Update about the DIY series!

Hi everyone!  I hope that you're all having a great day!  I wanted to let you know that I am working on the third installment of my DIY series!  I hope you are excited about it as much as I am!  I think you will love it because its something that will keep you organized and something that you can customize!  You can use it just for you and you can even get your kids to help you create it if you love doing crafts together!  They can even design their own.

Check out the blog again for the third installment!  Send me a tweet and let me know you're excited! :)

Xoxo-Brit.

DIY Accessories Holder/Organizer.

Hi everyone!  How are you all doing today?  I was traveling into the city today and it gave me inspiration for a blog post that you will see in the future but today is the second installment of my DIY series!  Today I want to talk to you all about organization.  When it comes to organizing things, I usually describe myself as "organized chaos" because when you come into my room, things are almost always ALL OVER THE PLACE, but I know where each thing is if you were to ask me!  Do you know what I mean?  Anyway!  I hope you can follow me and learn how to make my DIY Accessories Holder/Organizer.

Overview of the DIY Accessories Holder/Organizer.

 There are a few things that you'll need starting with a large piece of wood that will act as the back board for your organizer.  For this, you can use the same size as you used in the nail polish racks, 2ftx2ft.  The next thing you'll need is some wire so that you can wrap it around the corners and half way down the back board as seen in the photo.  You can get both of these things at Home Depot and if you need help, the people there will help you.  Like I said, being a girl in Home Depot is a severely unique experience.  Finally you will need cork material to put in the middle of your organizer to stick you earrings on, I got mine at JoAnn's Craft Store.  Aside from these essentials, you'll need a nail gun and make sure that you are CAREFUL with it!

The left corner.

The right corner.

This is extremely easy and affordable, like the nail polish rack and thats why I love it, so let's get started.  With the back board, lay out where you are going to want to put the wire in the corners.  You don't really need a ruler for this because you can measure them to your liking and they even can be different if you want them too on each side.  Once you are done, make sure you make the wire long enough so that it wraps to the back of the board and staple it there.  Sometimes it helps to staple it once, fold over the excess on the end and staple it again to make sure it stays there.  

Once you are done with the two corners, go ahead and decide where you want to put the wire in the middle of your board for (in my case, see the photos) the headbands.  Do the same thing that you have done for the wire on the top.  Measure, fold & staple and then fold & staple once again.  Once you are done with this, you could always add more wire on the sides if you would like, but for now I kept it with two on the top and one in the middle.

Now it is time for the cork board.  Like I said, I purchased my cork board at JoAnn's and it came in roll form.  I simply unrolled the cork and measured it to the size that I wanted.  As you can see in the photo, mine is basically right in the middle, about 1.5ft.  I like this size because it is absolutely huge and a large surface area.  There is a lot of room for a ton of post and dangly earrings.  I found it to work great when you put your dangly earrings on the bottom and the post at the top (although this is probably not a surprise to you).  As you can also see in the photo there are some dangly earrings that are hanging in the top left corner because they are some of the newer ones, I tend to put the newer ones higher.

Headbands.

Also, make sure when you are stapling the cork roll to the back board that you do two layers.  This will make sure that the earrings can stick through and will not fall when you peg them into the cork.  If you only do one layer of cork, they will not stay because the portion of the earring that goes through the ear is way too long.

As you can see, I have my bows on the left and some hair barrettes on the right.  The headbands are on the bottom and the earrings are in the middle.  The best part about this is that you can see everything!  I wanted something that displayed everything that I had for when I chose outfits in the morning, that way I don't rule anything out!  Being able to see everything that you own is a great way to incorporate all of your pieces into your outfits.

Feel free to round the edges if you'd like and decorate them to your hearts content.  Another great option for this is to add a small nail on the back that will support the weight of it and a ribbon to hang it on the wall.  I feel like this would add an adorable touch and make it such a cute fixture for either a little girls room or anyones bedroom!

Earrings.

That is all I have for you guys today!  I hope you really enjoyed this second installment of my DIY series, the DIY Accessories Holder/Organizer.  I love making these pieces because they are so personal and customizable while they are also  inexpensive and practical.

If you try this out or my first DIY piece, the Nail Polish Rack, please tweet me with a picture!  Thank you for reading as always.
Xoxo-Brit.

Rest In Peace, Steve.

Hi everyone.  Today is not going to be the normally scheduled post (the second installment of my DIY series) that I had intended to post.

Something happened today that I am not very happy about at all, it was a very difficult day.  A friend of mine, Steve Jackson passed away in a terrible car accident.  I spent the day at work with all of my friends and we grieved as much as we could together.  I stood there and shook the entire day, I held my friends hands while they cried.  We talked about memories of Steve and shared stories that we had about him to make each other feel better.  

I just cant stress enough how important it is to make sure that everyone is safe while driving.  Steve's accident was incredibly scary and caused by icy roads and other drivers involved, but that doesn't mean we all shouldn't be driving as safe as we possibly can.  

Rest in Peace, Steve.  We all love you forever.

Xoxo-Brit.

DIY Nail Polish Rack/Storage!

Hi everyone!  I hope you are all having a great day and weekend and are excited for this first installment of my DIY series.  I hope you will find some interesting things here and try to create them on your own.  The first thing I want to tell you all about is my oldest DIY project, my nail polish organizer which is quick, really easy, and super inexpensive.  Read on and enjoy!

Up against the wall, the two nail polish racks.

The reason why I made my own is because I was tired of searching for something online and in stores that would hold all of the nail polishes that I have (and that is a ton).  I am not joking, as you can tell in the photo it really was not easy to try and find something that would work for me.  Another reason for wanting to create my own nail polish holder is that everything I was seeing in stores and online didn't have a set-up that would display them so that I could see them.  The reason why I wanted to be able to see them is because I have so many and love them all.  I wanted to make sure that I could see them all, at all times.  Maybe I am way too obsessed, I just call it in love.

My first nail polish rack.

The first thing you are going to need is a 2ftx2ft flat piece of wood, this will make the back (and base) for the entire nail polish rack/holder.  You can definitely get a smaller size if you think you don't need this much room/space, or you can get a bigger one!  After you get the back of the holder, you are going to need smaller pieces of wood to make the shelves.  I picked up as 1inx3in that was about 6ft.  By doing this, you can have the people at Home Depot cut it into 2ft sections to use as the shelves.  You can find these at your Home Depot and can get someone to help you if you need it.  Sorry for this sidebar but I just wanted you all to know if you have never been in a Home Depot alone as a girl, you're in for a really interesting experience.  Every single time I go in here, 5,000 people ask me if I need help.  

As far as building materials, the only other things you are going to need are small nails, a hammer, a pencil to draw on your measuring marks, and a ruler/measuring tape.  

Showing you how to read the measurements.

Once you have everything that you are going to need it's time to start measuring things out.  My tip to you for doing this is to get one of each different kind of nail polish that you own.  When you are laying them down on the back piece of wood you want to make sure that the shelves are spaced out enough so that you can easily take on and off the nail polishes from the shelves.  Once you figure out where you want the shelves to be, mark this with the pencil.  Another tip is that you should always make sure that you space out all of your shelves, measure them, pencil them in, and then you can put them in place by nailing them to the backboard.  My father always said, "Measure twice, cut once..."

The second nail polish rack.

Basically, you are done!  All you need to do now is set your nail polishes on the shelves.  One of the only things that I would do different is add sides to this.  Right now I have my nail polishes displayed on the shelves without sides and it is perfectly fine, but adding them would just ensure that they are locked in a little bit better.  If you are going to do this, make sure you measure to add them in before you do the shelves that hold the polish.

If you need help cutting the wood, they should be able to do it for you at your Home Depot, that's what I ended up doing.  Big props to my dad for helping me out and putting it together.  With my design and my dads assistance a wonderful nail polish rack was made!  I told you this was super simple, I absolutely love it.  The best thing about this is that you can either attach another one to it on the side, or make another one.  As you can see, I made another one and they are both permanent fixtures to my room.  Another thing about these nail displays is that they look great and quite modern in your room.  The design with wood adds a little "homey-ness," it's really interesting and something new.

Leaning against the wall.

Another great thing about the design is that the shelves are a little bit bigger than the nail polish, I designed them this way.  The reason for this is that I figured there would be space for nail files and in some cases, a second row of nail polish that is not as big as other polishes.  The fact that you are able to see all of your polishes when trying to make a decision of which you'll use is great functionality.  As you can see, my polish rack is sitting on my desk, out of the way.  In another photo, you can also see that they lean against the wall or can be pushed up against the wall.  I love how elegant and modern-ish, you can put them anywhere.  Very cool!

If you guys try this, please tweet me a picture and show me.  I would love to see everyone recreate this DIY.  I also hope that you guys enjoyed the first installment of my mini DIY series.  Tune in tomorrow for the next post dealing with organization.  Thank you for reading.

Xoxo-Brit.

A DIY Series is announced!

Hey everyone!  I hope you are all having a great weekend.  I had work today for five hours and I didn't want to go, like normal.  Like I said yesterday, I hate the weekends now because I know that HR people aren't looking at my resumes and I just continuously wish for Monday to come again.  Only one more day!

I just wanted to make a quick post today with really no content in it to let you know that I am going to be doing another quick series on my blog regarding the DIY projects that I have done recently.  There are some really interesting things that I have done to organize my room and my products a little bit better and I really want to share them with you. 

 I spent a ton of time looking up online nail polish organizer/storage containers and I could never find something for mine.  Reason number one being that I have so much nail polish it's ridiculous and number two there was just nothing that I liked.  I was always a fan of the displays that nail salons had but it was always so expensive to have one shipped to me from wherever they come from and I was going to end up spending a ton of money between that and ordering probably 5 of them because I have that much nail polish.  With that being said, tomorrow will start my first installment of my DIY series with a DIY Nail Polish Holder/Display Rack.  I will talk more about why I wanted to make my own and why I made it the way I did.  I will show you photos and talk more about the whole project generally.

After tomorrows installment of my project, I will show you two other DIY projects that I really love.  I hope you guys come back and check it out tomorrow and I will talk to you then! :)  Send me a tweet and tell me whats up.

Xoxo-Brit.

Does dry shampoo really work?

Hi everyone and happy Friday!  I am so happy that it's the end of the week but at the same time, I want it to be Monday again so that my job hunting for my new job can continue!  Anyway, let's get cracking for today.  Now I know that not everyone really cares that much about something like this, but I want to talk to you about dry shampoo.

Lush, "No Drought" Dry Shampoo.

For me, I never really thought about dry shampoo because I never went a day without washing my hair.  After all the of the reading that I did about how it is not good to wash your hair everyday, I still washed my hair everyday and completely ignored everything that I read.  With that being said, about a year ago I drastically changed my diet.  I began eating extremely clean and exercising, drinking more and more water (not that I didn't drink so much normally, just saying).  While you can imagine that my body was changing from my diet being changed, I really also noticed a change in my hair, skin and nails.

While my nails were getting stronger and my skin clearer, my hair just seemed like it was getting a little bit thinner but at the same time it was becoming stronger.  The process that my hair was going through was so strange but i realized that it was getting a little bit worse, before it was getting better.  To accommodate this change, I began to skip washing my hair every other day.  While this was really wierd to me, I knew that there was a slight possibility that it may help me and it really did.

With skipping every other day came the obvious problem of oily hair.  I absolutely hate when my hair gets oily but it never really did because I washed it every single day and never gave it a chance to.  Now that I was skipping a day, it started happening more often.  With that thought, I decided to actually try a dry shampoo.  Now I distinctly remember one of my friends talking about a dry shampoo that she had picked up from the drugstore and said she loved so I resorted to trying that one.  I found that it didn't really help me.  I looked it up online and found that it was extremely hyped up and I was wondering why.  The Tresemme dry shampoo she was using was just not working for me at all.  I tried a second one from Suave and I hated that one too.

Online I was looking around for other ones that might work and I came across one that Lush sells.  A little pricey, I was concerned but it wasn't terrible.  After a while I found myself using it more and more and it really grew on me.  After looking up on youtube the proper way to actually put it in your hair thinking I was doing it wrong, I realized that it wasn't me.  The Lush dry shampoo is an actual powder as opposed to the others from the drugstore that are in an aerosol can.

What I like about the Lush dry shampoo that is conveniently called "No Drought," is that it is buildable like any good make-up.  When you put it in your hair, because it's a powder, you can really rub it in and see that its rubbed in before you chose to put more in your hair that you may not need.  I found that it was way easier to work with more so than the aerosol cans because of this.  I have blonde hair so blending the powder into my hair is a lot easier than it would be on a brunette.  While I do say this, I must also say my hair is ombre styled so the roots are a little darker and I still have no problem.

Overall, I love the texture of No Drought.  I love that I can put it in my hair and actually feel that it is taking effect.  With the aerosol cans I wasn't able to do that.  I also enjoy the smell of it.  The cans seemed like they smelled more of a "fake" product than the powder.  The citrus scent is great because its not overpowering and once you put the product into your hair you aren't left smelling it forever and a day like you are with aerosol cans of dry shampoo.

Check out Lush dry shampoo, "No Drought" at Lush stores or on the website.  That is all I have for you guys for today, I hope you enjoyed it.  Do you use dry shampoo?  Which one do you use?  Which one should I try?  Leave me some suggestions of what to try in the comments or tell me your review.  You can also send me a tweet and let me know what you think.
Xoxo-Brit.

Pop of color in the winter via Cargo's Laguna Blush

Hey guys!  I hope you are all having a great day today!  Like yesterday, it was absolutely freezing out.  I had contemplated not leaving the house once again (because I was off from work), but I stopped at a friends house and went to Target.  I wanted to tell you today about a great blush that I decided to wear because I was craving the summer time!  

Cargo, Laguna blush.

Cargo Laguna is an amazing blush.  When you apply it though, start with a light hand.  Especially because of the color of this one, it can get dangerous.  If you dip a blush brush into the color and tap it off a couple of times then brush it lightly on your hand, THEN apply it, you're good!

The fact that this color is so versatile is great.  What I mean by this is that when applied lightly, the cheeks actually look so natural and glowy.  I love it.  The color is also buildable, meaning that the more color you add, the more it will look like the color in the pan.  

The worst thing about this blush is that I believe Sephora has stopped carrying Cargo but you can still get it online, check it out!  Also, Cargo products can be found at Ulta and Macy's.  That's all I have for today, sorry it is so short!  Send me a tweet and let me know your thoughts!  Have you ever tried Cargo?  

Xoxo-Brit.

Best school bag there is!

So my favorite thing about fashion is definitely not handbags or bags in general, but they are essential in finishing off an outfit.  I like to concentrate more on the outfit and shoes, handbags are always my last choice.  To be completely honest with you, I only really change my handbag with the seasons.  You are lucky if you see me change it more than twice per year actually.  All of this doesn't mean that I don't like shopping for a bag or two.  This specific bag that I want to talk to you all about it one that I have probably had for almost a year, so I feel like I am qualified to tell you what I love about it.

Now originally I always wanted a Longchamp Le Pliage tote.  I always wanted this bag because it is so timeless and elegant and if you get a solid color (I was lusting over the black one), it can match with literally everything that you may chose to wear on a given day.  The bag is perfect to throw over a shoulder or into the crook of an arm so I instantly wanted to sub out my Vera Bradley for a Le Pliage tote.  While this is all true, I suddenly became aware of the larger Le Pliage totes when I was looking for a new school bag.  

Under the "Travel bag" section of the Longchamp website, the bag that I chose is absolutely huge!  You don't have to use it to its fullest potential at all times though.  What I mean by this is that with the zipper feature in the middle of the bag, it is expandable.  You can use the bag as a huge tote or a smaller bag.  Either way, the bag is so extremely functional and gives so much room and versatility.  When I was looking at the bag in Nordstrom, I nearly died because it was exactly what I was looking for.

The website says that this Le Pliage is inspired by Japanese Origami, I love that and totally know why!

Another great thing about this bag is that it has small handles so that you are able to carry it in the crook of your arm, and it also has the longer shoulder strap so you can throw it right over your shoulder when you are in a hurry or things are too heavy.  My favorite part about the bag?  The classic Longchamp leaping horse on the leather flap with the button on the front.  There is just something so wonderful and classic about this amazing bag, I absolutely love it.

The material on the bag is waterproof and when walking through campus with an umbrella that only covers me, I didn't have to worry about my bag (even though I still was considerably worried- this is just how I get with my bags ;)).  The material of the bag is also really easy to wipe out with say a baby wipe or a paper towel.  I have spilled hand sanitizer on the side of it and it comes right off the material.

The little pocket on the inside of the bag is great too.  The only thing I wish was that it was a bit deeper, but I really have no complaints.  The best thing about it not being that huge of a pocket is that you keep less of your crap in it!  Pardon me, but it's true, a girl can really accumulate a lot of stuff.  I just normally keep my keys, hand sanitizer, my phone and some pens.  Being a journalist, you never know when you'll need a pen!

The whole time I have had this bag I have been in school and it has done nothing but support my heavy books, laptop and paperwork.  I really love its functionality and I will most definitely continue to use it for whatever traveling I may chose to do in the future and for my work.  I love how durable and beautiful it is at the same time.  A++ for this bag and how it is absolutely everything I thought it would be and more!

Well, that's all I have for you guys today.  If you enjoyed, please share it with your friends and everyone you know!  Tweet it out, too!  What kind of bags do you all use?  Have you used this one or any Longchamp bags before?  Send me a tweet and let me know!  Xoxo-Brit.

Shampoo and conditioner for healthy hair!

Hi everyone!  How are we today?  Like I said yesterday, I absolutely was not lying it is FREEZING!  The current temperature outside is 18 degrees!  I mean, we had to know it was coming because it has been beautiful the past couple of days.  We also got some snow and it actually wasn't that much.  The local kids had no delayed opening and everything was business as usual.  I figured today I would talk to you all about some amazing shampoo and conditioner that I recently found and absolutely love.

Herbal Essences Honey, I'm Strong Shampoo and Conditioner.

Now my intentions here are not to sound gimmicky because I am the queen of hating gimmicks, but I really love this duo of haircare.  For as long as I can remember I have been using Herbal Essence hair products and I have always liked them but I really never found them to do what they said they would do on the outside of the bottle.  Am I alone in this?  I just really couldn't understand the claims that they made because I always fell victim to picking up the latest formulation and trying it out (didn't I just say I hated gimmicks?).  

While this is all true, recently I picked up Herbal Essences, Honey I'm Strong shampoo and conditioner.  Now the absolute best thing about these is that they are so incredibly affordable.  Let's be completely honest with ourselves, are we going to want to spend a million dollars on hair care when we can be spending that money on fantastic makeup?  For me, the answer to that question is fairly easy.  I love saving a little here, so I can spend a lot there; if you know what I mean!  

Anyway, this formulation is absolutely wonderful.  On the front of the bottle in huge numbers is "10x stronger in one wash!"  I think that after one wash my hair was most definitely stronger but I don't know about 10x.  Another thing the shampoo promises is that it will strengthen while conditioning and nursing back to health already damaged hair.  The reason why I like this shampoo and conditioner so much is because I agree with that statement.  Two years ago during the summer I took horrible care of my hair.  I would go swimming and come out and never condition my hair (don't ask me why), and it never got better.   I have been looking for something to help me combat that and after I started using Moroccan Oil, it helped drastically but I could never find a shampoo/conditioner to work with the MO until now.  This duo does it.

I found that after one wash my hair was increasingly stronger but after one week of using it, my hair was feeling significantly stronger and my ends were even better.  I could feel the strength in my hair when I run my fingers through and when I straighten it I can see how shiny and different it looks.  Call me crazy, but I can also see how it is making my hair grow.  Around Thanksgiving, I cut my hair to probably 1/4 in above my collar bone and now it's about 2.5 inches below my collar bone.  I largely attribute the growth to this shampoo/conditioner.  

The ONLY thing I don't like about this shampoo/conditioner is the smell.  Now this is wierd for me to be saying because I normally absolutely love the smell of almost ever Herbal Essence shampoo/conditioner (especially the blue one that smells like coconut), but with this one I beg to differ. I feel like they tried to smoosh the smell of honey with a floral scent together or something, ew.  I mean, it's not absolutely horrific or disgusting and you can't really smell it until you rub it in, but its definitely noticeable.  

With only one bad attribute, I really like this shampoo.  It has taken me a really long time to find something that is worth using alongside my MO for healthy, shiny, strong and growing hair.  Try out Herbal Essences Honey, I'm Strong from target.  I think I got mine for around $3-$4.

Thank you for reading!  Let me know if you enjoyed by leaving a comment in the section below.  Do you use this shamp/cond and do you like it?  If not, what do you use to get these results?  Send me a tweet and let me know!
Xoxo- Brit.

What is a BB Cream?

Hi everyone?  How are we all today?  Like I said yesterday, it is absolutely freezing today.  I don't think the temperature went above 36 today but I shouldn't be complaining about that because the lows are going to be incredibly low and tomorrow it is supposed to be colder (I think).  Also, I believe were going to be getting some snow and more over the weekend.  I am NOT happy about this.  Anyway!  Let's get cracking with the rest of the post because I really want to talk to you guys about BB cream.  Have you ever used one before?  If so, please let me know what kind you've used and which ones you like in the comment section below!

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, Revlon Photo Ready BB Cream, L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautified BB Cream.

BB cream stands for "beauty balm" cream.  The formulations in BB creams are not supposed to be super heavy and they are not really supposed to give you full coverage, but they have so many other benefits that you may not realize.  BB creams are supposed to help essentially make your face an even canvas.  What I mean by this, is that the BB cream (applied like a foundation) is more of a tinted moisturizer.  Although it is not a foundation, it provides very minimal coverage but moisturizes the skin and assists in helping with discoloration, hyper-pigmentation and more.  I would recommend BB cream for anyone who doesn't want to try foundation just yet, or who doesn't really know how to apply/use foundation.  I would also recommend it to anyone who just wants a light coverage for every day that they can apply quickly with their hands and doesn't require much effort.  

I am lucky to have pretty descent skin that doesn't have very many breakouts (knock on wood) and this is the reason why I primarily (pretty much exclusively) use BB cream.  The BB creams that I am going to be talking about in this blog post are from the drugstore and they are absolutely wonderful (well most of them.  I am going to talk about three; two of them I like (one more than the other) and one of them I can leave.

First I want to talk about L'Oreal's Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream in Light.  I absolutely cannot stand this BB cream for a couple of reasons.  First of all, the color match must not be right for me.  With this being said, I feel like if I was to go back and get another color, it would be too dark or too light.  Also, if I was to change it for another color I still wouldn't like it because the color payoff is rather orange when applied to the skin.  Another thing is that when the product comes out of the tube, it is a white color and a sandy consistency.  I didn't think this was going to bother me at first, but I think that may be whats making me not like it more.  You don't know the color pay off until it is on your face, making it really hard to know what it will look like; therefore making the product almost a complete waste.  I definitely would not repurchase this product.  I got mine for about $8-$9 at Target.

L'Oreal Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream.

Next, I want to talk about Maybelline's Dream Fresh BB cream in Medium Sheer Tint.  I really like this  BB cream.  The coverage is pretty good and the formulation is not too bad, the product is SPF 30.  When applying it on your skin, the product tends to feel a bit more watery than the next one that I will talk about but not too much that it feels too thin.  This does a great job at concealing redness which is huge for me because I have a lot of redness on all of my face, not just my cheeks.  The product really doesn't smell like anything and that can be a good thing.  When coming out of the tube, the product actually looks like what it applies on your skin which is great because there are no surprises at the end of the day.  The application is quick and it doesn't take a while to settle into your skin.  The packaging is small and says that there is only 1.0 fl. oz. of product, but it lasts so long because you really only need a little bit.  I would definitely re-purchase this from Maybelline!  I got mine for $7-$8 at Target.

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream on the left,  Revlon Photo Ready BB Cream on the right.

Lastly I want to talk about Revlon's Photo Ready BB Cream in the color 020 Light Medium.  I really love this BB cream and it is probably my favorite out of the three.  The only downfall that I want to talk about first is that it can be a liiiiiittle bit oily for the skin so if your skin is oily to begin with, this may not be for you.  Aside from that, the product is awesome straight out of the packaging.  The formula is a little more dense than the Maybelline BB cream.  It seems that this one is slightly lighter as well than the Maybelline BB cream but it matches my skin like a dream.  The smell is probably my favorite thing about it!  I love when products smell like something tropical or the beach and this one smells like sunscreen, omg instantly in love.  Revlon's formula is SPF 30 so that is great and you can tell that the product lasts all day long, even when you apply it earlier in the morning.  I got mine at Face Values for $7-$9.

Okay that's all I have for BB creams right now!  If you have any comments, please leave them below and let me know what you think.  You could also send me a tweet letting me know what kind of BB cream you use or think I should try.  I haven't tried any high end BB creams so maybe that will be next on my list.  Talk to you all soon and as always, thanks for reading!  If you liked it share with a friend.

Xoxo-Brit.

Winter Fashion Favorites!

Hi everyone!  How are we all doing today?  It was a beautiful day out weather wise here, but that is over because the high and low for the next couple of days is going to be no more than 30 degrees.  Eeeeek, hate it!  Anyway, let's get going into some of my winter fashion favorites!

First, I want to mention plain black leggings.  I am 100% obsessed with leggings for the winter because I hate having to wear anything else when it is so cold outside.  Leggings are so comfortable and can literally be warn with almost anything making them super versatile.  I have most of mine from Forever 21 because they are inexpensive.  While this is true, the leggings from Forever 21 that I have purchased usually just have to end up being re-purchashed because they are not of the best quality.  Another type of leggings that I love to wear around the house, out somewhere or even to go running or work out are the yoga leggings from Victoria's Secret.  These yoga leggings are absolutely amazing and they are great quality.  While they are a little more expensive, these leggings are worth the price.  Another plus about these leggings is that they come in a couple of different styles/fits.  There are some that are crop yoga leggings and some that are full.  Of course there are regular yoga pants that you can purchase from Victoria's Secret as well.  

Pink Yoga and Forever 21 Leggings.

Moving on, I would love to talk about blazers.  While blazers are obviously a necessity for professionals all year round, I find that especially during the winter, I absolutely love wearing blazers.  To compliment the thought that some people wear blazers all year round, I can also say that there are obviously a ton of different styles.  I tend to enjoy the more cut, professional look of a blazer.  I do enjoy an oversized blazer as well and I like a more subdued color.  This blush colored blazer is perfect with black or cream of any kind underneath, and this cream colored blazer is perfect for black, white, blush, gray or anything else underneath if paired properly.  Blazers are amazing because they cover you up and keep you looking professional while you are comfortable at the same time.  I tend to enjoy less of a cropped blazer during the winter and more of a non-constricted one instead.  Blazers are like instant chic and perfect for any day.  What I love most about blazers is that they make almost anything look so much better than it originally did when you first put it on.  Pair a blazer with a pair of skinny jeans tucked into boots with a t-shirt for a casual feel or try a polo with riding boots for some prep in your step.  Check out Forever 21 for some inexpensive blazers because they can tend to be higher in price in some places.

Cream blazer from Forever 21.

Blush blazer from Forever 21.

Madden Girl Combat Boots.

       

Madden Girl Riding-ish Boots.

                During the winter it's obviously the time where boots are more prominent.  Now let me be completely honest with you and let you know that a couple of years ago you would be able to catch me rocking Uggs almost all the time, I really loved them.  Although I almost never wear them anymore, there are a couple of different types of boots that I have absolutely been LOVING this winter.  These brown riding boots with the ride stripe and zipper coming up the side are from Madden Girl.  I absolutely love them and they were fairly inexpensive and affordable.  When I purchased them, I was looking for something just like them so I knew thats what I wanted, no question.  When looking at them  you would think that the red stripe might be a deal breaker because of its style ability and the boots being restrictive, but it's not true!  I absolutely love how comfortable the boots are and how great they look with a pair of gray leg warmers to the knee, amazing!  The second pair of boots I have been loving are actually a little more edgy for me, but I don't mind!  I love these black "motorcycle" looking boots that are you ready for this?  I got from Payless!  I know, I know, I couldn't believe it either.  These boots were exactly what I was looking for.  I wanted something simple and I absolutely loved the zipper up the back.  These boots have silver hardware on the side so they are not hard to pair with anything.  I absolutely love pairing these boots with my motorcycle jacket from Charlotte Russe.  I am happy to say that they have brought out the edge in me this winter!  Finally, these amazing combat boots.  These boots are from Madden Girl and are absolutely adorable.  The inside of them is an adorable plaid pattern that is a purple/burgundy color.  There are a million ways that you can wear these and a ton of different things that you can wear them with as well.  I love to tuck leggings into them or wear them with jeans.  My absolute favorite way to wear it is with leggings and a long cardigan that covers my butt!  Stay tuned for a future post on how to style combat boots.  

Brash Black Moto-ish Boots.

Saving the best for last, I wanted to include my amazing new Michael Kors watch that I received for Christmas from my father.  I was not expecting this as a gift because I had already gotten something else but he surprised me and I am forever thankful!  This watch is beautiful, and the style number is MK 5605  My dad had known that I wanted this specific style and that I wanted it in gold because I had written it down for him at one point.  The beautiful face with Roman numerals is absolutely perfect.  I haven't been paring the watch with any arm candy because it is the star of the show on its own, its absolutely stunning and I am 100% in love.

MK 5605.

That is it lovelies for my quick series of winter favorites.  I hope that you all enjoyed it and if you have any requests on what you would like to see, please leave a comment!  Also, please send me a tweet and check me out on Instagram, also let me know you read this!  I can't wait to share with you my next post, check back tomorrow.

Xoxo-Brit.

COLLEGE GRADUATION!

Commencement program.

First of all, I went to Monmouth University which is a college in West Long Branch, NJ.  I have grown up knowing I wanted to be a journalism student, seriously I knew that it was going to be my field of study since I was about six years old.  It takes a lot to know something like that so young.  I had a fascination of news and media all of my life and I wanted to be part of it.  I loved politics, fashion, and everything that was current.  When I was in middle school, I became an integral part of my schools morning announcements and did the same as I went into high school.  While in high school, not only did I floor manage, direct and star in my HS's announcements, I wrote for the school newspaper and was one of the editors for it.  I was so happy to finally be able to do something that I knew that I loved since I was so young.

This is what I planned for under my gown.

It was high school that gave me an opportunity to write an article for the Asbury Park Press which was a dream of mine because my parents used to get the APP when I was a kid!  I always wanted to work there so to have an article written in their paper as a high school student I was just overjoyed.  When I began looking at colleges, I knew what major I wanted to be so that was decided upon early.  The choice of which college to go to was also very simple: Monmouth University.  I had known people that went there and I knew that it was my dream school.  When I first visited it in 2007 I instantly fell in 100% love with it and I knew that it was the place for me.  There was one thing holding me back: it was so expensive!  I was very smart (not to toot my own horn or anything), but I knew that scholarship money I was awarded wouldn't cover it all!  I ended up going to the local community college when I graduated from high school for free because I was an NJ Stars student.  Although I wanted to go directly to Monmouth, I knew that going to community college first was an excellent idea cost wise, I was going for free!  After my community college, I transferred to Kean University because my NJ Stars scholarship only went to public secondary education (Monmouth was private).  I was really upset that I didn't get a chance to go to MU but I was so thankful to have the undying support of my father that I was grateful just to have an education at this point.

The seating arrangement.

My time at Kean University was valuable.  I met many people and have friends that I still know from there, I received a great friend from it and I would not trade the experience for the world.  I commuted there from an hour and twenty minutes south for three semesters, definitely interesting but it was more of a real world experience.  I got to know what it would be like as a working person.  (I can post more about this and my previous experiences, I actually plan to).  After going here for three semesters, I started hearing rumors about the schools accreditation being in jeopardy and I didn't want to be involved in that at all.  I started thinking about what I was going to do and decided that I was going to ask my father if I could reapply to Monmouth (when I applied the first time, I got in!).  Thrilled that he said yes, I applied and got in with a scholarship and I was on my way to Monmouth once again.  I couldn't believe my dream was on its way to me.

Incredibly happy with my cap and gown on!

Before I knew it, orientation was here and I was starting classes and ti all lead me to this day, January 18, 2013.  Graduation was a dream.  No lie, the day and everything that came with it was an out of body experience.  Walking into the MAC I felt this overwhelming sense of joy, pride, excellence, leadership, accomplishment and any other feeling that you could, all at one time.  I scanned the crowd for my dad and brother and found them in an instant.  Next to them were my aunt, uncle and cousin and I was infinitely happy in that moment.  My eyes filled with tears but I didn't let anyone know.  I just thought about how amazing this accomplishment was and how much fun I was going to have with my family when it was over and I was happy again.  I sat through the ceremony and listened to the speakers.  The commencement speaker of honor was a filmmaker, one that worked on The Hunger Games.  I must say that yesterday, "the odds were ever in my favor."  After he spoke, the president of my university spoke about how our school was used to house people that were displaced during Hurricane Sandy, and before you know it, I was walking across the stage in my amazing Aldo heels and Forever 21 dress (under the cap and gown of course) and receiving the most expensive piece of paper that I have ever received!  I am so happy to finally have in my possession a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism. (I can and will talk more about the graduation ceremony and experience).

Let me hear from you!  Have you graduated college yet?  What is your degree in?  Have you graduated high school?  Thats awesome, too!  Send me a tweet and let me know!  

Xoxo- Brit.

Winter Skincare/Nail Polish favorites!

Hey all!  I hope you're having a great day.  I just wanted to go ahead and continue with my "Winter Favorites" series by showing you some of my favorite skincare and nails of the winter so far.  Let's get started!

First I want to start with some skincare.  Now I went to the drugstore to get a new moisturizer when my Hope In a Jar ran out because I was trying to see if I could get something less expensive, but just as good!  The reason for this is because I tend to go a little heavier with moisturizer in the winter, like I am sure most of you do.  I tend to use Aveeno Positively Radiant Daily Moisturizer.  This moisturizer has an amazing consistency and it actually has a great scent, while being unscented (if that makes any sense!).  Although that tends to normally be my favorite from the drugstore, I wanted to try something else.  I picked up a Neutrogena Oil Free Moisture for combination skin, horrible decision.  The moisturizer made me swell up underneath the eye, I had an allergic reaction to it overnight!  When I woke up, my face was blown up, I couldn't believe it.  I believe it was $10 on sale at my Target when I picked it up, but I would not recommend it.  I didn't even notice a difference in my skin the next morning other than how huge it was.

Ponds Dry Skin Cream

Needless to say, I finally ended up going back to Target and picking up the Ponds Dry Skin Cream Rich Hydrating Facial Moisturizer.  This was $5 at Target and is probably the best kept secret of all time.  Now to be honest, I thought immediately of old ladies and moms when I looked at the Ponds products.  For some reason, I always think of older women using Ponds products, so as someone that is only 23, I was swallowing my pride a little bit with this purchase.  Let me tell you something right now, Ponds did NOT let me down.  I put the cream on my face the same day that it swelled because of the Neutrogena moisturizer and the next day that I woke up, the swelling was down, the dry skin was gone and my face was amazingly moisturized.  I was NOT expecting this at all, but I was accepting of it nonetheless.  If there was one thing I could change about the product it would probably be the scent.  It's not terrible, but it's not the best, it really just smells clean.  The back of the container says that it's Hypoallergenic, Suitable for sensitive skin, and it won't clog pores.  I completely agree and would recommend it to absolutely anyone!

Deborah Lippmann, "Billionaire" and "It's Raining Men."

Now moving on to some of my nail favorites for the winter thus far.  Maybe this is harping on the past but I just must go there, Christmas nails!  I can never get enough of my Christmas nails and this year I just wanted to go back to basics with it.  As you can see in the photo, I used two Deborah Lippmann colors in Billionaire and It's Raining Men.  I love them because they are true colors to Christmas and they are just beautiful.  These polishes are a little steep in price about $16, but they are completely worth it.  The color pay off is great, its bright, lively and fun.  The red here is a true Christmas red and the green and mossy, forest green.  The brushes on these polishes are great for application and the formula is a dream!  I tend to like this classic application technique, red on all the fingers except for the ring, where theres a green surprise!

My "Brown to Tan Ombre."  

The next nail design (or play on colors) that I have to share with you is my "Brown to Tan Ombre."  The reason i share this with you is because I have just been loving rocking it.  I think this is so appropriate for school, the office or even just everyday wear.  I love that it adds pizazz to the nails without really being obnoxious and taking it too far.  I wish I could remember the names of the polishes that I used but even looking at the photo I just cant remember which polish is which, I have way too many!  If you would like to know, please leave a comment below and I will try to look them up.  I posted a photo to my instagram and everyone seemed to love it!  If you try this look, tweet me a photo!

American Apparel's, "Peacock."

Finally, I wanted to show you this amazing color.  I tend to call it a "teal denim" because it reminds me of teal colored jeans.  I love the color and think it's perfect for winter for that pop of color for the season.  I love American Apparel polishes because they are very practical, and to be honest I love the unique bottle design and packaging.  The application of this polish is amazing and the opacity of the color is amazing with one coat!

Okay all, that's all I have for you today!  Look forward to another installment of my winter favorites coming tomorrow and if you have any questions please leave a comment below or send me a tweet. If you haven't already, check out the first installment: My Winter Beauty Favorites. Also be sure to check out my instagram and follow me there for outfit of the day photos, nail insta's and other random stuff!  Love you all and thanks for reading! 

Xoxo-Brit.

Winter Beauty Favorites!

Hi everyone!  I hope you are all having a great week so far.  I am lucky enough to have off until Saturday this week.  My normal school schedule is that I have off from Tues-Thurs during the week but now that school is over things will change eventually.  Then of course I also took off Thursday and Friday because I need to go and pickup the tickets for my graduation ceremony and my cap and gown! I am so excited!  Anyway, let's get on to the point of this post!  I figured that I wanted to share with you some of my favorite things for the winter.  I was going to call it, "Current Favorites" or something, but I think I like the way "Winter Essentials" sounds better, way cuter! ;)  Let's get on with it.

I'll start with some beauty favorites.  I have been recently obsessed with Revlon's BB Cream.  Now when I was new to BB Creams, I was looking for something with the perfect amount of coverage for me, which means not full but not lacking in coverage, so medium (if that makes sense).  I didn't want my face to look like it was caked out in make-up because seriously, who does?  Not attractive.  So when i saw that Revlon came out with something, I had to purchase it and try it out because they are my absolute favorite drugstore brand.  This one is amazing.  When I first started getting really interested in skin care, my skin was more of a combination, but now as I am getting older it gets very dry, very fast and this BB cream is great for that.  I like the way it sits on the skin, it doesn't feel heavy which is essentially the point of a BB cream.  I also absolutely love the smell of this formulation, it's like you are putting sunscreen on your face.  The coverage is great and it blends in perfect with your skin, the color I use is 002 Light Medium.  The only reason I would say not to use this is if you have oily skin.

Next, I want to share with you this Laura Geller Dream Creams Concealer & Highlighter Palette in Regular/Tan.  I got this before the summer started and normally I don't tend to wear concealer on my face in the summer so I never used it.  What I do find, is that a mixture of the two colors on the right (the darker and lighter) is a perfect match for my skin and it makes it an amazing under/around the eye concealer.  The best thing about this?  It stays all day long.  I honestly have never used an under-eye concealer that stays all day long like this one with the creamy consistency.  As far as the left side of the palette, I don't really use it.  I would recommend this palette in the winter for under-eye concealer for long-lasting wear and great coverage!

The next couple of things I want to talk about are mascaras for the winter.  Now normally I am not that picky about when I use certain mascaras because it honestly has absolutely nothing to do with skincare, but I just want to point out these because they are doing great things for my lashes.  Maybelline Great Lash is just a classic, I love it!  The Lots of Lashes formulation is great and the brush is perfect, it allows you to get those inner corner lashes so that you look wide awake.  The Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express in the middle is awesome because I feel like it not only gives volume, but for me it lengthens!  The NYC High Definition has been a favorite of mine for a while.  This mascara really provides the volume that every day wear is perfect for.

Next I want to talk about some lipstick.  Ugh, lipstick is my absolute weakness.  If there is anything that I can't leave the store without its lipstick.  These two are from MAC; one is a Matte (my favorite ever!) and one is a Satin.  The Matte color pictured is Chili.  This color is literally perfection, I don't know where to start.  Because it is matte, the color stays on your lips forever and ever.  The color is this warm red that I wore on Christmas.  If you are easing yourself into red lips, this is the perfect way to do it because its a matte color but it still makes a statement.  The second color is Hot Chocolate and its a Satin color from the Apres Chic line at MAC thats out now.  It may or may not be limited edition so if you like it, go and pick it up!  This color is unlike anything that I have so I love it for that.  I describe it has the perfect combination of brown and purple, 

and a perfect hint of color.  Love it!

Okay so maybe this is lipstick overkill but like I said, I am absolutely obsessed. To this day, my dad still hates me for walking out of the house everyday with lipstick on because I'm his little girl and he can't believe that I'm growing up. Are any of your parents still like that? Haha! I just turned 23 and he does this to me all the time, sorry for that little sidebar. These two lipsticks are from Covergirl and they are amazing. I heard about 305 Hot Passion from beauty guru on Youtube, Missglamorazzi. This color looked a little too bold for me but I said that I would try it anyway and I ended up loving it. I wear the color to work almost all the time and I get so many compliments. This color is a little more glossy than the Chili. Best thing about the color? There are no sparkles and no glitter in it, I hate that in lipstick. If I wanted that extra glitter or sparkle I would put lipgloss on. The second color, 305 Tempt Seduction is amazing also. The color is more of a pink, not quite a hot pink. No extra sparkle or glitter and just the perfect amount of fun. Both of these colors stay on all day and there really is no 

need to reapply.

The next couple of things I will talk about are blushes.  The first two are from Nars with their ever so inapropro names.  The first one is Deep Throat.  I wrote about this color as a great color for the summer which is true, but I really love it all year long!  This is my first year or so having it in my collection and I love it so much.  The color looks like it has a ton of glitter but when you apply it to your face there really isn't that much.  This blush is a perfect wash of color to the cheeks especially if you don't like wearing a ton of blush or color.  The pink is perfect.  The second blush is Liberte.  I am obsessed recently with the wash of color over the cheeks that makes it look like you've been outside and the wind kissed your cheeks!  I was looking for something perfect to achieve this look and Liberte was that blush.  Now I have freckles so trying to get this look is hard with any color, but it's a step in the right direction.  I love this rusty color, perfect for the fall/winter season.  Lastly, I want to share my personalized MAC palette.  You can make your own palette and fill it with pan shadows at any MAC Pro store and I love it.  In here, I have Dollymix and Springsheen.  I believe I also wrote about these as great blushes for summer but I love them now!

Last but not least, I want to talk about the best thing ever! Viva La Juicy has been my absolute favorite scent. I will probably wear this all year long but I love it so much that I thought you should know about it. I don't even know how to explain the scent other than: best one ever. I got this for Christmas from my amazing father and I have had it before but ran out. I can't imagine my life without it ever again, hahaha. The scent is more mature and not sweet, perfect for everyday wear. I love how amazing the bottle looks and I will continue to use it forever!

Okay guys!  Thank you so much for sticking with me!  I am going to be posting a series of these, "Winter Favorites" for the next couple of days that will show you some things that I have been loving.  I hope you enjoyed the beauty post, tomorrow look forward to the nails/skincare installment!  If you liked this post, please leave a comment or send me a tweet.  If there is anything that you think I must try, let me know and I will!  Check out my Instagram as well, I post outfit of the days and other things there!

Xoxo -Brit!