It's a post workout cool down!

I've started a new daily workout schedule and along with that comes a nice cool down, soothing shower- which has to be my favorite part! I use my trusted Dead Sea vanilla body scrub to help get rid of the grimy feeling.  The scent is very relaxing and soothing, in a warm blanket hug kinda way.  Then I use an Aches and Pains Relief, it's a body wash I picked up from Walmart and I really like it- expect a full review coming soon.  It is loaded with eucalyptus and spearmint.  It really helps to soothe the aches from doing a workout.  Once I'm out of the shower and dried off, I put the Wallgreens version of Icy Hot on my shoulders, and snuggle into my PJ's. And that's it, a quick soothing cool down.
What do you use to help soothe your muscles after a workout? XOXO

A new holy grail product!!

I have always sworn by my Pur Minerals foundation in Fair/ light.  It's a powder, goes on easily, and doesn't cake up.  Yet after hearing many a blogger rave about the Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder, I decided I NEEDED (okay, wanted... but those words are interchangeable, right?).  I went to Walmart with a friend on Martin Luther King Jr. Day to get more printer ink and how can I not pass up going by the beauty section.  It was at that moment I caved and bought it in the first color that comes after Translucent, I chose color 003 Natural.  It was pale because I am a Paley McPale Face.

I have to say, I really really like this powder!!!  It doesn't have too bad of a powdery smell, the product is easy to get out of the pan, and it lives up to it's Stay Matte name.  I'm tend to have oilier skin, but not to the point where I could poach and egg on my face, just a tiny bit more than someone with normal skin.  I'm technically classified as combination.   With trekking all over campus, being in the theater so much, and working out any powders that I wear come off and *poof* makeup is all gone and I seem oilier than I did in the morning.  YET, with this it doesn't come off as easily throughout the day and it does keep my skin looking matte and nice.

 The only qualm I have with this product is the packaging.  It's got a clear lid that I keep trying to twist off, but after about thirty seconds I remember that you just pull it off.  The case is just two pieces of plastic that I'm sure that if I carried it around in my bag, I would have a broken powder case and powder by the end of the week.  I love this product, and have deemed it holy grail materiel.

Do you have any drugstore powder brands that keep your skin matte without looking cakey or breaking the bank? XOXO

REVIEW: Botanicals By The Sea Face Cream- Youthful Bloom

I'm usually very wary of face products that are natural or organic because I'm never quite sure where they come from or if they'll even work. Enter this face cream (please ignore my Baa Baa Sheep bedding), my mom got it for me- plus a two other things from the line that you can expect a review from soon- for Christmas.  I was very wary at first but the scent of the product drew me in, I absolutely love anything that smells like lavender and all of the products do! If you're not into strong scents, don't worry, because the smell dissipates very quickly as it absorbs into your skin.  It is a very heavy cream, so I only save it for night time or when it's snowing and really cold like it has been for the past few days.

You get a pretty good sized pot for the price, and you don't need to use a lot to cover your whole face.  I will definitely buy this after it is all gone- I absolutely love it!
Do you have any face creams you swear by? XOXO

NOTD: Teal, teal, teal!

Hi guys! Today is my first NOTD (Nail of the Day) post, so bear with me! We enjoyed a second snow day today, so a friend came over and we watched movies, trecked to dinner, and painted our nails :) I chose the teal nail polish I got a few years ago to match my Junior Prom dress.

The brand of this nail polish is China Glaze and the color is Custom Kicks (721).  I would think that it's still available but don't quite me on it.  I really like this nail polish.  It's opaque after one coat and there is a slight shimmer to it but it's not overpowering.  The color is a lot deeper and much more green than the picture makes it seem.  The actual polish itself is pretty liquidy and gets onto the brush really nicely and you can do two or three nails without having to re-dip the brush.  I would definitely recommend this brand to anyone, they have a wide selection of colors and don't cost you an arm and a leg.
Have you ever bought nail polish just to match a piece of clothing? XOXO

A super long weekend due to SNOW!

I'm from California, so when my friend called me to tell me that school had been canceled I was bouncing for joy! I had never gotten a real snow day, so this was like a dream come true. Also, we just found out that we have another snow day tomorrow- so keep your eyes peeled for quite a few beauty reviews and posts over the next couple of days! But for now, here are pictures of the Californian taken out of her natural habitat and flung into the white fluffiness that is known as snow :D

 ^My friend dug me a path onto where everyone else was because the snow was so deep^

 ^I dug a hole and buried my feet in it, too^

And that's it for now! A bit random but I hope that wherever you are, you are having a great week and looking forward to a wonderful weekend! XOXO

February Birchbox: Opening and Initial Reaction

Today, I received my very first Birchbox!  The tracking number had said that it wouldn't be hear until Friday, so I was squealing as soon as I looked in my mail box and saw the green slip that told me I  had a package- I think I probably squealed until I received my package and then there was more squealing as I opened it.  Let me say, I was not disappointed with my first Birchbox! :)

The theme for this month's box was 'Red Carpet Ready'. This made me so happy since I am a theatre major with an emphasis in performance and the biggest night of the month for me is Oscar night.

Here's what came in this months box:

1. Beauty Protector (in the red spray bottle)- This spray is supposed to nourish and detangle your hair.  It is a leave in conditioner that you don't have to rinse  out, you can leave it in.
2. Color Club Nail Polish (Color: Mamba)- This is the Birchbox brand of nail polish, and I'm very picky about the varnish I use on my nails so we'll have to see how this goes.
3. Juicy Couture Perfume in La La Juicy- This is obviously just a little sample size but I'm super excited to try this out because I'm always on the hunt for a new perfume (not like I don't have enough already).
4. Wei Golden Root Purifying Mud Mask- I've never tried a full on hair mask like this, so I'm excited to give it a spin.
5.  Wei Pomegranate Buffing Beads- These are little beads that can make your favorite shower gel into a scrub or you can just add water to them and create just 'scruby water'.  This is another thing that I am super stoked to try.
Then of course there was a piece of Ghiradelli chocolate with caramel in it.  This was a bit random but a really nice treat.
Do you have any favorite items from your Birchbox or other monthly subscription box/ bag? XOXO

Aveeno Tinted Moisturizer: REVIEW!

I've been using the Aveeno Positively Radiant tinted moisturizer in fair to light for, I'd say, at least six years (at least my freshman year of high school).  When i first started using it, I loved it- I felt like I was wearing make up without having to do anything but as the years have gone on, I've realized I don't love it as much as I used to.  I remember noticing last year how it felt kinda dry and this year I've definitely noticed the dryness as well as how hard it is to blend in and smooth onto your skin.  You really have to use a lot of pressure to get it on, and you wind up tugging on your skin quite a lot.  The coverage, though, is one of the best things about this.  It has a pretty good medium coverage to help with redness and even some small blemishes.

All in all, I would buy this again but I'm also in the market for a good BB Cream or tinted moisturizer- preferably one that doesn't cost me an arm and a leg.  Do you have any good suggestions for a new moisturizer? XOXO

The Weekend Post #6: Pro and Con of Going to an all Women's College

I love my university, the theatre program is one of the top in the nation.  The school, however, is all women minus the few men we have in our theatre and dance program.  A pro of an all women's college is that I don't feel the need to wear make up and do my hair every day; a con is that I don't feel the need to wear make up and do my hair every day.

^Some days, I look like this ^

^But most days, I look like this^

Being in college, it's hard enough to get up on time but to get up early to make myself look like a presentable human being is just not going to happen on a daily basis.  That's the pro to this, it's mainly women so I really don't care which is a down fall as well.  Ehhh, if I'm comfortable in it that's all that counts, right? XOXO

Allergy Eyes

With winter coming to a close and spring just around the corner, it means that all of us suffering from seasonal and environmental allergies are in for a bumpy ride.  Along with the sneezing, runny nose, scratchy throat, and blotchy skin comes bright red eyes.  After working with color and what compliments what for a while now, just for fun though, I have learned what eyeliner colors are best to wear when your eyes are red.

 (Sorry for the sad state of my face, btw)

Usually I don't wear much, if any, makeup during the day- problems of going to an all women's college... hmmm, maybe I'll do a post about that.  Anyway, my eyes were really bright red this morning because of how windy it was and the fact that we're expecting rain which makes me sneeze non-stop.  I start out with putting my contacts in and then following that with two drops in each eye of Visine Advanced Redness Relief eye drops.  This helps to make my eyes less itchy so I don't rub at them during the day and take the makeup off.  I then used the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl eyeliner in 005 Nude which I just picked up after hearing so many bloggers rave about it- look for a full review soon! I lined my bottom water line with this.  Lining your water line takes lots of practice so your lower lash line will work too.  I then took my Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Eye Pencil (Kohl) in the color Radium and lined my upper lash line with it.  It's a mid toned blue with a slight hint of shimmer to it.  I love Urban Decay eyeliners, they are seriously my hands down favorite eyeliners I have ever owned.  the combination of these colors helps to counteract the redness in my eyes throughout the day and when the redness does die down, it looks nice but isn't too 'in your face' with the blue.
What do you do during allergy season to help you not look so 'allergy like'? XOXO

I smell pretty, oh so pretty...

I love body sprays, mainly because I'm always sweaty from rehearsal or shop (gross, I know) and so I love using my body sprays.  The three ones that I am currently using are Bath and Body Works Sweet Pea, Bath and Body Works Aruba Coconut, and Degree Sexy Intrigue.

1. My Degree scent is my oldest, most loved, and almost completely gone.  It's got a mix of rose, jasmine, and vanilla in it.  Very little can be sprayed for a light scent during the day and more can be used for the night time if you're going out with some friends :) These are in the same isle as the deoderants and I highly suggest trying this one out, it's really nice and lasts for a good part of the day.  I will definitely be buying this again!
2. The Aruba Coconut scent is my second oldest, I got it over the summer during Summer Theatre Institute when Bath and Body Works was having their half yearly sale.  Usually I'm not drawn to this type of scent because it is very fruity and very coconut heavy.  My biggest draw to it was the fact that it has glitter in it, so I especially love using it during the summer when I'm wearing my dresses because they're all strapless or spaghetti strap.  While it's not my favorite, it's not bad, and I would definitely purchase another scent like this again but only really during their sales.
3.  The third in my line-up is Sweet Pea from Bath and Body Works.  I got this as a Christmas gift with a Sweet Pea scented gift set.  I have used this once or twice, but right now I'm using more the other two.  It's not because the scent is bad it's just that it doesn't feel in season yet.  So the jury is still out on whether I will buy this scent again but currently I don't think it's half bad!

Do you have any favorite body sprays that you use regularly? XOXO

Liebster Award!

Hey guys! I was just nominated for the Liebster Award by the lovely Ashley at AshleyElizabeth21.  If you don't know what this award is, it is give to bloggers with less than 200 followers and it helps to promote their blogs.

The rules are super simple:

1. Nominees must link back the person who nominated them.

2. Once nominated you must write 11 random facts about yourself.

3. You must also answer the 11 questions from the person that has nominated you.

4. You come up with 11 new questions.

5. And you nominate 11 people that have under 200 GFC followers and let them know. You can't tag back.

I think this is a great way to learn more about bloggers, as well as discover new and exciting blogs to follow!

11 Random Facts About Me:

1. I am a theatre major with an emphasis in performance.

2. I am OBSESSED with Doctor Who, Torchwood, Merlin, Supernatural, Being Human (UK), Sherlock... basically, anything English.

3. I will graduate college in three years instead of four.

4. Along with acting, I have sound designed two shows and assistant sound designed on another all this year.

5. Loud noises make me nervous.

6. I don't really eat cheese, except pizza or quesadillas.

7. I am 4'9" tall.

8. My hair is naturally multi-toned blonde ranging from a medium dirty blonde on the bottom to white at the top.

9. I studied Stage Combat, tap, and jazz during an intensive six week program this past summer.

10. My favorite Avenger is a tie between Captain America, Iron Man, and Hawkeye.

11. My all time favorite band is The Who- I've even seen them live at the Hollywood Bowl.

Questions from Ashley:

1. What is your holy grail make-up product? My Sephora eye shadow palette, hands down. 

2. What was the best vacation you have ever been on? London, I was young, but definitely London.

3. What's one beauty product that didn't live up to your expectations? L'Oreal Telescopic Mascara

4.  What is you all time favorite movie? Hmm, that's difficult, I like so many but I guess I'll say Mr. Smith Goes to Washington

5. What is your most embarrassing moment? Painting a set for the show Beautiful Bodies, specifically the NYC skyline, and falling backwards into the paint tray and then the full paint bucket and then onto the Empire State building.

6. What is the last book you read? Well, it's actually a play but Hedda Gabler by Ibsen

7. If you could meet one person (alive or dead) that you've never meet before who would it be? My grandfather, he died when I was two so I don't actually remember him.

8. If you could go back in time and live in another era, which would you choose? Definitely the 1950's.

9. What is one of your pet peeves? Hmmm, people not following through.

10. Who is your favorite actress? Ahhhh- ahhh- uhhhh- There are too many! In which case, the queen- Meryl Streep

11. If you could only buy from one make-up brand for the rest of your life, which would you choose? Urban Decay

My Questions for you:

1. Do you like to travel?

2. What is your favorite thing to do to relax?

3. What is your favorite TV show?

4. Why do you blog?

5. What is your favorite thing to study?

6. What are you most proud of right now?

7. What is your favorite animal and why?

8. What did you (or do you) want to be when you grew/grow up?

9. What is your all time favorite book?

10. What is a staple in your everyday bag?

11. If you could pick up and travel to anywhere for two weeks without having to worry about money, where would you go?

I Nominate:

1.Simply Skin Deep Beauty
2. marley & perry
3. Beauty and Babbling
4. Living a Different Fairytale 
5. The Beauty Visual
6. Zombies Wear Eyeliner
7. Manicures and Extra Sprinkles
8. All That Slap 
9. Fresh Look Beauty Blog
10. Eyeshadow Eyeliner 
11. TEAM TORI

These are all LOVELY blogs run by some amazing people, so go and give them a look! If you do the questions, link your blog post up below and I'll be sure to check it out :) XOXO

No Heat Hair Curling

This is just a quick post, since this hair curling trick has been all over Pintrest for a while but I actually learned it last year from my friend Mariah.  It's really easy and doesn't take too long to do, but that also depends on your length of hair which mine is just above shoulder length right now.  What you do, is take one of those stretch wide fabric headbands you can get in packs of three and four at the drugstore and place around your head (not in the normal way) over your slightly damp hair.  Then you take a section of your hair on one side of your head and wrap that piece around the band once then you add another small section of hair and keep doing that until it has wrapped all the way around your head.  It's really easy and comfortable to sleep in, unlike sponge rollers which I've had to use a lot for shows.
I hope this little trick helps you to get curly hair in the morning without having to get up early ;)
Do you have any hair tricks you like? XOXO

NYX Lipgloss REVIEW!

I absolutely LOVE NYX cosmetics, especially the packaging (how can you not love the cute bows?)

I own two NYX lip glosses and this is the Mega Shine Lip Gloss color 120A- Sponge Cake.  It isn't thick and goopy and doesn't make you feel like your lips are sliding off.  The color has a lot of shimmer to it but is a pretty neutral tone on my lips, which is okay since I'm experiencing with neutral lips.  (swatched below)

On my hand it looks more like a peachy pink with a lot of sparkle but on my lips, I swear, it is more neutral- haha! Another bonus with this lip gloss is that it smells really good! To me, it smells like cordial cherry's which is one of my favorite candies.  One downside is that it doesn't last very long on the lips, maybe two hours tops so it has to be applied a lot.  All in all, I really like this lip gloss, I've been using it as my daily lip gloss between classes and rehearsals for two weeks so that must be saying something.
Do you have any NYX lip glosses that you like?

Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox Beauty Balm: REVIEW

I received this as a sample during my Sephora haul, and I love it! This is the Dr. Jart+ Black Label Detox Beauty Balm and I love how it makes my skin look and feel.  I'm really pale and so I was afraid when I first saw it that it was going to be too dark, but it's not.  I found that it sort of adjusts to your skin, or maybe it has to do with really good blending.  Either way, it looks dark in the pot but looks nice on my fair skin.  This is the first beauty balm I've ever tried and I think it was a great one to start with.  There are apparently quite a few of Dr. Jart+ beauty balm range, I'll have to give them a go.  They are pretty pricey for just one, close to $40 for one tube of the balm (price found at Sephora.com).  There is a BB Cream set of 4 different BB Creams by Dr. Jart+ which is $34, so you can try different ones to see which you like best.  I think that is a pretty reasonable price for four mini sizes, especially when one normal tube ranges from $30-$40.
I am really looking forward to trying the others, but I will have to wait a while before I invest in the mini set.
Do you have any favorite BB creams, either high end or drugstore (high street) brands? XOXO

January Favorites!

Okay, so I know I'm a little late in getting this up but it still hasn't been a full week since January ended so I'm okay! I've never done a monthly favorites post, so please bear with me and we'll all see how this goes!

I've split them into two categories- neither of which is just for hair or just for makeup.  I've split them into 'Stuff on my desk that I use a lot' (pictured above) and Things from my shower.  It makes no sense but it works.  Stuff on my desk I use a lot:

• Soap and Glory: Hand Food- I did a post about this a little time back, and I absolutely love this stuff! I had picked it up at Sephora when I did a haul at the end of the holidays and I am so glad I did.  The scent is really light, it's not super oily, it's pretty light, and absorbs really quickly.
• Organix Moroccan Argan Oil- I bought this a while back and hadn't used it too much until it started getting really cold.  I've been using it almost every time I shower and it makes such a difference in how my hair feels and looks- it makes it really smooth and soft.
• Lush lip scrub in Mint Julips- I did a post about this recently where I raved about it.  I've had this for a little over a month now and still love it, especially now during the winter months.  I've used it quite a bit but haven't made that big of a dent in it which means it should last me a good while.  You don't need a lot of product to do the job and it smells YUM!
• Trial version of Vaseline Lip Therapy- I got this as a stocking stuffer this Christmas and was a bit wary of it because I really love my Carmex but I LOVE wearing this at night! Look for a full review coming soon.
• Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick in 12- I was quite wary of the color when I first bought it because it is an orange toned red but after I put it on and wore it out for the first time I found out I really liked it! It's a great texture and isn't drying.  Look for a full review soon!

Now to the second category: Things from my Shower!

• Burts Bees Cuticle treatment- I picked this up on a whim during a trip to Walmart because my cuticles and the skin around my nails had gotten so bad, and I'm so glad I did! It's really made a difference, and I did a full review of this about a week and a half ago.
• Dead Sea body scrub in Vanilla- I needed something to slough away all of the icky dead skin that the winter leaves behind. It's really gritty but doesn't hurt and isn't too harsh on my skin.  It's also a lot of product which makes it that much better!
• Loreal Natures Therapy moisturizing hair mask- I did a full review of this when I picked it up at Christmas and I loved it then and I love it now!  It's wonderful to use and keeps my hair not feeling really processed after I died it back to blonde. Plus it smells AMAZING!
• Wallgreens Cool and Heat- this is the Wallgreens version of Bengay.  It comes in rollerball, squeeze tube, or a twist up like deoderent.  I use this on nights when I'm really sore (close to every night) and it just helps to soothe sore muscles.  The only qualm I have is that the smell is really strong and overpowering; I used it when I was home and my mom came back to find out why she could smell cinnamon from my room at the other end of the house. But it works really well and I liked it this month. 

What have been some of your January faves? XOXO

The Weekend Post #5: Superbowl Sunday

It is known far and wide that I am a die hard Ravens fan.  So, in honor of them playing in the Superbowl (and winning) I painted my nails in gold, purple, and black.  I dabble in nail art, but am nowhere near as good as my dad is, yet I try.

For the purple, I used my Sinful Colors purple.  It's a really nice texture, sparkly, but it isn't opaque in one coat- it usually takes two.  I only applied one coat because I wasn't in the mood (nor did I have the time) to wait around for the second coat to dry and I have to say, I'm pretty happy with the sheer wash of purple it gave my nails.  For the gold, I used OPI's Goldeneye from their James Bond collection.  It's a wonderful color, very opaque, and just a really nice nail polish all around.  Then I used a black nail polish with a very thin brush to make the designs on my nails.  I'm not quite sure how I feel about this polish.  It can get pretty chunky after a while and the brush is very thin and long, making it very difficult to get a precise line or design.  Here was the final product:

I was pretty happy with how they turned out.  I'm not too good at doing designs, so that doesn't look very nice but I figure Hey, I did it myself.  I get an 'A' for effort, right? Haha, I kid, I kid... but, no, seriously.
How did you spend your weekend, or Superbowl Sunday? XOXO

Life Update!

Hi guys! I know I've been MIA for the past couple of weeks, but we open Shakespeare's The Tempest this week so I'll soon have a bit more time to post. I will also be working on the next show, which is Theresa Rebeck's Mauritius for which I am the sound designer.

The Tempest takes place after Alonso, the king, ship gets wrecked due to meddling by Prospero and his servant spirit Ariel. They all come to be on this island together, as a revenge from Prospero.  It's brilliantly done, the director is making it a grunge image- with jeans and hard hats, 'food' made out of plastic bottles, a staff covered in Caution tape, and a corset made out of soda can pull tabs.

It has been an amazing journey getting the chance to Assistant Stage Manage (ASM) on this show, here's a peek at what my afternoons look like and what keeps me going.

 A small look at what my script looks like- brightly colored tabs everywhere, sticky notes warning me about loud sudden noises, and notes in the margins that no one besides me can understand. Oh, and that sheet music? There are songs in this show, and we had a composer create the music and notes to go along with the words written in the script.  It's almost like a mini-musical! I do line notes, costume fittings, and lock up the whole building. That is my job after each rehearsal, I initially was doing the call but I kept doing it wrong so the Stage Manager gave me keys and told me to go lock everything and turn off lights- haha.

And this is what has kept me going.  When I've been on my last leg for 48 hours, this gives me my umpteenth wind to keep going until I can get home and do homework and finally get to bed.

How have your days been, my lovelies? XOXO