Closet Essentials Summer Edition; Shorts

Hello Sunshines!!

For today's Closet Essential post, I want to talk about the ultimate summer staple: shorts.
Why are shorts a staple? Well, BECAUSE IT'S FREAKING HOT OUTSIDE! Shorts are also fabulous because they can be taken from summer into colder months too!

When choosing shorts, consider your body type. If you are super curvy, or very bottom heavy, you may be seeking shorts with more coverage that flatter your figure. Like jeans, I reccommed dark wash denim and dark colors if you want a slimming effect. I also reccommend having a variety of styles/lengths of shorts in your closet. This goes for EVERY girl. While your super short shorts may be okay for throwing over your bathing suit, they may not be appropriate for ALL summer functions you might attend. So it's good to have at least one pair that provides you with decent coverage. My favorite shorts are awesome because they are rolled short, but I can roll them up or down, depending on how much leg I want to show.

Have fun with your shorts, and pick bright colors, crazy patterns, whatever you like! What better time than Summer for experimenting with bright prints and colors? Make sure your shorts fit you well, aka, they fit well in the waist, and are not brutally squeezing your legs. I personally don't spend alot of money on shorts, either. Why? I might buy a pair of trendy shorts that are trendy NOW, but wouldn't work the next year. If you want to wear your shorts into the fall/winter seasons, just pair them with some leggings or tights, and voila! You can rock those babys year round!

What are your favorite shorts this season?
X's and O's,
Amanda

Fairytales Come True

Hello Sunshines!

I hope everyone is having a fabulous weekend! Today I thought I would do a diary entry. Warning: this could be random! :p

Lately, I have had so much positivity surrounding me. I have been feeling so grateful for the wonderful life I have been given, and people have been extra nice to me lately. With my wedding coming up in just 33 short days,  I have come to the conclusion that fairytales DO come true. It is up to you to make your fairytale happen for yourself. For example, I have found my prince charming, and never feel less than a fairytale princess every day. Alot of my dreams are coming true, but they didn't all happen by themselves. It takes hard work, determination, passion, and you have to believe! Maybe your dream is to become an olympic athlete. Will it just magically happen to you, or overnight? No. But with enough hard work, you can get there. Maybe not tomorrow, but hard work does eventually pay off. I believe if you want something bad enough, you will get it. I believe that good things happen to good people, too. Sure, bad things also happen to good people, but I believe if you are truly a good person, luck will work out in your favor at some point. Lately, I have had the attitude of "ANYTHING is possible", and you know what? Impossible things are happening. I am hoping that each and every person who reads my blog reaches for their dreams and never stops believing!

Also on the fairytale topic, who says you can't look like a princess? When we grow up, I think we give up dressing up like fairys and ballerinas and princesses.  Not me! Do I walk around in a tutu? No. But who says you can't incorporate "princess"like elements to your wardrobe and makeup? Here's a makeup tutorial on "Fairytale Princess Makeup" that I found this week. Give it a try, and unleash your inner princess! :

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R_ys5CN3DbM&feature=my_liked_videos&list=LLSPOJtYUh0NPJik3DB-ASpg

So tell me, what inspires YOU?

X's and O's,
Amanda

10 Drugstore Beauty Products under $10

Hey Beauties!
Today I wanted to do a Tag Post, and I chose 10 Drugstore Beauty Products Under $10 tag! I think it is great for gurus to expose fabulous, affordable products. Not every girl can afford "Luxury" brands, and I think it's awesome to showcase beauty for EVERY price range!

1. Maybelline's Falsies Mascara. My all-time fave mascara. It beats every other brand I have ever used! This retails around $5! Affordable and Fabulous!

2. Rimmel London's Moisture Renew Lipstick. I have also reviewed this lipstick, but it is very hydrating, and long lasting! I paid $5.49 at Target.

3. EOS lipbalm. Other than the cute packaging (I know, i'm such a sucker!), this lipbalm is very hydrating, and keeps the lips soft for hours! I believe I paid about $3.

4. Rimmel London Pencil Liners. These liners apply wonderfully and are long lasting. Vast color selection as well. My  current favorite is their color Panama. A beautiful dark brown, I use it so often!

5. E.L.F blotting sheets. Blotting sheets are an essential, but they can be pricey! E.l.f. is only $1, and gets the job done!

6. Loreal's True Match Foundation. This foundation is very comparable with higher-end brands. The color selection is amazing, and you're sure to find a perfect match! at $8, this is almost too good to be true.

7. Pond's Dry Skin Cream. My favorite drug-store moisturizer. It is so hydrating! It will not clog your pores, and will surely solve your dry skin problems. The best bonus is that you get a TON of product at a great price! A big tub is around $5.

8. Rimmel London's Stay Matte Powder. This powder is perfect for mattifying the skin for hours. I use it to set my makeup, and I don't have to reapply for about 5 hours or so! It costs about $3.50.

9. Maybelline's Great Lash Mascara. This was my very first beauty product ever! For as long as I can remember, my mom and grandmother have always used this. Although it really isn't my favorite, it is good for beginners with makeup with a smaller budget. It goes for around $4.

10. Neutrogena's Nourishing Eye quads. These eyeshadows are beautiful and long lasting. The formula is really silky as well. These quads are around $ 8.50

I hope you guys enjoyed this post! I will start doing tags more often, they're fun! What are your 10 favorite beauty products under $10 sold at drugstores? Let me know!!!

X's and O's
Amanda

Guys and Beauty Routines

Hey Everyone!
So, do you know any difficult guys who oppose certain "beauty" regimines because they seem "girly"? Most of us know have a brother, guy friend, boyfriend, etc who is totally resistant to doing anything that seems "girly". Take my fiancee for example. He has great hygiene in terms of showering daily, brushing his teeth regularly, using deoderant/cologne, and he even uses a little hair product. His fashion sense is great, too. So yes, he's clean but...

He doesn't use lotion, doesn't take any care of his nails( he bites them), hates to use conditioner in his hair because it "takes too much time", and doesn't really cleanse his face. He has good skin, and showers daily but I am just like "you have to actually use a facial CLEANSER!" Guys can be difficult.

Here are a few tips to get the difficult guy in your life to step up the beauty  routine!

1. 2 in 1  shampoo. Is it the best for your hair? No. But if your guy is like mine, he wants to be in and out of the shower, no time for conditioner, the 2 in 1 is better than no conditioner.

2. Massages. This is the easiest way I can get my fiancee to apply lotion. By giving him a massage. I just massage the lotion into his skin! I don't have time for this too often, but he appreciates it, and so does his skin.

3. Cleansing wipes. Again, not the BEST way to clean your face, but better than nothing. You could even put them on the nightstand for those nights where he's feeling too lazy to get up and just wants to head straight to bed.

4. Hands. Again, offer him a hand massage with hand creme, and offer to apply cuticle oil, file his nails, etc. I find that most guys are willing to go with things like that if you convince them it will somehow improve their appearence ;) haha!

I know that was breif, but I wanted to just share those few quick tips with you guys. Dudes can be beauiful too! :)

X's and O's,
Amanda

Brand Review :E.L.F

Hey there, Beauties!

Today, I want to review the brand E.L.F. I was originally going to review products from the brand, but there were so many, I thought I would review the brand as a whole. So here it goes...

The biggest attraction consumers have to this brand is very clear: the ridiculously cheap price tag on all of the items. Now more than ever, people are always on the hunt for the best bargain they can get. Especially with beauty products. With tighter budgets, alot of drugstore makeup is considered expensive. And don't even talk about department store brands. When a 8 dollar drugstore foundation is expensive to you, you'd fall over at the sight of department store prices! So women are looking for the best deals they can get at their local drugstores. E.L.F has been the most inexpensive brand I have seen to date (you can get a 100 piece shadow pallete for 10 dollars). But is it really a bargain? Are you getting what you pay for?

I have mixed opinions. Sure,  it's awesome that you can buy makeup brushes for a dollar each. But just how good of quality are those brushes/lipglosses, etc? Here are some mini review on various products:

Brushes: In my experience, it's really a hit and miss with elf brushes. I have some brushes from the brand that I have had for a while now, and are still going strong. On the same token, I have purchased brushes that lasted for a week, or fell apart after 2 washes. I bought 2 of the same shadow brushes, and one was flexible and soft, the other was stiff and a little rough. I will say that the brushes from their studio line are awesome quality, and I have never had an issue.

Shadows: I own the 100 piece palette from the brand, and I do like it. It was 10 dollars, which was stupidly cheap. I feel like the palette contains a good mix of matte and shimmer shades, and while it has every color you could imagine wearing on your eyes, alot of the colors are very wearable for everyday. The pigmentation is also pretty good.

Eye Primer: I wasn't overly impressed with the eye primer, but for a dollar, I couldn't complain. It does work, however I found that my shadow started creasing around the 4th hour . Will it work for a long day? probably not. But it does its job of saturating shadow colors and helping them last. I reccomend Using a powder on your lid to set the primer before you apply shadow. This will help prolong the primer.

Lipgloss: Personally, not a fan. The colors are nice, but the formula is awful. Very thick and VERY sticky.

Cream Liner: The cream liner is good, however the angled brush they provide is poor quality. I  defintely reccomend using your own brush. Also, they don't last long. Mine hardened after a few weeks with the lid tightly secured. Hmm..

Mascara: WORST.MASCARA.EVER. ok, so it is probably ok for a 12 year old who is starting out with makeup, but I was not a fan of the brush or formula!

Conclusion: All in all, I think the brand is a good one. Is it stellar? I wouldn't say so. However for the price you pay, it's pretty decent. Some products were really good, and others not. I would suggest checking out the line to younger girls who are just begining with makeup. It is affordable, and the products are more appropriate for people who are younger. But I also suggest everyone try it for themselves, because let's face it, if you buy a product for a dollar and you hate it, it's no biggie!

What do you think of this brand? What is your favorite product by E.L.F? Let me know!
X's and O's,
Amanda

Wedding Things: Makeup

I'm bacccckk! :)
Thank you to everyone for being so understanding while I took some time away to focus on my wedding. I appreciate it, and got alot done! Still a lot to do, but I will be resuming regular posting again. My wedding is in 43 days! AHHHH!:)

In today's Wedding Things post, I wanted to discuss bridal/bridal party makeup. For brides especially, choosing your makeup for your wedding day can be so hard! I've been looking into makeup for my wedding day, and I was suprised at the advice I found online. There seems to be no consistent answers when it comes to bridal makeup! One thing I noticed is that many people advise brides to wear very natural/ bear minimum makeup. Ok, true you don't want to look like a clown or a whole other person, but I think it depends on the person. I change my makeup daily, but I go for smokey, or more complicated eyes than natural looks. So why should someone who likes to rock bolder eyes all of the sudden be wearing next-to-nothing eye makeup? In my opinion, it doesn't make any sense! When choosing your makeup, consider your personal style, wedding colors/theme, time of year, and make sure to choose a look that photographs well. My wedding color is purple, so I hope to be incorporating that into my eye makeup. Nothing too heavy, but a little smokey. Stick within your comfort zone. I have friends who were upset that they weren't wearing enough makeup on their wedding day, and I have heard of people who cry because it's just way too much! Also keep in mind that this is a long day! Don't choose anything that will smear or fade quickly. Of course you'll need to touch up at some point, but too much makeup on the eyes can leave you looking like a raccoon. Here are some more universal tips for bridal makeup:

1. Prime and set. Use a face primer and eye primer. This will make the makeup not only look better, but last longer. After makeup is applied, set with powder, and then a finishing spray. You want to really lock everyhing in. Hint:If you're using creamy or pencil liner, set with a matching eyeshadow color.

2. Contour. Contouring provides definition and dimension to your face. It's especially important to have this because you will be photographed more than ever on your wedding day. Flash photography can wash out your features. Contouring counteracts this.

3. Highlight. Highlight your cheek bones, brow bones, and center of the face for a beautiful glow. Highlighting also adds dimension to your face, and brings more light in.

4. Waterproof. Even if you don't cry, you never know what emotions are going to creep up on you on the most special day of your life. Not to mention, you might sweat a little from all the dancing! Waterproof mascara is non-negotiable. Use waterproof or liquid liner if you can too.

5. Bring a touch up bag filled with your essentials to eep your makeup fresh throughout the day.

6. Smile. That's the most beautiful thing you can wear on your wedding day.

I hope these tips were helpful!
X's and O's,
Amanda

Hello Summer: My Updated Goals

Hey Beauties,

So, it's summer, and we are officially halfway through 2012! Wow, where has the time gone?!?
Did any of you make New Year's Resolutions? If you didn't, or you're slacking, it's not too late! Get motivated, and start accomplishing your goals TODAY. I wanted to share with you a few of my recent goals.

1. Work out!! I did well with this at the begining of the year, but ended up getting injured in March, and I have been slacking!!! My goal is to workout at least 4 times a week. What better motivation than my new bikini and my upcoming wedding?!?

2.  Be persistant with H2O. I have always been pretty good about staying hydrated, but as of late, I haven't been drinking as much. I need to step up my water intake. Staying hydrated is so key. Your skin will look better, and you'll just feel better all around.

3. Limit Junk...seriously. Um, I will be honest, I am ADDICTED to mint chocolate ice cream. I can't stop eating it. So my new goal is to limit my junk food intake to twice a week. I have been treating myself alot lately, and while I haven't gained weight or anything, it's just not healthy.

4. Give at least 3 compliments everyday. Helping others feel good about themselves is so positive. It will not only lift their spirits, but yours too! Just make sure your compliments are genuine :)

5. When negativity arises, think of three positive thoughts right away. This seems silly, but when negativity presents itself, it's easy to suddenly develop a negative attitude, etc. If you find yourself suddenly feeling pessimistic, offended, or any other ugly emotion overcomes you, quickly think of 3 positive thoughts about your life. You'll instantly feel better.

6. Dedicate 15 minutes to my signifigant other everyday. Only fifteen minutes?!? Hopefully more, but on those days that are just crazy and busy, sometimes even 15 minutes can be a challenge. Spend time talking about your day, snuggling, watching tv together, and only focus on each other. My fiancee and I spend much more time doing this, but with our upcoming crazy schedules, I want to make sure that we have a 15 minute minimum everyday. I think in this busy world it is easy to neglect your loved ones and relationships need nuturing!

7. Be the best person I can be everyday. Be kind, caring, and happy!

So these are my half-way-throught-the year-resolutions. It's never too late. Accomplish your goals TODAY and stop waiting for tomorrow.

What are YOUR goals?
X's and O's,
Amanda

Manda Likes: Latest Picks

Hello Cupcakes!

There are so many products, food, games, etc. that I have been obsessed with lately! Keep reading to find out my recent faves:)

1.Benefit's Girl Meets Pearl liquid highlighter. This highlighter is AMAZING! It gives a beautiful glow, but isn't too shimmery. It is nude toned, and a little goes a long way. This is the best highlighter I have ever used to date.

2. Garnier Fructis  Surf Hair Texture Paste. This is not only a favorite product of mine, but also of my fiancee! This paste gives beautiful (and matte) texture to the hair. It also provides fantastic hold! I use is to scrunch my curls when I curl my hair for the extra hold! The product is also super affordable! Win!:)

3. Rimmel London's Moisture Renew Lipstick in Berry Rose. This line of lipsticks is super hydrating, and this particular color is gorgeous. It is a somewhat deep berry color, but it is not too dark. I have been wearing it for both day and night.

4. Kniffel. Nope, it's not a product. It's a game I have been playing every single day. What is Kniffel you ask? It's the exact same as Yahtzee, but it's a German brand:p

5.Maybelline's Fit Me Concealer. In the summer, I hate wearing a lot of makeup. My skin has been looking great lately, so I don't really need foundation, just a little spot concealer here and there for slight redness. This concealer blends wonderfully, and gives amazing coverage. Plus, it's literally impossible NOT to find your shade!

6.  Versace's Bright Crystal perfume. This has been my signature scent for a while. It just smells like summer to me:)
*photos courtesy of Google*
What are your recent faves?
X's and O's,
Amanda