Why I'm Loving Neutrogena

With prom coming up, everyone wants to look perfect on what just might be the best night of their high school career. Hair, makeup, dresses, everything needs to be just right on prom night. You want to look amazing in all your pictures, and a key step to this is making sure your skin looks great too, right?

Having clear skin is a big must in order to ensure that the rest of your prom look is complete. I tend to get acne on both my face and my back, and I knew something had to be done seeing as my dress has an open back. To try to solve my problem, I picked up Neutrogena's pink grapefruit skin clearing body wash as well as their new blackhead eliminating cleanser/mask. In the past, cleansers that have contained salicylic acid have cause my skin to break out even more, and since both these cleansers contain salicylic acid I wasn't sure what to expect. However, after a week of using both products, I noticed a huge difference in my skin. Not only was it clearer, but many of my red post acne marks have faded away. I use the body wash on my back and chest every time I shower, and I use blackhead wash as a cleanser every night when I wash my face. It also doubles as a mask, so you can use it as that if you prefer. Both these products have not irritated my skin, which is pretty sensitive, but if you've had reactions to salicylic acid before I would only test a little out before you use them as complete cleansers. All in all, I give Neutrogena two thumbs up for these amazing  products.

I hope this helps everyone achieve clearer skin in time for prom! Remember, what you put into your body affects the outside too, so eat healthy foods and drink plenty of water to help your skin look great!

Happy reading!

-Ashley

Review: Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

Hey everyone! So I'm not one to use foundation; normally when I search the drugstore I'm on the hunt for mascara or lip products. However, since the spring holds many big events, such as the Spring Musical, prom, graduation, etc, I figured now's as good a time as any to buy one. Since it had been hyped up by t.v commercials, I decided to try Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation. I was a little hesitant to put it on at first, because I wasn't sure how my sensitive skin would react to it. However, I wore it consecutively three nights in a row for my schools spring musical, and it didn't cause me to break out once. The foundation is light, offers great coverage, and doesn't make your face look cakey at all. If you want a full coverage look, I would use a B.B. Cream (I use Maybelline's Dream Fresh B.B. Cream) as a base/primer to make the foundation last all day. If you just want to even out your skin, mix the foundation in with your moisturizer for a light coverage. This foundation is also wallet-friendly, so if your in need of something that has great coverage for little price, I'd definitely recommend this product.

Watch the video of how my friend and I do show makeup (I use Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation in here)

Stay tuned for a prom makeup tutorial!

Happy reading!

-Ashley 

Book Review! An Abundance of Katherines

Have you ever read a book and once you finished it you just sat there for a while, thinking about how incredible it was? Well, this is what happened to me after I read an "Abundance of Katherines" by John Green. If you've never heard of John Green, he's an amazing author who writes novels geared towards teens/ young adults. His other works include "Looking for Alaska" and "The Fault in Our Stars" to name a few. "An Abundance of Katherines" was my first Green novel, and I can't wait to get my hands on another one. Here's why:

In "An Abundance of Katherines," the protagonist Colin Singleton finds himself on a road trip with his best friend Hiassan to Gutshot, Tennessee, in order to forget about his breakup with his girlfriend Katherine, who is also the nineteenth Katherine he's dated. Colin is a prodigy, being very smart and knowledgeable, but he wants to be a genius so that he can matter in the world, and decides to do so by creating a theorem that would be able to predict relationships. While in Gutshot, Colin and Hiassan meets Lindsey Lee Wells, a girl who seems to be the exact opposite of Colin. They begin to work for Lindsey's mother by interviewing everyone who worked at the local factory. Throughout the story Colin learns about life, love, and what it really means to matter. 

What I really loved about this story is that it had a lot of character growth, not just for one but for all three of the main characters. There was also a plethora of good quotes, which I love because I think it's the greatest when you can find a quote that you can really relate to. I think the main question in the story-What does it really mean to matter?- is also very relatable to young people. All in all, a definitely recommend this novel to everyone.

Happy reading

-Ashley

How to Be Healthy Without Really Trying

Hey everyone! So if anything, I would say that when it comes to eating healthy and staying fit, I'm not exactly the kind of person that would be an advocate for it. It's not that I'm picky when it comes to fruit and vegetables (if my mom makes broccoli or corn for dinner, I'll eat it), it's just that when it comes to choosing to having something healthy, I'd rather eat a cookie or a brownie. And I'm not a lazy person, because I like to run, but finding time to exercise is hard with my busy schedule. Part of my New Years Resolution was to be healthier, and I've managed to find some ways to incorporate healthy eating and exercise in my life without really thinking too hard about it. So without further ado, here are my tips for being healthy without really trying.

1. Don't have time for breakfast? Grab a piece of fruit. If I'm in a pinch for time, my go to breakfast is a banana. It's my favorite kind of fruit, and it's so quick and easy that I can eat it in less than five minutes and be on my way out the door. Banana's also keep you full for a longer period of time than a pop tart, because they have potassium instead of sugar. Another good alternative is a breakfast bar, like Nutrigrain or Special K. 

2. Try to have at least one cup of milk a day with a meal. I try to have milk every other day for breakfast in place of coffee. The calcium is good for your bones and teeth, whereas coffee stains your teeth and can be addictive. If you can't part with your coffee, at least put in some milk or coffee cream (most have some vitamin D). If you don't like white milk, chocolate milk works too!

3. Drink LOTS of Water. You don't have to have the recommended eight cups a day (that's just a myth), but at least have a couple of glasses. Grab a cool water bottle or cup and just keep refilling it throughout the day. Water is necessary to live, and it flushes out impurities in your body and on your skin. 

4.  As for exercise, if you can find time to take a walk or run, that's great. I know if you have On Demand they offer exercise videos, and you can find some on YouTube as well. But if you don't have the time to go to the gym, or watch a twenty minute program, my favorite thing to do is just put on my headphones and dance around my room. You don't have to be a good dancer (because believe me, I'm not), but at least your being active instead of listening to music while your sitting around. Just do it for a good ten to fifteen minutes and you'll get a pretty good cardio workout. 

So there you go, these are my methods of staying healthy without trying too hard! Try them out and see what happens; knowing you ate something healthy or exercised for a little bit help you feel healthier too. 

I hope these tips help! Happy reading,

-Ashley 

Review: New Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette!

Hey everyone! I'm so excited because I just got the brand new....Urban Decay Naked Basics palette! It was a nice birthday gift from my two sisters when we went to Sephora last Sunday. The palette comes with six colors: Venus (light shimmery color), Foxy (matte cream color), Walk of Shame (matte nude color), Naked 2 (matte taupe color), Faint (medium brown color), and Crave (dark brown/black). These colors are all absolutely gorgeous and you can create so many neutral eyes and even some smoky eyes! I'm not a heavy smoky eye kind of girl, so I absolutely love this palette of neutrals. The packaging is also so cute; its small and can fit in your purse, makeup bag, carry on, etc without taking up too much space. It even comes with a mirror so you can do your makeup on-the-go! I'm going to Florida in April, and I'm definitely taking this palette with me instead of taking a bunch of individual eye shadows. It sells for $27.00, but if you think about it, a single eye shadow from Urban Decay is $18, and your getting six for less than what it would cost for two. All in all, I definitely recommend this palette. If your looking for a small, easy-to-carry palette of gorgeous, pigmented neutral colors, Urban Decay Naked Basics is the palette for you.

Colors from left to right: Venus, Foxy, Walk of Shame, Naked 2, Faint, Crave

Happy Reading guys!

-Ashley

Book Review Time: Beneath the Glitter

Hey guys, it's been a while! I've been super busy the last couple of weeks, but I did make time to read a new book I'd like to review for you guys. Ever heard of Beneath the Glitter? It's a new novel written by YouTube stars and sisters Elle and Blair Fowler. I love the Fowler sisters and their videos; when I heard they had a book coming out I knew I had to buy it. I'll admit it-I was a little skeptical about how good the book was going to be. You wouldn't exactly expect two girls who do makeup and fashion videos to be authors as well. But I gave them the benefit of the doubt, and here's what I think:

The story is of two sisters, Sophia and Ava London, who move to Los Angeles to start their own makeup line after their YouTube videos become extremely popular (the Fowler sisters mention in the beginning of the book that the main characters are loosely based off their own lives). Sophia, the older sister, has just suffered a break up with her long term boyfriend, and is convinced to do a "boytox" and stay away from dating for a while. The younger sister, Ava, meets her celebrity crush, actor Liam Carlson, and the two immediately take interest in each other. When the two sisters win a "Webstars of the Year" award, they're given a chance to launch their own line off of a head honcho makeup line. The rest of the story is basically the fall out of being thrust into the limelight- Ava trying to balance her work while dating an A-list actor and volunteering at a pet shelter, while Sophia deals with trying to protect Ava, work, photography (a passions shes encouraged to follow) and her love life (she becomes torn between two guys). Meanwhile, someone close to them is trying to sabotage them and everything they worked for.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It was a very quick, easy-to-follow read. I enjoyed that the story has some mystery to it; it makes me want to read the next book they put out. If you want something fun and entertaining, I'd definitely recommend this book. I'd say good job to the Fowler sisters!

Happy Reading

-Ashley

My Top 5 Favorite Theme Songs

Have you every just watched a tv show to listen to its awesome theme song? I'll admit it, I have. Even if I've already seen the episode or I'm about to fall asleep, I'll watch the first two or three minutes of a show because I just want to hear the theme song. Here are some of my favorites:

#5: Carry on Wayward Son-Supernatural. Okay so this song only plays during season finales, but its as close to a theme song as the show gets. Who doesn't love a good rock song during some fight scenes with demons?

#4: Where You Lead-Gilmore Girls. I absolutely love Gilmore Girls, its most definitely one of my favorite tv shows. I watched the entire series throughout my freshmen year, and whenever I hear the song it brings back memories.

#3: The Hawaii 5-0 Theme song- this song doesn't have any lyrics; but it just reminds me of an action movie.

#2: Baba O'Riley- CSI: New York- I actually started watching CSI New York because I thought the song was so cool...

#1: I'll Be There For You-Friends. Absolutely without a doubt my favorite theme song. I love friends and think the shows hysterical, but I get disappointed if I turn the show and the theme song already played.

I know this was kind of a silly post, but I think if you have a favorite theme song it can instantly put you in a good mood, especially if the show its for it good too!

Happy reading, listening, and watching!


-Ashley