We're Engaged!

Let the wedding planning begin! 

My little sparkler is a 1.2 round cut with a yellow gold pave band.

Champagne and cake! 

Yesterday Ross made me the happiest girl in the world and asked me to marry him. The proposal was so "us"- very low key at his apartment. Proposal Story: Yesterday I went home for a doctor's appointment and decided to visit my dad. When I came home today, Ross gave me a poorly wrapped present and told me to open it. In the poorly wrapped package was jewelry cleaner. Let's just say, I wasn't impressed. I smiled and acted as excited as I could about some cleanser, but was a little disappointed. Well, let's be honest, I wasn't impressed at all. I looked through the wrapped bag hoping that my hoping would be in there...it wasn't! So I'm thinking, "okay, whatever. It just isn't going to happen today." A little after that, we took a box I brought from my Dad's upstairs because we are slowly moving my things in so it won't be such an ordeal in May. After we set the box that contained two tea sets and some random china down, he headed back downstairs and I told him I would be down in a minute.  I ended up snooping through the spare room because I knew he picked up the ring on Monday and I was dying to know what it looked like. He ended up sneaking up behind me and got on one knee and asked me to marry him. I was hysterical: I was bawling my eyes out because I felt so guilty for being nosy, but I was also so excited. Ross' reaction to my hysterical crying was "Oh. I wasn't expecting that reaction. Are you okay?" Ha!

After the engagement, we called our family and shared the good news and then went out to our favorite restaurant, Amsterdam Cafe, to celebrate! After an amazing dinner, we stopped by to get a bottle of champagne and cake to continue the celebration. We are both so grateful to our wonderful family and friends for their incredible support. We won't be doing any wedding planning until I graduate in May and find a job, but we are both over the moon about this new and exciting chapter.

Confessions of a Blogger Tag!

I saw on the Green Eyed Monster's blog that she did the Confessions of a Blogger Tag and thought it looked it fun!

When did you start your blog?
September 21, 2012

Have you had any past online presence before?
I had a Myspace back in the day. Now, I have Facebook, Pinterest and a member of Beauty Broadcast Community.

Why did you start a blog?
I started reading blogs and watching videos online years before I started a blog. I always thought it would be so fun to join the community and chime in my two cents, but the thought of having a blog seemed weird to me...like, why would anyone care about reading what I think of a lipgloss, my FOTD or my Daily Dose of Pretty, which is all lifestyle related. Then, it hit me and I realized that I was one f those people that cared about that sort of stuff.  I don't really know anyone (in real life) that blogs or does YouTube videos so I shied away from the online community for so long until finally I decided to give it a whirl. When I started blogging, I decided that it wasn't going to be about getting as many followers as possible or spamming other people's blogs simply to promote my own (which I think is so tacky!). I just wanted to get to know amazing people that share similar interests.

When did you become serious about blogging?
Within the past month or so. I haven't had a blog long...not even a year. When I first started a blog, I didn't realized the amount of work that went into making a blog: content, pictures, etc. I was so busy with classes when I started back in September and started to neglect it to focus on school. Now, my classes are easier and I am only taking three classes instead of five.

Where do you see your blog in one year?
I think it's nice to dream that your blog will be a huge online sensation, but, really, I just want to continue to make friends in the community and work on making my blog the best it can be. There are so many blogs out there with thousands of followers- which I think is amazing and I would be over the moon to have such a following- but a year from now I just want my to grow in terms of quality and for me to become a better blogger for my followers.

What is the most rewarding thing about blogging?
Connecting with others. When I started my blog back in September, I never thought that people would actually take the time to follow or read my blogs. Before I started writing this tag, I looked at my "audience" and noticed that my blog brings in people from all over the world. I don't have many followers, but it is so nice to talk to those in the online community and learn certain tips and tricks from others.

What is the most discouraging that that happens to you?
I can honestly say that I haven't had any negative or discouraging words from anyone since I've entered the blogging community. In fact, very shortly after starting my blog, Neha Mishra from Scribble Your Thoughts gave my blog The Lovely Blog Award and I pretty much felt like I was accepted in the community.

What is your lasting impression or motivation?
My motivation is really to make my blog the best it can be to be a success. Everyone measures success in different ways, but I just want to continue working to make it something I am proud of. Blogging started out as a hobby for me and I still is.



I tag...
Neha from Scribble Your Thoughts
Magdalihena from Magdalijena's Spot

Review: St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer

Hi, Pretty People!
A few months ago I was on Pinterest and saw that Dr. Oz had recommended St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer (whew- what a name!). Intrigued, I picked up a jar at Wal-Mart and went on my way. The first night I tried it, my skin felt really nice afterwards and I liked how well it absorbed into my skin. The next morning, I woke up and my skin was radiant! I was over the moon! I started using this product day and night and after about a week I noticed my cheeks getting dry. Weird! So, I searched some reviews and noticed a few people had this problem. Keep in mind, for me, the dryness wasn't really that bad, but it was definitely something I noticed. As I sat scratching my head wondering how the heck a moisturizer could dry my skin out I did a little research. I searched for drying side effects with Safflower Seed Oil, Collagen, and more. Honestly, I really couldn't find anything. Whatever, I'm adaptable!  So, instead of using the moisturizer morning and night, I decided to just use it at night and use my Olay Original in the morning. It works like a charm!

Sorry the ingredients are hard to see. The round container makes it difficult to take clear pictures. 

Price: less than $5 (at my Wal-Mart) for 10 oz! Yeah, the jar is HUGE and I feel foolish for paying more money for a moisturizer in the past.

Scent: The St. Ives Timeless has a scent, but it isn't an offensive smell; it's quite pleasant. I am horrible at describing scents, but it kinda reminds me of a nice, light floral scent (maybe that's the Safflower Seed Oil?), but nothing too strong and grandma-like.

Formula: It isn't a thick formula and it isn't that thin and runny either. It's a nice happy medium.

Who is this product good for? My step mom and her sister swear by this moisturizer. I am 24 and I really like it, too, so I think it's product would work well for anyone in their 20's and up! (:

Would I recommend this product: I would recommend this moisturizer, but I would caution you to only use it once a day. I haven't had any drying issues since I started using it once a day...twice a day was just too harsh for my skin.

♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• Bella got her haircut yesterday to fix the disaster and (thankfully) it's adorable. I mentioned in yesterday's post that she cut her own hair this weekend! Oh, and it's her 3rd birthday today! (:
• My final Spring Break ever starts tomorrow and I am looking forward to the break. I will be in Auburn visiting Ross, but I'll be pretty boring. I have a ton of reading for my Western Lit. class and a paper I should start on.
• Only one more assignment for my online class and I will be finished with Senior Seminar! 

What did you think of the St. Ives Timeless Skin Collagen Elastin Moisturizer?

Milk of Magnesia for Oily Skin/ Acne!

A little before Christmas I came across a blog talking about using Milk of Magnesia to help combat oily skin...say what?! In the blog, Karen talked about how she used it as a primer and her makeup lasted for hours and how she looked "amazing!" Because I don't have oily skin, I disregarded the tip. A few weeks later, Wayne (from gossmakeupartist) was talking about this interesting tip on his YouTube channel how amazing Milk of Magnesia is to use as a primer- without using an additional primer- or as a face mask. At that moment, my little ears perked up and I decided to give this stomach laxative a whirl!

Like I said, I don't have oily skin, mine is combination- oily t-zone, but I get those annoying  blemishes during my monthly (yeah, ladies, it just got personal!) and when I'm stressed. That night I quickly went to Wal-Mart to buy the Milk of Magnesia and praying to God that no one saw me! When I got home I took off my makeup and applied (after shaken) to bare skin. After about 20 minutes, I washed it off and applied my moisturizer as usual and then worked on some school work. A few hours later I looked in the mirror and noticed that my skin was completely matte and those unsightly blemishes weren't as noticeable.  Can you believe it? The antacid worked like a dream!

Price: Less than $5 (at my Wal-Mart) for 12 fl oz

Overall Thoughts...

I use Milk of Magnesia once a month (sometimes twice) to absorb any excess oil and help heal blemishes. If you have oily skin, I think this would be amazing as a primer because it's so mattfying but I would recommend practicing before you leave the house. Although, I haven't tried it as a primer, so I can't attest to it. 

Would I Recommend It?

I would definitely recommend trying Milk of Magnesia to help keep oil at bay, but I would not recommend this to any dry skin girls (or guys) out there...the drying of the product may be a little too harsh for your skin type. 

♥♥♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• My two year old niece cut her own hair on Saturday-Yikes!- and is getting it fixed today! Can't wait to see what the hairstylist does with it. I hope she's able to make it cute (Bella cut off a lot of hair!) because she turns three tomorrow and  her party is on Saturday! 
• My Spring Break starts in two days! Whoo hoo!
• I had a nice chat with my Grandma today! It always makes my day talking to her! (:

Have you tried Milk of Magnesia for Oily Skin/Acne? 

Review: Wet-n-Wild Coverall Cream Foundation

I recently picked up Wet-n-Wild's new Coverall Cream Foundation. I saw EmilyNoel83's review on Youtube and just had to check it out for myself. Click here to see her review! I did a FOTN post earlier today and I was wearing this foundation in that picture. This line is part of their permanent collection. 

Does it really cover all imperfections?

Judging by the name, you may think that this foundation covers all dark spots, pigmentation, blemishes and other imperfections. I found the coverage to be medium, but definitely buildable without being cakey. I still needed a little under eye concealer and some concealer on only blemishes at the moment. 

The claims...

• All day wear.
• Medium to full coverage.
• Lightweight, satin-matte finish.
• VisiBright complex reduces the appearance of wrinkles and rejuvenates skin.

Price: $3.99 at my CVS 

The Formula...

This is a thicker texture that provides medium coverage. It doesn't get cakey, as I've mentioned. It blends beautifully and has a natural finish. I have combination skin and after about 4 hours my t-zone got a bit oily, but it wasn't really that bad. Honestly, even though a bit of oil peeped through, I didn't touch up because it gave my skin a nice dewy look that I like. Although, I am pretty sure that in the summer months, I'll need to touch up (but that's typical for me using any foundation). 

My shade: 816 Fair/Light. This color matches me pretty well...dare I say exact?!

Wet-n-Wild Coverall Cream Foundation (no concealer)

Completed Look. 

I am not big into silver eyeshadow, but I wanted to try something new. 

Face: Wet-n-Wild Coverall Foundation (816 Fair/Light), 

Hard Candy Heavy Duty Concealer (Light), Elf Blush (Mellow Mauve).

Eyes: Wet-n-Wild single eyeshadow (Platinum on lid and Brulee on browbone), 

Covergirl Quad (Country Woods. I used the lighter satin shade to blend).
Eyeliner: Revlon Colorstay liquid liner in Blackest Black.
Mascara: Loreal Voluminous in Carbon Black.

Brows: Maybelline Expert Wear (Blonde).

Lips: Revlon Super Lustrous in Coralberry.

Overall Thoughts...

I think this is a pretty good foundation and you really can't beat the price. The staying power is pretty good and I like how natural it looks, yet it evens out the skin. I would definitely recommend this foundation! 

♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• I am loving Beauty Broadcast Community and so excited to find people out there that share the same love and passion for all things beauty. 
• I am really enjoying my new nail polish from Salon Perfect in Blue Azure. NOTD coming up soon! (:
• We've had the friendliest little stray cat stop by our apartment the last few days! He's adorable and my boyfriend named him Oscar because he has been spotted by the dumpster- bless his heart! If he sticks around long enough, he will be getting a bath (not looking forward to that) and will be the new member of our apartment family! (:

Have you tried the Coverall foundation? If so, what did you think?

FOTN: Troy Basketball Game!

I went to the Troy basketball game with my old roommate on Thursday and this was my makeup for the night. I didn't want anything too crazy so I kept the eyes and face simple and worn a great red lip. Sadly, the boys lost by 10 points, but it was still fun to hang out with a great friend! (:

Face: Wet-n-Wild Cover All Foundation ( 816 Fair/Light), Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eraser (Brightener), Elf blush to contour (Mellow Mauve) and NYX blush (Summer Peach)

Eyes: Covergirl Quad (Country Woods), Revlon Colorstay Liquid Liner (Blackest Black), Covergirl Professional Super Thick Lash Mascara (Very Black) and Loreal Voluminous Carbon Black Mascara over the CG one.

Lips: Avon Glazewear Intense Lipgloss (G104 Crimson)

Review: Black Radiance Full Effect Mascara

Hello, gorgeous people! So the other day I bought the Black Radiance Downtown Browns 8-pan eyeshadow palette and Full Effect mascara in a kit at Wal-Mart for less than $5! Click here for my First Impressions. I will talk more about the eyeshadows in a few days, but, for the record, I am loving them so far! Anyways, in the blog post I mentioned that I had high hopes for the mascara because it claimed to be infused with Shea Butter and Argan Oil to "condition and protect lashes from brittleness and breakage."

My results. 

Two Coats.

The claim is that the mascara will "instantly volumize and define lashes." Now, I didn't see any volume at all, but I got some mega-crazy length! I needed a good two coats, which is typically what I apply anyways. The formula is nice but I do not like the brush at all because it's painful to use. Did you get a good look at that wand and those crazy bristles? It looks like a torturer tool!

Will I Repurchase?
No. There are a ton of great mascaras out there that give great length without a brush that literally hurts when applying, so I definitely don't recommend this mascara.

Reiview: Sally Hanson Insta-Dri Top Coat

Okay, So I know I was supposed to review this months ago, but classes got crazy last semester and then I forgot! Oops! Anyways, because I've had this top coat I can pretty much tel you anything you want to know about it.

First of all, it is quick drying, as the brand claims, but is only dry to the touch after 30 seconds. I would recommend waiting a full minute to actually do anything with your hands. I still think a minute is still pretty fast, especially for a $4 top coat. It has a shiny top coat, but doesn't deliver the shine I like...I like my nails to be so shiny that they look wet. My one negative thing about this top coat is that it bubbles. I have used this top coat with every polish and brand under the sun and it bubbles like mad...not cute!

Will I Repurchase?
Absolutely not. The price is great, but it isn't a cute look to have bubbles in your polish. This is a definite miss for me.

Julie G Nail Polishes: Fairytale, Julie's Fave, Gelato in Venice and Birthday Suit

About a week or two ago I mentioned in my Rite Aid haul that I picked up a few of the Julie G nail polishes for BOGO half off. This was the first time trying these polishes and I must say, I am impressed. The colors are so beautiful and the color pay off is great, too. As you can tell, I am so over this drab cold weather, so I opted for spring time colors. The colors I choose are Julie's Fave, Fairytale, Gelato in Venice and Birthday Suit. The nail polishes are $3.99 at Rite Aid or can be purchased from Jessie's Girl Cosmetics. 

The Nail Polishes...

Julie's Fave.

A coral color that can look a bit more orange in the right light.

Fairytale.

White based lilac. 

Birthday Suit. 

A neutral pale pink with peachy tones.

Gelato in Venice. 

A true mint.

Dupes or Similar Colors?

Index and ring are Julie G's Fairytale. Middle and pinky are Sally Hanson's Lacey Lilac. These colors are not dupes by any means. They are in the same color family, but the Sally Hanson one (the darker of the two) is a true lilac and the Julie G one is more of a white based lilac. Please forgive the sloppy painted nails. I was in a hurry, as you can tell. #NoJudging 

Index and ring finger are Julie G's Gelato in Venice. Middle and pinky are Sally Hanson's Mint Sorbet. These look exactly the same on the nail. I love a great mint polish and as you can tell, I am in need of a new one because I have worn the Sally Hanson one to death. I will say though, I prefer the formula of the Sally Hanson one over the Julie G one because it last longer and doesn't chip as easily.

♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• Troy did the Harlem Shake last week. In the beginning of the video, I am in the white jacket sitting with the girl in the green shirt. 
• My Spring Break is in 9 days...but who's counting?! Lol
• I have been up since 5 am and may crash soon!

What Julie G nail polishes would you recommend?

First Impressions: Black Radiance Downtown Browns and Full Effect Mascara

I saw this little jewel in Wal-Mart today and picked it up because I saw Emily Noel (from Beauty Broadcast) talk about it on her blog. 

Downtown Browns

I had seen the palette in CVS a long time ago, but passed on it because I wasn't sure about the quality. If you're a fan of the Wet-n-Wild eyeshadows like I am, then you'll love these! I love that the shades are neutral, but some are plumy-neutral. The brand claims that there are "8 ultra-pigmented shades in matte, pearl, metallic and shimmer." Although I do love the colors, there are no matte shades in this palette. I was thinking the third shade on the right (the purpley-plum shade) would be the matte one, but I find it to be a satin finish.                   

Maybe you can get a better idea of how they capture the light with both pictures.

Ride Side...

Without Flash.

*Note: I know the last two shades look matte in the picture, but they are a satin.*

With Flash.

Left Side...

Without Flash.

With Flash.

*Seriously, how gorgeous are these shades?!*

Full Effect Mascara

I've never tried any of Black Radiance's products before, but I am very curious to try this mascara. The claim is that it "instantly volumizes and defines lashes" and that it's "infused with Shea Butter and Argan Oil." I have really high hopes for this mascara because we all know how wonderful Shea butter and argan oil are. The brush has long spikes on it so hopefully it will work to really separate the lashes. 

♥

Daily Dose of Pretty...

• It's been a hell of a weekend! I have three tests and a paper due this week, so I was super busy with school. Come on, May!
• I went to Ulta today and bought two of the Stay With Me lip glosses by Essence. I got Kiss Kiss Kiss (the red) and Pretty Witty (the hot pink). Look for a review soon!
• I had a wonderful chat with my grandma today! Can't wait to go home and spend time with family!

What do you think of the Black Radiance palettes? What would you recommend from the line?