moments // 1

Hello my beautiful readers & welcome back!

I am very excited to share this post with you. I’m starting a new series where I’ll be sharing recent photos that I’ve taken, as well as photos from my week & life.

The photos in today’s post come from my recent photoshoot–many thanks to Carynn for modeling! If you’re viewing this post on your phone, please check it out on a computer–the photos will have higher quality & look better! Enough chit-chat, I think the photos speak for themselves.

I think this photo turned out cool. It’s intentionally blurry, so the colors will blur together and make the photo look whimsical. I had Carynn carry these beautiful wildflowers to add a bit of color to the picture.

I took a pre-photoshoot selfie! I’m loving this sweater, it’s so comfy and easy to move in, which is perfect for when I’m taking pictures. To the right, you can see my Canon camera bag, which has all of my equipment and lenses. 

All photographs taken by me. Many thanks to Carynn for modeling!

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As always, criticism is really appreciated. I have thick skin and I’m trying to get better, so don’t hesitate to share your thoughts. Thank you for reading!

 

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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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5 Things Not To Do As A Blogger

Hello there! Happy Saturday! By the way, thank you all so much for the survey results! Many of you said that you wanted more blogging posts, so be prepared for quite a few of those over the next few weeks!

In today’s post, I’m going to be talking about five things NOT to do as a blogger. I’ve talked about what you SHOULD do as a blogger in the past, so it’s time to shake it up and try something new! Let’s hop right in.

 

-Don’t Post Just To Post-

Be sure to check out my post on My #1 Blogging Tip, because it talks more about having quality content! It’s really important that when you post, it has a purpose, and you’re not just typing up a quick post just to post. If you find that you’re doing this, maybe try posting less often so you have time to work on making every post perfect.

-Don’t Use Too Many Images-

It’s always really important to have images in your post. But it’s also important not to have TOO many! If you have more than 15+ pictures, go through the post and see which ones you really need. If some of the images are unimportant, consider deleting them! But if you don’t want to take away any photos, just warn your readers that there are a lot of pictures in that post.

-And Don’t Use Too Few, Either-

But make sure you don’t use too few photos, either! If you have a post heavy with text, it’s easier on the eyes to include some images. So how many pictures should I include in a post?  It depends on the length of the post, but four to eight is usually a good amount. 

-Don’t Tag Posts With Irrelevant Tags-

Tagging posts is so much fun, am I right?! But before you hit the publish button and share your post with the world, make sure the tags you use in your posts are relevant. Also, make sure the tags are common, frequently used tags so that people are more likely to find your post. Don’t use too many!

-Don’t Over-Promote Your Blog-

Okay, for this last one, you’re probably shaking your head. It’s so important to get your blog out there–Pinning every post, putting it on social media, commenting on other blogs–but, remember, everything in moderation.

I once followed a blogger that pinned the same post from her blog over and over and over on Pinterest. She did this so that it would get more views, because the more you pin something, the more chances for it to get views. But that got annoying pretty quickly, as you can guess. If you re-pin your posts or share your posts over and over, you could lose followers. Tread carefully, my friends.

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Were these tips helpful? Is there anything else that you think you should never do as a blogger? Let me know in the comments, and we’ll help each other out! Have a marvelous weekend.

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Coconut Oil Hydrating Mist Review

I’ve found my hair holy grail. Isn’t it amazing when you find a product that’s perfect for your hair, smells amazing, and is super inexpensive? Well, folks, I found that product, and I’m obsessed. I mean, I might as well tell you to buy this and wish you a nice day, but since I like going in-depth with my reviews…let’s get into the post!

This product is the OGX Nourishing Coconut Oil Hydrating Mist–holy whoa, what a mouthful.

I have thick, long hair, and so I can’t use a lot of products–I’ve found that putting too many products in my hair weighs it down and dries out my scalp. Lately, thanks to the freezing winter air, my hair has been super dry and brittle–a.k.a. the two words that you never want to have to use to describe your hair. I went to the store in search of a hydration spray & voila! I found this.

Note to self (and everyone reading this): Don’t use this on your hair unless it’s wet. I tried this when my hair was dry and it got super greasy. Make sure you spray a small amount on your ends & scalp right after showering.

Positives

• This is super inexpensive!
• It smells heavenly.
• It has readable, well-known ingredients. (Buh-bye chemicals)
• I feel like this mist really hydrates my hair. I definitely notice a difference when this is in my hair; it makes it more shiny & touchable, and smoother.

Negatives

• You have to use a tiny amount of the spray, or your hair will become really greasy.
• The smell is heavenly, like I said above, but it’s also strong, and the coconut smell made me slightly nauseous.

Have you tried this product or any other OGX products? I would love to know your thoughts if you have. Also, what’s your hair holy grail? Thank you for reading!