A Year of Absence Part II

This past year has been a whirlwind of changes and dramatic life decisions. I feel as though I am steadily falling into the driver's seat of my adult life. An ideal job opportunity was placed before, and while the money was great and the drive very short, the job itself presented many challenges that I could not find myself to overcome, mainly being verbally abused over the phone while I called to verify information. This enormous jolt into a big-girl job threw me into a vioent depression, complete with panic attacks and severe bouts of anxiety that would leave me in tears. After two months, I decided enough was enough, told my boss thanks but no thanks, and signed up for Esthetics school.

Almost a solid year has passed (precisely 365 days on September 2nd) since I had my first day of school. This was one of the biggest decisions of my life, and quite frankly, one of the best. My failure at my big-girl job stunted the faith I had in my future, and I was conviced I was destined to work in retail my whole life. The environemt I entered changed my mind completely. I have never been more grateful to a group of people in all my life. My instructors displayed nothing if not a passion for the industry that I was learning about, and continuously built us up into confident, capable and professional people. The students, while varying in age, showed up to school every day, ready to learn and ready to pursue a successful career. This drastic chance of pace and people in my everyday life made me truly believe that my place was in the beauty industry, and the amazing men and women that I had the pleasure of meeting will remain true friends and trusted mentors.

All that aside, I find myself at a crossroads professionally. The job market in my field is significantly smaller than I anticipated. I still work at the makeup store (and have for almost two years) but I can feel myself rapidly outgrowing it, and honestly, I am feverishly ready for a new challenge and a bigger paycheck. I have applied to several salons and spas, so I guess we will see what happens.

A Year of Absence!

I have unintentionally ignored this blog for a solid year! What started with such gusto and excitement has fallen into literary despair. I reached a point in my life that made it seem pointless to continue writing about beauty products and fashion. Heres why!

1. Cosmetics are expensive! It has always baffled me how so many beauty bloggers are able to afford all the makeup and skincare that they do. Obviously, most of the products are sent to them straight from the manufactures, but to drop x amount of money on every color of a new line of lip crayon? I just could not compete. Food and bills take precedence over makeup (at least sometimes.)
2. The lighting in my house is terrible. You would not think this would be an issue, but it makes taking pictures of products and myself and "outfits of the day" extremely difficult. Usually early morning light is what make everything seem the most bright and clean, but even that doesn't shine through any of my windows. My house is one story, and is surrounded by tall trees and other houses, so there is no way for the sunlight to get in!
3. Clothes do not look good on me in pictures. There! I said it! I pull together so many awesome outfits and my accessories are always on point, but when I go to take selfie, suddenly the outfit looks gross! I want so bad to showcase my fashion sense but I get so crestfallen from my lack of selfie game that I abandon the picture taking process altogether.

Despite all of this, which continues to be true, I decided to at least attempt to pick up this blog again. I recently got a job that made it possible to obtain prestige cosmetics without breaking my bank account. I started using a bunch of new products that I never dreamed of loving as much as I do. I have so many new products to review (and even more to try!) and I'm quite excited to buckle down and start writing about them. 

The hardest part about this is making myself get to work. I have made it a goal of mine to get more organized with my time, which I think will help me publish posts at a reasonable, consistent pace. until next time!

Urban Decay Naked3 Palette

When my makeup obsession was in its infant stages, my focus zeroed in on the Naked2 ($52) palette. Every beauty blogger and makeup artist I followed adored it, so naturally, I knew I had to add it my ever-growing collection. Over time, I pushed it off and pushed it off, convinced I would never obtain it, due to its high price and my unwillingness to splurge. Eventually, I caved of course and the elusive palette was in my possession at last. I feel in love with it the moment I opened it and it has become a staple in my everyday makeup application. 

As soon as Urban Decay announced the release of Naked3 ($52,) my heart just about burst out of my chest. The timing, however, of said release was heavily in my favor as Christmas was soon approaching and my boyfriend was hounding me for gift ideas. I sent him the link at UrbanDecay.com and said, "This. Get me this." and viola, he did.

This "rose-hued" palette is so gorgeous, I was torn between diving right in with a brush or simply admiring it. All of the hues are so perfect, my mind was buzzing with color combinations the moment I opened it. The pink tint of my complexion posed a teensy bit of a problem when applying really any of the colors. Each one seems to draw attention to the redness in my cheeks, which is something I normally actively avoid as it makes me look like Santa Claus. Although I've never said this once in my life, I'll say it now. I wish I was paler! The colors look amazing with my green eyes but not with my pink skin! I will definitely keep working on perfecting a look because this palette is just too beautiful to waste. 

Origins Balanced Diet Lotion

A few months ago, I ordered a few Origins products. The Clear Improvement Charcoal Face Mask ($24.00) and Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask ($24.00.) Like most cosmetics sites, I was allowed to choose a free sample and I decided on A Perfect World Age Defense Moisturizer with White Tea, and I fell in love with it. It smelled amazing and my skin was so soft and smooth after every use. The small bottle emptied after awhile of course, and I casually switched back to my drugstore moisturizer. My skin rebelled in a way I've never seen! It adjusted so happily to the higher-quality lotion that it refused to resort to to the kind I had used before. My face was so dry that my chin was peeling. Unfortunately, the lotion I wanted was $41.00 for a regular sized portion, which, at the time, was drastically out of my budget. I settled for Balanced Diet Lightweight Moisture Lotion ($27.50) and I am loving it!

For one, the little bottle it comes in is adorable. Second, it truly is "lightweight." I've always had problems with moisturizers because they would weigh so heavily on my skin, especially in the summer when my skin is more oily. This lotion sinks right in and I can almost feel my skins thirst being quenched. I use it in the morning after I get out of the shower and at night after my makeup removal routine. Now that it's winter and the dryness is definitely settling in, I apply it twice. I still intend on repurchasing the White Tea moisturizer, but all in good time. 

NARS Guy Bourdin Blush

Yesterday, my Sephora package finally arrived! Packed very neatly within it was NARS Guy Bourdin Blush in Day Dream ($29.00) along with an assortment of free samples. This blush caught my eye when Nars released it, and when my favorite Glasgow blogger, gh0stparties, reviewed it last week, I knew I had to have it. Despite its relatively high price, I took a chance and spent the extra few bucks. A sort of "what the hell, why not" sort of moment. 

I don't usually wear blush, (mainly because my checks are so naturally rosy,) but the "peachy pink" color doesn't make me look too much like a porcelain doll. I paired it with NYX Cosmetics Stay Matte Liquid Foundation in Creamy Natural ($7.49) and NYX Stay Matte Powder Foundation in Ivory ($9.99,) and the result is better than I expected. I was afraid the combination of cream and pink would be clashing but it balances really well.

I'm currently on the hunt for a better foundation. I like NYX for the price and the decent quality, but none of the shades perfectly match my skin tone. When my bank account allows it, I plan on purchasing Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation ($45.00) although the shade is not yet determined. I'm also dying to try MAC Matchmaster SPF 15 Foundation ($34.00,) Smashbox Liquid Halo HD Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15 ($42.00,) and of course NARS Sheer Matte Foundation and Sheer Glow Foundation ($44.00.)

What can I say, I have expensive taste.

Awkward

Introductions never fail to make me nervous. But here goes! My name is Emily. 

I've been obsessed with clothes ever since I can remember. As a little girl, "dress-up" was my go-to game. As I've matured into a semi-adult, that obsession has transformed into a fervent passion for all things pretty; from shoes to lipsticks to cardigans to fake eyelashes. The majority of my paychecks go to filling my closet and my cosmetics drawer. I use my fashion sense and makeup skills to help provide a certain confidence I would otherwise have trouble forming. It's my goal to encourage my fellow women to embrace their natural beauty while helping them be creative with makeup and express themselves with their clothes.

Now that we have that all out of the way, I spent the majority of my day rearranging my bedroom. I need to put more effort into keeping it clean. There was dust everywhere! I purchased a tiny owl bowl, although I've not yet decided what to put in it. I organized all of my nail polish and quite like how it came out. As you can see, Essie is my brand of choice.

I'll have to plan several separate posts to display my clothes and makeup. I own more of each that I am proud to admit.

I don't want to ramble on and on, so I'll end this here. I want to post either once or twice a week, so until next time!

Emily

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