Hopeless Romantic

There is usually no such thing as a perfect photoshoot.

Either I have camera issues, or the light is weird, or it’s last minute and I don’t create the vision I intended. I originally planned on a completely different outfit for this post, something classy and vintage inspired. But the shots were coming out weird, and I just wasn’t feeling the look. So I scrapped that last minute and threw on something I felt comfortable in.

It turned out silly and weird and awesome, and I’m super happy with this set of photos. I think they really captured me haha, and I had so much fun taking them. I had to sort through a lot of bloopers to find these ones, but I’m super pleased with it! Hope you enjoy this OOTD 🙂

---

 A fun story about the tee I’m wearing here: I actually bought it in the children’s section of Old Navy while helping a friend look for a gift for her niece. It’s a child’s large, I think kids’ clothes today must run a lot bigger than they used to! Anyway, I just kinda liked the graphic on it, and it only cost $1.99 haha. I threw a bunch of layers on and called it a day.

Overall this look may be silly or childish or messy; it’s certainly not high fashion! I love its odd layers and untied Converse and messy ponytails though, I feel that it really captures who I am: a silly, hopeless romantic who’s far from perfect. And I think that’s what fashion is supposed to do: capture who we are.

---

Dress: Forever21, Tee: Old Navy (no longer available), Shoes: Converse, Vest: Thrifted, Sunnies: Forever21

(I’m also wearing NYX Soft Matter Lip Cream in Monte Carlo– stay tuned for a review soon!)

What do you think? How does the way you dress reflect who you are? Ever buy any kids’ clothes? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Insta Roundup #2 or App Review: Room For More

Better Than Sex Mascara Review

Hey guys! I’ve disappeared for a few days, sorry about that! It’s been pretty crazy so far in 2016, and I’ve just gotten settled at school again. I picked up a ton of new makeup and products over the holidays, so I have lots of reviews coming up soon!

This mascara is a cult favorite that I’ve been wanting to test out for quite a while. I grabbed the sample size at Sephora just to see why everyone seems to love this product so much. I gave it a test drive! Scroll down to see what I thought.

---

First off, the packaging is totally gorgeous. The pretty metallic pink tube is just adorable! It has some pretty high claims for a mascara. Better than sex? I’m not sure about that haha!

It claims to have a revolutionary “bombshell” brush shape. To be honest, I was not in love with the brush. It makes it very difficult to apply the mascara to your bottom lashes without getting it on your skin. It applies well to the top, though.

The formula is pretty good! It lasted all day with no flaking or smearing, and when I was applying it there were no clumps and it went on very smoothly. It made my lashes extremely thick and defined, which was really nice, but at the same time it didn’t seem to do way too much in the way of lengthening them. I’m wearing it on both eyes in the below picture-sorry for the poor iPhone quality!

The bottom line? I wouldn’t say this mascara is better than sex haha. The brush isn’t my favorite, but the formula is silky and gorgeous! If you’re looking for a mascara to make your lashes thick and sexy, this is for you! 🙂 I will probably not purchase the full size, simply because there are so many other mascaras that I want to try. But I give this mascara 4/5 stars! Find it here.

---

What do you think? Have you tried this, and do you think it’s better than sex? Any mascaras you’re excited to test? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy FOTD: Sample Edition, or Eyeshadow Steals: $2

My New Year’s Resolutions

Hey guys!

As my last post of 2015, I want to share with you my New Year’s resolutions. But first, I want to thank you.

Thank you to every single person who has taken the time to visit my blog, comment on a post, leave a like, or subscribe. Thank you for the sweet comments and for helping me out via Twitter when I struggle with WordPress. Thank you for the inspiration from your blogs, and thank you so much for letting me be part of this amazing blogging community. I’ve only been blogging for 9 months, and it’s my favorite thing. So a big thank you to each and every one of you!

So, without further ado, here are my resolutions for 2016 🙂

---

 

Step out of my comfort zone. Say yes! I’m making a rule for myself to say yes to one new experience a week in 2016. People grow due to their experiences, and I’m always excited to try new things. But, I don’t want to stretch myself too thin, so I’ll pick and choose my priorities more carefully as well.

Grow my blog. I love being creative and interacting with all of you in my little online space, and I can’t wait to make my content even better and grow my readership. Side note: I also plan to rewrite those embarrassing first posts haha!

Improve my photography. I love taking pictures, and I want to get myself some new equipment and really see what I can do this next year. There’s always something to learn!

Let go of my need to always be right. I believe that to be happy, we need to not stress the small stuff. Learning to go with the flow sometimes could help me relax more 🙂

Spend less time online. I spend a ton of time online, either blogging, doing homework, or endlessly scrolling through social media. I need to unplug a little more and do more real-life projects!

And of course, travel more! I have a couple really exciting adventures coming up in the new year, and I can’t wait to share them with you all 🙂

---

What are your resolutions for the New Year? I’d love to hear about the exciting things you’ll all be doing. Let me know in the comments, and as always, thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

 

Christmas Skincare Haul

I hope everyone’s holidays were amazing, regardless of what you celebrate! Today I want to share some skincare gifts I received this Christmas that I’m super excited to test out!

I had a really hard time taking these photos, since it was super overcast out and I couldn’t get any good natural light. These are the best I could get, after about 75 shots for a 6 picture blog post haha. Oh well! They’re not as clear as I would like, but that’s okay, because I couldn’t wait any longer to share them!

---

First up, a giant tub of the St Ives Apricot Scrub, which I know is a cult favorite to many! This is one of my very favorite exfoliators. I previously reviewed the sample size here, and that small amount lasted me a few months, so I’m sure this huge on will last me forever! Grab it here.

My younger sister knew I wanted something to moisturize, so she got me this lovely body butter from Bath and Body Works. It’s warm vanilla sugar scented, and the scent is divine! I can’t wait to use it, I love a delicious scented lotion, and the packaging is adorable! Find it here 🙂

I really wanted a face moisturizer that had a) SPF in it b) wouldn’t clog my pores, and c) would make my skin less dull and dry. This product from Aveeno claims to do all three! If it actually makes my skin positively radiant, I will be super impressed! I know a lot of people love this product,so I hope it works for me too. Find it here. (And grr at that annoying reflective spot! I struggled so hard with these photos!)

Last but not least, an essential oil, which can apparently be used for your face, hair, and body. I’ve never tried one of these before, but I absolutely love the pretty packaging and the cute bottle with its dropper! I have super dry skin, so hopefully this will help me out. Any tips on using oils like these?

---

I was super excited to receive these for Christmas, and to share them with you, even though my photos weren’t what I’d like haha. What do you think? Do you use any of these products? Would you like to see reviews of any of these? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy 10 Beauty Products For Under $10 or What’s In My November Ipsy Bag?

Insta Roundup #2

Happy Wednesday! Who’s ready for Christmas? I’m trying to get in the spirit, but unfortunately I just had my wisdom teeth removed and I’m feeling pretty miserable. I was hoping to put up an OOTD for you guys today, but the pouring rain and my drugged-up, puffy face kinda stood in the way of that haha. That’ll have to wait for next time! In the meantime, since I’ve been spending so much time in bed, I thought I’d share with you guys what I’ve been doing lately, which is mostly Instagram and Snapchat haha. If you missed the last installment, check out Insta Roundup #1 too!

---

 

1. OOTD shot from this post! Loving rompers and beanies so much right not, especially since we have no snow 😦 Thanks to my little sister for being my reluctant photographer haha!
2. Writing blog posts, having some lemon tea, and making arrangements for my next adventure! I’m super excited to be volunteering in the Dominican Republic this spring-but more on that later!
3. An outfit shot from Mustard x Navy, showing again my love for beanies 🙂 I must have at least 10!
4. Thanks to my lovely boyfriend for taking “candid” photos of me haha, even if he does so begrudgingly!
5. The weather’s been so crazy lately, this from where I stand photo was taken in December! I need some snow here soon, although I think my hopes for a white Christmas are in vain…
6. Another shot from the previous OOTD. I love putting photos in black and white haha.
7. Throwback to warmer weather on the lake where I live at school! Can’t wait to get back to that gorgeous place.
8. Shameless selfie showing off my makeup look of the day #noregrets! Check out what I used to create this look here.
9. Last but not least, a little inspiration to get us through the week! Don’t forget to live each day to the fullest 🙂

---

Do you guys love Instagram as much as I do? (To be fair, I love it a lot haha!) Please leave your Insta handles in the comments, or just follow me on Instagram and I’ll be sure to give you a follow back! I love checking out fellow bloggers’ accounts 🙂

Instagram can definitely be a time suck, but to me it’s totally worth it! What do you think? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by! 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy FOTD: Sample Edition or Obstacle Workout App Review

App Review: Room For More

Hey guys! I’m super excited about this app review, because this app has solved one of my biggest phone problems! I love the convenience of a smart phone and being able to whip it out and take a picture of anything at a moment’s notice! But the issue that I run into, and that I’m sure a lot of you have too, is a storage one. My phone’s Photos app is overflowing with selfies and pictures of my cats…that’s where Room For More comes in!

---

This app has seriously been a lifesaver for me! The creator reached out to me to review this app, and my first thought? “Huh. That sounds interesting but it’s probably annoying to use and not very practical…”

I was wrong! This app is the bomb. It stores your photos in your own private cloud, and no on but you can access them. I have so much more space on my phone now!! I know as avid bloggers, a lot of you guys probably have to same issues with phone storage as me, especially in this digital age. So here’s a solution! Here’s what Room For More’s creators have to say about it.

Storage: Never delete a beloved photo or video again. All content is securely stored in your own private cloud, freeing up tons of space on your phone.

Access: Photos and videos can be viewed anytime from any connected phone or tablet, or from any computer via the Room for More website.

Control: You decide who can see your photos and videos, with options to share publicly on Facebook and Twitter or privately with custom Web links.

Retrieval: Back up photos and videos on a computer or external hard drive at the push of a button. Room for More will send you an email with all your content in a .ZIP file.

Privacy: Room for More never sells users’ personal data. It will never snoop on photos, videos or other data to sell ads — or for any other reason.

Quality: All content is stored in original quality, with no limits on file size or video length.

I’m super happy that I got a chance to use this, it’s perfect for me! It’s available for iOS and Android, and if you’d like to test it out, click here to get 6 GB of storage free, courtesy of the kind creators 🙂 I was super happy to be wrong about this app. I think it would be great for anyone who takes a lot of travel photos, or just takes lots of selfies like me haha!

---

I’d love to hear what you guys think about this! Do any of you use Room For More, or something similar to store your photos? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this app was provided for free, but this post is free of bias.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Like The Cool Kids or 10 Beauty Gifts Under $10

FOTD: Sample Edition

Hey guys! Normally I limit my beauty blogging to product reviews, but today I have something a little different to show you! I’ve been hanging around my house over break playing with makeup that I haven’t gotten to properly test out yet, and I decided to show you guys what I came up with. This is my face of the day, created using only sample sized products! All of these products were sent to me in Ipsy bags, but many of them can be sampled online or from stores like Sephora as well. This look was a fun challenge to create! I didn’t allow myself to use anything besides the products you see here 🙂

---

The Face: Smashbox Photo Finish Primer, Pur-Lisse BB Cream, Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer.

I’ve already previously reviewed all 3 of these products (here, here, and here respectively) if you’d like to read a little more! I primed my T-zone with the Smashbox primer, then used the BB cream to even out my skin tone. Then I dusted the bronzer on the sides of my nose, at my temples, and a little to contour my cheekbones 🙂

The Eyes: NYX Eyeshadow Palette, Smashbox Full Exposure Mascara, Crown Brush Crease Brush, Absolute New York Nano Eyeliner.

The mascara, brush, and eyeliner all were in my November Ipsy Bag as well! I really love this brush, it’s so soft and fluffy and does a great job! I used the middle shade on my lid and the left shade on my browbone, then blended with the brush. I used the liner on my waterline and finished the eyes off with a swipe of the Smashbox mascara.

The Lips: Mongongo Lip Conditioner, Ofra Lip Liner, Hikari Lip Stain.

This lip stain is my new favorite lip product! It’s such a gorgeous berry shade, I can’t wait to wear it to a holiday party soon! I lined my lips with the pencil and went over them with the stain to finish it off.

I had a lot of fun playing around with these samples to create this look! It’s pretty simple, with a bronze eye and berry lip, with some bronzer dusted here and there. Ignore my messy hair please!

---

What do you think? Ever tried to use your samples like this? Are there any products you’re just dying to sample? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Mustard x Navy or Splurge, Spend, or Save: Bronzers

Like The Cool Kids

I loved playing dress-up as a kid, and I still do today! I love to put an outfit on that helps you become someone who would wear that outfit- in other words, I think how we dress can shape how we act. Today I dressed up as a different version of me 🙂

If someone was to ask me to pick on outfit to wear for the rest of my life, it would probably be a black romper. I think rompers are the most versatile pieces! You can wear them by themselves, layer them with tights and a cardigan like I did, and even dress them up with heels and a statement necklace! I love this particular romper, with its sweetheart neckline, cute pattern, and pockets (!!!). Combined with a beanie and boots, it makes me feel like I’m playing dress up as an edgier version of myself.

---

Romper, Cardigan, Boots, Beanie, Septum Ring

I’ve always loved adding fun details to my outfits, so when I found this septum ring (fake, don’t worry!) in a shop the other day, I thought it would add an edgy touch. The only danger is, I like it so much I kind of think I need one now! What do you think? I really like the cool-girl,  edgy, street-style vibe it brings, but I think my dad would probably kill me haha! Is it worth the tradeoff? You tell me!

---

Adding details like the nose ring and the beanie to this outfit definitely helped me channel my inner cool-girl (well, maybe she’s in there somewhere, buried deep down!) What do you put on to dress up as a different version of you? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Insta Roundup #1 or What’s In My October Ipsy Bag

10 Beauty Gifts Under $10

Hey guys! I was looking around at wishlists that other bloggers had posted, and I noticed that lots of other bloggers had posted awesome beauty gift ideas, but lots of them were wayyy above my price range (I’m a poor college student!). So I thought I would put together my own beauty gift idea list, with options for a tight budget! Hope this helps you think of those last second gifts or stocking stuffers! (or treat yourself 🙂 ) All of these affordable picks are on my own wishlist too!

---

1. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion

On sale now for just $10, this cult favorite eyeshadow primer would be perfect for any beauty junkie! (I grabbed myself one!)

2. Milani Foil Eyeshadow Palette

This gorgeously packaged eyeshadow quartet comes in 4 different color combinations! Milani says it’s not a shadow but more of a shine. While I’m not sure what that means, I do know that you can get it for just $9.99 and that I want them all!

3. ELF Lip Exfoliator

I just received this from a friend as a gift, and it is seriously amazing! Its lipstick shape makes it so easy to use, and it’s just $3!

4. Maybelline Face Studio Master Glaze Blush

This product is something I normally wouldn’t look at due to its somewhat odd packaging for a blush, but if you’re looking for a portable blush under $10 this is for you! At just $9.99, it looks like a chapstick, but does come in quite a few colors!

5. Eos Lip Balm in Lemon Drop

Lip balm is something we all need, and this flavor comes with SPF 15, which I love! Plus, it’s only $3.29, and they work amazingly well in addition to lasting forever.

6. Milani Amore Matte Lip Creme

I’m totally obsessed with Milani, if you’re reading this blog for the first time haha! I can’t wait to get my hands on one of these matte lip cremes…they’re just $8.99 and come in 8 colors, just begging to be swatched!

7. Rimmel Scandaleyes Rockin’ Curves Mascara

I love the fun packaging, and Rimmel is one of my favorite drugstore brands. Try this mascara at Target for $5.49 (and let me know how it is if you do!)

8. Physician’s Formula All-In-1 Cheek and Lip Stain

This product actually won an award, and it’s definitely on my list of things to try (to be fair, that list is about a mile long!) Grab it for just $6.95, and it’s hypoallergenic, gluten free, and paraben free!

9. Revlon Brow Fantasy Pencil and Gel

This brow fixer ($8.99) has double the products in one! Definitely something that would help me out, it could even work as an eyeliner in a pinch. I’m on the lookout for new brow products, any suggestions?

10. Swissco Complete Precision Blending Kit

Last but not least, something to help you put it all on! This kit contains a beauty blender and a cute brush, and it’s just $9.99.

---

What do you think? Have you tried any of these products, or are they on your list? Any brow recommendations? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post. All photos used in this post belong to the companies or websites they are from, I do not own them.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Ramblings and Retro Vibes or Ofra Eyeliner Review

Clarisea Sea Salt Scrub Review

Today I have a product to share with you all that I received in my September Ipsy bag. I was super excited to test this Clarisea Rapid Detox Charcoal Exfoliant with you! Keep reading to see what I thought.

---

I was super excited to get this sample in September! The Clarisea website says it “vacuums up impurities from deep within pores with naturally detoxifying ingredients…Add it to your favorite face cleanser or just blend with water to create an instant pore clearing scrub.” It’s all natural, vegan, gluten free, and even comes in recyclable packaging! I’m always a fan of helping the environment. It also features Himalayan salt, bamboo charcoal, and almond flour. Sounds great, right?

Unfortunately, I have no idea if this face exfoliant actually lives up to its big claims, because it is so darn hard to actually use! It comes as a sort of powder, sort of scrub consistency, and the directions say you should mix a little of it with your favorite face wash. Easy enough, right? Wrong! The powdery mixture gets everywhere, is impossible to mix evenly, and once you get it on your face, it exfoliates for about 0.2 seconds before the salt dissolves and disappears! I had really high hopes for this product, so I was pretty disappointed. I tried it in multiple washes and by itself, and I got similar results.

To be fair, I may just be doing this completely wrong. Has anyone else tried this product, or something similar? Any tips to make it work better? I’d really like to make this work for me, since it sounds so great, but I just can’t make it happen! If you’d like to test this out yourself, you can pick it up here.

---

On the plus side, just a few more days and I’ll be home for Christmas 🙂 Ever tried anything like this? What do you think? Let me know in the comments! Thanks for stopping by 🙂

Love Kiki

Instagram–Bloglovin‘–Pinterest–Twitter

All opinions are my own; this is not a sponsored post.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Insta Roundup #1 or Prairie Chic