An Update, An Apology, and A Change

I'm not really sure how to start this, but I guess I'll just jump right to the point. If you don't already know, I am a YouTuber, and now that I have begun to dedicate more to my channel, I will not be able to post much on here. If I do post anything, it will be a somewhat duplicated type of content that's only true purpose is to further explain what I had already uploaded on my channel. I haven't posted on my blog in sooo long, and I'm sorry for that. I'm getting ready to start juggling my channel and its frequent updates, along with college classes, and a job. It'll be a lot, but I am going to honor this ambitious choice of mine and stick to it. The posts on this blog are a little more difficult to conjure up and execute. However, I may make another that I will be posting more creative pieces such as poems, small writings, and maybe even drawings. This type of content comes a little more easily to me. I still love and obsess over everything beauty related, I just need to focus on all of the things that I currently filled up my plate with and make sure that all that stays solid and well, doesn't end up like this poor, neglected beauty blog of mine. I'm sorry it took me this long to admit this. If I do end up making that creative blog, I will post an introduction and link to it on this one. Well, I hope this was a good enough explaination. See you in my next post!

Confessions of a Teenage Pin-aholic (New Blog Post Category)

So, I may have a bit of an obsession with Pinterest......ok, maybe a big obsession. However, there are some perks to loving an online board. I get a lot of inspiration, tips, and mood boosters from the site that I constantly find myself pulling from for projects and everyday tasks. This is a new post category where I share my absolute favorite pins of the week, and I hope you enjoy them as much as I do. There will usually be a little bit of everything in these posts (beauty, fashion, design, art, inspirational quotes, etc.), and I will try and publish one every week or so. To start the category off, here are my favorite pins of the week:

That's it for this week's edition of "Confessions of a Teenage Pin-aholic". I hope you liked these pins as much as I did. :)

Follow me on Pinterest here.

Ode to H20: The Beauty Powerhouse

Many of you know that water is good for you. It's hydrating, and you are encouraged to drink several glasses a day, but do you really know just how good this basic beverage is? H20 has so many beauty /health benefits, and after realizing them, you'll be wanting to chug a whole lot more on a daily basis.

1.Shiny Hair

Whether you are constantly sipping from your water bottle, or giving your hair a cool rinse in the shower, water promotes those ever so lusted after, glossy locks.

2.Beautiful Skin

Drinking water hydrates and naturally cleanses skin, making it look fresh, clear, and healthy. It also flushes out toxins and pore clogging dirt to give your skin that beautiful glow. When skin cells fill with water they grow firm and tight, making your skin smoother and less likely to show wrinkles or other unsightly marks.

3.Energy

Drinking water thins your blood, lowering blood pressure, causing faster blood flow and a healthier heart. This not only makes you feel great, but the extra energy boost is great for the self-esteem.

4. Lazy Girl's Diet Plan

When drinking water, you're less likely to eat more calories because of the way water fills you up.

5. Brain Power

Dehydration has been shown to have negative effects on the way our brains function. Even the slightest amount of it can dull are way of thinking and cause some pretty unpleasant mood swings. Drink up, and you'll most likely stay happier and feel sharper.

Water is a real beauty miracle, and one of the easiest beauty regimens. It's healthy, hydrating and is one of the most overlooked beauty secrets. This powerful liquid should always be a girl's high priority, and should be consumed in large amounts throughout each day.

Etsy Beauty: Bella A'more Shoppe First Impression

I've never actually tried anything from Etsy, but I've always loved the idea of anything homemade; especially homemade beauty products. Recently, I've had the privilege of trying some products from a shoppe called Bella A'more through some connections, and I thought I'd share my first impression of these products with you.

The first thing that I received was a soy candle in the scent "Passionfruit". At first I was a bit wary because I'm not much of a fruity scent lover, but I'll tell you that I was pleasantly surprised with this one. The candle burns well and the scent released is light but it still managed to fill a room without being completely overpowering. (Not to mention the packaging was super adorable.)

The next thing in this little haul of mine was a body lotion. Let me just say one thing about this lotion. I LOVE this scent. It's a lavender and chamomile body lotion that's super moisturizing, and like I said, amazing smelling.

Another quick thing that I love about this shop is the fact that it's not only homemade, but the ingredients are very natural and contain a lot of nourishing oils and substances that promote naturally healthy skin.

The next thing I had was an ombre lip balm trio. This product was so cute and the flavors smelled amazing. The actual balm was very moisturizing, and I liked the fact that, when applied to the lips, there wasn't much tint to it.

The next two things were actually body butters (or beauty butters if you want to get technical). One of the scents was "Lemon Cake" which was so amazing that I wanted to eat it. Not joking either. I kept finding myself just randomly opening the jar just to get a whiff of the delicious smell. The formula of the butter was great as well. As soon as I applied it the product instantly soaked into my skin, and throughout the day I got compliments on my soft skin whenever someone accidentally brushed up against an arm or a leg. The second butter was the same on formula but I believe it was another lavender/chamomile scent, but I'm not quite sure.

And last but not least, the final beauty item that I received was a hand scrub in the amazing scent "Lemon Cake". Not only was it a good moisturizing scrub for hands but I used it on my legs to exfoliate before shaving. (Shhh. I won't tell if you won't). Even in the shower, before shaving and after rinsing it off, I noticed a huge difference in the softness of my legs, and I loved it. The only downside to that was the fact that some of the left over residue kind of got in the way of shaving, but that's only because it was meant for hands and not legs. (Kind of a consequence for my inventiveness). :)

Overall, I've been really enjoying these products and would recommend this shoppe to anyone who has been curious about Etsy beauty products. 

'Til next time,

Beauty Bulletin: Cool New Collabs and Collections

If you couldn't guess already, this post is going to be a mix of beauty news that refers to some new collections. Recently, I've heard of three upcoming releases from OPI, Essie, and CoverGirl. When I saw what these companies are coming up with, it got me excited for the winter season.

The first thing I discovered was a recently curculated picture of a sneak peek of a new Essie collection. Essie released this photo of their Winter 2013 polish collection and are calling it the "Shearling Darling" collection. Personally, I think the shades are gorgeous and are a perfect staple for this coming winter's manis. I especially love the wine shade and the rich tones, along with the more gray seeming pastels. Essie has not mentioned the names for these shades, but I'm sure that whatever they come up with will be adorable as always. 

 The "Shearling Darling" Winter 2013 Collection

The next thing that I have discovered is that in January of 2014, OPI will be releasing a Carrie Underwood collaborated collection. The Nicole by OPI Carrie Underwood collection will feature 14 shades that include pastels, darks and glitter. Carrie is now a Nicole by OPI songstress ambassador, just as Selena Gomez is. There havent been any released photos of this collection yet, but some of the names of the shades will include "Southern Charm", "American As Apple Pie", and a specifically created textured gold called "Carrie'd Away". This special gold will be the first Nicole by OPI celebrity signature shade. And as an added bonus, this new collection will also introduce a new Nicole by OPI logo. Pretty exciting right?

Carrie Underwood (image via beautygeeks.com)

And last but certainly not least, CoverGirl has collaborated with the upcoming film The Hunger Games: Catching Fire. Their new Flamed Out Line was inspired by the movie and used to create some district specific makeup looks that the brand has been releasing moderately. So far, I only know of two, but they are both pretty amazing.

The first look that I discovered was a very glamorous look for District 1 called "Luxury". And I feel that this represents the district perfectly.

The second look is named after District 4 and is called "Fishing". I love the colors used in this one and it is simply mistifying in my opinon.

So that is it for my quick little mash up of random beauty news. I hope you enjoyed and are just as excited for the new polish collections as I am!

'Til next time,

YouTube Style: Cute Kimono Trend

Recently I've been seeing adorable kimono style coverings in a lot of haul videos from all of my favorite beauty/style gurus on YouTube. They have especially been talking and raving about the ones from Tobi, an online boutique that has a ton of really cute clothing. I thought I'd share some examples of these cute pieces from the official Tobi website.

I personally love the comfy yet cute look of these pieces. And I'm certainly tempted to add one to my own closet. This trend seems like a good way to transition some of the lighter features of summer and use it in some fall fashion. 

What do you think of this guru shared trend?

'Til Next Time

Beauty Bit: Beaded Nail Art

The beaded/caviar manicure has been around for awhile, but there have been different version of it, and different embellishments brought to light to achieve this look. I'll admit, the idea is pretty neat, and the results are advertised as gorgeous, but how long will something like this last?

I've considered trying this style of nail art with very tiny beads, but each time I've thought about doing my nails this way, I chicken out and worry about whether or not my mani would last as long as I wanted it to.

Here's a gorgeous, pearly example of the style at its best. I just wonder how the manicurist/nail artist got all those pretty pearls to stick. Surely a simple top coat wouldn't cover it, would it?

Another great example in a girly shade. I just feel that those little beads would fall off after a days worth of wear and tear. Something like that would leave a random array of not so attractive holes and bumps in your polish. It's a pretty effect, but is it worth it? 

What do you think of this style of nail art? Do you feel the same way I do about it? I'm almost tempted to try it and give it a trial run. I'm still at odds with it though. If you have any tips are ideas for getting this style to stick, let me know in the comments.

'Til next time,