January Beauty Bag

These are all the items that I am using in the month of January. I am hoping to use up some of these items, but I want to see progress on everything this month and every month. If I don’t use it, I declutter it. If I don’t like it, I declutter it. I have a serum, a primer, a blush, an eye shadow trio, an eye liner and a perfume. Oh, and a lipstick! I really am enjoying the blush and I have already popped the stopper out of the liquid lipstick. I will let you know if I use up anything, hit pan, or declutter in my February bag post. The liquid lipstick is a my lips but better color and is so easy to wear. It fades naturally and doesn’t look awkward at all.

With Love,

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November Makeup Bag

We are half way through November, so I feel like I’m late coming to the party with this. I’m going to do it anyway though. I haven’t been using any of the eye makeup. I got pink eye and then caught a bit of a cold from my son. I’m feeling better, so hopefully I can dabble more into the makeup that I have set aside for the month. Before I get into this month’s picks, I’m going to recap on what happened in October.

I used this blush 5 days a week all month long and I barely scratched the surface of it. I thought for sure that I could pan it or at the very least wear down the imprint. I will bring it back for my December bag, because I really love this blush. It is very pigmented and a little goes a long way. I hit pan on my eye gloss and I found out that it wore better without eye primer. I love how this looked on my eyes. It was a nice and easy eye look that was very pretty. It paired great with bold lips. I used up my Cover FX drops. I didn’t make a noticeable dent on the Nars concealer or the Tarte lip paint. I made a bit of progress on the perfume, but I don’t mind because I love the scent on it.

I have used all of these products a few times. I have dabbled in the Hourglass 2016 Holiday Palette and used the finishing powder and blush a few times. I’m trying to use up the Caitlyn lip gloss, because I don’t like lip glosses that are pigmented in dark colors. It smears around like crazy. I only use this at home. I want to use up some perfume samples and work on my Vampire perfume that I love. I’m kinda getting sick of it though. I’ve used the eye shadow once and then got pink eye. I threw out my Benefit Gimmie Brow, because they have been on the news as having TOXIC ingredients. Could be the reason why I got pink eye. I also got rid of my mascara since I got pink eye and I had used that on my eyes that day. I’ve used the foundation once and liked it. It did flake up my moisturizer though. I’m going to try it with primer this week.

Above is what my daily makeup cabinet looks like. I have a few of my other daily supplies in there like primer, lip treatments, and a purple corrector. I like that it’s not too busy and I can easily reach in for things without knocking anything over.

What do you have in your makeup bag?

With Love,

October Makeup Bag

Instead of doing project pans and I’m about to call it quits on my Pan That Palette Challenge, I thought that I would focus on 5 makeup products every month with a bonus perfume item and see what kind of progress I can make in a month on the items. This is also a way for me to rotate through my products and give them all the love that they deserve instead of just focusing on one palette. I’ll probably announce my defeat next week. I’m just tired of the same palette. I need the spice of life: variety!

I’m pretty happy at my first attempt of a flat lay. Everything looks pretty good on the makeup bag. I’ve used every product in the picture so far, except the eye gloss. Everything else has been used a few times. I’m going to try to wear the eye gloss next weekend. I had to be somewhere every morning this weekend and I wasn’t going to be putting on a full face at 6 in the morning. I don’t have time for that. I did manage to put on some concealer and lipstick though. Priorities people.

The liquid lipstick is definitely more on the nude/orange/brown side. It looks more brown farther away than up close, but I really love this color on me and it goes great with the nude Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Paarty. Oh, the liquid lipstick is the Tarte Lip Paint in Birthday Suit. I haven’t used either of these before, so I’m starting the month with brand new lipstick and blush. I’m hoping to hit pan on the blush and to go through about half of the lipstick. I might even wear it at work. It’s a good neutral color. Just need to remember my mirror for touch ups.

The perfume is With Love by Hilary Duff and I just love this perfume! It is such a good warm scent for Fall and I will be sad when I finish this off. It’s a 0.5 fl oz bottle and I have about 60% left. I have no goal for this except to enjoy it before it goes bad in my collection. I am almost done with my Cover FX primer oil and I just want to finish it off. It isn’t my favorite and I don’t enjoy it that much. If I finish it before the month is over, I’ll replace it with a primer of my choice that I already have in my stash.

The only thing left to talk about is my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla. I think I’ve used 1/4 of this already. I’m showing windows in the tube. I want to use it up as I have two other concealers in my collection and I don’t particularly care for this one. I think it’s overpriced for what it is and Nars is no longer cruelty free. I think I’ll purchase an Urban Decay concealer next. Drug store concealers have NEVER worked for me. They are way too yellow and the Nars matched me perfectly. It never oxidized either. High end concealer is where it’s at for me and you don’t need that much. I use concealer under my eyes and around my mouth where my smile lines are to brighten that area.

This is what my everyday (and night!) makeup shelf looks like in my medicine cabinet. It is A LOT less cluttered and I can grab everything easily. I have my every day setting powder, my night lip balm, my eye primer, and setting spray out as well as the products I chose. Oh, and mascara! Never forget mascara. I feel like at least two of the products that I’ve shown will be used up by November. In November, I will show you the progress of October and move right into the November picks.

With Love,

❤ Selena Hannah ❤

Elixir

Elixir by Hilary Duff
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Plot: Clea is the daughter of a surgeon and a politican. Her whole life changes when her father disappears, while on a humanitarian mission. Clea soon finds out that wasn’t the reason why her father went there. Her soul has been reincarnated multiple times and she keeps on falling in love with the same man, only to die a tragic death. She must race against time to unravel her sordid past in order to have a future.

Key Characters: Clea is the main character of the story and the book is told through her perspective. I really loved Clea’s character. I found her genuine and you can really see her grow throughout the book. You can see how smart she is and how stupid love can make a girl. I connected with her and I found myself very intrigued with her past.

Ben is a sweet character that you instantly trust and love. I don’t know where the next book will take up, but I hope that Duff didn’t turn his character into something more sinister. I would hate to find out that he was the reason why she died every time in her past lives.

Sage is an interesting character. I was both intrigued and repulsed by his character. I still feel like he is a mystery and many questions about him are left unanswered. Hopefully, the next book will reveal more about Sage and who he truly is.

Likes: I like how complicated the love triangle is in this story. You never really know exactly what is going on or who to trust. I have a funny feeling that Ben’s character is not all that sweet and innocent. It would be a welcome twist to the story, but I would still be heartbroken about it. I feel like the romance wasn’t rushed between Clea and Sage, because she has been falling in love with him in her dreams for weeks before actually seeing him in person. It isn’t an instant connection, but one that has been brewing for centuries.

Dislikes: I found Rayna to be extremely annoying. I didn’t like her one bit, but she did make things interesting. I didn’t see her as a romantic, but more of a man conqueror. She seemed to be more interested in getting laid than finding her soulmate. I didn’t like that about halfway through the book, it stopped being about finding Clea’s dad. It switched to being all about Clea and Sage’s relationship. The book ends with Clea pinning after Sage. You would think that she would still have strong feelings about finding her father, but they disappear once she falls for Sage.

Overall Opinion: I really loved this book, except for the small plot stroke that happened with Clea’s father. I don’t like it when books seem to forget their whole reason for starting in the first place. I wouldn’t have minded so much, if it was resolved and the book moved onto a different plot. I cannot wait to read what happens next and I have my own theories on what will occur. I will be buying the second book next year, when I have the funds for it and my library is low. I want to read a good portion of the books that I have first, before buying half a dozen at Barnes & Nobles. I am very impressed with this first book by Hilary Duff and I hope to give the next one a higher rating if she stays on point.

4 out of 5 stars

With Love,

View all my reviews

August Favorites

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

I have five more work days at Kmart before I am done with that chapter of my life! I am so excited! Tomorrow, I also start my food diaries, which is kind of scary. As soon as I finish my current workout program, I will post my new one and share with you on how I am keeping fit under the lifestyle category. I am thinking about starting a series called The Weekly Roundup, where I can just talk and chat with you guys about my week and what happened. Would you be interested in that? I feel like I could write a whole post with stories about my week and the on-goings, not that my life is really exciting or anything. Here are my favorites of the month.

Skincare:

Dr. Brandt Pores No More

I feel like this really minimizes my pores and makes them ALMOST invisible. It certainty makes them unnoticeable. I would repurchase this primer, because it also makes me less oily throughout the day as well, which is really a bonus. This is a small bottle and I do not know when I can afford to buy a full sized one of these. The full size is 45 USD for 1 fl oz. I think that I will purchase this though. Probably in October or November and I can justify it as a Christmas present to myself.

Novelty:

Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub

I really love using this scrub every night/morning. It is really moisturizing and gentle enough for twice a day use. It is very minty and refreshing. I am totally guilty of licking this off of my lips, despite the fact that it has exfoliated my lips and might have bits of my skin in it. I cannot help it! It is SO tasty! Does anyone else sometimes sneak a bit from the jar and just eat it? I do not do it often, but I have been known to do it. I do wish that the scrub was a bit moister to apply easier on the lips. It isn’t a huge drawback though.

Music:

Hilary Duff Chasing The Sun Music Video

I love the song and the video. It is so carefree and happy. I cannot help but sing along and it has really been stuck in my head for the whole month. I even have my favorite parody for the song as well. I cannot believe how much Hilary Duff has changed in this photo and in the music video. She doesn’t really look the same. She looks more mature and her features changed a bit. She is almost unrecognizable. Am I the only one who thinks this?

Lifestyle:

New Job

I am loving that I am going to be starting me new job soon! I just cannot stop talking about it!

I never have many favorites, but that was it for this month. I hope you all enjoyed it!

With Love,

Selena Hannah xoxoxo

 

Birthday Present

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

As many of you already know, my birthday was on May 13th, but I wasn’t able to celebrate it with my best friend until recently (keep in mind that I wrote this post a good two weeks ago. 🙂 ). As you may know, Danielle from DaniWritesReviews and I are best friends in real life and like all best friends, we give each other gifts on important occasions.  So, here is what Dani got me for my birthday:

The Bag:

It is so festive and cute! I’ll probably be reusing this for Dani’s birthday in October. You do not know how many times I have given her gift bags back, but most of the time, she pretends not to remember. lol. I love to reduce, reuse, and recycle.

The Tissue Paper:

Can we just take a moment to admire how fitting the paper is with this color scheme? I swear Dani could be a professional gift giver. People should hire her, seriously. I love how pretty the tissue paper is. It is almost as great as the goodies that I have found inside.

The Book:

Elixir by Hilary Duff

This book came out four years ago in 2010 and ever since then, I have been planning on buying these books to add to my read shelf. This dream of mine never happened, but now, Dani is making it happen with the first book. I am so excited to finally read this book and it is in hard cover, so it will last with me rereading it over and over again. Hilary Duff is Dani and I’s favorite singer and we have been waiting forever for her new album to come out, which it will…eventually. Until then, I will be reading and collecting her trilogy, which will satisfy me in the mean time. The author photo is stunning, but let’s face it, she had a lot of perfect photo-shoot pictures to pick from. Ah, I love the smell of a new book. I will be reading this, but right now, I am reading my June book of the month, which I never revealed. I will be better at this in July, I promise.

The Freebie:

Clarins Coin Purse

I wouldn’t put coins in this purse, but it is great for stuffing a few bills, my discount card, and id in for when I am at work. This can hang from my pants and I won’t have to worry about it. It is in my favorite color, gold. I love gold and purple like Dani loves pink. In other words, we are very color obsessed. Dani received this randomly in the mail and saved it for me. I love her for thinking about me. That’s a true friend for you. xo. I actually collected something for her as well that I received in the mail albeit not randomly.

The Lifestyle Item:

Carlton Cards 10 Pack

Dani and I have been talking about summer and the ocean since winter and we are happy that summer is finally here. The cards definitely reflect our mutual love of the ocean and it’s also a reminder to start writing letters again. All I need are a book of stamps and I can start writing to her again. I love writing and receiving letters in the mail, so this is great! I just love beautiful things and the color of the envelops is gorgeous! Dani get ready for a letter from me in the coming week/days!

The Obsession:

Nail Polishes

Yes, nail polishes as in plural. This shouldn’t be surprising, if you have been reading Dani’s blog. You know she is a bit obsessed with nail polish, but I love new polishes as well. So, I greatly appreciate more colors to play with. I was given seven polishes. So, here it goes:

H&M Nail Polish in Mad Mint

I love cute lil’ minis! This one is a pretty pastel mint color and the skinny brush is great for streaking and other nail art. I think it would be a great nail color on its own. I would classify this color as a great spring color.

Wet N Wild Magalast in 210C Tropicalia

Oddly enough, I found this color to be better suited for Fall despite of its summery name. To me, this color screams dark neutral peach, leaning more towards a pinky peach than an orange peach. I still really like this color and the thick brush will make applying to the whole nail a lot easier.

Wet N Wild Megalast in D190A Bubblegum Pop

This is a neon bubblegum pink and I am in love with it! This is the next color I am doing my nails. It is the perfect summertime color. If I paint my nails again before this post, I will add a picture of what the color looks on my nails.

This has the same thick brush and I was super excited to try this out. This is a color I definitely would have bought on my own. I love how Dani knows me so well.

Sation Nail Lacquer in Cast a Spell on You

I could see this dark metallic blue as a winter/fall color. I couldn’t see it as a summer color, because of how dark it is. If it was lighter like the Avon color I own, it could definitely be a summer color as well. I really love blue on my nails, so I know I will be getting some good use out of this color. Sticking with the theme of metallics…

Confetti Long Wearing Nail Color in 093 Debutante

This shimmery golden brown is perfect for Fall and I can see myself wearing this color a lot. The formula seems a bit watery and thin, which will make it easier to do nice thin coats on my nails. Let’s face it, most nail polish colors are beautiful.

Sinful Shine with Gel Tech in 1219 Alfresco

I love, love, love this nail color! It is the perfect periwinkle color and the gel shine makes them 7 day durable. I do not even need a top coat with this. It truly is an ah-mazing formula. It is a perfect spring/summer color and I will be wearing this so much this summer. It is going to go perfectly with my Katy Perry Last Friday Night O.P.I. polish.

NYC In A New York Minute Quick Dry Nail Polish in 262 Murray Hill Muave

This dark nude berry pink with hints of shimmer is a classic for Fall/Winter. It would go hand-in-hand with a berry lip. This formulation really dries fast when you are in a hurry and have things to do during the day, which most of us do.

The Card:

I really loved the card. It fit my furry family to a T. Where did that saying originate anyway?

I loved my birthday present so much, especially since it came from my best friend and we also got to spend the day together. ❤ I love present hauls and what I got for Christmas posts/videos.

That’s all for now!

With Love,

Selena Hannah xoxoxo

 

Favorite Movies Tag

Heya Aspiring Gurus!

My friend Danielle again, has tagged me for this tag. I love tags, so I do not mind at all. This is going to be really interesting, because I do not know much about movies, although I watch them a lot. I usually don’t even really think about it, which is weird I guess, but I am just not that into details when I watch a movie. I usually just watch a movie, because of who plays in it or if it looked interesting in the trailer. Now, onto the tag!

1. Favorite movie of all time?

This is a hard one. I really like a lot of movies, but if I had to pick only one favorite that I wouldn’t mind watching for the rest of my life it would be…… Sundays at Tiffany’s! I love that movie so much. It is a classic and I love it so much. I love the acting in it and everything about it. Alyssa Milano plays in it and I really love her as an actress. I loved her in Charmed! Anyways, I really like the plot to this movie and everything about it. It is such a sweet movie.

2. Favorite scene from that movie?

My favorite scene from Sundays at Tiffany’s is….I have a lot of favorite scenes from that movie! I cannot just pick one, so I’ll share a few scenes with all of you. I really love the scene where the angel man is first scene and he’s like “You can see me?” and the cab driver is like, “Yes, you crazy, now get out of the road!” or something very similar to that. I also love it when the angel man who is played by Eric Winters, pops up everywhere where Alyssa’s character is and Alyssa’s character goes to her friend and is like, “I think this man is stalking me.” Her friend is all like, “He must be an actor trying to get a part!” Since Alyssa’s fiance in the movie is an actor or producer, they assume that Eric Winter’s character must be after a job. I just love this movie It is so funny and sweet.

3. Favorite actors/actresses?

Wow…Where to start??? Ummmm…..For actors, I love Zac Effron, Hugh Laurie, Brad Pitt, Johnny Depp, Mark Harmon, and many others. I just love anyone really. It is very hard to get on my dislike list, but I do have one male actor that is. Stay tuned to find out who! For actresses, I love Selena Gomez, Hilary Duff, Alyssa Milano, Sandra Bullock, Olivia Wilder, and many others as well. I cannot really just confine myself to these people, because I like a lot of unknowns that I forget the names to and there are many actors/actresses that I really don’t care for, but I don’t hate them. They just don’t determine, if I watch the movie or not, if you know what I mean.

4. Most annoying actors/actresses?

Unlike Danielle, I cannot stand the actor DREW SEELEY! I like t call him DREW SLEAZY! Is it just me or does he flirt really bad with all of his female costars off the camera? It is way too much man. TONE IT DOWN! He comes off as such a sleaze ball that I don’t really like him, but it is personal preference. I just find him revolting, but not enough to not watch a movie with other actresses and actors that I love. I’ll just make a face when I see scenes with him in it. I seriously don’t like him. Maybe, I will when he matures.

5. Favorite Director(s)?

I don’t really pay attention to that, but I like it when stars in the movies are also directors. I usually enjoy those movies more.

6. Guilty Pleasure?

I would have to agree with Danielle. I’ve been watching Spring Breakers in private to avoid ridicule from my parents and boyfriend. I haven’t finished watching it yet, but I can already tell that many people wouldn’t enjoy it. I’m not sure I do. I haven’t gone far enough into it to tell. I do think that you have to watch this movie multiple times to really understand it.

7. Favorite tearjerker?

My favorite tearjerker movie will not be your average answer. I have two movies that always make me cry no matter how many times I watch it. The first one is a girly movie called Raise Your Voice with Hilary Duff as the star. The car accident makes m cry every single time. I also really like The Boy In The Striped Pajamas, which is a war movie about the concentration camps and I always cry. It is so terrible about what happened and it is based on true events, so it is even worse.

8. A character from a movie that scared you the most?

The most scary character that I can think of isn’t really scary, but more like creepy, like Danielle states. My creepy character is Drew Seeley in I Kissed A Vampire. I really don’t like him. He gives me the creeps! lol

9. Movie you love but everyone hates?

I’m not totally sure, but I loved the I Kissed A Vampire movie, which didn’t get a lot of press or good critic reviews. I still love it though. Lucas Grabeel was hot in it! Oh! I also love Lucas Grabeel! He is my favorite actor #1! This movie in on Netflix, so I recommend that everyone checks it out. It’s a musical and it has some seriously catchy tunes.

10. Movie that you hate but everyone loves?

I never was into Twilight. I mean, the movies are okay, but it is not something that I would have watched, if my mother wasn’t so gaga over it. I couldn’t read the books at all, but the movies were okay, I guess.

11. Favorite movie duo?

Mary Kate & Ashley Olsen! In all of their tween movies. They were so cute! I don’t really know of any other duos except Bonny & Clyde, which I love as well.

12. Favorite animated films?

I really love Despicable me and I want to see the sequel. I do not watch much animated films.

13. Actor/Actress you have a crush on?

Lucas Grabeel! What more can I say? But also Hugh Laurie! I love a guy with  British accent!

14. Favorite movie villain?

Poison Ivy from Batman. I love she-villains.

15. A movie that surprised you?

I was really surprised when I started watching Private. I though the movie was going to be really great, but it ended up being a mediocre film. I thought it was a different show, but it turned out to be a movie that wasn’t very well put together. I think it was an Indie film, but I was surprised. I usually like Indie films.

16. Who is your least favorite director?

I don’t keep track of directors, so I wouldn’t know.

17. What is your favorite book turned movie?

I really like Sunday at Tiffany’s, but I will also say the Harry Potter series.

18. What is a movie that has changed or has had a significant impact on your life?

Ummm….I’m not really very impacted by movies, but after watching The Boy in The Striped Pajamas I donated to a fund that are still trying to help Jewish families locate their possessions and try to right the wrongs that happened to them.

19. Favorite movie quote of all time?

I am not really a big quote person, but I am going to find one….trying to find one…..internet do not fail me now! Ummm….Movie quotes…. “Spring Break forever, bitches!” lol.

20. Favorite movie score or soundtrack?

My favorite soundtrack is the one to the Hunger Games. It has many of my favorite artists and I love the songs, but surprisingly, I also like the sound track of the second to last movie of Twilight simply because of one song….”I’ll love you for a thousand years…”

Well, that is it! I hoped you liked my answers! I will be now tagging Jen from dragonflyreviews.wordpress.com to answer this tag! I’m giving you more work Jen. Until my next post!

With Love,

Hannahxoxoxo