Quick Update: Spring Is Almost Upon Us!

I am certainly not a winter person, at all. Nasty cold weather just seems to bring me down, making me feel run down and tired. Perhaps that may be an explanation to my lethargy and my bleh mood over the last month or so. You can only imagine how excited I am for the beautiful days and colors of spring. And yesterday's gorgeous weather was a sign that those days aren't far away. It was actually nice enough to go for a nice walk around town. Children were playing at every park, people were riding bikes, walking their dog, and enjoying the nice day. While this may still be a rare occurrence, and there will still be cold icky days, within a few weeks it'll be like this all the time. Spring break is two weeks away for me. My favorite time of year, and graduation are coming up fast <3 

It's time to start thinking of spring cleaning your life, and ways to enjoy this lovely weather. From cleaning up your room to getting on track with your personal fitness, and spending more and more time outside, spring is a time for fresh starts. I'm so excited to tell you that over the next few weeks I'll be blogging some ways to make the most with this amazing time of year, and I have so many great ideas for spring related posts! Feel free to leave any suggestions in the comments section of this post and I'll do my best to get to it. Over the next 3 months I'll also make a couple personal posts related to the end of my senior year. Until then enjoy the nice days as they come and go outside and get some fresh air! :) 

Product Review: Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Cream Eye Shadow

Ever since my favorite YouTuber, MacBarbie07, showed the Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eye Shadows in one of her videos, I just had to try it! I loved the idea of an eye shadow that you don't need to use a base with, and one that can be applied easily with your finger. It took me a while to purchase them, because as I have mentioned in other blog posts, I'm very cheap when it comes to spending my money, and these eye shadows were about $5.00 each. But last summer, I decided to just spend the extra money and pick up the color Bad To The Bronze, which was the color MacBarbie07 had shown in her video. I am so glad that I did! After I've been using it for a while, I loved it so much that I bought 5 more colors. 

The color payoff of these eye shadows alone is amazing. They give off an amazing vibrant color without the use of an eye primer, and they can actually be used as a base for other eye shadows. I love layering other colors with these eye shadows to create unique looks quickly, but I also love wearing them all on their own. These have been a real time saver in the morning, and have been a life saver with recent severe case of senioritis, LOL! I can apply them in less then 3 minutes and have my make-up done in no time, and still have a nice look that lasts all day.  I never see any signs of fading with this product, so there is no need to reapply! Easy application makes things go by so much faster! Although I personally prefer to use a brush because it's easier to control, these eye shadows can be applied with your finger. However, I would only apply more natural colors such as Bad To The Bronze with my finger, and apply darker colors and brighter colors with a brush just to get a cleaner look.

If you are like me and $5.00 for one eye shadow sounds like a lot to you, I would recommend starting off by just getting one color to see if you like it. Trust me, these eye shadows are worth it. A little bit goes a long way with this product, so it will last you a long time. I haven't even used half of my Bad To The Bronze yet! Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Eye Shadows are an essential part of my make-up collection. They are perfect for lazy days when you still want to have a nice make-up look, and they make a great base color. There are so many great colors available, so your sure to find one that you like, they even have metallic colors. These eye shadows are definitely worth the $5.00 in my opinion. :)

Have you tried the Maybelline 24 Hour Color Tattoo Cream Eye Shadows?  What do you think of them?

*FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money, I did not this this product for free. I am not being paid for this review. All opinions are 100% honest,and are my own.

Prom Series: Accessorize and Glamorize

Of course the dress you wear to prom is the most important part of the outfit, but you can't forget the right accessories to pull the whole look together. With that said, your shoes and accessories should compliment your dress, not try to compete with it, as with any other outfit. So as you start looking for the accessories to go with your dress, keep in mind my few basic tips. 

First of all you want to have your dress first, this goes without saying. You can't accessorize a dress without knowing what it looks like, LOL. Never try to pick out a dress from the accessories you get. After you have your dress the next thing to look for is the shoes. If you have a long dress, shoes won't play a huge part in your outfit. They should at least be a color that compliments your dress and be in a nice style, but they don't have to be extremely fancy. If you have a short dress, your shoes will play a bigger role, and you may want to consider getting slightly fancier looking shoes. And please, if you are like me and don't walk well in heals, don't feel the need to get heals. You'll want to be able to walk and dance comfortably and confidently... without the fear of falling into the punch bowl! LOL! There are plenty of pretty flats, and even shorter heals that you can pair with your dress. 

When it comes to everything else, which accessories you should pick will depend on the style of your dress. If you're dress has a lot of studs or decorations throughout it, you may want to tone down the accessories and use something more subtle. If your dress has a high neckline, you may want to skip out on a necklace completely. Accessories should also not clash with one another, on any day, not just for prom. If you choose to go with any statement accessories, you'll want to tone everything else down. Don't try to wear huge earrings with a huge necklace, it only looks bulky. Wear smaller earrings with a statement, or vice-versa. Remember to choose your accessories in colors that compliment your dress. If you can get a little bit of the dress color in them as well then that's amazing! 

You shouldn't overpay for your accessories, and the budget for your accessories should not exceed the budget of your dress (unless you get your dress for a VERY low price, which is possible as I'll put in a future post). I would say a good budget for prom accessories would be about $50-80 including shoes. You can adjust this number however you'd like based on what you can afford. You may want to consider getting your accessories at the same store you get your dress so you can compare them all right there, but it's only an option. My favorite store when it comes to accessories is Claire's, they have so many pretty accessories for a very reasonable price. Most of their accessories are under $20. You can get all of your accessories, minus the shoes here. You can even pick up a tiara if you are like me and daring enough to wear one! :) 

What are some of your basic tips when it comes to shopping for prom accessories? 

Prom Series: Shopping For THE Dress

Without a doubt, the dress you wear to prom is the most important part of your outfit, everything else just helps to pull the look together. With so many choices on prom dresses out there, it can be really hard to choose the perfect one! Do you want a long or short dress? Puffy or more slender? What color do you want? There are so many choices! So many pretty dresses to consider, so many places to shop. You may also have a budget to consider when choosing your prom dress. So where do you start?!

Before you begin shopping, you should set a budget to avoid over paying for your dress. You don't need to break the bank to find the perfect dress. Set it high enough that you can find a nice dress, but low enough that you'll be able to afford it. Do keep in mind that most likely you'll only wear this dress one time, unless you have another formal event to go to and decide to wear the same dress again. So as a good rule of thumb, I would say a budget of $200-300 would be good for a prom dress, but this all depends on your preferences and what you can afford. 

After you set a budget it's time to start shopping! Always feel free to check out a variety of stores. Different stores offer different dresses, so if you can't find the perfect dress at one store, don't just settle for any dress, check out another store! My personal favorite store when it comes to dress shopping is Deb, they have so many pretty dresses for less then $200, and they also carry a great range of dress sizes. If you have a Deb shop near you check it out! Feel free to check out both large department stores as well as smaller specialty shops. With smaller specialty shops you also have less risk of someone else purchasing the same dress. Checking out a variety of stores allows you to see many different options, and allows you to price compare.

When it comes to looking for the dress, have an idea of what you want, but keep your options and your mind open. If you see a dress that interests you at all, try it on. Even if it's not what you originally planned on getting, it may turn out to be the perfect dress! Please, try on more then one dress, even if you LOVE the first one you try on, another one may be even better. You may even want to consider trying on the same dress in a different color, sometimes color can make a huge difference! Try things you may not have considered before. You may have always thought your dream prom dress was a long puffy dress, but maybe your perfect dress is a slim shorter dress. You never know until you try! :) 

Remember, dress shopping should be FUN and not at all stressful, and you certainly shouldn't do it all on your own. Go dress shopping with a group of friends or female family members, they can help you out a lot! They can give comments and judge on how the dress looks on you. Plus you can help out your friends, and have some laughs while your at it. Try on something ridiculous just for fun and to see how they react. Make dress shopping a big day of fun. Go out for lunch, check out different stores, and have some great conversation. Make it a day to remember!

What are some of your tips when it comes to shopping for a prom dress? Did you already buy your dress? What is your favorite store for dress shopping? I would love to see some of your suggestions in the comments section! :) 

Simple Ways To Stay Healthy

So many icky germs are going around right now! I myself have come down with a nasty cold, which is nothing compared to the flu that's going around. I feel really crummy and I don't want to do much, but I can still function well enough to go to school. This flu that's going around seems to be really persistent, and can take you out of school or work for quite a while, which isn't fun when you need to try to get caught up. Nobody wants to get sick, and while there's no sure-fire way to guarantee you won't get sick, there are a few things to help prevent it, and help you fight it off sooner. 

The first, and most important thing is to wash your hands, I can't stress this enough. Your hands touch so many germy surfaces; doorknobs, keyboards, desks, pencils, ect. Always wash your hands after going to the bathroom, before eating, and as often as you can with warm soupy water. If you can't get to a sink right away use hand-sanitizer, but don't rely completely on it. Don't touch your face with dirty hands. Touching your face with dirty hands can also cause acne, along with putting germs in your face. Avoid putting any filthy surfaces near your face. Don't sleep in class, not only because you aren't paying attention that way, but also because that desk is COVERED in germs. EWW! (That should be incentive enough to not sleep in class, LOL). Also it wouldn't be a bad idea to wipe down your phone with slightly damp disinfecting wipes once in a while. And don't forget simple common sense; never share lip products with anyone, especially someone who is sick (make-up products should only be used by one person anyways). And never eat or drink after someone is sick!

Using good hygiene is the least you can do, but shouldn't be the only thing. Just doing the right things for your everyday health can help your ability to fight infection. Drink plenty of water to stay hydrated and flush out nasty things from your body. Practice good eating habits and get the right nutrients, and stay active to keep your body strong. Don't forget to get plenty of sleep to help your body out. Not only do these things increase your body's ability to fight infection, but are a step in living a longer healthier life. 

If you do get sick, relax as much as you can. It's best to stay home so that you can relax better, and prevent spreading it to others. If you just have a cold, and you have to go to school or work, cough into your arm, and sneeze into a tissue. Keep those tissues handy, they are nice to have just to blow your stuffy nose, and you never know when a sneeze might be... gooey and yucky, and a sneeze can travel quite a long distance. Try to get some extra sleep at night to help you throughout the day, and take some cold medicine to help out with the symptoms. 

If you feel any ickier than a typical cold, then it's best to just stay home and rest. It's best that you stay in bed and sleep it off as much as you can, but if you're like me and you feel the need to be doing something, do something that doesn't involve much movement or stress. Lay down with a warm blanket, some warm soup, a warm drink like tea, and watch a movie, read a book, or even do a little bit of web browsing. Don't forget to drink plenty of water as you would any other time to stay hydrated and help flush what you have out of your system fast. And remember, when you're sick your body needs extra rest, sleeping all or watching TV all day won't make you lazy. 

If you rest up and take care of yourself, you should start to feel better within a couple days. Keep activity light until you feel completely better. Don't forget to change your toothbrush after you get better as well so that you aren't putting the germs back into your mouth. You may also want to wash your bedding, just to freshen it up after you've been sick. 

*Disclaimer: I am not a doctor, and this does not replace medical advice. If symptoms worsen or don't get better within a week, seek medical attention. 

Snow Day!!

Today I ventured out into terrible, nasty weather to find out my school was on a 2 hour delay once I got to school. I admit that I was a bit ticked that I walked to school just to have to walk back home, then back to school in 2 hours. My own fault for not checking the school closings before I left, but there wasn't any snow on the ground. It was still nice to know that the school day was shortened, even though I spent part of my delay walking to school and back home. My 3 day week had just become a 2 and a half-- wait no, a 2 day week!! Shortly after I got home school was cancelled for the day. SNOW DAY! Or more like... freezing rain day, but hey any day off school is a good day. My first snow day since my sophomore year!

The first thing I did was grabbed some hot chocolate, and watched the local news to make sure I was seeing this right, my school called a snow day, LOL! As I sat there drinking my favorite cold day treat, I kept thinking of all the things you can do with this extra day off school. And before I went back to bed, I had a pretty good list of ideas of things you could do after waking up from some much needed extra sleep. 

Snow days are the perfect opportunity to get some things done. Use the extra day off to get organized. Clean your room, or reorganize your school stuff, get all of your school things in order. You could even use the day to reorganize something in your room that you feel could work a little bit better. Freshen the place up, get some dusting done, wash your bedding, and vacuum the floor. You could even rearrange your room a bit, and get a little change of environment. Sometimes moving just one piece of furniture can make a huge difference. Perhaps you might want to use it as an extra day to study for a big test, or work on a big project. Whatever you feel you need to get done, you have an extra day to get started on it.

Of course... snow days don't have to be used productively, and are also the perfect opportunity to take a lazy day. Get some extra sleep, and spend the day in your pajamas. Watch some TV, browse the web, or play some computer games or video games. I love to spend my days off playing The Sims 3! Do anything you wish, read some blogs, write a blog post, listen to music, it's your day off. If you were called off on an actual snow day, LOL, you could even throw on your winter gear and play in the snow like you may have done when you were little. Invite some friends over and build a snowman, have a snowball fight, and make some snow angels. And don't forget to enjoy a nice hot cup of hot chocolate, coffee, tea, or whatever you like to drink on a cold day when you come back inside! :)

What do you like to do on a snow day? Does your school call them often, or are they a rare occurrence like at my school?! Or do you live in an area with very little snow, and get called off for other reasons, or not at all?

Prom Series: My Dos And Don'ts

The big dance is coming up in a few months, and it's time to start preparing. It's time to start thinking of what kind of dress you want and how to accessorize, how to do your hair and make-up, and everything else related to the big day. But before I get into any of that, I'd like to share my list of prom dos and don'ts. These are things that I see as essential to having the best night you can, with no regrets. You want to remember your prom as a night of fun, not as a night of disaster or regrets. You only get four proms at the most, if you are invited your Freshman and Sophomore year. Some of you may even be like me, and only get one prom your senior year. Some of these things are more serious then others, but it's all for having the best night of memories as you can.

Dos and Don'ts

Dos:

Do- At least go to your senior prom. Even if it's the only prom you go to.

Do- Wear a dress, and do your hair and make-up in a way that makes you feel beautiful. It's your night!

Do- Go with friends, and hang out with your friends while your at prom. Even if you have a date, spend some time with your best friends as well. Take some gorgeous pictures together!

Do- Bring a camera, preferably not just your phone. Take lots of pictures!

Do- Attend post-prom activities planned by your school if they make them. 

Do- Remain true to yourself. No matter what, stick to your values. 

Do- Hang around people that want the best for you. (Everyday, not just for prom.)

Do- HAVE A GREAT TIME! :)

Don'ts:

Don't- Skip y:our senior prom. It's a great night of memories, and you wouldn't want to miss out on one of your biggest high school memories. 

Don't- Feel as if you need to go with a guy. You don't need a boyfriend to have fun. 

Don't- Go alone. Like I said, go with friends if you don't have a guy to go with.

Don't- Feel as if you need to break the bank to get the best dress and look you can get. There are plenty of ways to save money.

Don't- Feel that you need to wear heals. Remember, you are going to be dancing. So you should pick shoes you feel comfortable in. There are plenty of gorgeous flats that you can wear as well as heals.

Don't- Spend the whole night on your phone. You should bring your phone in case of an emergency, but don't spend the whole night texting or on Facebook and Twitter. You can post about if after the dance. Prom is a rare opportunity. You can text any other time.

Don't- Go to someone's after party that you don't know very well. There is a potential that there could be things there that could get you into trouble. Also don't stick around a friend's party if drinking and drugs are involved.

Don't- Give in to any kind of pressure. Prom night can come with many pressures to drink, smoke, try drugs, have sex, and try things that can get you into trouble. Don't give in to please anyone else, or to "have a sense of adventure". Stick around people that support you and your values, and that don't want to see you get in trouble.  One mistake, in one night can change your life for the worse. Stay true to yourself,and your dreams.

What are your prom dos and don'ts?