Review: Etsy

Etsy is an online website that holds many different boutiques that sell a variety of things. I personally have recently hopped onto the Etsy bandwagon, and I am loving it. I purchased from two different buyers, and I got 4 bracelets and a scarf. They both just coincidently happened to be from Turkey, but nevertheless they both exceeded my expectations. 

I bought these bracelets from a boutique "cocolocca". This boutique specializes in evil eye jewelry and they are all dainty little bracelets, necklaces, or keychains. They were all so beautiful that it was so hard for me to figure out which ones I wanted to get, but then once I decided on my final 4, I knew I had picked the right ones. I was looking for evil eye bracelets because I have always loved the symbolism behind it and because I personally think it is so beautiful. These bracelets are a lot smaller than what I had expected, but I am still extremely happy with my purchase. It only took around 2 weeks to get to my house, which at first I thought was a little long, but once I realized that they were from Turkey I understood. 

In the pictures below you will see how dainty and delicate these bracelets are. They are so beautiful it's hard for me to find a way to describe them, but they are just so magical. They are easily my new favorite bracelets and I am extremely happy with this purchase. 

The next item that I bought from Etsy was a butterfly blue scarf from a boutique called "Asildesign". The material is chiffon and it is an infinity scarf. I love this because infinity scarves are my personal favorite because they are so easy to use and you don't have to worry about fixing it. This scarf is so thin that it is great for the spring or summer when it gets a little cooler at night. I love the royal blue color because it really looks good on just about anyone and it can really bring out the color in most people's eyes. Another thing that I love about this scarf are the butterflies. They're so unexpected and I think that they really give it that extra "oomph!" and really give your outfit a great pop. This product also took around 2 weeks to get to my house, but again it was from Turkey so I understand.

Overall, I love both of my Etsy purchases and I greatly encourage anyone to go and buy some products from that site. It gives you a chance to get more unique items in your wardrobe and it allows for these small boutiques worldwide to get good business. Go check it out, I promise you'll find something great! :)

How To: Be A Good Gift Giver

I personally find myself to be a good gift giver. I don't mean to be saying this with the intent of bragging about myself, but rather to help those who are not. My brother happens to be the worst gift giver that I have ever met, and that is not his fault. Some people are good, and some people are bad. But nevertheless, it is a skill that can easily be improved. 

Step One: Take Notice. 

When shopping with a friend or just hanging out, try not to drift off and just nod at everything they say. If they seem interested in a certain item at a store, take notice. Over time you will start to see a pattern in the things that they like, which will help you when you want to find them a present that they will truly love. 

Step Two: Write it down. 

It may be exhausting to constantly try to remember what every single person you know would like as a present, so write it down. This does not mean that you need to carry around a pen and notepad with you, but if you have a smartphone, use it! There are notepad apps that can help you and this will make remembering a lot easier. 

Step Three: Plan Ahead.

When going shopping for a gift for your friend, you should already have an idea of what you want to get them. Don't go to the shops in the hopes that you will find something because this will make searching exhausting and you will probably just settle for something, rather than actually getting something that they will enjoy. If you plan on going into a certain store with the intention of buying them something that you know they will like, you will make the gift giving process a lot easier on yourself and a lot less stressful. Planning ahead is probably the most important steps in being a good gift giver because it provides you with the time to really think about what the person will like rather than what is at your convenience. 

Step Four: WRAP.

This step a lot of people forget or don't put any effort into. I personally hate when I receive a gift that hasn't been wrapped, or even worse if it was handed to me in the paper or plastic bag that the store gave them. It's not because I am being pretentious, but because it shows how much effort you put into the present. If you handed someone a present with it in the bag from the store, it shows that you went last minute shopping and didn't have time. It is really inconsiderate and let's be honest, it's not very pretty. I love wrapping paper and I think it shows how much time you put into the gift. 

If you follow these four steps I promise that you will be a great gift giver and your friend will open their present with the wonderful priceless face of "how did you know?". Being a good gift giver is more than handing over a present, it shows that you really care and know about that person. It gives them a great sense of love and comfort and this is why I absolutely love giving presents! :) 

I'm a chocoholic

Yep, that's right. I am a chocoholic. I don't mean that I like chocolate and I eat it occasionally. I mean that when I see chocolate, I attack. I don't just have one or two pieces, I have ten. It's hard for me to control myself around chocolate, and it's hard for me not to think about chocolate. 

This obsession with chocolate started at a young age, and ever since it's been quite the ride. I enjoy almost every kind of chocolate there is. My favourites happen to be: Godiva, Lindt (Lindor (SOOOO GOOOD)), See's, Guylian, Hershey Hugs, Smarties, Aero, Coffee Crisp, Kit Kat, Cadbury (especially Mini Eggs) and Maltesers, to just name a few. I go crazy when I am around these chocolates, and it just cannot be stopped.

One of the down sides to having this massive chocolate addiction is that I tend to break out a lot when I eat too much chocolate. Since this past weekend it was time for me to celebrate, I ate quite a lot of chocolate. And now I am paying for it. So I have told myself, after years of trying, to take a break. Not a huge one! I'm not giving up chocolate for good! Dear God I could not do that! But just for a week. I will not have chocolate for an entire week. This may not seem like a challenge to most people, but to me this is a huge obstacle. I received a lot of chocolate for my birthday, and it just stares at me when I am at my desk. So on Sunday, I will allow myself to have one piece of my birthday chocolate. This way hopefully I will be able to ration myself and to learn that everything is better in moderation. Wish me luck. 

If any of you chocoholics can relate to me, please comment! We can share our stories. 

Here are the pictures of the birthday chocolates that are sitting at my desk staring at me as I type this. The last one are cupcakes which I actually devoured on my birthday.

so good... 

mmm gimme, please.

I already ate these, and they were delicious. 

Finding Your Perfect Scent

From left to right: DKNY Be Delicious, Vera Wang Princess, Juicy Couture Viva La Juicy, Lolita Lempicka Perfume, Escada, Aquolina Pink Sugar, Miss Dior Cherie, L Lamb Perfume

Has this ever happened to you where you smell a perfume on someone and it smells like all the joy in the world is in that scent, but when you try it on yourself it just doesn't smell the same? Well, that happens to me all the time. I often find myself always searching for that perfect scent by hearing about what other people like. But this is not the way to find your scent! Scents smell different depending on each person's body chemistry and that's why certain perfumes smell better on different people. Here are my 3 tips in finding your perfect perfume: 

1. Stop going for the scents that everyone else uses! Chances are that the perfumes that everyone loves are everywhere! You really don't want to smell like 5 other ladies in your class or in your work, so don't go for the popular perfumes.
2. Find out which scent works best on your skin. The best way to figure out which scents work best on you is to try a bunch. Try different scents that carry different ingredients, that way you can find out which one will work best with your body chemistry. You can do this by trying some of your friends and family's scents or by going and taking advantage of the sample sizes at Sephora or any department store. 
3. Use in moderation. Perfumes are great because they make us all feel a little better about the way we smell, but that doesn't mean you have to pour the entire bottle on yourself before you leave in the morning. Use around 2-3 sprits and that way you won't over use your perfume! Sometimes its easy to get carried away with perfume, but you have to ration yourself because trust me on this one, the people around you will appreciate it so much.

Finding a perfume that goes well with your skin is going to be a challenge because there are so many scents out there, but once you find your scent you won't regret the long search. If you're like me and don't like your perfume to have too much scent to it, get a perfume with less perfume oil. Below I will list the strength order of perfumes:

• Eau Fraiche (Usually 3% or less perfume oil)
• Eau de Cologne (2-5%)
• Eau de Toilette (4-10%)
• Eau de Parfum (8-15%)
• Soie de Parfum (15-18%)
• Parfum/Perfume or Extract/Extrait (15-25%)
• Perfume Oil (15-30%)

Happy Searching! :)

10 Products That I Love

I have always loved makeup, from Burberry to Drugstore. I like to stock up and use up on samples because it provides me with a better knowledge and understanding of the products that are out there and lets me have fun with makeup. These products I have been using for what seems like forever. I love all of them, and I don't know if I will ever replace them. 

 1. Estée Lauder Perfectly Clean Splash Away Foaming Cleaner (Normal/Combination Skin). 

I can't even begin to explain how much I love this product. I started using it because I had purchased a product from Estée Lauder and had received this cleanser as a small sample. When I went traveling I decided to bring it because I didn't really want to bring a huge bottle of facial cleanser. I was only gone for a brief time and my skin instantly became so much softer, cleaner, and I dare to even say it was glowing a little bit. At the time that I was gone I was eating a lot of chocolate because it happened to be the holidays (and we all know that the holidays means it is time to eat chocolate) and I didn't break out once the entire time I was using this. It was a complete shock to me because I usually break out every time I have a lot of chocolate but this cleanser really prevented that. It has a white foamy consistency and It is really easy to apply. The best part about this product is that it lasts a very long time. I've only gone through about 2 bottles and I've been using this product for about 2 1/2 to 3 years. I highly recommend this product, it is $20 and well worth the investment. 

 2. Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme (SPF 10). 

I decided to purchase this product when I was walking though Sephora one day because I had heard so much about BB Creme's. This is my first BB Creme and it is absolutely amazing. The bottle comes with a pump at the end which makes it very easy to control that amount that you want to use. It is very soft and doesn't feel like it's clogging my pores. I use one pump and it covers my entire face without me needing to use a brush or any other applicator. This product is expensive ($44) but because it gives such a natural glow, I think it is definitely worth the money. 

 3. Dior Skinflash Radiance Booster Pen (003). 

No matter how much sleep I get there will always be dark bags under my eyes. I don't know why this happens to me but I have come to terms with it. This is my first under eye product and it makes me look like I've gotten my 8 hours (even if I already did). It is very similar to the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Éclat but it is a little bit cheaper. This product is $37 and it gives you a good little pick me up in the morning. It is very creamy and it is very blendable. I only use my fingers when using this product and it does me wonders!

 4. Nars Orgasm Blush. 

I know, I know. Everyone loves this blush. But trust me on this one, the hype is true. I was so skeptical for so long but once I finally gave this product a try, I instantly fell in love. I was given the sample from Sephora's 100 reward program and I loved it after the first application. I was worried that this product would be too glittery and that it was just so typical for me to have it. However, this blush gives you such a natural rosey cheeks look that it's hard not to love it. It's $29 and it will last you a very long time. I highly recommend this product.

 5. Benefit Lipstick in Lady's Choice. 

I usually never wear lipstick. It never looks good on me and I always end up wiping it off. However, this lipstick is such a good match to my lip color that it was hard for me to take it off. My mum actually introduced this product to me and I had to go and buy it for myself. The consistency is so creamy and the color is like a dusty rose. It can easily be dressed up or dressed down and casual (which is how I wear it). I absolutely love this lipstick! 

 6. Mac Eyeshadows: Mulch (top left), Tempting (top right), All That Glitters (bottom left), and Woodwinked (bottom right). 

These four eyeshadows are very neutral and very beautiful. I don't wear all of these together because that would be quite insane, but I usually pair up two and make that into my look. All That Glitters is a perfect lid color. It is a sparkly pink champagne that looks good on everyone's skin tone. (I used this on many of my friends and it looked good on all of them.) If you're in the search for a beautiful gold color than Woodwinked is perfect. I often use it on my lid or sometimes I put it in the crease when All That Glitters is on my lid. It makes your eye color pop and I always get a compliment when I wear it. Mulch and tempting are both crease colors. However, they are both completely different color browns. Mulch is a dark chocolate with sparkles. It gives me more a more dramatic eye and when I put it in my outer corner it gives my eye a lot more depth. Tempting is more of a gold brown. It's more of an every day crease color and can be used with almost any other color eyeshadow. If you are looking to start your collection with mac eyeshadows they are $15 in the pot and are well worth the price. All four of these eyeshadows are great because they can be paired up in so many different ways and give you so many chic looks. 

 7. Boobi Brown Long-Wear Gel Eyeliner in Black Ink. 

Again, I couldn't resist. This product is so hyped up but it's so good. I can use any eyeliner brush I want and I will always get a good eyeliner. Liquid eyeliner is extremely difficult to put on, and gel liner is a little easier. However, this Bobbi Brown eyeliner is so easy to put on and so easy to fix when you make a mistake, that it is just so hard not to love. Black Ink is as black as it gets. I used to wear this eyeliner everyday but I personally like to use it on a special night out or when I want a more dramatic look because it is so black. I have had this product for over a year and I used to wear it everyday. It has lasted me so long and for its price of $23 you seriously get your money's worth. 

 8. Nars Stick Concealer (Medium 2- Ginger). 

Whenever I get a spot on my face I instantly grab this concealer because it sticks. It won't budge throughout the day which is perfect. I apply it by putting a bit on my hand and with my finger I dab the product onto my spot and magic! It's gone! It is extremely long wearing and it gives me the confidence that I need when I do have a spot or two on my face. It's $23 but compared to other concealers that I have had, it's the best. 

 9. Benefit They're Real! Mascara. 

This is my favourite mascara ever. Ever. I have used it for months, and I know the picture is of a sample and that's because I keep getting samples! Sephora's reward program gives me free samples all the time and because it's my favourite I can't help myself! If you can get your hands on a sample I highly recommend it because that way you can try this mascara without having to spend the $23. Every time I wear this mascara people notice my eye lashes. I used to wear Maybelline Falsies Mascara, which is a great dupe for this, but once I tried this Benefit's They're Real! I couldn't go back. This mascara makes your lashes look fake and beautiful. They can be toned down or toned up and are definitely worth the hype. 

 10. Lancôme Le Stylo Waterproof Eyeliner in Café Noir. 

Wow. This eyeliner is amazing. I personally love to use the stick eyeliners that twist because sharpening pencils is for school. It goes on so smoothly and it has such a rich brown color that is great for everyday. If I could only wear one product a day, it would have to be this eyeliner. I was debating if I should get this eyeliner for months, but once I finally purchased it I realized what a great investment I had made. It is extremely long lasting and smudge proof. Because this eyeliner is Waterproof many people think they will have to scrub to get it off at night- you're wrong! It is so easy to apply and to take off. It never pulls on your skin when you apply it and it lasts all day. It is $26 but you get a lot for your money and it will become your favorite if you try it. 

* BONUS * 11. Burberry Beauty Glow Multi-Usage Highlighter. 

I received this product as a little gift from the Burberry counter at Nordstrom when I bought my mum a Birthday present. It can be used as a cream blush or lipstick, but I prefer to use it as a blush. I know I just talked about the Nars Orgasm Blush, but a girl can have two blushes in her life. I don't know how much this is because it was a gift but these cream blushes are great if you're looking for that blushed cheek look. It's extremely easy to apply and the packaging is absolutely wonderful. It is magnetic and looks like a teeny tiny burberry box. 

Growing Up, Without Growing Old

Birthdays are the best. I personally can't get enough of them. If you tell me it's your birthday I will go to the moon and back for you, even if we just met. I love planning parties and everything that comes along with the celebration of someone's birth, including eating a ton of cake. My birthday happens to be this Saturday and I am counting down the days, not because I am older therefore wiser, but because I get to eat a ton of delicious food, spend some quality time with the ones I love, and lets not forget about presents!

When I tell people that are older than me my age they say that I'm young and have my whole life ahead of me, and the opposite goes for when I tell people younger than me what my age is. To my little cousins I am so old that I might as well be retired. But that made me wonder, when is it appropriate to say that your old? I've heard 20 year olds say that they're old, but in reality you are always old and you are always young. You will never go backwards in time and become younger as the days progress, so why bother the comment of "I'm so old". Enjoy the life you are given and appreciate everything, because it can be gone in an instant. I never heard my grandfather say that he's old and he lived to be a very old man. Maybe if we all just stopped labeling every moment in our lives and just enjoyed it we wouldn't find ourselves to be "so old" or "so young", but just perfect. 

First

Seeing as this is my first blogpost I don't really know what to write about. In fact I don't even know if I am actually doing this right, but here's my attempt. Living in a world where everyone is connected through their phones makes me wonder what everyone is always looking at. I deleted my Facebook a year ago and the only other social networking sites that I use are Twitter and Instagram. I quickly glance at these apps when I get a little bored or feel that I have been doing something productive for too long and need a break. But since those are my only way to connect to the outside world, I felt a little bit lonely (which I am totally okay with!). But since I am at college I thought I should do something that might connect me even more, and not having a journal to write in, I thought writing a blog might be fun for me and maybe for whoever is reading this. 

So here is to (hopefully) getting a few readers, and I would really appreciate if someone taught me how to work this thing. Please comment or share because that would really make me happy :)