Doctor, doctor!

I am going back to school shopping soon, which is probably my favorite part of the entire summer. My mom is allowing me to purchase one pair of magnificent but pricey shoes: Doc Marten's!

Excitement! It's a silly thing to get excited about I suppose, but being a girl whose shoe collection consists of flip flops in various colors, generic flats, and one pair of fake Ugg boots, it's hard for me not to be excited. I have been scanning the Doc Marten's USA Store, but there is a problem.

They're all so amazing, I can't decide which ones to purchase!

I've narrowed down the list a bit to make it easier on myself and my mother.


Going clockwise, starting from the top.
1. 1460 - Black
2. 1460 - "Red Nebula"
3. 1460 - "Aztec Crazy Horse"
4. Ellie Lace Up Boot

I'll begin with the first one, probably the most simple pair. I think that's why I like them; their simplicity. They could go with basically anything. But I'm not sure if I like how clean they look? If that makes sense. I'm too lazy to work to wear shoes in, so I like to buy them already worn in, like the other pairs.

Next is the reddish pair. I'm not sure exactly what draws me to them. Maybe I like the different values of red. When I see them, I think of someone riding a horse driven carriage a couple hundred years ago, haaa. I like the contrast of the lighter eyelets on the deep red.

The next pair brings up the same thing I said earlier. They look as if they have already been worn in! Nice and simple, matches a lot.

But I think the final pair all the way on the left is my favorite. It also happens to be cheapest ;D It's a different style than the other ones and I love the shape, color, and texture. Still, I'm not sure if it looks too much like a cowboy boot (which I'm planning to get when I go to Gatlinburg in 3 weeks).

Please, anyone, give me opinions! Help me out. The situation is dire!

Blog Neglection and Abuse

Please ignore my blog neglection for the past 2 months! It has completely slipped my mind. Now that it's the middle of summer and I've got nothing to do (except driver's education) I'll try to post on a semi-daily basis.

Forgive me? Pretty please? <333 :D :D

Drugstore Makeup with Movie Star Quality: PART ONE

Every makeup site I come across seems to only recommend expensive brands, like MAC and Dior. Not that I am against this AT ALL, but I hold the philosophy that anyone can get great looks with cheap drug store makeup... You just have to know where to look.

With this series, I'm going to cover the basics of everyday makeup that you can get for under $20 each. This post will go over foundation, blush, and concealer.

FOUNDATION

It's hard to pick foundations when you're looking at cheap drug store brands. I've had to try a couple different brands, but I've had major luck with my current foundation: Maybelline's Pure.Makeup Foundation in Porcelain Ivory. It's water-based so it's extra light and oil free. Very easy to blend and I can wear it all day long without it flaking at all. Price: approx. $5.

I've heard good things about Revlon's foundations, though I have not tried any. Most reviews say good things, but several found the mixture a bit oily on their skin as the day progressed. I figure this can be fixed with a dusting of some powder, but who knows. Price: ranges from $12 to $15.

Physicians Formula foundation is the last one I'll mention. They sell a mineral foundation for pretty cheap (considering it's mineral). I have their mineral powder and it works so well. The label is Mineral Wear Talc-Free Mineral Liquid Foundation. Long name, I know, but it's worth a try! Price: $10.


BLUSH



Whether apple red cheeks or dusty pink ones suit your fancy, blush is vital to add color to your face. I can't say I use blush TOO much, but I use it on those days when I feel extra pale. I use mark by Avon's Glowing Powder Blush in Cameo Glo. Just a little bit on my cheeks is all I need. Price: $6.

Another blush I have used is New York Color's Color Wheel Mosaic. It's supposed to be face powder, but there are shades in pink that work nicely for a soft sweet glow on the cheeks. Price: $5.

CONCEALER


Now I don't use concealer, ever. The foundation I use provides enough coverage so I don't need any. I know a lot of people use foundation under the eyes to remove dark bags, and on blemishes, so I figured I should cover it too.

I often see and hear people talking about MaryKay concealers. They have a plain old concealer that goes for about $10. They also have a highlighting pen that gets really good reviews. It's pretty expensive for just a concealer pen at $18, but hey, if it works as well as people say it does then by all means invest in it!

Mark by Avon has some good concealers too. Invisible Touch Perfecting Concealer is a cream-to-powder concealer. That kind has always worked for me when I used concealer. They also sell Xpert Flawless Touch Foundation. It comes in a pretty small bottle so I'm considering it concealer :) I have used this in the past with good results. It does require an application of some powder afterwards or else it will wipe right off. Prices: $5 and $8.


Next up... Eye products! Mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, eyeshadow primer, etc.
Stay tuned!

My new favorite look: HENNA

Image by Riffat.

It began with me browsing the web again, searching for something new to consume my time over this summer. I never do anything during the summer (aside from maybe a short job and driver's ed). Tattoos of all categories have always fascinated me. In fact, I hope to be a tattoo artist when I graduate.

Unfortunately, I'm 15, and in the states it's illegal to tattoo or be tattooed unless you're 18 or have parental permission. My parents would NEVER allow that. So I searched for an alternative. I found it rather quickly, and it's called henna.

Mehndi, or henna as it's usually called here in the west, is temporary application of an all natural dye on the skin. It's extremely countries like Morocco and India. In traditional indian weddings, henna is applied to both the bride and groom in a design that matches or lines up with one another's.

From what I've seen and read, henna is typically very easy to apply. It's a paste made from a plant, then wrapped and left to dry on the skin. After the thick paste comes off, usually about 6 hours for best results, it leaves a really pretty reddish-brown stain.


Image by Love Mehndi.

Unfortunately, henna only comes in that range of color, so no blue or purple tattoos for you. It lasts for a couple weeks though, and remains beautiful during each of them!

In short, I absolutely cannot wait to try applying henna on both myself and friends. I plan on making some cash off it too, shhh, don't tell!

If you're interested in learning how to do this too, check out these sites:
- The Henna Page. Very helpful when learning how to sift and make henna paste.
- Henna Caravan. A really cool site that tells all about henna and has a very diverse gallery, including henna on the back, stomach, and arms.

So tell me about your henna experiences. Want it? Try it? I'd love to know!

Items of the Week

1. Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Liner, 2. Grey knitted tam (eBay), 3. Henna Skull Tee, 4. "Get Me to the Taj on Time" O.P.I. Nail Lacquer, 5. "Russian Nights" O.P.I. Nail Lacquer, 6. GUESS Layover Shell Cutout Earrings, 7. Black Floral Illusion Dr. Martens, 8. Crest Charm Bracelet

UD Deluxe Shadow Box Review!

Wow. Let me first start off by saying that this was one of thee greatest birthday presents ever. Although I got it at the beginning of April, I have spent a lot of time experimenting with it and trying out all the beautiful colors.

This palette comes in a very pretty case. It's purple, and has a metal decal design on the front. I could keep myself occupied for hours simply playing with the front. About 4 inches tall, 5 inches wide, and 3/4ths of an inch thick, it's quite small and convenient to keep in your purse or a bag.

It consists of 9 basic colors:

- Fishnet: Hot pink/magenta, with some iridescent flecks.
- Honey: Mustard yellow/gold, depending on how you apply it and what colors you apply it with.
- Ransom: A nice plum purple, but it looks more lilac rather than violet when you put it on.
- Graffiti: Bright green, a bit on the sea green side.
- Zero: Jet black, works extremely well in the crease because it doesn't show up as black necessarily. When you combine it with another color, it adds depth and really just darkens the color.
- Peace: Very bright blue. It shows up exactly as it looks while it's still in the tray, and can be paired with nearly any other color and it looks beautiful.
- Shag: A bronze/orange, almost gold even.
- Scratch: Champagne, or brownish-pink. Works extremely well as a highlight.
- Underground: Dark shimmery brown, looks beautiful and simple as a neutral eye.

Matching these colors with your clothes is really easy, because there's always at least one color that will go with something on your outfit. They can all be blended together really well, too.

In my opinion, I would say that the brightest colors are definitely Peace, Graffiti, and Fishnet. Shag, Scratch, and Underground are PERFECT colors for a neutral outfit. They would be perfect for something like a job interview, as they add a nice shimmer but don't overdo it.

Honey works really well on the inner corner of the eye and even on the brow bone as a highlight, but VERY subtly. If you put on too much of it, it makes you look sickly.

The whole palette costs about $35 at Sephora, or you can buy it at Urbandecay.com. It comes with the 9 colors, 2 double-sided eyeshadow appliers, and a tiny tube of Urban Decay's highly renowned Primer Potion*. Slap some of that on before you apply ANY brand of eyeshadow and it pretty much guarantees it to stay on all day long.

MY RANKING: 4.5 out of 5

So tell me, what do you think of it? What would you do if you had access to these colors?

XOXO

*The UDPP holds a LOT more of the potion than it seems. When you are completely convinced it's all out, take a knife and cut it in half. Not joking. There will be more than half left. Scoop it out and put it in an empty makeup container so it doesn't go to waste. :)

The Journey to Picture Perfect Skin

Being a teenager, I am of course hit with the acne brick every couple of weeks. Breakouts drive me INSANE! Having zits and pimples and blackheads shoots down your confidence and can affect your sociality if you aren't good at talking to people in the first place. It's not uncommon to want to hide away locked in your room far from the rest of the world. But you need to know that it CAN go away. You don't have to live with acne for the rest of your life. You can be confident again.

First, let's talk about causes and types of acne. Inside all of your pores lies an oil called sebum. Most commonly, the sebum clogs up a pore and causes it to be blocked, thus letting bacteria form and grow. Whiteheads are formed when sebum is trapped under the skin and pushed up against it. Blackheads, on the other hand, are formed when the pore is partially open and the sebum and bacteria turn black because of melanin, a pigment in your skin. Sounds fun, right? Anyway, enough of the scientific hoo-ha info. Let's talk about how to get rid of your acne now!

1. A mild cleanser. The best cleansers out there are labeled "non-irritating", "oil-free", and "non-comedogenic". Products containing oil can clog your pores even more and worsen the problem. Cetaphil is famous among dermatologists because it's not loaded with irritating chemicals and scents that will irritate your skin even more. I've heard along the grapevine that Neutrogena face washes work pretty well too. Salicylic acid and benzoyl peroxide are fabulous for acne.

2. Soap. You don't NEED it, but it helps. If you have a Body Shop in your area, pick up some tea tree oil soap. It's only six bucks and it comes in a classic green bar, only it doesn't dry out your skin like most soaps and is made specially for people with blemished skin.

3. A hydrating toner. Really only women should need this. Almost every brand of makeup and skin care makes one of these babies. Basically, a toner is used after you wash your face. It takes away the soap film, traces of makeup, and oils from your face, and it restores your skin to its proper pH level. Witch hazel works the same and is relatively cheaper. Women who use foundation and lots of cover up, I HIGHLY recommend using this. It really only costs you about 10 or 15 dollars- not a bad price compared to some other products out there.

4. WATER WATER WATER. Water, one of the world's most bountiful supplies, will absolutely work wonders if you use it correctly. Drink it. Wash yourself with it. Freeze it and hold it against your skin. You can't beat it!

There are a couple step-by-step solutions to getting rid of your acne. What most people don't know is you don't even need to leave your house to make your own skin clearing concoctions (even though some chemicals from the pharmacy will help a little).

This recipe has worked absolute WONDERS for me. Most people say "oh no, that will break me out like crazy!", but once they try it they completely change their minds. The recipe is easy and you can probably make it right now: olive oil + sugar.

Sugar works well as a natural face scrub and the olive oil will moisturise your skin without breaking it out severely. Half a tablespoon of each will make just enough to scrub your face with for one night. First, wash your face with the soap and water. Pat it dry with a towel. Next, mix the OO and sugar together with a q-tip in a spoon or a container of some sort for about 30 seconds. Stick your finger in the OO and pick out some sugar and oil; they'll both stick to your finger. Then rub it all over your face. Let it sit for about 5 minutes. Wash it off with lukewarm water, dry, and finish off with a small amount of moisturiser. For an added power boost, take your cleanser or acne wash and add a squirt of it to the mixture and mix it in. It's like killing two birds with one stone!

To get rid of blackheads, take a towel or a washcloth and get it wet with hot hot water. Wring the towel out so it's still wet but not dripping. Lay down and lay the towel over your face and press it down so it sticks to your most acne prone spots. Keep it on your face for several minutes and take it off. It softens your skin just enough to (dermatologists and skin care obsessives, please don't hunt me down!) squeeze out the blackhead. Yeah, yeah, it's bad for your skin, whatever. It will make the blackhead disappear if you do it correctly. Wash your hands with soap and water so you don't irritate it even more, and put a finger both sides of the criminal. Push it together. It may take a couple tries, but keep pushing it out. Once you break through the shell that is holding it back it should come out relatively easily.

Healthy skin should be paired with healthy lips, so don't forget them! A moisturising balm that contains cocoa or shea butter will do just the trick. For heavily chapped lips, I've found this works rather well: put vaseline on your lips. Using a toothbrush that isn't covered in icky crust, scrub scrub scrub those lips! Then run them under water. Repeat until your lips are smooth, it should take about 3 rounds. Finish off with a balm.

I'm telling you, the Body Shop has everything you need for skin care (By the way, they aren't paying me to post this, I just love them that much!). You can even buy a Tea Tree Oil Skin Care Starter Kit for only 30 bucks. Trust me, it's a good deal for everything you get with it.

Eat a balanced diet, try some of these routines, and be patient, and you'll be well on your way to clear skin :D

XOXOXO