Friday's Manicure: Post-Birthday Blues (Or Greens)

This past Friday was my 16th birthday. I was really busy that day and yesterday I had a party, so I didn't have time to re-paint my nails until today. Later I will make a post about my birthday. Anyway, my mom got me some new konads and new special polishes.

Because I now have 3 special polishes, which are thicker and the best kind to use for nail art stamping, I can layer different designs. I used both of my new plates for this manicure. On my ring finger, I have a white dandelion over some purple flowers. Both of them are from plate m20.

On my index finger, I stamped a pink ladybug from plate m30. Because I didn't want the green polish that I was using as a base color to make it look too bright, I painted a couple coats of maybeline's Pink Opal, which is a very sheer color. The green is Pixel Polish's Sexy S-Lime.

And I am so proud of myself! I only bumped my polish once, and it was really tiny and fixable. Even I can barely notice it.

Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty Tag

Last week I was tagged by Kayla at UrbanDeKayla to do the Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty tag. So, here goes!

Greed- What Is your most inexpensive beauty item? What is your most expensive?

The cheapest thing I have is the elf eyeliner that was a dollar, but I got them both for 50 cents because they were having a sale. The most expensive is proabably my Vera Wang perfume, if that counts. My aunt gave  me the roll-on for Christmas last year. She said it was $15.

Wrath- What beauty products do you have a love/hate relationship with?

Defidently eyeliner. Sometimes it works very well and I can get a pretty good line. Other times, it will be hardly there on one eye and super-thick on the other. But I love the way it looks when I get it right.

Glutony- What is you most delicious beauty product?
The lip products I use are flavorless, so none are really "delicious". But, I like the taste of my elf hypershine lipgloss. It's a little sweet.

Sloth- What beauty product do you neglect due to laziness?

Blush. If I'm rushing or just lazy, I just don't use it. It takes me a while to get it to show and blend well.

Pride- What beauty product gives you the most self confidence?

Concealer. When I think I look tired, I act tired.

Lust- What attributes do you find most attractive in the opposite sex?

I really like guys who are down-to-earth and respectful. They don't think the world revolves them and women and minorites are just there for nothing but to serve them.

Envy- What item would you want as a gift?

A better storage space for my makeup. Right now it's in a box in my nightstand drawer and I hate having to bend down to get it all.

I tag Olivia at Color Coordinated and Meghan at Mainly Meghan. And if you want to do this tag, do it and post the link below. I'll read it if you do.

Fall Is Here!

This is my 30th post! Perfect number for the first day of my favorite season. Even when I was younger and Summer was my favorite, I have always loved this time of the year for several reasons.

I love the leaves, and they get really pretty in the mountains in my state, the Appalachians. The picture above is the Blue Ridge Parkway, which is a scenic route that has spots where you can pull over and stop to look at the view. I've been there once in the summer and it was beautiful! But they are still pretty in Charlotte, too. I live in and near neighborhoods that have a lot of trees and it gets very pretty in October and November.

I also love the smells. Bath and Body Works goes all out and every fall scent they have is amazing! I currently have a candle called Leaves. It smells just like our boxes of halloween and fall decorations. I know that when I get older, a smell like that will bring me back to unpacking halloween decorations and being excited about Halloween and Thanksgiving.

Pumpkins! My mom once discovered a little store that sells pumpkins, gourds, fruits, and veggies. We've been going there ever since. It's a far way out, maybe about 20 minutes, but it's worth it. It's even better when it's cold outside. I love picking out the pumpkins and feeling their cold, hard surface. The place is close to the edge of the city, out in the country parts, so I see all the farms on the way.

Halloween is so much fun! Even if I'm not doing anything for it. I love the atmosphere of the days leading up to it. Also, there's so much candy. For some reason, candy is so much better when it's Halloween themed. I don't like candy corn or caramel, though. But I love making treats like special brownies. When I was 9 and 10 I made Jell-O jigglers in bat shapes.

Even though I don't eat turkey, I still like Thanksgiving. I always watch the Macy's Parade on tv. It's one of the few times when I will wake up early voluntarily. I also love the smell of the food cooking. It just has an atmosphere that I like. Also, it's when I get to eat crescent rolls! Only on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and very few other times in the year do I get to eat them.

Also in the Fall is my birthday. It's in the early Fall, September 28, so it's not cold yet.

Lastly, Fall also means that Christmas is coming soon. People I know sometimes complain about stores getting their holiday stuff out early. I'll say something like, "Seriously? They have that out already?" But it's more of just me noticing. I love it when it's early. Everything is so sparkly and happy. I also love going to one shopping center near my house near Christmas. They have a Micheals, Caribou Coffee, and a Hallmark. Need I say more?

September, October, November, and December are my favorite four months. Even if school is not so good, I am still happy because I love this time of the year.

Friday's Manicure: Birthday French

Next Friday is my birthday! This is the manicure I will have the day of.

 I wanted to do a simple french manicure with my elf french manicure set. The base color is pink. I have some tip guides that I used to make the line as crisp as possible. To make it a little bit extra special, I put rhinestones in the middle. Pink and teal are my favorite colors, but the lavender went so pretty with it. It's also one of my favorites, too. Just not as much as the other two.

How I De-Stress

For some reason, I was just so stressed-out today. That inspired me to write a post on how I de-stress.

1. Pick out at least one song that makes you happy and play it. I call them my happy-songs. For example, mine is currently Good Time. My happy-songs are always upbeat. Listen to music period. But your happy-songs are always the most effective in my opinion.

2. Distract yourself. This one is a little more risky. It depends on what you're stressed about. If it's something that has to be done asap, then this would not work. But if it's something that you can do later or get away from, get a book, an i-pod, or something that takes your mind off of what's going on and come back to it later.

3. Get creative! Even if you can't draw well, it will help release it. You can also knit or crochet or whatever hobby you do. Imagine that your stress is going into whatever you're doing and leaving your body to power it. If you're into sports, kick a soccer ball and imagine that your stress is powering it to fly. I like to sew on the machine, so I use a high-speed if I can and think that my stress is going through the pedal and making it go.

4. Try deep-breathing. I know that's been said so many times before, but it's been scientifically proven to work. It stops the chemical in your brain that makes you stress.

5. Create a world in your mind or think of a happy memory or place. Basically, daydream. You will feel happier when you think of that happy place or memory. I created several worlds in my mind. A lot of times, when something happens that stresses me, I transfer that into one of them to create storylines that entertain me.

6. If it's an assignment or something that has to be done very soon, just do it. You will feel so much better afterwards.

7. Talk it out to someone that is willing to listen and take a rant. If nothing else helps, that's what I do.

8. Just start laughing. It will sound fake and weird at first, but it might turn to a real one. Of course, people will think you're crazy, but do we care? Well, let's just say that it's best to do this in private or while watching something funny on tv.

9. Write everything out. Make a checklist. A lot of times, things seem so much more than they actually are. Writing it down, you will notice that it's not a lot.

10. Make a schedule. That way, you have a designated time to confront different tasks. Also add some free time to do whatever. Ignore everything for a half hour or so and just go on YouTube or something. Whatever you want.

So, that's pretty much it. If there's any more that I can think of later, I will edit it in. But these are usually what I do when I'm stressed. This list is not in any particular order, but most of the time I try number one first. But, I hope that this was helpful! If you have any techniques of your own, post them below.

The Siren

Yesterday I finished reading a book called The Siren.  Before I do the review, here is my reaction:

Oh.

My.

Gosh.

I loved it!

The story is about a girl named Kahlen (pronounced cay-len). She is a siren. When a girl drowns, she can ask to live. Of course, she doesn't know that Sirens exist, so she would be freaked. Kahlen was. Anyway, if there are less than four Sirens already and the Ocean chooses you, you get the opportunity to become one. Then, you can choose to accept or die. If you accept, you will be a Siren for 100 years and your body will never change at all until the century is up.

There is a catch, though. The Ocean needs to "eat" by drowning people or else there would be no more water. About once a year, She will need the help of her Sirens to drown ships. The rest she can do on her own with storms. It goes along with the legend of the Sirens, how they can lure people with their voices. So, when around normal people, they cannot make a sound or else people will try to drown themselves. But, the Sirens can go anywhere they want to, eat what they want, or not eat at all, and they don't need to sleep. They also don't get hurt or age.

Kahlen drowns in 1921. The story goes through the century and talks about the relationship she has with her Sisters (the other Sirens), Miaka, Aisling, Elizabeth, Marilyn, and Ifama and their experiences around the world. However, she has a longing desire to fall in love. That, as a Siren, she cannot do because she can't talk to him and it wouldn't work since he would age and she would not. But, closer to present day, she finds a guy that she falls in love with at first sight. She has a longing desire for him, but she also can't break the rules of the Ocean.

As I already mentioned, I loved reading the book. There were no boring or slow parts and it drew me in. I liked how the Ocean was a character with a personality and feelings. That was really creative to me. I also liked all the characters, especially Kahlen. They all have a backstory and it's cool how being a Siren affects and changes them. At one point in the book it changes to the guy's point of view, but I don't mind it because I think it adds something to it. His parts would not be as significant if it were from Kahlen's point of view. I also liked how everything came together. The fact that they're all around the world in different eras is pretty cool too.

Overall, there is nothing bad to say about this. I really reccomend it. It's not only a story about guy-girl love, but also love between friends and family.

One Tip That Makes Choosing a Blush Color Easier!

On another site, I found this one really cool tip. I always have trouble trying to find the right blush color. Some are too light, then they're to bright or dark. But, you can find the right shade by squeezing your hand into a fist really hard. When you open it back up, notice the color of your fingertips and palm. Try to find a shade that's close to that. Like mine would be a sheer cherry popsicle color. That sounds weird, doesn't it?

Package and Review: Elf Shimmer Products

Recently I got this package of things I ordered from Elf. I got 2 eyeliners, a facial whip, and 2 packs of remover wipes. I will not do a review on the wipes because, well, they're wipes. They do the job they're supposed to do.

Anyway, I got the eyeliner because Elf was having a Labor Day BOGO sale on their favorite products and the facial whip was so cheap, only a dollar. How could I not pass that up?

First I will review the facial whip. It is called e.l.f. Shimmering Facial Whip in the color Persimmon. I wanted Pink Lemonade, but they were out of stock. This color looked close enough to it online, so that's the one I chose. The site says that you can use it on your face, lips, and eyes, but I just use it on my cheeks. Color wise, it can be either strong or light, depending on how much you use. I like to use just a tiny bit because it can be strong. However, it does look natural with a light shimmer. It also lasts a while. The only downside to this is that when you first use it, some white shimmer somes out and it's very runny. I have to squeeze it out on a tissue until color comes out. But, I have figured out that shaking it helps.

The next thing I will review is the Shimmer Eyeliner Pencil in Iconic Ivory and either Precious Pink or Blissful Blush, I can't remember. What I like is that the cap is a sharpener. To me, that is a very convienent thing because then you don't have to mix colors or try to find a sharpener. On my wrist, both colors look fine and very pretty and shimmery. But my eyes are naturally dark, so the pink doesn't show up that much. The white does, but when I use concealer, it mixes with it and turns a light beige that's hard to come off. It looks like eye crusties or something like that. Not pretty. I am still trying to figure them out, but I think that they have potential.

Here are all three things swatched on my wrist.

Friday's Manicure: Magnetic Polish

This past Friday, I decided to do a manicure using London Colors' magnetic polish in Whitehall. It is a very pretty teal-blue color that I have never seen anywhere else. When I put the magnet over it, it looks like tiny little ocean waves on my nails! The manicure also looks really cool. Sometimes when I do it, like now, I'll just be sitting somwhere, moving my hand back and forth and watching the colors move. I know that there are now cheaper kinds with other designs, but they weren't out when I got this last Christmas. And besides, I love the color!

I, like always, took pictures, but they turned out a little blurry. Sorry about that. Also, I made a video so that I could try to show how it looks when it moves. That turned out blurry, too. Again, sorry. My camera was made mainly for pictures.

This Is What Procrastination Looks Like...

All day I have been procrastinating. Probably not the best thing to do...

Anyway, there was this really cheapy eyeshadow that I just had lying around. It was a small pan of five different colors. Two were brown, one was silver, one was lavender, and one was purple. The darker colors worked well enough, but the lighter ones were not very pigmented. I tried wetting my brush. It worked, but I still didn't like it.

Instead of throwing it out, I depotted it, crushed it up, mixed it with a little bit of rubbing alcohol, and pressed it back into the pan. To press it, I just put the mixure back in, spread it out, put a tissue over it, and used the rubbing alcohol cap to press it firm. It takes a long time to dry, though. When I took the pictures it was still about %97 dry.

In the pan, it looks like dirt or mud, but on my wrist, it's a nice, warm color.

I guess now I should end this post and work on my English project...

Product Review: Flirt Hair Bling

I found something like this online that sold a pack of 36 crystals for $10, but that doesn't include shipping. When I found this at Walmart for about $3, I had to get it.

What are they exactly? I'm glad you asked. They're crystals that you flat iron into your hair. I put two of them in last Sunday night, and they lasted all week. But, I also did them in the left side and I normally sleep on my right side, so that probably helped keep them in. The first one came out Saturday and the last one did this morning.

There are a few downsides, though. You cannot brush your hair where the crystals are. That is kinda common sense. They also kept hiding under my hair at the top. I think the next time I do it, I'll put more in.

Putting them in is pretty easy. All I did was cut out the ones I wanted, peeled off the white sheet, and stuck the sticky part where I wanted them. It was hard for me to place them, though. But I also didn't have a good mirror. Anyway, after that, I took a flat iron and pressed them for about 5 seconds and peeled off the clear sticky sheet.

Between the online ones and these, I think I'm in the neutral zone. These are easier to get and cheaper, but you get less and only one color. Online there are more in a pack and more colors to choose from, but it probably gets expensive after shipping and you also have to wait.

I Just Ordered Eyeliner For 50 Cents Each!

Yep, that's right! Elf has a promotion that has a buy one, get one free on their best selling items. That includes their eyeliner. They have a really good selection of products and price. Easily, they are my favorite company. The downside, though, is that you have to order most of their stuff. I am not the most patient person in the world. However, I have seen some elf products at Target.

Anyway, when I get my package, I will do a review. They had some really cool shimmer eyeliner colors, it was hard to choose! I did end up choosing a white and pink one. Then, I also ordered a shimmering facial whip. Each were a dollar. When I put the coupon code in (it's BOGO, by the way. and it's good until 9/2), they showed the reduced prices of the things. Eyeliner was only 50 cents! And the makeup remover wipes that I got, too, were $1.50 after the discount. That's dirt-cheap. I cannot wait to try them!