Friday Favorites!

Oh my. I think I can confidently say that this week has been the busiest and longest week of the (school) year so far. With back to back midterms piled up at the end of the week with other necessary planning, I had a lot on my plate. But enough with the whining and into a more positive subject, favorites! Below are some of my recent favorites and inspirations that I have come across over the past week or two during the vary little spare time I had!

Favorite Fashion Inspiration: Black to White

Southern Curls and Pearls

Favorite Hair Updo

carajourdan

Favorite Food Inspiration

Vanilla Cream Filled Snowball Donuts. Going to definitely try these!

Favorite Watch: Fun for Louis 

His videos make me want to travel and I find them pretty inspiring. Check out here!

Favorite Quote:

What is your favorite quote?

Please leave your thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Jogger Pants: In or Out?

Items shown above: Athleta Jogger Pants, Topshop Faux Leather Joggers, BP. Jogger Pants, Forever 21 Jogger Pants, Socialite Woven Pants, Joypeace Jogger Pants

Left, Center, Right

Jogger pants have caught the attention of those who like both street style and lounge style. Joggers are fashion world's gift to people who want a pajama-like comfort throughout the day without looking like you rolled straight out of bed. At first glance, joggers may seem the exact same as sweatpants, which is partly true. Both jogger pants and sweatpants are made out of soft cloth with a loose fit.

The difference between jogger pants and regular college-dorm sweatpants is that joggers have a more slim shape and usually cinch at the ankle. Jogger pants also tend to be lighter, allowing them to not weigh down as much as regular sweatpants. Jogger pants also often come in more simple and "chic" colors, such as navy and prints, and don't have lettering on them like typical sweat pants. As a bonus, they also often include pockets and a drawstring waist.

I personally don't think I could pull off the jogger pants trend in public, but I do think it suits many people. I don't see this trend lasting past a couple seasons and kind of see them as the modern gauchos: they are in and then they are out for good. However, that shouldn't keep you from trying this ridiculously comfortable trend, since who doesn't want more comfort in their life?

What do you think of the jogger pants trend? In or out?

Please leave you thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in "Provocateur" Review + Swatches!

Nothing is more classic than the red lip. Although it is considered as a makeup staple for some, I have always been too intimidated to try the classic lip look. When Revlon released their Lacquer Balm collection and saw that there was a classic red in the collection, it immediately caught my attention and was added to my wish list. The Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in "Provocateur" (135) has been on my wish list since last winter, and I finally decided to pick it up recently as part of my Halloween costume and decided that this holiday season, I would go out of my comfort zone and sport the red lip! Read on to see my thoughts on the product!

Packaging and Product

The lip color features shiny and reflective packaging and seems fairly sturdy. The actual product is like a crayon and has a twist up feature for more product, making the product very easy to use. This lip color is also described as balm, which is fitting, since it is not drying and actually a little bit moisturizing. However, it probably won't replace your standard lip balm, especially during the winter months.

Pigmentation

"Provocateur" (135) is a gorgeous neutral (tad bit warm-toned) cherry red color with a slight glossy finish. It also has the slightest bit of shimmer, which is not noticeable on the lips at all, but rather adds to the glossy finish. Even though this product is described as a balm, it definitely has more pigmentation compared to the typical balm. "Provocateur" is a very pigmented lip color, but as you may expect, it is not quite as pigmented as a typical lipstick. Since it is a little bit on the sheer side, you can apply a light layer, but also build it up for a pigmented lip look. Since it also has a glossy finish, the balm is also not drying and moisturizing.

Downsides (Kind of)

The only (very small) downside that I have with this product is how long it lasts before wearing off. I like my products lasting hours and hours, so I didn't expect this lip product to be that long lasting. I was actually pleased with how long this balm lasted, which was a couple hours, and lasts even longer with a lip liner underneath. That being said, I would have liked it to last a little longer, so I don't have to reapply it throughout the day. Overall though, I was pleasantly pleased with this product!

Overview:

Pros:

   - Moisturizing
   - Pigmented (semi-opaque, but can build it up to a pigmented finish)
   - Glossy Finish
   - Nice Packaging for the price

Cons:

   - Wish it lasted a little longer than a 2-3 hours

Price: $9.49 (at Ulta)

Would I repurchase? Yes! Maybe in different colors!

Overall Rating: 9.5 out of 10

What is your go-to red lip color for the holiday season?

Please leave you thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Color of the Year: Marsala | 2015

 

1. NARS Blush in "Outlaw" / 2. Sephora + Pantone Universe Marsala Multi-Finish Eye Palette / 3. Buxom Full-On Lip Stick in "Brooklyn" / 4. Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss in "Beso" / 5. Stila  Smudge Waterproof Eye Liner in "Umber" / 6. Make Up For Ever Artist Shadow in "Burgundy" / 7. Sephora + Pantone Universe Marsala Matte Lip Creme / 8. Essie Nail Polish in "Downtown Brown" / 9. L'oreal Infallible Lipstick in "Eternal Rose"

Photos 1, 2, and 3, Photo 4

When I first heard that color of 2015 was Marsala, I immediately thought "Like the Italian Dish?". Believe it or not, the Italian dish and the color are (loosely) tied. One of the ingredients in Chicken Marsala is Marsala wine, and the Marsala color is based on the color of the wine. After learning this somewhat useless information, I didn't feel as bad recalling a food dish when hearing that Marsala was the color of the year.

Marsala is described as an earthy red-brown color that's warm while being sophisticated. Even though many may have questioned Pantone's choice of Marsala as the color of the year, Marsala is a sophisticated and stylish color that can be used in beauty, fashion, and home design. Above are products that allow you to incorporate the color Marsala into your routine and examples of Marsala in fashion.

What do you think of Marsala as the color of the year?
Please leave your thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Friday Favorites | 2015 Inspiration

This has been a very long week and I'm so glad that the weekend is right around the corner! It's only mid-January and I still have some of that "new year new me" feeling, so before the feeling goes away, I decided to milk it by writing some of my favorites that are also my inspirations for this year!

Favorite Fashion Inspiration: Basics with a Twist 

(Southern Curls and Pearls and Polka Dots and Sailor Stripes)

Favorite Hair Inspiration: Loose Curls

Favorite Desk Decor Inspiration(s):

Favorite Makeup (and just overall) Inspiration: Taylor Swift and Bright Lips

Favorite Quote:

What is your favorite motivating quote?

Please leave your thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Get the Look: Emma Stone's Golden Globes 2015 Outfit + Makeup!

During this year's Golden Globes Red Carpet, no one could have pulled off a jumpsuit more than Emma Stone! Her sheek pants and eye-catching top by Lanvin made her one of the top looks on the red carpet. Not to mention the elegant and awesome bow detailing! When I saw her wear this look, I immediately knew that I had to do a post on recreating her look! Not only can this outfit be wearable (maybe minus the large bow), but similar pieces in this look are simple and accessible!

Outfit

To recreate this chic outfit, start off with a beige and/or silver embellished top. Tuck the top into a pair of slim black trousers. While Emma Stone's big ribbon may be hard to pull off (or hard to find), instead wear a black ribbon or sash tied in a bow on top of the waist of the pants. Add a pair of black pointed-toe heels to compliment the trousers and to help elongate your legs. Although it was hard to tell if she was wearing earrings, finish the outfit with a pair of simple embellished stud earrings to compliment the top.

Makeup

Face: Apply a foundation or powder if needed to even out your complexion. Add a light-medium pink blush to the apples of your cheeks and blend to the sides of your face.

Eyes: First line your upper lash line with a black pencil eyeliner, winging the eyeliner at the end. Taking navy eyeshadow, apply on top of the eyeliner, slightly blending to prevent any uneven edges. Next, apply a silver eyeshadow to your inner corners and the inner half of your lower lash line. Next apply a little of the black pencil eyeliner on the outer half of your lower lash line. Finish the eye look with a couple coats of black mascara of your upper and lower lashes.

Lips: Apply the Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in HD Iris on your lips to finish the look (Emma Stone wore this exact color)!

What was your favorite look at the Golden Globes this year?

Please leave your thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Get the Style: Taylor Swift Winter Street Style Inspired Outfits!

As you can probably tell by now, I have been loving everything about Taylor Swift, from her makeup to her outfits to her newest album. This outfit will focus on three recent outfits that Taylor has been spotted wearing during the winter months. I have been absolutely loving her classic winter style and decided to recreate some of her looks with less expensive pieces. To get the location of the item, simply click on the pink font. 

I am absolutely in love with this first outfit. This outfit is perfect for the winter months, especially if you're going out with your friends from day to to night. The key to recreating this outfit is by first wearing a tan poncho (cheaper option here). Next, wear a grey sweater underneath the poncho a pair of black leggings. For accessories, wear a pair of faux-fur earmuffs and a plaid red or pink scarf. Finish the outfit with a pair of black high heeled booties, which when paired with the black leggings will help elongate your legs.

This second ensemble is probably the most wearable of the three outfits in this post. The look is casual enough to wear everyday, but also dressy enough to wear for more formal occasions, such as a date. Start off the outfit by wearing a navy turtleneck sweater tucked into a blue plaid mini skirt. To add some warmth, wear a pair of maroon tights, a navy toggle peacoat, and a green knit beanie. Finish the outfit with a pair of brown oxford heels. 

This last outfit combines the several winter colors into one outfit. Start off by wearing a blue sweater with a pair of green skinny jeans. Next, to get Taylor's shawl look, wear a tan plaid blanket scarf over your shoulders and arms. For accessories wear a faux-fur pom-pom green scarf (the one above is the exact one she was wearing from Topshop!) and a black satchel. Lastly, add a pair of brown booties to finish the look.

Check out my previous Taylor Swift inspired posts:
Taylor Swift "Blank Space" Music Video Makeup Look (Click Here)
Taylor Swift "Blank Space" Music Video Inspired Outfits! (Click Here)
Taylor Swift Victoria Secret Fashion Show 2014 Makeup Look! (Click Here)

If you enjoy these inspired posts, I'll probably be doing a 'Part II' to Taylor's winter street style, since I have been in love with her outfits!

Who is your style icon?

Please leave your thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Looking Back and 2015 Resolutions: A Tag

I know that these tags have decreased in popularity over the past year, but I couldn't be happier that I did this tag last year (click here for last year's post). I find that doing a tag rather than a paragraph-by-paragraph reflection is easier to sort out thoughts and keeps them organized and easy to read. Half of this tag will feature questions about looking back on 2014 and the half will be resolutions. I also decided to tweak some questions to make them less beauty-related and more well rounded.

∙ LOOKING BACK ON 2014 ∙

Name 3 things you did in this past year that you're proud of.
         ∙ Running. I started running this year, which I found to be quite enjoyable and helped my energy levels.
         ∙ Being more invested in my blog. This year, I have discovered that my blog has really been a good outlet for me over this past year.
         ∙ Opening up to my parents. In contrast to opening up to strangers (which I will explain later) I opened up to my parents a little about my rough year. I am not one to tell others my problems, but my stress got to a point where I just needed to tell someone some of what I was keeping in.

Name 1 thing you wish you'd have done differently. Not being scared of moving forward with relationships. I found that I have hard time opening up and allowing new people in my life, whether it's friendships or dating. I realized that I should I have not been so guarded and I probably missed out on some great people. This is something that I plan to fixing this year.

What was your biggest highlight this past year? My trip to Korea with my mom! Even though we were only there for less than two weeks, it was so nice seeing family again and experiencing young, Korean life. I did posts here and here on my trip earlier this year.

What was your favorite beauty product(s) this year? My favorite beauty products this year (because I couldn't choose just one) were the Revlon Lip Butter in "Juicy Papaya" (review here) and the Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in "Caviar Ink". Eyeliner is a must-have for me and the lip butter is the perfect 'girl-next-door' shade.

Who do you want to thank for being amazing this year? My family. This past year has been a little rough and inconsistent, and one of the only constant things that I found was the support from my family.

∙ 2015 RESOLUTIONS ∙ 

What are the makeup/beauty resolutions you have for next year? Continue with experimenting with more lip colors. I have branched out a little with lip colors this year, but I want to try to push myself to try trends, such as the 'Kylie Jenner lip-color-look' and deeper colors.

What are the fashion resolutions you have for next year? To continue to evolve my fashion style towards a style that I'm happy with and to wear more skirts. I do like skirts and dresses, but as surprising as it may be, I find them a little intimating. I'm more of a jeans or leggings (or even gym clothing) kind of girl, but there are so many outfits on Pinterest that I want to take inspiration from to help evolve my style.

What are your personal resolutions for next year?

         ∙ Find out my passion. This was on of my resolutions last year, but I unfortunately didn't accomplish it. I know that finding a passion isn't something that can be forced, but I am hoping to be closer to finding it this year.
         ∙ Finally declare a major. This falls along the lines of my previous resolution, but since I am a sophomore in college, I need to pick a major I'm passionate about and stick with it.
         ∙ Take risks. Whether it's with school, travel, or life in general. I need to push myself more than I have already have and hope that it will lead to great learning experiences. Even if it's something like study abroad.
         ∙ Eat healthier and work out more. I know, this is on everyones resolutions list. Even though I kind of accomplished this last year, I definitely still need to try to eat healthier and work out more.
         ∙ Be happy by December 2015. I hope that by the end of the year, I have moved forward from a restricting past, have taken risks, and lastly, find a way to be in a place where I'm happy.

What are your blog resolutions for 2015? I want to have more self-taken photos on my blog and have quality posts. This may be difficult with my heavy workload this school year, but I will try my best to make this happen. Even though my blog is an outlet for who I am, I also want to shape my blog into a better, updated representation of myself, since I have changed a lot in the past year.

Name 1 thing you want to check off your bucket list next year. Finding a legit job. I have been
"self-employed", such as tutoring and such 'jobs'. However, I hope to find a job with a consistent pay from an actual employer.

What is one of your resolutions for 2015?

Please leave your thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

New Blog Layout?!

Of the four years that I have had this blog (I can't believe it's already been four!), I have never set up a more "professional" or put-together layout. This is partially because I have a really hard time spending money, particularly online. I finally decided to suck it up though, and after months of searching, I decided on a blog template by ShinyMagic that you are seeing right now!

My previous blog layout:

As you can probably tell, my previous blog temple was very youthful. I put a lot of work in my old template. I designed the header myself and installed all the icons and gadgets by myself. It took a lot of time, but in the end, I created a blog layout that I loved! For the past year though, I grew out of the template, and wanted something more sophisticated.

I still have to tweak a few things with this layout, but I'm excited to start 2015 with a fresh new layout!

What do you think of the layout?

I love it, but I would love to read your thoughts!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter

Best of 2014

Despite getting into the holidays and thinking about my 2015 resolutions, I can't believe that 2014 is almost over and I'm already doing another "Best of..." post. Every year has its highs and lows, but this post will focus on the positive and some of my favorite beauty, fashion, and random items for 2014.

Beauty

1. Face: The Rimmel Stay Matte Powder has been a favorites of mine for a couple years and once again is in another yearly favorite of mine. This has saved my oily skin, especially during the summer and during long school days.

2. Concealer: Another repeat from last year is my Maybelline Fit Me Concealer (review here). This conceals dark circle and helps diminish the appearance of bags. It also works as an excellent spot concealer and lasts for hours when set with a powder.

3. Blush/Bronzer: For the sake of not having this post being full of repeats, I'm going to say that the Innisfree Blush in #4 was my favorite blush/bronzer this year. It's great for the cooler months when the skin starts getting a little bit dull. I have also been loving my NYC Smooth Skin Sunny Bronzer (review here), since I have been getting into contouring and the bronzed makeup look.

4. Eye Product: As an eyeliner lover, the Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner in "Caviar Ink" was a definite favorite of mine this year. I also discovered the Artistry Liquid Liner, which I have been pairing with the gel eyeliner when I want to make a small, precise wing. 

5. Lip Product: I have grown to love my Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Color in "Tutu" this year. Although I bought this product for prom a few years back, I have recently been straying away from my fear of lipstick and started wearing this as a "my-lips-but-better" color. 

Fashion

Clothing Piece: This would have to be a tie between my Lush Black Maxi Dress and my Nike Capri Tights. I practically lived in my maxi dress over the summer, as it was very comfortable and flattering. I also have been loving my Nike Capri, whether it's for a workout or for lazy days.

Accessory: My cream infinity scarf! Scarves are a must have for lazy girls, since they easily add detail to any outfit. Cream or white also goes with any color, making it easy to throw on in the morning.


Pair of Shoes: For most of the year I was all about comfort, so my most worn pair of shoes were my black low-top Converse. Towards the end of the year however, I started wearing my Nike 5.0 Free Runs and my Lauren by Ralph Lauren brown riding boots more often.

Other

Favorite Blogs: This year I started to read blogs daily, so I have accumulated a list of blogs that I always check. 
Beauty blogs that I have loved reading included Lipgloss and Lashes, Temptalia, RosyChicc, From Roses, and Raspberrykiss. 
Fashion blogs I loved included Southern Curls & Pearls, Classy Girls Wear Pearls and Bows & Sequins . 
Food blogs I loved reading included Cooking Classy and Averie Cooks.

Favorites of Youtube: Youtube channels that I enjoyed watching included Wong Fu Productions,  Superwoman, Tess Christine, Gabriella, Meghan Rienks, kellylovesbeauty1, and Ingrid Nilsen.

Favorite TV show: I probably watch a little too much TV, but I came across some pretty good shows this year. My favorite show was probably Lost, and even though it ended years ago, I finally got around to watching it. It only took me a couple months to finish the whole series. Other shows that I enjoyed were How To Get Away With Murder, rewatching The Office (twice), Revenge, The Middle, Black-ish, and of course, Gossip Girl!

 

Favorite book: While at the airport this summer, I stopped by the bookstore inside the airport and randomly decided to pick up Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) by Mindy Kaling. This was probably on the best mistakes I made that summer. I'm not a huge reader, but this book is hilarious and any lover of her previous works, such as the TV show The Office, will love this book. It is a combination of an autobiography, random thoughts and some small pieces of advice. Definitely recommend this read!

Food: As a serious food lover, this is hard for me to choose, since this especially changes with the seasons. During the warmer months, I was loving fresh salads and homemade Chipotle bowls. During the cooler months though, I got on the pumpkin band wagon and also loved anything with chocolate!

Beverage: One of the only beverages that I drink besides water is tea, which I surprisingly didn't drink much of this year. 

Favorite Song(s): I probably listen to music more than I sleep. Since I have so many favorite songs, I've decided to just put together some of my favorite songs of 2014. (While not included below, this list also includes the 1989 album by Taylor Swift and Four album by One Direction).

What was your favorite TV show of 2014?
Please leave your thoughts in a comment below!

Thank you for reading!

Bloglovin' | Pinterest | Twitter