Saturday, November 22, 2014

Oops, I Bought Things...

Hi guys, how are you all? I realized I forgot to post my Life Update, so you guys are getting two posts today!

I realized one thing I haven't done is a clothing haul. So the other day I was at the mall and bought a few things (naughty me, I seriously need to stop spending so much money). Here they are!!

Velvet Dress from Forever 21
The first thing I got was this (couldn't find the exact dress online, but this one is close!) velvet dress from Forever 21 in this beautiful burgundy color (my favorite color, especially for fall and winter!). This dress isn't too short, but it's so soft, and I think it would look great with some over-the-knee black socks or some black tights.

Sweater from Forever 21
Next, I got this rust-colored knit sweater, also from Forever 21. This sweater is crazy soft, and it's so flattering. I thought the rust color might be hard to match things with, but it's actually very easy, and I think anyone could rock this color.

THESE ARE MY FAVE- Sperry Boots
Okay, these boots are amazing. They were purchased at Nordstrom's, but are the Sperry Top-Sider brand. They're are the most comfortable boots I've ever owned, and they keep my feet so warm. They actually are lined with polar fleece, I believe, and are waterproof as well, perfect for snow and slush! I love these so much because they are practical while still being so so so cute. 

Nail polish from H&M

Lastly, I got this beautiful nail polish in the color 'envy'. Unfortunately, I couldn't find this one online, but the color is beautiful and perfect for this time of the year! It's very evergreen-y and subtle, but you don't need to put more than 2 coats on, which I love!

Well guys, that's all I bought for clothes and such! I did get some LUSH things though...;). Let me know what you'd like to see for my next post! Love you all.

-Em



Little Life Update.

Hi everyone, how are you all? I've missed you.

I don't have a ton of time, but I wanted to sit down for a little moment to update you all on my life at the moment (don't worry, it's good stuff!)

Back in September, I auditioned for our school's pit orchestra for our fall musical "Footloose," and I got in on clarinet and tenor saxophone. It's been the best time, but boy is it time-consuming! Several rehearsals a week, and this past week we had a couple 7 hour rehearsals to get ready for the show. Sadly, we only have 3 performances left :(, but it's been the time of my life, and although I'm sad to be almost done with it, I'm excited that I'll have more time to spend with you guys blogging and chatting.

When I'm not practicing for the musical, I'm trying to get all my homework done. AP classes are tough, I'll tell you that. I don't regret taking them, but they've been a little more difficult lately, especially since I don't have much time to study.

As you can see, things have been hella busy, but I'm so happy at the moment. I don't think I've been this happy for this long in a very long time, and I love that. I'm getting to cut down on meetings with the therapist more, and my doctors visits are a lot less often as well, which is awesome.

Anyway, we're supposed to get a gigantic snow storm early tomorrow morning and into Tuesday (eeeeeee!!), so it would be really nice to have some extra time to blog for you all! I've got some new LUSH products, and lots of other ideas for posts. Anyway, I love you all, have a wonderful rest of your night ♡.

-Em

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Little Autumn Adventure.

Hi everyone, how are you guys all doing? I’m doing pretty well! School is going pretty well, taking two AP courses (college-level courses) is kind of hard, but I’m getting good grades and still managing to take care of myself. How is school for you guys?

Last weekend, I went down a couple hours south of where I live, and went on a really nice hike. Here are some pictures from that little adventure. :-)




The view was really gorgeous; you can actually see Wisconsin from across the river!



A lot of the trees hadn’t quite changed color yet, but every once in a while, I’d stumble across one. This one in particular was incredible.



I just thought this shot was cool; this was the trail I hiked on. Almost no one else was hiking, so it was really nice and serene.



Some of the leaves were huge compared to my tiny head, haha.

Hope you all have an amazing week, you 100% deserve it. Oh, are you guy excited about the new Zoella beauty stuff? I’m so happy for her, she’s come so far. I really want to try the bubble bath in particular, because especially in the fall, I love a good bath. What would you guys like to see for next week? Leave a comment and let me know :)

xoxo

-Emily

Saturday, September 20, 2014

A Couple LUSH Treats.


Hi everyone, how are you all? If you've started school, how's it been for you so far? So far I'm enjoying my classes quite a bit, I just really hate getting up early (I think we can all relate to that...). 

Today's post is gonna be just a little one, because last week's post took so long for me to finish. So I went to LUSH a week or so ago (surprise surprise), and picked up 2 things that I have never tried before!

Blackberry Bath Bomb: $6.35
The first thing I picked up is the Blackberry bath bomb, because I looooove a good bath bomb! I was drawn to this one mainly because of the color, I can only imagine what this will look like in the bath. It smells sweet, but also a little citrus-y, and like berries. The smell is very energizing, I would say! I think I'm going to try this bomb out tonight :))))))

The Comforter Bubble Bar: $10.95
The next and last thing I got is the Comforter bubble bar, and as you can see, I've already used some! I felt so guilty using this the first time because just a little bit (approx. 1/5 of the bar) makes a HUGE mountain of bubbles!! And oh my word this scent, it's incredible. It smells so sweet and yummy and like candy. Also not to mention this bubble bar is gigantic. It's a little more pricey than other LUSH products, but it's worth every penny, and I am certain I'll be repurchasing this!

Hope you all have a lovely, lovely weekend and upcoming week :-) xoxo
-Emily

Saturday, September 13, 2014

My Favorite Fall Lipsticks.



Hi everybody, how are you all? Hopefully you’ve had a great day, or are about to have a great day, because you deserve it.

Today’s post is going to be a little lengthier, as I am going to attempt to do my first comparison between two makeup items: lipstick. For summer, I like to either go all-natural, just a bit of my EOS lip balm, or I like to go for a sheer peach-y color, as I feel like it goes well with my skin tone and looks nice and fresh; however, in the colder months, I much prefer to wear darker lipsticks. I feel like they look more festive, and they’re so fun! Today I will be reviewing and comparing/contrasting two different, fall/winter lipsticks. Enjoy!

The lipsticks I will be reviewing are the Rimmel Kate Moss in # 107, and the Clinique Different Lipstick in “A Different Grape.” The Rimmel lipstick goes for about $4.99, and the Clinique goes for $16.00. So you can see we’ve got a cheaper option, and a higher-end option.

Rimmel Kate Moss in 107

Clinique in "A Different Grape"

All right, let’s talk about the packaging a tiny bit. I personally think both exteriors of the products look very sleek. The Rimmel lipstick has a bit more of a matte-like finish on the lipstick container, while the Clinique is more slippery. I like that both are nice and light colored, so it’s easier to find them in a dark purse.



In these next paragraphs, I’m going to cover color, formula, and wear length.
                                                                                       
Rimmel lipstick
The Rimmel color I would describe as a deep, festive red color. You might recognize this as the lipstick Zoe from Zoella uses! This lipstick is a bit more cool-toned, so that’s going to make your teeth look super white! Also, I really like this, because it seems to look good on most skin tones. I’ve got fairly neutral skin, so I think this would work well on anyone. The formula is awesome. It glides on soooooo easily, and it isn’t sheer, so you don’t need to apply several coats to get good color payoff. It feels soft, and looks matte on the lips. Some might not like that, but I really do. Now onto the wear length. I’ve worn this lipstick several times throughout the day, and even out to dinner. I find throughout the day, not eating, my lipstick lasts forever. I don’t need to stop to keep applying it. As and example, if I was out walking for maybe 3 hours, I probably wouldn’t need to reapply my lipstick, but that’s also a personal preference, some people like it to look more fresh. As far as eating, I do notice it can get on my water glass and a little on my food, but it isn’t a big deal for me, I just reapply it after the meal.
Clinique lipstick
I would describe the Clinique color as a deep, wine, berry color. I think it has slightly less red in in it compared to the Rimmel color, but it’s definitely got more blue and purple in it. I think this color is also a cooler-toned lipstick, but again, I think it could look good on anyone. The formula of this lipstick, is very similar to the Rimmel one; however, it is quite a bit more sheer. Some people might like that, how you can layer it depending on what look you want to go for, but I find it to be not as convenient. When I go for a darker lip, I like it to be bold, not somewhat bold. So the color payoff is not as good as I usually like, but it’s still fairly nice. Also, this formula is not matte, it has more gloss to it, which can look very pretty. It also feels more glossy and silky when applying it to the lips. As far as wear length, it is about the same as the Rimmel lipstick, but there are a few differences. The main one is because of the shinier formula, I believe that the lipstick slides off more easily, and will need to be reapplied more often than a matte formula would be. This also means it’ll probably leave more lipstick on your glass or food, but if you like the look of glossier lips, it won’t be too big of a deal.
 
From left: Clinique, Rimmel
All in all, I am more likely to repurchase the Rimmel lipstick. I like the matte formula, and the price is really great. If I were to be gifted a Clinique lipstick, though, I would be more than happy!

I think bold, dark lips look awesome with a simple eye look. Maybe winged eyeliner and a bit of mascara (okay, I’m thinking specifically of Zoella haha…she’s so gorgeous). You want to make sure your makeup is balanced, so if you go heavy on the lips, I think it looks best to go fairly simple on the eyes, but make sure you have a nice brow look!

Anyway guys, I really hope you liked this post. I’m sorry it was so wordy! Pretty please leave me a comment telling me what your must-have lipstick is for the colder months, because I can always use more! Suggestions for next weeks post are also always welcome. :)

Love you all so much,
♡ 
Em

**Quick tip! I think I mentioned this in my skin care post, but coconut oil works wonders for removing lipstick.

Saturday, September 6, 2014

Autumn 2014 List. ♡

Took this at my grandma's farm last autumn. I'm looking forward to spending weekends there again this year!

Hi everybody! Well, I've finished my first week back at school. I'm really enjoying all my classes so far, and my teachers are great as well. Have you guys started school? How's it going so far?

Last year around this time, I made a list of all the things I wanted to do in autumn, because it is my favorite season EVER.  This past summer wasn't good, to be quite honest, so I'm really hoping to make these cooler months amazing. You guys seemed to like that post pretty well, so I figured I'd do another one! Enjoy. :)

I looooooove wearing combat-type boots in the fall.

Autumn 2014 List.
Here's what I'm looking forward to!

♡Going on lots of hikes, and going exploring a lot
♡Wearing sweaters. ALL THE TIME (sweaters are my favorite, I feel so cozy in them!)
♡Having bonfires with some friends
♡Going stargazing with lots of blankets and hot chocolate
♡Spending afternoons and evenings watching Disney movies and snuggling up with blankets
♡Lighting candles (Yankee Candle's Pumpkin Buttercream is my all-time fave)
♡Reading by the fireplace
♡Taking lots of pictures of the leaves changing colors
♡Baking yummy apple desserts (apple crisp sounds amazing right now...)
♡Cloudy/rainy days (perfect days for watching movies and cuddling with my puppy!)
♡Having LOTS of pamper evenings/LUSH baths
♡Fall/Christmas LUSH products (eep!!)
♡Drinking tea and hot chocolate
♡Starbucks seasonal drinks
♡Buying new fall clothes!!
♡Spending lots of time outdoors and enjoying the crisp, fall weather

My little baby, I love her so much.
Of course there are so many other things I'm looking forward to this fall, but I think I've covered the main ones. What are you guys looking forward to this autumn? 

Love you all,
-Em


Sunday, August 31, 2014

My Nighttime Skincare Routine.

Helloooooooooooo guys! How are you all? I start school in TWO DAYS. That's so crazy! Part of me doesn't want to go back quite yet, but I am excited to see some of my pals again, and school means autumn and everything that goes along with that, and you all know how much I love autumn!

Today I'll be sharing my nightly skincare routine with you guys. Enjoy!!

Make-up Remover
Before I do anything, I have to take my eye makeup off. I don't usually wear any type of face makeup, besides maybe powder and a bit of blush.
Dr. Bronners Virgin Coconut Oil- I use this for EVERYTHING.
Around $9 at local Co-op.
To take off my eye makeup, I use coconut oil. Coconut oil? Yep. I use this oil for basically everything. It breaks up the makeup extremely well, and is also very very moisturizing, almost making it a 2-in-1 makeup remover and eye cream. Cool, right? All I do is take a tiny bit of oil, warm it up in my hands (so it becomes liquid, because coconut oil is solid), and apply it to my eyes to remove my makeup!
I also find that this works reeeeally well on lipstick!

Cleanser
 I actually am using two cleansers at the moment, both of which I've been using for a while and really enjoy.
Purchased from Target: $7.
Firstly, I use the Aveeno Clear Complexion Foaming Cleanser. This stuff is great, and I've been using it for a couple years now. It's very gentle, which is great for my fairly sensitive skin. It also has .5% salicylic acid in it, which is so little that it doesn't do a whole lot, but still helps a little. This cleanser also smells great!

This is just plain oatmeal, you can get it anywhere for around $3!
I also use oatmeal, which I bet a lot of people will find odd. But let me tell you, this is absolutely amazing. It is completely free of chemicals, which are found in most skincare products, so it's very gentle and soothes redness and irritation. It removes dirt, and the bits of oatmeal are great for a gentle exfoliating! All in all, this is fantastic. So cheap and so effective. My skin always feels so pampered after I use this!

Toner
Target: $6
As far as toning goes, I like to use the Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner. This removes excess dirt and makeup really well, I find, and it balances the pH levels in your skin. I just put some on a cotton ball and swipe it across my face after I cleanse, or sometimes in the middle of the day to freshen up a bit. It sounds super gross, but I kind of like looking on the cotton ball afterwards and seeing all the dirt that was on my face that now is off, haha :)

Spot Treatment
Department Store: $17
Every once and a while, I get a few blemishes and spots. I like to use this Clinique Spot Treatment. It has 5% benzoyl peroxide, which is a pretty well known treatment for blemishes. I find that this isn't too harsh, but only apply it to your spots, not your entire face!

Moisturizer
Department Store: $26. WORTH EVERY PENNY!
Eee, now onto my favorite step in my skin care routine!! I've been using the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel for about a year now, and I don't think I can live without this product. It smells so lovely, and it works wonders on my skin. It leaves my skin feeling wonderfully moisturized, but not greasy. I recommend this product to EVERYONE. It's honestly a skin-saver.

That's all for today, guys! I hope you liked today's post. I suspect that with school starting, I will be a little busier, but I plan on blogger as much as I possibly can! When do you guys start school?

-Emily xoxo