Rainy Saturday

 Today was a cold and rainy spring(?) day. I ran a few errands, but mostly sat at home being cozy, making mixed cd's and drinking tea.

 I finished off the night chatting with girlfriends at Starbucks. All in all, a perfect Saturday. 

Real Talk // The cure for oily skin

I'm starting a new series called "real talk."  This series is going to cover beauty myths, the latest products, so called "Pinterest hacks," and all the tips and techniques we hear about, but never really know if they work. 

I'll be giving honest reviews and the low-down on my personal experiences with products and techniques.

This series isn't going to be weekly or anything, just when I try out new things and decide to let you guys know how they are working out for me.

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This time I'm going to discuss my newest love in skincare/makeup:

Milk of Magnesia

I know, you all are thinking "seriously, that's so weird," but trust me on this one.

As of the last month, my skin has been so oily- like, it's been bad. I'll put my makeup on in the morning (including a shine control primer), and by mid-afternoon, it is sliding off and my face is excessively oily- not a cute look. After I talk on the phone I'll look and there will be a print on it from my makeup and oil (TMI, sorry guys). But you get the point. I like oil blotting sheets, but they tend to remove some of my makeup, and I don't like putting more powder on, because it just makes me look cakey. I have tried different primers, but have never found one that has truly kept my oil under control- until now.

I had heard about using Milk of Magnesia as a primer for a while, and I kind of brushed the idea aside because it sounded so weird and gross. But, I recently read more into it and heard somewhere that makeup artists used Milk of Magnesia on Victoria's Secret models to keep shininess to a minimum. That's what pushed me to try it, and I don't think there's any going back now.

I've been using a bottle that we already had in our house, and it's mint scented/flavored, but it doesn't smell minty after a minute or two. I have fairly sensitive and acne prone skin, but I've been using Milk of Magnesia  for about a week and haven't noticed any irritation whatsoever. 

So here's how I apply it-

I wash my face and moisturize, then apply a very thin coat of the milk with my fingers, only on my t-zone. You can use a cotton ball, but I find that I'm able to control how much I put on better with my fingers. You want a very thin layer, or else your skin will have a white cast. I wait about 2 minutes for it to dry, then proceed to apply my face makeup as normal.

Normally (without the Milk of Magnesia), by the end of the day, the majority of my makeup will be gone and my face will be super shiny, but with the Milk of Magnesia my makeup stays intact and I just look slightly dewy- a totally acceptable look. 

This "primer" has been a total game-changer for me, and something I'm definitely going to keep in my routine.

Dreaming of spring

Here's my top wishlist for spring/summer:

1. Sunnies from Revolve Clothing
I've been dying for some round sunnies for a while, so hopefully I'll score some in the near future.

2. Shorts from Urban
I neeeed some solid high-waisted jean shorts that I can pair with some crop tops and tanks

3. Maxi from Anthropologie 
I'm in love with maxi's right now-I may end up living in them this summer, because they're so comfy

4. Strappy tank from RVCA 
One of my favorite trends right now is the kind of "strappy" trend, and it looks so nice on this tank. Plus it's a neutral color, and I can't resist that.

5. Sandals by Steve Madden
Sandals are a necessity for me, and I have completely worn all of mine out, so I may have to splurge a bit on a good pair that I can live in in the warm seasons.

Of course, this is a highly unrealistic list, but a girl can dream. I'm hoping to thrift/bargain shop at least a couple of these items.
Ironically it is snowing as I type this- but knowing Tennessee, it will probably be sunny and 70 tomorrow (lets hope so, at least).

What's on your summer/wishlist?
-Cassidy

Salted Caramel Popcorn

Being on spring break, I have a bit of extra time, so I decided to try out a new recipe. I had come across several of these popcorn recipes on Pinterest, and decided to try one.

what you'll need:

Olive oil (coconut oil would work too!)

Popcorn kernels

1 Stick of butter

1 Cup Brown sugar

1/4 Cup Corn syrup (light or dark)

1 tsp salt

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp vanilla extract

Pour a thin layer of olive oil in your pan, and then add enough kernels to cover the bottom of the pan. Turn the stove on medium heat, put a lid on your pan and wait for the corn to start popping, shaking the pan about every 30 seconds. Start shaking your pan more frequently as the popping increases. Take your pan off the heat when you only hear a pop every 2-3 seconds.

Remove the lid and let the popcorn cool.

 Melt the butter over medium heat, then add the brown sugar and corn syrup, and stir. Once combined, set a timer for 5 minutes and let it bubble over the heat. When five minutes is up, remove from the heat and let it cool for about five minutes.

Pour your now "caramel" mixture over the popcorn and fold in with a spatula.

Spread mixture on a pan and stick in a 275 degree oven for 10-15 minutes.

Let cool, and there you have your popcorn, perfect for movie night, or an afternoon full of  binge-watching Netflix! Careful, this stuff can get addictive.

-Cassidy

Phoenix

 

Sorry I've been gone for a bit- I took a some what spur-of-the-moment trip to Arizona! I got to see a ton of my family there, and it was an all around beautiful experience. I took minimal pictures because I was so busy, but I thought I'd share a few.
I'm back in Tennessee, and I came home to a snow storm ,which is supposed to last for a few days. So, as gloomy as that is, I guess I should try and appreciate the beauty of the cold weather, as I am trying to see the beauty in all things lately.

-Cassidy

February Favorites

1. Gap sweater: I found this gorgeous waffle-knit sweater at goodwill this month! It has buttons down one shoulder, and I think I'm in love.'

2. Ariana Grande's Teen Vogue shoot: I adore this shoot, Ariana's style is always so spot on.

3. A Chorus Line vinyl: Another diamond in the rough at goodwill. I love this show and for 99 cents I couldn't pass it up!

4. Lemongrass Tea- my mom got this for me at T.J Maxx as a valentines gift- it has a really nice lemon flavor, with a hint of green tea, but it's really light and not bitter at all.

5. Maybelline nail polish in Golden Opportunity- this has been my most used nail polish this month, because it is so forgiving, and matches with everything.

6. Urban Outfitters beanie- I found this gem on sale at Urban while in Knoxville. It's been perfect to throw on when I go out, and keeps my ears nice and cozy.

February has brought some extreme cold, but has also brought a few really lovely and warm days. I hope those days will continue into march, and I am so excited for spring!

Cara Delevinge & Lily Collins Inspired Makeup

Cara Delevinge and Lily Collins are my main ladies- I love all of their makeup, hair, and style choices. 

They are both known for their statement brows, which have become such a trend lately. (works for me, less tweezing!)

So, I created a makeup look inspired by their bold brows, and smokey eyes. 

I applied foundation, concealer, and powder, then swept on my elf blush. 

 Next I filled in my brows with my Love and Beauty eyebrow kit.

For the eyes I primed with my Color Tattoo in "Bad to the Bronze." Then I took my Maybelline Palette, and with a blending brush I applied the light brown in my crease, outer edge of my eye, and my lower lash line. Next, I blended the dark brown into my crease, and also took the sparkly bronze color put it on the outer third of my eye and blended into my crease. I took what was left on the brush and swept it on my lower lash line. I then took a black pencil liner and lined my top lash line and the outer half of my lower lash line. I smudged it out with a smudger. Lastly, I curled my lashes and applied a couple coats of mascara.

For the lips I used my pink Baby Lips and a nude gloss. 

This look is perfect for daytime, but also can be amped up with a colorful lip, or a lined waterline and some falsies.

 Go out and rock some bold brows! 

-Cassidy