Friday, November 16, 2012

Cranberry Eyeshadow

This season cranberry/oxblood/burgundy/whatever you wanna call it is really "in" & I had been freaking out over getting the perfect cranberry eyeshadow. So I spent a lot of my free time looking up dupe videos and blog reviews. Judge me all you want.

In an attempt to be thrifty I bought the NYX eyeshadow in "Rust" which is supposed to be a dupe for MAC's "Cranberry" and I was ultimately pretty happy with my purchase. NYX has great pigmentation in everything I've ever bought from them (blushes, eyeliners, lipsticks, eyeshadows) and this was no exception. But when I went to the MAC Glamour Daze event a few weeks ago I couldn't resist picking up "Cranberry" while I was there.

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As I drove home I was so mad at myself since having two eyeshadows that are exactly the same seems really ridiculous to me. But low and behold when I got home I realized that they really aren't that similar.

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Left: MAC "Cranberry" // Right: NYX "Rust"

In the pan they look nearly identical but once they hit skin they look pretty different. "Cranberry" is definitely less orange and rusty and more of a true cranberry/burgundy/oxblood color. But I will definitely still be using "Rust" regularly this fall. Both are great eyeshadows that I'm thrilled to be adding to my super small eyeshadow collection (I literally have five eyeshadows-- including these two).

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Here are a few ways to wear cranberry eyeshadow from around the web & a few of my own ideas:

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& here's a tutorial pixiwoo did of this look!

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The above are two different looks worn by Karen Gillan-- one using the cranberry dusted just under the eye and the other complimenting the copper tone blended along the outer corner of the eye

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This is the way I've most often used it. I normally use my normal liquid liner and then go back over it with the cranberry eyeshadow. It creates a subtle look that's pretty but not as intense as Kristen Stewart's look.

Hope you enjoyed this! Finding different cranberry eye looks was fun and more challenging than I thought it would be.

Have you jumped on the metaphorical oxblood/cranberry bandwagon?

love,
becca

Wednesday, November 14, 2012

Denton

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denton courthouse on the square (photo by me)

After seeing a few friends post this article on fb I thought I would post it here.
Recently the town I live in (Denton, TX) was voted #1 Best Small Town in America by Business Insider!

In other news, Baltimore was voted #48 in "Most Dangerous Cities in The World" by the same website. Can't say I'm surprised seeing as I lived there for 3 months and it was what brought my Generalized Anxiety Disorder to a head.

But anyways, yay Denton!

Autumn & Winter Makeup Wishlist

Wednesday, November 7, 2012

MAC Glamour Daze

A few weeks ago I attended a MAC event with my friends Taylor & Katy. The invitation said it was to be an unveiling of a new line of products by MAC (the Glamour Daze Holiday Collection) --the night would include cocktails, food and entertainment.

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(image belongs to MAC)

Our MAC is honestly too small to have housed the amount of people that RSVPed so we had to stand in line and go into the store in shifts. There really wasn't that much alcohol or food and while the collection was really pretty--most of it came in really expensive sets or you couldn't get around the groups of people in order to even see the displays.

Ultimately it will probably be my last "event" I go to unless it's something I'm really looking forward to but these are the things I bought from the Glamour Daze collection:

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MAC "Girl Trouble" Nail Lacquer & MAC "Pink Freeze" Eyeshadow


"Girl Trouble" Nail Lacquer

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"Pink Freeze" Eyeshadow

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(No pictures of me wearing it yet--I'm still a little perplexed by how to wear it)

Strangely enough, I normally really hate anything that looks "frosted", haha never mind both items I bought are frosty as hell. Most of the pieces from the Glamour Daze collection weren't frosted, these just happened to be the two things I thought looked really pretty on. Plus I love metallic pink for winter so I guess that's why I was drawn to them. I don't know really. All I know is that I like 'em.

So I guess go check it out before the collection sells out!

-Becca

Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Nutter Butter Ghosts

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Nutter Butter Ghosts were one of the things I looked forward to most as a kid when Halloween rolled around. My mom and I would make them pretty much every year and they were always really fun to make and super tasty to eat. They appealed to me especially since I've never been much of a candy person to be honest. I have a few favorites, but overall I could care less. My sister and I used to go trick or treating, mom and dad would look through all of the candy to make sure it wasn't 'tampered with' and then we would negotiate trades and retreat to our corner or the living room to eat a few pieces and then put the rest back in our bucket. I would always put mine in my closet the next day --and there it would sit until the next Halloween when I would pull it out, dump all of the old candy out, and start anew.

I know. A huge waste on my part, but mom always had bowls of candy around the house when I was growing up so it never felt forbidden or exciting or anything. It was just candy. No big deal.

Now when friends would come over, it was completely different. The bowls of candy would be emptied within a few hours. Ryan's eyes would glaze over and he would gorge himself anytime he visited. He stopped doing that when it eventually caused him some srs tummy troubles (haha).

But onto the ghost cookies, it's a super simple recipe (is this even considered a recipe??) but it's really effective if you're wanting a simple treat for a Halloween party.

What you'll need:

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- bag of Nutter Butters
- melt-able brick of white chocolate (I used the whole thing and it made enough to cover about 12 cookies)
- mini chocolate chips (optional reg size chocolate chips)

1. Melt your white chocolate in a double broiler or in a bowl over a pot with some water in it. You could also just microwave it but it won't stay melty and it'll get clumpy if you over -heat it in the microwave.

2. Dip your Nutter Butter cookie in 3/4 of the way, leaving space at the bottom so it looks like it's wearing a little sheet.

3. Apply chocolate chips for the eyes and mouth before the white chocolate cools.
**Use a combination of regular and mini chocolate chips to create a bow on your ghosts like I did below-- I even angled her chocolate chip eyes to look like cat eye flicks haha!

4. Let dry on cooling rack

5. Serve when completely dry and cool.

Tah Dah!

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I told you it was super simple. I feel stupid even typing out the instructions for it, haha.

Anyways, hope you enjoy them! Keep a lookout for my other holiday diy stuff coming up.

-Becca

Sunday, September 16, 2012

September Wishlist

This week in north Texas it's been surprisingly cool. The lows have been in the 60s and highs in the low 80s. If you live in Texas you know that this normally doesn't start happening until after Halloween. I've already bought my stockpile of Bath & Body Works fall scented hand soaps and candles in anticipation for the cooler weather. I'm ready for Halloween and Thanksgiving!

I'm already looking forward to making the fb invites for our annual pre-Thanksgiving Thanksgiving Dinner that I normally host for all our close friends. This will be the 6th (I think?) year we've done it. Everyone brings a classic (or not so classic) Thanksgiving dish and we all sit down and talk and eat delicious food. It's always fun and it's a nice way to see everyone even if we don't live as closely as we all used to. I secretly hope that we'll continue the tradition even as we all move away and have kids and separate lives. It seems like a really nice way to keep in touch with one another.

So here's my wishlist for this month! I've already bought the green cords from Gap, haha oops--guess it doesn't really count anymore. I'm hoping they fit since ordering pants online seems sort of like a crapshoot.

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1 2 3 4 5

Are there any cooler weather items you have your eye on already?

-Becca

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

20% Off!



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For any of you who have been interested in buying a portrait or pet portrait from me on my etsy, I'm now offering 20% off on any custom portrait. Just type in RIBBONS20 in the Coupon Code box when you're making your purchase and it will be automatically applied! The coupon doesn't apply to prints (unless purchasing a print with a portrait). Coupon will be valid until July 31st, so use it while you can! :)

my previous post featuring example portraits of my friends


-Becca

Saturday, July 7, 2012

Recent Purchases: Anthropologie


Um, so have I ever told you guys how much I love Anthropologie?

I love it a lot. It's an obsession that started in high school when I bought a gold and green lace top to wear to a dance. If we had one closer I would spend all of my time trying to get a job there. I don't know what it is about it that I love so much, but I instantly feel better just walking through because the store itself is just so visually interesting and beautiful. They normally have a sort of themed installation for the window displays and throughout the store. And each store varies in decor and what's in stock.

ANYWAYS, every year, twice a year I get Anthropologie gift cards from family members (thankyouthankyouthankyou btw). I'm always over-the-moon excited about it since I can't justify spending $68 dollars on a tank top unless I have a giftcard, and even then...I'm most likely going to wait until it goes on sale.

But this year I saved up all of my cards so I could really buy things that I loved and fit me really well. So here are my recent purchases from Anthropologie:

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Pivot Cardigan


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Trina Slub Pullover // Freestone Tank


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Torchon Embossed Ponte Dress // Ladderlace Tank


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Color Pop Juice Glasses // Monogrammed Mug


I normally just buy home goods items from Anthropologie but since our space is so limited, we really don't need anything new. BUT a year or so ago I was shopping at the Anthro over in Southlake and I came across a king sized Rosette quilt in navy blue on sale for around $90-$100and it had a little tear in the seam so they gave me an extra 15% off (since it was the only one) and I got it for around 80 dollars or so? I was so excited because I'd wanted that quilt for so long. And it was a great deal for something that's regularly $288. Then later that year I found a set of Rivulets euro shams in dusty blue for $10 each & paired it with my birthday 15% off coupon. I keep hoping I'll find another really great deal on a sheet set or some pretty standard shams but so far no luck :/

Is there a store or brand you have a slight obsession with? Any great deals you've scored on something you really wanted? Let me know! I love talking about deals and shopping.


-Becca

Friday, July 6, 2012

Uhmerica! + Excuses


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Ryan & I are house sitting for a week or so and we decided to have a little get together for the 4th of July. I made some home-made ice cream & an apple pie (pictured above) & we grilled hamburgers, steak & corn on the cob. Taylor brought a delicious fully loaded baked potato salad & jam jar wine. It was so good! Paul made some margaritas and we all went out to the golf course behind the house to watch the neighborhood fireworks display.

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I stopped taking photos around the time people started arriving because I was trying to be a good hostess. Haha oops. So it looks like Taylor and Coco were the only people there since she was the first to arrive.

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It was a really fun night and it was really nice seeing everyone since a lot of our friends have moved out of Denton and now live closer to Dallas which means we see them a lot less.

You'll probably see another post from this location since we'll be here a bit longer and are planning another get-together on Sunday!
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On an unrelated note:

I've been slacking pretty hard on this blog since I haven't been home much. I'm either out of town visiting family or working and so I end up taking Ryan's old laptop with me. I hate the screen because all of the colors are so weird and wrong. So I can't edit photos or work on the blog for fear that I'll get home and look at my monitor only to find I've posted some butt-ugly colored photos.

It wouldn't matter if I'd always edited photos on this computer I guess...My desktop monitor is beautiful and despite being an HP-- it has the same color settings as my iphone and every mac I've ever used. Which I personally love since I feel like the colors on mac screens are a bit warmer and clearer. My laptop has this sort of cold blue feel to it and no matter how much I try to tweak the settings, it always just looks...off.

I don't know, maybe I'm just thinking about it too hard.

Anyways, this is just my way of saying sorry to the (4?) people who read my blog regularly.

Monday, July 2, 2012

Benefit + Snow White & the Huntsman


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Benefit's Snow White & the Huntsman Makeup Kit available at Sephora


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I'd been planning on buying Benefit's 'the Porefessional' for a few months. I was putting it off because while I love love love it, I wasn't keen on spending $30 on a tube of paste to hide my gigantic pores. With blush or lipstick, I at least feel sort of glamorous or fancy or like I'm treating myself spending that sort of money on one item. But when I saw this kit that came with a really cute (and fairly large) makeup case, a full size Porefessional, a full size tube of BADgal Lash Mascara & 2 samples for 15 more dollars than I would have spent on the Porefessional alone, I took the plunge.

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I originally only had a few samples of 'the porefessional' that I had been using. Surprisingly, the samples lasted close to a year so I didn't have to even consider buying a full size version until a few months ago. At first I thought maybe I wouldn't even need to buy it because it probably didn't make that much of a difference in the appearance of my skin. Oh my gosh no, I immediately missed it. The Porefessional makes your skin smoothe and does a lot to mask pores without clogging them--this is especially important since I have pretty reactive skin. I'm very prone to breakouts of acne if I use something that isn't sensitive or has too much oil in it.

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So overall, it's totally worth the money if you were planning on buying the Porefessional anyways. This way you get a nice mascara and a few samples to try. I haven't actually tried 'high beam' or 'benetint' yet but I'm certainly looking forward to it.

-Becca

Sunday, June 10, 2012

Summer Ensembles: Dreamsicle

All I want to do lately is eat popsicles and snow cones. If I could eat just those two things all summer, I totally would. Though I guess sugar and ice isn't really a balanced diet.

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top - dorothy perkins // skirt - modcloth // shoes - dorothy perkins // sunglasses - dorothy perkins // necklace - amazon


Oh well. I do what I want.

-Becca

Saturday, June 9, 2012

Lately...

I've been swamped with helping Ryan move into my apartment and visiting family. I'll be headed back to Denton on Sunday, but until then, here are some misc things that make me happy.

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one of my birthday presents--an anthro gift card and my new emerald earrings


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my jewelry stand on my dresser (green haired girl necklace is by minifanfan)


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a ladybug protecting my spider plant from aphids


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& my sweet baby angel coco


-Becca

Monday, May 28, 2012

Summer Ensembles: Neon Equestrian


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top - dorothy perkins // shorts - gap // shoes - asos // earrings - amazon // bracelet - UO


This is my little ode to the neon trend & Texas. I'm not overly fond of riding horses (I'm actually awful at it) but I really love interacting with them/ looking at them. Luckily, living in Denton (or most of Texas really) you see horses fairly often as it's close to a lot of ranches and farming communities. The back way I take to my aunt's house is full of wide open fields and plenty of fences with horses and little lakes behind them.

I recently bought a pair of cheap knock-offs of those earrings at Forever 21 (they didn't have them online, but I found them pretty easily at the store) and I've been pairing them with EVERYTHING. They're a little bit whimsical and something that makes me feel happy when I'm wearing one of my boring babysitting outfits (v neck tee and torn up shorts).

Are there certain things you wear to keep yourself from going crazy at school or work?

-Becca

Monday, May 21, 2012

NARS 'Roman Holiday' Lipstick

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I bought this for myself while I was out of town for Mother's Day in Houston. My mom's birthday is the 5th, mine's the 9th and Mother's Day was on the 13th this year, so I normally make a trip down to Houston at the beginning of May to celebrate all three in one go! We were at the Sephora in Rice Village and I was looking for TOCCA's new scent Violette (which they didn't have) and I decided to swatch a bunch of NARS products since I had seen a few really good youtube reviews of NARS lipsticks. I fell in love with mostly the color, but partly the product's name.

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I really love this color because it's a cooler pink lipstick than most of the ones I wear, but it's sheer and super build-able so it never looks weird on. I imagine this shade looks good on lots of different skin-tones as pink normally looks good with yellow undertones and darker skin. But it looks fine on my pale pinky-red tone as well. It's also super moisturizing and doesn't have a weird taste which is always a plus with lipsticks.

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top swatch is one swipe, bottom is after 2 swipes


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Despite being a $24 lipstick, it's definitely a favorite as I find myself reaching for it on a daily basis. Now, if only I could find a $7 dupe.

-Becca