I’m sure I’ve made it painfully clear how obsessed I am with Harry Potter, so once I got to London for my study abroad program, I made sure to buy tickets to the Warner Brothers Harry Potter Studio Tour. I got to go during the last week of my program, so it was a great way to end my time in London! Since I finally have some down time here in Spain, I thought it would be the perfect time to write a post about my time there, share all of the photos I took, and give you some tips on going! Without further ado, here they all are!
Tips:
-Buy your tickets ASAP! As soon as you know the tentative date in which you will be going, buy your tickets – I had to buy mine a month in advance, and even that I was pushing it.
-If you get there really early like I did, kill some time in the gift shop and make a plan of what you want to buy in case you’re in a time crunch afterwards! My friend and I did this, and we’re really glad we did because we only had about 20 minutes after the tour to buy souvenirs in the shop because they were closing.
-Take your time during the tour, and pay attention to small details! There are a lot of cool tidbits of information everywhere.
-Don’t be afraid to look like a dorky tourist – take all of the pictures! I’m so glad I brought my camera and took cheesy pictures of myself in front of platform 9 and 3/4 because I will treasure it forever!
-Keep aside some money for souvenirs, there are some good ones! But at the same time, don’t waste your money on things you could buy cheaper on Amazon.
-Make sure to sit down at the little cafeteria about midway through! It’ll be really nice to rest your feet, and you can have some Butter Beer while you relax! They also had Butter Beer ice cream when I went, and it was so amazing.
-The souvenir Butter Beer cup is only about a pound extra, so if you want a cheaper keepsake from the studios, go for that!
I’m so glad I got to go to the tour, and it was the best way to end my London study abroad. I’m also really glad I’m getting this post up right around the time that Harry Potter and the Cursed Child came out! Everything is kept in great condition, the staff is really great, and you really do feel like you’re in the movies. If you find yourself in London, I highly recommend going, especially if you’re a Harry Potter fan!
While preparing for my study abroad, I didn’t really give myself time to stop and think about the actual act of getting over here to Europe. I busied myself with packing lists, Pinteresting things to do, making bucket lists, and all other things pertaining to organization, so when it came to the night before I left, I started to freak out. Flying has never bothered me, and I actually really love it. The part before and after is what really makes me nervous: navigating the airport, and getting to where I am staying. Security is always so fast paced that I feel like I get whiplash and don’t have any time to be organized, which is what I thrive on. I am also always nervous that I’ll somehow end up missing my flight, even though I arrive at the airport at least three hours early. Through my travels, I’ve developed a couple of habits that make traveling a lot easier, so I thought I would share them with you, because I’m sure there are other anxious travelers out there!
1. Have a plan, and stick with it.
I am a planner. My actual, physical planner is my best friend for that reason, and I always feel ten times better when I have a solid strategy laid out for how I’m going to tackle the airport, and specifically getting through security and finding my gate. The night before I left for England, I made sure I knew where everything was located in my bags, I printed out all of the copies for my flight tickets, passport copies, study abroad info, homestay and dorm address, etc. This helped so much because I knew I would be able to quickly pull something out of my bags if need be, and I also knew where I was going to go in the airport and at what time. Basically as soon as I get out of security, I go to the T.V.’s to see if my flight info is up yet (sometimes the gate isn’t shown until an hour before the flight leaves), grab some food or coffee if I want it, and head to my gate to sit and wait. Yes, it’s annoying to just sit and wait for a long time, but if you end up getting hungry later, you know where to go back to when you’re ready to leave.
2. As soon as you know your gate, go to a map and locate it.
Airports are huge and often very confusing, so it’s a great idea to locate where you need to go on a map, maybe even take a picture of it on your phone, and head over there. This is especially helpful when you have a layover and are in an unfamiliar airport. I don’t have the best sense of direction, so maps are always very helpful for me. I figure I’ll take a wrong turn at least twice, so it’s also really helpful taking a picture of the airport map to have on my phone. Once I actually find the gate, I set up camp with my snacks, coffee, and Kindle, and wait until my flight is boarding! This really helps with my anxiety because I know where I am supposed to be, and that I won’t miss my flight.
3. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
This can be really scary especially if you are in a foreign country, but the people who work at the airport are there to help you, so more often than not they will happily give you advice. I could not, for the life of me, get the check-in machine to work at the Heathrow airport, but a nice lady helped me out and the crisis was avoided. When you’re already in a high-stress situation, any little thing can set you off, so it’s really important to just stay calm and ask people for help if you need it.
4. Give yourself a lot of extra time.
For international flights, I get to the airport at least three hours before my flight leaves to give myself plenty of time, and two hours for domestic flights. I hate being rushed, especially when I’m already stressed, so it really helps to have a nice time cushion. This also really helps mentally because I know it’s totally fine if I do end up getting turned around, or if the security line ends up being really long. Security is always hit or miss; sometimes it breezes by, and other times it seems to never end. It honestly just depends on the time and day, which is extremely frustrating. Giving yourself lots of extra time always ensures you’ll have plenty of time, though, and I would much rather have an extra hour of reading instead of running to my gate!
5. Make sure you put all of your liquids in a clear plastic bag, and know exactly where it is.
I flew for the first time in a while last year, and I completely forgot about putting my liquids in a place where I could quickly pull them out for security. I ended up having to completely open up my suitcase in order to get them out, and dig through all of my stuff. This was extremely stressful and embarrassing, and I haven’t made that mistake since! Now I always make sure to put the clear bag (make sure you do this, too, otherwise they’ll make you do it in line) inside of my makeup bag, on top of all of my stuff, and I pull it out a little bit before I get to the part where I put my stuff in the bins. This routine works really well for me, and makes sure I can get through security as quick as possible, which I’m sure everyone else appreciates as well!
6. If possible, check-in to your flight online, before you get to the airport.
I ended up being able to check-in to my flight for London 24 hours before I left, which was so nice because I didn’t have to deal with the long check-in line at the airport. Checking in online also gives you the option to put the boarding pass into your Passbook if you have an iPhone, and a text message if you have an Android. I didn’t end up doing this because I had to change some personal info, but one of my friends did this and he breezed in because he didn’t have to fumble around for his boarding pass! I will definitely be doing that for now on when I’m able to check-in online.
7. Have a plan for how you’re going to get to the place your staying after your flight lands.
You might be saying, “well, duh,” but it can really help to not stress about something if you’ve already looked up taxi services, or checked bus/train times, and have them ready for once you’ve landed. I knew in London I could easily Uber to my homestay, but San Sebastián is a lot smaller, so I checked and made sure there were taxi’s that I could take to my dorm. This helped out a lot because I wasn’t constantly worried on my flight about how I would end up where I needed to be. Nine times out ten, airports always have taxi’s waiting outside of arrivals, so you can always get to where you need to be, or at least a bus or train station that will take you there.
8. Try, as hard as you can, to stay calm.
Trust me, I completely understand how stressful airports can be. I love flying, but it can be so scary to try and navigate airports for the first time by yourself, or get through security without your mom helping you grab stuff really quickly. When in stressful situations, it only makes it worse when you start to freak out, and lose your level head. It helps to try and remain calm, think and breath through a situation, and just relax. In the long run, you’ll end up a lot less stressed out if you remain calm through a hard situation. Just remember that you’ll end up where you need to be, so don’t worry too much!
Alright, well those are all of my trips on how to deal with travel anxiety! Just always keep in mind that all of the stress from the airport will be worth it once you get to your destination!
When I read about how busy study abroad programs were, I definitely underestimated just how crazy they could get. I feel like I haven’t had a moment to breath, let alone sit down and write a blog post or edit a video. I have so many photos on my camera that I need to edit and export in order to do blog posts, but I’ll be leaving for Spain on Saturday, so at least I’ll have time to do a lot of that then. My time here in London has flown by!
I was able to snap a couple of photos of some stuff that I’ve bought so far, so I thought I would share that with you guys, because I’ve got some good things that I’m excited to use!
One thing I was extremely excited for upon going to London, was going to a Ted Baker store! I absolutely love Ted Baker, it’s probably my favorite designer brand, and once I walked into the store I saw this beauty and knew I had to have it. I have a pink Ted Baker bag that is a bit bulky and doesn’t really go with everything, so I have been wanting to get a more neutral one, anyway. This little guy was also 50% off, so it was definitely a steal! I am a little worried about it being white, but Nordstrom has some really great handbag wipes that I will probably be investing in to keep it pristine white.
I love the gold details everywhere! And the little bow is absolutely adorable, and not gaudy at all.
Another thing I was super excited for was to be able to buy Zoella Beauty products! We don’t have them in the States, so I really wanted to get a couple while I was here. I’m waiting to try them out until I get home, so I’ll be doing a review later this summer on them! I might have to run back to Boots and get a couple more products to try out… I was really excited for this bath fizzer because it seems like a lot of fun, and the packaging is so adorable.
I honestly got this product just because the packaging is so adorable and different. I really actually do love bath salts, though, so I’m sure I’ll enjoy this product a lot.
This is the Diamond perfume from Armani, and it was 50% off when I bought it as well! I definitely lucked out. This stuff smells so amazing, and it will be perfect to use back home because the smell will remind me of London. I really want to get one from Spain to remember it by as well! I love bringing new perfume on vacation just for that reason.
Okay, can I just talk about my love for Primark for a minute? It is such a great store, and has wonderful prices on everything! I was in the need of a plain black leather jacket to go with everything, and I walked in and saw this lovely thing for 14 pounds! It was seriously a steal, and I will definitely be going back before I leave London to go buy some things.
I just had to get a couple of onesies while here since my cousin just had her twin boys! They are so adorable, and I know she’ll love them because they aren’t too tacky at all. The material is also super soft, so I’m sure they’ll be perfect for their little newborn skin!
I got another one in a different print, since I’m sure they’ll already have a lot of matching clothes.
Also, a side note on some great places to go shopping in London: Covent Garden, Camden Market, Oxford Street, and Soho area are all great places to go!
Alright, well those are a couple of things I’ve bought while here in London! I plan on going shopping one more time, so I might have another haul going up sometime next week. I’m so sad that my time in London is coming to a close, because I have definitely fallen in love with this city! I really don’t want to leave, but I know that I’ll have a blast in Spain as well.
It’s no secret that I absolutely love going to the movie theater. I’ve always loved watching movies on the big screen, there’s something so wonderful about it! It’s been one of my favorite things to do since I was a kid, and it definitely has not changed through the years. If anything, my passion for going to the movies has just gotten stronger! I’m always especially excited for the summertime because a lot of fun movies tend to come out, and this year there are so many great ones coming to the big screen! Being in London, though, some of the premiere dates are different than the US, but that only means I’ll have a ton of movies to go see with family and friends once I get home. Here are five that I am really excited to see!
If you haven’t heard of Finding Dory, then it’s very probable that you live under a rock. The hype surrounding this sequel to the beloved Finding Nemo has been unreal, since it was one that defined my generation’s childhood. It was a pivotal film that made us so emotional and worried for these adorable sea creatures, and the highly anticipated sequel has been begged for for ten years now. I cannot wait to see this – either in the US or Spain – because it doesn’t come until July 29th in the UK!
When I was little, Tarzan and The Jungle Book were two of my favorite movies. I saw the new Jungle Book earlier this Spring/Summer, and it was so great, so now I’m excited to see the newest adaptation of Tarzan! The trailers are so dramatic and the CGI looks truly incredible. I have high hopes for this film, so hopefully I’m not let down! Either way, it’s definitely going to be very different from the Disney classic.
I made it to London, and I can’t believe I’m here! I’ve been year for about five days now, but it simultaneously feels like I’ve been here for months, and minutes. I’m so surprised by how quickly I’ve gotten comfortable with the public transportation here; they make it so easy to get to the city, and travel throughout it. I definitely thought it would take me a while to get used to it and be able to find my way, especially with my horrible sense of direction!
The whole journey of getting here was pretty easy, and I didn’t have any complications, other than my suitcase being about 15-20 pounds overweight (all of my books had to go home with my parents instead of overseas with me, sadly). The flights went very smoothly, and luckily there were no screaming babies. It was definitely hard sitting there for seven hours straight on the flight over to London – I had a layover in Detroit – but it went by relatively quickly.
I got into London at about noon on Saturday, the 18th, so I was able to get settled in at the home I’m staying at. The couple hosting me is so lovely, and they have the most adorable little house and family. They have two cats, Rosie and Mackey, as well as three children and four grandchildren. I’ve met their son and his two children, and they are so sweet as well. I definitely lucked out, because I have a great roommate as well! It’s nice staying with a family, especially since I come from a very close one, so I have that homely comfort, and a wonderful place to come back to after long classes. My host mom has even made my roommate and I two batches of gluten free cupcakes, and always makes sure that there is vegetarian and gluten free food for me to eat!
I spent most of Sunday sleeping, basically, because I was feeling pretty sick in the morning and very jet lagged the whole day. I definitely underestimated how tired I would be! My sleep schedule is slowly returning to normal, so that’s very nice. I’ve now spent about three days in the city, walking around as a class, and wandering a tiny bit on my own, and I’ve taken so many photos so far. I thought I would post all of them to this post, since they are of all over London, and not any specific sub-city. I’ll be having dedicated posts for each of the places I go to, but for now this is an initial catch-all post!
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| This is the street of the neighborhood my host family lives in. |
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| The houses are so cute here! |
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| I can’t get over the architecture; everything is gorgeous! |
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| There are so many streets with cute buildings like these! |
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| Soho and the West End is definitely my favorite area so far. |
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| Leicester Square is so beautiful! |
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| There are so many double deckers, and they definitely do not get any less impressive the more I see them! |
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| I had to take a stereotypical telephone booth photo. |
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| I couldn’t believe the shot I got of Big Ben, because the clouds suddenly cleared! |
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| This is Mackey, one of my host family’s cat! She is the sweetest little thing. |
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| My host family has such pretty roses in their garden! |
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| This is Rosie, the rather chubby-but-adorable second cat. |
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| There was a swan (a swan people) just casually swimming about by the park near Buckingham Palace. |
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| As if it couldn’t get any better, here are some baby swans. I think I died in this moment. |
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| This is from on of the monuments from a German bombing. |
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| I really need to start getting more “touristy” photos with myself in them! |
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| We got to watch the guards sign off (?) at four o’clock. The horses were so gorgeous! |
I’ve taken hundreds of photos so far, so I’m really glad I decided to bring an extra memory card! That way I won’t have to worry about the amount I’m taking, and I’ll still have plenty of room for my Spain trip. I’m having so much fun; I’m extremely grateful that I’m here. I was pretty homesick the first full day here, probably because I was so exhausted, and was just lying around the house not really doing much of anything. Now that my mind and body are both so preoccupied, I’m not dwelling on home! It definitely comes in waves, though. I just keep thinking that I’m in one of the most incredible cities in the world, and probably won’t have a chance like this one to be in London for so long, doing whatever I want to when I don’t have classes. I’m so lucky to have my parents who both encouraged me to come here, because I’m seriously having the time of my life so far.
I am leaving for London, my first study abroad program, this Friday and I’m starting to freak out. I’m feeling a nice mixture of nerves and excitement as it’s becoming more real. I’ve been looking forward to this since March when I found out I got accepted into both programs – London and San Sebastián – and now it’s actually here! I want to make sure to make the most of both programs, so I thought I would make a bucket list for each locations! Since London is first, I’ll start with this one, and do my San Sebastián one closer to the program.
1. Go to the Warner Brother’s Studio Tour of Harry Potter.
2. See Big Ben.
3. Visit the Sherlock Museum.
4. Have fancy tea somewhere.
5. Ride the London Eye.
6. Visit Buckingham Palace.
7. Go to Hyde Park.
8. Go to King’s Cross Station
9. Attend a football match.
10. Go to the London YouTube Space.
11. Go to the British Museum.
Things I want to do outside of London…
12. Visit Scotland.
13. Visit Ireland.
14. Go to Stonehenge.
15. Visit Brighton.
I still cannot believe that I’m going to Europe this summer to study abroad! It hasn’t set in that I’m leaving in two days – I probably won’t believe it until I’m actually there. I can’t wait to share all of my adventures with you all!
Also, if any of you live in London or have visited, I would love it if you could let me know where I should go!
Finals are finally over, and we have arrived at the end of the year once again. I have found that college is going by way faster than I ever thought – or wanted – it to. Like last year, I wanted to reflect back on the year with a letter to it, so here goes!
Dear Sophomore Year,
I learned so much from you. I thought Freshman Year taught me a lot, and it did, but you put me through so much more. Because of you, I found best friends who will probably be in my life forever, and I learned that it’s okay to rely on them when I feel incredibly overwhelmed. I met most of these people Freshman Year, but you solidified those relationships and showed me which ones were worth cultivating.
I grew so much this past school year. Through papers, tests, and projects, I not only learned a lot about the subjects I’m interested in, but myself as well, by seeing how I dealt with all of the challenges I faced. I was a lot more comfortable my second year at college, but you made sure I was still put in situations outside of my comfort zone. This ensured that I grew even more, and through these challenges I became more confident.
You showed me just what being confident in myself can do, Sophomore Year. My newfound confidence in myself allowed me to go out of my comfort zone and do a lot of things that I wouldn’t, had I still been afraid of what people thought of me. I joined a new club and got a leadership position in a different one for next year. I’m looking forward to that, but I won’t forget that you, Sophomore Year, were the start of it all. This was the year that I really started to come out of my shell, and I know I still have a long way to go.
This year was full of many triumphs and failures, but overall was a great one. I was accepted into my major, declared my double major, and was also accepted to two different study abroad programs. It was also a very difficult year with classes, but I was able to work hard and get everything done with (most of) my sanity still intact.
I went through a lot in my personal life this year, besides all of the academic stress, but I made it through with the help of my best friends. Joycie and Rachel have been my rocks through you, Sophomore Year, and I honestly don’t know what I would’ve done without them. They experienced many late night, frantic texts when I couldn’t handle all of the stress, and I’ll always be grateful to them for being there no matter what.
I learned so much about myself, and I know that this year was one where I matured a lot. I finally feel (mostly) like an adult, with two decades under my belt, and I’m figuring out how to rely on myself to find solutions to real-world problems. It’s a scary realization that I’m no longer a kid and have to figure things out on my own, but I know I can always call my parents if I absolutely need to. A scary part of growing up is realizing you have to do a lot on your own, but Sophomore Year, you showed me that I really can do it.
Love,
Stnkrbug
A lot of people talk about all of the essentials you’ll need for your dorm, or how to move in, but one of the most daunting task isn’t talked about a lot: moving out of your dorm. Throughout the year, it seems like things just pile up over time, and at the end you are left with a mess of items you don’t even remember buying. All of those old assignments you shoved under your bed or in drawers seem to magically grow ten sizes, and the thought of packing seems like the most overwhelming thing in the world.
I have definitely been there, and am currently there now. This year it’s a lot more manageable since I made it through move-out last year, but still it is a daunting task for anyone. I thought since I was able to persevere last year, I would share my tips on how to move out of your college dorm successfully, and hopefully a little bit easier!
Decide when exactly you are going to move out, and coordinate with whomever is helping you move out. I try and do this early on and let my parents know so they’ll have a whole day free to help me move out of my dorm, which is helpful because there’s no way I could do it by myself! Once you’ve decided when you’re going to move out, make a plan of how you are going to be packing up all of your stuff; do you need boxes to put little things in? Clothes boxes for your closet? How are you getting that mini-fridge out? It’s important to have some sort of an idea of how you’re getting everything out of your room, instead of just blindly hoping it’ll work.
Starting a couple of weeks before, I try and bring home things that I know I won’t need for the last month or so of school. This helps get little random things out of the way so you have more room in your car for other items. Since you’ll be looking through all of your stuff, this helps for you to see all that is in your dorm room, and what will have to come out soon.
There are some things in your dorm room that you probably won’t need over the summer, especially if you’ll be living in a dorm again next year, or a smaller space. Because of that, it’s nice to pack boxes with things that you know you won’t immediately need once home, and can just put in storage until fall. Doing this helps a lot when you’re unloading your car, and need to get to vital things like your favorite books (I know I’m not the only one).
There is no such thing as over-labeling a box, and can be super helpful when you are unloading boxes. Try and put like-items into the same box, for example bathroom things, kitchen utensils, bedding, etc. If everything is labeled really well, it’s that much easier to unpack, and also to see if you even need to unpack a box before you move back into a dorm or apartment for the fall. My family and I tend to over-label boxes anyway just to be funny, so have fun with it!
Moving is hard work, people. It may not seem like your dorm can fit a lot of things, but they definitely add up throughout the year. It’s important to make sure that you’re eating and drinking enough to stay energized, especially since the weather is heating up! Plan ahead and pre-make some snacks or a lunch, and make sure to feed everyone who is helping you! It will be greatly appreciated, and will also help everyone’s spirits stay lifted.
It can be easy to just want to throw everything into the car as quickly as possible, but try and take time and place things in there strategically. Be mindful of breakables, and make sure they aren’t in a location where something could fall and crush it. When in doubt, put the sturdiest and heaviest stuff on the bottom, and lighter, more delicate things on top. This may seem obvious, but it can be easy to forget when you’re trying to move as quickly as possible!
Alright, well those are my tips on how to move out of your dorm a little bit more easily than if you were just to go at it with no plan! That’s what I ended up doing last year and it was way more stressful than it needed to be! I wish you all the best of luck!
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!
Okay, can we just talk about the packaging?! The whole collection has the prettiest boxes and bottles. They ombre coloring with the gold lettering is so gorgeous and gives off the impression of high quality right from the start.
The bottle itself is also so pretty. The applicator is a little off-set wand, so I just apply it directly to my under-eye area and blend it in with my damp beauty blender. This product goes on very easily, and blends out so well. It also doesn’t crease at all throughout the whole day, and lasts for 12 hours! It doesn’t advertise that, but mine has been lasting for the whole day while I wear it. I set it with my Elf translucent powder and it does not budge.
Only one layer is needed to cover my dark circles, which is really impressive! My dark circles are very dark no matter how long I sleep, which is very frustrating. I can never seem to get rid of them naturally, so my only option is to cover the suckers up. This product does that flawlessly, though, so I’m very happy with it!
The only “bad” thing I found about this product was the smell. When I first opened the bottle, it smelled kind of chemical-y, or like nail polish. I was initially worried about putting it on my face, but I didn’t have any problems with it whatsoever, and I have now gotten used to the smell.
Have you tried anything from this new collection yet?
Thank you so much for reading, and have a wonderful day! 🙂