July, July

July 4th is Independence Day for America, a day often celebrated with fireworks and barbecues. I don't usually celebrate July 4th for my own reasons, but I couldn't pass up a chance to see some fireworks this year. I went to Coney Island with my best friend, and we sat on the beach and enjoyed some beautiful fireworks and dollar churros that were a little stale but still pretty alright. It was a lovely and fun night, and I highly enjoyed myself. I also managed to get a few nice pictures of fireworks. Who hasn't seen those though, right?

Of course, it seems a few people in my neighborhood had some leftover fireworks, as for the past few days I've still heard/seen a few going off in the night. Fun to look at, but not fun while I'm trying to sleep. It seems to have waned, though, and hopefully they're running out by now!

Wandering

Lately work has been rather crazy, so I haven't had much time to pay attention to my little blog, sadly. I work in real estate, and the market explodes during the summer months, especially in New York. Fortunately, it keeps me busy and unable to dwell on very much negative things.

I still often feel like I'm just wandering around this city without any real purpose. I've never much felt like I had a purpose, to be perfectly honest. I've no idea what I wish to do with my life, and even though I'm young, I often can't help but feel stressed out about not knowing. Maybe that's the perfectionist in me?

I can't say I'm 100% happy yet, but I hope soon I will be there.

In the meantime, I've been collecting my empty products to make a post about, as I feel there's something terribly satisfactory in using up a product in its entirety. I love seeing other people's 'empties,' and I also feel a little more confident that their review of the product is more genuine than if they only used it a few times. Not to say they're lying, but that sometimes a product can end up not working out halfway through, and when the product is completely gone you have no misconceptions about your feelings for it. So, I've been collecting some things and I will hopefully have an amount that I'm happy enough with soon.

See you next time :)

May Favorites | 2015

I don't believe I've done a favorites post yet, and I know they're one of my favorite things to see in the beauty area of the Internet. I love to see what people have been enjoying, and also what they haven't - I think next time I'd like to incorporate both things I've liked and disliked. Ever since watching Claire Marshall's 'Beauty Reviews,' I feel like the inclusion of both is a pretty great idea.

But, anyway, this month is about what I've loved. It is a touch late, but better late than never. :)

I only have a few, all makeup related, as that's all I wanted to talk about this time. I've finally gotten the chance to really wear my makeup almost every day, so I've had plenty of time to try things out and see how I like them on an all-day basis and not just 'try it on and wear it around the house for a few hours.'

First, I'll start with the big thing: the Naked 3 palette.

I bought this last year, mostly because I loooved the colors in it. I'm a sucker for golds and dusty pinks. I didn't own any other Naked palette (I still don't), but this one called to me first. I've been really enjoying it this month, and almost every time I wear eyeshadow I use this. I particularly love Nooner, which is a matte mauve-pink and looks absolutely gorgeous. Sometimes I wear it alone with a bit of Dust in the inner corners. Dust is also a favorite, though many don't seem to like it because it's a fairly chunky glitter shadow and is a bit, well....dusty. I personally love it. It reminds me of fairy dust, and makes me feel quite like a fairy when I wear it. There honestly isn't a color in here I don't like in some way. With primer, these shadows last all day.

I've also been loving the Real Techniques buffing brush. I've been using it as my foundation brush, and let me tell you it works like a charm. I've always had trouble applying foundation with a brush, as it would get quite streaky, but this applies my foundation flawlessly. It feels wonderful. It can get a little streaky when the brush is dirty, but a good wash and it's back to it's usual perfection. Mine is currently dirty and in need of a good wash.

The Kat Von D Immortal Lash mascara has also been working pretty great for me. It's what I've mostly been wearing this month. It's a great, true black mascara that thoroughly coats my lashes and gives them length and, with two coats, a fair amount of volume. Nothing crazy, which is fine with me. The little bubble tip at the end of the wand is also pretty handy for catching my bottom lashes. The formula doesn't flake or smudge throughout the day, even in hot weather, which is fantastic (as you guys know, the Better Than Sex mascara did this to me - sad). I really enjoyed this mascara, and I'll probably buy it again.

The Pixi Flawless primer has also been steady on my favorites list. I've done a review on it already, so let me just say it has continued to not disappoint and I am sadly almost out of it. If you have dry, flaky skin, this might be a good primer to try for you.

Lastly, the OCC Lip Tar in Lydia has been killing it. I bought this on a whim a few months ago and I've worn it at least six times this month, which I almost never do for lipstick. I tend to switch it up a lot. But this lip tar is just so gorgeous. The shade is a beautiful dark mauve-y plum that looks fabulous with my pale skin, it applies like a dream, and once dry it stays on for hours. Even with no touch ups, at the end of the day my lips will be a light mauve that is still very flattering. It's also not drying. The lip tars can take some practice to apply, as they are very pigmented and can get messy fast. I apply it carefully with a small lip brush, which works great for me. I'm dying to get a few more colors from OCC soon.

I suppose that's it for this month. I have a few new skin/hair products to try out as well, and maybe they'll make it to next months list. We'll see!

On A Day Off

I had a day off from work and although I didn't go anywhere, I enjoyed myself immensely.

I'm very much an introvert, and almost always have been. I enjoy having some alone time for myself, and feel refreshed and recharged after having spent some time doing things I love by myself. Many people are led to believe introverts are shy and quiet and hate being around people - which isn't necessarily the case. It just means that we tend to feel at our best and can recharge when we are alone. Extroverts, conversely, get their energy from being around people. There is a spectrum to the introvert-extrovert, as there is a spectrum with many things, but I won't go into that right now. 

What I'm trying to say, of course, is that I spent my day mostly alone and loved it. I read a few short stories, had some rosehip tea and apples (and I cut my finger cutting the apples - not terribly, but I will remember to be more careful), cuddled with the cats, and took some pictures. It may not sound like much, but I thoroughly loved my day.

I will end this little diary entry here, and return to my reading - but first, I will leave a poem that I particularly love, and that I find repeats itself in my head often:

I heard the old, old men say
'Everything alters,
And one by one we drop away.'
They had hands like claws, and their knees
Were twisted like the old thorn trees
By the waters.
I heard the old, old men say
'All that's beautiful drifts away
Like the waters.'

-"The Old Men Admiring Themselves In The Water," William Butler Yeats

OFRA Universal Eyebrow Pencil | Review

I received this pencil ages ago in either an ipsy bag or a Glossybox, but basically I've had it for a quite a bit.

I've used it fairly often, on and off, and it's about half the size it was when I originally got it. However, I'm not sure if I'll use the whole pencil up.

For one, this pencil goes down fast. I can sharpen it, and after one eyebrow it's practically a nub again. I also don't quite like the color - it claims to be universal, therefore good for everyone, but something about the color doesn't look right on me. Maybe it's too much of a red-brown? I'm not sure, but it doesn't quite suit me.

And lately, though it wasn't that bad before, I've noticed that the formula has gotten extremely waxy. Being a bit waxy can actually be a good thing, as it can help keep the brow hairs in place without the added help of a brow gel. But this goes above and beyond waxy, and makes my eyebrows look almost flat and wet. I'm not sure why that happened, and I'll try it again a few times just to make sure, but I wasn't horribly impressed by this pencil last time I used it.

I recently ran out of my previous brow pencil (and I plan on making an empties post, which it will be in) and turned to this one, but was sorely disappointed and had to turn to a brown eyeshadow to do my eyebrows. Not the best, but it'll do. I just bought a Nyx brow product, so I'll be using that now and seeing how it goes.

Thanks for reading. :)

A Day at the Fair

Today was my day off, and I was relaxing and enjoying it when my friend called me to come to a street fair in the neighborhood I work in. So, I threw on some clothes, took the subway and hung around for a few hours and had some fun!

It was almost unbearably hot today, and a little humid. But the fair was very lovely and fun regardless of the heat. I enjoyed looking at all the little booths and smelling the food as we walked by. I tried a few things here and there, but mostly enjoyed walking around and petting stranger's dogs.

It was a bit of a nostalgic day, too. My hometown holds a little fair every year around November that my dad used to take me to when I was younger. We haven't gone the past few years, and it's something that I really actually miss. I don't spend a lot of personal time with my dad as we aren't as close as I am with my mom, though we still love each other very much. Today, I missed being younger and spending time with my dad at a tiny little fair in a tiny little town. 

Despite the memories, I tried to make newer ones and enjoy myself for that day.

I did stop at a little crystal/gem booth, where an old man was selling gorgeous crystals and crystal jewelry. I bought a few that caught my eye. They were the only things I bought, but I didn't want to buy too much, as I have nowhere to really put anything right now.

Aren't they lovely? 

Picture Day Diary

I felt very alone when I first moved to New York. Even though I moved with my best friend and another friend of mine, I still felt...rather lonely. I lived off of saved money for a bit, just getting used to such a big change - going from a small town to an enormous metropolis was very daunting! My friends got jobs rather quickly, and it took me a while to find one. I focused so much on school back home that I had so little experience, something employers in New York find undesirable.

So, yes, I felt quite lonely at first. My friends worked almost constantly while I watched our cat. I got to go out every now and then, usually to a movie, but mostly my outside interaction was just me walking around my neighborhood. It's a bit ugly, I must say - there are a lot of ugly buildings and empty lots and rusty fences. Our little avenue felt very lacking of something, and as spring rolled around I realized what that was - trees. I was so used to seeing an abundance of trees and other nature back home that I almost took it for granted. I miss trees outside of my window. 

Recently, however, I snagged a job. While I was very apprehensive about a job, as I know many people hate their jobs and it drains them, I ended up really enjoying mine.

Everyone that works there is so nice and approachable. They welcomed me quite easily, and I fit in very quickly. It felt really great to actually begin to make new friends, something that was also contributing to my loneliness. I'd never had that many friends back home to begin with, but I felt like I wouldn't make any new friends in New York. My job has opened up a lot for me, and is slowly washing away that loneliness. I can feel myself opening up again, becoming more outgoing and adventurous. It's doing wonders for me, and I'm also finally making enough money for both rent and extra pocket money that I can spend on things I want/need. I especially can't wait to splurge on some new makeup!

I feel like I'm becoming part of some small community and enjoying myself once again. For someone who's struggled(ing) with depression and anxiety, this is pretty huge for me. I was so afraid of rejection that I failed to really put myself out there. Now that I have, and I'm seeing the results of it, I'm so happy that I did. 

Now, if only I can stop being so anxious about school...