Product Review: NYC Skin Matching Foundation

As I have mentioned a few times in the past, I am really tight with my money. I don't typically like to spend a whole lot on one product. Typically I can't see myself buying a product that costs more then $5.00, if it's for only one color or product. However, with a few past purchases I have found that spending more even just a little more money to get a good drugstore brand is worth it. I found this with my two current favorite Maybelline mascaras, where the quality was significantly better than off brand, cheaper, products. I have also found that trying to penny pinch on make-up and buying the cheapest thing you could find could be more of a waste of money than saving money, when those couple dollars could have went towards a higher quality product. Sadly, with my NYC Skin Matching Foundation, this was one of those cases. 

Before I start to tell you why I don't like this product, I have to let you know that I am not trying to bash  New York Colors in any way. They do have some decent products that are perfect for someone on a budget, or that can't afford more expensive make-up. This foundation just did not work well for me, but it may work for others. 

I bought this product primarily because I was running low on the liquid foundation that I had, and I needed to get a new one. Me not particularly wanting to spend a whole lot of money on foundation, I went for the one of the cheapest things that was available in the make-up section, and picked up NYC's Skin Matching Foundation for about $3.00. Not that bad of a price really, but I found that when I went to use it, it did not work at all for me. As I tried applying this product with my fingers it felt really gritty, as if I was rubbing mud on my face kind of. It felt like as I was trying to blend it into my skin, it was coming off in little beads. It did not blend well at all, and the product itself just felt really cheap. I also had a few issues with the packaging itself and getting the product out of the tube, but that maybe have just been me. Sometimes I would squeeze it a little and nothing would come out, than I would squeeze just a little more and product would get everywhere and make a mess. 

Another thing I found with this product that goes along with the gritty feeling and beading off, is that when I would go to apply other products once I got somewhat blended, sometimes it would get gritty and feel like its coming off when I went over it with powder or blush, just from the brush I was using. I did try applying this foundation with a brush a few times, but that didn't work much better for me. I also felt I had to be really careful with blush, as it seemed to make the blush a little to dark. I was able to get some satisfactory looks out of this product sometimes, but never what I was really going for. It also appeared to go on much darker on some days than others and just not look right. I can't say it's the worst product I ever tried. It didn't burn and cause instant (literal instant) breakouts. And yes, I did have that experience with a product once, not fun. :S

All in all, I just didn't like this product much. But I only paid $3.00 for it so I can't complain to much. Perhaps next time I'll look for something a little more expensive and it may work much better. I would not recommend this foundation, but that doesn't mean you can't get it if you want to try it. This is only my experience with this product. If you have used this product, love it or hate it, let me know what you think of it. If you enjoy it, is there a better way to apply it? NYC is still a good brand, and I enjoy some of their products, especially their low priced nail polish, it's just this product I ran into issues with. 

*FTC Disclaimer: I purchased this product with my own money, I did not get this product for free. I am not being paid for this review. All opinions are 100% honest,and are my own. This is not meant as a bashing review, I am simply sharing my opinion on this product. 

Back To School: Do Your Summer Homework

I know this is probably the last thing that many of you want to think about at this point, anything related to school. Not to mention, the not so fun part of school... anything that involves work, especially the dreaded summer homework. Who in their right mind decides to assign homework over summer vacation?! Do they not know that we actually do have lives, and we want to go places and enjoy our summer? I graduated high school and I still hate the idea of doing homework over the summer. However, if you are assigned work over the summer, sadly it has to get done. And if you choose not to do it, you could suffer a huge blow to your grade, and get in some sort of trouble. Not a good way to start off the year, or a good impression to give your teacher so early. So really the best thing you can do is do it, and do it before the summer ends. 

The only time I ever really had homework over the summer was the summer before grade 10, and all I had to do was read one book. It was suggested that we took notes, but we didn't have to. We didn't have to write anything. It wasn't even that long of a book, yet I was complaining. Just because the book was not one I'd typically read, and I was being forced to do it. Some teachers will assign a lot more than reading a 209 page book, with the suggestion of taking notes. Sometimes you'll have to keep journals of what's going on, answer questions, do other projects, or anything they choose. Some teachers may also do online assignments to see if you really are working throughout the summer, theres really no waiting until the last minute on that one. But no matter how big or small the assignment is, it sucks that it's taking from your summer, and that you have to do school work when your not even in school. It's really the last thing that you want to think about. 

Me being a huge procrastinator, I decided to wait until the last few weeks before school started to start reading the book. So between back to school shopping, getting my supplies together, and picking my outfit for the first day of school, I was reading that book. Luckily for me the book was short enough that I was able to do a few other things in between, but the fact that school was coming close caused a lot of stress for me. Had the book been longer or I had to actually write anything down or answer questions, I wouldn't have had any free time or been able to get done at all. And the worst part of putting off a summer assignment is the fact that, it just hangs over your head and nags at you the whole summer until you get it done. The later you get into the summer without starting your assignment, the naggier it gets, and it can cut into you having a good time. Who really wants to deal with their own brain nagging at them about homework when they are trying to enjoy a day at the pool?

Waiting until the last minute to do anything is never really the best idea. It creates a lot of stress, and then makes you feel as if you need to rush. When you rush, you don't always do your best on your assignments. I know that some teachers may not be the pickiest about summer assignments, and they may just want to see that you put effort into it. However some may be a little more picky, and you will likely have some kind of test or quiz over it. Even if the test or quiz isn't going to be a huge grade, it would still suck to start off the year with a lesser test score. 

If you haven't already, you may want to start on your summer assignments now. That way you will still have plenty of time before school starts again in August or September depending on your school. Then you don't have to try to do it all at once. You can read a chapter or two from your summer reading book and do any written part that goes along with that each night, until you get done. Starting now will also allow you the opportunity to take a day or two off from it to do other fun things. Of course you can also choose to do a lot more each night and get it done even sooner, then not have to worry about it the last few weeks of summer while you go back to school shopping and do other end of summer activities. Just don't choose to wait until the very end of summer. It really kills the fun part of back to school, and anything fun you may want to do at that time if you wait. 

Having the time to only do a little at a time is probably the best part of starting early. It allows you time to get out and enjoy the summer, while still getting a little work done. If you start to feel stressed, you can also walk away from it for a bit and not have to worry about time as much. I also suggest doing these assignments during a time when your feeling bored and can't seem to find anything else to do, which happens to me a lot in the summer, LOL. Stuck inside on a rainy day? Friends away on vacation? Nothing else to do and nothing on TV? Work on your assignments. It's not the most exciting solution to boredom, but it does help to ease the nagging feeling. I noticed that the nagging feeling  that I should be reading my summer book came up a lot when I was sitting there doing nothing, or trying to look for videos on the weird part of YouTube for some sort of amusement. "Why are you just sitting here doing nothing?! Read your book!" 

If you have other friends in the same class with the same assignment, you could possibly work together on it. Then you can spend some time with friends while your at it, and it can help to make it seem a little more fun. It also gives you a way to share what you think with others and get other opinions or ideas that you didn't think of as you go to do any written assignments. Working with friends and having some laughs can really help to relieve some of the drag on the assignment. And afterwards, you can all go out and do something fun together!

If you like reading your own books during the summer, I would suggest making the next book you read be your summer reading book. Sure it's probably not going to be a book of your interest, but it would be best to get it out of the way before you go on to your next pleasure read. You can also read it along with your pleasure reads. Read a little bit of the not-so-fun school book, and do what you need to do. Then reward yourself by relaxing with a book you love. If you aren't a reader, you can (and should) give yourself a small reward in other ways. Perhaps with a cookie or other treat after you get your work for the day done. You may also want to wait until you finish it completely and reward yourself with something slightly bigger. Perhaps you can buy yourself that new bathing suite or dress you wanted, or maybe that new beauty product you think may be nice. Or maybe you could treat yourself to your favorite restaurant after you finish. The satisfaction of getting the assignment off your shoulders and not having to worry about it also makes for a great reward. 

Getting assigned homework to do over the summer is never exactly fun, and summer homework is not something we exactly get excited to get started on. But unfortunately it has to get done if we want to get the best grade we can and give the teacher a good first impression of us. It's best to start on it early so we can have plenty of time to work on it, and still have plenty of free time. It also helps to get it done early and get rid of that nagging feeling that you should be working on your homework so that it doesn't spoil your whole summer. It's better to enjoy the last couple weeks before school homework free. 

Girls Only: Talking To Mom... And Dad

Disclaimer: This post is intended for GIRLS. I am not a professional, and most of my advice comes from personal experience as well as knowledge I have gained from other sources. 

There are some things that are not easy to tell your parents. From the tiny things such as feeding your veggies to the dog as a kid, or getting in trouble in class and having to turn a card, or whatever that teacher chooses as discipline in elementary school, to the more serious things such as problems in school or other issues that you may be having (this is something I'll discuss in another post). We can often predict our parents reactions to certain things, and it keeps us from wanting to say anything. We often think that either they will be mad or disappointed, or even worse? They will smother us with that "oh my baby!" stuff, so embarrassing! However, there comes a point in every girls life, or should i say every teens life, when we will need to talk to our parents about, well, growing up. There's really no avoiding it, unless you really want to buy all of your feminine products on your own as you grow up. And really, they're going to figure it out anyways at some point, because puberty is a well known fact of life. They know about when to expect it, and what to expect. There's really no point in trying to hide it. 

When I first started going through puberty, I was really afraid to talk to my mom about any of it at first. I knew how she was going to react. "My baby girl is growing up!" and a tight hug. Something I found really uncomfortable when I was eleven/ twelve years old. The thought gave me chills, and I did not, and still don't, like to feel smothered. A few things my mom sort of figured out on her own just by looking at me such as the need for bras, and needing to start shaving, and that was an easy conversation to get into. However when it came to, my monthly friend, that is another story entirely. I didn't end up telling my mom that I got it until my second period. I just threw out messed up panties (ew, but it happens), and hid my used pads, which were pre-bought for when I did start, at the bottom of the trash can and covered them with tissues. However, I knew that I wasn't going to be able to keep hiding it forever, especially once I ran out of pads and needed a new pack. So I decided to tell her when I got my second period. And let me tell you, telling her was a relief. 

She did get into that "my baby" thing, but it wasn't nearly as bad as imagined. She didn't go on for hours and hours with it, but did allow me to talk about it without being smothered. Telling her also allowed for me to give a good reason as to why I'm moody from PMS or why I don't feel like doing much because of cramps later on. It also made for some interesting conversation with my mom about growing up. Plus it felt much better not having to try to hide it, and knowing that I could easily tell her when I needed a new pack of feminine products. She never brought it up around other family or friends, or in public. Shopping for bras, pads, tampons, and other products was no bigger deal then shopping for groceries for me with my mom.

While I did tell my mom by the time I had my second period, I didn't tell my dad until I was thirteen or fourteen, and I only did because I absolutely had to. I found it easier to talk to my mom, and other females about it, simply because they were women as well and knew what it was all about. But I really did not want to talk to my dad about it, and I wanted to avoid telling him as much as I possibly could. But then one weekend when it was his weekend to have me over, my monthly friend paid a visit, and I no pads or tampons with me, and he of course, being a guy, didn't have any in the apartment. So I had no other choice but to tell him, and being thirteen/ fourteen and highly self conscious, it seemed like a huge deal to me. I thought for sure he would do or say something embarrassing about it. I didn't want to be seen buying pads with my dad, and letting the whole world know that, yes I am a girl and I hit puberty. I thought everyone was going to be looking at me at the store with my dad, and that he would make some kind of scene. But I knew that if I didn't tell him, it would end up in a yucky mess. (ew again!) 

Again, looking back on it, it wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be. He didn't even get into the "my little girl" thing. He was actually really understanding of it, and he knew that this was going to happen at some point. He did slightly tease me for it, probably because I was making it to be a bigger deal then it really was, but it was nothing major. He just joked about dancing down the aisles with the pack of pads because I was afraid to be seen buying them, but he didn't do it, LOL. All in all though, it wasn't a huge deal. Most people wouldn't have even seen me pick them up, and if they did, they really wouldn't think anything of it. Think about it; do you typically notice someone going to buy hygiene products, or anything else for the matter? And if you do, how much thought do you really put into it? Probably none. How likely are you to see a stranger from the store again? Not very likely. 

Now back to telling your parents... More then likely, if you are able to, you most likely will want to talk to you mother first, since she's been through it as well and can help you with it best. But if your mom isn't around for any reason, or if you are in an emergency situation, you may need to tell your dad first (or at another time in my case). Either way he'll know at some point, once you reach a certain age he'll know by default, even if he doesn't say anything. But knowing that you can't hide it, and really shouldn't try to hide it, you have to find a way to tell them that makes you feel comfortable. You may feel comfortable using one way on one parent, and another on the other. You may want to tell them each in the same way, or even sit them down and tell them at the same time. It's really up to you and what makes you feel comfortable. You don't have to say it at your family reunion or at Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner for your whole family to know, nor will your parents likely bring it up in any social situation. It'll be between you and them, and I'm sure that if you ask, they'll reassure you of that.

Here are just a few ways to start the conversation with your parents (please feel free to leave other suggestions in the comments)

Be upfront:

"Mom (Dad), I think I _________" (Fill in the blank with: started my period, need a bra, ect.)

"Mom (Dad) I need some ______" (Bras, pads, ect.) 

"Mom (Dad) guess what?! ...."

Casually bring it up: 

"So today I have been thinking that it may be time for us to go shopping for ______ (bras, pads, ect.)

"Mom (Dad) I have tell you something..."

"So as you know, I am getting into/ closer to my teen years, and I'm growing up and...."

Work it into conversation:

How was your day? "It was pretty good, I (small summary of the day), and I also ______ (started my period/ got thinking that I may need some bras.)

Start a conversation with your mom about her life growing up and then work it into the conversation

Leave a note or send a text: if you don't feel comfortable saying it, you can write it down for them to read.

After telling your mom or dad. They will generally allow you to ask questions. Your mom may even share her period stories with you and give you advice. The subject will stay between you and your parents, and honestly you won't even need to talk about it often, unless you have questions or concerns. And don't be afraid to ask! 

R.I.P Talia Castellano

I just got the sad, sad word, that Talia Castellano, passed away this morning, at 11:22 a.m. Talia was, and always will be, truly an inspiration to many through her courage, strength, and positive attitude. Even with everything that she was going through with her cancer, Talia always wore a smile. She didn't let her cancer bring her down. She enjoyed spending time with her friends, and living life to the fullest. I am very much saddened to see such a strong, beautiful, sweet, inspirational, amazing, young girl go, but at the same time I know that she is now out of pain and in a better place. I know that, from reading the updates on her official Facebook that the last few weeks especially have not at all been easy for her, and that she had been in constant pain. She had been battling cancer since early 2007, going into remission in 2008, to have it come back stronger in 2010. Talia fought a long battle, and her strength has inspired many. 

I often complain about my life, and I find it hard to get over the stupid little things that happen. But I have to kick myself when I think of Talia. She enjoyed every day or her life to the fullest, and always wore a smile, even with her cancer, and knowing the reality of her situation. She wasn't sad about the fact that she knew death could be a reality, instead she enjoyed the rest of her days and kept fighting, and kept smiling. She could truly brighten anyone's day with her smile, and her positive attitude on life, and her situation. She took it all in stride, even her adorable bald head. "Make-up IS my wig." As she would say, as she proudly walked around with her bald head. Talia was so pretty, that didn't need a wig. And honestly, she didn't need make-up either, but it made her so happy and she was a terrific make-up artist!

If you haven't already, you should check out Taliajoy18's YouTube channel. Not only is she just simply adorable and can really light up ones day, but she is also a great make-up artist. I wish that I was that amazing at make-up, and she was only 13. Actually she was even younger when she started with make-up! Her YouTube channel brought her so much joy, and also brought joy to many others all over the world. It allowed Talia to share what she loved and her journey with the world. And so much good came back to her. The support from her loving fans, and all of the amazing opportunities that she truly deserved. 

In my opinion, although Talia lost her fight with cancer, she did not lose the war. She fought and fought, and inspired, until the very end. She showed the world that, no matter what your situation, there is always a reason to be happy. She inspired people who may be battling cancer, or even other types of hardship, that you can always find some light in the darkness. She kept her sprits high, which helped to keep her family and friends' spirits high. Talia's passing should not be seen as a defeat, as she still inspired and made a positive impact on so many people. Try to think of Talia's passing as more of a way of setting her free. Free from all of the pain she's been in, and all of the hardships she has faced so strongly. She is free from suffering now. I like to think that Talia is living out her dreams of being a make-up artist in the clouds. 

No matter what your beliefs, please send Talia, her family, and her friends your kind thoughts and prayers as they go through through this hard time. Let us all believe that Talia is happy wherever she is, and wish her and her family the best and give them the support they need in this time. We will always remember Talia, and the joy that she brought to everyone that knew her or watched her videos. 

Rest In Peace, Talia Castellano. 

My Make-Up Nightmare

In middle school when I first started getting into make-up, my mom gave me a few basic make-up tips. Although she isn't big into make-up, nor did she ever really wear it or even particularly liked me getting into make-up, she did let me start wearing it. She told me that it was best that I stay as natural as possible with all of my products and not go to dramatic, wash it off at the end of the day to avoid break-outs, and most importantly make sure my foundations and blushes aren't to heavy for my fair skin tone. I didn't listen to most of this. I did wash off my make-up, but I always (and still do) go for really colorful and dramatic eyeshadows and looks, but I enjoy doing this and it's in my tastes. This has never seemed to be a big deal to me, as I like to be creative with my make-up. But I really wish I has listened to her on matching my foundation to my skin, OMG, I wish I had listened!

Of course in middle school when I was just beginning in make-up, I was no where near perfect (still no where near it) or even good at putting on make-up. I didn't even know what eyeshadow primer was, so the color I put on my eyelids would either fade or crease later on. Note that I didn't even know how to create a look really, but just slap on a color or two with the sponge applicator that comes with it. I wouldn't wear eyeliner for the longest time for the fear of poking myself in the eye, and when I first started wearing it, I never knew how to apply it. This probably all had to do with the fact that I just had no experience what-so-ever with make-up, and didn't have much guidance. I was new to make-up, and this is probably typical of a young teen getting into make-up. None of these tiny little beauty fails can even come close to one of the biggest make-up fail that anyone could ever have made. A "what the HELL was I thinking, just OMG, NO" kind of fail. A one-time fail that haunted me for the rest of the school year.

I have fair, light skin, and I always hated it. Trying to get a tan in the sun seemed to do nothing for me, especially with my twelve/ thirteen year old self wanting quick, dramatic results. I would more likely get a sunburn then a suntan. Just another thing that wore on my already low self-esteem in middle school. My skin tone was one of the many things I wanted to change about myself. I thought that darker skin among other things would have made people accept me, and make me not an outcast. This lead me to making a make-up fail that would lead to even more bullying, and names, that would last through the end of my 6th grade year. However, it's best to look back on this with humor, rather then with remorse of my middle school years. 

One day my mom gave me a foundation pallet with 3 different tones; a light one better for my skin tone, a mid tone that may have made a good bronzer, and a dark, dark color for people with much darker skin. My mom told me that the dark wouldn't work for me, but I decided one night to go into the bathroom and play around with the pallet and a few other products. One of the first things I did was swatch the dark color on my skin to see how it looked, it had pretty good coverage, and at the time I thought the color looked just amazing, so I applied it all over my face. "OMG, I found something that can make me look tan," I thought. Looking in the mirror, I thought it looked great. I finally had darker skin. Thinking it looked great, and absolutely amazing, I decided to wear this look to school the next day. I thought everyone would think it was pretty, or even not recognize me and think I was some pretty new student. LOL, WHAT?! I was not a very smart child, haha. But when I got to school, I realized that this was the biggest beauty fail I have ever made in my life.

Not only did I put on a foundation that was way to dark for my skin, but I didn't even bother to blend it down my neck, or place it anywhere else, so it looked like a mask. The other kids were quick to point it out and laugh at it. I also then found out that the color looked orange on my skin rather than tan. The name "Oompa Loompa" quickly piled on to my long list of nicknames, and had Jersey Shore had been out at the time, I probably would have been called Snooki. I ran home that day and washed all the make-up off my face, and never made that mistake again. But the taunts and names lasted until the end of my 6th grade year, and into 7th grade. More then likely, even if I wasn't already a bullying target in my school, I would have still have gotten some mean comments, just probably not as many. It may even be easier for me to laugh at this rather than remembering it as a make-up nightmare.  

Bad middle school memories aside, I did learn an important beauty lesson. Pick the right colors for your skin tone, and match your foundation to your skin tone, not the one you want. It'll look much nicer if it matches up to your skin tone. Slightly darker colors are for bronzer and low-lighting, not for all over foundation. And, it's super important to blend your foundation down your neck, and not end it at the bottom of your chin. We all have to learn somehow, don't we? 

Almost all of us make beauty bloopers at some point in our life, especially when we're young. We just need to learn to look back on them and laugh, and learn from our mistakes. Usually they won't end up in bullying, this was just because of my already bad situation. They may get a few comments if they are major but not always. Sometimes people may not even notice, or remember what happened back in middle school, as they probably did the same things. Even my big fail seemed to have been forgotten by the time we all moved to the high school in 8th grade as I started getting better and better with make-up. 

What are some of your beauty fails? 

Angelic Designs: Basic Banner Tutorial

I have always wanted to create my own banner to use on my blog, and on other social networking sites such as Twitter, YouTube, Facebook, and others. However... in the past, I always had a hard time getting it to fit correctly into the template. It would either be to small and I couldn't align it, or it would be to large and parts would get chopped off, or shrinking it would make my details hard to see. I could never get it to be the perfect size to where it fit just how I like it, that is.. until it hit me; why not look up the correct pixel size for what I'm making it for? That way it fits perfectly into the template, and there would be as much distortion or alignment issues, as it will align how it should be. This, I found to be the key to making a great looking banner that won't get chopped up or distorted, as well as anything else I may be designing. 

This video won't show the fancy fun stuff I did for my banner, but it'll give you a basic idea. I'll get into more fun stuff soon! The banner design you make is all up to you, as it should represent you. :)

Step- By- Step Instructions:

1. Finding the right size! This is the most important step. On blogger you can find out how wide your banner is supposed to be by going into your blogs layout, and selecting header. Before you upload your image it will tell you how many pixels wide it should be, and will give the the option to shrink to fit (I would still select this option when uploading to be sure your image still won't get cut off)

• The width of your banner will vary depending on your template, some may also specify a certain height. If you are unsure of what size you need, you may be able to find it on google, especially with popular sites such as Twitter and Facebook. The website may also specify the resolution when you go to upload it.

2. Open GIMP, or whichever program you prefer and create a new file. Do this be clicking File>New. In the dialog box that comes up, type in the pixel specification (make sure you setting your size in pixels), then click OK. A new window will open with your blank banner. 

3. From this point how you edit your banner is really up to you. Play with colors, gradients, brushes, text... whatever you like. Your banner is all about you!

4. *Optional* If you want your banner to have rounded corners, you will need to first flatten the image. To flatten the image right click on a layer and select flatten image. All of your layers will be merged into one layer.  Then click on filters>decor>round corners then specify what you want in the dialog box and hit okay. A new window will open with your new image.

• From here you can play around with whether you want to keep the background color and shadow or not. To delete then right click on the layer they are in and select delete layer. 

(Note: rounded corners may change your pixel size a bit if you choose to keep the shadow, this is why I would still select shrink to fit on blogger. They may also not look right on all sites.) 

5. When you are done and ready to save it to upload it to your blog, or view it as a picture, go to File>Export (not save, this will only allow you to save it as a GIMP file. But if you wish to save it and work on it later, then use save), and select the location where you want to save it to and name it as you'd like. You can also change the file type from here. Many websites prefer JPEG or jpg files. Then open it from where you saved it and take a look. 

6. Upload it to your blog or website. Follow the steps on the website, and be sure to check it out to see it you like how it looks!

Get GIMP as free alternative to PhotoShop

Get some cool GIMP brushes

My YouTube Channel

FTC Disclaimer: I am not affiliated or being endorsed by any of the companies mentioned in this post. I am not being paid to write this post. All opinions are my own. 

They Like You... But... You Don't Like Them That Way...

We all know how nerve wrecking it can be to tell someone that we have a crush on them, or that we like them as more then a friend. I for one could never find the courage to tell a guy that I like him, because I'm so afraid of getting hurt, and because of general shyness. It's a huge risk to tell someone how you feel, because you're really putting your feelings on the line, and if it turns out they don't feel the same way, you'll feel absolutely crushed. So when it's reversed on you, and someone is telling you that they like you, the last thing you want to do is hurt their feelings, even if you don't like them in that way. And if that person is a friend, it can be even harder, because you don't want to lose the friendship. In any case, you just might not want to feel as if you're being mean to them, as you know that it must have taken them a lot to tell you that. It may seem like it's easiest to stretch the truth and say "I like you, but I'm not ready for a relationship right now", rather then just saying "I'm sorry, I don't like you like that". This way you don't have to date them, but you don't hurt their feelings. But believe me, it's much better just to be straight up and tell them the truth. 

You may be flattered that someone likes you, along with not wanting to hurt them, but if you don't like them back, and you really can't see yourself being in a relationship (or being happy in a relationship) with them it's best to just tell them the truth. Sure it's nice to have someone like you, but if they think that they may have a chance and they start getting flirty, things can get really uncomfortable really quick. Thinking you feel the same way, they might be flirty with you, waiting for that day you are ready for a relationship to come. They won't know that it's making you uncomfortable if you keep flirting back, or unless you tell them that you don't like them like that. If they think you like them, they'll think that you like it, and they'll keep persisting with it, having no idea of how creeped out or uncomfortable you may be. No matter how flattered you are, if you don't like them back, and they keep flirting, flattery can turn to resentment towards them, and wanting nothing more then to avoid them. This certainly would not help out the friendship you had with them before. I learned that the hard way.

I am not perfect, and I have gotten myself into this mess before. During my sophomore year of high school I became good friends with this one guy from my school (although it's not his real name, let's just call him George). I had talked to him a few times when I was in 8th grade, but never really all that much until I got into 10th grade. George had always seemed to be really nice, and he was super friendly. It was nice to have a guy friend to talk to, especially with him being a really good listener. It was also nice to be able to talk to a guy that I knew in real life that wasn't a jerk like most of the guys at my school. It was all good, until... I found out that he liked me as more then a friend, but I didn't like him in that way. Nor was I really ready for a relationship, as it was pretty soon after my break-up from my 2-year online "relationship" with Charlie. However, I for sure did not handle it the right way at all. A combination of feeling a bit flattered that a boy liked me, not wanting to hurt his feelings, and not wanting to lose a friend took over me, and I told him I liked him too, but I wasn't ready to date anyone because of what happened with Charlie. So he told me he'd be there when I was ready, and from there... the conversations got uncomfortable and uneasy for me.

The fact that I didn't tell him straight up that I didn't like him in that way, and only liked him as a friend made him feel as if he had a chance, even though he didn't really have much of one. He started to get a little more flirty, and I went along with it most of the time because I didn't want to hurt his feelings. I tried to avoid the flirty conversations as much as possible by talking about school, teachers, or anything else, but it would always come back up. It got to the point where every time he would text me I would sigh, and sometimes not answer it and find an excuse later. And although all of our flirting was over the phone and through text, never at school or anywhere face to face, it got to the point where just being around him made me uncomfortable. He was a senior that year, and I couldn't wait for him to graduate so I wouldn't have to see him anymore, and that's when we began to lose contact. He wasn't a bad guy at all, but his flirting really bothered me and drove me away from him. Had I just told him that I only liked as a friend from the beginning, if he was as nice as he seemed to be, he may have laid off and accepted it, and maybe we would still be good friends. I really regret the fact that I didn't just tell him, as I could have saved myself the discomfort and regret, and him the time and effort. 

So as hard as it may be, it's always better to tell the truth. It'll save both of you a lot of time, and emotions in the long run. It will hurt their feelings, but there's no avoiding that. It would hurt them even more if they found out that you never actually felt the same way. You don't have to be mean and nasty about it, just tell them that they are a great friend, and you do care about them and want to be their friend, but you don't want a relationship with them. Keep in mind that if they're a friend they may have the same worry about ruining the friendship. If they truly do value your friendship they should understand it, but they may need some space for a while. It may even be best to keep a little distance for a while so that they can get over you. It may sting a little, and it may even sting a bit to see them get over you and find someone else, but it's for the best. Both of you would be much happier with that, rather then trying to make something you don't want work. 

The other person may not always be able to accept that you just want to be friends, and can't settle for friendship. If this is the case, it's best for both of you that you end the friendship. Trying to keep a friendship with someone that only wants more will only hurt both of you. They may also keep trying to get you to like them, and won't stop flirting, even if you tell them to stop. You may even find that arguments come easily, and fights are constant. It's hard to keep a friendship when fights are coming almost daily. If you can't agree to be friends, and only friends, it may not even be worth it trying to save the friendship. 

If you tell the other person to leave you alone and they won't, or if they start threatening you, you need to tell someone. If they won't stop texting or calling, don't answer them. Block them on any social networking sites you're on so they can't message you. If they keep persisting, tell someone you trust so that they can help you. If they physically follow you around, roam around your home, threaten to harm you in any way, this is a serious matter that needs to be reported to law enforcement immediately. Don't wait until it's to late. Hopefully, and more then likely, it will never come to that, and the other person will lay off, even if they are hurt or mad they'll get over it. But there are some really bad, and creepy people out there. Never get into a relationship because of a threat. If they are willing to hurt you for any reason, they aren't the kind of person you want to have anything to do with. 

Yes, telling someone you don't feel the same way about them is hard. You know it'll hurt them and break their heart, and that it could mean losing a friend, but it'll be best for both of you. It might even save your friendship before you get driven away by unwanted flirting, and it'll save their heart in the long run. You don't wanna get into a relationship that you hope from the beginning won't last. You can't keep it going forever, and you don't wanna wait until they break up with you, or do the exact opposite... :S Yeah.. perhaps telling the truth form the beginning would be better.