My Current Favorite Jewelry (January 2014)

Ahhhh jewelry...you are my complete and utter weakness. So I'm back today to share my current jewelry favorites...and I have quite a lot. So let's jump into everything!

I tried to make this photo look artsy...
obviously that didn't work out too well! 

First up...necklaces! I got these two, dainty floral necklaces on Black Friday and they are from the Lauren Conrad line at Kohl's, and I'm in love! One of them is blush pink and rose gold, and the other is orange, pink, and yellow gold. They both make an outfit a tad more girly, and I like that they are both floral necklaces but they aren't too "statement." Then there's my mixed metal necklace from Aeropostale, which I purchase over the summer and I wear the crap out of it. It's a bunch of hearts in various metal tones, which is cute and girly and simple. And finally, my dog tag. This was a gift, so I'm not too sure where it's from, but it's just a simple, mini dog tag charm with the word "Faith" on it--I love it. It's perfect for shirts with lower necklines but a more intricate pattern.

Next is bracelets! I'm still obsessed with bracelets, but I've narrowed down my favorite quite a bit...actually to three! First I have my Deathly Hallows bangle...swoon. One of my best friends gave this to me as part as my Christmas present (but I believe it's from Hot Topic) and I seriously love it. I've been wearing it a lot with my Te Amo bracelet from Jewelmint (which I featured in a bracelet post a few months back...link!) and it looks really fun and quirky. The silver XO cuff is from Lauren Conrad's line at Target, and I think it's so girly and cute! And finally, the owl bracelet. I featured this bad boy in a Forever21 haul post in September, and since then it's been my go-to gold bracelet. Forever21 jewelry tends not to hold up as well, but this one's going strong! PS: The eyes of the owl are hearts...can you get any cuter? And then there's the two beaded bracelets. A family friend and her daughters gave me a set of these types of bracelets, and I love them! My favorites are the black with the silver dove and the silver with the silver heart. They look so cute stacked up together!

And finally, I have one pair of earrings and a ring to show you. The earrings are by Kate Spade, and another one of my best friends (meaning not the one who gave me the Deathly Hallows bracelet) gave these to me for my birthday last year. They're a little out of my comfort zone...not because they're bows, but because they are bigger than what I normally go for! But I really love them. I normally wear these guys with a plain t-shirt and jeans to dress it up a little. And the ring was a Christmas present from my mom, and was from the Disney store online. It's hard to tell in the photo, but the Mickey and the star have (fake) emeralds, which is my birthstone! I just think it's really cute and different than the usual dainty rings I normally wear.

And that is everything for today! I'll do another one of these posts in a few months (after I go shopping a few times of course!).

Where's your favorite place to buy jewelry?
xoxo
Alyssa

Jordana Twist&Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in Honey Lust: Review and Swatches

I'm probably going to end up doing a comparison post on  all of the jumbo lip pencil type products, because there are just so many on the market recently that it's hard to keep track of all of them! I picked this up on a late-night Walgreens trip with my mom (I'm pretty sure the brand is sold exclusively there) and I'm happy to report that it was a great buy. Sometimes when I shop, I just throw things into my basket without really paying much attention and they turn out to be a flop. That wasn't the case here, though!

This is the Jordana Twist&Shine Moisturizing Balm Stain in the color Honey Lust (05), which is a beautiful plum toned pink. I see a color like this and I think how great it will be for the Fall/Winter time. This type of darker pink is also one of my favorite colors to wear in general, so this shade was a no-brainer for me. 

The formulation is lovely--moisturizing, pigmented, smooth, and sweetly scented (to me it smells sort of like Runts candy. Yum!). Additionally, it's very easy to apply--I almost don't need a mirror! The lasting power is pretty average. While it's not awful, I don't think it's anything special either. But for a price tag of $2.99, I'm sure not complaining! 

If you like these kind of pencil lip colors, I recommend this line! I believe Jordana is sold exclusively through Walgreens, but if you know of anywhere else that stocks the brand, let me know! I'll definitely be picking up more of these in the future...but for now I'll continue to love this one. 

What are you favorite colors to wear on your lips?

xoxo

Alyssa

What's in my Bag? January 2014

My dad took a trip to Italy with some friends back in November, and when I found out that he had a few hour layover in Paris, I begged him to bring me back something from France. He e-mailed my mom saying he had bought me something, but it was too expensive to be a  souvenir and therefore had to wait until Christmas. I'm not going to lie, I was nervous. What if I didn't like it and he spent a lot of money on it? Well, I think my genuine shock was obvious on Christmas morning when I opened up a Longchamp Le Pliage tote--he had definitely hit the nail on the head with this one!

I believe this is the "mini" size, but I can't be sure (my dad took the tags off before he wrapped it). But the quality is seriously amazing. Plus, my clothing taste tends to lean more on the preppy/classic/girly side, so the style of this bag is right up my ally.

The contents are pretty basic. Starting from the left, the first thing I have are two little notebooks--both from Dollar Tree, and a pen. The top notebook is used for my blogging ideas and schedule, and the one on the bottom is for quotes that I hear or say that I want to write down to remember. Going down, I have a Candy Cane Chapstick leftover from Christmas, and then this adorable rhinestoned panda compact mirror that my mom bought for me (I think she said it was from a store called Five Below). Next to the mirror is my Blueberry EOS--I tend to keep a TON of lip balm in my bag, just so I'm always (extra) covered. Then there's my wallet, which I've been using since July, and I have a more in-depth review on it (link!). To the right of that, there's my Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me, which I keep for a subtle lip color if mine runs out. Then, I have my iPad mini, which I use every single day and I absolutely love. Finally, above my wallet is my makeup bag from Clinique. Inside, I keep my ELF Translucent Mattifying Powder, a Maybelline stick concealer, my all time favorite lip balm, Nivea A Kiss of Milk and Honey, and then a little box of Tweezerman nail files. And that's pretty much everything, aside from my cell phone and keys, which I usually just throw on the top whenever I run out the door!

What is your biggest purse essential?
xoxo
Alyssa

2013 Favorites: Beauty, Fashion, & More!

I've wanted to start doing monthly favorites posts for a while now, but my mind was always occupied at the end of the month. With the new year, I figured it was a good time to start. Since this blog was born in 2013, how could I skip over doing a yearly favorites? That's right, I just couldn't. Regardless, the new year has begun and I already feel as if it's going too fast. How can it already be the 6th? Time just flies.

Getting onto the subject of this post, 2013 was definitely a year of discovery for me, and it took a lot to narrow down my picks for the overall favorites. So, let us begin!

Skincare
I focused a lot on my skin in 2013, especially in the second half. While I do (and always will) love makeup, I'd pick going out bare-faced over packing on the foundation and concealer any day. So most of my current skincare routine (post on that later?) came from the past year, but I certainly narrowed down what I love the most to three measly products. Go me!

• Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes: Yes, yes, everyone loves these. But just because every beauty guru and their cat have raved about these guys doesn't mean I'm going to deny myself the pleasure of announcing my love to the world. These are really great, and they deserve all of the hype around them. I typically use a separate eye makeup remover and just use these for any face makeup, but on the lazy days, these swipe off my mascara like it's nobodies business.Do makeup wipes break you out? No worries. The whole brand is dedicated to being the solution for every the most sensitive of skins. 
• Borghese Fango Active Mud for Face and Body: I did a whole post about this product back in June (link), so I won't spend too much time on it. I will say that I have an awful problem with blackheads on my nose, and this stuff is the best I've found for removing the gunk from my pores. 
• Nivea Soft Refreshingly Light Moisturizing Cream: My skin may be prone to acne (thanks, teenage hormones) but it's also very dry. I used Avon face cream for a while, but when they discontinued all of my favorites, I began to search for my next skin savor. Nivea's one of my favorite brands, period, and after trying both of their moisturizers, I've realized that this is the best one I've ever used. Yeah, it's that good. 

Hair Care

• Suave Dry Shampoo: Dry shampoos were something that had intrigued me from the second I heard about that. As a student, there's just so many times where I know I didn't wash my hair the day before, but it was a very long day and I just want to curl up in a blanket and sleep for days, so a product that would hold over my locks between washing definitely interested me. This product is roughly three dollars, found in the drugstore, and does such a fantastic overall job that I've repurchased it a dozen times--no exaggeration there (I even keep a backup). Dark-haired like myself? The white cast it leaves disappears with very little effort. 
• Not-Your-Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Sea Salt Spray: Another product I've done a full review on (check it out here), this is my favorite styling product. I have very straight (very boring) hair, and this is perfect for adding some texture and style. My favorite way to use it is on second or third day curls--it morphs them into beachy waves better than those gotten at the actual beach. 

Body Products

• Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub: My very last post was a review on this product, so I'll try not to gush too much. I've made lip scrubs before, and nothing compares to Lush's line. Yes, they might be seen as a little pricey for essentially just...well, sugar, but there's no better fix for winter-chapped lips. 
• Burt's Bees Lemon Butte Cuticle Cream: I found this over the summer, and I can honestly still say that this is a product I use the crap out of. I reviewed this last July, so I'll link that post here to spare this favorites post from being a novel. 

Cosmetics 

• Neutregena Healthy Skin Liquid Makeup: This is my favorite drugstore foundation and one of my overall favorite products in terms of base makeup. I love this so much, I wear it not only as my go-to foundation, but also to any special occasions that pop up (including my ex-boyfriend's prom last June). If that doesn't say enough, I'm not sure what will. Oh, bonus? It has SPF but doesn't leave a white cast in photos. 
• Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent Powder: I made the decision to switch from my Maybelline Dream Matte to something translucent (in order to not have to switch shades with my skin tone) and after hearing a rave review about this from one of my most trusted YouTube gurus, I gave it a shot. Since then, I've been through two. All tune favorite? I think so. 

• Benefit Sugarbomb: My favorite of the boxed powders, I used this a ton in the last few months of the year. It's the perfect one-sweep cheek product for me, as it makes me look bronzed and flushed at the same time. Bonus? The slight shimmer highlights my cheekbones in a way that's almost too good to be true. I'll have my full review linked here.
• NYX Powder Blush in Mocha: One of my top two blushes from the drugstore, I was so happy when I discovered this color. It's a gorgeous, matte berry-toned neutral blush that gives the perfect every day flush across the cheeks. Love, love love! 

• MAC Syrup Lipstick & MAC Cremesheen Glass in Just Superb: I'm combining these two products because they were my favorite lip combination of 2013. Syrup is a beautiful, darker browned-out-pink color that's right up my ally. If I top it with anything, it's MAC's Cremesheen Glass in Just Superb, which is a lovely, creamy natural pink. The two colors together look stunning, and are one of my favorite lip combos.
• Lo'real Color Riche Balm in Rose Elixer: This line has to be the answer to the Revlon Lip Butters, but I really like them for a different way. I wore this every day to school in the beginning half the year, so I couldn't do a favorites post without mentioning it. It's nice and natural, my-lips-but-better color, and it adds a nice shine and moisturizes well for a lip color. I'll definitely invest in more of these.

• Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette: I hated matte eyeshadows before this palette came along. I resisted it for months until I kept hearing such brilliant reviews that I couldn't help but check it out. Well, turns out, I now love matte shadows and have created some pretty awesome everyday looks with this palette. Oh, and I use it almost every time I do my makeup. 
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude: I reviewed this when I first bought it back in July (link!) and for the past six months it's the only thing I'll use on my waterline. Nude liners are awesome for widening/brightening up your eyes, but quality ones are a rare gem in the realm of drugstore cosmetics. Even better? It's super affordable. 
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yogurt: This product was almost cut, but it's gettng a mention solely because the color of this is my favorite color I've ever worn on my eyes. Seriously, it's that good. Plus, at $5, it's one of the best eye-shadow bases around. I have to stop myself sometimes from using this little guy so much. 

• Essie Fiji: I'm actually wearing this color on my nails at the moment, and it's such an awesome, every day shade. I'd describe it as a light, milky, baby pink that in my opinion is the perfect polish for that, well...polished look. Essie's especially known for their pastel and neutral shades, and this one is no exception in my eyes. 

• Real Techniques Brushes: Samantha Chapman (a popular YouTube beauty guru) created this line of brushes I don't know how long ago, but I do know that on top of being incredible, they are super affordable. I only have this set of basic eye brushes, but the rest of the line is on the top of my shopping list next time I hit an Ulta store. Sam, please come out with more of these! 

• Bath and Body Works Vanilla Bean Noel Body Mist: Alright, it's true *hangs head in shame*. I didn't stop wearing this when the Christmas season ended. This is actually one of my favorite (if not my favorite) fragrances Bath and Body Works has ever come out with, and I just can't resist using it even on the hottest summer days. So, yeah, it was my favorite scent this year. And I'm not too proud to admit that I wore it almost every single day from December 2012 to August 2013. 

Fashion 

• My first favorite I don't really have a picture for, but it's cardigans. I surprisingly never owned a cardigan until about a year and a half ago, and now I wear them 90% of the time. Unforunately, I don't have a picture of one to share, but I did want it to be known that in terms of clothing, cardigans more than take the cake for 2013. 

• I discovered these canvas sneakers from Target in the beginning of they year, and I own five pairs and wear them to death. My favorite (and first pair) were these navy blue ones, and I just think they are completely amazing and really cute. Also, nude flats. Again, I found these at Target and I wear them with everything. I'm now forever lusting after the Tory Burch Caroline flats: the nude ones are just shout "buy me, buy me!" every time that I look at them on Nordstrom's website. 

• BCBG Affirmation Bracelet: God, this is so my style it hurts. I'm not going to spend too much time on this, because once I start, I'll never stop. But I did feature this in a jewelry post back in the summer, so you can check that out if you haven't already seen it. 
• Alex and Ani bracelets: I talked about my first one (the Gemini one) in a Girly Obsessions post and since (actually, both for Christmas) I've acquired two more: the emerald (my birthstone) and the sailboat. This whole company just really inspires me and hits home, as the whole premise is to focus on positive energy and thinking. And yeah, the bracelets are roughly $30 a pop, but they're so worth it, I promise. 
• The Angel: My grandmother, and one of my closest and favorite relatives, passed away on October 30th 2013. She wore this little gold angel pendant every day for the last twelve years of her life, and when she passed, my grandfather gave me this necklace. It's the perfect reminder of her, and whenever I wear it, I just feel good. 

 Random

• Netflix: Specifically shows like New Girl and One Tree Hill really captivated me this year, and Netflix in general has just become a huge part of my entertainment. New Girl became one of my top three favorite shows (it holds the #2 spot, just behind The Big Bang Theory and ahead of Friends). Also, One Tree Hill. Yes, I know I'm incredibly late on that bandwagon. Chad Michael Murray is just so...ugh. Enough said. 
• Frozen: Probably the cutest movie I've seen in a while, the latest Disney release is just so good. I've been singing the soundtrack ever since I saw it. Who wants to build a snowman with me?!
• Music: First, McFly. (Tom Fletcher is probably one of my favorite human beings in the world.) I've known about them for a while, but I really fell for their music last January. My favorite song has to be a tie between All About You, Sorry's Not Good Enough, and Too Close for Comfort. Next, Hunter Hayes. Oh boy, he is just great in so many aspects. Fangirling aside, I do really like his music, and I Want Crazy and Better than This are my favorites from him, although I love every song on his album. And finally, Michael Buble. What is it with me and male music artists this year? Regardless, It's a Beautiful Day and Haven't Met You Yet are consistently stuck in my head. 
• Snapchat: Embarrassingly enough, I was so against this app when it first gained popularity, but now I'm obsessed. Sending snaps to my friends during class is a fun way to make time go quicker (but shhhh don't tell my mom). 
• Coffee mugs: Don't ask me how it happened, but I became really obsessed with cute coffee mugs this year. I've started a collection, and I'll probably do a post on it when it grows a bit more. But for now, I'll keep searching for the cutest, dorkiest beverage holders I can find!

Phew, if you made it to the end, you're a champ! Here's to saying goodbye to 2013, and let's hope 2014 is the best year yet!

What was your top favorite from the past year?

xoxo

Alyssa