Decorating?

Hello everyone! I thought I would mix things up & show you a few little "upgrades" I did to my room.


I have always, always wanted a jewelry armior. I had been actively looking for one for about the past 2 years and I just could not find one I really liked, until recently. I have been watching Tiffany's videos on Youtube for a while now and I could not help noticing the jewelry armior she had in the background. I immediately fell in love. It took me a while, but I finally found the exact one from her videos at Pier 1. It was a little more money than I wanted to spend, but I saved up and talked myself into it. It is part of the Hayworth Collection, if you are curious. Here are some pics, I feel like the pics do not do it justice. You have to see it in person to see the full beauty.

This is the outside. It is stunning in person. Please excuse the reflection of my legs in the mirror.

This is what it looks like opened. There is sooo much space inside!

 

 

I am absolutely loving it! I finally have a place for all my jewelry & been actually wearing it. I am exicted. Let me know if you guys want to see it up close with my jewelry organized in it, I'll take some up closer pics.

 

Meanwhile on Pinterest...I saw this really cool shoe rack that was made from a bookcase.

 

looks pretty legit, right?

 

 

I figured I would just buy a bookcase & adjust the shelves to however far spaced apart tehy needed to be. Just buying the bookcase was the hardest part! I went everywhere in search of a bookcase. The only thing I could find was cheapo particle board. So, I thought that might work. I bought a particle board bookcase @ WalMart and when I brought it home it was too flimsy to even stand up by itself. haha...fail! The hunt was still on. I eventually found a real wood, solid bookcase at Target that I bought. Here is my Pinterest inspired shoe storage solution: 

 

 

It's not too bad if I do say so myself. I went with black, bc it matched my room better. I also have too many shoes for just one, and my boots are still in my closet. I might have a slight shoe addiction...

So there are my 2 room upgrades. Let me know if you enjoy seeing this kind of thing or whatever :)

I heart fall

It's that time of year again: fall! I saw a tag on YouTube that was the "I heart fall" tag, started by MissJenFabulous (go check her out) She made up all of the questions so now I'll answer:

1 Favorite Fall lip product? I have to be boring with this one and say Burts Bee's. I always wear lip gloss in the spring and summer but in the fall I need more hydration so I use this simple lip balm. I love the way it makes my lips tingle. I have one beside my bed, one in my car, and another in my purse. I hate chapped lips and Burt's Bees is the only balm that really prevents this.


2 Favorite Fall Nail Polish? For this one I have to say any color of purple. I love having purple nails in the fall. I feel like it can be dark, but still fun.

3 Favorite Starbucks Fall Drink? Starbucks Pumpkin Spice Latte, what else? I tried to branch out the other day and get the salted caramel latte & that was bad news, I didn't like the salty aftertaste.

4 Favorite Fall Candle? Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin by Bath & Body Works. Do you see a theme? haha I love anything pumpkin flavored or scented. I do like their Leaves scent too.


5 Favorite Fall Scarf or accessory: I love love love boots. I have black and brown Steve Maddens & so many Uggs that I'm embarrassed. They are so comfy and warm.

6 Haunted house, haunted hay ride, or haunted corn maze? I have to say it is a toss up between haunted house and haunted hayride. I participated in all 3 a couple weekends ago at Rich's Fright Farm in Pennsylvania. It was an absolute blast!


7 Favorite Halloween movie? I never really watch any Halloween movies. I dk why. I like scary movies, I just never seem to watch any aroung this time of year.


8 Favorite candy to eat on Halloween? I love the pumpkin shaped Reese's cups! They are thebomb.com :) I like pretty much any candy though.


9 What are you dressing up as for Halloween?! I actually didn't dress up this year. I had to work, so I wore my Halloween scrubs with little spiders on them!

10 What is your Favorite thing about Fall? There is so much I love about fall. Boots, warmer clothes, football, the first snowflakes. But I think what I like most of all is that fall seems to be the calm before the storm. Soon Thanksgiving and Christmas will be here & everyone will be in a whirlwind of craziness. You won't be able to get a parking spot at the mall & ppl will be stressing over presents/get togethers. I love that fall is a time of peacefulness.

OOTD: bff's bridal shower

A couple weekends ago I went to one of my best friend's bridal shower. I was so exicted to see her bc she has been away at college for the past 3 years! So here is what I wore:

Obviously I'm the short blonde on the right :)

     My dress is from Kohl's, Sweater from GAP, boots are Steve Maddens that I bought at Journeys.

I liked this outfit but I felt like the dress was too long. I like the design on the bottom of it but I felt like I was all dress & no body. haha, oh well. Apparently we all got the memo to wear boots :)

     It was nice to catch up, and scary to think that we are old enough to get married!

     

Influenster

     Hello! Does anyone remember the Influenster VoxBox I received around Valentine's Day? Whether you do or not, Influenster is an interesting thing. It is a type of social networking site for ppl who are "influensters." (Their word not mine, haha) Basically that means those who have Facebook, YouTube, blogs, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram...etc & share things with others, or influence them. So why am I rambling about this, you ask?
     I got an email from them today & they have revamped their website. It got a huge make-over. It is much easier to use & there is more information. You make your own profile & then unlock badges by taking surveys/writing reviews/sharing your opinions with others on the social networking sites you already have. Once you start racking up badges you can gain access to getting boxes full of free stuff! There are also giveaways/drawings to win stuff all the time. Before, I gained badges to get the Love VoxBox around Valentine's Day and then I shared pics on here, wrote reveiws, and shared some of the brand's names on social networking sites. I got a ton of free stuff, which was great.
     So, go check it out for yourself! Here is there website: Influenster.com  It will be worth your time, who doesn't want free stuff for giving your honest opinion about new products?

I'm back!

     Hey everyone! Guess what....I'm back. That's right, after months of being MIA I have finally managed to get back on here. I apologize for abandoning my blog. I was posting like crazy there for a while & all of a sudden I was gone. Anyone interested in why I have been missing?? If so, read on :)

     As some of you may know, I was in nursing school. I am proud to annouce that on June 30th I graduated as a Licensed Practical Nurse! Getting through nursing school was extremely tough. There were times when I did not sleep and I ate way to much fast food. I gained 15lbs (which I have already managed to loose!) & lost some friends. I had zero time, let alone free time so that is why I stopped posting. (insert cheezy pic of me holding diploma here)

     The first week of July I began working at a nursing home as a graduate nurse. I absolutely love it. I have def found my calling. There are days where it is crazy & I want to rip my hair out but it is soo worth it in the end. I love spending time with the residents and helping them out however I can. On my days off I studied my butt off for the NCLEX (or nurses licensing test.)

     The second week in August I took the NCLEX. It was so difficult! I felt defeited when I finished. however, I got my results backa couple days later and I had passed! Therefore, I was officially hired at the nursing home. The last week in August I bought a new car! My car had been falling apart for about a year & I was ready for something newer so I bought a 2010 Honda Element.

   
  September I worked a ton & tried to catch up with friends and family that I had neglected during school/finding a new job/buying a new car. It was nice to find some routine in my life. I rotated between working dayshift and evening shift. This continued through October, I just worked a lot & tried to spend as much time as possible catching back up on my social life.
     Night before last something else really exciting happened...My boyfriend proposed! We have been dating for 2 years & 4 months. We have been talking about marriage for a couple months now, so I was kinda expecting it for Christmas. Here is the ring:

     It is a princess cut, 1/2 carat, & beautiful! He let me pick it out too, kudos to him right? So right now it is getting sized because I have little fingers (I wear size 4.5). In 2 weeks it is supposed to be sized and will be back onto my finger!

     Ok, are you all tired of me blabbing about my crazy life? haha I thought so. How about some beauty reviews or OOTD? They will be coming on here pretty soon, I promise! Next week is my birthday & then comes Thanksgiving & Christmas so hopefully I'll ahve a few seasonal posts up too.

     Have a great day & it's good to be back :)

May Birchbox

Hello! I have had my Birchbox for over a week now & I am so excited to share it with you. I get so pumped every month when that little box is in my mailbox. If you don't know what Birchbox is: It is a monthly subscription to beauty samples. It costs $10 and you get 4-5 sample sizes of high end beauty products. If you are curious, click here. I absolutely love it :) So here is what I got this month:

This month, instead of the usual hot pink Birchbox, it was in a black box with pink design.

I was a little unsure of the reason of black instead of pink, but I soon found out...

This month's theme was Gossip Girl so the regular Birchbox was covered in a sleeve with a pic of New York City backdrop

Since it was Gossip Girl themed, the inside "post card" came with pictures of characters from the show. It has a little greeting about going out and preparing for a night out & being an "uptown lady."

 Here is the back of the post card from the pervious picture, it has a small description of each product I received.

Diorshow Extase Mascara: It is for length & volume with dramatic effect. This is by far my favorite out of the entire box. It goes on smoothly & does not flake or smear. It it very long wearing and gives my lashes a great shape.

Miss Dior Eau De Perfum: It claims to be mostly floral. Personally i think it smells like an old lady & I'm tired of getting mini perfume samples every month. Maybe that's jsut me but oh well.

Miracle Skin Transformer Body SPF 20 in Glow: This is a tinted treatment that covers scars & blemishes on your arms/legs. It appears to be a shimmery bronzer that I think will look nice on legs and my shoulders/chest if I wear a sundress. I haven't used this yet, I feel like I need a special occasion for it.

Shu Uemura Cleansing Oil Shampoo: this comes out like any other clear shampoo but is pretty thin. It turns into a light foam when you lather your hair. I have used it twice and noticed that even after one use my hair felt more smooth, full, and healthy.

As a lifestyle extra I got a post card note with XOXO on the front that came with a hot pink envelope. I already sent it to one of my friends because it was really cute & i forgot to snap a picture of it.


All-in-all I think my May Birchbox was pretty good. I have never watched Gossip Girl. I did read the books way back in the beginning of high school but I just have not had time for TV lately. I do think that I would enjoy it if I had the time to sit and watch all of them. It is not a show you can watch one or two of and enjoy, you have to see them all in sequence. However, I don't think that changed my feelings toward my Birchbox this month. When I was opening it I thought I might feel a little left out when I opened the box but I did not feel that way at all. I do prefer boxes that are not quite as themed, but I still really enjoyed this one. :)

If you got a Birchbox let me know what you got or direct me to your blog post/video of unboxing! Have a great day :)

Sample Size review :)

Good afternoon! I forced myself to study all day for a huge final I have tomorrow so now I will do a little blogging for you all. I have been using up and enjoying a lot of sample sizes here lately. Some are from the drugstore & others are from Birchbox. All in all, i have concluded that I love beauty minis! I obviously get too distracted to commit to one full size of anything. Of course I have my staple beauty products but I love to supplment with minis. They are small & cheap so f I do not love the item there is no harm but if I love it I can always go & get the full size. Most beauty products are soo expensive therefore I am saving money by only spending on what I know I like and will use. Also some items I just want for a season because of a certain scent or for a special occasion. So, enough rambling on about loving sample sizes..Here is a littl review of some drugstore & some Birchbox minis:

This is the amika nourishing hair mask that I received in my April Birchbox. It contains Obliphica  and Argan oils for shine & restoraton. It is also safe for color treated hair which was a plus. This 0.67 fl oz size was completely full so I used it 3 times! That is pretty good, some samples are one time use. It felt like a thick conditioner and smelled really nice, like fruit & flowers. It did make my hair feel softer and less frizzy & dry. I really liked this mask but full size is $40 & I don't feel like I really need it. However, I might splurge when I rank up some more Birchbox points.

Another one from my April Birchbox: juice Beauty Oil-free moisturizer. It is certified organic and made from fruit oils. I really really liked this. It has a pretty strong fruity smell but it was a good smell. It is a pretty thin consistency but a little covers your face evenly. It did not cause my face to break out and actually cleared up one breakout. It was extremely hydrating on my face without being oily. I used it at bedtime because it does not contain SPF & I always protect my face during the day. The full size is $28. Once again, I want it but my less than $10 drug store moisturizer is doing fine.

The Biore Combonation skin balancing cleaner came on the back of astrigent that I bought form Biore. I didn't think I was even going to use it but one day I noticed it on the edge of my shower and thought, why not? It is a clear formula & feels like hand soap when you squeez it out. It really foams when you lather it onto your face. I have used it whenever I get a breakout or feel one coming on & t seems to help. I like it for every once in a while but it would be too drying for me to use everyday. I will not be getting a full size when this runs out.

The St. Ives Apricot Scrub is a drug store classic but I had never used it before. I always get those litle red itchy bumps on the back of my upper arms & one of my friends suggested that I use this scrub. I decided to get one of these little bottles for $1 in the travel isle an give it a try. I have been using it about twice a week for a month now & my little bumps are gone! I had no idea this was going to be successful. I just got one more travel size today because now that they are gone I will probably use it on occasion instead of a few times a week. This is now a beauty staple.

I hope you guys enjoyed my sample reviews. Do you like to get beauty minis or would you rather just buy the full size? If you do like sample size, where you you prefer to buy them? Leave me some comments about how you like to find beauty staples. :)

Spring Favorites & catch-up

Hello everyone! It has been such a long time since I have blogged & I am sorry for that. I have been trying out some new products, so since I have about an hour of down time i thought I would share my favorites of spring along with a few newer products I have not used yet.

I have really been loving the Loreal Youth Code line. I believe I have previously mentioned both the Foaming Gel Cleaner & the Eye Treatment. I really like both of them & my Garnier SPF moisturizer is almost empty so I got the Loreal Youth Code SPF 30 Day Lotion Moisturizer. The box claims it to reduce the signs of stress, fatigue, and aging. It smooths, hydrates, and reduces wrinkles so skin looks rested. Personally, my new goal is to not use a day moisturizer/makeup onmy face that does not contain SPF of at least 15. I love that this is lightweight but still SPF 30. I have really dry and sensitive skin but this lotion has made my face feel less dry without being oily. I have used it for about 2 weeks now and I am really liking it. In fact, I like it so much that I do not want to finish up my Garnier moisturizer. Also I want to get more of these Loreal products because I am loving the 3 that I have bought.

This past weekend I went to Bath & Body Works, which always spells disaster. I got the full size shower gel & body mist in Be Enchanted. At Christmas I got the mini ones in this scent and I loved it but I ran out of the shower gel months ago & my body mist is always lost in my purse. I have been wanting the full sizes fo staples on my bathroom shelf. They were running a special so for free I got a tote bag with flowers on it & a full sized body lotion of the new scent Malibu heat. As if that wasn't exciting enough, I saw something brand new that I had nevr seen before. True blue spa has a new summer time collection. I picked up the Malibu Waves Spray for Hair. It is a UV Absorber as well, to protect my color. it smells very strong in the bottle but I sprayed a little out into the air and it smells very fruity in a weird sort of way.

This is the Sephora Summer Essentials kit. I purchased it while I was shopping in Pittsburgh on spring break. So far I still haven't used every product, but the ones I have used I love. The OPI by sephora nail polish is really bright and that beautiful coral color that is everywhere this year. The Murad Oil-Control Mattifier SPF 15 is ont of my favorites. It is the perfect base for foundation on a hot day when you feel like your makeup is going to sweat off. it really does mattify my face and it does not have much of a smell. I don't think I have enough left to even use one more time, I really need to look into getting the full size. The waterproof eye makeup remover is nice as well, because it is pretty gentle on my skin without drying me out but def gets everything clean. I have not had the chance to use the Supergoop sunscreen but it is riding around in my purse waiting for me to spend a little time outside. I have not had hte chance to use the TANtilizer or the NARS orgasm cream blush yet but I will keep you posted. Another absolute favorite of mine is the Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzing Powder. It is the perfect color for contouring & smells like chocolate!! The benefit Bad Gal lash mascara is one of my favorites already & I am saving it for when my other one is empty. I am so glad that I got this summer kit for only $36. I love the mini sizes.

 2 other Items I picked up from Sephora that day were the benefit Hervana blush & Kat Von D eyeshadow. the blush is a perfect blend of pinks that naturally pop on the cheek. I am usually not big on blush but I really like this one. The Kat Von D eyeshadow palette in Beethoven is fantastic. It has beautiful purples, grey, yellow, brown and black. It blends well with matte and shimmery shades. I have been wearing these shadows almost everyday. The do not crease or fade after all day, which is amazing. i want to try more of her makeup line.
I also got a couple samples of Philosophy micro delivery. It is a really gentle face scrub. It has a classic clean "philosophy" smell to it. i really like it & want to get a full sized bottle. It cleared up my face because I get dry skin & dirt/makeup gets trapped under there.

& last but not least, my current face combo:

The Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Radiant Firming Makeup SPF 18 in 220 Sandy Beige. I have been using this for about a month now & i like it. It is a littl thicker than what I prefer but this color goes well with my new fake & bake tan :) The Loreal true match super-blendable power is nice too. I am in the Warm W3 nude beige. I like it a lot better than the powers I have previoulsy used because it layers evenly without feeling caked on.

I hope this blog was not too long for you to look at/read. & I also hope you enjoyed my opinions of these products (please remember that they are my opinions & I bought everything myself) Let me know if you have tried & liked any of these items. Also let me know if there is anything you want me to share in greater detail :) comments are loved & always replied to. Have a great night/day :)

OOTD: coral for spring

Hello everyone! I am soo sorry that I have not blogged in a while. My first week back to class after spring break was really busy. However, I have been using up a lot of my random samples so I will let you now what I think of them here in the next few days. Meanwhile, here is my outfit of the day from Saturday :) It was a classic, rainy & cool spring day here.

This is just a side view of me. As you can see, I am wearing a coral sweater from Wet Seal. My earrings are oversized silver posts from Buckle. I pulled my hair up becauseit was rainy and I knew it would be really frizzy otherwise.

Here are my bracelets: the 2 braided ones are from a Shi by Journeys store. The pearly one is from a set I bought at Buckle.

These are my black, glittery converse. They are so comfortable and can go with a lot of different outfits.

What is the weather like where you are? Is is warm, cold, rainy? What items do you like to use to transition your wardrobe from winter to summer?

Birchbox April 2012

I checked my mail today & found my Birchbox in there!! I was so excited :) If you don't know what Birchbox is, it is a monthly subscription where you receive 4-5 high end beauty samples for only $10 a month. If you are curious check it out here. I have been getting it every month since last October & I absolutely love it. I feel spoiled every month when little samples show up for me to use :)

April's theme is Natural Wonders, so basically the samples are natural and/or inspired by nature.

The back of the card has the list of samples and a mini description of them.

Sample number 1 is the amika Obliphica Nourishing Mask. It contains amino acids & vitamin C to to condition hair and make it shiny and restore split ends. I am anxoius to try this because I have heard good things about amika & i have been looking for a hair mask. Also I have a mini travel blow dryer from amika that I got for free through Birchbox shop that I love.

Juice Beauty Oil-Free Moisturizer. I love moisturizers because I have such dry skin. This one is fruit based. It smells naturally fruity & has a very smooth consistency.

Wonderstruck perfume by Taylor Swift. First of all, let me just say that I love love love Taylor Swift. I have every one of her songs & belt them out while I am driving, plus she is beautiful. This perfume smells amazing too. I was excited to get this. It smells really nice & i usually do not like the perfume samples I get every month.

Zoya nail polish from the TRUE Spring Collection in Lotus. It is a very pretty purple. unfortunately I ahve a purple polish from Zoya that is very similar to this color, but I will def use it anyway.

Lifestyle Extra: dropps Laundry Detergent. Umm...this is boring, sorry but I was not expecting this. It does look convenient because you can just throw it in with any size wash and any temperature water.

I am pretty impressed with my April Birchbox. I cannot wait to try the hair mask from amika & the face moisturizer will be perfect for under foundation. I also love the Taylor Swift perfume & the purple nail polish. If you are curious or want to sign up to get Birchbox, just click here to check it out! You will not be disappointed :)

Sephora Haul

Hey girls! Yesterday I drove to Pittsburgh for a shopping trip & they have a Sephora! I was so excited so I thought I would show you what I got.

I have been eying this one online for a little while so I picked it up. I used a few of the products this morning & I am so happy I got this. It is perfect because I do not need to buy full sizes of products I am not sure I like. These minis are perfect for me!

This is the Kat Von D Bethoven palette. I used 2 of the shadows this morning & am already loving them. They are easily blended and have the perfect hue of pigment without being so intense you cannot wear them. I love it.

I have heard so much about benefit Hervana. It is a beautiful shade on my face & the packaging is cute. There is a ton of blush in here so I know it will last a long time.

This is the benefit they're real mascara. I picked up this little onw to try because I love the benefit Badgal lash mascara.

This is the makeup case that all these minis came in with the cardboard from the above picture wrapped around it. I like it because it is pink and the perfect size for little vacations. It is also nice that it is clear so you can easily see what is inside without digging.

Let me know if you are interested in me reviewing these once I use them for a while. Also what do you prefer, to buy full sizes or minis that you can have a bunch of for the same price as one big item??

theBalm: review

Hello everyone! Hope you are all having a great week. I am off on Spring Break this week so I am trying to catch up on blogging. Here is a review of theBalm items I got last weekend.

These are all 6 theBalm items that I got. I am going to go through them one-by-one below in number order from the picture :)

#1: The Sexy Mama anti -shine translucent powder. it contains "tiny oil absorbing spheres." I do like this powder. It creates an even skin tone without being cakey. It is a little light since I have been tanning but I can still use it until I get darker. The only downside is the cheesy packaging.

#2: Cheater mascara. It is a back mascara with a classic tapered wand. It is not too thick and not watery. I really really love this mascara. It does not clump and goes on smooth to give me great volume!

#3 Liquid Time Balm spot concealer with tea tree oil. I had one little breakout and i put this on it in the morning and it was gone by afternoon. I thought it was unbelievable but the next day it was completely gone and I did not use anything else on it. It is a good color for my skin tone and blends in well. It does have a pretty strong smell of tea tree oil, kind of medicinal, but it is not bad.

#4 Overshadow the sexpots in Work is Overrated. This is a champagne/light pink shade. I was in a hurry one morning and used this all over my lid and it was pretty but it is super glittery! There is almost nothing but champagne glitter when it is on your lid. I think it would look nicer over another shadow.

#5 time balm concealer in light. the back says "for daytime, nighttime, or bedtime." Personally I do not put on concealer when I go to bed but I do love this concealer. It is perfect to put on the red areas around my nose.

#6: Balm Shelter tinted moisturizer SPF 18 in light. I really like this one too. It is really lightweight but gives pretty good coverage. It is not too oily as I have found some other tinted moisturizers/BB creams to be. It is a nice balanced product for my face and i love that it contains SPF!

I really like all of these prodcuts. After I bought the Mary Lou-MANizer a few weeks back & loved it I really wanted to try out some of the other theBalm items :) I am very happy with my purchases.