a summer essential though, even if you don’t live by the beach. They’re great to wear while tanning, going to the lake, or swimming in a friend’s pool! You don’t have to break the bank to find a cute one, either, which is great.
6. Sunglasses
My eyes are really sensitive to light, so a great pair of sunglasses is definitely a must! They’re also great to add a little something to a more plain outfit, and of course they’re really useful on bright summer days. The great thing about sunglasses is there’s an option for everyone, and you can spend as much or as little money as you want on them, since pretty much most clothing stores have them.
7. A bag to hold all of these things
A nice, big bag is definitely a summer essential, especially if you’re having a beach day, or are going somewhere you need to carry all of these things in. I like to just get a large bag from Forever21, or Nordstrom in the BP section because they aren’t too expensive and they have so many cute options. It’s also nice to have a smaller bag in addition to a larger one, in case you’re going to an amusement park, or somewhere you can’t bring a large bag.
Alright, well there are seven of my summer essentials! I’m so excited for the rest of summer, and I definitely hope it’s filled with lots of bonfires, beach days, and warm summer nights.
What are some of your summer essentials?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Not all photos are mine.
This is NOT a sponsored post.
Having dark hair is sometimes the best and worst thing. Don’t get me wrong, I love the color of my hair, but it can be frustrating finding a dry shampoo that works with it. And, of course, my hair tends to get oily pretty quickly since I have a lot of hair, but the strands are fine. It’s strange because I have really dry skin, but my hair is the complete opposite. I used to wash my hair every single day, which is really bad, so I had to train it one summer to be able to wash it every other day, even with working out every morning. It’s gotten a lot better, but still gets a little oily on the days I don’t wash it.
The amount of dry shampoos I’ve tried is ridiculous; I’ve tried both salon and drugstore brands, and nothing really seems to make a difference and just ends up making my scalp itchy. I was watching one of Ingrid Nilsen’s videos and she mentioned the Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder, and for some reason it still took me a couple of months to buy it. So, fast forward a couple of months, and I was in line at Sephora and saw this product in the “Beauty to go” section and decided to buy it. The small size is only around $15 so it’s not too bad! Here are my thoughts on the product:
When I first tried this product it literally looked like I had dumped a bunch of translucent powder on my hair, and I was worried it wouldn’t work itself in at all. After a couple of seconds of massaging my scalp and brushing my hair, the powder started to disappear, along with my oily roots! I was impressed with how quickly it blended in with my hair, and it didn’t make my roots look gray at all.
The smell was also really refreshing, and made my hair smell like I had just washed it, which is a huge plus when your hair is feeling a little limp and blah. It isn’t too fragrant, and I noticed that the smell lasted the whole day, and until the next morning when I washed my hair. I am a huge fan of nice smelling hair products, I don’t know what it is, but if something works well but doesn’t smell the best I’ll try and find something else that both works and smells nice. Call it one of my quirks, but I realize that it’s a bit ridiculous.
As well as being a dry shampoo, this powder also adds a lot of texture and volume to your hair, which is just what you want when it’s the second day and your hair is feeling a bit limp. I honestly will add the powder to my hair even on the same day I wash it if I feel like I need a little bit more texture. This really helps when I curl my hair and want the roots to have some volume since the strands are a bit weighed down from hair spray, and the fact that my hair tends to fall flat the minute I start touching and fixing it. My hair is able to hold its volume a lot better when I add this to the roots, and it’s also great when I want to do a messy hairstyle and need some extra texture!
Overall, I’m super satisfied with this product and have finally found a dry shampoo that works with my hair! I won’t be switching anytime soon, and I can even get away with washing my hair every three days if I don’t feel like washing it one day. I definitely recommend trying this product, especially just the travel size since it isn’t too much of a commitment. It actually lasts for a long time, too, which is great! I’m still on this little bottle and it’s been about two months now.
You can also check out the video review I did of this product, if you’d like!
What’s your favorite dry shampoo?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a great day! 🙂
This is NOT a sponsored post, and all opinions are my own.
I feel like I’ve been doing a lot of reviews lately, but it’s because I’ve been branching out and trying new products, when in the past I would get stuck in a rut of buying the same product over and over. I actually hadn’t planned on doing a review of this product, but I ended up loving it so much! Elf is such a great brand because their makeup is really affordable and great quality for the money.
I’ve been using the Boots eyebrow pencil from Target, and when I went to go get another one, they were out. My poor dad was with me at the time, and he tried so hard to find the pencil I was looking for, bless his heart. I put him out of his misery and just decided to try out the Elf pencil. I didn’t really know much about it, and honestly I was not expecting much at all and thought I would end up replacing it when I went to a different Target.
I’m actually not quite sure what the whole “instant lift” part is supposed to mean because I don’t really notice a lift in my eyebrows at all, they just look like a nicer version of my eyebrows, haha. The packaging of the pencil reminds me of the Mac eyebrow pencils since it’s a twist pencil, and the product itself is very similar (for much cheaper). Overall, the packaging does not feel cheap at all, and the spooly is very nice!
I also like the overall size of the pencil, and it’s very easy to grip because it isn’t too thin at all.
Here is a closer look at the product. The only thing that was a little challenging at first was the fact that the pencil isn’t as opaque as other eyebrow pencils I’ve used in the past. It just takes a little bit extra to get it as dark as I like – not that I even like it that dark – but it isn’t like other pencils I’ve used before. At first I didn’t like this, but after using it for a couple of days it’s actually kind of nice because it’s easy to fix mistakes!
I also really like the quality of the product, and the whole formula of it. Some of the pencils I’ve used are kind of waxy and feel like they weigh down my eyebrows, but this one definitely doesn’t. It blends really well and ends up looking very natural. Maybe that’s what they mean by an instant lift, because it doesn’t clump your eyebrows together?? We just might never know.
Here is another look at the spooly. I really like the size of it – it’s a lot bigger than other ones I’ve used before! It’s also nice that it’s covered with the plastic lid. It is a bit rougher than usual, but it makes the product blend really well with my actual brows.
Overall, I am super happy with this pencil, and I would definitely recommend it for those who want natural looking eyebrows, but still want to make them pop. I honestly used to be one of those people who never understood why you would ever fill in your brows, but I’m so glad I started to. I was always just worried that it would make my face look ridiculous, but if you don’t go too overboard, it just enhances your natural brows!
What is your favorite brow product?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Happy second day of spring! I’m so happy that it’s officially here – it’s definitely time to start pulling out all of my dresses and skirts! I’m hoping that it’ll be a warm season since winter was pretty cold this year. Speaking of spring, I’m officially on spring break right now, even though I’ve been home for a week since I had early finals this quarter, so it’s nice to be able to relax with my family!
To start this week off, I decided to do a review of a product I recently bought: the Amazonian Clay Matte Waterproof Bronzer from tarte!
I had been using a bronzer from the Body Shop for about three years, and being me, dropped it while I was in a rush to get ready one morning. Naturally, it shattered, and I was forced to trade in my trusty bronzer for something new. In hindsight, this was probably a good thing, because I’m pretty sure the Body Shop bronzer wasn’t the right shade for me. I think it had oxidized over the years, because lately I had noticed that it had become very orange.
Because my skin is pretty pale, it’s hard to find a contour that isn’t too dark. I don’t really use bronzer to make my skin look more tan, especially this time of year, just as a contour on my cheeks, nose, and forehead. Since I want my contour to look natural, it’s important to get a bronzer that is the right color, and one that blends well with my BB cream.
I stopped into Sephora to get a new bronzer, and wasn’t really set on getting a certain brand or product. I knew I wanted to check out the bronzers from Benefit and tarte, and of course I decided on one from tarte because of my love of the brand. I also asked the advice of one of the sales associates, and he recommended this bronzer to me because it’s one of the lightest ones they have, and would be the most complimentary to my skin.
After a couple of swatch tests, I definitely agreed with him, and decided to buy the tarte bronzer. I was initially impressed with the consistency of the bronzer, and the color was really pretty. When I put on my makeup the next day, I used the bronzer and was really happy! It went on very smoothly, was very blendable, and was the perfect color for contour on my skin! I have loved tarte products for years now, so I’m really glad that I ended up liking this bronzer. It also comes in a shimmery shade that is a little bit darker, but I decided the matte one would be better for me. Also, a little bit goes a long way with this bronzer, which is really nice so I won’t use it up quickly!
The swatch on the top is a couple of layers of the bronzer, so it’s definitely build-able if you need a darker shade.
The only downside to this bronzer is there aren’t any other shades, just the Park Avenue Princess shade that I bought. Of course tarte has other bronzers with different colors, so you could definitely check that out if you need something lighter or darker. Luckily this ended up being the perfect color for my skin, but if it hadn’t, I would’ve had to start the whole process of finding a different bronzer again.
I can’t attest to the waterproof part of the bronzer, as I haven’t worn it in the water or anything. I don’t really know how useful it will be to have a waterproof bronzer, and it does seem a bit unnecessary because I probably won’t wear bronzer if I know I’m going to be swimming, or getting really wet. Who knows, though, it might come in really handy one day when it’s humid in the summer haha.
I really like that the packaging itself has a mirror, because I used my other bronzer’s mirror to do my makeup when I didn’t have use of a bigger mirror, like in the car. The packaging is also really high quality, and very sturdy; hopefully when I inevitably drop this bronzer, it wont shatter as well! There’s also a magnet to keep the compact together, and it works really well. Tarte always has really good packaging I have found, and I love all of the natural colors they use, since most of their products are (more or less) natural.
All in all, I really love this bronzer, and I think I have found my new favorite! The shade is perfect for my skin, and the overall texture of the product is really great. Tarte has never let me down, and this product is no exception.
What’s your favorite bronzer?
Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I am the type of person who gets very set in her ways; I literally eat the same breakfast – oatmeal with peanut butter and dried blueberries – and lunch – greek yogurt parfait with strawberries and blueberries – every. Single. Day. I don’t get tired of it, and usually I end up eating the same dinner on most days, which is either quinoa or rice, edamame or some other type of veggie, and fake chicken (which is so delicious, let me tell you). Beauty products are no different; once I find something that I like, I tend to use it for years and never switch. I don’t think this is necessarily a bad thing, especially since I have such sensitive skin, but it’s something that I’ve noticed lately! I mean, if it ain’t broke why fix it, right?
As I’ve been running out of a lot of my favorite products lately, I decided to keep the empty containers so I could do my first empties post and video! I’ve seen so many other bloggers and YouTubers do these, and I love watching them, so I thought it would be a lot of fun to do them for myself. I adore all of these products – except for one, which we will get into a little later in this post – so I have a lot to say about them!
Make sure and check out the video I did on this, too!
I have used this face moisturizer for a long time, we’re talking like two years. First Aid Beauty used to have just a daily face moisturizer, which I actually liked better than this ultra repair one, but they got rid of it a couple of months ago, and I don’t really know why. It was the perfect amount of moisture for my skin, and this one, I’ve found, is a little too much for my skin. Due to that, I decided to get a different face lotion since I’ve used this one forever, and also because I felt like my face needed something different.
I told you guys about this body lotion in my Keratosis Pilaris post, and I love it so much! It really helps with my KP, and it’s just generally a really great moisturizer. It doesn’t have a smell, which is also really nice for my sensitive skin. I use it right after I get out of the shower, all over my body, and I’m good to go for the rest of the day. Even though it’s meant to help KP, it’s also a really great lotion for your whole body.
This has been my go-to B.B. cream for at least a year now! It works really great with my skin, and has a very slight shimmer that gives my skin a nice glow. It also has SPF 27 which is great to have in order to protect your skin from the sun! I don’t know how much I actually buy into the whole “self-adjusting shade for all skin types” selling point, but the color does match my skin, regardless. It blends in really nicely, and provides a great base for the rest of my makeup, like concealer and bronzer.
Okay, this stuff smells amazing, to the point where I want to bottle up the scent and use it as my perfume. It’s really great for the ends of my hair, which is good since that’s what it’s actually meant to be used for haha. I use about a dime size pump of the cream and put it into the ends of my hair on the days that I wash it – which is every other day. This helps keep the ends of my hair healthy and moisturized, two things that are very important since I color my hair.
I have expressed my love for Tarte before, and this is my favorite mascara! Not only does it make my lashes look great, but it’s supposed to be good for them as well. I actually do think that it helps the general health of your lashes, and helps to condition them. My eyelashes aren’t picky at all when it comes to mascara, however, I found this one and I haven’t felt the need to try any other brands since it works so well! It’s also a huge plus that it’s from Tarte, because as I have preached before, it is a great beauty brand and doesn’t test on animals. The wooden package is also really cool, and environmentally friendly! Yay sustainability!
Usually I get the makeup removing wipes from Burt’s Bees, but this last time I didn’t have time to run to Target, and I was in desperate need for something. I knew that the little District Market on campus had these Yes to Cucumbers facial wipes, so I thought they would be fine to grab. About a week into using these, my face started to get a small rash, and these wipes slightly burned while I used them. In the end, these really messed up my skin because I had a pretty big rash on my cheek, and they just generally stung my face and were pretty abrasive. I thought they would be really nice, because they smelled so fresh, but they were truly terrible for my skin, and it took it a good week to recover from them!
I’m so glad I remembered to not recycle all of these containers after I used them, so I could do my first empties post and video! It felt oddly liberating to recycle all of them at once, and I also enjoyed reflecting back on what I like, wanted to change, and what products I didn’t like at all after using them. I really hope you guys enjoyed this post, and hopefully I’ll remember to do more in the future!
What products have you been using lately?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I have never done a giveaway on my blog, so I have some very exciting news: I’ve linked up with a couple of other bloggers to host a giveaway worth $300! I thought this would be a really great way just to show how grateful I am to all of my readers, and also a wonderful way to start off the new year. Shall we get to the prizes?!
How pretty is this pallet?! I have swatched it, and these colors are so opaque and gorgeous. I don’t personally have this Naked pallet (I wish I did!), but I have the Naked 1 and 3, and they are two of my favorites! Urban Decay makes such good eyeshadows.
Wrap bracelets are super popular right now, and the black, white, and gold combo is so gorgeous and timeless!
I also really love the clear glass bead; it makes these bracelets look so graceful!
Okay, can we talk about how cute this mug is? I love the meaning behind this saying, because hard work often goes unnoticed! Good things really do come to those who work for them, and that reminder on a coffee mug (a.k.a. life in the morning) is perfect.
This is one of my favorite face masks. Ever. In fact, I just used it today after my shower! I use this once or twice a week, and it keeps my skin radiant! I always notice a difference after I use it, and it really helps to keep my pores nice and clean. Plus, it’s always nice to have a face mask on hand for pamper nights!
On top of all of these products, you will also win a $150 Visa gift card, and $10 Starbucks gift card! Overall, this prize package is worth $300, which is amazing! So, how do you enter? Just follow the directions in this nifty little box, and follow all of the other bloggers in the giveaway! Also, the giveaway ends at 12 AM on Tuesday, January 26th! Have fun, and good luck! 🙂
2015 was a very important year for me, and I’ve been working on a special project for a while now. Today, the last day of 2015, is the day I decided to post this video and blog post, and I can’t believe it’s finally here. I have really poured my heart and soul into this project, and I’m so proud of how it came out. I made a video, and wrote a longer explanation post, so check both out, and let me know what you think! I hope you like it!
Loving yourself does not come easy. It’s something that I’ve always wanted to do, but have never felt like I had the ability to. Because of this, one of my goals for 2015 was to learn how to love myself. I knew it would be hard, but I at least wanted to try.
I have never felt comfortable in my own skin, and I always compare myself to others about everything: thoughts like “that girl has tanner skin than me”, “look at her tiny waist”, or “my arms will never look like hers,” constantly fill my head. I’ve always been insecure about my body, and myself in general. My body image has also never been good, and I especially struggled with it while growing up.
When I was 12 years old, I was bullied by a boy in my class. He called me fat each and everyday, which was one of my biggest insecurities. I wasn’t fat by any means – I was a dancer who had muscles in order to enable my body to do the sport that I loved. I mean sure, I wasn’t the tallest or thinnest girl in my class, but I come from a short family, so long and model thin legs were never going to be in my future. That was okay, but as a young girl going to school, being told that I was fat by a boy in my class hit home, and I started to truly believe it. He didn’t know that I spent hours each day at my dance studio to improve my dancing, all he saw was that I was different from the other girls. I also read too much according to him, and he thought it was strange that I was so much quieter than everyone else. I was never the loud one in my friend group, and they all had no idea just how much I hated myself and my body.
I started wearing sweatshirts to school every single day in order to cover up my insecurities. The sweatshirts to me were like a shield against everyone else; they cocooned my body so no one could really see it, and they made it easier for me to not stick out in class. If I could just hide myself from that boy and everyone else, I thought, eventually the voice inside my head constantly putting me down would stop. It didn’t, and if anything it made it worse. With the extra baggage over myself, the boy realized his words had an impact, which to bullies, realizing they are actually hurting someone is like striking gold. His remarks only got meaner, and he put me down every chance he got.
I never told anyone, even my family who was extremely close and supportive of me, that I was getting bullied, or that I hated myself. I wouldn’t even look in the mirror because I was afraid of what I would see, and I avoided the camera at all costs. My mom and I would pick the cutest outfits out for school, but I would always put a sweatshirt over them and tell her I’d just take it off when the day warmed up. That time never came, of course, and I kept the sweatshirts on the whole day, no matter how warm I was. They were my security blanket, and they hid me from everyone else. I don’t think anyone realized just how insecure I was about my body, or how inadequate I felt. It didn’t help that I had the meanest teacher in our grade, whom was sexist against girls and constantly put us down while praising the boys in the class. This only empowered my bully because he felt so untouchable.
My struggle with my insecurities continued on for the whole year, but between the summer of sixth and seventh grade, I took off my sweatshirt in front of my friends because it was so warm. They were so shocked at seeing me without my second skin, and it was in that moment that I realized just how crazy it was that I had been wearing them every single day for a year and a half.
I went into middle school and discovered makeup, which I loved to play around with. I probably wore way too much to school, but it was something that I loved and made me feel more confident. I started wearing those cute clothes my mom and I picked out, without covering up with a sweatshirt everyday. I switched from dance to cheer (a decision I now regret), and ended up finding a best friend. I had also met two girls in orchestra, who would later become two of my closest friends in the entire world. My confidence kept getting better and better, and by the time I was a freshman in high school, it had vastly improved from when I was 12.
Freshman year arrived quickly, and with it came many ups and downs. I quit cheer, a decision I am very happy with, and decided to join the swim team full time (I had swam on and off my whole life). It was something I was good at and something that I absolutely loved. I found wonderful friends who were fun and exactly what I needed at the time. They were accepting and supportive, and I’ll always be grateful to them for letting me into their close-knit group. For the most part, the year was great, and I started liking myself more.
The end of the year was where the down started. My best friend at the time, the girl I met cheerleading, started acting like a completely different person from the one I got so close to. Our friendship ended, not horribly, but not on a good note either, and I spent the summer being pretty lost. I’m grateful to her for being there with me in middle school, and we truly did have great memories from that time. I was able to go through those two years with someone who accepted me, and no matter who the person she is today, the girl I was best friends with was wonderful.
That summer was hard for me because I had just lost my best friend, and I felt so lonely. I started hanging out with two other girls, however, and found the best friendships I’ve ever had. Joycie and Rachel were there for me in a way they probably don’t realize; I could literally be the weirdest person in the world and there was never any hesitation on their part that we were sisters in all but blood. They were my best friends then, now, and will be always, and I can’t thank them enough. Because of their total acceptance of all my weird quirks (trust me, there’s a lot), I was able to start accepting myself as well. I thought if these two girls don’t care about my faults, why should I? With them, my supportive family, my friends from swim, and swim itself, I was in the best place I had ever been.
The rest of high school was both good and bad – as all experiences with high school are – and my confidence varied from time to time. I took hard classes with incredible teachers, and my love for English, Spanish, and learning about different places across the globe solidified. I got my first serious boyfriend at the end of junior year, but it wasn’t the best relationship. He made me feel lesser in every way; less beautiful, less smart, and less of a person in general. I don’t think he called me beautiful once, but I also learned that our relationship was not what healthy ones were like. It was short-lived, luckily, and I actually learned a lot about myself through the mistakes that we both made. Ending the relationship made me stronger and more confident because I learned how to stick up for myself.
The summer before college was spent making memories with my best friends, and we had a blast. I was nervous going into college because I was afraid I would be homesick every day, not be able to do well in my classes, or that I wouldn’t find a solid group of friends. None of these things happened, and though freshman year wasn’t everything that I expected it or wanted it to be, it was everything that I needed, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. I made awesome friends, and ended up absolutely loving it there (and I still do today!).
I came out of winter break and into the new year, 2015, worried that I wouldn’t be able to keep up this track of being happy with myself. So, that’s why one of my goals was to learn how to truly love myself. I have always loved the idea of self-love, and thought I would achieve that when I looked or felt a certain way. I thought that when or if I got a gorgeous guy’s attention by looking the way I had always wanted, it would all just click for me, and bam I would love myself. Well, ladies and gents that is not how it works. Like any relationship, loving yourself takes time and effort, and you have to love yourself before you can love others.
You would think it’d be easy to get to know yourself because, hello, it’s not like you haven’t met yourself, but it is hard work. Loving every single part is hard, hard work. You have to love the quirks and “faults” as well as your best qualities. Let me just say, though, your quirks and shortcomings can be some of the most beautiful parts of you. They are what set you apart from everyone, so make sure to give those parts some extra lovin’.
Body image is also a huge part of self-love. I have always had horrible body image; I’ll be the first to admit it. I saw my body as a failure because I wasn’t the tallest and thinnest girl out there. Again, comparison comes into play here big time. I compared my body to probably everyone I met, which was not a healthy thing to do at all. No, I don’t have model long legs, or world-class abs like Olympic stars; however, instead of thinking of these things as failures, I choose to love my body as it is. Sure, I work out everyday to stay in shape, and simply because I enjoy working out, but I no longer think “I’ll love my body when…” because that isn’t how anyone should think. I work out and eat right because I love my body. It does amazing things for me, and allows me to pursue the crazy dreams and goals I have. It lets me see the people I love, and go on adventures with. I can see all of the incredible sights this world has to offer because of my body, whether or not I have the “perfect” one, if there is such a thing. Our bodies do some pretty crazy things, and allow us to live this life we’re given. To not love it is a half-life; doing awesome things, but not appreciating the vessel we can do them in. I know I’m not the prettiest girl in the world, but there’s no one else out there like me, and there’s no one else out there like you. You are the only person who can be you, so never compare yourself to others. They are living out a completely different story to yours, so of course they’re going to be different.
My journey to self-love was a long and hard one, as they so often are. It’s hard to love yourself when there are people telling you that you won’t amount to anything, that you aren’t anything special, or that you’re ugly. We’re all special in our own ways, and you get to decide how far you go in life, not other people. Yes, there are going to be hard things for you to go through, but you react in the way that you want to, ultimately. You can let those people knock you down, or you can try your hardest to prove them wrong. I hope one day I can simply tell that boy from grade school that I made my dreams come true, despite how hard he tried to crush them, and that I love my body now. Please, please, please, don’t ever let anyone stop you from doing what you love. Regardless of whether or not your dreams are the “right” ones, or if they’re “too big” for you to reach, at least try. Honestly, what is the hurt in trying? You will truly never know if you can make it, if you don’t ever try. And don’t just give half the effort – fully and truly go for your dreams with all you’ve got. We get to decide what we do with this life, so you might as well do as much as you can.
So, the reason for this long, long rant is for you to realize that loving yourself is one of the best things that could happen to you. It takes a lot of time and effort, but the best relationships do. Start with small things, and work up to the bigger and harder things. And please also realize your body is beautiful – flaws included. They are what make you unique and interesting, and what set you apart from others. Never compare your body to others, or feel like it isn’t good enough. I mean really, just ask yourself, what is it not good enough for?
Thank you SO much for reading and watching, and I hope you have a wonderful day!
I’m so sorry this post is a week and a half late! Work has been absolutely crazy, and I’ve been really busy with last minute preparations for LA. I still cannot believe that I’m going to VidCon! That is for another post, though – today I’m going to tell you about the newest highlight from Becca cosmetics in collaboration with YouTuber Jaclyn Hill, Champagne Pop! You may have heard of it since a lot of people have been going crazy about it (myself included), so I definitely wanted to let you know my thoughts on it!
I have watched Jaclyn Hill’s videos on YouTube for a while now, so when she announced Champagne Pop, I was so excited! A good highlight is what I had definitely been missing in my makeup collection, so I couldn’t wait to get my hands on it.
The box is a gorgeous rose gold shade with “drops” of champagne (hence the water droplet overlay for the title picture hehe) all over.
The color shows up a bit better and this picture. The back features a picture of Jaclyn and a little back story to the product!
The whole product packaging itself looks the same as the other Becca highlights, and I love how it looks and feels! It’s super chic and compact.
There’s a little plastic cover over the product when you first open it up. I couldn’t wait to get it off at this point!
LOOK AT THAT COLOR.
Here’s a swatch on my hand!
It’s seriously such a beautiful shade, and looks so pretty in the sunlight, and also when you aren’t in direct light. I am in love!
Here’s what it looks like in simple natural light – I love how it isn’t super in your face (although you can definitely put more on than I did here!), but it also gives a super pretty glow to your skin. I applied it to the upper apples of my cheeks (is that a thing?) and also to my cupid bow area.
I love how it makes my skin glow a bit, since I have super dry skin that can look too matte sometimes!
Here’s how it looks in direct sunlight!
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I really love how this looks like in the sun – it gives you the perfect summer glow!
Overall I am SO satisfied with this product! The consistency is slightly buttery (you know what I mean?) so it goes on really well. I’ve been playing around with how much product to actually put on my brush, and I don’t really think you can go wrong. It gives such a pretty glow to the skin, and looks especially gorgeous in the sun and bright lighting. I’ve noticed my skin also looks much glowy-er in general in regular indoor lighting, and I have gotten many compliments on it!
I was afraid I would be too pale for a highlight, but this shade really compliments the pinker undertones in my skin since it’s more of a rose gold color. Even though it is a rose gold shade, I think it would look really good on people who are darker or have a more olive complexion. It really is a versatile product that can work with a lot of different skin tones!
I really encourage you to get this highlight if you’ve been needing one, or if you want to try a new one out! Becca highlights are known for being really great, and this one definitely lived up to the hype and expectations! I’m very, very pleased with my purchase, and give it two thumbs up!
Do you have a favorite highlight?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂
Clear skin is something that we all can relate to in our struggles. Especially when you are a young person, it can sometimes feel like you can never catch a break with your skin between hormones, school, stress – the list goes on and on. I have found a skin routine that really works for me, so I thought I would talk about it a little bit since it really makes my skin happy!
I also just want to preface this with the fact that my skin is very dry and sensitive, so I have to use products that are very gentle, and I always try and use more natural products. My skin seems to react a lot better to natural products, so I always stick with that route!
1. Always take off your makeup at night.
It is so important to take off your makeup at night! If you don’t, your pores are just plugged the whole night, which leads to breakouts! So make sure to steer clear of those by taking off your makeup before you sleep.
I use this eye makeup remover from Fresh, and I absolutely love it! It is so gentle on my eyes, and it leaves them feeling really hydrated, which doesn’t always happen with other eye makeup removers I’ve tried. This product also takes off all of my eye makeup, even the most stubborn mascara! I could go on and on about it, and if you have yet to find an eye makeup remover that you like, you should definitely try this one!
After I take off my eye makeup, I use these makeup remover wipes for my whole face. They are made especially for sensitive skin, so they work really well for me! I also really love Burt’s Bees because they’re products are always so gentle on my skin.
2. Wash your face at least once a day.
I know this one is a given, but for me I only wash my face once a day. Anything more than that really irritates my skin since it’s already dry and sensitive. In the mornings I just wake up and put lotion on, and I skip the face wash. If your skin is really dry and unhappy, try doing this! I know it’s necessary for people with oily skin to wash their face twice a day, but dryer skinned people can get away with just once.
3. Exfoliate at least once a week.
I usually exfoliate on Wednesday’s and Sunday’s, so twice a week, but it’s important to exfoliate at least once a week! It helps to remove the dead skin cells that can clog your pores up, and just keeps your skin happy and healthy!
4. Use a face mask.
I use the Clear Improvement mask from Origins once a week to clarify my skin, but you can use any type of mask you want! There are some really great moisturizing face masks if your skin is particularly dry (I usually do this in the winter), or masks to help reduce oiliness. I really love this mask, though, and it works really well with my skin! I’ve always had really good experiences with Origins products.
5. Use a good moisturizer.
I use the Daily Face Cream from First Aid Beauty in the mornings and night, and I really love it! It’s super important to make sure your face is properly hydrated day and night, so I suggest using lotion at least twice a day. Sometimes I even like to pop on some lotion in the middle of the day when my skin is really dry!
6. Always use sunscreen!
Sunscreen is so important to use even on days that are cloudy! I don’t put sunscreen on all over my body every single day, but I always put sunscreen on my face! It’s in my BB cream, so I’m covered for everyday use, but if I’m going to be in the sun all day (like at the beach or pool) I put on an actual sunscreen for more coverage. Your skin will thank you later in life for consistent sunscreen use!!
I also made a video where I talked a little bit more in depth about all of these points, so you can give it a watch if you want! 🙂
What are your skincare tips?
Thank you so much for reading and have a wonderful day! 🙂
I went and saw the Cinderella movie about a month ago and it was so amazing! Dare I say it’s even better than the original animated one?! All of the costumes, hair, makeup, and everything else was so gorgeous! I seriously fell in love within the first five minutes. I also love the message of “have courage and be kind” that they drive to the audience throughout the whole movie.
Since I loved the movie so much, I did a makeup look for prom inspired by it! I had so much fun doing this, and what girl doesn’t want to look like Cinderella for prom?!
I used the colors in my Naked 1 and 3 palette for this look since they both have really pretty soft pinks! I wanted this whole look to be really glowy and soft since Cinderella really doesn’t wear a lot of harsh makeup in the movie, even during the ball.
I also used the “skintuitive” lipgloss from Tarte for this look, and it changes into a different color for each person! It was so cool watching the color change.
Here is my YouTube video where you can watch how I got this look! 🙂
Well I just wanted to do a quick post showing this look! I’m a freshman in college so I of course am not going to prom, but I thought this might be helpful for those of you going to prom! I know I always had the hardest time deciding what makeup to wear for prom.
Have you seen the new Cinderella?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂