New Year New Me (Or Something Like That)

WELCOME TO 2015 FRIENDS!!! Despite not having posted anything during the month of December, I actually had quite an eventful month. And I'm here to tell you all about it, among other things, because my New Year's resolution was to journal more, and I'd like to think this is a form of my journal, minus the weird personal details. So here we go.

At the beginning of the month, I went with my fellow AP Government classmates to visit the Capitol building in Washington, DC. It was a whirlwind trip, and even though it took all day, it felt as if we spent most of our day getting through security checkpoints. We got to sit in on a session of the Senate, which sounds cool but was actually painfully boring, at least for my group, (we were the lucky ones that got to sit in on a discussion about the continuance of the postal service in Wisconsin and Vermont). My favorite part of the trip was the politically engaging discussion my friends and I had during the bus ride about feminism and social implications of police violence. Sometimes it surprises me how much I have to learn from my peers, and I consider myself lucky to be among some very intelligent people. (Not all of them are intelligent, mind you, but there definitely a few very smart people that I cherish.)

About a week later, a monumental event occurred. I turned 18. I know, I know, I'm shocked, too. How is it possible that someone such as myself is now a legal adult? Somewhere the writers of that rule are turning in their graves. I couldn't be more excited, though. I can now order things off infomercials, go out driving past midnight, buy lottery tickets and cigarettes, and get tried as an adult. None of these things I actually have an interest in, but it's the principle of the matter. And the actual day of my birthday was fantastic. So many people wished me a happy birthday, I found the need to post a Facebook status update just to let everyone know how loved I felt. It was kind of awesome, because people who aren't even really my friends sent me Twitter and Facebook messages and all day, I just wanted to curl into a ball and smile like an idiot because HOLY SHIT people like me. :)

At the end of that week, my friend and I threw a joint birthday party at my house (her birthday is later in December). That was yet another moment of utter joy, at least for me but also I think for my friend. My house was packed with all of our closest friends, and I wanted to gather everyone in a group hug and never leave that moment. If any of them are reading this, I hope you know that that party, and my 18th birthday as a whole, was the best birthday celebration I've ever had, and I can't even begin to express how much I love you all.

Then, of course, after a final week of school before break, which was filled with last-minute tests, quizzes, and a surprising two day run of hallway caroling with my guitar class, it was finally Christmas!! I love Christmas, even now as wise old legal adult, and I love having my family with me to celebrate it. Even this year, which felt a little weird because one of my favorite cousins has now moved to Utah for her job, I still felt constantly wrapped in a warm blanket of familial love and joy and chocolate (which we had a lot of). The only thing that sucked was that night, as everyone was packing up and getting ready to go home after their final slice of cheesecake, I felt super queasy and not at all festive and jolly. Later that night was absolutely awful, and the following day was even worse. After a quick Google search, I discovered that I had every single symptom of the stomach flu. Peachy. Luckily, I was able to get over it relatively quickly, and was back to normal by New Year's Eve.

In between Christmas and New Year's Eve, my mom and I went to my neighbor's wedding, who happens to be the older sister of my best friend. It was a beautiful reception held in their church, (the ceremony had been earlier in the day,) and I was so happy to see my friend again. I wasn't feeling 100% better, but found some weird kind of solace in the fact that my friend was suffering the same thing. We laughed at it and danced briefly in front of everyone before feeling queasy again and sitting down. It was a real bonding moment.

New Year's Eve was surprisingly eventful. I went to work with my mom earlier in the day to make some quick money (because Christmas money only goes so far, kids,) and then spent the rest of the day watching chick flicks, (The Wedding Planner, Miss Congeniality, and The Proposal, in order). And just as I was texting with my friends about how lame it felt to be home with your parents on New Year's, my cousins came over and we had ourselves an impromptu NYE party. It was pretty low maintenance, all things considered, but it was good to have people there  to celebrate the coming of the new year with. We watched Taylor Swift and One Direction perform in Times Square, followed by the dropping of the New Year's ball. Then we cheered with nonalcoholic beverages and took Polaroid pictures, as one does.

Alright, well, if you've read this far, I commend you, because Lord knows I can get hella boring when it comes to talking about my life and whatnot. I'm not going to make any promises (because that will just disappoint everyone when I can't follow through,) but I will definitely commit to trying to post more often. I'm currently reading the book Girl Online by Zoe Sugg, and the main character, Penny, runs a blog that she updates weekly. I think that is a tremendous idea. Maybe Saturday or Sunday nights? That definitely sounds plausible. I really want to develop this blog, not only for myself, but maybe because somewhere out there someone will find this and think I'm a super cool awesome person that writes really well. I don't know, maybe. I'd also like to try to use more of my own pictures, because I think I may love photography without outright admitting it, so this will be a great outlet for that secret love (not including Instagram, which I am sort of addicted to but also don't want to be obnoxious on). Ok, I've said enough, I should go do something actually productive now.

Revlon Lip Butter HEAVEN!

Revlon Lip Butters in
Wild Watermelon #063 (left)
& Sorbet #053

Today, I made one of my proudest beauty investments of all time. I was shopping with my mom and I was picking up a few essentials for back to school, (i.e.- the 902-page September issue of Vogue, a HUGE bottle of hairspray, Tresemmé Heat Protectant spray, Revlon Ultimate Suede Lipstick in Finale #095, and the-subject-of-this-post-to-be-identified-shortly,) and I came across a product I've been meaning to try out for a long time. Revlon Lip Butters have always appealed to me aesthetically, meaning: the packaging was really, really pretty. (Whoever designed that deserves a hearty high five and an extra twenty dollars, just saying.) But anyway, my longing for them was only solidified when I saw a vlog by YouTuber Zoella280390, in which she's talking about buying nearly all of the available colors of the Lip Butters while in Florida this past March for the Playlist Live convention. I usually trust her opinion when it comes to all things beauty/fashion related, and this was no different. If Zoe likes them, surely I would too! So, as soon as I got to the Revlon section, I picked out the brightest colors I could find, Wild Watermelon #063 and Sorbet #053, and bought them without a second thought. I generally enjoy lip products, and find myself buying products in pretty colors, though ones I would never wear to school. These up the ante though, in terms of wear-ability. I tried them on as soon as I got home, and I was amazed, I was shocked, I was in love. The Revlon Lip Butters are exquisite! They glide on smoothly like Chapstick, yet are just as colorful as any lipstick. They aren't as heavily pigmented, though, so it makes for a look that's softer and more relaxed than that of a lipstick. I absolutely adore both of the colors I bought, and I feel just as tempted as Zoe to go back and buy them in every color, even if I will never wear grape or mocha colored lip products! I am so excited to wear these to school. I feel like they are easier to pull off than even the Revlon Lip Stains or Clinique Chubby Sticks. They also feel very moisturizing and lotion-y, if that makes sense. I think they have some sort of shea butter or cocoa butter in them, (hence the name,) because the texture is smooth and they have that slight scent to them. Wild Watermelon #063 is a bright, vibrant watermelon-shade of red that looks great for summer and will transition excellently into fall. Sorbet #053 is my favorite of the two; it's the girliest shade of pink that will look great with black clothing or other brights. Despite it being hot pink, it's super versatile, especially given the texture of the product. I literally cannot wait to have an occasion to wear these, (one of the only good things about going back to school next week!)

Updates, Updates, Updates!

So within the past few hours, I've pretty much stalked Zoe Sugg, better known by her YouTube name as Zoella. It's pretty much because of her and my other favorite YouTubers that I'm making this crazy attempt at blogging and vlogging. I really want my voice to be heard, and as I stated in my FIRST EVER YOUTUBE VIDEO, I feel like the internet in general is a good place to put myself out there. I read through Zoe's FAQs, and she really inspired me when she mentioned that you should blog for yourself before you start blogging for others, because if you're passionate about it, others will pick up on your enthusiasm. So, I guess this is just my vow to always post things I believe in, whether it be a "My Brother Did My Makeup" video, (which I plan to do!) or a post about Katy Perry's contribution to modern feminism, (which I also plan to do). I just wanted to take the time to say that I'm going to take this blogging/vlogging experience seriously. I'm willing to open up my life a little bit to the outside world, if for no other reason than because I think it'll be fun. I want this to be my gateway to the world, because I'm part of a generation in which my new best friend could be a girl from Singapore that I met through YouTube. It's possible. And that's why I'm so excited to get started. :)

P.S. I made an account for this blog on the website Bloglovin'. Just in case anyone wants to check that out, it's pretty cool, actually. :)

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. :)