A Little Bit Different…

Hey everyone! Now that our weekend comes to a close and school and work returns to the daily schedule, there's something I'd thought I'd put out there. First, I suggest this video:

Now besides having loved this channel for years, Jacksgap recently posted this video that struck me to my core. I suffer from anxiety and depression, and now I'm here to talk about it. 

Backing up a bit, I've had mental illnesses (illness being purely scientific. It is by no means a negative word, nor should be perceived as one) for years without ever knowing what it was, until it started manifesting into panic attacks and avoidance of many situations (agoraphobia). None of my friends knew (through no fault of their own), but my parents sat me down one day, and we really talked about it. I started seeing a psychiatrist, and that's when I truly started to feel good, and more like my usual self. I'm absolutely not ashamed to admit I see someone, or I have these illnesses, and I think the bad vibe we get from hearing those words can be turned around.

What struck me the most is how much I need to actually stand by my words. My parents know, but none of my friends or teachers or even close relatives really know that I have anxiety and depression, and the scope at which I have it. I've made a promise to myself to talk about it, and not only talk to them, but to the internet as well. 

If you ever just need to talk either privately or with others, know that I will always be an advocate for mental health. Even though these feelings completely suck, I feel like I have, for the most part, successfully understood the ways in which my mind works, and I've helped myself to beat many negative thoughts through my head. It IS possible. If you want to comment about your experience, I'd love to hear your stories, or go to Jacksgap website where they also have a forum. 

YOU are a great person, and YOU have the strength to beat these mental illnesses. And you are absolutely not alone :)

I'm hoping to post more about mental health, because it is such a big factor in my life. Let me know if you want to see anything in particular, and I hope you have a wonderful week!

Travel Pictures! Hawaii 2014 Part 1

Hey everyone! Hope you are enjoying the weekend! I wanted to share just a few of my favorite pictures from my Maui trip. I would definitely recommend going for the adventurous person, and I would probably suggest winter over summer, because that's the whale season. This is only one of my two memory cards, so I'll probably have a part 2 a little while later. Enjoy!

 Humpback off of Lahaina

 Humphrey the turtle. Don't worry, we didn't touch him, nor get in the way of his feeding frenzy :)

Another sea turtle coming up for breath

 Mountains from a helicopter

 Humpbacks from a helicopter

 Fish

More fish

If you ever find yourself enjoying what nature has to offer, just remember to be respectful. The smallest touch can kill coral or give sea turtles a deadly disease, so observe from a distance. Marine geek out :)

Brow Plucking: The Basics

Let's be real. There are about .00002% of people who have perfect brows, and if you're one of them, I'm super jealous. For the rest of us, brows are an ongoing learning process. Whether you're young and just starting with shaping brows or a brow black belt, these are my best tips I've learned through the years.

1) Start with a wax. If it's your first time playing with brows, or you just can't seem to get a good shape, go see a professional first. Waxing isn't too expensive or painful for brows, and a super quick 15 minutes. From then on, you have a shape you can go off of, and a fresh slate. Plus, it's a lot easier for a professional to see what shape would suit your face, and doing exactly what you want.

2) Good tweezers are a good investment. Tweezers that are with a sharp edge, easy to handle, and stainless steel will be the easiest to use. Drugstore tweezers are less sharp, making it harder to tweeze the specific hair, and easier to make a mistake, plus they don't last as long. I suggest Tweezerman tweezers, because they are super accurate, good for beginner and advanced alike, and last for years (I've had mine for over 7).

3) If in doubt, don't pluck. Over-plucking can ruin brows for a long time. Though you may be plucking pretty often, longer hairs on the brow-bone take much longer to grow back. If there is truly a hair you can't decide over, don't pluck it. It will barely be noticeable enough to make a difference too. 

4) Use the buddy system. Plucking brows to a certain shape is very difficult on yourself. I will always have my mom look at my brows from a semi-distance to tell me exactly where the tweezers need to go. It's a lot easier for someone else to look at the proportions, and it helps prevent over plucking. 

5) Look up close and at a distance. Similar to number 4, looking at your brows from a distance gives a general idea of where you need to pluck. Looking up close gives you specific hairs that need to go. Alternating between views will give you the best chance to get a good shape, because it allows you to see individual hairs that make up your brow shape.

6) The classic "brows are sisters not twins." If you do your brows, you've probably heard this statement. But it still is very true. Eyebrows will never be exactly the same, just like other proportions on your body sometimes aren't the same. Knowing this tidbit can help prevent over plucking, because the shape of each brow doesn't have to be a complete copy. With a bit of brushing and penciling in, your brows will be very sister like, and very beautiful.

New Year, New Me

Contrary to popular belief, I am still blogging! 2014 was a year of a lot of struggles, which may have been evident on some of me less-enthusiastic posts, and my little break from blogging. 2015 is going to change though, starting with one simple resolution: stay positive. I have a lot I want to share, and I'm super excited to do so, and I really do think this year is going to be kick-ass. Can't wait to spend it with you! Happy New Year everyone!!

Positive Thinking

I've had a lot of changes in my life recently, and a lot of motivation from the people around me to think more positively, and to stop being hard on myself, and stop pointing out my imperfections. I truly do believe that everyone is beautiful outside of makeup, outside of  what you look like, outside of your job or the things you own. In the long run, it doesn't matter. Surrounding yourself with good people and things that make you happy is really what will make your life a great one. And it's all out there, I can assure it. I'm starting to make less over-generalizations, and focus more on the now, instead of the future. I have a little challenge for you. You are beautiful. It may seem kinda weird to say it, even if I've never met you. But I truly to believe that everyone has a beauty in themselves. Now tell this to someone close. See how much it can make their day, because one little sentence can make such a difference. Then tell it to someone who you haven't talked to in a long time. And see the even bigger difference. Like a said, a bit of kindness can lead to a whole lot more positivity.

Happy Halloween!!

October is coming to a close. Now even though it's 20 mph winds and 37 degrees, it's still a wonderful time. My house is a hot-spot for cute little kids as Elsa's and zombies, as well as parents asking to use the bathroom. But my absolute favorite: pumpkin seeds. Every year we get two medium pumpkins, scoop out every last seed, and bake them. We set them in a baking tray, set the oven to 325, and put garlic salt all over the seeds. Baked until a nice brown tinge occurs, about 45 minutes (trust me it's worth it) this is literally one of the best parts of October. Not to mention it's full of fiber and great for you! I eat the seeds whole, and boy they are good. Wanna give a try? It's beyond easy, and if you don't want to scoop out a pumpkin or take them from a jack-o-lantern, you can buy plain seeds at virtually any store and put some of your own seasoning on them. You can get really creative too! 

So for anyone that has followed this blog, I know the month of October has been a little empty in terms of blogging. I promise, I have more time now and it's still something I love to do. The way for me to show my likes and dislikes, and little tidbits for me to share to the world is so amazing. I'll see you soon!

HUGE Sephora Haul!

As a reward to finishing ALL my college apps, I treated myself to a little Sephora fun. I actually went in store to try a bunch of things rather than looking online, which was awesome because I got a couple things I never would even look at online. I also got some help to find a better shade of foundation since the color match always makes me too pink. Here are my goodies!

Nars Sheer Matte foundation in Deauville: This is quite a change from the color Santa Fe, but the formula is so awesome that I wanted to stick to the brand. Nar's foundations tend to get darker as you spread them on the skin, so when you think you're a perfect match, I'd suggest going one shade lighter. I went multiple shades lighter because I'm losing my summer tan, and it also was a good balance of pink and yellow that more matched my skin tone. $45.

Urban Decay Naked2 Basics: Matching with the type of shades found in the regular Naked2 palette, the basics palette is 5 matte and one pearl taupe-y type shades. Every picture I've seen (even the one on the box) doesn't give it justice as to how beautiful the shades are. So versatile, I absolutely love playing with a ton of different looks. $29.

Anastasia Brow Whiz in Medium Brown: Yes, I'm late to the game on this one. And like everyone else who's tried this pencil, once you go whiz you never go back. Medium Brown is the perfect color because it's very grey toned, which makes my eyebrows look much more natural. The fine pencil and spooley work wonders on filling in brows while keeping a natural look. I seriously love this pencil, and it's so worth the money. $21.

Bite Matte Creme Lip Crayon in Aubergine: Holy crap the pigment is amazing. And the staying power. I'm new to Bite as a brand, but I'm very, very impressed. I tested a few of their lipsticks, and the vibrancy was the exact same. I wore this particular crayon, which looks like a cross between a chubby stick and a lip liner, in a very beautiful eggplant color. It lasted for a good 3 hours without any kind of lip prep. 3 HOURS. Towards the end it does turn a bit more red toned, but still very pretty. I'm absolutely going to try more from this brand. $24.

Tangle Teezer Compact Styler: Another newbie for me, and nothing to do with makeup, this small brush is used on wet hair to get out tangles. I have a lot of problems with tangly and damaged hair since getting it bleached. It's a great tool to travel with because it has the case, and it's very easy to clean, so it's great for the shower. I have medium thickness long hair, and it is much easier than a comb, but if you have thick hair, it might get a bit difficult to work with. Overall, it would work best with short, thin hair, but I'd give it a try! Definitely pulls less than a brush, and less damaging. $20