a quick trip to Balboa.

hello there! 

My friend Renee and I took a quick drive to Balboa island today in hot pursuit of frozen bananas. 

For those who haven't had a frozen banana, it's somewhat self explanatory: a frozen banana, on a stick, covered in chocolate and dipped in a topping of your choice. They are delicious and a summer necessity. Renee had never had one, so I thought it was time to knock it off her bucket list. 

We also spent a bit of time walking down Balboa Drive, which is the street that has the most shops on the island. There are loads of boutiques and adorable cafes, but the stores are a bit pricey so Renee and I exercised a bit of self control. 

I only took a few photos because we only spent a few hours down on the island and didn't go walking around the bay (it was extremely hot today!) but it was a perfect day trip if you're looking to get out of the house. 

Where have you been this summer?

xx bb

{summer FOTD 2}

hello there!

Here is my second summery FOTD! This one is a little bit more glamorous, so if you're going out or feeling fancy I would recommend slapping on some gold shadow and a bold red lip. I went for a bolder look because I wanted to use my MAC Viva Glam Rihanna lipstick, which is a gorgeous red frost lipstick with gold shimmer. I bought it ages ago and it has barely been touched, so I pulled it out of my makeup drawer to play with. You can totally tone down this look by going for more subtle eyeshadow instead of a gold smokey eye, or a nude lip in place of a red one.  

 

{face}

maybelline master prime primer // blur + redness reduction

garnier bb cream // light-medium

maybelline mineral wear concealer // ivory 

merle norman coverup concealer // warm light

bare minerals matte foundation // fairly light

rimmel stay matte powder // 004 sandstorm 

physician's formula mineral wear talc-free powder // bronzer 

estee lauder soft matte bronzer // bronze goddess

loreal infallible shadow // iced latte [highlight]

{eyes}

maybelline color tattoo creme shadow // barely branded 

clinique shadow // earthling [crease]

smashbox wonder vision eyeshadow palette [gold on lid, bronze and cocoa on outer corner]

urban decay shadow // polyester bride [inner corner]

rimmel scandaleyes liner // black [upper waterline]

covergirl professional remarkable waterproof mascara 

essence i love extreme mascara 

{brows} 

physician's formula matte shadow quad // canyon classics

{lips} 

mac lipstick // viva glam rihanna

What makeup have you been wearing this summer?

xx bb

drugstore dash #4.

hello there!

I stopped into Ulta again (what else is new) and picked out a few inexpensive items that I wanted to try. With an Ulta coupon I only spent eight bucks! I am getting really good at bargain shopping.

A few of these items are backups or repurchases, but I am also super excited to try out a new nude lipstick and a gorgeous nail polish!

What have you grabbed from the drugstore recently?

xx bb

{summer playlist 4}

hello there!

Here are ten more perfect songs for the summer. Enjoy!

Young Love // Jesse McCartney

Leavin' // Jesse McCartney 

Tattoo // Hunter Hayes 

Ride // Twenty One Pilots 

Tear in My Heart // Twenty One Pilots

Stressed Out // Twenty One Pilots 

Everyday // A$AP Rocky, Rod Stewart, Miguel

F.E.E.L G.O.O.D // R5

Trouble // Iggy Azalea, Jennifer Hudson

Worry No More // Jennifer Lopez, Rick Ross

What have you been listening to?

xx bb 

A day at the Getty.

hello there! 

I went to the New Getty Museum in Los Angeles today, so I just wanted to post a few photos before I forgot! Unfortunately, the museum has really strict rules about taking photos inside the exhibitions, so I was only able to take one or two sneaky photos. But the architecture of the entire museum is so minimalistic and sleek, and the gardens are beautiful. It was perfect weather to go walking around a museum; the Getty houses both indoor and outdoor exhibits.

If you are stopping in LA anytime this summer, I would highly recommend popping into the New Getty! Among the French Impressionism and Italian sculpture are some beautiful hidden gems.

Where have you been this summer?

xx bb

looking forward [& 3 year bloggiversary]

hello there!

I thought that, amidst my graduation and my transition to a very new and exciting chapter of my life, I would talk about a few of my goals for the future and a few changes I plan on making. Some are good, some are bad. Consider this a bookmark post in my life, that hopefully I will look back to to remind myself of the plans I made when I was a hopeful, somewhat optimistic university freshman. 

In the past year, I have met some of the most amazing people and made incredible friends. For those of you who were like me, and were so sure that friends could not be made in high school and that you was destined to be a lone wolf, there is hope; I love being alone, but I have people in my life who respect that I like to be alone, and who are there if I need them. Isn't that incredible? How wonderful it is to know that there are people in my life who sincerely care about me in ways that I never thought were possible. I am one of those people who is an open book, but rarely lets people in. This year, I can confidently say that I have friends that I know will be in my life for the long haul, through school and boys and fights and life. Let's be real, I never wanted to be friends with the cool party kids, but I always tried to be friendly in the hopes of possibly fitting in. I will let you in on a secret: you don't have to be nice to everyone. It's okay to have your opinions about people and their attitudes; as long as you aren't mean, you can determine who you want in your life. I think that's so important to learn in high school. I have always preferred a small group of friends, who are kind and smart and make me a better person. Keep those friends close; they are hard to find. Quick tip: when you graduate, give your best friends something that you can both have and share among each other, like a friendship necklace or ring; not only is it adorable to have something matching, but it brings you together with your friends in unexplainable ways, and keeps you close as you move on to college and enter new chapters of your life. If you want to keep the amazing friends you met in high school, you have to put in the effort to keep them around. It's not always easy, but it will be worth it. 

In all the mania of graduating and becoming so close with my friends, I also found a human male who wants to spend time withe me; it's legitimately a miracle. I spent so many years being hung up on the idea that having a man in my life was a necessity, not an addition to my life that could help me learn important lessons and make me happy. Ironically, once I stopped frantically searching for someone to be in my life, someone came along. I have learned so many things in the short time that I have been in a relationship (which may be an entirely different post for another time) but one of the most important lessons I learned was to not let the relationship change me or get the best of me. I realized that waiting for my significant other put my life on hold; if you continue being you and living your life as you normally do, your partner will follow suit. Be you, and don't apologize for it. A relationship should compliment your life, not take away from it. And as for looking forward? I can't predict the future, but my advice to those who also choose to be in relationships before college is to enjoy the summer and make some good memories and not think about long-term. Keep your expectations for summer low and your standards high, and enjoy the time you have together. That will guarantee an amazing summer.    

I am excited to start school and move across the country to Washington D.C. The move is scary, but I know that the fear will only motivate me to work harder to achieve the dreams I have written so many college essays about. For me, moving to the east coast was the easiest way for me to start over; a fresh start only seemed possible to me if I was in an entirely new place. I know I can follow my passion anywhere, but I could only imagine myself in a city for the next four years of my life.

College has been exciting, but also really daunting. Sometimes when I get nervous or overwhelmed I tend to procrastinate because I don't want to think about it, but one of my hopes for university is that it will teach me how to face problems head-on and fix them quickly.

Independence is something that excites me; I am very anxious to move out of my childhood home and start the part of my life where I make decisions for myself, and I get to be very selfish. But through the process of figuring out what I want to do with my life and seeing my sister be independent in her own home has made me understand why I should be so grateful to my parents. Yeah, they are mostly smothering and overbearing, but they are also generous and understanding. Advice to other new college kids: be grateful for the free fresh fruit and toilet paper! I was only out of my house for a few days and craved fresh veggies badly. On a college budget good food is seriously rare. I am so thrilled to be going on an adventure and becoming more self-reliant, but I am going to miss all the free stuff.

Since I confirmed my move to the wonderful District of Columbia this fall, I have been thinking about this blog. This blog has been my home and my safe haven for the last three years. I remember starting this blog in July of 2012, and thinking I was going to be a major blogger superstar. Although this is certainly not the case, this small part of the internet has given me a chance to express myself. I will always be so thankful for that. Unfortunately, I am not sure what the fate of this blog will be in the coming years. Would I love to continue writing and taking photos and sharing my slightly ridiculous obsession about all things maquillage that has consumed my life for the last three years? Absolutely. But I know that with a new chapter of life comes a hectic schedule and new passions and obsessions. I don't know how easy it will be to document my life on this blog and take photos with a college roommate and new friends who know nothing about this corner of the world wide web. At the end of the day, I can't make a promise that I will continue to blog and post videos on my Youtube channel, but I also won't confirm that I won't. In the past year I have learned to "go with the flow," so I am applying the same mentality to the continuation of this blog. We may just have to see.

I don't know what I would have done without this blog. Thank you for a wonderful 3 years.

xx BriticaBeauty

my favorite [summer] polishes.

hello there!

I have way too many polishes, and during the summer I tend to pick a few favorites and stick with them. I am currently obsessed with five:

orly // luxe | sally hansen // pacific blue | uo // bohemian summer | opi // you're such a budapest | ciate // kiss chase

In order, from the left:

orly // luxe:

This color has been on my toes for the past two months; every time I take it off, I paint it back on again. Because I tend to wear black and white and accessorize with gold, this polish goes with everything. It's also not a brassy gold or a cheap-looking gold, so you look super put-together without that much effort. As a bonus, it distracts from my gross "dancer feet."

rp: 7.00

sally hansen // pacific blue

The other day I went looking for this gem of a polish in the drugstore and I couldn't find it. I had to hold back tears. This is the most gorgeous, richly-pigmented royal blue in the universe and it's only three dollars! I understand if you feel like it's too good to be true. The extreme-wear line also applies beautifully in two coats, so if you are unbelievably impatient, like me, and hate waiting for polish to dry, with pacific blue you can be out the door in a few minutes. Beware, however, that such a strong blue color can stain your nails, so make sure to wear a base coat! If you can't find it in stores, I found it for you on ebay here. 

rp: 3.00

urban outfitters // bohemian summer

This polish was a steal for less than a dollar in an uo sale! It's such a unique color: amidst the gel-looking light blue polish are small hexagonal chips of black polish. It gives a classic pastel shade a unique twist, and after three coats it looks translucent and super cool. It's part of their "sparkle" collection, and I was able to find it online here. 

rp: 8.00

opi // you're such a budapest

This polish was from a seasonal collection, but I have seen it in stores since. This is one of my all-time favorite polishes! Periwinkle has been my favorite color for years and years and years, so this color is perfect for me. Like the varnish from Urban Outfitters, it gives the nails a gel-like finish after three coats. It applies beautifully and isn't streaky, which I really appreciate in a pastel polish. It's long-wearing, like most OPI polishes, and it's a perfect shade to transition from spring into summer, and summer into fall. And fall into winter. And winter into spring. Yeah, I'm in love. You get it. 

rp: 9.00

ciate // kiss chase

I have been on the hunt for a bright pop of pink, and, after a long search, I have found a fantastic option. This is a permanent shade in the ciate collection. It applies beautifully in three coats, and makes me look super tan in the summer. It's not quite as dark as it looks in the photos; in real life, it looks like a candy-pink, and it's almost a bit neon. Ciate polishes are a bit more expensive, but I think they are worth the cost. Plus, the brush is brilliant and applies the product perfectly onto the nails. This has been on my nails a few times this summer. I'm a fan! 

rp: 15.00

I hope you guys have picked up some super sweet polishes for the summer!

What colors are you digging at the moment?

xx bb

{summer FOTD 1}

hello there!

Recently, I have been in a makeup rut. I always wear the same neutral tones, from the same palettes, with the same lipsticks. So this summer I wanted to experiment with makeup, and share it with you all! Sometimes we need a little inspiration, so hopefully this will give you some ideas for new makeup looks. 

For this first look, I went neutral (surprise!), but I tried using some products from the back of my makeup drawer:

  

Face:

Garnier BB Cream \\ Light/Medium

Rimmel Stay Matter Powder \\ 004 Sandstorm

Physician's Formula Talc-Free Mineral Powder \\ Bronzer

Estee Lauder Soft Matte Bronzer \\ Bronze Goddess 

Brows:

Mary Kay Brow Pencil \\ Blonde

Physician's Formula Matte eyeshadow Quad \\ Canyon Classics 

Eyes:

Maybelline Color Tattoo creme shadow \\ Barely Branded 

MAC single shadow \\ Follow Your Fantasy [lid]

Clinique Single Shadow \\ Earthling [crease]

Lancome Single Shadow \\ Sunset [outer lid and crease]

Lancome Single Shadow \\ Golden Brown [outer corner]

Covergirl Professional Waterproof Mascara

Physician's Formula Original Organic Wear Mascara

Essence I Love Extreme Mascara 

Lips:

Almay Liquid Lip Balm \\ Rosy Lipped

What makeup have you been wearing this summer?

xx bb 

{summer playlist 3}

hello there!

I am sharing another list of songs I am jamming to this summer! Here are my current favoirtes:

Help Me Lose My Mind // Disclosure, London Grammar

Holding On // Disclosure, Gregory Porter 

Great Summer // Vance Joy

Golden // Sia, Travie McCoy

Often // The Weeknd [Kygo Remix]

Can't Feel My Face // The Weeknd 

Cool For the Summer // Demi Levato 

Papercut // Zedd, Troye Sivan

Shut Up and Dance // Walk the Moon

Adore You // Miley Cyrus, Cedric Gervais [Remix] 

What have you been listening to?

xx bb

my [summer] suitcase essentials.

hello there!

 Now that it's summer, I'm going to be doing a little bit of traveling. Packing during the summer is very different from packing any other time of the year; I tend to pack less, and everything I pack is multi-purpose. For me, summer traveling is all about being comfortable and looking effortless. This summer I am spending a week in Washington D.C. I'm so excited to spend the Fourth of July in one of my favorite cities, but it's going to be very hot so I have to plan for the worst (and the sweatiest). Here are some of my summer suitcase essentials, and my tips for easy packing:

{clothing}

Tip 1: It's all black and white \\ Not only do I love black and white as my everyday color palette, but it's perfect for packing. Packing a few black and white pieces makes it easy to create lots of different outfits that look really chic. 

Tip 2: Cotton \\ When I pack, I tend to smoosh and shove my clothes into my suitcase to make room for everything, so I try not to pack clothes that could crease easily. Who has time to iron! So I like to pack cotton clothes: lightweight clothes that work well in the heat and don't crumple in my suitcase. 

Tip 3: Versatility is key \\ When you're packing light, I try to pack pieces that I know can work for a day out and an evening on the town. Try a nice top that can easily be paired with both shorts and a skirt, or a dress that can look casual, but can be dressed up with statement jewelry. 

[my essentials]

1) the cotton maxidress 

2) the basic black tank

3) black strappy sandals

4) jean shorts 

5) the day-to-night dress

{makeup}

Tip 1: Pick multipurpose products \\ It's so tempting to pack a million different products for all the looks you might want to create during your trip, but resist! Pack a few products that can be used a million different ways, like a bronzer or contour that can be used in the crease, or a cream shadow that can be blended on the cheekbones for a soft highlight. 

Tip 2: Pack long-wearing makeup \\ When you're traveling in the heat and doing a lot all day, the last thing you want to worry about is your makeup. So choose products that will keep your makeup in place and last throughout the day, like a makeup primer or a waterproof mascara. Then you can spend less time worrying about your makeup and more time exploring!

Tip 3: Grab a palette \\ Instead of packing millions of single shadows and blushes, pack one or two palettes that can give you a lot of choices on the go. Plus, it's also easier to put a look together when it's already in a palette for you.

[my essentials]

1) primer
2) bronzer, contour
3) eyeshadow palette
4) waterproof mascara
5) an easy lippie

{misc}

A camera \\ Take some photos on your trip! I usually pack my DSLR when I travel because it takes really beautiful photos, but if you have a smaller camera that you prefer, pack that instead. Just make sure to capture some memories.

A purse or two \\ When I travel, I like to pack a massive bag for the plane, and a smaller night bag. I tend to take less out with me at night, when I go to dinner or a party, so packing a small bag is essential. Plus, it doesn't take up a lot of space in your suitcase.

Pick a book \\ Over the summer I force myself to read. I have always loved reading, but I never seem to have the time, so during the summer I pick out a few books and read them all the way through. It's a great way to stay sharp and not let your brain turn to mush, even when you're not in school.  Right now I'm reading John Green's Paper Towns in anticipation for the film, and Amy Poehler's Yes Please, because she is amazing.

[essentials]

1) DSLR camera
2) day purse, night purse
3) reading material
4) a bathing suit
5) sunglasses

I hope this post was a helpful breakdown of what I pack when I go traveling during the summer! These aren't all of my essentials, but they are some of the most important items in my suitcase. For those of you who are packing rookies, sometimes you need a little guidance so you don't pack your whole house. Trust me; been there, done that. 

What are some of your summer suitcase essentials?

xx bb

my week in DC.

hello there!

I spent a week in Washington D.C. And it was amazing. So I wanted to document it! Warning: this post is photo-heavy.

Library of Congress

lunch in the park

Jefferson Memorial

MLK memorial

World War 2 Memorial

Lincoln Memorial

pedal-boating on the river

National Gallery of Art

Air and Space Museum

National Museum of African American History and Culture

American History Museum

The White House

jazz in the garden

4th of July Fireworks

 

I return to the city in a month to start school, and I could not be more excited! I love DC so much.

Where have you been this summer?

xx bb