What I learned in My First 2 Years of College

I’ve decided to do a different kind of post today.  As I was walking/ wobbling down Madison Avenue today in my drenched flats, I was thinking about everything I learned in my first 2 years of university.  It’s been a whirlwind and I honestly can’t believe that when September arrives, I will be a junior at Montclair State University.  I am slowly finding myself but I know I am nowhere near knowing who I am and it’s ok, I will be sure of who I am in the next few years.

I switched my major and minor a few times.  I had enrolled as a Biology major to please my parents and I had thought I wanted to be a Physical Therapist. I stink at Mathematics and Chemistry, I did love Biology, but all those math classes and labs were going to be the death of me.  I switched right before school began to an English Major.  I’ve always been an avid reader and writer, but after getting terrible grades on my papers, thanks to a certain professor, my confidence was thrown out a window.  I finally decided to take a plunge and take an artistic route.  I’ve never been artistic but I was a shopaholic and could appreciate clothing.  I became a Fashion Studies Major.  I then added on a Communications Minor and a year later, I added on a Makeup Artistry Certification.

It’s okay to not know what you want to do right away.  Go into college undecided and take a few courses.  You will soon realize what you love or hate and it will be much easier to decide what you want to make you major.  Another great way, is to talk to your friends or advisor.
You should try to make friends.  It has been difficult for me to make friends as a commuter.  I go to school and then head home.  I do not have my own car yet as I do not have the funds, so I am often picked up by my father.  I wish I could be able to take a bus but since my school is in the middle of nowhere, it would take 3 buses and 5 hours. That’s like me going to another state!  I have made only a few good friends and sadly, one of them has graduated on.  I do plan on keeping in contact but I feel like I am all work and no play.  Try to balance your work, school, and social life.  It may be difficult but it will make everything much more enjoyable.

A great way to make friends is joining a club or organization.  If you don’t want to join a club or organization, then you could try talking to some people in your courses. I can say I don’t have many friends, but all you need is 1 or 2 really good ones!

Multi-tasking.  It’s a life saver.  If I didn’t multi-task, I would get nothing done.  Some might argue that multi-tasking stops you from focusing but I find that it gets everything done.  It’s also great to know how to efficiently prioritize your tasks.  Write them out and do them in the order you think will be best.  This is a great thing to know for future internships or careers.

Responsibility.  I can honestly say that I’ve become much more independent in my life.  As an only child, I’ve always had overprotective parents.  They’ve loosened their reigns a little bit and as a result I have been able to make my own choices.  I’m on internship #3, have a part-time job at Gap, and am a Social Media Director/Writer at Her Campus Montclair.  I’ve been able to work hard and I know they are proud.  I can honestly say I am proud of myself too!

College is what you make of it.  It isn’t all about the classes but it’s about a fair balance of studying, working, socializing, and relaxing.  I will be really sad when I graduate but I do not plan to let my studies stop there. I’ve decided a few months ago that I will get my GPA high enough to get into graduate school for Marketing, PR, or Communications.

If any of you have questions about university or any more questions about my experiences, feel free to comment below.  I would love to offer you my opinion and advice!

Toodles!

Ipsy: May 2013

I received my first Ipsy a week ago and I was uber excited to see the cute hot pink package in the mail.  I didn’t know what to expect as I am a BirchBox subscriber.

My first thought was how great the glam bag was. I think it’s really cute and will make a great cosmetic bag or pencil case. I love the colors and the design, it’s very cute.

When I reached in there were 3 cards inside.  The above was in it and it just has some offers on it. I didn’t really came much for it but maybe they will be useful in the future.

Zoya Nail Polish in Gie Gie: As a nail polish addict, this was the product I was most looking forward to receiving. I was silently praying to get the blue or pink one and I got it! I think most of my nail polish collection is blue so I think it’s a good thing that I got this. It’s a really soft pink and I love the Zoya brand. It doesn’t have that strong smell of nail polish.  The only problem is sometimes I think the formula is too sticky and it’s a little messy but I think it’s because I’m more used to liquidy polishes like Essie. I love all their colors and the brand anyways. Did I mention this was full-size?Amazing!

Anastasia Brow Gel: As a girl who threads her eyebrows, I find it completely transforms how my face looks.  I was thrilled to see this in my bag as I always like to keep my eyebrows tidy. I just can’t get over how this is full-size as well. I’ve used Anastasia’s Brow Pencil and I can’t wait to replace that with this gel. It seems more reliable as I could never sharpen that pencil and ended up with a wasted product.

Mirabella Lipstick in Bellarina: Another full-size sample! I don’t think I can get over all of this full sized madness! I was ecstatic to get some lipstick because I’ve been wanting to test out some lipstick that I could wear in the summer. This is a very sheer color, so sheer it just came out as shimmer on my hand. I was a bit disappointed at the color but maybe I can layer this lipstick on top of another. It was creamy and I know it will probably be used several times.

Yaby Concealer Refill: This would be great…if it wasn’t some random little sample. This was one of the ones I didn’t like. I am willing to try it but it is so tiny, I think I will end up losing it before I use it. I do need concealer badly, but where will I put this? No idea. Not worth my ten bucks.

Pacifica Roll-On Perfume: I don’t wear perfume so I wasn’t really excited about this one. I rolled some onto my wrists and was instantly nauseous.  It was way too strong and floral for my tastes. I will most definitely be giving this away to my cousins, who may appreciate it and use it more than me.  This was a no go for me.

For my first month, I can only say I was uber excited about 3/5 of the items and I will continue my subscription to see what the month of June brings! For all the full-size items, I may even decide if I want to keep Birchbox or not.

Do you subscribe to Ipsy?What are your thoughts and favorite items you’ve gotten from them?

 

OOTD:Flower Power

I SERIOUSLY need to invest in a new camera. I have my internship to go to and it’s in a pearl wholesaler, so I have to look a bit more polished and professional.

The great thing is that they don’t mind if I wear prints so I pulled out this floral Jason Wu for Target skirt and paired it with a simple black t-shirt.  I paired it with my Jason Wu for Target cardigan, belted the skirt and shirt, and slipped on some navy blue flats.  I’m all for comfort especially for when I have to literally run through the city.  I cannot walk in heels for my life, so flats are my go to.  I think I should also invest in some nice flats that are worth a bit more money.

The finishing touch was my white necklace from Charming Charlie, it adds a bit of glitz and glam and I think it balances it out quite nicely.

 

 

 

What’s In My Makeup Bag

I feel like this blog is taking a turn into beauty, but it’s ok, beauty is a part of fashion and I do intend to try to do more outfits when I find a partner to take photos.  This is easier to do as I do not need anything special or someone else to take the photos. I love seeing what is in everyone else’s makeup bags or is part of their routine so I figured i would do one as well.  These are the items I use religiously, I may use some one day or omit them another. I have a lot more items but these are the ones I find myself reaching for time and time again.

Urban Decay: All Nighter
This makeup setting spray is both refreshing and effective.  I used this going to an Ed Sheeran concert in October. I sprayed it onto my face after I finished applying my makeup and spent 2 hours outside and then 3 1/2 sweating and dancing. When I took a picture of myself with my friend at the concert, I was surprised to see my face did not have one bead of sweat on it. It did not glisten with oil or have any makeup running down my face. It lasted for those 6 hours and more. It’s amazing. I will continue using it and I know this will be great for the hot summer months. Not only will it keep my makeup set, but it will offer some relief against the hot sun.

bareMinerals Original Foundation, Mineral Viel, & “Warmth”: I am a simple girl and I like simple makeup.  Sometimes, I just swipe the trio on and I am left fresh-faced and blemish free.  It gives me great coverage without looking heavy or looking like I am even wearing makeup.  It offers a great canvas to actually go wild with your makeup.

Origins: GinZing Refreshing Eye Cream: I have terrible, dreadful dark circles thanks to my workaholic nature and heredity.  I swipe some of this underneath my eyes in the morning to give me more of a wide awake look.  The key is the light reflecting shimmer.  It helps brighten your eyes and you could also swipe some on before you head to bed. It’s not going to make your circles disappear but it helps me look more alive and attentive when I am out or working.

Per-fekt Brow Perfection Gel & Tarte emphasEYES liner: I keep my brows tidy by threading but when a week or two pass, the unruly hairs return.  To keep the perfectly set and bold brows, I swipe on some of the brow perfection brow. It has a mascara brush so it’s easy to use and you could easily control how bold you want them.  The emphasEYES liner is also something I use when I want to brighten up my eyes.  The nude color glides on your lower waterline and makes your eyes look bigger and wide awake.  I also put some on the inner corner of my eyes to get the full effect.

Boscia B.B Cream: Yes, there is a C.C cream now but I am enjoying my time with this. I wear this every day without fail.  If I don’t feel like doing any makeup I dot this all over my face and put 2 dots on my dark circles and set it in with a circular motion.  It leaves my skin with a beautiful glow, less noticeable dark circles, and with nearly any imperfections.  The best part? The SPF.  It will be a life saver in the summer and might even try their B.B. Cream with bronzer.

Lancome Hypnose Doll mascara: You can never go wrong with a swipe of mascara. I already have naturally long eyelashes so I don’t really need a lot.  I do like putting mascara on to make sure it curls up and to give it more emphasis.  I like Lancome’s mascara because it doesn’t clump.  I’m nearing the end of this one and I will be sure to try some new ones but until then, I will continue using this one.

Sugarbomb by Benefit: I usually have trouble finding anything that matches my skintone–simply because I don’t really know what to classify my skin tone as and there is an overwhelming variety of choices.  I strode into my local Ulta and one of the employees helped me choose this.  This is my go to blush and one I use all the time. I love mixing all the colors or using them individually.  It has a sweet and delicate scent to it as well.  It isn’t shimmery at all and I find that it adds a warm glow to my face.

Clinique Even Better Concealer in Hazelnut: I swear, I think I need to just get some new skin underneath my eyes. They aren’t bad, ok yes, they are horrible.  I need all the product I can use underneath my poor eyes. I also have trouble picking out the perfect concealer so I had asked one of the women at Sephora. She used this and I liked how it looked.  I only see it make a huge difference when I use both B.B Cream AND concealer.  If I just use concealer, I feel like it doesn’t have enough coverage.

Sugar by Fresh: I am utterly obsessed with Fresh.  They’re items smell AMAZING. I have a collection of these bad boys thanks to Sephora always gifting two minis around my birthday. I have this one and the tinted rose one.  They both offer the same lemony fresh scent and always leave my super dry lips feeling smooth and rejuvenated. I will most likely be buying a lot more from Fresh and a full size lip balm when I finish.

New York State of Mind

Hello my Spice Girls (Guys!), It’s been a hectic semester. It never seems to end as I am now doing my internship in New York City. I absolutely love it. The downside is getting home to New Jersey, the bus route is an hour and a half and the buses are unreliable.  I am interning at Mastoloni Pearls as their PR/Marketing Intern.  Everyone is the sweetest and I can’t complain about the location.  It’s right by 5th Avenue! Plus, it’s where all the businessmen are…so I do some sight seeing on my breaks (;D).

It’s was unbearably humid today and being self conscious about my arms led me to literally sweat it out into my blazer.  The good/bad thing is that I have to dress professional. Good because I love to dress up, bad because it’s difficult for a plus size girl like myself to find anything that is flattering and youthful that is dressy enough to wear.  It’s very difficult to find some great dresses as well. I will just have to keep my eyes peeled for the perfect pieces for my closet.

The city in the summer is wonderful. The sun is shining, the city is buzzing, and there is always some Fro-yo around the corner, Yum! If you ever have the opportunity to go to the city or intern in New York, do it! You will really get the feel for the culture and honestly, I just love looking at everyone’s outfits.  Not one is the same!

Today, however, was exhausting. I got locked out of my house and had to go to my fathers place of employment to get his key and take the bus back.  What I found waiting for me at home was exciting, my first month of Ipsy! I am thrilled with what I recieved and will make it my duty to give you some reviews and photos of what I got!

Black & White

As I have mentioned in a previous post, I absolutely love the black and white trend.  It’s crisp, clean, and classy! I found these adorable pants at JCP (They aren’t that bad, trust me) and had to wear them to an interview! I paired them with a light grey/mint blouse that has a great pleated back. I’m just excited to see what else I can pair these pants with! What I love the most about these pants, are the print. I am a sucker for a good, versatile print.

Worthington Pants, JCP, $28 / Mint Blouse, Target, ~$20/ Christian Siriano, Payless, ~$30

Ruby Wing Nail Polish Review

I had received this pretty light pink/coral nail polish in my April Birchbox. I was ecstatic, as nail polish is one of my obsessions. When I got the chance I swiped it on. My first reaction was that maybe the brush was too small and that’s why my manicure came out less than perfect. It streaks horribly and no matter how many coats you put on (I put 3), the streakiness comes through.  The polish does do what it says; it changes color.  I stood at my window a little creep like and watched as the color changed in front of my eyes. I love it, it’s like you are wearing two different nail polishes.  I just wish it didn’t streak so bad and in less than a few hours, some of it had chipped off. I’m disappointed and I know for a fact I won’t be purchasing the full-size. Too bad.

Thumb and Pinky NOT exposed to light, middle three fingers exposed to sun.

OOTD: Camo-Love

Sadly, I still don’t have my camera or a partner to take my pictures…so I will have to make due with what I have! I am a college student after all. Now that spring has arrived, the weather is quite temperamental.  The best thing to have in spring is a thin jacket. I got my camo jacket from Gap. I do work there, so it’s best I represent the company and wear them to work! My bag is from Francesca’s collection,which was 30% (yay savings!). Do you like the camo look? What would you pair with it?

May BirchBox Review!

I took another study break today (can you really blame me!?) and rushed down to my mailbox. I was both delighted and grumpy to see my May BirchBox lying in a puddle of water. Luckily, the only thing that was wet was the outer box. As I opened the boxes like as if it was Christmas once again, I was silently praying that I would not get a fragrance. Lo and behold, I did.

Joie Fragrance: I am not much of a perfume girl. I have an overly sensitive nose and most perfumes end up giving me terrible headaches. I was a bit afraid to try it but it wasn’t very overpowering. It has a sweet floral scent that is very feminine and just reminds one of spring and warm weather. I will use the whole sample but I do not see myself purchasing the full-size bottle as it is $98. A bit too-steep for a girl who rarely uses perfumes.

Beauty Protector,  Protect & Detangle: My mother has a cosmetology certification so she can go to the professional stores and get me products that no one else can get, especially detanglers, for a low price. I was a bit skeptical as I’ve never heard of this brand. I took the top off and sniffed it. It smelled AMAZING. I immediately sprayed it onto my messy, tangled bed head. It smells sweet and does the job. It left my dry hair smooth, soft, and shiny. I think I might just buy the full-size once I run out of this sample. It will come in handy in the hot, humid months that lie ahead.

Coola, Sunscreen for Face: I hate sunscreen. It smells gross, is often times pricey, and leaves my face and skin with a greasy film. Coola was different. I have combination skin of dry patches on the cheeks and a little bit of oil on the T-Zone. I, of course, took a sniff of this and was blown away. Gone are the nasty scents of sunscreen and in are the fresh scent of cucumber! I put a little on my face and it was absorbent, light, and refreshing. It moisturized my skin without being heavy and an hour later, it’s still not greasy. I will most definitely invest on a full-size for the summer months. I will alternate between this and my BB Cream when I feel a little adventurous. What’s even better?It’s organic!

Sumita, Eyeliner: I’ve always been a huge eyeliner fan since high school (Thank you emo phase). I don’t wear it as much as I don’t want to bring all the attention to my dark circles but I find that it emphasized my “exotic” eyes, as my cousin tells me. When I saw that I got this sample, I nearly did a back flip. I wish I would have gotten a different color as I have lots of black eyeliner, but the more the merrier! I put a swatch below so you can see how it comes up. It’s not as pigmented as my drugstore ones but it does the job and I love the strange point! It isn’t easily removed, either. I still have it on my hand after a few hours of just trying to scrub it away with a napkin. It’s long-lasting that’s for sure!

Tweezerman, Matchbox IttyBitty Files: I paint my nails to the point of breaking. I absolutely love my nails and usually think of them the best part of my body. I was surprised to see this little treat. I have 2 nail files and I rarely use them. I don’t like filing my nails as it makes me twitch a little but you have to do, what you have to do! I thought this was really cute and extremely portable! I can just throw it in my purse and have several to use before tossing them away. What’s great is that they are in a box so I don’t have to dig into my bag to find my nail file scratching away at my phone. I’m not too crazy about the dark green color but it’s tiny, cute, and portable so it’s mostly a pro!

I was overall pleased with what I received in this month’s box. I was going to let this month be the month I decide if I wanted to keep or unsubscribe to BirchBox. I think I will be keeping it another month! I am loving what I am seeing and they are doing a great job in choosing the items they are letting us try out. It keeps with the month’s and are going to be of great use for the spring and summer. Keep it up, BirchBox!

A Breath of Fresh Air

Photo from: Fresh.com

 

 

The weather is finally mild and sunny here on in the Metro area. I cannot tell you how wonderful it is to go outside with a light blazer or sweater and to finally ditch that heavy winter coat.

About a week ago, I had another internship interview, when I decided to survey the area.  I was around 20th St and Broadway. I came across the Fresh Flagship store. I was in complete and utter shock, I didn’t even know they had their own store! I rushed in like a baby at a candy store.

I wish I would have taken more photos but I was in a bit of a rush to get to my interview. The sales associates were sweet and very engaging. They let out try out their Sugar Hand Scrub, which was divine. They had a cool water fountain that you can rinse your hands off in.  The space was light and airy. It was exactly what the brand name says, fresh.

I wholeheartedly that you all stop and take a little peek if you are in the area. You can try samples, browse, and get your picture taken! How cool!

They have a love wall! You can see my tag all the way at the bottom!

Here I am with Susan, holding the item we sampled!