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Friday, September 27, 2013

Cute & Fashionable Business Outfit

Cute Business Outfit


The other night, I attended a business club meeting on campus. Going in, I was expecting to gain some insight and information about the club. I did receive some very excellent information about the organization, but I also left with an idea for a blog!

One of the board members of the club had on an outfit that I absolutely loved! It was business-y but also very fashionable. She wore a white lace dress with a cute gray blazer, simple white heels, and a large, jade green necklace that definitely made a statement. That necklace! It was probably an inexpensive necklace from Forever 21, but it added so much personality to the outfit. I believe that is key when it comes to a business outfit. You should look professional, but also add your own touch to it. I don't mean wearing a feather boa with your suit! A not too overly complicated statement necklace or a cute bracelet should do the trick! By adding your personality to your business outfit, you will stand out from other people wearing standard business suits and be remembered, which is important when it comes to networking in the business world!!

When it comes it makeup, keep it simple. bareMinerals Original Foundation provides a very natural finish that makes you look like you were born with flawless skin. You don't want to look like you have tons of foundation and powder on. Going with only a mascara for eye makeup to make your eyes pop is just enough. No need to pack on eyeshadow and outline your eyes with eyeliner. I really like Benefit They're Real Mascara because it lengthens my lashes, opens up my eyes, and, most importantly, stays put for a long time! For lips, skip the bright fuchsia lipstick and keep it natural. Save that lipstick for a girls' night out. You could get away with a classic red lip, but I recommend pairing a red lip with an outfit that does not contain any bright colors. Think of the red lip as a statement accessory that you wear with a simple outfit so that the accessory is the item that stands out. Hourglass Femme Nude Lip Stylo in Nude No. 4 is perfect if you want a natural looking lip, while Rimmel London Lasting Finish Kate Moss Lipstick in 001 gives you the classic red lip look. 


I hope this blog post was helpful for you future business people!


Lisa xx

Thursday, September 26, 2013

Dealing with Homesickness in College

One of my closest friends is transferring to my university this year, and I am excited to see her to show her how much I love my school. She, however, is not feeling as ecstatic to move here like I am for her because, like hundreds of thousands of people around the world, this will be the first time she will be far away from home for a long period of time. The majority of her time from now on will be of her being away from home. Although starting a new chapter of your life is exciting, it is often difficult at first to think about all of the adventures you will encounter because your mind is distracted with what you left behind in the previous chapters. 

Homesickness comes with moving away to go to college. You may spend the first night crying because of how much you miss your family. During the first couple of weeks, you may constantly think about home. Even though it might seem like you are the only one feeling these emotions and crying your eyes out, the person right next door to you in your dorm hall most likely is going through the same time, and so is the person next door to them and so on. Moving away from home to attend college is often the first time people are away from their families for a long period of time. Although it is inevitable, there are ways that can help you deal with homesickness that I've found to help. The goal when dealing with homesickness is just that: dealing with it. You shouldn't allow your homesickness to control you and make you miss out on the fun that you will have in college.

Here are a few things that I found helpful when I was extremely homesick during the first couple of weeks of my first year in college:


Skype Your Family

Thank goodness for the invention of video chatting. Skype allows me to not only talk to my parents but also see them. Even though I am not physically with them, it seems like it when I talk to them through Skype. During the first couple of weeks that I was in college, I would skype with them every single night for at least an hour. Sometimes, I skyped with them just to see their faces and hear their voices. It allowed me to feel like I was not hundreds of miles away. When you miss your family, all you want to do is see them, and Skype allows you to do that from anywhere in the world. Eventually, as you slowly stop getting homesick, instead of talking to your family every single day, it may turn to once every couple of days and then only once a week. For me, there were a couple of times, especially during midterms and finals, where I couldn't really study because I was missing my parents. With the magic of Skype, I called them, talked to them for about 10 minutes, and then was able to get back to studying. 

Distract Yourself by Having Fun

Most universities have some sort of "welcome week" where they welcome the new college students. My university had so many activities to get my mind off of missing my family back home. It's understandable that you might feel guilty for having fun while your parents may also be missing you, too; however, they will understand that these next few years will be one of the best time periods in your life! You should not feel guilty in this case for having fun! It's college! You are suppose to have a little bit of fun! While you are busy having fun, your mind won't be occupied with missing home. Enjoying yourself while participating in your school's attempt to break the world record for the largest water battle, for example, will replace that homesick feeling. 

Befriend Someone at Your College from Your Hometown

When you have someone from your hometown as your friend in college, it's like you have a piece of your home with you. You could talk to them about that one joint on the corner of 1st Street that offers the best burrito in town or that hiking spot with the best sunrise view. I became with someone I met at freshmen orientation that is from my hometown and we bonded during our first year in college because we had that connection of where we grew up. It was nice for me to talk about my hometown and have someone who knew exactly what I was talking about. If you have a friend from your high school, for example, who is going to the same college as you, it's great at first to hang out with them so that you can talk to someone about your hometown, but it's important to note in this case that you should not cling to them the entire time. Branch out and meet new people!


I just started Fall quarter at my university and am going through a bit of homesickness after spending 2 weeks at home with my family. I'm dealing with it, but I'm not letting it affect my college experience and my studies. I think that's what the most important thing about dealing with homesickness. You have to deal with it one way or another, but you should not let it affect your studies, work, health, and college experience. We all go through it at least one time in our life, but we can't let it hold us back from having fun and working hard.

Best regards,

Lisa xx

Saturday, September 7, 2013

Girls' Night Out + My Outfit & Makeup



This past week included the birthdays of two of my friends/roommates. Boy, was there a lot of present giving, birthday singing, and celebrating these past few days! 

First, we went to this shaved ice place where their shaved ice is actually called "snow" because it has the consistency of snow. They take a huge block of flavored ice and put it through a machine that shaves it to make a really fluffy product. It feels like you are actually eating snow! Being the Asian that I am, I got the taro snow with red beans and condensed milk a.k.a. the best combination EVER!! 




I think that at this age, it's important for a person just to have fun because once you graduate college, that's when you enter the real world consisting of long hours at the office and bills to pay once you arrive home. Also, you have more energy to have fun with your friends until the late hours of the night ;) Of course, I am not about having fun 100% of the time because when it comes to school and working on my career, I am dead serious. It is nice, though, to let go sometimes to enjoy life.


And how did I enjoy my life the other night? By dancing around barefooted under the lights of a ferris wheel and reenacting a scene from The Breakfast Club. Nice, clean, and really cheesy fun! :) 


My Outfit

This is the type of outfit that I've been wearing for a casual night out. It is very comfortable, which makes it perfect to dance around a ferris wheel in! I am wearing an H&M blouse that has little, maroon-colored prints on it, black leggings from Forever 21, and rose-gold sandals also from Forever 21. Here is a quick tip on how to wear leggings: make sure your top covers your bottom! Leggings are made with relatively thin fabric that is often see-through. You don't want people to see your bright pink underwear now, do you?

Here are a few alternative, affordable outfits that are similar to the one I wore. To see where each piece of clothing is from, click here to see the set on my Polyvore. 



My Makeup

For my makeup look, I went for natural-looking skin with slightly defined eyes. I started off with a tiny amount of Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation mainly on my cheeks, chin, and nose where I get some redness. I swiped some Rimmel London Wake Me Up Concealer under my eyes and around my nose and blended it out with my ring finger. A small dusting of Rimmel London Stay Matte Powder in Translucent along my T-zone was then all I needed for my face makeup. Moving onto my eyebrows, I filled them in with the NYX Eyebrow Cake Powder with an angled brush. I simply wanted to fill in some of the gaps instead of going for the "bold brow" trend. For my eyes, I used the NARS Duo Eyeshadow in Bellissima, brushing the lightest shade all over my lid, blending the darkest shade into my crease. I then lined my upper eyelid with MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy. One quick coat of Maybelline The Falsies Mascara finished off the eyes. Instead of going with a lip color, I chose to simply apply some Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Skin Protectant to keep my lips moisturized throughout the night. 


It was such a fun night! It was a great stress reliever and a much needed break before hardcore-finals-studying time.

I hope you enjoyed this blog post! I really liked blogging about what I did with my friends. Maybe I should do more blogs like this then?

Lisa xx

Wednesday, September 4, 2013

The Beauty Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer



A couple of weeks ago, I uploaded an in-depth review of the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. Click here if you want to read about that. Now, I will review the concealer of the Wake Me Up line. 

PACKAGING 

There's nothing extremely special about the packaging besides the bright orange top which definitely stands out in my makeup bag. The Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer comes with a doe-foot applicator. If you don't know, a doe-foot applicator is like the applicator for a lip gloss. I always found that weird because for me, it's like I'm applying a thick, skin-colored lipstick on my face. Is that just me? 

COVERAGE

It provides a light-medium coverage. It can't completely cover up the darkest of under-eye circles. But if you have slight under-eye circles like me, it is perfect. I also like using it around my nose where I get a little redness, and it covers that up very well.

TEXTURE

This concealer is very lightweight and has a kind of liquid-y, but not runny, texture. I love how light it feels on my skin, especially under my eyes. It doesn't feel like I am wearing any concealer there when I have it on!

APPLICATION

The concealer goes on tremendously smoothly. It blends great with either your ring finger or a brush. If you do use a brush though, I suggest using the Real Techniques domed shadow brush. That baby blends this concealer in so incredibly well! It neither settles into little lines nor enlarges your pores, which is often a major problem with many concealers when applied under the eyes. 

FINISH

There is a reason why it is in the Wake Me Up line. It sure is dewy! The concealer has micro-fine shimmer that brightens up any areas you put it on. That makes it great for under the eyes to liven you up, but it is terrible on spots because it will highlight them. Because it brightens up applied areas, you could put it along the bridge of your nose or along the tops of your cheekbones for a really natural highlight. 

LONGEVITY

With primer and powder, this concealer can last a good 4 hours. If you want to wear it for longer than that, I suggest you bring it along with you in your bag to reapply if needed, especially if you know you will be sweating as gross as that sounds. 

OVERALL IMPRESSION

I've been loving this concealer for the summertime because of how lightweight it is. Like I said, I have been using this to conceal my slight dark circles underneath my eyes and the slight redness around my nose. Lately, I would skip foundation and use this concealer where I need it. If you are looking for a dewy concealer that will make you look more awake than you really are, try this concealer out! It sure is fantastic! I can't wait for it to hit US stores so all of you US readers can try it out!


I hope you found this review helpful! 

Lisa xx

 

Monday, August 26, 2013

The Playlist: Rudimental

For all of you UK readers, you probably know who I am talking about when I mention the name Rudimental. For the majority of you, you may be staring at the screen thinking, "Rudi-what? Who is that?" 

Rudimental is a British electronic group consisting of songwriters and producers. They started off doing remixes of such songs as "Drunk" by Ed Sheeran. Now, they've created their own music and have released their debut album, Home. What really draws me to their album, Home, is that they mix dance instrumentals with soulful voices such as Emeli Sande, John Newman, and Alex Clare. I usually don't like dance music (I'm more of a pop girl, myself), but the combination of dance and soul with some hip hop tones is something new and different that I cannot resist! 

Rudimental is in their early stages of conquering the U.S. music market, being featured as KIIS FM's Next Up Artist of the Week this week. I expect this group to blow up in the U.S. within the next few months!


Here are a couple of videos to introduce you to Rudimental. The first one is my favorite song off of their album, "Free" featuring Emeli Sande. The next is currently a huge hit of theirs, "Waiting All Night" featuring Ella Eyre. Check them out!

"Free" feat. Emeli Sande

"Waiting All Night" feat. Ella Eyre

Saturday, August 24, 2013

Disney World Adventures

While vacationing on the East Coast this summer, my family and I ventured to Florida to spend a few days at the Disney World Resort. We went to Downtown Disney, the Magic Kingdom, and Epcot. It was a very special trip because the last time my parents were at Disney World was for their honeymoon. How cute! The entire time, they told me what Disney World was like when they went, and it was interesting learning about what the attractions were like a couple of decades ago. This was the first time that they knew more about a Disney park than I did! See, I'm a Disney geek, so I like to do research on the secrets and tips about Disney parks. Ask me anything about Disneyland and I can talk for hours!!

I could not go to the Disney World parks without bringing my DSLR with me! Even though it was bothersome at a few points carrying it around, I got to take some great pictures that I plan on decorating the walls of my new apartment with! Here are just a few that I took:



A dragon made out of Legos? How sick is that?!




Grrrr!!! Is that what the sound of an alligator makes? I obviously wouldn't know!








The Beast's lair.... I can almost hear the singing plates! 




Rapunzel!! 




Can you see how the crown in the back sits on top of Cinderella's head at the angle? Only short people like me can see it though. My dad couldn't see it because he is too tall! 






Just making a long-distance call to some friends in England. 






The closest that I will get to Paris for now...





I really loved Disney World, but I much prefer Disneyland because there is so much more unique history behind it. Also, Disneyland is a short drive away for me!I hope you enjoyed these pictures that I took! 

Lisa xx


Thursday, August 22, 2013

The Beauty Review: Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation



Hello, lovely people! Today, I have another review for you!

It is the oh so talked about Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. Unfortunately, this product is not yet available in the United States (boo!), but I was able to grab a hold of it while I was in Canada this summer. 

If you've been keeping up with my blog, you would know that I featured this in my July Favorites blog a few weeks ago. I gave a short review of it, but now I'd like to give a more in depth review especially for those of you who live in the states and are anxiously waiting for it to arrive here. 



PACKAGING 


I cannot talk about this product without talking about its packaging. I love the packaging of it! Most drugstore liquid foundations don't come with a pump, and that annoys the crap out of me. The pump makes things more convenient, keeps bacteria from going into the actual foundation, and dispenses not too much product. I usually, however, 


APPLICATION

This foundation is super easy to blend! You can use either your fingers or a foundation brush. I prefer using my trusty Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. 


COVERAGE

This foundation provides a light-medium coverage. You can easily sheer it out to get a light coverage for a wearable everyday look or build it up to attain a medium coverage for a going-out sort of look.

FINISH

Because this foundation is called "Wake Me Up", it gives off a dewy finish that makes you look more awake. There is slight, micro-fine shimmer in it that adds some glow to your face to help support your statement of "I absolutely did not have only 3 hours of sleep last night!" If you have super oily skin, I don't recommend this foundation because dewy foundation plus oily skin can result in you looking shiny. I have normal-oily skin, so I personally like to go over it with a tad bit of the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder because I don't like a very dewy finish most of the time. This combination, therefore, gives me a naturally glowing finish that I prefer more than straight up dewy. 

LONGEVITY

I wore this foundation for a night out (6 hours), and the staying power was very good. I applied a primer underneath, powdered, and sprayed some long-lasting spray, which helped it a lot. Without primer, powder, or spray, it could last a good 4 hours. Because it has a dewy finish, after 3-4 hours though, your face may start looking a bit shiny. My advice is to at least powder to set the foundation to prolong the wear. 

OTHER DETAILS

This foundation definitely has a fragrance; however, it is very light. To me, it smells like one of Nivea's lotions. If your skin is super sensitive to fragrances, test this product out first on a little part of your arm before applying to your face.  

OVERALL IMPRESSION

The Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation is now my go-to foundation for special occasions. Normally, I would reach for my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation for an everyday look, but there are times when I'm going out or to a special event where I want just a little more coverage. For those times, I will be reaching for the Wake Me Up Foundation! I love it, and it lives up to the hype surrounding it!


I hope you found that you found this review helpful! If you've tried this product, please tell me in the comments if you love it as much as I do. If you live in the U.S. and have not gotten your hands on this amazing product, tell me if you are excited for it to make its debut over here!

Lisa xx


Sunday, August 18, 2013

College Life: Day on Campus Essentials



Oh, those long days on campus going to class or studying at the library. 

You learn a lot spending time on campus, though, like what you absolutely need to have with you at all times. We all know that your should have your laptop and school work with you, but what about the little things that we don't really realize until later on that we actually need always? Because some of you will be heading to college this fall, I thought it would be fitting to list all of the essentials you will need to carry around with you while you are on campus!


1. Backpack

You will of course need something to carry all of your stuff in! It's not like you are going to be lugging a potato sack full of your things around a large college campus. Also, forget the fancy handbags!! I know, they are stylish, but carrying around a heavy bag on one shoulder all day will bother you like crazy after the first quarter! I used to use a messenger bag from Forever 21, and I then ditched it for a comfortable North Face backpack. I highly recommend North Face Borealis backpacks!! So many pockets to organize my things! Don't even get me started on the laptop sleeve! The Borealis backpack is padded on the back and shoulder straps, and it provides excellent support for your back. Get it, and you will love it as much as I do!

2. Comfortable Shoes

I used to only wear boots, flats or sandals, refusing to wear tennis shoes except for my running shoes. How girly of me, huh? At the start of my first year of university, I brought with me from home a pair each of boots, sandals, and flats. I destroyed them all within 4 months from walking around campus a lot. They were terrible for walking around campus because I had to walk through grass and on uneven surfaces at some points. Also, because my university's campus is very large, my shoes did not provide great comfort and support walking to and from class every day. I finally bought a pair of navy Keds and put some insoles in them for extra comfort. I can hear my feet thanking me now. Figuratively speaking of course. My feet don't actually talk to me. What I am trying to say is set aside looking absolutely glamorous every day and wear shoes that are comfortable to walk in. Think to yourself, "Would I want to wear these shoes to walk 3 miles in?" 

3. Reusable Water Bottle

You have to keep yourself hydrated at all times! Also, in the process of making yourself healthier, why not also make the planet healthier by not drinking from plastic bottles? Get yourself a reusable water bottle and keep it in the little pouch on the side of your backpack. A lot of college campuses nowadays have water filing stations that you can fill your water bottles at, which is very convenient. I like water bottles with designs on them because it's like a fashion statement that you can drink out of, oddly enough. 


4. Hair Ties

I have long hair, and I sometimes get really bothered by it if it is either really hot or windy outside. I also prefer to put my hair up when I take exams just so I can focus on acing them and not getting my hair out of my face. That is why I always have with me hair ties to put my hair in a bun or ponytail whenever I want to. Elastic printed hair ties are currently my favorite accessories because they can be worn on your arm as a cute bracelet and don't leave dents in your hair! 

5. Lip Balm

If I forget my lip balm at home and get dry lips midday, I am screwed. That is why I always have so many lip balms in my handbag and backpack. If I lose one, I AM PREPARED! You will be spending quite a lot of time on campus, so don't forget to have lip balm with you. I recommend getting a lip balm that is hydrating and has an SPF to prevent your lips from getting sunburned. 

6. Granola Bar

Have you ever experienced that embarrassing moment when you are in class and your stomach growls like an angry bear starting a motorcycle? Yea, we've all been there. To prevent it, bring a granola bar or some sort of snack with you when you go onto campus. In college, there will be times when you have 4 one hour classes back to back, so there will not be enough time for you to fit in a proper meal. That's why you should bring a granola bar with you to eat quickly in between classes to satisfy your grumbling stomach for a couple of hours before you can get lunch.


I hope you found this blog post helpful. Best of luck to those of you entering into college!

Lisa xx

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Oh Canada!

Those who know me know that every year, I go to Canada for a week and a half or so to visit my relatives there. I've been going to Canada since I was only three months old. One of the first things my parents bought me was probably a passport. I've been to Canada, specifically the Greater Toronto Area, so often that I have done it all. Niagara Falls? Been there twice. Toronto Eaton Centre? Conquered that multiple times. CN Tower? That sh*t was scary (fear of heights). Toronto Zoo? I wanted to ride the giraffe there when I was little. Tim Horton's? Oh yeah. Accidentally said  "Eh" in a conversation? Unfortunately. 

Last month, to make my trip more interesting, I brought my DSLR and pretended that I was a professional photographer that was on a mission to capture what I did while in Canada. Come on! Let me show you what I did and where I went!


While in Toronto in 2011, I discovered a pizza joint that has become hands down my favorite pizza place! The restaurant is called Pizzeria Libretto. Living in California, I have not had mind blowing pizza. It's probably because water on the East Coast water works better with the yeast in the dough than California water. Weird, right? 


I want lights like these on the ceiling of my room! I think I would constantly walk into them though because the ceiling in my room isn't that high...\




 Yummy margherita goodness! 




After lunch at Pizzeria Libretto, I walked by this food market that had decorated its outside walls with graffiti of vegetables! So cool!!




This super long park looks out to Lake Ontario. You see people rollerskating, riding their bikes, and ...




 ... walking their dogs!




What goes better with a walk in the park on a hot (and humid) summer day than a bomb pop?!








There was a section in the park that had like a circle of trees that people have carved words, pictures, etc into! Looks absolutely wicked!









 Oh Canada!!











My all-time favorite picture from my trip is one that I took while in a car driving through Downtown Toronto. From far away, I saw an old couple standing on the sidewalk. I rushed to pull my camera out to snap a photo of them and managed to. It is not the best quality picture I've taken, but it is nonetheless my favorite because of the tender moment it captures.




It was a great trip, and I can't wait to go back!


Lisa xx

Saturday, August 10, 2013

The Playlist: RVRB - Lost in the Wild

If you've ever watched The Glee Project, a reality television show which serves as an audition for the hit show Glee, then you might have heard of the name Cameron Mitchell. I refer to him as the Robert Pattinson look-alike with a John Mayer type of voice. He was known for doing covers on YouTube of such musicians as Bon Iver, The Beatles, and, of course, John Mayer. 

After an eight month hiatus, he's back with a completely different genre than what he was noted for. Entering into the electronic style, he and his friend, Jake Morrison, form the duo called RVRB. No, I do not know what RVRB stands for. All I know is that their new song, "Lost in the Wild", is amazing! Mitchell's soulful voice is just the cherry on top of this track and adds a different dimension to it. 

Check out the song for yourself! I predict a very bright and successful future for this new duo.




Lisa xx 

Friday, August 9, 2013

July Favorites



2013 is already half way done?! WHAT?! I know I always, and will always, start off my favorites post by exclaiming how fast time flies by because it is true! It seems like time is soaring by at 1,000 miles per hour, especially now that I am in college.

So many things happened in July. I traveled a lot. I ate new foods, experienced different cultures, and even endured my first "extreme" storm. I would call it extreme coming from always sunny California, but the locals there probably called it an average Monday in July. I went on crazy adventures with my friends and made new friends along the way. July was overall a just great month!

The month of July was also spent discovering new favorites in all sorts of categories. Here is a detailed look into what I have been loving.



BEAUTY

1. Daiso Japan Charcoal Mask



First up is this charcoal mask that I got from Daiso. Daiso is a Japanese store that sells practically everything for $1.50, so guess how much this cost? Ding ding ding! $1.50! It is the most inexpensive and best face product that I own. Its purpose is removing blackheads and whiteheads, and boy does it do that very well!



The actually product after you squeeze it out of the tube is literally black goop. You can apply it around your nose (what I do) or all over your face. Like other masks, you let it dry on your face for 10 to 15 minutes and then peel it off. After one use, I noticed that my pores shrank incredibly and my blackheads were gone. It is a miracle product and my favorite beauty discovery of the year so far!



2. Bioderma Sensibio H20





When I went to Canada, it was my mission to pick up a bottle of Bioderma Sensibio H2O after hearing everyone rave about it. I understand the craze now. It looks like water, feels like water, smells like water, doesn't taste like water though. I found out the hard way. BLEH! Although it doesn't taste good, Bioderma works amazingly! It removes even the toughest waterproof mascara! Now that's a huge thumbs up from me!



3. Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation




I FOUND IT!! Eureka, I found it!! The number one thing on my shopping list when I went to Canada was the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation. After watching Tanya Burr go on and on about how amazing this foundation is, I had to pick it up. It provides a medium coverage with very slight shimmer to create a nice, dewy finish. I would not recommend this product if you have really oily skin. It blends very nicely with either your fingers or a foundation brush like the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to buff it into your skin. I really like this foundation because it makes me look alive and not like I had only 4 hours of sleep the night before which happens A LOT.



5. Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer 





You know I had to also get the concealer! Lately, this had been my go-to concealer. I really like the consistency of it. It's not too liquid-like and at the same time not too thick, which makes it easy to blend and allows for it to stay put for a long period of time. For days when I have class, I would often just skip foundation and apply this under my eyes and on any blemishes and I'm good to go face-wise. It is a medium coverage concealer. Very good concealer. Yup yup! 



4. Benefit They're Real Mascara





For months, I've thought "I don't really need this mascara. I'm good without it. It doesn't really seem THAT special." Then, I got a small sample size from Sephora in June as a birthday gift that they give to Beauty Insiders. My goodness. I need to stop underestimating things. This mascara is FLIPPIN life changing! Well, as life changing mascara can be. My lashes look longer, fuller, and fabulous after just one coat. It holds a curl fantastically and does not budge at all! 



5. Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya





I've been really into coral-y, orange-y lip colors for the summertime. The Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya has been the lip product that has satisfied my desire for summertime looking lips. 


Although it looks straight-up orange in certain lighting, in natural lighting, it is actually pink with some slight orange. It contains no shimmer, but instead makes your lips look, well, JUICY! 


6. Essie Come Here



When I saw this nail polish, it talked to me. It really did. It said to me, "Lisa, my name is Come Here. If you come here and pick me, I will brighten up your summer!" Just kidding, it didn't talk to me (obviously), but if it could talk, I'm sure that's what it would have said. What I like about this color is that it looks like I'm wearing a different nail color every time the lighting changed. Under more yellowy lighting, it looks red orange. Under natural or LED type of lighting, it looks a coral-y pink. Two in one! Kind of... Look gorgeous either way!


7. Rimmel ScandalEyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal Eyeliner in Brown



I've kind of ignored pencil eyeliners for over a year now. That is, until I bought Rimmel's ScandaEyes Kohl Kajal in Brown! 


(My attempt at hand modeling while awkwardly trying to hold an object). It is a rich dark chocolate brown with specks of gold shimmer in it, which I love! This eyeliner will not budge after application. Even without a primer! Freaking amazing for a freaking amazing and cheap price! It is probably the best eyeliner that I have ever used. It applies like buttah (yes, buttah) if buttah was an eyeliner. 

8. Burt's Bees Nourishing Lip Balm with Mango Butter



It tastes like candy! Fruity candy! I've been hesitant to use Burt's Bees lip balms because the first one I tried was the original honey one, and I HATED the smell of it. I, however, thought I would give the line a second chance and opted for their mango butter lip balm. Now it will forever me a part of my collection. 


9. Up & Up Nail Polish Remover Pads



I picked these up at Target for my trip to Canada and Florida because of how convenient they are. This is the first time I've ever used nail polish remover pads, and I love great they are for travelling! Those days of packing mini bottles of nail polish remover and cotton balls are behind me! 


FOOD

Chobani Flip Greek Yogurt



For my food favorite of the month, I have chosen Chobani's Flip Greek Yogurt line. It's like flavored yogurt on one side and toppings on another side. Then, you kind of "flip" the toppings into the yogurt by folding the packaging. It's kind of difficult to fold the container, or maybe that's just me.... Tastes good though! Instead of eating ice cream for dessert, I would treat myself to one of these! Yummy! 


MUSIC

5 Seconds of Summer




I have been obsessed with 5 Seconds of Summer, an Australian pop rock band. They have the potential of being huge all over the world. I mean One Direction type of huge. Funny enough, they are currently touring as One Direction's opening act. What I like the most about them is that they act like average teenagers, lad's lads, blokes, etc. despite their seemingly exponential rise to popularity throughout the world within just one year. If you've never heard one of their songs, go check them out on YouTube! 


July Unfavorite 

Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray



I bought this mini bottle at Ulta because I wanted to see if it would give my hair any beachy texture. It didn't. I was really disappointed by it. I, however, have stick straight hair, so all it did was make my hair kind of matte looking. I was expecting at least some texture after using it, but I was disappointed. If you have naturally wavy hair though, it might work better for you than it did for me. 


That is all of my favorites from this past month! Share with me in the comments what you've been loving this past month! I'd love to read them and try out some of your favorites!

Until next time!

Lisa xx