October Favorites

This month I have been loving Baby lips! Their new neon collection is amazing! They feel amazing, smell amazing, and do wonders for your lips. My drink obsession has been DIY cream sodas. Check out how to do them under the DIY page! They taste good, and aren't too sweet. During my free time I have been roaming around looking for bracelets that fit my wrist. In short, if you have small wrists (like me) go for more simple bracelets, and if you have bigger wrists, go for bracelets that don;t constrain your wrist. I'm also all about finding things, and using them for the complete opposite of their original purpose. For example, I have a Vera Bradley pencil bag that I use for storing my lipstick, hand cream, and any other items I can. Personally, I think these pencil bags are a little nice to be holding pencils. As the cold really starts to kick in, I will be out looking for some warm boots and some yummy scented candles. Believe it or not, candles actually do heat your room! Am I the only one who knew that? Wherever you are, embrace the season! In the coming weeks I may post some nature DIY's.

As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

Links to today's post:
Baby Lips
Vera Bradley pencil bag

Be kind to your hair!

Styling your hair can be hard, but it is even harder when it is unhealthy! Knowing the do's and don'ts when it comes to hair can be a life saver. The first is to not add conditioner to the roots of your hair, especially if your hair is naturally oily. Conditioner will make your hair look more greasy overtime, and you really only need it on the bottom ends of your hair. If your hair is dry looking, once a week apply a hair mask that has healthy oil in it that will replenish your hair. I love the Macadamia deep repair mask. This way you don't need to condition your roots every day. When you get out of the shower, don't towel dry. This will break your hair. Instead, give your hair a couple good flips to get some water out. Also, use heat protectant when working with heat. If you use a curler, waver, etc. every day than I recommend that you buy some heat damage shampoo. When you brush your hair, start at the bottom. The top usually doesn't have any tangles, so there is no need for brushing. Once in awhile (every few days) brush your hair all the way through, top to bottom, many times. This mill distribute all the "good stuff" your hair has to offer all throughout your hair. Don't brush your hair when it is wet though. It is at its weakest when it is wet, so wait till it is dry to brush. Even though the $4 shampoo is tempting, try and go for the more expensive kinds. You don't have buy them every time you have an empty bottle of shampoo, but every few times opt for the better kind. Also, your hair like change. Switch up your shampoo to keep it happy. When you are done showering, turn on the cold water. Stand under it for a few, until you get a bit chilly. The cold will help prevent frizz in your hair, as well as balance your body temp to help you fall asleep.

Make sure to subscribe to my email! At the bottom of the blog page, type in your e-mail so you know when a new post is up. That way you don't have to check and not know if a new one is up! 
As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

2 Easy DIY's

DIY's are always fun because you feel accomplished when you are done. These DIY ideas are easy and fun to make!
The first is glitter jars. Take a clear smooth jar and cut a heart (or any shape) out on a piece of paper. Lightly glue this into the jar, keeping in mind that you will be removing it later. Next, spray the inside of the jar with spray glue. Take any fine glitter dust you like and put a few spoonfuls into the jar. Cover the jar, and shake. Once the jar is evenly coated with glitter, take the excess glitter out and throw it away. Take out the shape you put in and viola, its done! You can put candles, paper clips, anything you want into this jar!
The next idea is a bit more time consuming, but is super cozy! Start by taking two pieces of fleece (I buy them at Joanne's fabric) and have them each be about 5ft by 5ft. This will be blanket, so choose a size you like. The ends will shrink a bit, so add an inch or too, to the size you want. For the fleece you will want one solid color, and one patterned color. Place these on top of one another. Using fabric scissors, on the end of the fleece start cutting strips. To do this, cut lines into the fabric 2 or 3 inches deep, making sure the lines are each 1 or 2 inches away from one other. You are cutting into both pieces when you do this. When you have done this all around the blanket, start tying! Once everything is cut you will have 1 or 2 inch strips. Take one of these strips and tie a double knot with the two colors (top and bottom layers). Don't tie two of the same color together. With the double knot, if you only have enough room for one knot, do one. You want some piece of the fleece still showing at the end of the strip. Do this all around the blanket, and you are done!
From now on I will be posting every other day, but will have new polls and things up every day. Almost time for another week to start!
As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

Recreate Cara Delevigne!

Cara is one of the most well known models in the world today, and rightly so. She is not only gorgeous in her looks, but with her fashion sense as well.

In this outfit she is sporting a more casual outfit, but still a pretty one. Lets start by looking at the top. It is somewhat sheer as well as cropped. The sweater on the right is also cropped, and is knit which will show a bit more skin. The reason high waisted shorts go well with this outfit is because it covers the stomach, which will keep you warmer. For shoes you can go with anything, which is why I didn't post anything.  To complete the look, curl your hair. This outfit is good for a day in the city or anywhere out and about.

As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

Links to today's post:
Sweater
Shorts

The power of sleep

No matter what age you are, we all need our beauty sleep. Not only does it make us feel better, but it makes us look better as well. We all suffer from sleepless nights, some more than others. In this post I'll be sharing some tips on how to get the perfect sleep each and every night. Lets start by talking about drinks. Some benefit from drinking tea or warm milk before bed, but others complain that it makes them have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. It is personal preference, so try either tea or warm milk before bed. Make sure any drink you have is decaf, and drink it in moderation. One mug should be plenty. For teas I recommend chamomile, peppermint, or lavender. With milk I add a bit of honey to it after it has been heated. Another tip is to not get overheated. When your body is overheated it doesn't want to sleep. Try and keep your bedroom as cool as possible, and avoid very hot showers right before bed. If you're like me and love hot showers, before you get out turn on the cool water for about 30 sec. to cool your body down. This will also help the conditioner in your hair work its magic. Try not to be on electronics before bed. They stimulate all your senses and make it hard for your body to calm down. If you must, turn the brightness down and opt for things online that don't involve videos or heavy thinking stuff. Before bed try and clean up your room. You may not realize it if your room is a mess, but you'll feel better with yourself if you have a clean room before bed. Try and do all your work an hour or two before bed so that your brain isn't worked up (this goes for eating as well). Make sure your PJ's are nice and comfy. No one wants to go to sleep with pants that feel like skinny jeans and a top that is squeezing you. Having a sleep schedule will do wonders as well. Your body will set an internal alarm to send sleeping chemicals into your body when you go to sleep. If you have a wacky sleep schedule your body will get wacked as well. During the day stay active so that your body is ready for sleep.
These tips work for me, so you should try some. I might not post for the next few days as I will be out of town. Believe me though, if there is wifi, I'll be posting.
As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

Outfit Idea #4

This outfit is geeky as well as chic. The bow and jeans pull the outfit together while the graphics on the sweatshirt makes this outfit unique. Hightops are casual and comfy, and go with any outfit. By adding the hair bow you can make that your hair routine for the day. Easy, right? Remember my one rule, always keep either a top or bottom tight. If not, you can look trashy. In this outfit the top is baggy, but the jeans are skinny jeans. To dress this up you could always curl your hair and wear fancier shoes. You can also wear earrings with this, I didn't post any because you can wear almost any pair. This post will be a bit different in that I will be posting links to stores that sell similar clothing items to the ones listed above, but not the exact site (some will be exact, but others I couldn't find an exact copy of the photos above.)

Sorry about not posting yesterday! I'm thinking of posting every other day, so that you know when I'm posting. 

As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

Maroon Jeans (Currently Unavailable)
Maroon Jeans
Sweatshirt
High Tops
Bow

The Many Uses of....

Vaseline is something that everyone should have on hand, all the time. Most people use it for one or two purposes, but there are so many more! By rubbing it on your wrists and spritzing perfume over it, it helps to make your perfume last longer. It can also be applied to elbows, knees, and shoulders to keep them soft. Rub them on your lips to make them silky soft. It can also be used as a makeup remover. This works well because not only does it take off your eye makeup (or any makeup), but also any makeup stains you may have. Dab some on your split ends to make them disappear. If you have trouble getting earrings in, rub vaseline over your ear, and the earrings will slide right in! Since it is getting closer to Halloween, you can also use it for your pumpkin carvings. Rub some vaseline on the edges of the carved part of the pumpkin to prevent rotting. You can also use it as a brow gel to keep them in place. Have you ever had to pry your rings off your fingers? Just rub some vaseline on them and the rings will slide right off. You can also use it as a highlighter to give your face a dewy look. When you have the nails that are a week old, shine em up again! To protect your teeth from lipstick, apply some vaseline to your teeth. At night, put some on your eyelashes to make them grow out longer over time. You can also melt it in the microwave to make lip balm. Put a chocolate chip in with it and you have chocolate lip balm! It also heals/protects tattoos. 
I hope this list will open you up to the idea of buying some vaseline. They come in travel size, jumbo size, and in different flavors! Maybe you'll come up with your own way to use this regular household item. I am going to start leaving the fashion ,hair, DIY, and shopping pages up for two weeks instead of one. So what is on them now will stay on them for another week.
As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

Mini Lookbook

This post will feature a collage of all the trends of this season in terms of clothing items.

There are many clothing items here, and it may look overwhelming. To help you out, here is a summary of everything here. For shoes, oxfords, Uggs, and knee high boots are in! As for clothing oversized sweaters, infinity scarves, beanies and trenchcoats are all go to items. If you aren't into studying fashion magazines, I understand! Stores always have trendy items, especially Forever 21, Topshop, Pac Sun, and Nordstrom. If you ever need help, ask a store employee. They are all more than hip with all the trends. Make sure that whatever you buy, you love! Just because something is in style doesn't mean you have to like it. Express your individuality! 



Finally, the weekend! I don't know about you, but I'll be sleeping in tomorrow. 
As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

Spooooktacular!

I know Halloween is still 21 days away, but hey, it is never too early to start thinking about it! I will be posting numerous DIY costumes, and this first one is Pretty Little Liars themed! You can do this solo, or you can have some of your friends dress up as other characters! This outfit is designed to look either like Aria, Emily, Spencer, or Hannah. 
Materials:
Black dress
Black shoes
Charcoal dust
Dark brown face paint
Optional:
Dirt

In Pretty Little Liars there are many dark scenes, but on the cover of the first season there is all four girls holding there finger up to their mouth and they are covered in dirt. We will be recreating that look. To start, choose a black dress. It can't really be any other color, but black is a pretty easy color to find. You also want black shoes, probably not heels, because you will be up and walking all night long. Now that you have the outfit done, now it is time to look like you've been outside digging up dirt. Start by dipping a sponge in the brown face paint and lightly applying in different areas on your body. I would focus on knees, elbows, upper arms, etc. While the paint is still wet, sprinkle on charcoal dust. The dust will stick to the paint, but you can also sprinkle it to other parts of your body as well. Since charcoal is black, that is why you have a brown face paint, so that it looks like real dirt. If you want to go all out, sprinkle real dirt on the paint as well. Now time for the makeup!

Materials:
Black eyeliner
Deep plum lip stain
Dark colored blush
Matte dark grey eyeshadow
Shimmery black eyeshadow
Mascara

To make sure your outfit doesn't look trashy, we want to do the makeup nice. Start by applying foundation, powder, eyebrow gel and all that good stuff. Next, take your matte eyeshadow and apply it to your entire lid. Next, taking a crease brush, apply the shimmery black eyeshadow onto your crease. Take a smudge brush it blend the two colors in. Then take your eyeliner and apply a decent amount to your upper lid (thickness wise). Line your bottom line as well. Create whatever sized wing you want with the liner. Apply generous coats of mascara. Next apply a dark colored lip stain to your lips. If you have other friend's dressing up as Pretty Little Liars, each choose a different but still dark lip color. Apply blush to your cheeks and you're done! For extra effect you can add charcoal dust to your face as well.  If you do this I would use the dust as a contouring item to contour my face.

For the hair you want to curl your hair into tight ringlets. Next you can tease the hair, or leave it looking pretty. To go along with your outfit, paint your nails a similar color as your lipstick. You can also wear black earrings. 

***If it is cold, wear tights with the dress and have a black cardigan ready to go.

I hope you guys like this DIY! I didn't post it under the DIY page because I didn't want to have to delete this to post another one. If you want more DIY tutorials comment down below. If you try this out post your outfit on instagram and hashtag it #diyppl so I can see it! 
As always,
xoxo Em

Some Links you can find some of today's post items:
Black Dresses
Charcoal Dust
Lip Stain

Beauty tip #3

Choosing the right lip color to fit your skin tone can be hard. You don't want something too harsh, but you want something that is at least noticeable. For fair skin go for a pinkish/maroonish color. This color won't be too harsh on your skin. If you have beige skin choose an earthy pinky brown color, having more brown than pink. If you have olive skin go for a deep red that will bring out the natural rosiness in your cheeks. A bright fuchsia will brighten up anyone's face with golden skin. If you have naturally tan skin your skin can take on big colors, so go for bold colors! A hot pink color adds to face and doesn't overpower it. If you have a deep skin tone coral and oranges are your friends. These colors all go well in matte lipsticks. Going along with the lip theme, let me tell you about some of my favorite balms. The first are the EOS balms. These come in the cutest egg shape! While looking around in magazines I saw that they have a blueberry one! That is one to put on the shopping list. Since EOS balms are sheer, I tend to use them at night. For the mornings I love baby lips! These guys are really cheap for the quality they bring to the table. Some of these also have no color, but some do. To smooth my lips with something that tastes good I love the LUSH lip scrub. This is made of primarily of sugar, and makes your lips silky smooth! People tend to just smack on the occasional chapstick, and call it good. Give your lips some love! Personally, I love the peppermint balms, because they make my lips tingle!

Is it just me or is this week going by fast? Whether it is or not for you, we're more than half done!

As always,
xoxo Em
*not sponsored, all opinions are from yours truly :)*

 Links to today's post:
NYX Lipstick
MAC Lipstick
EOS Balm
Baby Lips
LUSH Lip Scrub

DIY face masks

Face masks lighten, tighten, cleanse, and moisturize your face. They are also relaxing and leave your skin feeling nice and soft.

Egg white mask: This mask is moisturizing as well as soothing. Take two egg whites and mix it with two tablespoons of plain yogurt. Make sure it that it is plain. After these are mixed together, apply to your face and neck area and let it sit for 5-10 min. Once it is dry, rinse it off with warm water. Your skin should feel soft and replenished.

Sugar Scrub: Don't ever use salt on your skin, because it will tear your skin, not exfoliate it. Exfoliating scrubs like this help to get rid of all the bad things on your face to make room for the good. Stir two tablespoons of sugar (white or brown) into 3 tablespoons of warm water. Wait until partially dissolved. You still want some granules in the water so that you can use them to exfoliate. Take the mixture and gently massage into your face. Let this sit until completely dry, and rinse off. Then moisturize.

There are other foods and liquids that you can put on your face by themselves and will also improve your skin. Lemon juice brightens, tightens, and clears your skin. Apple cider also clears your skin. Milk moisturizes your skin, which is why yogurt is also good for your skin. Whenever you finish using a mask, take a wash cloth with cool water on it and put it on your face. You want to close your pores so nothing else can come into them.
As always,
xoxo Em

 

Fall Must Haves

Before we get too far into fall, lets go over some simple fall must haves.
The first thing you need is hand sanitizer and hand cream. If you can find something that meshes both of these into one, get it! You want to fight off germs while trying not to turn your hands into a dry mess. This fall wordy jewelery pieces are in, especially necklaces. Anything jewelery that has words on it falls into this trend. As the cold comes in, so does the dry. So invest is a good moisturizer, a good lip balm, and a good humidifier. Bath and Body works triple body moisture creams do wonders, and Baby Lips literally feel like pillows on your lips. They also act as a lip stick, in case you were wondering. As for the humidifier, turning it on at night and it will help to relieve any sore throat you may have, as well add moisture back into your skin. When it comes to wardrobe needs, a beanie, over the knee boots, infinity scarves, a vintage piece, oversized sweaters, tights, blazers, rain boots, and trench coats all are in season. Do need all of these in your wardrobe? Of course not. Just the things that you think are cute are the things you should think about getting. Since it seems to get rainier this time of year, I suggest having an umbrella on standby. Rain boots can also go a long way. Yes, they have cute rain boots. These ones you probably shouldn't be jumping around in the mud with. With food, always have a hot liquid on standby. This includes coffee, tea, and hot chocolate. 

Happy Monday everyone! I hope you treated yourself to something nice and if you didn't have a good day, there is always tomorrow! 

As always,
xoxo Em

Things every girl should know

Serendipity
Definition: The art of making happy discoveries.

As we trudge through life, we learn things. Some lessons we have to learn from embarrassment or humiliation, but, never the less, we learn them. To save you from some of the unpleasant events that had to take place to compile this list, I'm just going to explain some things that every girl should know.
1.) Know at least one 4-star meal that you can cook well. Not only will this impress everyone around you, but knowing you can make an awesome meal lets you know that you are capable of at least one thing. And by 4 star I mean that it can also be knowing how to make a killer hot dog or sandwhich.
2.) Take time to notice the little things. Stop and smell the roses. Who knows, maybe you'll smell them, make a perfume line, and become rich,
3.) Travel. Go to Paris, or to your local supers market. Wherever you go, make it an adventure. Take pictures, write a blog.
4.) Having a laugh is the best medicine. Not only is laughing proven to make you live longer, but a laughing person looks more inviting than a glaring one.
5.) Being grateful is better than being selfish. Look around and know that someone out there has got it a lot worse than you.
6.) Have passion in what you do. Wake up and be ready to conquer the day.
7.) You get what you settle for. If you don't like where you are in life, push harder. Don't settle for mediocre, strive for infinity.
8.) Where you put your attention is where you get results. Don't rely on others, get the job done yourself.
9.) Budgets are your friend. Save some, spend some, repeat.

I could make this list go on forever, but these are the building blocks. In essence, these things are telling you to work hard in what you believe in, and you will be a happier person. And when you are happier, your whole life will be better. 

It is Sunday funday everyone! Well here it is the end of Sunday funday, but oh well. Tomorrow is Monday, which I can bet is not everyone's favorite day. To make it better, let yourself sleep in 10 extra minutes if you can. I always say, treats make everything better. If you walk most days, try and grab a ride to wherever you are going. Get your breakfast at Starbucks, or somewhere you usually don't. Whatever you do, try and make your Monday less miserable. 
As always,
xoxo Em

Recreate Taylor Swift!

Taylor Swift has always had a sense of style, and always knows what outfit to wear. Today's outfit is suitable for a somewhat formal occasion such as a meeting, or it is suitable for a day of shopping downtown.
Every piece in this outfit really works well together. The navy jeans and blazer is a good contrast with the white blouse underneath.  Her oxfords also dress the outfit up, and the purse that goes with it makes this outfit somewhat vintage looking. Her lipstick adds a pop to her appearance and her hair in a ponytail gives her a clean finish. 

The white top is short sleeve so you lose the cuff that Taylor has in her outfit, but since it is short sleeve if you wanted to take your blazer off, you could. This navy blazer has some buttons on it so if you wanted to button part of the blazer you have the ability to do so.  The jeans are the same as her's, but a slightly lighter wash. The oxfords have pretty detailing on them  and are also a bit lighter than the one's in the original outfit.  The purse also has pretty detailing on it and isn't too big to tote around. If you want to tone down the formality of the outfit add some bracelets. If you have small wrists like Taylor, try and go for tighter fitting bracelets. This outfit is a great outfit to pull on to spend a day out with the girls. I updated the fashion, hair, DIY, and shopping pages, so go and check them out!
As always,
xoxo Em                                                                                                                                                                                             Links to today's outfits:
Peplum Top
Blazer
Jeans
Oxfords
Bag
Beads for Bracelets