False Lashes

So a few weeks ago I went out to dinner in NYC for my friends birthday, and I decided to try out false lashes for the first time. I took some pictures of the ending look (See below-and don't mind the bad lighting) What do you guys think? I've tried it twice since then-I wore them in my skin care video. i think I'm going to try doing a tutorial on them. I just bought some new ones yesterday. I got SO many compliments when i wore them! They drastically changed my look (I wish I took before and after pictures). They just opened my eyes so much!







(This is how i looked out that night)

Outfit of the Day! 4/24/10

Im headed to my aunts house today! Here's my outfit.



















Top-Gap
Shorts-Delias
Boots-Charlotte Rusee
Scarf-My moms friend just brought it back from africa
Purse-Target (I think)
Earrings-Rachel Roy

Do You Want to Feel More Energized and at Peace?

So I have decided to make a few life changes. No I'm not moving across the world, or changing my religion. I've just decided to start making some simple changes in my life to give me a burst of energy for spring that I have been lacking lately.


1- BE SMART!
First of all I have decided to really concentrate on school. It's almost over so I figured I should go out with a bang! It makes me feel so good to get my home work questions right, or do well on a test. Now let me tell you I am in no way a "extremely-smart-intelligent-valedictorian" type. I am not calling myself stupid but I'm just not one of those people that understand school easily. I think as myself as more of a "creative smart" person compared to a "book smart". I really have to apply myself to do well in school. And I'll admit I have been slacking quite a bit lately, but with all good reason. (Personal things) But now I've been organizing my school life and I feel great! (Maybe I'll make a video with some school tips!)

2-SLEEP!!!!
I used to go to bed so early. (used to meaning quite a few years ago). I just loved going to bed! and don't get me wrong I still do love to sleep, but I think I just got so caught up in the world of being able to stay up late, and technology. I would lay in bed texting people or surfing the Internet on my i-touch or watching TV, when really I wasn't even doing much, I just got so used to staying up late and doing pointless things. I also have quite a hard time getting up in the morning. I just think I'm one of those people who needs a lot of rest, and unfortunately it took me until now to actually do something about it. I've been trying to go to bed between 9:30-10:00. If I have nothing left that I need to do and its 9:30 then I"ll just go to sleep then. It is taking me a bit to to actually feel tired at this time since I've trained myself to go to bed so late, but slowly its becoming more of a routine. And a lot of people say that if they go to bed early one night they're even more tired than if they just stayed up late like they usually do. Which was true for the first few days for me too, but after a few days you start to see that your more awake, alert, and energized. I can even feel my skin glowing from my "beauty sleep" ! (BTW: make sure your cell phone is off and away and any thing else that may disturb you!)

3-TAKE YOUR TIME TO START YOUR DAY
Don't you just hate when you wake up with only 15 minutes to get ready for school? Or when your alarm goes off and you tell yourself 5 more minutes, and drift back to sleep, only to wake up 20 minutes later and then have to scramble to get yourself ready? Not only is it frustrating but it's just a bad way to start your day. Therefor I have made a new little morning "wake up" routine. I set 3 alarms. The first alarm goes off at 6:00 (This is an hour and 45 minutes before I have to leave) and is soft music, (but still loud enough to wake me up). I wake up, and turn the alarm off and get up for a second to do something. (during the winter I turned my heater on so my room would be warm when I woke up, now I get up and check my texts messages that I got while I was sleeping-only for a minute or two) After that I go back to "sleep". Then at 6:15 my next alarm goes off which isn't a crazy upbeat song but it isn't a soft lullaby either. (I used to get up to turn my hair straightener on so that it would be ready when I got up and save me time. Now that I'm not using heat products I get up and pull my curtains open so that there is more light in my room) Then at 6:30 this very happy song (Kind of reminds me of the Simpson's theme song) goes off and that is when I get up. This then gives me a little over an hour to get ready for the day. Now some of you may be asking yourselves "why in the world she would have a ridiculous routine like that just to wake up?" Well simply because it makes me less tired when I wake up. Waking up two times before I actually have to mean I never fully go back into a deep sleep that I have to quickly get out of when my alarm goes off. No one likes to be so rudely awoken from a peaceful sleep. And when I wake up at 6:o0 I don't actually have to get up! I then know that i get another full half hour to sleep! How great is that?! waking up and getting to sleep more? Then by the time 6:30 rolls around I'm basically awake and ready to get up peacefully and start my day. I used to just sleep in until about seven, and even though I got a full extra half hour of sleep i still felt even more tired and groggy, AND then I also had to rush to get ready. Now I know that I have a sufficient amount of time to get ready and start my day off on a good note.

4-FIND YOUR CENTER
I started to try some yoga. I've attended a class or two in the past but recently I found this amazing relaxing routine on exercise TV. I was looking for more of something to help me relax rather than a workout. However it does help to tone. I've been doing this half hour routine before bed that revolves mostly around breathing. (I wish I did it every night, but of course we don't always have the time) I'm planning on going to some classes at my gym soon because it really does help clear my head.

5-MAKE A BED TIME ROUTINE
As mentioned earlier I have a wake up routine, I've been trying yoga before bed, and have been going to bed earlier. But as well as that I've been trying to make a bed time routine. A way to help me wind down and get all my thoughts out of my head so I can sleep peacefully. I tend to stay awake thinking. So here is my routine: (it tends to vary, but I try to stick to this) Around 8 I'll usually start to get ready for bed, I'll take my shower and do whatever other hygiene thing I need to do before bed. Then between 8:30-9:00 I'll do my yoga routine which takes about half hour, and after that I'll get into bed and read or write in my diary. I think it's very important to have a way to wind down to help you sleep your best.

6-EXERCISE
this is a pretty obvious one. I'm sure you hear it ALL the time! But it is so true. I have been quit lacking in this department but I'm going to be walking in the NYC walk for breast cancer this year (which is 39 miles) so I'm going to get back on it! (and I'll blog about it to keep you guys posted) Even if your not trying to loose weight or anything, it good to do at least a half hour of some kind of activity every day. Something that also might inspire you to workout is getting new workout clothes! It helps a lot more than you would think-see video here on what I got. I'm going to try to do some kind of workout 5x a week, and going to the gym 3x. That's what I'm going to try! It's also important to make sure you have some kind of routine you can do at home if for some reason you cant get to the gym (which is very common if you cant drive-so this way you have no excuses not to workout!) But starting this week or next come back every Sunday to see a new post regarding exercise and eating healthy (see next)

7-EAT HEALTHY
This is also an obvious one, but one I have also been lacking in. I get so lazy with food, and I'll usually just grab whatever junk I can find. I have such bad food habits! including eating when I'm bored or upset! See video here on some tips on healthy eating But I'm determined to change them. (I'm also going to blog about this). Right now I'm trying to incorporate fruits, and veggies, and yogurt into my diet. I had said I was going to start getting in shape/eating healthy a few months a go-see video here& click here to see how my first week had went during that.

8-TAKE SOME TIME FOR YOURSELF
"Me time" is such an important thing. We get so caught in ever day lives. And although I'm not like a busy mom or anything I do get caught up in all the work I have to do for different things. When I say "me time" it could be anything from going to the gym or writing in your journal. (See "Make a Bed Time Routine" above) When I think of "Me time" I really think of it as something I LOVE to do, that is relaxing and entirely focusing one me. Sure going to the gym, having my own sleep routine and all of that is all about me but to me that isn't enough. I'm sure that sounds selfish, but sometimes you need to put yourself first. What I refer to as my specific "Me time" is what i also call my "spa day" or "spa night" or "spa time". I usually try to dedicate some point of my Sunday to this. (I'll blog about exactly what I do at some point) I just do a lot of different spa like things that concentrate on me and are relaxing and make me feel good!

9-SPEND TIME WITH FRIENDS/CATCH UP WITH OLD FRIENDS
I'm sure most of us do this without really thinking about it, But it really is so important to never take your Friends for granted and to make sure you keep in contact with them and make sure you are always there for them. If you feel like your drifting from any one make every effort you can to keep them, one day your really going to need your friends, and maybe they really need you more than you know. Another thing that is also important is to catch up with old friends, or people you haven't really seen in a while. It really makes you feel a lot better than you would think to make new friends, or to re-kindle a friendship .Or even if you haven't really lost a friendship, but haven't talked to the person in a while its good to just see how people how. Just meet up with a friend for lunch, or for coffee, or to take your dog for a walk or whatever!

10-LEARN SOMETHING NEW
it really makes you feel so good to learn something that you didn't know how to do before! I recently learned to sew, which is something I've wanted to learn forever but i kept putting it off. When I finally learned how to do I felt so good about myself. There are so many things I have always wanted to learn such as calligraphy, belly dancing, and how to surf. And i plan on learning them some day! It can be as simple as learning a new recipe, or as hard as hiking a mountain you have always wanted to. Whatever it is no matter how random or weird, go for it! you'll never know if you like it until you try it.

11-HELP OTHERS
Nothing brings a bigger smile to my face than putting a smile on some one else's. I have always been active in this program at my church where homeless families come to stay for a while. I love playing games with the children and just bringing some joy to their lives for a little while. Last year I was lucky enough to be accepted to the Youth Crew for the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. It was the BEST experience of my life. I got to help so many people and meet so many amazing people. It's really great to get involved with a cause that you firmly believe in. Both my grandmothers passed away from breast cancer, so it means lot to me to help. This year I will be walking the walk!! I need to get in shape for it and raise $1,800 (I'll post links soon where you guys can donate) But regardless of how you help, or what you help with, its just important to help in some way!!

Most importantly smile, laugh, and live your life to the fullest.

Porridge Soap Review-Lush

I just finished using my porridge soap from lush and I have mixed opinions about it. I cut the soap into three pieces and each piece lasted about three showers, which isn't that much if you ask me. Yea it's an okay amount but for $5.95 it is definitely not enough. It has a pretty basic scent., not too strong, but not too soft.

This soap is extremely rough on my skin, there for I use it more as an exfoliator (I think most people who have this soap do the same) When I rub it on it does have a small lather to it, which is a lot more than my other lush soaps that don't lather at all. This soap is infused with real pieces of oats, which is a cool idea until they fall all over the tub, leaving behind a large mess that I have to clean up...When i first used the soap it really irritated my skin, but fortunately after a while I got used to it.

Here is how lush describes the soap:
"When you're in a rush on those early mornings you may consider eating breakfast in the shower. At we LUSH prefer feeding our skin in the shower and saving the real food for afterward. We put real oats and fresh organic orange juice in this deliciously nutritious soap, making it a cleansing and exfoliating multi-tasker. Oats soften and slough away dead skin while orange juice and sweet orange oil gently cleanse the skin."

Overall I think this soap was okay. I highly doubt I would purchase it again because it was too expensive. Still am not too happy with lush...
Let me know your opinions on this soap!

INGLOT COSMETICS!

Back in November I was in the city with my friend Sarah and we came by this lovely little place on Broadway. The outside of the store looked very sleek-fairly similar to Mac. Inglot makeup is a European line of makeup that was recently brought to the U.S. The only store is in NYC, but I'm sure there will be more popping up soon because this store is just too amazing not to spread all over.

Their products are fabulous! To see my haul on what I got you can watch the video here. I got quite a few products that work so well! If you want to see a look I made with them click here.



When we walked into the store we were greeted by a friendly man and women. You know how some employees will bother you to no end while you shop? Well, here it wasn't so bad. They politely offered assistance, but they weren't overly persistent. The makeup was all lined up nicely, and it all had a very chic cohesive design to it. I loved how everything looked so neat and orderly.

After looking around for a bit I told the sales lady that I was looking for a "neutral look". She then told me to sit down in the makeup chair and proceeded to give me a COMPLETE makeover for free! That's something you don't get every where! And I loved it! Afterwards she helped me figure out what products I could get with my budget.

The prices there were even better than Macs, and the quality of some of the things were better as well. I'm not a big Mac person so I'm not extremely familiar with their makeup, but I do have some things from there. I think Inglot is just as good, if not better in basically all aspects from design to quality.

If you're ever in the NYC area you HAVE to go to inglot! If you are no where near NYC then check out their website. You are not yet able to order from there, but you can still take a look at their products. Hopefully soon you'll be able to order from it.

32 Ways to Tie a Scarf! -Video

Watch the video here!

LUSH "You've Been Mangoed Bath Melt" Review

Quite a few months ago I became quite intrigued with Lush. I watched SO many YouTube videos on different products, and read what seemed like thousands of reviews. I then figured out which products I thought would suit me, and I slaved over the website perfecting my large order. To say the least I was obsessed.

So once I got my order I was pretty excited. Watch my haul video here to see my initial opinions. I've had my lush products for quite some time now so I feel like I'm finally ready to share my opinions.

Last night I used my "You've Been Mangoed Bath Melt" My one main problem with lush products is that I feel like I'm always using them wrong. (Maybe I'm not experienced with them enough yet, I'm not really sure) My bath tub has a lot of trouble with keeping the water hot. It's always room temperature when I go in, which makes the experience that much less enjoyable. SO this time I wanted to make sure nothing would affect my bath so I could fully concentrate on my lush bath melt. In order to do this I boiled water in my kitchen and brought it up to fill my bath. It was a lot of labor but it was some- what worth it.

Before I start on my opinion here's the description the Lush website gives:

"Dip your body into a refreshing and moisturizing buttery bath and you'll come out feeling smoother and cheerier. We add avocado and mango butters into this melt to nourish and soften you up and the invigorating fragrance of lemon, lime and lemongrass. Whenever you need a pick-me-up (morning, noon or night), have a You've Been Mangoed and you'll feel loads better on the inside and on the outside" --Yeah, right.



Once my bath tub was full I dipped the bath melt into the tub and swirled it around for a bit. Nothing happened at first. After a few minutes the sweet-candy (Think Pez) aroma began to fill the room. It wasn't an over whelming scent, rather a subtle smell. However, after a short period of time the scent began to fade, and blend in. After swirling the bar around manually I let it float around by itself when I went into the tub.



After maybe ten minutes the bath tub became "cloudy". It was not orange or any color at all. It almost looked a little dirty (see below)



The smell didn't "linger" on my body after the bath, and it didn't make my skin feel extra soft. I really don't think it did much at all. I'm so disappointed that it didn't work. I was really looking forward to using it. For $5.85 it is most definitely NOT worth it. It really did nothing. I would not recommend this. Don't waste your money. I think some cheap bubbles are a lot more fun.

Obsession of the Moment

As I'm writing this post I'm sitting on my front porch feeling ever-so-fabulous in this rare April 90 degree weather. I'm rocking my over sized shades, my freshly manicured bubble gum pink nails, all while sipping my ice water as the light breeze blows my hair across my neck. I've got my Cocker Spaniel napping next to me as well as my cell phone that wont stop buzzing with new texts from my friends. Ahhh life is good....



Isn't it the worst when about two days after getting your hair done all that shine, and bounce begin to fade? Do you always wonder how you can get that same salon treatment at home, but have never found the right product? Well girls your search has ended here. About a month ago my hair stylist gave me the chi silk infusion to test out, and all i can honestly say is Oh.My.God.

The Chi Silk Infusion works its magic by doing multiple things:
1-It strengthens your hair
2-It makes your hair feel SO soft! (just like at the salon) I know there are so many products that people say do that, but this is the only one that has ever worked this well for me. I never knew it was possible for a product to make your hair this silky. I always thought it was the professional hair stylist. (not saying they don't do an amazing job, just that it IS possible to get similar results at home)
3-It makes your hair feel light, and gives it a nice bounce that makes your hair sway back and forth as you strut down the street. As long as you put the amount in that your supposed to your hair will feel so flow-y (It will be just like you're in a shampoo commercial! Just don't break your neck from flipping our hair so much!)

How you use this product makes it so simple! There is no scrunching, or brushing, or hard rubbing that could cause damage and breakage. When your hair is dry put the TINNIEST drop into your hand. I Actually place it onto my finger. (Think the size of a dime. This product can be very oily and greasy if you use too much) Mix it between your hands and work evenly through out your hair. My tip would be to stay away from your roots or it will make them very oily. Just leave it in and continue with styling!

It comes in two different sizes the bottles. The one I got was 2 ounces, compared to the large bottle that is 6 ounces. I've it for at least two months now and I don't think its even a quarter of the way done. If I ever run out I will definitely be re-purchasing it! This product has made me want to go try other Chi products. It's affordable and works wonders!

Let me know your opinion on this product. or if you want to get it, or any other Chi products you love!

Outfit of the Day&Haul Video-Forever21&H&M

watch it here!

Dead Sea Mud Mask-Does it Actually Work?

So I got a HUGE order from the Best Bath Store a few months ago (Watch my haul video on it) so I have had plenty of time to really use the products. One of the things that I was the most excited about getting was the Dead Sea Mud Mask. To say I'm disappointed with this product would be an understatement.

Pros:
-Nice simple packaging (I like that it came in a little jar)
-It's extremely thick!
-I love that it's green (It makes me feel like I'm at some fancy spa!)
-Makes my skin BIT tight

Cons:
-SMELLS so so bad. (The smell actually makes me nauseous, and I'm not even that sensitive to things with bad odors. However I think the mask only smells bad when its wet, because once it's dried to my face its fine)
-Burns my skin the SECOND I put it on. It's to the point where i have to take a towel to fan my face because it hurts that much.
-It doesn't make that much of a difference on my skin so it isn't even worth all the pain. Ir does make my face feel smooth, but not any more smooth than other masks I've have used that are less painful.
-It costs $19.95. I'm sorry but I think that's a lot for I product unless it's absolutely amazing. There are so many mud masks from drug stores that work just as well if not better.

I don't understand all the hype around this product. Almost every review on the site is a positive one, maybe there are other people out there that feel the same way as me but are to afraid to say so? If so, let me know!

Have you ever tried any products from this site? What do you think of them?

Photo Shoot!

I'm applying for the junior fashion board at Nordstrom, and in order to apply you have to go through his huge application process! I have to write a few essays, get letters of recommendations, find my transcript, and do a project. So for the project I decided to put together a scrap book (kind of like a look book) of sketches, and pictures of a photo shoot I styled. The theme is leather meets floral. I love the contrast of the the tough dark leather with the floral patterns, it really lightens it up. I'm going to make sketches to go along with the pictures and then put it all in a pretty scrap book, hopefully I'll go to A.C Moore one night this week to get some supplies. Anyways, yesterday I did the photo shoot portion of the project (It was thrown together really quickly, hopefully soon I'll do a bigger one for my portfolio) but I really liked how the pictures came out! Take a look and let me know what you think! (The first picture is me!)






































Check out this video to see more pictures!