Friday, November 29th, 2013
Instagram Roundup!
1) Breakfast date! w/ mom and Erik 2) PS4 bandwagon. 3) Mini apple pie and ice cream dessert at Uno’s! w/ Urvisha and Krunal 4) Don’t mind if I do! Breakfast date w/ mom and Erik
Labels: Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
Birchbox #1: November 2013
Recently I took the plunge and decided to sign up for a monthly Birchbox subscription, since I’ve been hearing lots of great things about it! After getting my first Birchbox last week, I’ve finally found some time to try these goodies out!
First up is the Beauty Protector Shampoo and Conditioner. At $21.95/ea for a full-size bottle, the shampoo is sulfate-free and is designed to add shine and volume to your hair. The conditioner helps hydrate with a combination of shea butter and pearl powder. It sure sounded good before even applying! I finished the whole sample shampoo bottle in one use, and about half of the conditioner, and was very pleased with how healthy and creamy the formula felt. After blowdrying my hair, I noticed a definite boost in shine and texture. Plus it smells lovely!
Second is the Chella Highlighter Pencil in Ivory Lace, priced at $18. It’s meant to be used on cheek bones, below your eyebrows, and in the corners of your eyes to help brighten and contour. This was definitely a popular item amongst the Birchbox subscribers, and quite a treat to get in a $10 box! I don’t normally use a highlighter pencil, but I am definitely willing to try it out more often now that I have one that applies so smoothly.
Third is the Folle de Joie eau de parfum, priced at $98 for a full-sized bottle—and no wonder! As soon as I opened my Birchbox, I could smell the lovely, rosy fragrance, even with it in its packaging! The scent blends mandarin, rose, and sandalwood, and is extremely feminine. Floral scents are my staple, so I absolutely love this. Maybe Santa will bring me a full-size one!
Finally, as a little bonus, I received assorted teas from Ahmad Tea London. I am definitely a tea person (sorry, coffee fans) so I was thrilled to try these out. I particularly loved the green tea (added a large teaspoon of honey, of course), and have yet to try the English tea or the raspberry tea, but I’m sure I’ll like them just the same!
Did anyone else receive a November Birchbox? What did you think? Anyone thinking about signing up?
Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
Recently I received these lovely candles from Bella J., since they are teaming up with us at Cliché Magazine for a HUGE holiday giveaway in December (more information on this soon, so check clichemag.com for updates)! They were nice enough to send me my own candle to try, so I think I’m going with Tie Dye, and we’ll give away Surf Shack and Hip Hip Horray!
The coolest thing about these candles is that each one comes with a surprise charm bracelet or necklace that usually ranges from $10-$450 in value, but some are even worth up to $10,000! I wonder which charm I (and our giveaway winners) will get!
Wednesday, November 27th, 2013
I recently received this lovely Guinea A Minute dress from Shabby Apple and I must say, it’s the sweetest thing! I will be publishing a review about the shop in Cliché Magazine's Dec/Jan issue (out next month!) and we will also be teaming up for a giveaway in January! So stay tuned!
Saturday, November 23rd, 2013
Hey Hunger Games fans! Recently I interviewed Willow Shields, aka Primrose Everdeen, for Cliché Magazine! I asked her about her favorite thing about the franchise and what it’s like working with Jennifer Lawrence and all those handsome boys on set!
Tuesday, November 19th, 2013
Currently rereading “The End of Something” by Ernest Hemingway and trying to figure out why I love sad stories so much. Which Hemingway short story is your favorite?
Awful Luck With Friends
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
This past summer during my trip to Slovakia, curled up on the couch with my newest friends, a tall glass of wine in hand, I found myself having to explain the shows F.R.I.E.N.D.S. After watching an episode with them, they looked at me strangely, not quite getting the jokes or the plot line.
"Where are their families?" Miloš asked me, his accent heavy. “Is it normal in America to just share a flat with a bunch of your friends?”
"Well, yeah," I said, realizing our culture barrier for the first time. "Stereotypically, nobody in America likes to live with their families. We want to grow up and be on our own, or move in with our best friends. Sure, we’ll visit our families, or live near them and get together for holidays, but during college and onward, no—never live with them…"
"So, in America, friends are more important?" he asked, a bit disgusted with the sentence itself.
"I wish they weren’t," I said. "I have awful luck with friends."
