The other day I decided, on a whim, to rock a bold, red lip. Let me tell you, I was rockin' it. I decided I wanted to try out other bold lip colors, so I made my way to Ulta. I love Ulta, because they sell high end beauty products, as well as drugstore brands.

Last year, I bought two Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms (235 - Mischievous, 210 - Unapologetic). However, at the time I just didn't have enough confidence to pull it off. I think that if you believe you can rock a bold lip, then you can rock a bold lip. The same thing goes with just about everything else. It is my one fashion and beauty rule. If you carry yourself with confidence, then you can rock anything.

Aside from the two Revlon Colorburst Matte Balms, my NYC Expert Last Lip Color in 432 Red Rapture was the first lipstick that I wore, besides lipstick I wore in plays or on Halloween. I actually bought this for my Halloween costume this year. I went as Rosie the riveter. This is the product I was wearing when I decided I wanted to try out other bold lip colors. To me it looks like a bright fire engine red. It is the standard shade that comes to mind when you think of the color red. I love the consistency. It is so buttery soft but dries almost matte. It was a good first lipstick and served its purpose. However, my go to red lipstick has changed.

The first lipstick I grabbed on my adventure into Ulta was the Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick - Kate Moss Collection in the shade 107 Rossetto. This shade is a bit deeper than my NYC, but it is still a true red. It just is not as bright and in your face. This is my new go to red lip. I love the shade and the consistency. I just know that I will keep going back to buy this product.

I was feeling uber adventurous and decided to go for a deep plumb shade. I had seen a makeup look with gold/bronzy eyes and a plumb lip and desperately wanted to try it. I grabbed the NYX Matte Lipstick in MLS32 Siren. I am still not sure how I feel about this color. I like it; however, I feel like I am not applying it correctly because I always seem to get a ring around my lips that is a slightly different shade. I am definitely going to have to get a matching lip liner. My clear lip liner just doesn't seem to work here. Aside from figuring out how to apply it correctly, I love this lipstick, but I think I am going to have to wait until the autumn to break it out (it's not exactly a spring color hahahaha). I love matte lips. I am not one for a shiny or glossy lip. I would definitely buy this lipstick in other colors and I am dying to try out the NYX Lip Butters.

My most recent lipstick acquisition was the Maybelline ColorSensational Rebel Bloom Lipstick in 745 Peach Poppy. I have yet to try this color out. This purchase was inspired by one of my kimonos that has flowers of a similar color on it. It photographs very bright. However, it is a peachy/coral-y shade. I am super excited to wear this when the weather gets nice. Although, by the looks of it, that won't be for a while.

I have decided I love drugstore lipsticks. Let me tell you why. It is because the lip colors are pretty inexpensive, at least in comparison to high end lipsticks. Sometimes I still don't want to spend $7-8 on a lipstick. However, it is better to spend that on a shade you don't know you'll like or not than to spend twice as much. It is a great way to try out lip colors. Honestly, a lot of the formulas and consistencies are pretty great too. Drugstores are definitely where I will be buying lip colors for the foreseeable future.

If you have any favorite lip colors or brands that you love, let me know! I'm always up for a new shade.


As always, let me know if there's anything you want me to write about on my blog! Until next time...

Hello all! Sorry for such a late post but every topic I tried to write about this week I just wasn't feeling.

On Friday I drove home for the weekend. When I got home, my mom and I decided to do a bit of shopping. Whenever I'm home we always end up at Kohls.

My school is having a job and internship fair next week and being that I am a second semester senior, my butt is there. I thought I could wear a nice (professional) dress with a cardigan and my heals. However, my school posted information saying that we were expected to dress business professional, not business casual (which basically means a full on suit). Since my wardrobe is lacking in the suit department I searched Kohls desperately for a suit for next week. I know it wouldn't have been the best suit but it was better than nothing and if it looked good on me, I was fine with it.

They had nothing. I kid you not. They had plenty of dress pants, but zero blazers. The one jacket I found didn't even have a button. I loved it for a casual or business casual outfit but it just wouldn't cut it for my needs this time.

After looking at a couple stores I finally found a black suit that fit well and looked professional. I still need to get a top to wear under it but at least I have the suit. Not only do I now own my very own suit, I also went out and purchased a portfolio. This way my resumes wouldn't just be in a random folder or, even worse, just in my hands.

Moral of the story, if you are my age you will know exactly what I am going through. I am at that point in my life that I can't just throw on a cute outfit with my chucks and run to class with my Herschel Supply Co backpack. It is high time that we start our adult professional wardrobe.

I am not going to lie, I am terrified. I am twenty-two years old and I have no idea where to even start looking for a job. An English degree is a funny thing. There is so much you can do, but also so little. I have had numerous people tell me that everyone wants someone who can write so English majors are not railroaded into teaching (don't get me wrong, teaching is an incredible profession. I just don't have what it takes to succeed in that field and I give all teachers so much credit). However, if everyone wants someone that can write, you also have to have some other skills to make yourself a commodity and desirable. You have to figure out what field you want to go into.

It is just such a confusing degree. Accounting majors will apply to accounting firms. Business majors will apply to companies within the department that was their focus in college. But English majors... where do they fit? I can honestly say I don't even know where to start looking for jobs. The more I look, the more confused I get.

I know that I will find my path in life. And most times, to be quite honest, the prospect of not having a plan is so freeing. For the first time in my life I can do whatever I want, go wherever I want to. (which means someplace warm!)

As my dad tells me every. single. time. that I am home, I have to market and sell myself. I am the product and I need to successfully pitch myself to employers. I am not kidding myself and thinking that I will get the perfect job for myself right off the bat. I know that I most likely won't. But that first job and every consecutive job will give me so much knowledge and experience about the work force and whatever field it is in and just life in general. As sad as I am that my college days are over and my formal education is over, I am excited to move on to something new.

One final thought, graduating from university is incredibly daunting. If you are like me, you have been in school for the last 18 years of my life. That is probably 99% of my conscious memory. Graduating is saying goodbye to what is familiar and the style of life that you have had. You are throwing yourself into the unknown. But as terrifying as that is, it is incredibly exciting.

One of my favorite quotes is by Ralph Waldo Emerson:


As always, let me know if there's anything you want me to write about on my blog! Until next time...

Welcome back to this space!

I have been reunited with my true love, Soap & Glory. Let me take you back to the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Last year (Autumn 2014) I fulfilled my dream of studying for a semester in London. As you can imagine, after a sixteen hour journey, the first thing I wanted to do once I arrived at my flat was to take a hot shower. In order to do this, one needs shampoo, conditioner, and BODY WASH!

I trekked down to my local Boots and immediately looked for the Soap & Glory section (many bloggers and youtubers that I follow had raved about it, so it was a must). I picked up the Foam-Call body wash. Let me just tell you, it was heavenly! I am not usually able to use creamy body washes but Soap & Glory is the exception.

Fast forward a little over a year. I had been without my love since returning back to the states. The only shop Soap & Glory retails in is Sephora. For most people this is no problem. However, if you live in a relatively small city like me, the only Sephora in the area is a very small one within the walls of JCPenny. Between work and being away at school, I get very little time to get there and when I do, the selection is minute.

Last weekend I decided to head out to my Sephora by my school (a full sized Sephora) to check out their selection of Soap & Glory. It took me a while to find it as it was in the back of the shop but it was worth the search. Granted it was not the size of selection offered in Boots or Superdrug (because it is a UK brand) but, holey moley, it was the holy grail in comparison to my hometown. I kid you not, it took all of my self restraint to not buy one of every single product. I ended up picking up the Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in the shade Nudist as well as the Hand Food Hand Cream.

I could not be any happier with these two purchases. I will always use Soap & Glory. If you have any product suggestions from their range let me know! If you try any of their products let me know!

As always, let me know if there's anything you want me to write about on my blog! Until next time...

I decided to finally take the plunge into the high end makeup world. I have been looking at the Naked palettes for some time now but couldn't bring myself to spend the money on it. However, this year I decided to put more effort into my appearance as I am graduating and hoping to enter the professional working world. Therefore, I thought that the Naked 2 palette would be the best item to purchase for this purpose.

To start off, this purchase came with the palette (obviously), four different Urban Decay shadow primers (each of which are suppose to last a week. So that is four weeks of primer), as well as a dual ended eyeshadow brush.

I decided on the Naked 2 palette for several reasons. I felt the Naked 3 palette would not have been as versatile. I think this is mainly due to the pink. If I already had one of the other two, this probably would have been my choice. However, I was looking for a more neutral palette instead of a pinky palette. I also decided to forgo the original Naked palette because I felt that the Naked 2 has more browns and coppers while the original ventures into a few berries and even a grey-ish blue at the far right end. In terms of packaging I feel the Naked 2 and 3 are better packaged. I do not like the velvet casing of the original. I also particularly like how the later two palettes snap closed unlike the original.

I just have to say one thing about this palette, IT'S BLOODY BRILLIANT. I never used eye shadow often until now. I am okay at applying it but I have always had an issue blending shadow. This is why I usually skipped it unless it was a special occasion. These shadows though are so incredible. They blend incredibly well and easy. The first eye look I tried was so easy to achieve. Also, I have found that many other drugstore brand eye shadows have been chalky. These Urban Decay shadows are so buttery and smooth.

Since I have never really used eye shadow, I never used primer. I always thought it was just a scheme to get you to spend more money than you needed to. Oh boy, was I wrong! I used the original primer that came with my palette and my eye shadow did not smudge or wear off at all. I will definitely be buying more primer when these samples run out.

The one thing I did not like about this palette was the applicator brush. Don't get me wrong, it is infinitely better than the tiny sponge brush applicators that come in drugstore eye shadows. However, I found it very difficult to blend even these easily blend-able eye shadows. I think this brush would be good in a bind, but I much prefer my other eye shadow brushes.

Overall, I think this palette is well worth the money. It is exactly what I wanted. The colors are the perfect neutral shades and are a much better consistency than drug store brands. If you are unsure of splurging on this product, I honestly believe it is worth it and a great first step into higher end makeup.

Let me know your opinions on the Naked palettes or any other products to try. I'm always up to trying new products.

As always, let me know if there's anything you want me to write about on my blog! Until next time...

I originally stumbled across this gem on Instagram and Twitter. I read a couple of posts and I was intrigued. But part of me thought it was just a novelty item. I mean it is just a tea, right? How could it possibly do all the things it promised? WRONG.

I first bought the 28 Day Teatox in May of 2014. After reading a ton of testimonials I caved and order some. I was so excited to get it and give it a go. I got home from my junior year at university, unboxed this little piece of heaven and started my teatox the very next day.

There are not enough words to describe all the goodness held in these 84 tea bags. I noticed a difference by the next day. I am the kind of person that clings to my bed until the last possible second in the morning even if that means looking like crap for the day. The day after I started my teatox I was able to get up without a problem and without that groggy feeling. As the days passed I noticed myself not feeling tired and exhausted during the day. Not only did this magic in a mug give me more energy, it helped so incredibly with my digestion. I did not realize how sensitive my digestive system was until I drank this and got it under control. This is the main promise of Tiny Tea; to help your digestion. If that is the only promise they kept, it would be enough.

Not only did this tea help with my digestion and energy, it helped with my skin, bloating (I lost an inch in the first week), and most importantly to me it helped me control my diet coke habit. This is the most important part of my experience. I was drinking so much diet coke. It was at a super unhealthy point. The second I started my teatox, I did not crave a single drop.

Now on to the taste. It is a very earthy flavor. Initially I just stomached it. It is not horrible, however it just was not my cup of tea (see what I did there?). I mostly went for fruity or minty teas. But the more I drank it, the more I enjoyed it. Prior to ordering my second box during December, I was craving this tea so badly. I look forward to every cup I drink now purely for the taste.

I highly recommend this tea. Everyone is going to experience different results from the tea. However, I really believe everyone should try it just once because it could be one of the best things you could drink for your body.

If you would like to try some out you can get it here. (Hint: follow them on instagram and twitter. They post coupon codes for most holidays.)

If you guys do order some, let me know how you like it or what effects it had! I'd love to hear feedback.

Let me know if there's anything you want me to write about on my blog! Until next time...

Long time, no talk. Sorry I've been MIA for a while. Finals were crazy and since I've been home I have been trying to organize everything for my online class over winter break.

So I mentioned in my previous post that I am in the process of making A LOT of changes in my life. I have made several changes already, but today I decided to change my hair. I know, I know, it's minor. But what a better way to kick of the new year than with a new head of hair... well kind of.

In the spirit of blogging and allowing people a look into my life, there are more changes I have made and are going to make. My online class started today, technically, but my official new schedule starts on Monday. I decided that I really need to start honing my craft and since that is writing (hopefully), writing is exactly what I am going to do. Part of my new schedule and new changes is to read types of things I hope to write to better perfect the format and of course write those things.

Now since it's the new year, of course there's the obligatory "I'm going to cut negative people out of my life" and "I'm going to get healthy" and "I'm going to spend smarter" new year's resolutions. I honestly think all of things are steps in the right direction for a happier, more satisfying life. So, they are on my list as well.

One thing I have been horrible at this past year is spending time with my friends. Schedules just don't match up and then the next thing you know, it's a month later and you haven't really seen your friends. I always make the excuse that I don't have enough time. But then somehow I find myself binge watching a new show and depressed that my friends never ask me to hang out. All you can do is try sometimes, so that's what I'm going to do and if we still don't hang out then those people don't really want to hang out with me.

These are just a couple changes I am doing to build my life into what I want it too be. So, all in all I'm looking forward to 2015 and going into the new year with positivity. I wish you all a happy holidays. Until next time...

Hello friends! I am Kristin and the proud owner of the blog you are currently viewing. I figured just to get everyone acquainted, for my first post I would tell you all a little bit about myself.

1.) I am currently finishing my fall semester of my senior year at university.
2.) I am an aspiring writer (in case you couldn't tell from my blog title).
3.) I have decided to finally take my life and turn it into exactly what I want it to be. I realize I am starting this a few weeks before New Years, but you know what they say! Good things come to those who WORK. Basically this means I am implementing lots and lots of changes into my life.
4.) My favorite time of year is November and December because fall and winter and Christmas and Thanksgiving.
5.) Books man, books. (I am running out of room for my book habit.)
6.) I am a huge nerd. I quite like being a nerd to. It's like wearing a badge that allows you to be un-apologetically passionate and enthusiastic about things. As John Green says, "When people call people nerds, mostly what they are saying is 'you like stuff,' which is not a good insult at all. Like, 'you are too enthusiastic about the miracle of human consciousness.'"
6.) Not only do I love all things written, or acted, or basically any kind of artistic expression, I also love fashion, and beauty, and makeup. So, just a warning, you may come across posts of that nature in the future.
7.) MUSIC = LIFE

So, those are just a few things about myself. Comment below some things about you so I can get to know you too! Until next time...