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Hello...it's me. So I haven't blogged in nearly a year. I'm just planning on popping up posts every once in a while when I'm feeling inspired. I've got a few in mind. Today, I'm sharing a sale that is too good to miss in my opinion. Last year at holiday time, Benefit put out a cheek set and I was so sad when I found it sold out right after it came out. This year I was on the look out hoping for a new one, and they didn't disappoint! This year it is called the Real Cheeky Party set. It has 4 blushes, 1 bronzer, 1 highlighter, and deluxe size samples of the They're Real Mascara and Push Up liner. The blushes it includes are Dandelion, Rockateur, Sugarbomb, and Coralista. The bronzer is their famous Hoola bronzer and the highlighter is their cream Watt's Up. It was originally priced at $42 dollars and is said to be a $116 dollar value. It is a limited edition set that comes in a nicely sized tin with bright Benefit packaging.. Recently, the price at Sephora and Ulta dropped to $30 dollars. That is when I was sold on it (Also through 1/1 if you order at Sephora using the code EXTRA20, you can get it for $24!). A Benefit boxed blush is $28 dollars on its own. While this doesn't have the same amount of product as the full sized, you are getting to try 5 different colors. It has matte and shimmer options of blush. From the swatches, they seem like a perfect amount of pigment for a blush that you can build or sweep on quite naturally. You can see which really work on your skin tone and which products you use the most. If you've been looking for an opportunity to try their cheek products, this is a great one. I am so excited about this kit, and I can't wait to start using it in my every day makeup!
From left to right: Dandelion, Rockateur, Sugarbomb, Hoola, Coralista

Hopefully, I'll talk to you soon!

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Hello! This Music Monday is a two for one. In one of my 100 Happy Days posts, I shared that my parents got me tickets to see Justin Timberlake for my birthday (best parents ever, am I right?). That concert came and went in December, and I realized that I never told you anything about it! I'm going to give you a run down of the setlist and my thoughts/experience (hint: it was perfect).
The first thing about this concert that made it different from anything I've every been to is that he didn't have an opening act. The show started at 8, and it started with him. The show lasted about 3 hours total with a 10 minute intermission in the middle and a 2 song encore at the end. Here is what the set list looked like. 
  1. Pusher Love Girl
  2. Gimme What I Don't Know (I Want)
  3. Rock Your Body
  4. Don't Hold the Wall
  5. FutureSex/LoveSound
  6. Like I Love You
  7. My Love
  8. TKO
  9. Summer Love
  10. LoveStoned
  11. Until the End of Time
  12. Holy Grail
  13. Cry Me a River
  14. Only When I Walk Away
  15. Friends in Low Places w/ Garth Brooks
  16. Drink You Away
  17. Tunnel Vision
  18. Señorita
  19. Let the Groove Get In
  20. Heartbreak Hotel
  21. Not a Bad Thing
  22. Human Nature
  23. What Goes Around Comes Around
  24. Take Back the Night
  25. Jungle Boogie
  26. Murder
  27. Poison
  28. Suit & Tie
  29. Sexy Back
  30. Mirrors
So obviously, he covered all the bases, and I'm sure no one left feeling like he missed something. He also really worked hard to entertain the entire crowd and pay attention to every section. As you can see from the TKO picture below, our seats were pretty close to the back. Our section was right beside the VIP section on the floor, so I had my hopes high that he would make an appearance in the back. I wasn't disappointed. During Let the Groove Get In, a section of his stage lifted up and rolled all the way to the back. At one point, he was actually 6 feet directly above me. I freaked out, and the people next to us had to ask if I was okay if that gives you any idea of how I act at a show. Anyways, he spent 6 songs in the back which is more than I've ever seen an artist spend, so I appreciated that a lot. Since we were in Nashville, Garth Brooks made a surprise appearance. I'm not a giant country fan, so I was a little lost but everyone else was loving it. My favorite part of the show was Mirrors. There was a part where he set the microphone down and let the audience sing with his band. It was absolutely gorgeous. My favorite part of any show is feeling so in sync with this giant group of people around you because you are all there for the same reason. All in all, his tickets are pricey, but I think they are more than worth it. He's one of the best entertainers that is around currently, so getting a chance to see him is one for the bucket list. I've got a few pictures to share below. I'm planning on doing the same kind of two-for-one idea next week to give you a run down on the Sam Smith show I went to. Hope you'll be back for that!


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Hello! I wanted to take a moment to share my current favorite eye shadow palette with you. In my after Christmas shopping, I noticed that it is no longer being carried at Ulta or Sephora. Of course, I'm not going to share something with you that you can't get anywhere though. It is still available on Stila's website for only $20. When I picked it up at a Sephora (during double points season), it was $40. Stila's single eyeshadows sell for $18, so this is such a great deal that I had to share. It has 10 shades that all fall into a neutral family and one of their Smudgestick Eyeliners in Damsel which is a matte brown. I'd heard a lot of great things about it on YouTube, and it seemed like a great every day palette and travel friendly. Honestly, the fact that the shade Kitten is in this palette was enough to convince me. It is the most beautiful champagne shade and works great as an inner corner highlight or lid shade. Bliss is a great transition shade and works well in the crease for daytime looks. Bubbly (the gold shade) is my favorite shadow to pair with deep red or berry lipsticks. Night Sky (sparkly blue/grey) is a really unique shade that I've yet to find a comparable drugstore shadow. All the shades are beautiful and work so well together. The only one that might disappoint is the matte black Ebony. It doesn't swatch as full color as expected. It can be built up if desired. Personally, that doesn't bother me as I've yet to figure out a way to incorporate black shadow into my makeup. If you've been looking for a high quality neutrals palette and you've got $20 lying around, this is a great one that you could try! You can pick it up here! Below, I've got photos and swatches. Hope you enjoy!




Shades from Left to Right
Top Row: Bare, Kitten, Bliss, Sunset, Sandstone
Bottom Row: Bubbly, Gilded Gold, Luster, Night Sky, Ebony
Swatches from left to right: Bare, Kitten, Bliss, Sunset, Sandstone, Bubbly, Gilded Gold, Luster, Night Sky, Ebony
What is your favorite eyeshadow palette? I'd love to hear about some new ones to try!
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Hello! This is another album that I have been waiting for for a long time like I said about Ed Sheeran last time. I've made it no secret that I am a pretty big One Direction fan, and I was lucky enough to see them twice on their last tour (Once I was 10 feet from the stage in the first seat of the closest side section. We're talking even with the front row people. Sorry, I love to talk about that any chance I get.) Seeing One Direction twice meant that I got to see their opening act twice which on that tour was 5 Seconds of Summer. They are also hitting the road with them this year for the One Direction stadium tour. If you aren't a boy band fan, don't write them off just because they are associated with One Direction. They do both make pop music, but I truly don't find them that similar. They aren't a boy band in the typical sense. Sure, they are 4 boys in a band, but they play all the instruments they need (2 guitars, a bass, and the drums) and you won't catch them doing choreography. 5SOS is definitely more on the punk side of things. They were discovered on YouTube by Louis Tomlinson and have now gone on to start their own record label as a branch of Capitol Records. They were really involved in the writing process which is refreshing to see for a band making their debut album. They tend to write in pairs (normally Luke with Calum and Ashton with Michael). The only song that no 5SOS member gets writing credits on is "Amnesia" which was written by the Madden brothers of Good Charlotte fame. Their first official single "She Looks So Perfect" got a lot of radio play, so I'll be interested to see where these guys are headed in the future. I picked up the special Target Deluxe Edition which has 4 exclusive bonus tracks, and you can choose any of 4 differently colored covers. As usual, I'm going to break the album down for you below.

1. She Looks So Perfect
2. Don't Stop
3. Good Girls
4. Kiss Me Kiss Me
5. 18
6. Everything I Didn't Say
7. Beside You
8. End Up Here
9. Long Way Home
10. Heartbreak Girl
11. Mrs All American
12. Amnesia
13. Tomorrow Never Dies
14. Independence Day
15. Close as Strangers
16. Out of My Limit

For fans of: All Time Low, One Direction, Good Charlotte
Singles: She Looks So Perfect, Don't Stop, Amnesia
Personal Favorites: Long Way Home, Mrs All American, End Up Here, and the singles
Tracks I Skip: Close as Strangers (I'm not sure why. I just find this one kind of boring).
Anything disappointing: They did a good job including some of the material that has been popular among their fans for a while (Heartbreak Girl, Beside You, Out of My Limit). I do wish they had included more. I was sad to see that Lost Boy and Try Hard weren't included on the American release of this album even as bonus tracks somewhere. Those have been some of my favorites since I saw them on the Take Me Home Tour.

Overall: I don't know about you guys, but I definitely went through a pop punk phase towards the end of middle school and on into high school. All I wanted to listen to was All Time Low, Forever the Sickest Kids, and Fall Out Boy. It was around this time that I started discovering music for myself rather than just listening to whatever was popular on the radio or what my friends liked. This album makes me feel a real nostalgia for that time in my musical history. That is my favorite quality of this album by far. They list All Time Low and Green Day as some of their biggest influences, and you can hear that in their sound. If you went through that phase like I did, this is a great one to pick up. I also think this is a good one to listen to if you are tired of the sound of radio pop music. I'm not saying that they are breaking down walls and changing music forever or anything. I just think that sonically this album is different than what is normally dominating the charts. For me, these boys are a familiar breath of fresh air.

I got the chance to meet my personal favorite member of 5SOS, Luke Hemmings, before
one of the shows I went to last summer.
Have you checked out this album yet? If you have, which song is your favorite?

P.S. I started a Facebook page for this blog yesterday, so you can click here to go like it!
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Hello! Lately, I've found some things that make me feel a little bit like a boss…a #GIRLBOSS to be exact. Today, I'm going to share those two things with you.


One of my most repinned people on my Pinterest is hands down the Nasty Gal profile (I'm going to put some of my current favorite pieces available from Nasty Gal in this post, so feel free to shop those). That being said when their Founder and CEO Sophia Amuroso was coming out with a book, I saw a lot of promo for it all over my homepage. At first, I was skeptical. To be fair, I'm skeptical of anything with a hashtag in the title (props to you for not judging this post for having a hashtag and reading it anyways). Over time, I kept hearing good things about it. Then, Anna, over on one of my favorite blogs ViviannaDoesMakeup, posted about how much she liked it, and that sealed the deal. I picked it up from the library and decided to give it a go. I'm so glad I did. If you are in need of some motivation, around my age, or just aren't quite sure what to do with you life yet, I think this is a great book for you. Don't be fooled like I was. At first, I kind of thought this was going to be some kind of weird self-help kind of book, but it isn't. It mostly chronicles Sophia's story as she started and grew Nasty Gal into the business it is today. Nasty Gal is an online store that sells clothing and accessories. All the things you would expect from an online retailer. The thing that separates Nasty Gal from others is the customers ability to shop both new clothes and vintage ones. Sophia Amurosa does know a thing or two about success. Her business did 100 million dollars in sales in 2012 alone. You can trust what she is telling you about how to be a #GIRLBOSS because she is one herself. It is packed with cool quotes and tips, but what makes it interesting is Sophia. Her story is a Cinderella one by the modern day definition, but she had to be her own fairy godmother when building this business. If you are in need of a kick in the pants to get going on a dream, look no further for your inspiration. I've got a few of my favorite quotes from it to share with you all below. I'll be bringing back another quote from this book next Saturday to talk about what I think the most marketable skill you can have when you are job hunting is, so check back for that!
  • "The energy you'll expend focusing on someone else's life is better spent working on your own. Just be your own idol."
  • "When your goal is to gain experience, perspective, and knowledge, failure is no longer a possibility. Failure is your invention. I believe that there is a silver lining in everything, and once you begin to see it, you'll need sunglasses to combat the glare."
  • "Things come to those who wait but only what is left by those who hustle."
  • "Don't you dare think my shredded T-shirt makes me a sheep in wolf's clothing. I, like every #GIRLBOSS, am a wolf in wolf's clothing."
  • "When you don't dress like everyone else, you don't have to think like everyone else."
  • "You can have a ton of money and buy yourself all the designer goodies you can stuff into the trunk of your Mercedes-Benz, but no amount of money can buy you style."
  • "Clothing is ultimately the suit of armor in which we battle the world. When you choose your clothing right, it should feel good. And there's nothing shallow about feeling good. Owning your style, however, is much more about your attitude than it is about what's on your back."
  • "An advantage of being naive is being able to believe in yourself when no one else will."
Quickly, I just wanted to share the newest Fifth Harmony track with you entitled, you guessed it, BO$$ (So many capital letters today). When my Nasty Gal motivation hasn't been enough, this has put me over the edge. It's had been the first thing I put on pretty much everyday when I start getting ready since it came out last week. I realize the lyrics are a lot corny, but I'm willing to look past that if you are. The girls sound great on this track. As their name suggests, the harmony is on point. I'd say it's worth 3 minutes of your life to give it a listen. Just let yourself feel the girl power that inevitably flows from any girl group track.


What makes you feel like a boss?

P.S. I'm sharing some more books that I have read recently on Saturday, so be back for that! :)
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Hello! I'm so sorry that this is coming late. I've had to work a lot and got caught up in World Cup fever. Also, I needed a few extra days to form a coherent thought in Re: x (If you get that reference, you are my new favorite person). This is the album I've been most looking forward to this summer. Just to clarify, the title is pronounced Multiply. It has been a little over 2 years since Ed Sheeran's first album + (pronounced Plus) was released in America. I talked about my love of that one in my post about Albums That Stood the Test of Time. I would say it currently reigns as my favorite album. Since that albums release, I have had the chance to see Ed Sheeran in concert 4 times and meet him once. One show was a special Christmas time Jingle Jam, one his own tour, and two were while he was on the Red Tour with Taylor Swift. If you ever have the chance to see him, I suggest you take it. It never gets old, and I love seeing how he can captivate a crowd when he is the only one on stage. Just a guitar and a loop pedal. Obviously, I've got a lot of love for Ed, so I'm going to break this album down for you. I picked up the Deluxe Edition which has 4 bonus tracks including "I See Fire" from The Hobbit and "All of the Stars" from TFIOS. If you want to order either of these, I've got some links for the normal edition and the deluxe. The full track list and my thoughts are all below!


Track List
1. One
2. Don't
3. Sing
4. Don't
5. Nina
6. Photograph
7. Bloodsteam
8. Tenerife Sea
9. Runaway
10. The Man
11. Thinking Out Loud
12. Afire Love
13. Take It Back
14. Shirtsleeves
15. Even My Dad Does Sometimes
16. I See Fire
17. All of the Stars
For fans of: Taylor Swift, Jason Mraz
Singles: Sing
Personal Favorites: Tenerife Sea, Thinking Out Loud, Don't, One, All of the Stars
Tracks I Skip: Shirtsleeves, Afire Love (I want to be clear about one thing. I think Afire Love is a beautiful song, and I don't skip it because I don't like it. If you know me or have been following this blog for a while, you will know that I lost my grandfather about 4 months ago. That is the subject matter of this song as Ed also lost his grandfather recently. I cry every time this comes on. The story he tells is just a little too similar to my own for me to stomach it right now).
Anything disappointing: I'm actually going to say no on this one. There isn't any material that I feel like he missed or any parts of himself as an artist that he glossed over. It's all here really.

Overall: For me, this album completely solidified him as a career artist rather than a person who had a good first album. I'm a bit biased, but I firmly believe he has a long career ahead of him. If you like his old stuff, you will like this as well. It is similar enough to + to feel familiar, and it slipped straight into my musical rotation. If you didn't like his first album, I would still give this one a listen. It is different enough that you might find something that is more to your taste, and it is different enough to not be boring for his long-time fans. 
If you are into singer songwriters, then you have to check him out. His lyrics are wonderfully written, and he says things in ways that no one else would think of saying them. He brings it all with this album whether its a ridiculously sweet love song or 3 and half minutes of rapping. He covers all his bases, and he does it well.

What albums are you excited about this summer?

P.S. So this means the post about my hair has been pushed back a week. I've been struggling to get good lighting because it has been raining here a lot lately. Hopefully, that will be up next week!
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Hello! I've been trying to sort out an organized way to put together an album review, so we are going to give that a try today (If there is anything you want touched on in the future, just let me know in the comments!). 

It is no secret how much I love all things British, particularly their music. I'm quite excited about their most recent export, Sam Smith. Hopefully, you've noticed him on the iTunes top 10 charts where his songs have been living lately (The longest resident being "Stay With Me"). All over the place, he is being called the male version of Adele which certainly peaked my interest. Then, he performed "Money On My Mind" with Taylor Swift when she was in London for her Red Tour, and I got more interested. Finally, his song "Nirvana" was my YouTube ad maybe 50 times in one week. To my surprise, I loved it more every time. Along with most of the television audience, I was stunned by his SNL performances. It is so evident that he just exudes talent. I've been counting down the days to this album release since that performance, so I was so excited to get finally my hands on his debut, In The Lonely Hour. I picked up the Target Deluxe Edition which comes with 5 extra tracks including LaLaLa, an acoustic version of Latch, and a version of Stay with Me featuring Mary J. Blige (full track list below). You can pick that up here (It's currently on sale, so now is a great time). Let's break this thing down.

Track Listing:
1. Money On My Mind
2. Good Thing
3. Stay With Me
4. Leave Your Lover
5. I'm Not The Only One
6. I've Told You Now
7. Like I Can
8. Life Support
9. Not In That Way
10. Lay Me Down
11. Restart
12. Latch (Acoustic)
13. LaLaLa
14. Reminds Me Of You
15. Stay With Me (feat. Mary J. Blige)
16. In The Lonely Hour (Acoustic)

For fans of: Adele, Whitney Houston
Singles: Lay Me Down, Money on My Mind, Stay With Me, and Leave Your Lover
Personal Favorites: Latch (Acoustic), Not In That Way, I'm Not The Only One, and all of the singles
Tracks I Skip: I've Told You Now, Restart, and Life Support sometimes
Anything disappointing: I've been raving about how great of a song Nirvana is on Twitter since February. It also made an appearance in my March Favorites, so I was sad to see that it wasn't included on this album. In interviews, he has said he wanted this to be a separate entity from his Nirvana - EP which I totally understand. That doesn't mean I stopped wishing for it. If you haven't heard that one, go check it out. Like I said up top, it is what got me truly hooked on him in the first place.

Overall: This album is full of heartfelt songs that are incredibly relatable. They are all delivered beautifully and with an emotional honesty felt in his voice. He is top billed as the songwriter on every track of this album, so these songs are coming from a very real place. For me, it makes it much easier to connect to him as a human being because he is putting himself out there. Also, I really respect that he had the guts to write every song on his first album. You really don't see a lot of that from people who are making as big of hits as he is.
If you like a good car singing session like I do, this is a great one to pick up. Same goes for if you love a guy with an impressive falsetto range, you can't miss this one. All in all, it is a very solid debut, and I hope to hear a lot from him in the future. In the best way, In The Lonely Hour feels like Sam Smith is starting a Lonely Hearts Club, and I will be the very first one to join.

What upcoming albums are you most excited about?

P.S. Come back next week for my thoughts on X from Ed Sheeran!
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