New Do New You!

          Recently I've been in a bit of a hair funk. I went pretty blonde back in June and haven't touched it since then.... I'm lazy and cheap! So my hair has been looking pretty damaged and brassy. So being the procrastinator that I am, I decided the end of them semester when all the work/ studying starts piling up was the PERFECT time for a hair shake up. I had been toying with the idea of going a whole lot shorter and just touching up the color, something a la Taylor Swift in the Shake it Off video or I LOVED Lo Bosworth's new short and sassy cut, however after the half mullet I was pretty scissor shy.

 

Well I plucked up my courage and headed to the salon and trusted my brand new hair dresser and came out looking like a whole new person! My hair dresser was super confident and made it really easy to trust her, so when she said going lighter would just damage my hair more, I just decided to go with whatever! I ended up going about 3inches shorter and a color I didn't expect but absolutely love. Maybe my bad hair curse has been broken? All I know is I know who I'm going to for my next haircut!

Before

After!

What do you think? Quite the change huh?

Candles, Candles, Everywhere!

Anyone else have a candle burning addiction? I love Bath & Body Works candles and with this love comes a huge amount of empty candle jars. I've been leaving them laying around thinking that there may be a use for them sometime, and low and behold there is!

I was on the hunt for some cute way to store my cotton ovals that I use to take my makeup off and then thought, why buy something when you can make it yourself? So I did!

You'll need an empty candle jar, lid, hot glue, and a adornment for the top

Step 1: Find the center of your candle lid and heat up the hot glue

Step 2: Glue center of the adornment, I used drawer handles from target, and immediately place it on to the middle of the lid

Step 3: Let the glue dry overnight, I made the mistake of thinking an hour would do and took managed to take the handle off again.

Now you have a super easy and cute jar to store whatever you'd like! I think this would be great for bracelets and necklaces too!

I also use empty candle jars to hold my makeup brushes, you can customize them with paint or glitter. Right now mine are boring with just some craft beads at the bottom to give the brushes something to stand in. I love easy, cute DIY's. Do you have any ideas on what I can do with the rest of my empty jars? I have a few!

            Also just as a little incentive to stay tuned, my mother just got back from a trip to South Africa and when she stopped over at Heathrow she picked me up some Soap and Glory goodies! I tried them tonight and there may be a review next Saturday!!

May Favorites!

Is it just me or does it feeling like this year is racing by way too quickly? It feels like just yesterday was my birthday and now it's June! This month I've been trying out a lot of new products and I've also brought out some old favorites! So without further ado let's get into my May Favorites!

My first favorite this month has been the Rimmel Stay Matte primer. Remember this post about primers? Well it was my lucky charm because right after I posted it I went and purchased this Stay Matte primer and I'm in love. It really mattifys well and I like the texture of the cream, it feels great on my skin: under foundation and on its own.

So I have finally jumped on the bandwagon... the beauty blender bandwagon that is. I held out for the longest time having little conversations with myself in Sephora, "Caitlin you don't need the Beauty Blender, you love the real techniques brush you have. Why do you need ANOTHER way to apply foundation?" this conversation usually worked. That is until I leveled up to a VIB which comes with 10% your purchase at Sephora. I caved and I am SO glad I did! This apples foundation beautifully and gives a flawless finish. It's also really fun to use, am I the only one who thinks that? Probably. Oh well I love it!

Since the seasons are a'changin I've switched up my blush to a more summery color! This MAC blush in Peachykeen is an oldie but a goodie. I've been using this blush even before I was really into makeup. It's a gorgeous coraly shimmery color that looks really pretty with my skin tone if I do say so myself!

Another old favorite is Benefit's They're Real Mascara. Everyone raves about this and I'm no exception. It separates and elongates my lashes, stays put and doesn't flake off! It is so long wearing that it is a bit difficult to get off but Benefit has even solved that problem by creating an eye makeup remover. I believe it launches in stores in June so I'll be interested to try it!

Next few products have been helping me wage war against my skin. I've been having a horrible time with acne this past month, which is really out of the ordinary. Even through high school I've always had pretty blemish- free skin so it's been a rough go this month!

I wouldn't have made it through without LUSH's Dark Angel's Charcoal Cleanser and the Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Cleaner. I use the Origins cleanser in the morning in the shower and Dark Angels at night for more of a deep clean and exfoliation. I think it has been working and I do see an improvement in my skin as I'm writing this.

Next in my skin care war is the Mario Badescu drying lotion. You dot this stuff on to any blemishes with a Q-Tip after you've cleaned and moisturized, right before bed, and it is supposed to dry them up! I purchased this closer to the end of the month so it may or may not have had a hand in clearing my skin but I enjoy it!
Drying Lotion

Last makeup favorite is the Dior Diorskin Nude BB cream. This applies really well with my beauty blender and it has a nice dewy finish. It has an SPF 10 which is great and combined with my normal daily moisturizer which has an SPF 30 I don't have to worry about my skin all day! I really like the packaging this comes in, and really with a Dior product am I really surprised I love it? Dior always has really sleek, high end looking packaging. This has the added bonus of coming with a pump and thats always a win in my book! I have the color Light 001.

My final favorite this month has been statement necklaces. For the longest time I just couldn't find necklaces I liked and stuck with very simple, understated, dainty jewelry. Boy did that change! This month they wasn't a statement necklace I came across that I didn't fall in love with! The one I've been reaching for the most often has been this gold collar-ish necklace with gold coins dangling from it from Forever 21. I think this looks great with a plain t-shirt but also really nice with a button down oxford as well. It's super versatile and I think it will be a favorite for longer than just May!

Bit of a rambley post today but gold star if you made it to the end! Hope you had a wonderful month of May!

Top 5 Holy Grail Products!

          I thought I would share my absolute favorite products. Things I repurchase over and over again, here are the things I could not be able to survive without having in my beauty arsenal!

#5 is Burt's Bees Beeswax lip balm in the original tube form.... I'm addicted. I have on beside my bed, on my vanity, at work, in my handbag, and two on hand in my closet just in cases. Has anyone ever actually finished a tube of lip balm? I always lose mine before I get to the end, hence the "just in case" back ups!

#4 I have been using religiously for around 2 years now. If I run out of this and don't have another one on hand, panic mode ensues! The Body Shop's Vitamin C Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30. I have super super pale skin so all of my skin care really needs to have an spf in it as I burn just thinking about the sun. I ideally would like to have a spf in my foundation but i can't be to picky because if the color matches my skin tone i'm super lucky so this moisturizer handles keeping the harmful rays off my skin while nourishing and brightening as well. It smells like oranges!

#3 is MAC All That Glitters eyeshadow. This is the perfect "i'm not trying but I kind of am" shadow. It is a beautiful champagne shadow that looks great on it's own all over the lid or as a brow highlight or inner corner highlight.

#2 would have to be my TRESemme Thermal Heat Protectant spray. I have used this eat protectant for maybe 5 years now. I'm not sure if it's a security blanket for my hair or it really works but i recommend it to everyone and it smells quite nice too!

My #1 absolute favorite product that I can NOT live without is the Maybelline Master Precise Liquid Liner. I love how much control this liner gives, it's super easy to use and very build able and stays put all day. The tip is really really tiny so it can make a super thin line or lay it sideways on your lid to make a thicker line. The best part is the price, it's only $7.99!

         I love reading these kind of posts, it always makes me want to try new products. What are some things you can't live without? Favorite cleanser? Mascara? Blush? I want to know!!

Online Deals

Every avid online shopper knows the best time to shop is when all the coupons start rolling in. That time is your birthday month! Since mine just passed and I had a bit of a coupon free for all, I decided to share!

First off Sigma gave me 15% off so I picked up 3 brushes I had been looking at. The E35 blending brush, F35 tapered highlighter, and the F88 flat angled kabuki. Theres always room for another blending brush right? I have 2 MAC 217s and a 222 and they always seem to be dirty! The F35 looks like it will be really great for contouring and so far I've really liked using it. Finally I just really liked the look of the F88. I have been experimenting with different ways to apply my foundation recently and which method works best with which product. I've been using the F88 with my Diorskin Nude BB Cream and so far i really like the finish it gives. I also love the shaped it gets into all the nooks and crannies of my face... nooks and crannies sounds like a strange way to describe a face but you get what I mean right?

Next purchase came from American Apparel who gave me 25% off my order. I was quite restrained with American Apparel, I only bought 2 hair bows. I love these bows, I have a black on I bought at the beginning of last summer and its the perfect accessory for ballerina buns, a look I rock embarrassingly often, I've been eyeing the navy one for some time and with 25% off why not get two? Maroon is my absolute favorite color right now and it's gorgeous in bow form.

This final deal wasn't a birthday code at all but I justified it that way! In Tayna Burr's recent Get Ready with Me video, she used the NuMe Titan curling wand and left a code in the description box. $150 off the Titan curling wand and only $12 shipping. Who can say no to that? I've already tried the medium size barrel and I am in total love! It heats up super fast and makes the prettiest curls! The code is TANYALOVE if you want to purchase one for yourself!

                                          click this link to see her video -> Tanya Burr's Video

Defiantly check it out, and the rest of her videos too! She is one of my favorite youtubers!

So not a massive haul, but that what I what I bought myself for my birthday. Sometimes you have to treat yourself right? :)

L'Oreal Voluminous Butterfly Mascara

    I picked this L'Oreal mascara at ULTA right after I got back from South Carolina. Initially, I hate to say, I got sucked into the marketing which is why I picked it up. However, after using it  for a few weeks... I'm in love! It has a really unique wand, it looks like a butterfly wing... Gee i wonder how the product gets it's name? This baby really does it's job though! They longer bristles on the outside really lengthen and volumizes the outer lashes creating an almost flash lash look. But in a really natural way, confusing I know. The wand is rubber with a really flexible head and is great for getting the base of your lashes to volumize but the bottom of the wand has shorter bristles which i like to use to coat my bottom lashes.

    I didn't get a water proof version because i HATE trying to get it off at night but this stays on all day, doesn't flake, and holds a curl really well. Over all L'Oreal gets an A++ in my book!! And you have to love the price too! Drugstore mascaras are my fav, anything under $10 is worth it in my book!

Pre Mascara

After Mascara

         As you can see my lashes are visibly more voluminous, lengthened, and curled. I'm literally in love with this mascara!!!!

PS. Please ignore my unruly eyebrows... I have an appointment to get the waxed!

Hair Trauma

     It's been awhile since I've had a haircut... ahem September ahem. Whoops! I went to get it cut and colored a month ago but i went to a hair dressing school and it took the FOUR HOURS to COLOR my hair. FOUR HOURS!!!! They told me they didn't have time to cut it for me so i've been putting it off for even longer than I already had. So Wednesday afternoon I magically had use of a vehicle so i headed over to JC Penney to finally control the lion mane on top of my head. I had pretty long, wavy, hair and a LOT of it.

     I usually stress out a lot getting my hair cut because I have had an extreme number of bad hair cuts, but my hairdresser was super cute and she was really nice and easy to talk with. Everything was going great and i was happy until she started to style it. I had angles cut and she curled the front section into my face so it looked like it wasn't connected to the rest of my hair. I got home to restyle as you usually have to after a haircut and realized the reason it looked disconnected was because it was. I called up the salon and asked if I could come back. I had thought that it just wasn't blended but as the new hairdresser got into it she had to go in and reblend layers I hadn't noticed and got to the front, the original problem, and basically shook her head. The first hairdresser had managed to cut the middle of the angles shorter than the front. Now when my hair is down the longer part gets caught behind my shoulders so it looks like I have a mullet on one side of my head.... not cute. She cut at it a bit and as my anxiety grew she literally looked at me, threw up her hands, shook her head, and said come back and see me in six weeks. AKA I have a half mullet for SIX MORE WEEKS! How does someone so inexperienced that they can give someone a half mullet allowed to cut hair UNSUPERVISED. Also how is it ok to make me pay for a horrendous hair cut.

                                        I have the worst hair cut karma.

     So I will be sporting a ballerina bun for the next six weeks and hopefully it can be fixed. Honestly is it any wonder I wait so long in between haircuts??? Also is it just me or is it the most annoying thing when you have, what you think is a horrible haircut, and everyone around you keeps saying its not that bad, "no really it looks fine!", "you really can't tell", and the ultimate, "it's just hair, it's not that big of a deal". It's my head, I have to live with it, it is a huge deal and yes it does look "that bad".

Post Vacation Haul!

      I've neglected blogging for the past week and a half because i was on vacation! I went to South Carolina to puppy sit and enjoy the warm weather! Being on my own in a new city means a lot of time to shop and while I didn't actually buy anything while in SC (there is sales tax there and i live in NH sooooo i waited to get home), my window shopping influenced a bit of a shopping spree. Without further ado, drumroll please, to the stuff!

       My first stop was Zara, I flew into Boston and whenever i'm in the city i HAVE to hit up Newbury St. The first thing i picked up is the gray shift dress.

          It's super simple from the front and i picked it up thinking i would hate it in all honesty, the gray part feels kind of like a softer, worn in burlap material (doesn't sound very appealing i know, i just can't really describe it) and the white lining is a chiffon. I love the way the white hangs down at the bottom and adds a little girly touch. It's a drop waist and is gathered in the back. This is one of those things that has ALL the design in back. I love anything with pockets too!

        Next I beelined straight for the leggings to pick up these black high waisteds. I had bought the navy in this style back in September and have been thinking about the black ones ever since. I love that the top of these leggings is kind of like a control top, it sucks everything in! So i feel comfortable wearing a cropped top with them.

      Such as this baby pink 3/4 length sweater! Its really simple but i think it will go with a bunch of things in my closet

      Finally i grabbed this tank off the sale rack, it was $30 marked down to $6! I love the royal blue collar and it has a really cool texture in the front of the body.

      Then i went to Urban Outfitters and picked up some socks with lace around the ankle that i thought would look super cute with booties and the gray dress for spring. And because i got my cleanser taken away by TSA i had to stop into ULTA. I picked up the L'oreal Go Clean Deep Cleanser  and the Pur Minerals Melt Away make up emulsifier. Going into ULTA is always dangerous for a beauty junkie so of course i walked out with more than i went in looking for. I picked up the Cargo HD translucent powder and the L'oreal Voluminous Butterfly mascara. I've heard a lot of beauty gurus on YouTube rave about these and let's be honest people, the L'oreal commercials just suck you in! The wand is really cool and different on this mascara so I'm excited to try it!

       It's a miracle that i didn't walk out of ULTA with some sort of lip product as thats usually my weakness, but theres always next time right?

Welcome!

Hello my name is Cait and i have a shopping addiction.

     Well now that that is out of the way, hey there! I'm a 22 (almost 23 YIKES!) student (sorta), makeup addict, fashion admirer, and travel enthusiast. I have been back and forth with the idea of blogging for awhile now and it probably would have been a great thing to start when i went to Paris for 2 months or when i found out i would have to take the year off school but instead i decided to start at a completely random moment in the middle of the night. Typical Me.

       I love anything and everything beauty and fashion! I have a serious makeup addiction, as stated above, and my collection continues to grow. I would love to share my thoughts and impressions of the products i love and not so love with anyone who cares to read about them. I also love fashion and work at DKNY at the Outlets in my hometown. I actually love my job and enjoy most of the customers i get to interact with.

      So, to anyone who is actually reading thanks for suffering through my ramblings and welcome to my blog!!


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