Cute Room Decor Idea

It's almost summer and this room decor that has been going on since December is almost to a close. This is one of the ideas that I had for my room which I absolutely love. It's a bunch of cute unique motivational sayings that are hung up right behind my bed, so I can see them every time I go to bed at night. They are 9 card stock pictures, and I purchased them on ModCloth which has some of the most unique vintage-y home products. The frames were bulk purchased from Amazon and are just cheap 8x10 frames. You can lighten up any room with them, and I highly recommend it!

Beauty Hacks: 3 things to do with Q-Tips

I am ALWAYS the girl to skip steps, quicken my routine. I've discovered three ways to use Q-tips, and I thought now is the time to let the secret out.

1. Take off that under eye mascara smudge with a Q-tip. Simply cover it in some moisturizer, preferably for eyes, but any works, and lightly sweep it under the eye. It not only takes off that stubborn makeup, but you don't have to wipe off the excess product on your skin, because it will actually help moisturize! Not to mention, this is great for those with sensitive skin, and you don't want to use a wipe to quickly get the makeup off, because I find it can sometimes burn a little. 

2. Apply a smoky eye. Take the cotton swab, and either press or twist it into powder, and shake off the excess. It creates the perfect amount of shadow for under the eye, as well as a great blending tool if brushes are too much of a hassle, or too much money. I find that it also doesn't have as much fallout than some brushes, saving time from having to clean all the excess powder up. This also works great for cream eyeshadow too. 

3. Take off excess mascara and clumps. Use the stick of the Q-tip and basically brush it along the lashes. It takes of excess wet mascara without taking off any of the volume or length, and it doesn't get all over your hands and clump if you just try to use your fingers. It's sanitary, and a fantastic tool to use when you just want to quickly set your mascara. 

Travel Pictures: Hawaii Part 2

So yeah, I finally got around to posting some Hawaii pt. 2 photos. All above water photos, and some are very simple, but I still love them. Hope you enjoy!

All work here is my own. Please do not print or distribute without permission. Contacts about prints can be found in the Contact Me page. Thank you!

Little Thoughts

So time for another inside Alex's head time. Recently, my very good friends have been having a lot of relationship complications with guys, other friends, and parents. Not anything detrimental and relationship breaking, just some small things that kinda hits them a bit. And while trying my hardest to not sound superficial, I think that sometimes it's difficult to be the one who is always giving the advice. 

I'm actually a bit older than all of my friends. Less than a year, but sometimes I think it makes a difference. Either that, or I have a really old soul. But when you have to be the one trying to make people feel better all the time, it becomes a bit difficult to care for yourself as well. I've reached the point where sometimes I wish that I can have some of the smaller problems that can be solved with some loving friend advice, instead of the bigger ones. 

But enough of the complaining, because I am a pretty lucky person. 

Well those are my thoughts! Feel free to share your experiences, similar or not, in the comments. I'd love to hear from you!

It's Been a Year…

WHAT?!

It's amazing when you think about how fast time really does go by. It's been a long and trying year, but I think I've gotten a bit of this blogging thing down by now. I'm still learning, but I've definitely learned to be patient with myself, and accept quality over quantity. What will you continue to see? Everything you have been, and continued growth (hopefully). It might be hard to believe this small accomplishment means so much to me, but it really does. It's like an online journal that I want people to read. I get to put down what I want to say into words, but also share it to the world. If you've ever had any urge to blog, absolutely go for it. It's not about the views or comments that you see in the hundreds on big bloggers. It's about you. Your thoughts, that people will see. 

So yeah, that's my year 1 thought. Thanks to everyone who has even stopped by and even just read one word. It means the world. 

Best Brushes for Beginning That Smoky Eye

I think I've finally gotten a handle on the perfectly blended smokey eye, something I've been trying to achieve for a while. While choosing shadows is a whole different story, I've come down to three brushes I think are great for getting the look:

Blending Brush: (Step 1-left brush) I think this is a great brush for any eyeshadow look, but even better for blending that darker shadow in the crease and under the eye to get a good gradience in color, rather than a line of light color and a line of dark. The Mac 217 brush is a great option, with cream or powder shadows. A more budget friendly brush is the Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush, which is very similar in size and density of bristles. 

Large Crease Brush: (Step 2-right brush) I think this is great for getting that smudged darker shadow in the crease, and creating that initial smoky look, without getting to precise that its hard to blend, and ends up being wiped off and starting over. My favorite for this is the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush (part of the same set as the base shadow brush), which is oversized, and starts of light, but can really be built up. Another great option is the Hourglass Crease Brush, both which are very similar in shape, density, and feel.

Medium Precision Brush: (Step 3-middle brush) This brush is perfect for adding that last bit of dark shadow straight into the crease right at the corner of the eye, or right under the eye in the corner. It's not too small where it looks like you're drawing eyeliner, but not too big where the powder gets lost when blending. It's a perfect middle ground, which is why I called it a medium precision brush. I always reach for Sephora Precision #61 Brush, which is precise, but also gets that perfect amount of blending that is signature for that smoky eye. 

Bite Agave Lip Mask Review

I'm a sucker for lip products that say they are miracle moisturizers. The Bite Agave Lip Mask was no exception, reaching it's way right into my Sephora basket. I picked up the champaign color, thinking it would be a subtle way to get major moisture while preventing the "I have petroleum jelly smothered over my lips and it shows" look I sometimes wear. I can officially say that after a month of use, I am extremely pleased. The color is a light sheer pink with golden shimmer, which makes it look like a high end gloss (Nars Orgasm anyone?). And while I normally try to stray away from the excess sheen, this just looks gorgeous and natural. Now besides the beauty bit of it, it really works well as a moisturizer. It's extremely thick and sticky, which is to be expected, but works like magic. I instantly feel a difference, and it keeps my lips moisturized far longer than the EOS balms, or regular ol' lip balm. The price is absolutely worth the product, because a half-a-pea-size amount sets me for the whole school day (and I'm talking about small peas here). I 100% recommend it if you hate dry lips. I want to try the other color too, which is a brighter fuchsia pink, but for now, I say go for the champaign.