Life is Stressful

I know I haven't been especially active on the blog recently. Life has been kicking me in the butt and honestly I'm struggling to keep up with everything. There is a lot going on in my personal life that I won't talk about here, but balancing it and school and work is proving nearly impossible. I shouldn't complain because I have an absolutely wonderful life that I am extremely privileged to have, but some days just suck.

That's it. They suck.

And you move on.
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Makeup Memory Lane

Anna posted this video the other day and it made me nostalgic so let's take a trip down memory lane (it'll be just as cringey as that sentence). These pictures make me laugh, I can't believe how different I look after only a few years. The three on the left are from the first blog I ever had, Cloud of Blush and Rivers of Lipstick (lol what?) and I thought I was hot shit.

First makeup item purchased? I think technically this was a yellow-green Miss Sporty nail polish (why?) and the Maybelline Clear Mascara, but I remember begging my mum to let me buy a green eyeshadow palette in Boots when I was about 7. She let me, and I walked down the high street swinging that bag, the next day I went to school with a green smudge on each eyelid and I thought I was the coolest girl in school.

First MAC item? I must have been around 11, it was the first time we went back home to England after moving to the states and I spotted the MAC counter in the airport. We didn't really have time but my parents let me look quickly. The catch was I had to look by myself. As an 11-year old, this was absolutely terrifying. I remember this really heavily made up woman telling me I should buy the Myth lipstick, which I did. I then loaded that stuff up on my lips everyday for years. I remember cringing handing over $11 for a lipstick, little did I know I'd soon become addicted. I'm pretty sure one of my little sister's sneaky friends pilfered this when I did her makeup for prom a few years ago though because it's gone, sad.

First MAC/Other Brand Collection? I think I told this story a few weeks ago but MAC once had a collection you could only buy in Duty Free so I begged my grandparents to pick me up a set when they came to visit. I think they were called Look in a Box or something? The box I got came with Grand Entrance, Smoke and Diamonds, a mascara, lipgloss, and and iridescent pressed powder and I was over the moon. Probably more excited for the makeup to arrive than I was my grandparents, oops. I found a video I did about it oh my god, I can't believe I'm going to let you see this. Why is my voice so annoying?!?!?

First High End Makeup Splurge? Other than those MAC things, I distinctly remember the day I bought the Benefit You Rebel Lite and I thought I was so cool walking around with my orange, way too dewy to look good face. I still have this because I'm nostalgic and love aluminum packaging, gross.

I also remember my first trip to Ulta and convincing my dad to let me spend $45 on the Naked Palette when I saw they actually had one in stock, haha sorry Dad, I've spent much more than that now!

First Makeover Experience? When I was about 13 my parents worked a lot because we had a bit of a money struggle, so this older lady Mrs. Edna used to watch us some days. She was quite rich so it was a bit of a treat if we got to spend the day with her. One day she took me to Belk or Macy's or something so we could get makeovers. I was excited about this for a week straight. Little did I know the ancient makeup artists would give me an orange face, a green smoky eye, and bright red lipstick. This kind of made me distrust makeup artists in stores forever. That and the fact that they always OVER apply everything. I'm determined to work at a Sephora at some point in my life and make people look natural.

First Makeup Brush? I'm sure I had a few from elf but after a month of begging my Dad let me order the Sigma Essentials set when I was maybe 16. I paid $100 for it which was a lot, but it's now $160 what?! Craziness. Anyway the day those brushes came I'm pretty sure I cuddled the packaging I was so excited.

There's a few of my Makeup firsts! Leave me a comment and tell me yours!
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The Staple Outfit

Okay I'm one of those weirdos who can't stand wearing bum clothes. If I'm not in my house, you will never catch me wearing sweatpants. Not because I want to impress other people, but because I like to look nice for myself. Some days though, I just need to wear a super comfy outfit that I don't have to worry about. Enter my two favorite pieces in my wardrobe.

First is a pair of black jeggings from American Eagle. I actually found these at Buffalo Exchange with some awesome custom rips. I'm not usually a fan of really ripped up jeans, but these are done tastefully and add some edge to the outfit. The pair I've linked are pre-ripped but they also have regular black ones. This pair is also gloriously worn in and incredibly comfortable.

Another staple is my beloved white linen shirt from Banana Republic Factory. It's not on the website, but it's definitely still in our store (I work there hehe) so should be in others. It's a beautiful lightweight material that is uber-comfortable while still looking professional. It's cut perfectly with a slightly longer tail, and it's flattering while still being floaty.

Throw in my everyday jewelry and a pair of nude flats (or colourful ones if I'm feeling crazy) and my perfect outfit is complete!

What do you wear on a comfy day?
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Lashes

A few months ago I lost a huge chunk of lashes on one of my eyes (no idea how honestly), and they took so long to grow back I started filling the hole with individual lashes. Fast forward and I'm still in the habit of wearing them often. They do add a few more minutes to my makeup routine, but it really does make such a big difference. Even adding a few to the outer corners makes my eyes look more open and defined.

The plus of individual lashes is that they look much more natural because there's no band and you can customize how dramatic you want them to be. I use the Ardell Duralash ones but I tend to mix the Short and Medium lengths to make them look really natural. I do have VERY long lashes and the Medium are quite long on me so keep that in mind. Glue is also really important. If you don't use a quality glue your lashes can unadhere during the day and trust me it's embarrassing when someone plucks a false eyelash off of your cheek. I use the Duo Adhesive in clear because it's inexpensive and it works. It's also not too hard on the sensitive skin on my eyelids when I take them off. I think a pack of lashes retails for around $5 or $6 but they can last quite a long time before I need to buy a new one.

Do you like false lashes?
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