YouTube Generation

Clearly, YouTube has become the new TV. And I'm not complaining. It's great to see people of all ages get their content out into the world without the necessary platform of celebrity that TV and movie stars need. And after so many hours spent in front of the computer screen, I've decided to make my own channel. I haven't gotten all the details sorted out yet, but I'll definitely keep you posted on the progress. ;) 

Products I Swear By

Recently, I received a CK One eyeshadow palette as a gift, and I absolutely adored it. It also got me thinking about all the other products that I love, and how much I would love to share that adoration with others. ;) Hence, this article. (I'll try to provide a link for all the products I mention.) (You're welcome.) :)

Eye Products
Eye makeup, and other "eye" products, are among the most-used products within my ever-growing collection of makeup and skincare products.

• For mascara, I change it up nearly every time I buy a new tube, but so far, I'm really liking Neutrogena's Healthy Lengths mascara in Black #02.  The mascara itself isn't flaky, nor does it clump. It looks and feels very natural on the lashes, which I like. It doesn't provide as much flare as another favorite of mine, CoverGirl LashBlast Volume mascara in Very Black, but for some reason Neutrogena's line just feels less chemical. 
• Eyeliner is a staple in my makeup routine. If I wear absolutely no other makeup, I will still wear eyeliner. Blame the Egyptian in me. ;) I'm a big fan of Revlon ColorStay eyeliner in Black, because it's a creamy, wind-up pencil type of eyeliner, which is the only kind of eyeliner I use. I don't particularly like pencil/kohl eyeliner, because I suck at sharpening them, but I have to say, I really like Almay Intense i-color Defining Liner in Charcoal. Because it's a dark greyish color with tiny sparkles, I would put on the Revlon liner, and then smudge the Almay liner underneath, and it gave a very cool smoky effect, which I loved. 
• Like I said, I recently received a Calvin Klein eyeshadow palette as a gift, and I have to reiterate, I adore it. It's the CK One Color Powder Eyeshadow Quad in Boho #700. It's more along the neutral side, but with pizazz. It has a sparkly gold quad, a shimmery mocha quad, a matte taupe quad, and a highlighting beige quad. The powder itself goes on smoothly, the colors are easy to dress up or dress down, and you can just tell you'll be addicted to it soon enough. And I didn't even wear eyeshadow before I tried this! 
• And now for eye makeup removal! My favorite thing to use when taking off my makeup is Neutrogena's Makeup Removing Towlettes. I only use wipes to take off my makeup, so I want them to do a good job. I've tried many different lines of makeup wipes to compare them to Neutrogena, just to see if someone else can make something better, and I can say with conviction that nothing else quite measures up. 

Lip Products

Lip products are by far some of the most fun products to shop for. There's nothing like a brand new lip balm or fresh lipstick. I will make up scenarios as to when I'll wear a new lip product, just to convince myself that it's worth the buy. ;)

• I adore Clinique Chubby Sticks, but they are just so darn expensive for such a little lip balm. Thank God the whole lip crayon craze caught on, and drug store brands have come up with great alternatives. One in particular that I think I like better than Clinique is Revlon's Just Bitten Kissable Lip Balm Stain, especially in the color Adore #055. The balm has a minty flavor and a stain like quality, meaning my lips are still colored even when the balm has sunk into my skin. Je l'adore!
• One of the best chapstick/lip balms I've ever used was Nivea's A Kiss of Smoothness Hydrating Lip Care. It feels so smooth on application and leaves my lips feeling so soft, especially if I've just exfoliated them. 

Skin Care
I am kind of obsessed with skin care products, like lotions, cleansers, and moisturizers. Even if I have a full bottle of lotion or a never-before-used cleanser, if I find something that looks better, it takes a lot of self control not to purchase it. ;)

• I've always loved St. Ives Body Lotion because it feels great on my skin, it smells amazing, and the brand doesn't test on animals, which is important to me. But I have to say, Vaseline Body Lotion leaves my skin feeling softer and smoother, for longer. I especially love it in the winter when I shave my legs, lather on the Vaseline lotion, and put on pants. When I get home at the end of the day and change, my legs feel angelically soft. Gotta love it! Plus, the chamomile scented lotion is super refreshing.
• As for facial moisturizer, I use and love Aveeno's Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer. I use it after every shower, and it leaves my face soft and smooth and feeling healthy. It also last forever, because you only need a dime-sized dollop for your entire face and neck. 
• I change facial washes every time I buy a new cleanser, but the current cleanser that I really enjoy is Clean & Clear's Deep Action Exfoliating Scrub. I prefer scrubs as opposed to regular cleansers because I like the exfoliating action and I feel like it does more for my skin that just a regular creamy cleanser. This scrub in particular is great because it has a cooling sensation, which feels awesome. My only problem is that sometimes the little exfoliating beads don't rinse off of my face completely, so I have to wipe them off with a towel after I get out of the shower. 

Fragrance
Ever since I was a little girl, I've loved perfumes. I love the pretty bottles, the way a certain scent is associated with a specific event or period in time, and how glamorous it looks and feels to spritz on a signature scent.

• One of my all-time favorite scents is Burberry Brit. I wore it all year my freshmen year of high school, and I adore it. It's got this musky undertone to an otherwise sugary scent that is just fantastic, and I am so sad that I ran out. I definitely plan to buy more, soon. 
• Another scent I love is Coach Poppy. I smelled a sample of it once in Teen Vogue, and I've been in love with it ever since. It's fruity and sweet and young and it makes me so happy. :) 
• One of the other scents I like, I like because I associate it with my mother. It's Dolce & Gabbana's Light Blue. It's one of her favorite scents, and whenever I smell it, I think of her, which is comforting. :) 
• On a side note, I'm not generally a big celebrity-fragrance fan, but I don't mind Taylor Swift's scent, Wonderstruck. I also kind of want to try out One Direction's new fragrance, Our Moment, as ridiculous as the bottle looks. ;P

Hair Products
Being a girl of the curly-haired variety, I've tried many a hair product in my day. My hair isn't textured, so I guess by some definitions, I have wavy hair, but in actuality it's just soft curly hair. Which is fine by me, because then I can straighten it pretty well, or keep it curly and it looks pretty either way. Not to toot my own horn or anything. ;P

• As for salon-brand products, I really like Moroccan Oil's Curl Defining Mousse. It's very light, because it's a foam, and it smells great. It leaves my curls feeling soft and touchable, but defined and bouncy, too. 
• For drugstore-brand curl products, I adore Pantene's No Crunch Curl Whip. It literally looks like I'm putting scented whip cream in my hair, but it works fantastically. It's a little creamier than Moroccan Oil, so I try not to put too much in, but it makes my hair feel super soft and bouncy. Plus, it's about $17 cheaper than Moroccan Oil, which you can only get at salons. I can get Pantene at any drug store or grocery store. ;) 
• When I'm in the mood to straighten my hair, I make sure to use good-quality, heat protecting products in my hair before I style it. After I brush out my dry hair and spray on a few spritzes of water and heat protectant, I apply Pantene's Anti-Frizz Straightening Creme for curly hair. It moisturizes my hair and keeps my hair feeling smooth and clean after I finish straightening it. 
• After I straighten my hair, I like to apply Redken Glass 01 Smoothing Serum. Just a tiny amount goes a long way, and it makes my hair crazy shiny. Love!
• Every girl needs a good hairspray, and my personal weapon of choice is Herbal Essences' Body Envy Volumizing Hairspray in Sunset Citrus fragrance. It doesn't smell chemical at all, and it keeps my hair in place without making it stiff. Max Hold works wonders! :)  

Nails

As stated in a previous post, I absolutely adore nail art, and I find painting my nails to be very therapeutic. Because of that, I've tried a lot of different nail polishes and stickers and treatments, some of which I like and some I don't.

• Generally, I love the Essie brand of nail polish, and there are a few colors that I adore. I recently bought the most adorable lavender-meets-cornflower-blue color, called Bikini So Teeny, that looks so precious on my nails. It's so light, it has the same effect as white nail polish when paired with tan skin, but it still has that blueish hue. Gorgeous. :) 
• This past year, I've gotten really into metallic polishes, and my personal favorite is Revlon's Gold Coin #925. It's the perfect shade of gold, not too yellowish, not too silver. I love to use it as an accent nail color, because it pairs beautifully with nearly all my other colors. 
• I think I have an affinity for blue polishes, because I'm constantly drawn to them and have about 7 bottles of different shades of blue. One of my favorites was a gift from a friend two Christmases ago, You're S-Teal the One from Nicole by O.P.I. It's a teal-ish shade of blue with purple undertones. I love it plain, but I also love to pair it with sparkly topcoats.
• Speaking of sparkly topcoats, my all-time favorite sparkly topcoat that I've found so far is Sally Hansen's Complete Salon Manicure in Copper Penny #100. There was no way I could NOT buy this beautiful copper polish. I don't actually think it's supposed to be a topcoat, but it looks good anyway!

For more beauty recommendations and tips, YouTube is always a great resource. My personal favorite beauty and style gurus are Zoella280390, Tanya Burr, and MissGlamorazzi. Zoe and Tanya are British and wonderfully adorable, with awesome makeup and style tips to boot. MissGlamorazzi, otherwise known as Ingrid Nilson, is so cute! She's American, and her videos are so girly and fun, just like her. I love all three of them, especially because I get a lot of beauty and fashion ideas from them. :)