twenty-five things about me

hello hello! i was just reading a few other blogs, namely louise's, and (sorry i'm too lazy for capital letters today) realized that while i tend to post lots of bits about who i am and what happens in my life, i've never really sat down and written anything extensive about myself. mostly because it feels narcissistic, but whatever. i figure someone might be interested in reading this, because i certainly am always interested in hearing what people have to say about themselves. i find i learn a lot about people just by how they view themselves. so i will now list twenty-five random (or maybe not so random) things about myself that you might already know or maybe you don't!

hello! i've added a standard photo of myself. here you go.

1. my heritage is english, dutch, and puerto rican. (sprinkled with german and irish.) what this really means is that i'm american!
2. i was singing before i could speak, and i don't know if i'll ever give up on my dream of singing.
3. my favorite color is green because it's the color of the earth and of life and it always makes me feel a little happier. :)
4. i am a mountains over beach, winter over summer sort of person.
5. i almost always have rainymood.com open on my computer (sometimes even if it's raining!) because it's so calming.
6. i am a virgo and coincidentally very, very true to my sign.
7. growing up, around age 8 or 9, i was obsessed with sweden. i read a million books on sweden and dreamed about moving there and marrying a swedish man and having blonde swedish children. i'm not quite sure what it was about sweden, seems a bit weird now, but i caught the travel bug very early in life.
8. i compulsively make lists on my iphone. to-do lists, grocery lists, get-your-life-together lists.
9. my favorite food is whole wheat toast with peanut butter and sliced bananas on top.
10. my best subjects in school were history and english.
11. i drink a lot of tea.
12. my favorite makeup product is lipstick. i feel bold and badass when i wear it and i hardly know anyone else who wears it, so it makes me feel like i stand out.
13. i am a harry potter enthusiast. (that is an understatement.)
14. i quite enjoy being alone, and the only people i really unconditionally want to be with are my immediate family and my best friend. i would be just fine without constant human interaction (not to say that i don't like it, because i do!)
15. i. hate. hot. weather!!! to me this is anything above 70. it is so uncomfortable and i would much rather be indoors if it's hot outside.
16. my favorite tv show is the office and i quote it on a daily basis.
17. my eyes are big and blue and my favorite physical thing about myself. this might be why i love makeup so much - i love making them stand out.
18. i am very, very into history. this could be a lot more detailed, but i'll leave it at that.
19. i hate small talk. i understand its point, but i just hate it. i would much prefer to talk about random, important things with a stranger than uninteresting, filler things with people that i know.
20. i'm very confident, and i think it's for the right reasons. i try really hard to help people see why they should be confident too.
21. i think all sports are pretty uninteresting except for soccer which might be the most interesting thing on the planet.
22. i can't wait to have a family and a house of our own to decorate. i spend a lot of time decorating my future home inside my head.
23. i was raised catholic but now don't really identify with any specific religion.
24. my dream vacation is alaska, northern canada or scandinavia - anywhere i can see the northern lights.
25. this took me a really long time to do, because i don't have a lot of secrets and i don't think there are a lot of things that people don't know about me. i'm very open!

right, well, if this was interesting to you, i encourage you all to do the same! it took me a while to think of things, but it's sort of fun trying to rack your brain to find interesting bits about yourself. x

ed sheeran!!!!!!! + other stuff

So last night I was lucky enough to see Ed Sheeran play at the Fillmore Theater in Detroit! Ed Sheeran has been my favorite artist for about a year and a half now; I went to the show with my best friend Michelle who actually introduced me to his music the summer before last! Anyone who's ever heard of him knows how passionate and well written his songs are and how he just does not hold back in anything, and I'm so happy to say that he doesn't hold back when he performs either. His whole show was so up close and personal - it felt like we were the only ones in the room. He has the ability to silence the entire theater (which he did, and that's quite a miracle seeing as most of the people there were 13-17 year old little 1D fans) and just sing, even without a microphone. His talent is so raw and inspiring and I wish that every artist out there did what he did. Ed is so unapologetic about who he is - he refuses to change because he's in the music industry and seeing him live just reaffirmed that he is so unique and talented and I'm most definitely rambling. Overall it was easily the best show I've ever been to and definitely the most personal show I think I'll ever attend. If you ever get the chance to see him live, take it! We waited in the freezing cold for 1.5 hours (I couldn't feel my feet and my hands were shaking by the time we got inside) but I would have stood out there all night just to see him. Such an incredible performer!

Eeeekkk! We were so close too. He's so beautiful *_*

 

Roadtrip weeeee!

Today Michelle and I went to our favorite mall and I accidentally spent WAY more money that I should. Do not be like me! Do not get into the habit of falling in love with expensive makeup!!!!

 

This is so naughty. I am ashamed of myself. Not really though.

Finally gave in and got myself a little Laguna bronzer! This mini duo set was perfect for me because I've hit pan in two spots on my Orgasm blush and I know it's going to crack soon so I figured why not get a little extra? I'm so excited to try out the bronzer and see if it lives up to the hype! I also picked up another They're Real! mascara because mine is about three months old now and you know the rules - time for a new one! From Lush I bought a Butterball bath bomb and I'm so excited to use it, I have the apartment to myself this weekend so I think I'll pop in Love, Actually and have myself a nice little relaxing bath :) How was your weekend?

jan/feb wishlist

 

1 Benefit Browzings Brow Kit, $30. 2 NARS Laguna Bronzer, $34. 3 Lush BB Seaweed Face Mask, $6.95. 4 MAC Archie's Girls Collection, not yet available. 5. Benefit Dandelion Brightening Face Powder, $28. 6. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, $27.

Ooh, this makes me feel like such a glutton as Christmas isn't even a month past yet!  I spent most of my Christmas money on clothes while in London and though I'm very glad I did, I never usually do that - I always spend my money on makeup. I'm just really bad at clothes. That's my sister's area of expertise! Anyway, these are just a few products I really have my eye on and may not be able to resist picking up this weekend. 

1 The Browzing Kit is one I discovered at the Benefit shop in Covent Garden and was too poor after a day of shopping to collect, but I am so desperate to have it! The little brushes seem so ideal. 

2 NARS Laguna Bronzer - I know, I know, it's a must have! There are a few products I just KNOW I should have but don't, and this is one of them. I must admit I don't know how to properly use a bronzer, so if I do pick this up I'll have to have someone in the store show me how to use it! I am helpless. 

3 The Lush BB Seaweed Mask caught my eye because January is the absolute worst month for my skin and this mask has amazing reviews on the website. I need something to moisturize and scrub away the rough spots on my face. 

4 The next product on my wish list is one I am SO excited about - MAC's Archie's Girls collection! When I was young, my grandparents took my cousins and I on a roadtrip to Virginia and we read Archie comics the entire way. I'm not actually sure if the lipstick pictured here is real or not as the collection isn't available yet but I am so sure I will be picking up lots of products from this collection!

5 I don't know about you guys but I absolutely adore Benefit's line of boxed blushes/powders. I already own Sugarbomb but I definitely have my eye on this little one called Dandelion. I love the soft pink tone and think it will brighten up my horribly pale winter complexion.

6 Last but not least I don't think I can walk away from Sephora this weekend without the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette. I am the biggest fan of the Naked palettes and I just simply need to complete my collection. Though I enjoy wearing the shimmery shadows in the other two Naked palettes, I definitely would love more matte shades and that's just what this palette provides, and for a really great price in my opinion!

So there's my beauty wishlist for the early months of 2013 - what's on yours?

i'm sorry!

Sorry for being such a horrible blogger - I had a bit of a mishap over the weekend involving my iPhone and a sink. Needless to say, I was a grumpy gills all weekend until after 24 hours in a bag of rice my beloved phone has come back to life! I know it's so ~first world white girl~ of me, but my phone is my lifeline. If I couldn't call my mom every day I would lose my shit! So I'm very glad it's working again, and even though it seems to be functioning I'm going to replace the battery this weekend just in case.

That being said, I'm going to the Ed Sheeran concert on Thursday and will definitely be blogging about that afterwards! But in the meantime, any suggestions for my next post? Leave me a comment or message me on Tumblr - I'm lacking inspiration and would love to hear some suggestions :)

what's in my bag

Sooorrryy I know I said I'd have this up yesterday but I was SO busy laying around being lazy and doing nothing and I just never got around to it. So at long last, here it is - what's in my bag! I change bags quite often when I'm at school so the bag I'm currently using isn't pictured because... there isn't one specific. I took all of this stuff out of my most recent bag (a large Longchamp Le Pliage tote) and here was the grand result!

 

At the top I have a George Gina & Lucy wallet that I received for my 17th birthday, which makes it a little over three years old but honestly it has weathered the storm very well and I haven't found another wallet that I love as much or would be as sturdy and useful. It also fits my passport which for me is a huge bonus and hard to come by! Next to my wallet is a little package of tissues my mom sent me in a care package. Germans love these little packages and this particular one has little houses and snowflakes on them - so cute :) I have a Marie Claire magazine underneath all the nonsense there - I ADORE Marie Claire, I think it's the best magazine for women, especially those with a relative interest in fashion like me. It's less serious (fashion wise) than Vogue, and also has a ton of interesting, relevant things about women. And I have a huge girl crush on Gwen Stefani.

I always keep an eyelash curler with me as I have short stubbly straight eyelashes (the absolute worst) and find that they need to be recurled basically always. I have iPhone headphones, a pen, some Ricola cough drops, a bobby pin and a hair clip - all of which I think are essentials. I use all of these things over the course of a day so they're always with me!

My mom got me the most adorable little nail file kit (the polka dot looking things). You just break one off when you open it; it's the handiest thing ever! I keep Altoid Smalls with me a lot too - the big ones are too strong for my taste so I like the little ones better. I also have basically every lip product known to man with me at all times - Burt's Bees, Urban Decay Lip Junkie, Fresh Sugar Tint, Blistex and a MAC lipstick - this one is Hangup! I also always keep setting powder with me (I am a huge fan of Benefit's at the moment) for those "just in case" moments. Last but not least I've got my trusty Ray Ban Wayfarers that, if anyone is thinking about buying a pair, have been one of the best investments of my life. So worth the price and absolutely timeless! I've had mine for two and a half years and they still feel brand new.

What's in your bag? Any essentials I've missed? Let me know!

top 4 makeup products, like ever

I went a little edit/bokeh crazy, but it's Friday and I have no classes so I figured I'm quite happy today. Anyway, these are my top four makeup products of all time. These are the products I want to buy in bulk so that if their makers ever discontinue them, after picketing at their headquarters I will go home to about ten of each because I'm pretty sure I couldn't live without them. I am dramatic!


1. Lush Sweet Lips Lip Scrub - $10
I am obsessed with this lip scrub because I have very dry skin/lips/self in general. I was skeptical at first because exfoliating products don't tend to always do their job very well on me, but I have found that if I use this before bed, my lips are so soft and smooth and lipstick ready the next day! I never see anyone mention this when I read reviews of this product, but I also have found if I scrub my lips right before I'm about to leave the house and I'm in a rush, it gives my lips a little bit of color too so I don't even have to apply lipstick if it's not really that kind of day! (It's never that kind of day... but just in case.)

2. NARS Orgasm Blush - $28
This is the first blush I ever purchased and it is likely to be the last. As seen in the photo, I've hit pan and will probably need to buy a new one soon. My skin tone is really weird - I have a mix of Puerto Rican and Dutch/English skin, making for a weird pale but olivey tone. It is likely that didn't make any sense at all. What I mean is that I have trouble finding a blush that doesn't make me look like a gogo dancer, but this blush has flicks of gold to compliment its rosey pink color and it really brings out the tone of my skin. I have yet to find anything that looks as natural and beautiful on my skin as this blush, and for the price (yikes) I think it's totally worth it.

3. Benefit They're Real! Mascara - $23
My lovely little sister was blessed with the thickest, longest, most voluptuous eyelashes I have ever seen. I, on the other hand, have stubbly, nearly invisible little wannabe eyelashes. I am probably going to sound a lot like a commercial, but this mascara actually makes me look like I have real lady eyelashes! The bristles on the wand are very small and firm, and the (is it liquid? What IS mascara?) product itself is very thick and I actually don't even know how it does what it does. I read blogs upon blogs absolutely raving about this mascara and for the price I was nowhere near convinced until I tested it one day and had to have it. If you have not yet fallen in love with a mascara, I am certain this is the one for you. It is the one for everyone. I get compliments ALL the time. I even prefer this over Dior Blackout (which is amazing because I loved that mascara, but will never go back after using They're Real!) This is the product out of these four I am definitely going to buy in bulk. (I should also mention that I am new to Benefit products but they are already my favorite - amazing packaging and incredible products.)

4. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Original - $20
This is a product I would never ever think I would need. Before I got really into makeup I didn't wear eyeshadow really at all, so when I purchased the Naked palette and it came with a sample of this product, I was very confused as to why I needed to "prime" my eyes. Like bottom lash mascara and highlighting products, I just thought it was a bit superfluous - until I tried it. My eyeshadow would be nothing without a good primer. I have had the same tube of primer potion for about 10 months now because all it takes is just enough to cover your lid (a little bit goes a long way) and again, I apologize for sounding like an advertisement, but it seriously makes all the difference in application and stay of any eyeshadow I choose to use. Absolutely couldn't complete my look without it.

ootd 8 january

These will not be happening as much as I'd like because as is apparent in the picture, I have no good place to take these pictures and my mirror is from Target so don't judge me and don't even talk to me about how unflattering of my legs this is ok~

Dress and tights from Topshop, boots from Steve Madden

internet friends

I have had a Tumblr since 2009 and since then I have met so many amazing people through blogging there. When I was growing up, the internet was relatively new and there were definitely things to be worried about - creepy men on MySpace, that sort of thing. But despite having friendships with people who turned out to be, in fact, posing as someone else, I have managed to meet some of my best friends. It's insane that a website could bring me to people from Canada, Massachusetts, Virginia, Holland, England - the list goes on. I haven't met everyone from Tumblr that I'd like to, but I've been lucky enough to meet a few people and it might seem weird to people who don't have internet friends, but to me it's an amazing way to meet people from around the world who share your interests and, if you're lucky, have put a real, honest version of themselves out there.

If you have friends from Tumblr, YouTube, Blogspot, wherever, and you trust that person and are sure that they're real (seriously, be sure, okay?) I highly recommend meeting them in person. It's likely that it will feel like you've been friends for ages, and I can honestly say my friends from Tumblr are easier to be around than my friends in real life sometimes.

These are just a few of my internet friends - I've been lucky enough to meet Ryan twice (once in Stuttgart where I live and once in Amsterdam where she lives, top left and bottom right), Anna in Virginia (bottom left) and Dacey (this was actually today! Top right) at my university today. I have felt so at ease meeting my internet friends and while it definitely seems a bit weird to the people in my life who have never done it before, I would always be up for meeting up with someone I've connected with on Tumblr. These people are some of my best friends and I'm so glad I actually have taken the leap and met up with some of the most wonderful people I've ever met!

naked vs. naked 2

This post is very near and dear to my heart because if it were not for my beloved Naked palette I would know nothing about makeup and a very vital part of me would be missing! That sounded a lot better in my head. Hm. What I meant to say is that my interest in makeup has grown exponentially over the last year since I purchased the Naked palette on a very frivolous whim and I have fallen very in love with makeup since then. I received the Naked 2 palette for Christmas this year and I can't say that I like one better than the other, but I do want to compare them so that anyone who reads this can decide which they would rather have (or if you're like me, you can't resist and you need both!)

These palettes are especially good for me personally because 1) I am extremely conservative in both clothing and makeup. I hardly wear any bright colors or patterns ever and the neutrality of these palettes is exactly what I'm looking for when I apply makeup, and 2) my eyes are very, very blue, which is brought out even more by the colors in these palettes. I tend to avoid colored eyeshadow and I have found endless ways to bring out my blue eyes without feeling like I'm wearing too much makeup.

 

I'm not sure how important packaging is to everyone, but to me it's very important because I travel quite a lot! The original Naked palette has a magnetic lid and snaps together quite easily (clearly mine has been loved... a lot), while the Naked 2 actually snaps together with little.. snaps? I'm not sure what to call them, but yes well it snaps into place and for me personally is a bit harder to close. I understand the protection value in the harder case of the Naked 2, but I actually prefer the softer magnetic packaging on the original palette. I am very careful with my makeup and pack it very delicately in my suitcases, so I never have any problems with the magnetic top coming open or anything like that. It's a bit lighter and feels more... art-y? I'm not sure. Either way, the Naked 2 is much more protected than the Naked but for me there's no real reason for it. I guess it's to each their own!

Naked: As you can see here I have absolutely loved the shit out of this palette! The colors are all so vibrant and pigmented and as a beginner, I was just stunned and had no idea what to do with all the magical options. So I began watching tutorials and learned the basics of applying this palette and have found it to be quite versatile. I tend to use Sin most on my lids (as you can see I've hit pan there and am in desperate need of a new one!) with Toasted on my crease and/or outer corners, and Virgin is the best brow highlighter I've ever come across - it blends so well with any lid and crease shadows you choose. This palette is very glittery/shimmery, which is obvious seeing as only two of the shades are matte (Naked and Buck). I love shimmery eyeshadows, but I've found that Sidecar is especially glittery and I really only use it on special occasions. The combination of Gunmetal and Creep make for an excellent smokey eye and while I'm normally a bit too nervous to try it on myself, it has looked wonderful on a few of my friends when we go out. I tend to do my friends' makeup when we go to parties on the weekend, and we all have different colored eyes which makes for lots of fun for me! Smog, Darkhorse and Hustle in any combination look so beautiful on green eyes while a thorough application of a mix of Sidecar and Hustle on the outer corners with Virgin on the inner corners really brings out brown eyes. Overall this palette is an essential part of my makeup collection, and I already know I'm going to use it until it's absolutely gone! I'm thinking about buying another just in case. If you're a beginner to makeup, this palette is so easy to use and so versatile, you might just become as addicted as me!

Naked 2: I was so excited to get this for Christmas (because I picked it out myself.. shh!) and I basically have not put it down since the 25th of December. This palette has a more silvery/grey sort of theme as opposed to the original Naked which I tend to see as more brown themed. While I think the original Naked is great for beginners, this palette has a lot more obvious lid + crease combinations, which is what I really started off teaching myself as it's pretty essential! Anyway, the combinations are pretty obvious - I've loved pairing Bootycall and Chopper, Suspect and Snakebite, Verve and Pistol, and YDK and Busted. It annoys some people that they aren't in a specific order color-wise, but I liked how when I opened it I immediately knew what I wanted to do with it. I feel like it's a nice continuation of the Naked palette - more of what I love! I'm so excited to try this palette out on my friends whose eyes are different colors than mine to find what brings out greens and browns more as opposed to my blue eyes, which are brought out best by metallics like Half Baked and Verve.

So to finish up, I actually could not be forced to say which I like more. Both come with a brush (the original with a standard shadow brush, the 2 with a double ended brush - one side with a shadow brush, the other with a blending brush) and I prefer the Naked 2's brush much more! Two brushes in one - I am sold. I loved that the original Naked came with a sample of the Primer Potion because I think primer is SO essential for eyeshadow application and I couldn't live without it. I do love the lip gloss that came with Naked 2, but the primer is just so much more useful and beneficial to really utilizing the palette. I am more used to the original Naked, but the Naked 2 is just as lovely! I love the matte black shade in Naked 2 (Blackout) as opposed to the shimmery black in Naked (Creep), but I prefer Virgin in Naked to Foxy in Naked 2. So I think the two palettes balance each other out very well and I have absolutely no problem mixing the colors together, there are still lots of things I haven't tried! I know that some colors are quite similar (Snakebite and Smog, Toasted and YDK, Hustle and Busted) but actually in the application they're rather different and bring something new to your look. I wouldn't let that set you off buying both, because it's nice to have some colors that are similar when the rest are quite different!

I know this is very lengthy but when I read reviews of makeup I like them to be detailed and relevant to what I need to know, so I hope this has given you a bit of insight about the two palettes and that you choose which caters more to what you're looking for (like I said before, maybe it's both!) I hope to get around to showing my favorite looks using these palettes, and if you have any suggestions/questions, comments are always welcome!