how to create a cozy autumn atmosphere

Autumn is here & I couldn’t be more excited–It’s my favorite season! Everything feels so fresh, so crisp and cold. After a long fall day, it’s time to unwind, and to be able to truly relax, you need a perfect atmosphere! Today, I’m going to be talking about some things that are essential for a lovely atmosphere.

1 // candles

There’s something about candles…not only do they fill the room with yummy scents, but they create a feeling of warmth. I always have at least two or three candles going at once. A lot of candles have very strong, artificial scents that fill your home with chemicals that you don’t want to be breathing in, so make sure you buy a candle that isn’t too strong!

If you’re feeling creative, you can even make your own candle. My mother makes candles with beeswax and essential oils and they always smell so delicious & warm, plus the essential oils will fill your home with healthy scents instead of chemicals!

2 // fairy lights

Aren’t these lights adorable?

Candles & fairy lights will give your house/room a feeling of warmth and comfort! There’s just something about filling your room with lights–it instantly makes the space feel more cozy and warm.

3 // cozy blankets & throw pillows (plus a cute dog)

I have an obsession with large, fluffy, cozy warm blankets. (Admit it–you do too.) On a chilly autumn night, there is nothing better than climbing into a clean bed filled with warm blankets and pillows.

4 // soft music

Music can really help to make your house/room feel more inviting and warm! I have a playlist on Spotify dedicated to soft, low music, and I love turning the playlist on in the evening while stretching, relaxing, and unwinding after a long day. Treat yourself, people.

5 // decorations

Don’t forget your autumn decorations! This adorable little pumpkin is from Target for only a few bucks–and it won’t go rotten like real pumpkins! This is too cute, guys.

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Hope you enjoyed the post, thank you for reading!

Catch you on the flip side.

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august wrap-up + favorites

Hello & welcome back! How are you?

August has been a really good month for me. Soccer started, I’ve been getting ready for school, plus my birthday was on the 26th! (I’m officially 14, people. I don’t feel any different so there you have it.) Since I’ve had some time away from blogging, I’ve had a lot of time to think about how I really want my blog to be.

I recently received a new camera as a gift from my grandmother (if you’re reading this: thank you so much), so I’ll be doing a lot more photography posts. (Stay tuned!)

I really want to start doing more minimalistic posts, and start sharing some moments & pictures of different things that have inspired me and hopefully will inspire all of you too! I want my blog to become more meaningful. I want my posts to be well thought out and inspirational.

Thank you for sticking with me as my blog continues to grow and change, I really appreciate it! Anyway, let’s finally get into the post, shall we?

My first favorite from August are these lovely makeup brushes! I received this set on my birthday and I’ve been loving the brushes so far. I’ve only had them for a few days but I’ve been using them like crazy and practicing different makeup techniques.

The air is getting crisp and cool, and you know what that means: bring out the candles. I’ve been loving this sweet peony candle, but I recently traded it out for an apple cider candle to get myself in the fall mood! There’s nothing better than a cool evening with a good book, a warm sweater, and a candle.

I decided to try out the L’oreal Voluminous Carbon Black mascara (let’s be honest, I only bought it for the packaging), and I actually really like it! Of course, my favorite mascara will always be the Maybelline Great Lash, but this one comes pretty close. I have blond eyelashes, which means I don’t have eyelashes at all unless I wear dark mascara. This mascara has made my eyelashes so dark and voluminous–I would definitely buy it again, it’s pretty inexpensive too!

When it comes to drugstore makeup, Maybelline is my favorite brand, so it’s no surprise that I love their eyeshadow palette. I’ve been eyeing this palette for a while, and finally decided to buy it. I’m so glad I did!  I don’t like my eyes to be too dark (it doesn’t look good with my skin color), so this palette is perfect. The eyeshadow looks natural and feminine, and the palette has a good blend of fancy shades and neutral shades. I love it!

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That just about wraps it up. As always, thank you for sticking with my blog & reading.

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coconut oil & brown sugar exfoliating scrub

Heyo & welcome back to another post!

I was scrolling through Pinterest the other day and saw a coconut oil & brown sugar scrub. It looked cool, and I had the ingredients needed to make it, so I whipped it up really quick and, holy whoa, I love it! For the past year, I’ve only been using natural products on my face: essential oils, soft cleansers, etc. So, that’s why I love this mask–it only has two ingredients!

We all know what coconut oil is, and we all know how amazing it is for your skin, so enough chit-chat, let’s just talk about the results!

So, since this is a really gentle scrub, I’ve been using it every night. I’m always so excited to wash my face because it seriously feels so good–every night is pamper night! I splash water on my face, exfoliate with the scrub, then cleanse my skin, apply essential oils with a carrier oil, and moisturize. (Boom. You’re welcome.)

Is my acne gone? No, of course not. Blemishes don’t disappear after a week. If they do, what are you using?! However, I have seen and felt a change in my skin. My skin feels smoother and cleaner whenever I use this scrub, and I feel like it’s really helping my skin. I’m excited to see the results after using it for a few months. Baby steps, guys.

But this mask is not just for blemishes! It helps to make your skin glow and feel oh-so-soft. And it’s just for your face. Feel free to exfoliate your lips, hands, and feet for smooth skin!

All you do is mix equal amounts of coconut oil and brown sugar. And that’s it! Hello, fresh skin.

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july wrap-up & favorites

Oh gosh, July went by so quickly. It really did. I actually had a really good month, though, filled with going to Great Escape, reading every single day, texting my friends, and spending a ton of time in the sunshine.

I said that I had tons of amazing content coming your way…oops. Summer got in the way. I’ve been behind in posting and commenting on other posts. But you know what, I’m fine with that–summer should be spent doing things instead of stressing out over blog posts!

Anyway, let’s get into my favorites from this month.

I didn’t buy or try out many products this month, so I actually only have two favorites. My first is the Wild Honeysuckle lotion from Bath and Body Works. I’m actually really impressed by the Bath and Body Works lotions and perfumes–they all smell so heavenly. I’ve been buying products from them for years, and this product is no exception. It’s smooth and creamy, and smells so so fresh and delicious. It’s my favorite scent out there.

Guys, you know a product is special when it’s on your favorites list twice in a row. Yup, you probably recognize this coconut water facial mist from my June Favorites post, so you probably know that I am obsessed with this stuff. If you haven’t bought it already, you need to. It smells so good, the scent is light and not overpowering, and works perfectly as a body mist as well as a facial mist. I also use it as a makeup setting spray. Sometimes I even spray some on my pillows to freshen them up. Just buy it, people. This stuff is the bomb.com!

– Other Favorites –

• I read 10 books this month–but I’m having a reading binge today, so I’m sure I can get that total up to 12 by the end of the month. Of all the books I read, my favorite was A Darker Shade Of Magic.
• I’ve been loving Oh Wonder’s new album, I’ve been listening to it over and over, along with Imagine Dragon’s new(ish) album.
• My family’s latest obsession has been brownies–I found a special recipe online where you melt a chocolate bar in the center. It’s the best thing since toasted bread. (Is that the right expression?)

Thank you for reading! Hope you all have a fantastic day.

What music have you been listening to lately? What are some favorites from July?

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not your mother’s shampoo & conditioner review

Hello, hello, & welcome back to another post! It’s time for another review post. I’m embarrased to admit that this post has been planned for months, but I haven’t gotten around to it. Oops. I’ve even had the photos loaded up, waiting to be edited. Again, oops. A few of the photos turned out blurry, apologies for that.

Anyway, all that aside, let’s get into the post.

My hair takes a really long time to grow. I use coconut oil and essential oils and all that amazing stuff, and while that has definitely helped my hair, it still grows very slowly. I thought about taking Biotin supplements, but many people said that their skin broke out from it, and as I have blemish-prone skin, I didn’t want to try that out. I’ve always been a fan of the Not Your Mother’s brand, and when I found out they had a shampoo and conditioner shampoo and conditioner targeted at growing out your hair, I jumped right on it.

I know I say this about almost every product I review, but the s & c are extremely inexpensive! (Maybe I’m just a cheap person, if I keep buying inexpensive products. But hey, I like saving my money.)

The reviews are actually pretty good, a lot of people said that their hair was growing like a weed, so I thought it wouldn’t hurt to try. Plus, the shampoo and conditioner are free of sulfates. (Though they do have quite a few chemicals.)

Well, well, well, my hair actually did grow pretty quickly. I didn’t take any pictures of hair growth, but I would say my hair grew a few inches more than usual in one month. I could honestly just tell, looking in the mirror. My hair seemed longer every time I checked. I’m sure if I bought more, I would see even more hair growth. But I stopped using it, for a few reasons.

My hair turned to straw. It was dry, the ends were unhealthy, and overall it just didn’t look very good. Also, I found myself needing to wash my hair more and more, because my scalp was getting extremely greasy. Once the bottles ran out, I switched to OGX shampoo and conditioner, and I’m happy to say my hair is back to normal.

So, if you want your hair to grow quickly, definitely use this product. Everyone’s hair type is different, and I know for a fact that my hair doesn’t react well with too many chemicals, which is probably why it turned so dry. If you end up with a bad haircut and want to grow your hair back long, this will also help! However, it does say on the back of the bottle this product is for already existing hair, and does not grow new hair, so keep that in mind.

Would I purchase this again? Yes, I would. It was cheap, smelled absolutely heavenly (it smelled like strawberries and hot summer days, the scent was amazing), and it worked. It truly worked. However I do think I would need a lot of hair masks to balance out my hair, because it turned extremely dry and unhealthy.

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Thank you so much for reading, as always, and I hope you have a great day.

What shampoo and conditioner brand do you like?

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appearance & self love | personal growth series #1

Hello & welcome back to my blog! I hope you are all having an amazing day. Today is the first post in the Personal Growth. I have some awesome posts coming up on this series, so stay tuned. You won’t want to miss it!

Today we’re going to be talking about self-love. I could write an entire book on this, but I’ll try to limit this post! (You’re welcome.) Ready? Let’s get into the post!

A while back, I read something that really stuck with me. It said something along the lines of If you want to love others to your fullest ability, first you must love yourself. We all go through those days where we feel so ugly, and whenever I’m having a bad day, I always think of this quote. Why? Because it’s true. You can’t expect yourself to be the most loving person on the planet if you don’t love yourself. 

Unfortunately, these days, if you love yourself, people will say you have a large ego, you’re a narcissist, etc. Well, look at the description for self love!

You see advertisements with photoshopped people, and society tells you with this or that, you can look like them. It’s crazy. Work out, lose weight, whiten your teeth, get a haircut, diet, buy trendy clothing, act like everyone else…why can’t we just be the way we are?

Why can’t we just love ourselves, flaws and all? There’s nothing wrong with wanting to be in shape, have good hair, etc. But you don’t need to do any of those things to be beautiful.

Let’s say there are two girls. One girl is extremely beautiful, but she doesn’t have a beautiful heart. She is constantly jealous, thinks negative thoughts, and doesn’t care about others. The other girl may not be the thinnest, her teeth might not be bright white–but that doesn’t matter. Because if she has a beautiful heart, that is all she needs.

Compare these two girls. In your opinion, which one is prettier?

I was raised to love myself. I’ve said this in a different post, but I’ll say it again: I was raised to love myself in a kind way, not an egotistical way. I was raised to be kind to my body, to eat healthy food and get sleep. I was always raised to be kind to my mind–to think positive thoughts and be grateful.

So, it breaks my heart when beautiful girls & women say they’re ugly. It frustrates me, too–because your appearance does not matter. Let me say that again: the way you look is unimportant. If the world was blind, how many people would you impress? Think about that for a few seconds. Would you impress people with your kindness, your laugh? Would you impress people with your good heart?

If beauty was judged by your soul instead of your appearance, would you consider yourself to be beautiful? The next time you think you’re ugly, remind yourself that your appearance does not matter. You have a beautiful heart, a beautiful mind. That’s what’s important.

 – Tips to Increase Self Love –

• Hang up inspirational signs or write yourself notes
• Every night, write something you love about yourself. Anything.
• Take care of your body. If you work out and eat healthy foods, as well as getting sleep, you are more likely to love your body and yourself!
• Let yourself cry. So many people bottle up their tears, but you need to let yourself cry. Let it all go.
• Don’t put too much on your schedule if you’re already busy. You don’t want to always be stressed and tired, so remember it’s okay to say no to things.
• Do yoga.
• Set goals for yourself, and try to achieve them.
• You are not perfect–no one is. Love & embrace your flaws!
• Helping others will help you love yourself.
• Every night, look in the mirror and say things to yourself, like “I am beautiful” “I am strong” This really works!
• Every morning, hug yourself and take a deep breath. You’ve got this!

– Self Love Quotes –

“Own who you are.”

“Be twice as powerful as you think you are.”

“She remembered who she was and the game changed.”

“You owe yourself the love you so freely give to other people.”

“You, alone, are enough. You have nothing to prove to other people.”

“If you’re searching for that one person that will change your life, look in the mirror.”

“Do not look at yourself with disgust, you are a gift to this earth. You are beautiful, you are a light, an energy, an essence. You are nature itself.”

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That’s it for today’s post. I hope you enjoyed today’s post, and I look forward to talking with all of you in the comments. Have an amazing day.

What are your thoughts on this post & self-love?

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June Wrap Up & Favorites

Hello & welcome back! Hope you had a fantastic July 4th!

I know I say this about every month, but June went by fast. Is it just me?! Nonetheless, it was a fun month. We celebrated my sister and my father’s birthday this month, went to Cape Cod on vacation, and spent a lot of time soaking up the sunshine!

We got back from Cape Cod last Saturday, and since then I’ve been spending these precious summer days chilling, reading, and going to the beach. I’ve also been posting a lot less on my blog…apologies! Life gets in the way sometimes, am I right?!

Anyway, let’s jump into the short & sweet post.

My first favorite from this month is the Maybelline Fit Me! concealor. After staying up late reading, I’ve been needing concealor to cover the circles under my eyes! I bought this in the shade Medium 25, and it blends in with my skin really nicely. It’s smooth, easy to blend, and really does an amazing job covering up dark circles. Let me know if you’ve tried this out.

My next favorite is the Pearlessence Coconut Water face mist. Guys, I can’t even begin to tell you how much I love this stuff. I’ve been using it for tons of things: as a setting spray for makeup, as a pick-me-up for my skin when it gets dry, after cleansing my skin….it works wonders, too. Plus it smells amazing and is inexpensive.

The Clean & Clear moisturizer is another fav from this month. It feels really cool and calming when I put it on my skin. My face has a bit of a sunburn, so it’s nice that the moisturizer has a cool feel. It has an almost gel like texture as well–overall I’ve just been really enjoying it!

– Other Favorites –

• Guys, I have been obsessed with the midnight mint mocha frap at Starbucks. It is so darned delicious. And of course I told the barista that my name was Bucky. This is what happens when you watch too many Marvel movies.
• My favorite band, Imagine Dragons, released a new album this month. I stayed up until midnight the day it was released so I could hear it right away! I love all the songs, if you haven’t listened to their music, you’re missing out.
• My hair has been in a dutch braid almost every day this month, haha I can’t get over it! It looks super pretty and is effortless & easy to do.
• I’ve been watching the show The Shannara Chronicles on Netflix…have any of you seen it? I’m liking it so far…

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There you have it! Thank you for reading, and I hope you all have an amazing day.

What have you been watching on Netflix this month? What’s your favorite Starbucks drink?

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DIY Honey Mask For Glowing Skin

I’m obsessed with facial masks. Lately, I’ve been putting on a facial mask and painting my nails–just this simple act of pampering and self care can do wonders. Turn on Netflix, light a candle, and treat yourself people!

I really like making my own masks from natural ingredients rather than buying a chemical-filled mask from the store. In today’s post, I’ll be sharing with you my favorite honey mask.

Guess what: all you need is honey. Raw honey, to be exact. Raw honey is better for your skin, so although you can use regular honey, you’ll see better results if you use organic, local raw honey.

Why honey? Honey can help with anti-aging, exfoliation, making your skin way softer, and will make your skin glow. Could it be any better?!

What you do: splash some water on your face (the honey will apply better on wet skin), and rub the raw honey all over your face. I usually rub it in for a minute or so, just to make sure it goes into my pores.

Leave the mask on for fifteen to twenty minutes, then rinse it off, cleanse your face, and mostiurze! After cleansing, I like to apply some essential oils (with a carrier, of course), and then mosturize for extra soft skin.

If you want to see even better results, do this every three days for glowing, gorgeous skin! I usually do this mask in the evenings, and whenever I wake up, my skin is so soft. Also, my blemishes are fading, which is a huge plus.

Well, that’s a wrap! As always, thank you for reading, and if you enjoyed this post make sure to leave me a comment!

Have you used honey as a facial mask? What is your go-to natural face mask?

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May Wrap-Up + Favorites

May, where did you go? Is it just me, or was May a super quick month? Maybe it’s just me. It’s actually been a great month for me. School ended in the beginning of May for me, so I’ve just been getting ready for summer and hanging out with friends.

In terms of blogging, though, I’ve been failing. Oops. Aside from hitting the big 1K, I’ve only posted a few times, and I’m not very proud of the posts I put out. Luckily I have amazing stuff planned for June, I’m super excited, so stay tuned!

Anyway, into the post!

My first favorite from this month is Revlon nail polish. I’ve really been enjoying putting aside time for myself to paint my nails and make them look pretty, and for almost every manicure, I’ve used Revlon. I did a review, if you’d like to check it out here’s the link.

Next we have this adorable flower choker. I bought this in a set with other chokers, and I’ve been obsessed. I’ve worn a choker almost every day since I bought the set. I just love how chokers can make your outfit look more pulled together & chic! Here’s the link to my review on them.

This bracelet was one of my presents from Christmas, and I’ve been wearing it so much this month. It’s actually hand made (I believe it’s from Africa if I’m remembering correctly), and it has so much personality. I always get a ton of compliments when I wear it. I love wearing this with a casual black dress and sandals.

– Other Favorites –

-My favorite Netflix show from this month is Lost. I’ve been watching it like crazy. It has so many plot twists and turns that I never see coming, which is part of the fun.

-My favorite blog of this month is Natalie’s blog (www.natalievinh.com) I’ve seriously been checking her blog every day, her posts are so down to earth and super fun to read. If you haven’t followed her blog, go check it out, you won’t be disappointed.

-This entire month, I’ve been craving dried banana chips and eating them like crazy. I also can’t stop eating chocolate. The addiction is real, people.

-Since school is out and I have even more time to read, I’ve been gobbling up books like crazy and reading them in a day. I’m currently reading Dualed. I can’t tell if I like it so far…I’ll let you know when I finish.

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Well, that’s a wrap folks. Thank you for reading, and I’ll catch you on the flip side! Have a splendid day.

What have you been loving this month?

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Revlon Nail Polish Review

Heyo! Welcome back to another post.

It just occurred to me that I’ve been using Revlon nail polish for a while, and I’ve been building up my collection–yet I haven’t done a review on them. So, today, I’m going to be sharing with you my thoughts on this nail polish.

Let’s get into it!

First things first, just look at these nail polish bottles! I am obsessed with their packaging. It’s sleek and shiny, and honestly, it’s really pretty to display in my room compared to other nail polish bottles. I also really like how the nail polish brush has a long cap so it’s easier to hold. A lot of nail polish bottles have really small nail polish brushes, so it’s harder to grip.

These are the shades I have so far. I hope that over time I’ll be able to grow my collection even more! The shades I have, from left to right, are Diamond Texture, Graffiti, Coy, Bewitching, and Socialite. I couldn’t find some of the shades online, so I gave the links to colors that are similar.

Pros:

• Pretty inexpensive
• Has gorgeous packaging
• Has a long nail polish brush, so painting your nails is a lot easier
• Has a large variety of colors

Cons:

• It only lasts about three or four days before chipping
• It takes a while to dry
• For some reason, little dots (they kind of looked like small bubbles) were appearing on the nail polish and it made my nails look like they have acne. Which, as you can guess, isn’t pretty! Maybe I just need to use a top coat & base coat.

Would I buy more? Yes, I would. I really love Revlon nail polish, mostly because of their huge variety.

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Well, that’s a wrap! Thank you for reading, and I’ll catch you all in the next post.

What is your favorite nail polish brand?

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