June 28, 2016

{summer playlist 1} || 2016

Hello there!

I cannot believe that it is almost July and I have not shared my favorite music for the summer! I have found some favorite new artists that I have been obsessed with. Hopefully some of these songs will become your favorites too!



I will try my best to continue updating you all with new music throughout the summer!

What have you been listening to?

xx BB


June 27, 2016

let's talk about deodorant!

Hellooooo there! 


I wanted to chat today about something that people don't usually talk about: your armpits. And, of course, there's a good reason why; every day we slap on a deodorant and run out the door. But often we don't think about what is in the deodorant we use, and many deodorants, and especially antiperspirants, have ingredients that are not only very bad for you, but also cancerous. For me, thinking about every product I use can sometimes be tedious and seem a bit anal, but I have learned that using the right deodorant is so important for your health. So I went on the hunt for an all-natural deodorant that worked well; I wanted a product that reduced the amount of sweat I produced, while covering up any odor I might produce while I sweat. I tried quite a few that really did nothing, but finally I came across one that works really well. 

rp 9.00

Schmidt's is a range of all-natural, vegan, cruelty-free deodorants that are great for sensitive skin. And for being all-natural products, they are not too expensive either! Almost all the deodorants are less than ten dollars. The deodorants come in two different forms, as well as lots of different scents, so there are a lot of options. But the scents are not too strong or overwhelming, and they won't interfere with any other scents you might want to wear. Although, at first, I was skeptical about using a deodorant that comes in a jar, I have actually found that warming up the thick creme with your fingers and applying directly to the armpit allows you to really see where you're applying the product. If you are on the go, I would recommend looking into Schmidt's deodorants that come in a stick form. But for me, because I apply deodorant at the beginning of the day, when my skin is clean and sweat-free, I don't have a problem with bacteria or contaminating the product. 

The aspect of this product that I was the most concerned about was how this deodorant would wear throughout the day. Another thing to note about this product that I really appreciate was that it didn't rub off on my clothes, so I didn't get white streaks on my black shirt. 99.9% of the time I wear black, so getting white smelly deodorant all over my black clothes is such an annoyance. I think that natural deodorants are notoriously known for being useless, so I was expecting that, by the end of the day, I would feel sweaty and smelly. But, in fact, I found that I was actually not smelly at all, and not too sweaty either. Keeping yourself from perspiring is not healthy, so I found that this product was the perfect combination of everything I was looking for deodorant. 


I know that was a serious breakdown of a deodorant, but if you are like me and find that deodorants in the drugstore are too sticky, smelly, or full of harmful ingredients, this deodorant might be a really good one to try. It takes a few extra seconds to apply, but I think it is worth it! If you want to check out their products, you can find them here. 

Have you tried a unusual beauty product recently?

xx BB

*not a sponsored post*


June 22, 2016

a UK face of the day | the travel diaries.

Hello there!


I used some of the new products I grabbed in the UK in a little FOTD, and I took a few cheeky photos to prove it! I used every single product that I showed in my UK highstreet haul here, so if you want to know what I used, it's all there!

{face}

Collection Lasting Concealer // 002
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder // Sandstorm 
MUA Bronzer // Sunkissed Bronze 
Sleek Contour Kit // Medium 
Soap & Glory Wonderbronze // Sundaze 

{brows}

Physician's Formula Eyeshadow Quad // Canyon Classics 

{eyes}

MAC Paint Pot // Nubile 
W7 In the City Palette // Natural Nudes [crease]
MUA Eyeshadow Palette // Undress Me Too [rose gold shade, gold shade on the lid]
Bourjois Smoky Stories Eyeshadow Quad // Upside Brown [inner corner]
Essence Lash Mania Reloaded Mascara 

{lips}

Almay Liquid Lip Balm // Rosy Lipped

{nails}

Barry M Nail Paint // Vintage Violet 


 
 
 
 

 



For summer, I wanted to keep my makeup look soft and clean; I don't want to wear too much makeup because I don't want it to melt off. Some of these products, like the Sleek Contour Kit and the Soap & Glory Wonderbronze, are perfect for summer! They look really natural and give you an amazing glow.

What makeup have you been loving for summer?

xx BB 



June 21, 2016

a UK drugstore beauty haul | the travel diaries.

Hello there!


I did another drugstore dash, but this time to a drugstore in the UK! While traveling around England, I wanted to see the sights and make some memories. But I also really wanted to buy a few goodies, including some UK beauty products. Some of the products are cult favorites, and others are items that I wanted to test for myself. Since I've already tried all of these items, I thought I would also share a few short reviews of the products as well.


1 // W7 In the City Palette [Natural Nudes] // The packaging of this palette is so cute! It looks like a miniature version of the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette. The six shades are all matte, and they blend quite well. However, the pigmentation of these colors is a bit weak. The colors are nice for blending, but none of the shadows would stand out in a look. I don't know if I would recommend this palette, but if you look soft eye looks this palette might be a good one to try. {rp 8.00}


2 // Soap & Glory Wonderbronze Blush Brick [Sundaze] // UK drugstore products are really doing amazing things with their packaging. Soap & Glory products are seriously adorable! This blush has a myriad of shimmery and metallic shades, from a bright white to a deep plum. Once blended together these shades create a gorgeous blush that looks really beautiful on the cheeks. I am not normally a "blush person," but this one is really natural and glowy. I think it will be a really perfect blush for the summer. {rp 11.00} 


3 // Barry M Nail Paint [Vintage Violet] // I have always wanted to try Barry M nail colors, and this purple shade is really beautiful. It is a mauvey-purple with a grey undertone. The formula of this polish is really smooth; after two coats it is completely opaque. It also wears a long time and looks lovely for almost a week. If I had the opportunity I would grab a few more. If you're in need of a few new colors for your nail collection, then I would highly recommend picking up a few of these polishes! {rp 2.99} 


4 // Collection Lasting Concealer [002, Cool Medium] // This concealer is incredible. Basically life-changing. It has a salmon undertone that completely obliterates dark circles and makes blemishes almost invisible. It is slightly thick, but it blends really easily and wears all day. I have been wearing this concealer in intense summer heat, and it has not melted off my face or separated as a result of the scorching sun. The best part? It is super inexpensive, so you can use it daily and keep picking it up as you need it. {rp. 4.19}


5 // MUA Eyeshadow Palette [Undress Me Too] // This palette is a total must-have for anyone who wants to build up their eyeshadow collection without spending a ton of money. This palette inspired me to buy three more palettes from this range, because the pigmentation is amazing, the colors blend seamlessly, and the shadows wear all day. And for only four pounds, you really can't go wrong!      {rp 4.00} 


6 // Bourjois Smoky Stories Eyeshadow [Upside Brown] // This palette was something I wanted because I had heard great things about Bourjois shadows, and because I wanted to try something from the range anyways. This quad comes with three shades, two of which are somewhat similar brown colors, and one of which is a gold-toned beige. I liked the pigmentation of the shadows, but I found that the colors themselves weren't spectacular. Though I was slightly underwhelmed by the three brown and beige-toned shadows, the shadow in the middle, called the "light touch," was amazing. It's a type of topcoat that had a rich gold sparkle in it. I have been using it as a inner-corner highlight, which looks amazing with almost every eye look and is perfect for a night out. I love my inner-corner highlights, so this shadow is perfect for me. However, this palette was slightly overpriced, and I do not think that it is worth the price for that one shadow, no matter how cool that shadow is. I think it might be worth a pass. Try the MUA palettes instead! {7.99}

 

7 // Sleek Contour Kit [Medium] // This is such a cult-favorite, so I knew that I needed to buy it and try it. I grabbed the medium shade because I wanted a darker bronzer for summer. It blends really well and looks gorgeous! The contour shade is completely matte, but the highlight has quite a bit of shimmer, but no glitter. It has a golden undertone to it which I think would look amazing on those with darker skin tones. For me, however, I think that a highlight with pink undertones is more flattering. Nevertheless, the duo is fantastic and definitely worth the money! {6.99}


8 // MUA Bronzer [Sunkissed Bronze] // Can you tell that I'm obsessed with bronzers? I grabbed this one because I heard it was really nice. I cannot believe how inexpensive MUA products are, and how high quality the range is! This bronzer is really lovely; it has a bit of an orange tone to it, which doesn't look muddy, but gives a really soft glow to the face. This bronzer is also completely matte, so you don't look like a brown disco ball. If you are interested in testing out some highstreet bronzers before you invest in a more expensive contour, this one might be a good one to try!


I am so excited to continue using these products! I haven't bought makeup in a while, so it was nice to  refresh my collection and try something new. 


What other new makeup products should I try?

xx BB

June 20, 2016

introducing: the travel diaries.

Hello there!


I am back from a month of traveling! I was without a computer or internet, so blogging or being active on social media took a backseat for a few weeks. It was so nice to actually disconnect from the online world and focus on the experience. But now, since I am back home, I wanted to share my travels with you! These posts will be quite photo-heavy, but I wanted to document my time in Israel and England for you, and for my own indulgences. 

I spent ten days traveling all over Israel with a group of about forty students. To say that this trip was life-changing and completely eye-opening would be such an understatement. Unlike other vacations, I felt like I was introduced to a totally new world that I had never seen before. It was incredible to see such important and historic places that I had only read about. I don't think that I had a magical connection to the Holy Land, but more on that later.

After Israel, I flew to England for three weeks to visit some friends. It was so nice to completely let go and relax! I hadn't seen some of these friends in a year or more, so it was lovely to catch up for old times sake. Not only that, but I also did some traveling around England, which was amazing!

I fell in love with traveling again. It was so incredible to see the world and remember what it was like to be in awe of something. I now have the travel bug and I cannot wait to pack my bags for another adventure!

Have you been traveling? 

xx BB
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