My Holy Grail Products

Hello everyone! If you like makeup as much as I do, you've probably tried a number of different products throughout the years. Makeup brands are constantly coming out with new mascara's, blushes, eyeliners, lipsticks, etc, and you can't help but want to see if they'll be the best ones you'll ever try. However, there's always that one product that you keep coming back to, despite all the different kinds you've tried. Here are a few of my holy grail makeup/beauty products.

ye 

1. Foundation: Garnier Skin Renew B.B. Cream. I've tried multiple foundations and B.B. creams, but I keep coming back to this one. It has medium to full coverage, while providing the benefits of B.B. cream, such as SPF. It completely covers up any redness I have on my skin without making it look cakey. 

2. Concealer: Rimmel London Match Perfection Skin Tone Adapting Concealer. This acts as a 2-1 concealer and highlighter, which is perfect for covering up under-eye circles. I use it under my eyes every morning, and it completely gets rid of any darkness. It also looks great paired with my Garnier B.B. cream. 

3. Powder: Rimmel London Stay Matte Pressed Powder. This powder provides great coverage when used on its own, or when used on top of foundation/primer/ B.B. cream. I use it on my T-Zone because it tends to get oily throughout the day, and I also use it to prevent my foundation/B.B cream from creasing. 

4. Eye Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Original. I love this eye primer because it conceals any veins or redness on top of my eyelids. It helps my eyeshadow and eyeliner stay on all day, and can even be worn on its own. 

5. Eye Shadow: Rimmel London Eyeshadow quad in Smokey Brun. Now I've tried a lot of different eyeshadows, from high end brands to drugstore brands. As much as I love MAC and Urban Decay, this quad from Rimmel is perfect for an everyday neutral eye. Whenever I'm stuck trying to decide which eyeshadow look to do, I go to to this palette (side note, its meant to complement blue eyes). 

6. Eyeliner: MAC eye kohl in Smolder: This eyeliner is an inky black and applies smoothly on the lash line and water line. It's long lasting, and can also be smudged for a smoky eye look.

7. Mascara: Mascara is a tough choice for me, because I've tried a lot over the years. I tend to always buy Maybelline mascaras, because you can never go wrong with them. My absolute favorite is The Falsies waterproof mascara, because it holds the curl if you curl your eyelashes, and lasts all day. 

8. Blush: MAC creamblend blush in Posey. I tend to use this blush everyday, because it adds a nice flush to your face without making you look like you have a fever. Creamblend blushes tend to last longer than powders, which is why I tend to pick it over my powder blushes when applying my makeup daily. 

9. Lipstick: MAC Viva Glam V: I love everything about MAC lipsticks. They apply smoothly, they make your lips look fuller, they're long lasting, and they even smell great! I especially love this color because it's neutral, so you can wear it with virtually any makeup look. It's not too pink or pigmented, so you can wear it daily without looking too made up. 

There you go, my holy grail makeup products! Feel free to comment below what your holy grail makeup products are!

Happy reading,

Ashley

Sometimes, Simple is the Best

If anyone knew me back in junior high, they would know two things: Most of the clothes I wore other than my Catholic school uniform were from Aeropostale, and that I was obsessed with American Idol. Seasons seven and eight of American Idol were two of my favorite ever, basically because I was obsessed with David Archuleta, and even more obsessed with Kris Allen. Kris Allen winning American Idol was one of the best moments of '09 (besides it being my eighth grade year and getting to do all the fun stuff with my class before we graduated). I fell in love with Kris' voice and how he would put his own spin on every song he performed. When he performed "Apologize" during the semi-finals, I was inspired to learn to play the piano myself. I received his first album as a gift the following Christmas, and I didn't think there would ever be another album where I loved every single one of the songs so much.
Well, fast forward a few years, and I began to think that album had been Kris' first and also his last. Only two songs had been released, something I found surprising, seeing as all of the songs seemed worthy of being on the radio. I hadn't heard anything about Kris Allen for the next year and a half, and I had lost hope that one of my favorite singers was out of the music business for good. Then, one day during my junior year of high school, I stumbled upon a video of Kris Allen on YouTube performing at a place called The Mint. He performed a new song titled "Monster," and, after doing some research, learned that he planned to release a new album!
I bought "Thank You Camelia," as soon as it was released a few months later, and I fell in love with his music all over again. I did not believe anything could surpass his first album, but this one was just as good, if not better (I actually did a review of it on this blog a while back if you want to check it out). He went on a small tour that year, but I unfortunately was unable to attend any of his concerts. Again, his music received very little notification, besides him performing "Vision of Love" on American Idol.
Fast forward to last summer, when Allen released his third album, titled "Horizons." This album is slightly different from his last two, with more of a singer-songwriter feel. For the heck of it, I checked his website to see if he would be touring, and sure enough, he was coming to a city about a half an hour from my hometown. The tickets were inexpensive, so on September 6, my best friend, sister, and I ventured to the music hall to see Kris Allen perform.
The music hall where Allen performed was the cutest venue I had ever been to for a concert. It was in an old farmhouse, completed with rocking chairs on the front porch and home cooked meals from the chef inside. The food was good and the venue was cozy; there was maybe 100 people there, most just looking for something to do on a Saturday night rather than fangirling (which is what we did) over Kris Allen.
The show itself was incredible. It was, to say, the best concert I had ever been to. No, there wasn't any fireworks, like One Direction, nor any neon signs or bright strobe lights like when Philip Philips opened for John Mayer-it was just Kris Allen with his guitar and small band, giving a strong, personal performance. Allen's vocals live are incredible; he definitely deserves much more credit and recognition than he receives.
To top the night off, after his performance he announced, "I'll be at the merchandise station if you guys want to hang out." He was so casual about meeting his fans, I was almost in shock. In fact, I probably was in shock right up until I stood face to face with Kris himself. I wanted so badly to tell him how much of an inspiration he was to me, but instead, we had a conversation about how we don't like Taco Bell (I know, I don't know how it happened either). But, we did take a picture and he signed my t-shirt, so all was not lost.
Anyway, the point of this story is to say that sometime we don't need the fancy, flashy elements of a concert. Yes, fireworks are great and graphics are entertaining, but it has a tendency to take away from a performance. Sometimes all you need for a great show is a farmhouse, some talent, good company, and a guitar.

Watch Allen's performance at the Mint  here

Happy reading,

Ashley

An Important Message

Hello everyone! So if you couldn't tell, a recent theme in my last few posts has been about trying to find yourself and your way in the world as you get older...something that can be scary and difficult for a lot of people. Back in May, my mother, sisters, and I saw Hunter Hayes in concert. The entire concert was fantastic, but one song in particular stood out to me-"Flashlight." This song, which Hayes explained before he performed it, is about being lost, but believing that there is someone, or something, out there, guiding you (like a flashlight, hence the name). Whenever you feel down or like you'll never figure anything out, something happens that makes you believe that things will be okay. 

Here's a video of Hunter Hayes explaining the meaning of the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M_k66lheupQ

Here's a link to the song:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GFnxJv5duLk

I hope you guys love and feel inspired by this song as much as I do,

Happy  reading,

Ashley

What Does it Mean to Be Happy?

Hello Everyone,

This semester in college, I am taking a philosophy class called "The Meaning of Human Existence." To complete the first few assignments in the course, we had to read Terry Eagleton's "The Meaning of Life." This book discusses the different perspectives of what the meaning of life is, whether there be one specific answer to the question or no answer at all. Life could have an inherent meaning, meaning that humans are to look for the answer, or an ascribed meaning (a "life is what you make of it" perspective). It also looks at the language of the question itself, for the word "life" could have different meanings for different people, and therefore the question would have different answers.
Something I found interesting in the book is the presentation of the different views of happiness, and whether or not happiness is the meaning of life. In Aristotle's point of view, happiness is a state of being. One becomes happy by living his or her life virtuously. They cannot attain it, they can only create it. In philosopher Julian Baggini's viewpoint, happiness is a state of mind. It is attained most likely through material possessions or favorable circumstances. Because life offers unfavorable circumstances, one cannot truly be happy all the time, which is why it is a state of mind, not a lifestyle.
So what does it mean to be truly happy? Eagleton brings up the point that people who live with disabilities aren't necessarily unhappy; the rest of the world may seem their situation as means for negativity, but that doesn't mean they do. I'd like to believe that happiness is a lifestyle: you can choose to be happy, despite the circumstances you're under. I don't want to have to rely on my possessions to define my happiness; sure, a new pair of shoes or perfume can make me happy, but only for a little while. The effect eventually wear's off, and it's this sense of fleeting happiness that constantly leaves us wanting more.
I want to be able to create my own happiness. I don't know if happiness is the meaning of life, but I would like to be able to live the majority of my life with a positive disposition. There are going to be negative situations and times where being happy seems impossible, but that doesn't mean you have to let it control you. If we have the power to choose to be happy, then we should do so.

Happy reading,

Ashley

The Perks of Being a New Englander

See this? This is currently the view from my bedroom window. As I sit here typing this post, thousands of snowflakes are quickly turning the northeast into a winter wonderland. This is the biggest snowstorm I've ever witnessed (and historically the biggest snowstorm since 1978) with 27+ inches of snow piling up in my yard. Classes were thankfully canceled, meaning I could spend my day forever procrastinating on all the work I have to do (let's be serious here).

Even though the winter months are freezing, the weather is almost never stable, and we can't annunciate our "R's" I wouldn't trade living in New England for anything (well, except maybe for Disneyworld, because who wouldn't). I love living in an area with so much history and so much pride. It's the home of a multitude of great schools, including Ivy Leagues Harvard, Yale, and Brown university. It's also home to actors Adam Sandler, Mindy Khaling, Amy Poehler, and Mark Whalberg (to name a few). Boston is one of my favorite places to explore, whether it's attending a Red Sox game at Fenway Park tasting a variety of foods from Faneuil Hall, or just walking down the streets of the city. So as I look out the window at what some people are calling the snowpocalypse, I can't help but take in the beauty of it all. 

So to all you New Englanders who wish you were somewhere sunny and warm, I'm with ya. But don't forget to appreciate all of the great things New England has to offer.

Happy reading,

Ashley 

Why John Mayer is Relevant to my Life

Hi everyone!

So I may be late to the John Mayer bandwagon (if there still is one), but over the past year or so, I've grown to love his music. This mainly stemmed from my attendance to one of his concerts at the end of summer 2013, for his Born and Raised Tour. I originally had not planned to go; a group of my friends had gotten tickets, and when one of them couldn't attend, I took her place. I figured why not? I wasn't a huge John Mayer fan at the time, but my friends and I were all heading off to college a couple of weeks later, so it would be one last hurrah before we went our separate ways. Long story short-I went into the concert knowing three John Mayer songs, and left yearning for more.

Within the next few months, I slowly built up my Itunes library with more and more Mayer songs. Before I knew it, I had downloaded three full albums: Room for Squares, Continuum, and Born and Raised.

Here's the thing I like about Mayer-he doesn't just write love songs. Sure, he has some pretty great ones (Back to You might be the most perfect love song, but that's a discussion for another day), but he also writes about adulthood and trying to find yourself as you get older. No Such Thing, Why Georgia, Stop this Train, Born and Raised-all of these songs are about entering adulthood and trying to make sense of life. 

 (My friends and I wearing our #mayerisback bracelets)

That's why John Mayer is relevant to my life right now. I just turned 20, and it's starting to hit me that one day I'll be a college graduate venturing out into the "real world." To be honest, it's scary thinking about the future and what it holds for me; however, it's also incredibly exciting. I can't spend my time worrying about the future; I can only accept that it's happening and try to make the most out of life.

So to anyone who's worried about getting older and entering the real world, it's okay if you don't have everything figured out now. Just keep living your life, and have faith that everything will fall into place. 

To quote John Mayer, "Act your age in the age of worry, and say worry, get out of here!"

 

Happy reading,

Ashley 

p.s. here are some of the John Mayer songs

Why Georgia:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UMJk4Edm8rU

The Age of Worry 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q0ToibA86zk

No Such Thing:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H1W2UddURXI

Stop this Train

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sHhhTtqWcOM

Born and Raised

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XiutMdIeflI

When in Doubt, use a B.B. Cream

Hello everyone!
    As you all know, fall is coming to an end and winter is fast approaching.  When winter comes it brings the promise of snow, Christmas, snow days, winter break...and also cold air. And with cold air also comes *dramatic pause* dry skin.
      Now dry skin is never fun, because your face can be flaky or itchy or just feel like there's absolutely no moisture. What can be even worse is that when you put on foundation or concealer, it sticks to the flakiness of your skin and makes it look cakey or even more dry than it is So how can you achieve perfect looking skin if you can't use a foundation?
    B.B. cream! B.B creams are designed to provide your skin with moisture and other nutrients while also providing some coverage and evening it out. What I find works best is if you mix a good moisturizer with your B.B. cream and spreading it on your skin with a foundation brush or even your hands if your want to (just make sure your hands are clean first!). Your skin will not only feel moisturized but most redness will be covered up with out looking flaky or caked on. Now that you have a good base, you can add blush or highlighter or whatever else you like.  You can use any moisturizer and B.B. cream that you prefer; I personally recommend Maybelline's Dream Fresh B.B Cream, Revlon's PhotoReady B.B. Cream, and Garnier's Miracle Skin Perfector B.B. Cream.

Happy reading

Ashley