Blog Archives

Summer 2015 Beauty Essentials

6/29/2015

Hello Loves

It seems that this time of year, many bloggers share their summer favroties or summer essentials. Today, I will share mine with you. These are currently the beauty products I am obsessing over. While these are just my beauty favorites, stay tuned, because later this week, I will be sharing my summer fashion favorites as well as some of my favrotie summer recipes for snacks, meals, and drinks!

1. Water Proof Chanel Make-Up Case.

A beautiful, summery red, I was able to buy one off eBay for around $30. It is roomy and opens wide, and best of all, it’s waterproof and sun safe! Buy yours at ebay.com

2. Lush Dream Cream

My skin undergoes a lot of abuse during summer months, especially my feet. From water parks to waitressing, my feet get cracked and the rest of my skin gets flaky. Lush’s Dream Cream clears it right up and keeps dryness away. Get yours at Lush for $15-$40.

3. Maybelline Great Lash Waterproof Mascara

Tried and true, Great Lash by Maybelline still makes the best waterproof mascara. If you want to buy fancy waterproof mascara, that’s your business, but I swear this stuff will last through a tidal wave. Find it at a local drugstore for $4.

4. Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation

I am currently obsessed with this foundation at the moment. It goes on like a primer, lasts as long as a gel foundation, but covers like powder. It keeps your skin hydrated, adds vitamins, protects from the sun and lasts FOREVER. Yes, it is on the pricey side, but the tube is rather large and a little but goes a long way. Get it at Ulta for $36.

5. Bobbi Brown Foundation Palette

This is definitely a splurge, but definitely worth it. It is no secret that our skin is going to change colors often during summer months because of the sun, and this palette guarantees that you will have a foundation color for anytime your skin changes color! Plus, it is perfect for contouring, covering up blemishes, and adding a little more tan to places you need it. With 20+ shades to choose from, shame on you if you are wearing the wrong color foundation after you purchase this. Buy yours at Sephora. Depending on how many colors you want, it ranges from $30 for 6 colors to $300 for all 20 plus a line of concealers.

6. Hawaiian Tropic Silk Hydration After Sun Lotion

There are many benefits of using this lotion: it is specifically formulated for sun-kissed skin, so it prolongs your tan, prevents burning, soothes dry, burned skin, as well as enhances your color. Plus it smells AMAZING. It has a nice papaya, coconut scent to it, so there is no real need to wear perfume with it. It also gives your skin a bit of shimmer. Find it at Target for $8.

7. Sun Bum 3-in-1 Leave In Conditioning Spray.

This spray is perfect for people with dark or color-treated hair who do not want the sun or chlorine ruining their color. This pray protects against color fade and UV rays by acting as a sunscreen, but it also moisturizes and prevents split ends. You can get it from Ulta for $12.50.

8. L’occitane Verbena Refreshing Mist

Sweet smelling and pocket sized, it is perfect for on the go days. The mist is fragrant and refreshing: it almost smells like a key lime pie. You can use it as a facial mist to remove impurities and add moisture, you can spray it in your hair to conceal odor of chlorine and skipped washes, and you can use it as a body mist for days where you smell like the great outdoors. Find it at L’Occitane Stores for $15.

There you have my 8 summer essentials. If I am unaware of any really noteworthy products, feel free to share them with me. Thanks for reading and enjoy your sunshine.

xoxo

-A

2 Comments

The Best Dupes

6/16/2015

1 Comment

Hello Loves

I won’t lie: I have never been a “dupe” or “knock-off” type of gal. I have always thought that if you love a product or can’t live without a product, buy the real thing. HOWEVER, if it is an item that you just want to try, or a fashion item that may be seasonal, why pay the real price if it is just a trial? For example, I obviously would love a Cartier pearl necklace, but I obviously cannot afford it, so I found the dupe. Along with that one are a few more noteworthy dupes I have acquired.

1. Michael Kors “Hamilton” Tote.

Real: $385, Macy’s Dupe: $19.95, Gabriel Brothers

Here, I found a very similar tote to Kors’s Hamilton tote that has been very popular this season. If you can live without it saying “Michael Kors” on the front, here you go. This will suit you perfectly.

2. Cartier Pearl Bib Necklace

Real: $16,000 Dupe: $10, Burlington

I have to LOL at this one. Unless you are the queen of Monaco, I do not see the need to pay a college tuition for a necklace that looks perfectly satisfying as the one from Burlington.

3. Cartier “Love” Bracelet

Real: $3,000 per bracelet Dupe: $7 per bracelet, eBay

Not going to lie, I would love one of these. Ever since that picture of Kylie Jenner wearing a stack of these on her arm went viral, this bracelet became more of a status symbol than a token of love. Now you can have people fooled into thinking you’re a thousandaire, as long as you don’t mind that the shipping from China takes a while.

4. Benefit “High Beam” Illuminator

Real: $36, Sephora Dupe: $2, NYX, drugstores

High Beam has always been a staple in my makeup collection, but one time when I was short on cash, I purchased the NYX version and was actually very impressed. As you can see, I swatched the two next to each other. The one on the LEFT is Benefit and the RIGHT is NYX.

5. Motive’s “Mavens” Contour Palette

Real: $40, motives.com Dupe: $11, Beauty Treats, Burlington

Motives is a makeup company that gained fame for their 3D Fiber-lash mascara as well as their emphasis on contouring and facial sculpting. Now, you can have motives-like results for less than ½ the price. Don’t let the price and flimsy packaging fool you: the makeup was actually of nice quality. Beauty Treats also has other good-quality dupe products, such as a dupe of the popular Coastal Scents Palette.

6. Urban Decay Naked Palette

Real: $48.00, Sephora Dupe: $30, Sephora

The Blinged Palette that was released by Sephora is one of my essentials. I always have this little palette on me. I actually like it better than Naked because it is small and portable: only about the size of your palm. Also, it has a little slide-out drawer that has 4 matte lip colors and a neutral all-over face color. Even the brush is a dupe. In my swatches, the top half is UD Naked, the bottom is the Blinged Palette

7. Nars Orgasm Blush

Real: $40, Sephora Dupe: $6 (or less), Maybelline, drugstores

If you have ever been curious about how the infamous Nars orgasm blush would look on you, you can try it out for much less with the Maybelline Dream Mousse Blush in Peach Satin. The swatch on the LEFT is Nars, and the one on the RIGHT is Maybelline. The Maybelline one is a bit brighter than the Nars product, however

8. Make Up Forever Face and Body Foundation

Real: $45, Sephora Dupe: Maybelline FIT ME, $7, drugstores

Makeup Forever’s face and body Foundation is probably the best foundation I have ever used, and when I tried the Maybelline FIT ME! Line of foundation, I was surprised how much it resembled Make Up Forever’s.

9. Moroccan Oil Hydration Crème

Real: $30, select salons Dupe: Cream of Nature Crème Conditioner packet, $1, Wal Mart

Found hidden in the haircare section, it comes in a little, red packet. It works wonders just as the Moroccan Oil brand does. Aside from being only $1, the best part is it also smells exactly the same as the Moroccan Oil version.

10. OPI Tasmanian Devil Made me Do It

Real: $8, drugstores Dupe: Revlon Parfumerie, China Flower, $3

In case you are interested in just saving a few bucks here and there, Revlon makes almost an identical dupe of OPI’s Tasmanian Devil Made me Do It.

11. Classic Celine Bag

Real: $375, Barney’s New York Dupe: $75, DailyLook

What I’ve learned in my fashion experience, is that bags that are super popular for a few consecutive years, once they are out they are out. I have termed these “fad bags”, Kathy Van Zeeland bags, those Coach ones with the C’s all over them, the quilted Chanel bag that every 9th grader once carried, the Juicy Couture velour satchel with the bows, and fanny packs fit into this category. I consider this one to be one of those as well. While it is the hottest trend now, in 2 years if you are still rocking this people will think you need to get with the times. Now, if you pay $75 instead of over $300, you wont feel so guilty about retiring it.

Finding an exact dupe can be challenging and frustrating especially if a product seems exact at first, and then you later find out the quality is not so good. However, once you find a dupe, make sure you take note of it. Thank you for reading and good luck finding your copies.

xoxo

-A

1 Comment

A Day Out With the Alternative Study Break: Historic Coventry.

6/14/2015

1 Comment

Hello Loves

A few weeks ago, I went on a little adventure with two people who have you have probably seen me write about before: Jenna and Jordan. These 2 have their own radio show that airs during the school year, and you can listen to it at blacksquirellradio.com and find the slot time for “Alternative Study Break”

They are always playing a diverse variety of alternative bands, so the show fits anyone’s taste. Not only that, but the part I think is the coolest is the fact that they travel all over to get interviews with bands for their show. A few examples would be The Maine, Yellowcard, and Lights.

The place we adeventured at was called Coventry Villiage in Cleveland Heights. The place is very young and hip, and there are many places to go that cater to a very large crowd. Here are some of the places we stopped at:

Our first stop since we were starving was called Tommy’s. From the outside, it looks like just a small little diner, but once you walk in, it is incredible. The booths are carved into the wall like a little nitche, and there is a huge bookstore in the back. I was really in the mood for falafel, so I got a falalfel sandwhich on a pita and it was a-maz-ing. Jordan got a milkshake and that milkshake was one of the best shakes ive ever had. It was like a Wendy’s frosty on steroids. 9/10.

Another place we made a stop at was the one and only, American Apparel, one of my personal favorite stores. As uaual, I fell inlove with everything I saw (except the jelly sandals, but that will be another time). I have made it a for-sure goal to get my hands on one of their matching sets before the end of the summer, so now I know what my paycheck is going towards.

Further down, there was a very intreging place called “Big Fun”. It was big fun indeed: first thing you see upon entering is a funhouse mirror. The store is a toy store, but it also caters to older people as well, not just kids. I was pretty impressed to find that they had an entire chest dedicated to Pokemon cards. From here, I purchased a vintage ACDC sticker for the back of my laptop.

Around the corner was a boutique dedicated to Cleveland called “In the 216”. It looked like it was a newer store in the area and it was charming inside. Everything in the store had to do with Cleveland: from artwork to bumper stickers and jewelry. Again, I bought a sticker for my laptop as well as one for my suitcase.

Now that I have featured the shops, how could I not feature these two?

I felt the parking garage made a very nice, pop punk setting for a photoshoot, yes? Well, probably not, but oh well. Again, later this year if you want to listen to their radio show, it’s the Alternative Study Break on Black Squirrel Radio. You can follow them on twitter at @altstudybreak to find out the exact starting dates and times, once they are posted.

Thanks for reading and be sure to check out these stores as well as the Alt. Study Break

xoxo

-A

1 Comment

Postcards from Me...

6/4/2015

2 Comments

Hello Loves

Everyone has their dream travel bucketlist. Whether it is something stored in your memory, or maybe you have been lucky enough to hit every stop on your bucket list. Anyways, here is mine. If I had an unlimited budget and could spend time in any 12 places in the world (12, one for each month), these are the places I would go, in no specific order.

1. Santorini, Aegean Sea

White coastlines, plenty of sun, boats, and yummy, mediteranean food. Perrect. Plus, see how close all the buildings are to eachother? You would probably meet a lot of people and make a lot of friends.

2. Madonna Inn, California.

At the Madonna Inn, every room is unique. There is a room designed to look like King Louis’s room, one dedicated to the book series “Eloise” (which I would want because I loved her as a kid), as well as some manlier versions such as a cave-man themed room, as well as a hunter’s chamber.

3. Thailand

Personally, I think this is the most under-rated country on this planet. Everything from its buildings, to its people to its animals I find beautiful. Plus, I could eat as much pad thai as I want!

4. Kyoto, Japan

When I first saw pictures of Kyoto when I was young, I was thoroughly y convinced such a beautiful city could not exist and I made it a life goal to visit there. Have you ever seen pink trees and 7 ft. long eels in a lake? Me neither. But I plan to.

5. Dubai, UAE

Again, another city that looks like it is out of a video game. This place looks like it’s frsh out of Star Trek, and I would love to see Lamborghini police car chases. The culture is amazing too, and I wouldn’t even mind the dress code.

6. Morocco

To me, Morocco is one country that I think is the most cultured. The Moroccan culture nowadays is often imitated with fads such as the Bohemian trend, and even Istanbul, Turkey is starting to look a lot like Morocco. Nevertheless, this is the original hub of camels, pigments and lanterns and I want to own a whole tree full of those lanterns.

7. France

France-and not just Paris as some people wish. While Paris is full of hidden gems such as the George V hotel and the Lovelock Bridge, Versailles would be my first stop because I think I will cry when I see the Hall of Mirrors in person. How much do you think it would cost to get married there?

8. Florence, Italy.

This will most likely be my first stop on this list. Not only do I have family here, but I pull a good 75% of my inspiration for my art and designs from Italian Renaissance architecture. I design beautiful pieces just from looking at tumblr, I can’t even imagine the inspiration rush I will get from actually standing in a Romanesque door frame.

9. Shipwreck Beach, Greece

I have always had a fascination with shipwrecks, probably because I loved Titanic my whole life. When I found out there is a beautiful, white beach in Greece loaded with shipwrecks, I made a note to visit. Talk about a spring break to remember.

10. Nemo 33, Belgium

Because who wouldn’t want to swim in the world’s deepest pool? Plus, there are windows where you can watch divers and they can see you. To top it off, there is also a cute restraint in there called The Nemo Bistro.

11. Iguazu Falls, Brazil/ Argentina Border

I fell in love with the Niagara Falls, and it’s not that I wasn’t satisfied, but I felt the need to see the largest system of waterfalls in the world with my own eyes. Maybe ill catch a rainbow as well.

12. Egypt

I want to visit Egypt for obvious reasons, who doesn’t have a fascination with Egypt? I particularly want to see the Philae Temple, Temple of Hatshepsut, and obviously, the Pyramids. I wouldn’t mind seeing the Nile in person either and maybe snatching a piece of papyrus as a souvenier.

Those are the top twelve places id love to dwell in. However, I also wouldn’t mind going to King Ludwig’s Castle, Bavaria, The Enchanted River, Phillipines, Flathead Lake, Montana, Macchu Pichu, Peru, Jiefen, Taiwan, and Prague, Czech Republic.