January Beauty Favorites

I am entirely too obsessed with makeup and beauty products and so easily influenced by YouTube videos and other blogs. Now that I work in beauty, my obsession has only grown!

One of the reasons I wanted to get back to blogging was to have an outlet to blab on and on about my favorite products and also some of the products I didn't find to be worth all of the hype. Today I'm sharing my favorite products during the month of January - all of the products have been my go to's during the past month!

1. Benefit It's Potent! Eye Cream 

This was my first experience using an eye cream and I must say, I didn't get what all the hype about eye cream was about but its not an essential part of my beauty routine. I put the tiniest amount on the tip of my finger and gently press it in underneath my eyes. It immediately brightens my under eye area and hides my dark circles. I use it before my foundation and don't need to use a brightening concealer at all when I do. The price tag for the full size is thirty something dollars, which I'm not exactly thrilled about spending. But, I've been using my sample every day since receiving it and have hardly made a dent in it, so I know my investment will in fact last me.

2. Benefit They're Real Mascara

I had been wanting to try this mascara for awhile now but couldn't justify spending $23 on something I wasn't even sure I would like. I am used to spending $6 on the original CG lashblast (orange tube) and being very pleased. I was so thrilled when I got a sample from work, I haven't worn another mascara (on my top lashes, at least) since I picked it up. The end of the wand is covered with rubber bristles to really help you separate your lashes and ensure you hit every single one. I would recommend this mascara to anyone - it has totally transformed my makeup routine. I can easily throw on a single coat, no shadow or liner, and look like I made a HUGE effort getting ready. When really, it took about 12 seconds!

3. Urban Decay Shattered Face Case

I picked this case up before Christmas when it was our beauty steal of the day at Ulta. It was an absolute steal at only $22 (normally $45) before even using my discount. The case came with 5 shadows, 2 blushes and a highlight - all of which are incredibly wearable. I typically use the 2 shades on the far right and then work in one of the shades on the left into my crease if I want some color. Also in the case was a black eye liner and pink lip balm, both of which I also love. It's pretty much an entire face (minus) foundation in one, which is an awesome bang for your buck.

4. L'Oreal Go 360 Clean Deep Exfoliating Scrub

This has to be my favorite discovery of the past month. My chin area has been having major break out issues lately, and nothing really seemed to help. The little scrubber guy that came with this was intriguing to me, so I kind of just picked it up on a whim. It's been working wonders for me since! I honestly started noticing a different in my blemishes the very next day. I don't find it to be too harsh on my super sensitive skin, although it is definitely drying (which it the point of the product). I simply use the sponge to lighty scrub my blemishes, and then moisturize immediately after getting out of the shower.

5. Revlon Colorstay for Normal to Dry skin

I saved my absolute favorite for last. I can not even say how absolutely in love and obsessed I am with this product...there simply aren't words. I have heard so many people talk about the oil/combo skin version but never knew a dry skin version was out there. It was another product I picked of a whim because it was there, and now I can't picture my life without it. I'm in the shade Ivory, and it matches my skin perfectly - I have never had such a perfect match before! The coverage is medium to full and truly stays all day. It doesn't cake and looks so natural. I would recommend it to anyone!

I skipped today...and I'm not sorry

Ever since November when I started my new current job, I've been go go go. And I've loved it. I suffer from anxiety and depression and have found that if I am not constantly doing something rewarding, such as work or school, that is when I get in my dark hole of a rut where its really hard for me to pull myself out. So, I've been embracing it - jam packing my schedule and giving myself little down time. Even if I am doing something like watching TV, I feel as though I need to be doing something more. So I use the time to research graduate programs and what exact line of work I want to do within my field. 

Things like laundry, cleaning and working out get shoved to the side a lot of days. A former version of myself literally could not care less about any of those these. But my current self cares. A lot. I like coming home to a clean bedroom where I can sit at my desk and not feel overwhelmed by what's around me. I like waking up and knowing that that outfit I thought of as I was falling asleep is clean and ready to wear, and not have to play "let's guess what's clean in my closet".

So today, I skipped out of school after my first class. It wasn't something I planned, but it was totally necessary and I'm glad I did it. When I was driving home last night I got stuck in traffic from an accident and somehow the driving just got to me - normally I don't have an issue with it. But I started feeling a migraine coming on and somehow strained my neck and both only seemed to get worse overnight. And then I just had one of those mornings where the little things just didn't seem to work out in my favor. My favorite jeans barley shimmied over my ass and I couldn't for the life of me find one of a billion solid white or black cami's I own. I encountered the oddest traffic patterns I have experienced in my hundreds of drives to SSU and was way too on edge / annoyed with people in my first class. I just knew I needed a break. I needed to take time for myself and get those boring life things like laundry and cleaning together so such meaningless crap we all have to deal with on a daily basis didn't get me so riled up.

And you know what? I already feel better. I mean, I have a still have a headache and that's definitely annoying me, but I feel a massive weight has been lifted off my shoulders. I feel prepared for the rest of the week and beyond. I don't need to play catch up anymore and can just stay on top of little stuff.

So I say, skipping stuff is okay sometimes. Especially when its for reasons other than laziness. Do what you need to do to better YOU. And don't let anyone make you think you don't know what's best. 

Guess who's back?

I'm going to be honest, never did I ever think I would be writing here on this blog ever again. As much as I love writing and blogging, I thought that chapter of my life was over for good. There were too many negative memories and the "blog world" has just changed so much since I first began this whole online journaling thing over ten years ago. I didn't think there was room for me in the midst of people turning their blogs into businesses and my flat out blatant, honest opinions. When I stopped consistently blogging in June, I was personally disgusted with the posts I was producing and just cringed reading my own words. I felt myself becoming fake. I wrote what I thought other people wanted to read, and held back my true feelings so people close to me couldn't twist my words in my their own head and then hold them against me. What was supposed to be my space to write honestly and do what I had to do for myself to save my own sanity had become a space I just flat out hated and want nothing to do with anymore. And that just makes me sad to even write. But hey, its exactly what happened. 

I told myself that if I came back to blogging, I would do it 100% on my own terms. And until recently, I wasn't in a place where I felt I could do that. I didn't think I could knew I could not produce posts I would be proud of. The end of 2013 changed a lot of things for me, though. And while I'm not 100% pleased with where my life stands at the moment, I am honestly very content. I feel I have finally found who I am, who I want to be, and who I want surrounding me in my life. I don't have everything figured out but for once in my life, I am truly enjoying it. I do know who and what I don't want to be...does that count for anything?!

For the time being, I have all of my old posts reverted to drafts. I want to go through and delete a bunch. It may surprise people the posts I am planning on deleting versus the ones I am keeping. The seemingly innocent posts are out the window, and the posts that may (or may not) have burned bridges are staying. I stand by every honest word I have ever written in this space, and have never once regretted speaking what I see as the truth in this space of mine. I do, however, majorly regret trying to be someone I wasn't and producing a style of post just because everyone else did and I felt, for whatever reason, that I had to too. 

A lot has changed in my life since I last blogged and there's a lot to fill you in on - for those of you who even remember me, that is! I really look forward to sharing my life with the internet, once again, and reconnect with some of the people I met through blogging who just "got" me and my life so perfectly. I have definitely missed that the most, during my little hiatus. Hopefully you look forward to reading what I have to put out there. I cant promise fun giveaways or a post that will make you LOL every day or anything like that, but I can promise heartfelt writing whenever I do post. I believe there is still plenty of room for people like me on Blogger and even if there isn't, well, I'm going to write anyways :)