January Favorites

Hello everybody! Today I have a post for you sharing my favorite things from this month. Depending on when I get my first Ipsy bag, I will either do a Ipsy unboxing or an every day makeup look so stay tuned for that. Let’s get started with today’s post!

 

Music

Lately I’ve been listening to music from my childhood. I don’t know why, it’s probably just a weird phase I’m going through, but I’ll share it with you all.

Alternative/Pop:

• Shakira’s Laundry Service album
• Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad:Reloaded album
• Taylor Swift’s Fearless album

 

 

 

Books

I only have one recommended book from this month, but it’s really good so I would definitely check it out if I were you.

Beauty Queens by Libba Bray

This book is really good, one of the best I’ve read in a while. The author has an amazing satirical, sarcastic, and witty sense of humor which makes the book so much better.

Summary:

The fifty contestants in the Miss Teen Dream Pageant thought this was going to be a fun trip to the beach, where they could parade in their state-appropriate costumes and compete in front of the cameras. But sadly, their airplane had another idea, crashing on a desert island and leaving the survivors stranded with little food, little water, and practically no eyeliner. What’s a beauty queen to do? Continue to practice for the talent portion of the program- or wrestle snakes to the ground? Get a perfect tan- or learn to run wild? And what happens when the sexy pirates show up?

 

 

 

TV/Movies

One of my favorite TV shows right now is Pretty Little Liars. Season 6 has recently begun, but I started at the beginning so I’m around the end of season 3. I’m recording it to watch later. This show has mystery, drama, and romance, so it’s good for teenagers or for anyone who’s looking for a new series to watch.

 

 

 

 

Beauty/Makeup

Milani Illuminating Face Powder in Hermosa Rose

This product says that it’s a 3-in-1 bronzer, blush, and highlighter and it looks like it but when used on me, it’s basically just a bronzer. I’m not sure if that’s just because of my skin tone or the fact that I bought the more peachy shade, but I’m happy with it because I needed a new bronzer anyway and this works really well.

 

 

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in Ruby

I absolutely love this! This is my first higher-end lip product I’ve ever tried, and it’s incredible. I heard all sorts of great things about this, and they’re all true. It can be a bit drying if you keep it on for a very long time, so make sure to keep your lips hydrated. I wore this one school day and even ate with it on, and it stayed on all day. After eating, I did have to reapply a bit but only on the inner lip area. If you want a  good lip product that will stay on for a very long time, this is great. It retails for about $24. The only thing is with this color, it applies as a hot pink shade, and becomes red with more coats, as you can probably see on the white applicator part in the picture.

 

 

 

Others

3 set of candles from Costco, $15

First off, I love these because they are full sized candles. I got them for the price of $15, which would be the price for just one of these candles in a different store. These all have different scents, that are amazing. The packaging of the candles in super cute, and I love how they come with boxes in case you want to give them as gifts.

The green one is called Sandalwood Amber, and the description for the smell is: Warm sandalwood infused with rich amber add a heartwarming and welcoming feel of comfort to your surroundings.

This candle has a more subtle, earthy scent to it, almost masculine. It’s great for a living room/family room, or if you want to burn a candle that doesn’t have a ‘girly’ scent. It smells very fresh.

The orange and yellow candle is Pear Cider, and the description for this one is: Warm apple cider, cinnamon and ginger are blended with ripe pears to fill your home with this luscious fragrance.

This candle is wayyy stronger than the previous one. It doesn’t smell bad, but the spice scents are almost overpowering, with fruity undertones. It sort of reminds me of fall, and Christmas time, so it would be good to burn during the colder seasons.

And lastly, the purple candle is called Cranberry Pomegranate, and the description is: Splashes of cranberries and acai berries are blended with juicy pomegranate to gently infuse your home with the freshness of nature.

This candle reminds me of berries in the fall. It’s very strong with the cranberry scent, and it does smell like a more girly scent.

 

 

That’s all for today’s post. I hope you guys enjoyed it, and see you next time!

Inspiring Instagram Accounts to Follow

Hi everybody! Today I’m coming to you with a blog post that’s a bit similar to last week’s post. Like I said before, I wasn’t sure how a post like that would do, but I was pleasantly surprised to see that it’s currently my most popular post of all time. As I may have also said, I’m trying to think outside of the box for blog post ideas, because I like variety and other people tend to like to see different things. Also, before I get into today’s post, I have a few exciting announcements.

1- This blog is only a few followers away from 100 followers! This is incredibly hard to believe and I’m  so grateful to all of you for your support. It’s amazing that I started this blog a little less than 1 1/2 years ago, and it’s already grown so much. Once again, thanks to all of you.

2- I redesigned my blog’s theme/look. If you’re on a mobile device, you won’t notice unless you actually go to the link for my blog, and you can go ahead and check it out if you’d like. If you’re on a computer, you could be on my actual website or just on WordPress. Don’t be afraid to let my know what you think of the setup. (Also, I’m that technologically advanced just to let you know, but I’m open to suggestions for improvement)

3- This is my most exciting announcement! I’ve decided to get an Ipsy subscription. If you don’t know what that is, it’s a website where you take a little quiz (to get information like eye color, hair color, what skin problems you have, etc.) then by just paying $10 a month, you get a little bag with personalized sample products in it. Ipsy also tends to have more full sized products in it. It comes once a month, about mid-month, and you get 5 samples in it to try out. I think this is a super cool idea if you want to try more beauty products, hair products, skin products, and more, especially higher-end ones, but don’t want to shell out a lot of money for it if you don’t know how it works. I love how affordable this service is. So since I got this subscription, I will do a post on it reviewing the products each month, starting with next month’s, which is February.

 

Ok, sorry that was such a long intro. Now let’s get into this post! I’m going to share some inspiring Instagram accounts to follow.

 

 

Fashion Accounts

https://www.instagram.com/fashionchurch/

This is a great account if you’re into more modern, urban fashions. It has a lot of great trends on it and it’s great if you want some outfit inspiration. However, if shout outs on Instagram annoy you, this account does occasionally post shout outs so don’t follow them if you think it’ll bother you.

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/lulus/

If you don’t know, lulus.com is an online store for clothing. If you look at their Instagram, you can find specific things if you would like. Or you can just look at their pictures for outfit inspiration. They sell really cute things, although I’ve never purchased anything from them.

 

 

Aesthetically Pleasing/Accounts with Cool Pictures

All of these accounts are some of my favorite YouTubers, but they’re really good at photography.

 

https://www.instagram.com/aspynovard/

 

 

Aspyn Ovard is my absolute favorite YouTuber. She takes really good pictures, and has good ideas for fashion, makeup, DIYs, and more.

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/aidanalexander/

This account has a really cool color theme, and the pictures are nice to look at. The captions are also cool sometimes.

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/connorfranta/

 

Connor Franta is a vey funny YouTuber, and I feel like his Instagram account shows a different side of him. His photos are absolutely amazing, and he’s an incredible photographer.

 

 

 

Feminist Accounts

You guys probably don’t know this, but I consider myself to be a feminist and these are the best feminist accounts I’ve encountered. If you don’t care for this sort of thing, then you can skip right over it but I thought I would show them to you guys anyways. These accounts are empowering and body-positive, which is great, and they’re educated on modern issues like political things, among others. I think these accounts are great if you want to be more educated on issues that the general media may overlook.

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/blue.feminist/

 

This is my absolute favorite feminist account. They’re good at getting back to people in the comments, and explain things in an easily understandable way.

 

 

 

https://www.instagram.com/itsfeminism/

This is probably my second favorite feminist account. It’s very similar to the one above, but the two do post different sorts of things.

 

 

Lastly, if you’d like to follow me on Instagram here is the link:

 

https://www.instagram.com/dana.nm/

(It is a personal account)

 

 

 

That’s all for today’s post! I hope you guys enjoyed it, and see you next time.

 

 

 

Some little things…

Hello everyone! Today I’m trying something a little bit different. I wanted to just post some types of things that are either other blogs that I love to look at to make me happy, funny YouTube videos, etc. I wanted to post something that may cheer you up if you’re having a bad day, or if you’re looking for some other blog to check out or anything like that. Let me know if you like this kind of post, and I’ll try to think outside of the box and do little different things like this for you guys. Let’s get started! 
Other blogs I really like:

Note- I’m not necessarily trying to promote anyone, and I haven’t been paid to do so. I just want to share some blogs that I enjoy. 

http://casuallyalluring.com
This blog is great. The author uses very descriptive, helpful, language and they seem to be a very friendly person. 

http://polishedbyamy.com
I love this blog because it has nail art and beauty. The nail art designs are very intricate and beautiful, and the author is a very nice person as well. 

http://theclassifiedchic.com
This blog is great if you’re looking for something that is more fashion related. The writer has a very detailed and sophisticated way of writing that is easy to understand. 

Some funny YouTube videos

http://youtu.be/a4Qelgln8M8 

This was absolutely hilarious and i was not expecting it. Great if you need a quick pick-me-up. But warning, she curses kind of a lot. 
http://youtu.be/NKd2uajYS-8
Cheat day is a funny show by clevverTV on YouTube where the people basically eat really weird things. If you have a weak stomach, then you might not be able to watch these but they are really funny. 

http://youtu.be/Gxp_grZZMY8
ClevverTV has an offshoot channel/internet show called beauty break which is an awesome channel. It helps with some beauty things but a lot of the episodes end up as hilarious failures. This is one of the funniest ones. 

I know this doesn’t seem like much, but I’m just testing this type of post out so let me know if you like it. See you guys next time! 

New Year/Winter Haul 2016

Hello everyone. I had been planning a haul post as well as a shopping trip for a while now, and someone told me that the mall I was going to was having great sales from after Christmas, so I bought quite a bit of stuff. I suprisingly didn’t get any clothing or makeup for Christmas, but I got a lot of money and gift cards from distant relatives so I went shopping with some friends and bought some things that I’ll be showing you today.  I haven’t done a haul post in a while now, and it’s one of my favorites so I’m pretty excited for this one. 

Side note: About 1 1/2 to 2 weeks ago, I recieved a few hurtful comments on my blog. I just wanted to let you all know that altough it didn’t bother me all that much, I’d like to keep my blog a positive place. And if you think I’m not doing something well, I’d appreciate it if you’d tell me in a constructive, supportive way instead of insulting me because I really work hard and try my best for my blog posts. And don’t be afraid to suggest something for me to change, I won’t be offended and I would like more chances to improve my blog as much as possible. With that being said, let’s get started with this haul. 

Aeropostale 

I had an Aeropostale gift card that my friend gave me a while back, and I remembered it so I ordered a couple things online. 

  
Black Patterned Tasseled Scarf- originally $20, on clearance + an extra 30% off clearance items. Final price: $7

  
Navy Blue Henley Shirt With Light Gray Flowers- originally $25, on clearance + an extra 30% off clearance items. Final price: $5

Kohls

  

Fuzzy Thick Light Gray Sweater- on sale for $25
  

Super Soft Green and White Sweater (this is literally the softest sweater I’ve ever felt)- on sale for $20

  
Green Peter Pan Collar Polka Dotted Sweater- on sale for $30

 
    
 
Black Polka Dotted Floral Bag- on sale for $35

  
Red Chunky Knit Throw- $30

This blanket is great because it’s essentially a sweater but it’s big enough to cover your whole body. It’s very soft, and makes your room look cuter too. 

   
 
Mistletoe and Holly Candle- on sale for $10

I bought this candle after Christmas, so since it’s a Christmas themed candle it’s was on sale for a really good price. I usually don’t buy candles that often even though I love them, because they can be really expensive but the sale price for this made it worth it. I also thought the glass part was really pretty, I like the color and style. This candle has a nice, classic, Christmas tree scent which is one of my favorite smells. It’s very subtle, but still noticeable enough to make a whole room smell nicer. 

Target

  

Camel Colored Knit Cardigan- on sale for $20

   
 
Black Velvet Detail Tank Top- $20

The first picture is more accurate to the color of the garment, and in the second picture I had the flash on to depict the pattern more clearly. I thought that this was a really unique item of clothing and I have never seen something like this before. I think this would be great for layering under a cardigan like the one above. It also came in a maroon shade, and it was kind of hard for me to choose between the two but I wear black way more often plus it matches more, so I went for the black one. 

  
Black, Gray, and Red Sweater Dress- $25

Before this, I didn’t own any sweater dresses but I thought they were really adorable and versatile for winter, so I went ahead and bought this one. I like how this one is pretty long compared to others I’ve seen. It comes about mid thigh and it’s super thick and warm, perfect with tights and boots on a cold winter day. 

   
 
True Love Candle- $3

This is one of the candles that Target had in their dollar section. I believe that it came out as a Valentine’s Day candle. It also has a subtle fragrance. It smells fresh, but in a girly way. 

Bath and Body Works

  

Peppermint Marshmallow Candle- on sale for $8

I only got this one thing at Bath and Body Works because on the day I went, they had just gotten their new stuff in so there wasn’t much of a sale. However, they had a small sale area where I found this candle. I think the red bumpy glass container for this candle is very pretty and decorative. The name is pretty self explainitory, because this candle perfectly embodies the scents of peppermint and marshmallows. This is a perfect holiday candle. 

Sephora

  

Too Faced Melted Liquid Lipstick in Melted Ruby- around $23

I don’t typically shop in Sephora, just because I don’t have a job so I don’t usually have enough money to buy any products from there. I went in just to look but when I saw these I knew I had to get one. I hear and see great things about the Melted Liquid Lipsticks all of the time, so I wanted to see just how great they are. (Even when I was in the store another customer recommended them to me!) The color is beautiful. If you want to reach the color of the tube and box, you would have to layer the product a bit but it’s beautiful either way. It has incredible staying power. I wore it to school on a day that my lips were a bit dry, and it didn’t dry my lips or any more which is great. I removed it before eating just in case because I didn’t know if it would stay on, or possibly stain my skin or what. I still have to test it some more to see if it does stay on while eating, etc but this is definitely highly recommended from me. 

Forever 21

  

Emerald Green V Neck Sweater- $20

This sweater has a gorgeous color. I bought it a couple sizes too large because it was the last one and I like my sweaters to be oversized, so the neckline goes kind of deep but it’s fine if I layer a shirt underneath. It’s very thick and soft, great for a casual day at home or a cold day out. 

  
Light Aquamarine Faux Suede Skirt- $15

I saw a lot of suede skirts in Forever 21, but I loved this one because I thought the shade of blue-green was very unique. This skirt is good for if you want to be a little bit dressier but not too much. I already have a brown faux suede skirt but that one had buttons down the front so I thought it would be nice to have some variety. 

  
Black Floral Pencil Skirt- $16

This skirt is pretty formal looking. It would probably be good to wear to work if you have a job. I like the vintage sort of feel it has. 

  
Black Long Sleeved Chiffon Shift Dress with Yellow and Orange Flowers- $18

I absolutely adore this dress! It’s another item that has a sort of vintage vibe to it. It’s very flowy and loose, and I love the long sleeves because most dresses are short sleeved. I think this looks cute paired with black tights and combat boots for an edgy twist. 

That’s all for today’s post. I hope you guys liked it, and see you next time!