My 11 Minute Makeup Routine

Since starting this blog, I've realized that I do actually pride myself on quite a few small, vain, but still relevant things. One of these things is my ability to apply decent (or at least not terrible) makeup in ten minutes. This week, I decided to both test my hurried preparation skills and explain my process. I hope it doesn't disappoint!

I love this mascara because it provides two different looks. I first use the Volume brush on my top lashes. When that dries, I use the Length brush on both the top and bottom lashes. Depending on my mood I curl my top lashes, but that's not entirely necessary in my opinion.

Ta-da! All done! Turns out, I underestimated my abilities; this routine took 11 minutes, not the 10 I'd originally said. Oh well... Close enough, right?

Anyways, here's what the final product looks like! The lip stain takes a bit to set in and even out, but all in all I'm pretty satisfied with how I look. Quick, easy, and not an eyesore: three adjectives I am proud to have applied to me.

Eyebrow kit: e.l.f.
Eyeshadow palette: Clinique
Mascara: Rimmel London
Lip stain: e.l.f.

Date Night

Shoes: Similar from Forever 21

Dress: Similar from Frenchi

Necklace: Stella & Dot, similar from H&M

Clutch: Coach, similar from Windsor

Bracelet: Similar from Francesca's

Last night was a date night inspired by Carly, AKA The College Prepster, and her adorable and equally preppy boyfriend. I love an excuse to dress up, even if it's just dinner and ice cream.

So All About That: Stella & Dot

Now, I know I could talk for hours about how much I love jewelry, but I promise I'll try to make this post short and to the point. A friend recently introduced me to Stella & Dot, and since then I've been trying to decide what I can buy with the tips I get from the restaurant over the summer.

I'm obsessed with everything they have-- earrings, necklaces, scarves, bags, bracelets, phone cases, rings, everything!

Luckily, my friend is a stylist for Stella & Dot herself, so I was able to get a good look at everything before I decided what I was going to get (more on that later!). For those of you who aren't so lucky, you can either order online or contact my friend directly to order something.

 Personally, I love that each and every piece of Stella & Dot jewelry is versatile and can be worn at least two or three different ways. That's why I chose the necklace I did, because it can be worn 5 different ways!

I tried each of the five ways and found I liked them all! It was a bit of a splurge but I'm so excited about it-- it's like I bought five different necklaces. Stay tuned to see me wear it all 5 different ways!

To Splurge or To Save

Since finals finished a week ago, I've been busy all day every day working to save money for the school year. As exhausting as working in a restaurant is, it's also very rewarding in quite a few ways; the obvious way being the paycheck I get every other week. Now, this is the first time in nine months that I'm seeing steady money, and I've decided to treat myself with my first paycheck to reward myself for going directly from finals to 7 hours on my feet a day. The only question is, do I splurge or save when treating myself? I'm always quite the proponent of saving money when shopping, but in this case, a small splurge might be worth it to make myself feel more excited to work the rest of the summer. As I haven't yet decided, I've compiled a wish list with both an expensive and a cheap option.

Black & Green

Boots: Shop on Etsy
Socks: Similar from JCPenney
Dress: H&M, similar from Forever 21
Kimono: Victoria's Secret, similar from Love Culture
Leather bracelet: Similar from H&M
Earrings: Forever 21

Sorry I haven't posted in nearly a week-- it's the week before finals and I'm swamped between studying, doing final projects, and getting ready to move back home. Somehow, though, I've still found time to dress myself up. I'm having a bit of trouble transitioning my almost all black wardrobe into sunnier days, but I'm working on it. I'm also very proud of myself for finding a color scheme that this green kimono works with!