Thursday, July 29, 2010

Basically the Sweetest Award Ever :)


So Hannahh over at Beautylishious ♥ recently tagged me in the "My Lovely Follower Award" - read the rules below if you don't know what it is :).  I don't normally do tags or awards, but this one i just had to do!  I already thank Hannahh loads haha, but seriously..thank you soo soooooo sosoooo much sweetie!  It means so much to me that of all your lovely followers you chose me!  It really made my crumby day about a billion times happier :)  Thank you much again dollface!

The rules of this award are:
1. Once you receive this award, you must post a picture on your blog that is special to you & state why it is special.
2. You must post this award on your blog & thank the person who gave you this award.
3. And last of all...Pass this award onto ONE lovely follower of your choice in appreciation of their follow :)

This is the picture i chose that is special to me :).  (I'm the second one from the left, with the peace signs if you're wondering lol).  This is of my friends & i at the beach from earlier this summer.  It's special to me because i absolutely love my friends..i finally found a great group of people to surround myself with & i couldn't be happier ♥.

Now to choose just a single follower to give this award to is actually a super difficult task...it's to the point where i can't just choose one!  Every single person who follows, comments, or even clicks on this blog is someone i appreciate :).  I have met an insane amount of amazingly lovely people through blogging, that choosing one just doesn't seem fair!  You're all soo incredible & supportive of me that i can't thank you all enough.
I know this goes against the rules of this award, but i don't care!  Haha :) If you're reading this right now, post this on your blog if you want!  You all deserve it :) ♥
Thank you all so, sooo much again - especially you Hannahh!  I tag you back by the way hehe :)
xoxoxox


Monday, July 26, 2010

Signature Scents? ♥

I've been thinking about perfumes quite a lot lately.  It may seem like a silly thing to ponder, but after thinking about them for a while, i realized they can play quite an important role in a woman's life - in her confidence, in her love life (hehe :), etc.

When i was younger, i would always spritz on a bit of "Fantasy" by Britney Spears - a sugary sweet scent, my signature at the time.  After a few years, i grew out of that & turned to a more mature scent.  Now, whenever i pass the perfume counter & see that round, pink bottle with green rhinestones on it, i spray a little bit & it always brings back memories of when i was little & wearing it :)
So many girls i know have experienced the same thing - a certain perfume taking her back to the days she used to wear it & bringing back memories from the past.  This is one of the mains reason i find perfume to be so important, to spark those memories - it's not too bad smelling lovely either ;).

image found on weheartit

My signature scent for the past year & a half has been the famous Vera Wang "Princess".  Princess is absolutely lovely - it's sweet, but not overbearingly so, and it's very original - i haven't smelled anything quite like it.  I've noticed it's quite popular amongst beauty bloggers!


Now that i'm running scarily low on it, i've been contemplating my next move - do i repurchase Princess, or do i take the plunge & find a new signature scent?

I'm leaning more toward finding a new signature to be honest.  The main reason why is because although i absolutely adore how Princess smells, it doesn't seem to last very long on me, probably because it's an eau de toilette - which is less concentrated & therefore less strong than an eau de parfum.


This is where you come in my lovelies!  I would absolutely adore any suggestions you have on what my new signature scent should be!
I guess i should give you a little insight into what i like..i like a nice sweet scent, but not too floral-y (a la YSL Parisienne), and i would like to try something a bit more sexy :).  I'm really open to trying anything though!

What scents bring back memories for you? :)  What's your signature scent?
Remember to please leave suggestions! :)




Saturday, July 24, 2010

8 Questions Tag :)

So i was tagged by two super lovely ladies to do this tag, Xsmirage & Holly - i mentioned in an earlier post that i most likely won't do tags, but i thought that this was a really interesting one!  I really hope you girls enjoy this! :)

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Xsmirage's questions ♥:
1. What are three things you love about yourself?
Eek, this is a hard one!  If i had to choose, i would say - my eyes, my open-mindedness & ability to accept different people & different lifestyles, and the ability to find beauty in everything.

2. Where are your favorite places to shop?
For clothes, i love Forever 21, H&M, thrift stores, & Boston Store just because i get a discount there :).  For makeup, MAC, Sephora, & Boston Store again because i do get a discount.

3. If you have a tattoo(s), what is it & why did you get it?  If you don't have one, what would you get & why?
No, i don't have any tattoos!  I think if i were to get one, it would be on my back in the shoulder area (if that makes sense :) & it would have to say something short & sweet, like a saying - something along the lines of "just breathe".  It would have to be something very meaningful to me.
In this kind of area:

4. Where do you see yourself in 15 years?
In 15 years, i'll be 31, so i'd like to think that i would be climbing up in my career & maybe even married?  Hehe :).  I'm not one of those girls who would want to be married in her early twenties.  I'd rather live my life & focus on my career, then settle down later - if that makes sense ♥.

5. If you could live somewhere for a month, where would it be?
There are so many places i would love to experience living in!  I think i would want to live in the woods a la Sleeping Beauty, or the mountains or something.  Maybe in a castle? :).  I think that would be such an amazing experience!




6. What is one thing you could eat everyday?
The first thing that comes to mind is watermelon!  I've been eating so much of it this summer.  I could also eat toast, cereal, and any breakfast food really everyday & not get sick of it :)

7. What are some things you like most about having a blog?
Blogging for me is such an amazing creative release - it's incredible to think that the photos i take and the posts i write are being seen & read by people around the world ♥.  It also has really opened my mind to the world, i've discovered so much about other places & cultures - it really is amazing.  And to network with girls all around the world, it's honestly really mind-blowing! ♥

8. If you could choose to have all the products of one cosmetics line, which one would you pick & why?
This is a tough one!  I think i'd have to say NARS, MAC, or Benefit.  I really don't own much from any of these lines, but from what people say about each of these company's products, they sound amazing!

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Holly's questions ♥:
1. Did you ever fancy a cartoon character as a child and if so which one?
Hahaha, i love this question :).  I secretly still do fancy cartoon characters!  Shhhhh ;D.  I've always had the biggest crush on Robin Hood from the Disney version of "Robin Hood", Wilbur from "Meet the Robinsons", all of the Disney princes hehe, & i'm sure plenty more i just can't think of!
Here are some pictures :) - none owned by me.
Robin Hood :)

Wilbur Robinson :)

2. If you could look like anyone in the world who would it be?
This probably sounds a bit pretentious & self-righteous, but i think i would choose to look like myself.  Sure, there are girls a trillion times prettier than me, but i get told all the time i look so much like my mom, who i find to be gorgeous.  And who would want to look exactly like someone else?!
If i had to choose to look like anyone in the world, i think it would be Kaya Scodelrio.  I think she's absolutely stunning, even without makeup!  There are so many other girls i think are gorgeous though :).

3. What is your favourite film of all time?
You may have guessed it already but...INCEPTION!  As if i haven't raved about this film enough...hehe ♥.  It's honestly just the most incredible movie i've ever seen.  I do love other films though, i promise!  Haha.

4. What is your holy grail mascara?
I have two, just because i layer the two.  I do a coat of CoverGirl LashBlast in Black - this stuff is amazing, it has been my go-to for a long time.  I then a coat of Clinique's High Impact Mascara in Black, it really lengthens & thickens my lashes and makes them really dark.

5. How would you describe your personal style?
I'm still trying to find my personal style & what i'm most comfortable in, to be honest.  Right now though, i'd say it's more casual, but still put together - i live in leggings, flats, & cardigans.  I absolutely love dressing up though!

6. Who is your favorite Kardashian sister & why?
Haha, i love this question :).  My favorite is probably Khloe, as she's hilarious!  All the Kardashians are so drop-dead gorgeous it should be illegal! ;)


7. What is your favourite song of all time?
I have a few favorite songs of all time ♥.  Music is my life, as cliche as it may sound, it really is.  If i narrowed my long list of favorite songs down, i would come up with six all time faves.  I want to mention that i 
My longest running favorite song of all time is "Welcome to the Black Parade" by My Chemical Romance (link), it's meant so much to me for so long.
Two of my other favorite songs of all time are both titled "Closer".  "Closer" by Kings of Leon (link), is an absolutely stunning song - simple, yet incredible.
"Closer" by Nine Inch Nails (link), i definately wouldn't recommend you to click that link if you are younger & don't want your innocence to be violated!  This song is flawless & incredible & wow...never gets old.
My newest favorite song of all time is "In the Morning of the Magicians" by The Flaming Lips (link).  I think this song well represents the other sort of psychedelic music i listen to (eg. MGMT ♥).  This song is so shimmery & powerful, i absolutely love it.
I'll throw two classical songs into this list.."Isle of the Dead" by Rachmaninov (link), which is a symphonic poem - it's absolutely jfwieofja wow, it's such an incredible, beautiful journey.  Another classical fave is the second movement of Elgar's Serenade for Strings (link), it's absolutely beautiful.

8. Which 3 things are on the top of your wishlist?
Three more realistic things (i would say a castle or a Hogwarts letter or something otherwise ;) on the top of my wishlist are a job, a boyfriend, & my driver's license.


Sunday, July 18, 2010

Rings, Glorious Rings :) & Inception!

I went shopping downtown with my sister a few weeks ago, where we stopped at PacSun.  I don't normally shop at PacSun, but i had a gift card that i still needed to use up.  I wandered in there and nothing really made a huge impression on me - there was this adorable floral crop top that i wanted, but even with the gift card, it was a bit out of my price range!

I wandered over to the little jewelry section & hidden behind a deep stack of some fairly pretty rings was this beauty!:
I was immediately attracted to the sparrow ring (in the middle), and then after i calmed myself down a bit haha, i came to really like the other two rings on either side of it.  I also really love the color, it's more of a warm goldy-bronze, which i enjoy & wear much more than a cold silver.
I absolutely love wearing jewelry with cute little animals on them, especially my signature owl ring! :)

Post on these nails here :)
Since the three rings aren't attached, you can mix & match the rings, by wearing just one or two at a time, or wearing them on different fingers - which is super fun & versatile! :)
This set of rings was around $6.50-$7.00, not including the gift card - basically a steal!

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I honestly cannot believe i didn't mention this in my last post, but i saw Inception on Friday (opening) night and i have not stopped thinking (or tweeting about it ahh!) since!  It was absolutely incredible, spectacular, brilliant, fantastic ahhh - the whole idea of it, the cast, the effects, the score..everything about it was just stunning.  I think it's safe to say that it's now my favorite film of all time ♥.  Definately go see it when you get the chance!!

I should also let you girlies know that i'm babysitting my cousin everyday this week, so i may not get around to posting a lot - i promise i'll try to put something up if i can!
Hope you are all having a lovely Sunday :)


Saturday, July 17, 2010

Spot Cleaning Makeup Brushes! ♥

I've done a post on deep cleaning makeup brushes, which you can read here, so i thought i'd do a post on how to spot clean your makeup brushes - or at least how i do it :)

Spot cleaning is a lot less thorough that deep cleaning, but it's also a lot quicker.  It's especially great for eyeshadow brushes, since different colors are constantly being used on them and spot cleaning them takes the product off the brushes easily & efficiently.
Spot cleaning your brushes is fine, but you shouldn't abandon deep cleaning them completely.  It's important to clean your brushes at least once a week (i'm a total failure when it comes to this haha, i try though!) to get all the product out & to prevent bacteria buildup.

The brushes to be cleaned :D
Does the MAC label / number of the brush come off as easily on your brushes as mine did?!  I can barely tell which brushes are which.

What i like to use to spot clean my brushes is MAC Brush Cleanser, it really gets the colors out & dries very quickly.  The only thing i don't really like about it is how it dispenses the product.  It just kind of spills out & a lot of product is wasted.  I do like the pretty pink color though hehe :)

Step 1: Dampen the hairs of the brush with your brush cleanser.  Be sure not to tip your brush over (brush hair above the handle), because if the cleanser were to go down into the metal/handle part of the brush, it could  potentially damage your brushes.

Step 2: Gently rub the bristles with the cleanser on it onto a clean towel.  See how easy the eyeshadow's coming off? :)  Be sure not to keep swiping the brush in the same dirty spot, as this would be quite counterproductive ha.

Step 3: Lay flat to dry - with an alcohol-based cleanser like the MAC Brush Cleanser, it really doesn't take too long - an hour or two really!

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Spot cleaning is much less of a hassle & a lot quicker than deep cleaning, but you still shouldn't rely just on spot cleaning :)
Hope i helped you girls!  I'm off to my sister's graduation party...Hope you are all having a lovely Saturday!


Tuesday, July 13, 2010

A Sunday Trip to IKEA :)

This past Sunday, my parents took one of my sisters & i on a spontaneous trip to IKEA.  The closest IKEA to where i live is about two hours away & is in a state my dad isn't too fond of, so we don't find ourselves going there too often.
This was all our first time to IKEA, although i've been wanting to go for ages after spotting a load of gorgeous pieces on their website (link here :) & in catalogs, and after hearing all the raving about it from people.

I took some photos to share with you all :)  I could easily have taken a few hundred photos there as everything was so gorgeous, but instead i just soaked all the beauty in & also did a bit of shopping :)


This was on the second or third floor, across from the lighting section - which was gorgey!
So many lovely things.  There was this one chandelier in particular i was in awe of hehe :)

This was definitely one of my favorite rooms.  It was an office/living area, with immense ceilings & windows, and lush bookshelves.


I thought this picture was beautiful.  It wouldn't really fit into the style of my room, but i swear i'm going to have this gorgeous piece in my house someday!


This was another one of my favorite rooms.  It's so modern & sleek, but not at all cold & uncomfortable.  And look at that chandelier!  The closet is also amazing.  I could definitely see myself living in a room like this :)
The two photos below are also of this room as well :)
I wish i would've taken more photos for you lovelies!
My sister & i both got a couple things on our trip.  Overall, i loved the whole IKEA experience and would definitely go back - my parents would say differently though, as they thought it was a huge hassle & they hated the whole setup of the furniture pickup & such.


Here's a little sneaky peek of my new & improved room!:


I absolutely adore the things i got - they were easy to setup & look absolutely lovely!
I have everything all set up in my room now & i promise i'll do that room tour that someone kindly requested on Formspring a while back! :)
Oh, just one question - would you girlies prefer me to do a room tour in photos (which could be quite difficult) or in a video?  Please let me know!



Monday, July 12, 2010

Silly Nails of the Week :)

You can probably tell one of my hands is definitely more skilled & able to do nail designs better than the other - oh, to be ambidextrous!

My nails this week were inspired by the lovely Julia at Julest, who did a super cute & super fun nail post a couple days ago.  Her's are about a trillion & a half times better & more awesome than mine, but i still had fun doing them, and i now smile whenever i look at my hands hehe :).

If you look at her nails in the post, you'll see i actually copied some (most) of the designs she did, just simplified a bit - as i have zero skills when it comes to nails (as you can probably tell from the messiness).
I have come to embrace bright colors & cute patterns this summer :)

I wanted to quick mention that i got an award from the lovely Alice, and i also got tagged by the equally lovely Hannahh & Xsmirage to do some awesome tags!  I'm not sure if i can get around to doing them :/, but i just wanted to say thank you all soo, soooo much & give a little shoutout!  Thanks again dollfaces!

Hope you are all having a lovely Monday!


Thursday, July 8, 2010

Jewelry & Accessory Storage! ♥

This post will be a picture-heavy one, showing you lovelies how i store my jewelry & accessories!
I keep a majority of it on top of my dresser, as shown above :)
I'll go into specifics of what is stored where, and i'll try to make it brief!
Oh, and i apologize in advance for all the weird colors going on in the photos of this post..i couldn't take a decent shot of anything for the life of me today :/

Let's get started!

This little stackaroo from Walmart is what i used to store my makeup in, until it didn't fit anymore haha.  Sure it's really not the prettiest thing to store jewelry in, but i can see everything i have easily & it gets the job done.

In the first drawer, i keep pins & brooches - it's definitely the prettiest drawer :)

In the next drawer down, i keep all my earrings.  I keep the bigger studs down toward the front, my dangly/hoop ones in the back right corner, and the smaller studs in a box so they don't roll around & get lost.

This next drawer contains the bracelets i don't wear as often & my SillyBandz teehee :D

The fourth drawer doesn't contain much, but i keep the loose pendants & things to be repaired in here.

The last drawer contains my other pins & badges.

On the left is a vintage jewelry holder, with some jewelry from my aunt in there.  In the "sweet" jar, i have Werther's caramel candy :) hehee.  In the little circular jar, i keep the backs of my earrings - this container is actually from Chile, my dad brought it back for me :).

Next to the drawer-unit, i keep my Lush goodies in this really lovely floral bowl from Goodwill.

Over to the right, i keep my Yankee Candle diffuser (mmmmm ♥), a gold basket of more jewelry, my everyday sunglasses, a watch, my pearl earrings from China, and a random necklace.

In this basket (from an estate sale), i keep the jewelry i wear most often & my rings.  I like to keep it out here instead of in the plastic drawers because it's all laid out for me & i can quickly pick out what i'm going to wear that day.

In the top drawer of my dresser, right below everything i just talked about, i keep my sunglasses, safety pins, hair ribbons, bracelets i rarely wear, & necklaces that don't fit with the rest of my necklaces.

In my closet, which is right to the left of my dresser with all the things above, i keep my necklaces.  They're hung on the wall with push-pins.  I really need to find a better way to store these babies!

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Hope you ladies are all enjoying your Thursdays! :)


Monday, July 5, 2010

Nails: Polka Dot Fail! ♥

I got a few comments on my June Favorites post about my nails (haha) & i was planning to do a nails-of-the-week post on these nails anyway, so here we go!  Teehee :)
I was inspired by another beauty blogger who also did polka-dot nails, i literally searched for 15 minutes trying to find who it was so i could link her in here, but i couldn't find her!  Errg.

Products used, in order:
-Maybelline Express Finish Nail Enamel Top & Base Coat - as base coat
-3 coats of Orly "Pretty Please" (this has been in my past two NOTW's haha)
-Sally Hansen Xtreme Wear Nail Color in "Blue Me Away" - polka dots
-Revlon No Chip Top Coat - review here

I put on the polka dots with a toothpick, and it was a total fail!  It's really not the nail varnish's fault, it was all mine!  I'm completely impatient when it comes to nails, but i really like my messy polka dots tbh :) - the polka dots are even worse on my other hand!

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I'd like to say a quick thank you to the girls who've tagged me to do those fun tags & who've given me awards!  I promise i'll get around to them, soo sorry it's taking so long!  Xoxo ♥

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