New Orleans | February 2015

A few weeks ago I got the chance to take a road trip with my closest friends to New Orleans! We all had never been and were so eager to experience a place unlike any other. 

We decided to drive down and we unfortunately got stuck right in the middle of a terrible snow storm in Kentucky. It took us 16 hours to drive to Louisiana! But we finally made it!

We had our own balcony and had a beautiful view of the city. We didn't get to New Orleans until about 8pm so we didn't explore much the first night. 

We had a very lovely meal at a beautiful restaurant known as Emeril's, yes it is one of Chef Emeril's locations, it was very beautiful and everyone was very kind! 

New Orleans during the afternoon

We got there on the last day of Mardi Gras, otherwise known as "Fat Tuesday". We only went to one of the parades but it was such a cool experience! It was so surreal to think that you're actually experiencing the REAL Mardi Gras. Everyone was dressed up and beads, stuffed animals, umbrellas and other items were being thrown into the crowd. 

How cool is this Alien float? It was probably my favorite!

We headed down to the French Quarter to explore and do some shopping. The whole area was so cute and artistic. There were so many cute and interesting shops as well. 

A very popular brand I saw nearly everywhere I went was "Slap Ya Mama" which I found quite comical.

There were horse drawn carriages all over the streets. It made me pretty sad for the horses, honestly. It was a weird thing to see though, we don't have those roaming around the cities back in Ohio.

It was so cool to see people just singing and playing instruments on the sides of the street. There was also performers, like the Statue Man, who I didn't get a photo of unfortunately.

This absolutely beautiful church I found looked like a castle and was sitting in the prettiest square/park. If I lived here I would come here every day to sit under the trees and relax, it was gorgeous here. 

We stumbled upon this woman named Aamara who gave palm readings. I got my palms read for the first time and it was such a cool and unique experience! I don't know if I 100% believed everything, but I think it was worth it just for the experience. I've always been afraid to get one of these but she had nothing but positive things to say, which true or false, is still a great motivator. 

We stopped at this gorgeous little restaurant and had absolutely amazing food! I tried crawfish and feta crepes and it was SO delicious. Definitely my favorite meal I had down there. 

My dessert was creme brulee and it was also the first time I had that as well and it was super yummy! 

We were only down there for about 2 1/2 days but it was so gorgeous and I wish we could have stayed longer! It was such an amazing experience and I definitely want to visit again! New Orleans is filled with so much culture and the kindest people, I miss it already!

Bath & Body Works Candle Haul!

I don't just go to Bath and Body Works on any regular day and come home with a bag full of candles, I almost ALWAYS buy candles when they are having sales, which luckily for me is pretty often! About once a month B&BW has a 2 for $22 sale which is great!  You're basically buying one and getting one free, so a lot of my candle collection is accumulated from that. Not to mention in December, they have an $8 candle day which is a time where you can stock up on tons of scents for very very discounted prices. Part of the reason I love shopping there is that you can usually always find a pretty good deal on something!

This particular haul has come from the Semiannual sale that they had about two months ago which basically is them getting rid of all of their fall/winter scents! There were ton's of candles for only $9 so I couldn't pass on grabbing a few!

Winter

"A fragrance that captures the essence of being in the mountains with bracing notes of pine needles, winter citrus and white woods."

Twisted Peppermint

"Merry and bright peppermint celebrates the season with notes of vanilla and sugary musk in this cheer-filled scent."

Sweet Cinnamon Pumpkin

"A fall harvest favorite inspired by delicious homemade treats - pumpkin pie, vanilla cream and spice." 

Sandalwood Vanilla

"A romantic fusion of exotic sandalwood and luscious caramel, with notes of fresh juniper and vanilla."

Vanilla Pumpkin Marshmallow

"The comforting sweetness of vanilla combines with a mouthwatering cloud of pumpkin marshmallow."

Pumpkin Cupcake

"Satisfy your sweet tooth with the scent of a freshly baked pumpkin cupcake covered in loads of rich buttercream frosting."

Have smelled any of the candles I bought? What are your favorite Bath and Body Works scents?

Beauty Favorites of 2014

I know, I know. It's almost March and I'm just NOW uploading a 2014 Beauty Favorites post. In my defense I have had this planned for awhile, just a lot of stuff has been coming up lately that has prolonged me from posting frequently. But regardless, better late than never, right?

( I don't think it's sold anymore, sorry! )

My first favorite will have to go to Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Primer in the green shade. 2014 was the first time I actually started using primers and I really fell in love with this one. I have lots of redness in my face and the green tone really calms it down and makes my skin very even. It also does help keep my foundation on longer. If you want a more in-depth review you can click here!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Foundation & Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Foundation

I have two favorite foundations of 2014! The Tarte Amazonian Clay and the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra were both foundations that really stood out for me. The Tarte has great coverage but looks very natural and it stays for a very long time! I can say the same for the Lancome foundation, however I only use it when I have a big event to go to because of the price.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

The NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer was definitely a winner. I love putting this under my eye area in the shape of a triangle. It gives a really beautiful highlight while covering up dark circles.

Anastasia Contour Kit

There are so many good things I could say about the Anastasia Contour Kit, but I'm sure you all have heard plenty. Bottom line is, if you haven't tried it you definitely need to! It has the perfect shades to contour and highlight and has really made me more comfortable in contouring my face. Before I had this, I was so hesitant to contour! Now it's one of my favorite things to apply.

MAC Blush - Melba  &  NARS Blush - Deep throat

These two blushes are rather similar except for one being a shimmer and the other a matte, but I really found myself using both of these blushes quite a lot. The MAC blush in Melba is a beautiful shade I had had my eyes on for such a long time, and when I finally bought it I realized what I was missing out on! It's not overpowering and it just gives the right amount of color to your cheeks, which I really love.

The NARS blush in Deep throat is also gorgeous. I'm not a huge fan of shimmer blushes, I usually tend to stick to mattes, however I really fell in love with this shade. The shimmer is very light and I feel like it looks beautiful especially in the summer time when you want a more "glowy/dewy" look.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder

These Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders are my favorite setting powder I have used. It doesn't make me look cakey at all and it gives such a lovely glow that doesn't make you look like a discoball. The only downside is the steep price but I feel like if you find the right powder to go with your skintone it will be worth it!

MAC Fluidline - Dipdown

Fluidlines are often used as eyeliners but my favorite way to use this is for my eyebrows! I take an angled brush and fill in the tail of my brow first so it's the darkest. I then make my eyebrow an ombre using lighter or heavier brush strokes. It works great and I never have an issue with it fading or smearing. I've always used this as part of my brow routine but it just recently became the only product I use.

Urban Decay Primer Potion

I always had problems with shadows creasing or fading through out the day, but I never have that problem anymore with Urban Decays Primer Potion. It really holds onto my eyeshadows and keeps them looking freshly applied the whole time and you only need a tiny bit! There really isn't much to say other than I love it and will definitely repurchase.

Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eye Palette

This palette is my favorite of all that I own. Sometimes I really feel like it was made specifically for me. All of the colors are so gorgeous and I feel like they are so much better than the Naked Palettes. The shades are extremely pigmented and creamy and blend out beautifully. I am dying to try the new one! If you want to check out a full review and swatches click here!

Rimmel ScandalEyes Rockin Curves Mascara

I received this mascara in an Influenster Box, you can see the post here! Mascara is one of those products that I really hate buying, I don't know why, I just hate spending money on it! Influenster sent me this one and it's not amazing by any means, but it is my most used and I do like how it lengthens and volumizes my lashes. I think it's worth buying for the price!

Maybelline Ultra Liner

I've tried so many different eyeliners and none of them are actually waterproof. My eyes tend to water quite a bit causing my eyeliners to smear, flake off or just get all over the place. I really want to try more high end eyeliners in the future but I was pleasantly surprised to come across a Maybelline liner that really stays. It drys pretty fast and the only way I can get it completely off is to use an oil based makeup remover. It's the best one I currently have! Although, it does dry out pretty quickly but it's very cheap so I have no complaints!

Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray

I always have issues with my mascara transferring, eyeliner smearing, or my concealer creasing. I didn't think there was anything that was going to dramatically improve any of those issues until I tried Urban Decay All Nighter Spray. All it takes is 2-4 sprays all over my face after applying my makeup and it will stay on for hours and hours! I even used this on my most recent road trip and my makeup was still on 16 hours later, crazy!

Kat Von D Studded Kiss Lipstick - Cathedral

This is the first Kat Von D lipstick I bought. I had seen it online but figured I probably had a color similar to it in my collection already. But after going to Sephora and swatching it, I knew I had to buy it. Cathedral is such a beautiful pinky brown and it's unlike anything I have! I've also noticed that it's a lot more longlasting than any of the MAC lipsticks I own.

I just always notice myself picking this shade up before anything else. I will definitely be purchasing more of these!

Have you tried any of these products? What were your favorites for 2014?

Gone Girl | Book Review

Gone Girl is the first book that I have picked up and read all the way through so far this year. I usually don't read the books that have a ton of hype around them because I am often left disappointed. But I kept hearing people rave on and on about this book, and lot of people that I know and trust their opinions greatly! So, I finally decided to pick it up and give it a chance.

Also, this review doesn't contain any spoilers to the unraveling of the story!

Gone Girl is about a man named Nick Dunne and his wife Amy. When she suddenly turns up missing on their 5 year wedding anniversary there are so many questions but no answers. As Nick is frantic to find his wife and all fingers are pointing at him, you see the story through his eyes, with excerpts from Amy's diary, in the search to find out what truly happened to her.

The story starts off pretty quick, about 30 pages in Nick's wife disappears and in sets the paranoia and worry. The book constantly throws hints at you that even leaves you convinced the story is one way, when really it's the complete opposite. I also found it very unique that you are seeing things through the eyes of Nick and Amy's diary entries, AND they aren't always telling the truth. So I thought that was an interesting way to tell the story.

There is a pretty huge twist in this story and once I got to it I was actually surprised. It's one of those things that crosses your mind when you're trying to figure out the ending to a story but you think "No, they wouldn't do that. That is WAY too crazy and it just wouldn't work." Well, Gillian Flynn doesn't follow the rules and she makes it work. The only con I can think of is that once I passed the big twist in the plot line I got kind of bored. It just seemed like the last half dragged on a bit and once you finish the book you feel like it was a bit lackluster. I had the feeling of "I went through that crazy ride, all of those awful things happened, and THAT'S how you're leaving me?" I do understand why the book ended that way, but I just wish it was different.

Or if reading it isn't you're idea of fun, the movie is pretty good too! They did a great job casting Nick and Amy (Ben Affleck is exactly how I would imagine Nick) and I feel like they captured the crazy story really well.

Overall, I really would recommend reading it if you're interested. It's a well written book but it's also a pretty quick read. It's very entertaining and even the though ending is a bit annoying, I don't think it's a waste of time. Not the best book I've read, but I enjoyed it!

Have you read Gone Girl? If so, how did you like it?