Project 10 Pan

Hello Lovelies! Long time no blog and I apologize, but instead of discussing that, let us get right to the makeup, because that is what you really came for! I have selected my products for project 10 pan. I have never attempted anything like this, but when I recently reorganized my makeup I realized how much I had and that it was time to finish some products. I chose products that I have had in my collection for what feels like too long, and that are ready to be gone so I can try more products. 

First I have a few concealers that are really close to being done. I have 2 Maybelline Fit Me, I really enjoy these concealers hence having 2 of them. I always recommend this one to people. Next I have Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. It is alright I guess. It has a brightening effect underneath the eyes, but not enough coverage for me. I probably won't be repurchasing this anytime soon. My last concealer is Mac Studio Finish. This is really thick and creamy. I like it on days I am wearing powder foundation because it conceals anything that is on my face really well. I prefer this on my face to under my eyes because it is too thick for me. 

Here I have a few eye products. First are the mascaras. Voluminous Carbon Black by Loreal and Lash Potion by Revlon, I don't think I will repurchase either of these 1 because I have enough mascara for a lifetime and 2 because I didn't care for them. Loreal wasn't as impressive as everyone made it seem and the Revlon flakes way too much. But I bought them and they will be finished. I have 2 Rimmel Scandeleyes in nude. I wear this pretty much every time I wear makeup, so it shouldn't be too difficult for me to get through those. Lastly I have a Loreal Color Riche quad in Cupa Joe. I use the darkest color for my brows and create a pretty natural everyday eye with this because it is matte. Actually wearing eye shadow is something new for me so I am excited to see if I can actually finish this!

Lastly I have some face products. The Garnier BB Cream is a bb cream that I enjoy using. It has fairly good coverage and doesn't feel too heavy on my skin. I will probably repurchase this just as soon as I get through the rest of my face products. Next is the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. The packaging on this is completely awful and it is not by choice that I have hit pan on this...I have a ruined makeup bag now, seriously not good for traveling. However the faulty packaging, I will probably repurchase when I am completely done with all my powders. Last I have Mac Mineralized Skin Finish. I used to use this strictly as a setting powder, and one day I decided to use it as a powder foundation. That was probably one of my best makeup decisions. I will definitely be repurchasing this when I am done with my powders. It works so well for my more natural days. 

So these are the products that you will see in an empties post soon hopefully. I have decided that 2015 will be the year I don't buy makeup unless I have really good reason to. I have way more than I can ever probably get through, but I will one product at a time! I will probably do a makeup collection post when I get the chance to, so keep an eye out for that. 

I encourage everyone to try and clear some of their makeup collection. We spend good money on these products and there is no sense in letting them go bad just sitting in your collection!

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell

Hello lovely people, today I have a book review for you all.

Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell. I don't exactly know where to start with this book, maybe I shouldn't call it a review, I just want to give my opinion on it and I am not sure how I actually feel about it.

It is a contemporary novel about a girl who starts college and is obsessed with writing fanfiction. There is much more to it, but I don't want to give the  story away. If you don't understand fandoms or even know what they are, you probably shouldn't even consider reading this. Since I am not so into the fandom thing anymore, some of this wasn't all that interesting to me. In between chapters there was little excerpts from Cath's fic and some from the book that she wrote based on; I began to just skip over these because I realized it did nothing for the story line. The story line did nothing for the story line. There was nothing exciting about the plot and it was painfully slow moving throughout.

The main character, Cather, was slightly mentally ill and her dad was a little more than slightly, her twin sister Wren wasn't crazy by any means but she was an alcoholic at the age of 18 and kind of broken. All three were broken because the mom left when they were just 8. Cath says this is what caused her and her dad to go crazy. The whole story makes sense in its realistic ways, but it felt awkward and uncomfortable to read. Maybe because I saw some connections between me and Cath at time.

However, with everything mentioned above, I found myself not wanting to put the book down. I finished it in a matter of days. I don't remember the last time I read something that fast, especially considering that I didn't really care for it. The characters weren't the worst, kind of likable I guess. Maybe that was the saving grace, the characters and all their issues. I have a weird weak spot for reading books and watching movies where there is a character who is psychologically broken.

When I made it to the end, I was kind of angry with Rowell. It was abrupt and left more than a few questions unanswered. Of course it is a stand alone and there is no sequel. The reader is left to wonder for the rest of their lives about everything that happened next. This book could have been made into a great independent film had it not been for the ending. I can see how in a movie they would want to answer some of the questions, but it would seem forced and unnatural to the story.

Overall, I think this would be a good read for anyone who is part of a fandom or loves fanfiction, especially if they are going into their first year of college. Maybe just the college part would be enough to get you to read this. Everyone gets nervous about going to college and if you are someone who has constant anxiety this can be scary.

I look forward to reading more by Rainbow Rowell because like I said, I couldn't put the book down if I wanted to. Sorry if this was all over the place, that is kind of how the book made me feel. Read it or don't, you won't lose or gain anything from it.

Current Reads January 2015

So I decided that 2015 would be the year that I started reading for pleasure again. For whatever reason though, I still can't seem to read only one book at a time. Here is how the 3 that I am reading right now are going:

A Bend In the Road by Nicholas Sparks
I really enjoy this book, I mean I must if I am reading it for the second time. In his usual fashion it is a love story, but it is also a little bit of a mystery. There are twists in the plot that I didn't see coming, and when done well, that is always a good thing! This is the book I find myself constantly reaching for. I would definitely recommend this book.

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
I may be the only person on the planet who just doesn't like this book. It may be a little premature to judge being that I have only read the first 2 chapters, but I just can't stand the writing style. I don't care for whiny teenagers because they just drive me crazy. I probably would have enjoyed this when I was a teenager, but I don't feel any connection to the characters. I'll keep reading and let you all know....even if it takes me the rest of the year to finish.

Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J. K. Rowling
I am officially reading the Harry Potter series. I never really cared to read it before, but I decided that it was time that I did. So far I am enjoying it and I plan on watching the movie after I finish each one of the books so that I can compare the 2. I never cared for the first couple of movies and I assume the books will be the same for me so it is something to look forward to to keep me reading.

When was the last time you picked up a book just for pleasure? Do you have any book recommendations for me?

Get In The Kitchen

I write to you all today as I am watching the TV show "The Chew" on abc. I like to watch TV shows like this all the time, cooking shows are my guilty pleasure. They always motivate me to get into the kitchen and start cooking, which is never a good thing according to my family. However, they make it seem so easy! I don't understand why I can almost never get a meal right when I am copying a recipe. Either I don't like any of the same foods as many others or the people on TV that say something is delicious are liars!

I want to be in the kitchen more, it is always something that I have tried to do before. I know for a fact that baking is definitely not my forte and I have decided that I am giving that up for now. I can make a decent banana bread, but that is about it. And even that comes out more like a cake so I am not to sure I am doing that right either. I will leave the desserts to others. What I want is to make some main dishes. You know, start off small and build my way up. I can make a pretty good soft boiled egg which is harder than you think to get perfect. Pasta, also a no-brainer that I have done many of times. So I am working my way up and I think I will start to post some recipes if I find that they are relatively easy and they actually taste good. This may include some middle eastern traditional dishes every once in a while.

I hope we can learn to cook together and I look forward to these posts. Lets make some delicious food together!

If you have a food blog or follow a good one, link it below and tell me some of your favorite recipes from it!

First Product Empties!

Hey Beauties, today I have for you all my empties that have been piling up in my makeup drawer for far too long. I love watching empties videos on youtube or reading blog posts about them. They are great for a quick review if that is what you are looking for, and that is usually what I am looking for. So here goes!

This Mary Kay cleanser and moisturizer set was great for my skin. It was a new product when I ordered it and I hadn't heard anything about it. It is the botanical set and it also came with a mask and toner which I am still using. It always left my skin feeling really clean. I went through 2 tubes of the cleanser. I would recommend this for anyone. You can get it for oily, dry, or combination skin.

 Face wipes are something I go through quickly because quite frankly I get way too lazy to fully wash my face after a long day. Neither of these broke me out at all and were really good price. I liked the equate (Walmart brand) ones more because they were a larger wipe. I would repurchase either one of these.

 Sally Hansen Hard as Nails was great until I made it to the bottom, it began to get gooey at the point. It is a nail hardener and it did just that. My nails are always healthy and strong when I wear it and it is a great base and top coat. I have already repurchased!
Cover Girl Lash Blast Volume mascara, who doesn't love this stuff? It is a classic and I will undoubtedly repurchase at some point (I have way too many mascaras right now!).
My first time finishing a lip balm and it was a Maybelline Baby Lips in Grape. I loved the purple tin it gave and have already repurchased this.

Last we have a body spray from Victoria Secret in True Escape. This was by far my most favorite scent from VS. It is both sweet and spicy and just smells so darn good! I would repurchase this in a heartbeat and would recommend it to anyone! I love the jasmine that is in there.
The Macadamia Deep Repair Masque was a small sample size that I got at Ulta for $4. It smells amazing and works well , but I would't purchase the full size. It gets pretty pricey and I'm happy with my L'oreal Total Repair 5. It does the same thing as this but at a fraction of the price!

Overall I enjoyed using all these products and would recommend them to anyone and everyone! I don't know how often I will be doing empties posts because I don't go through too many products that fast, with the exception of skin care. However now that my makeup drawer is a little more empty now, What would you recommend I go pick up next time I'm out?

Snow Day

I write to you all today in my beyond soft robe with a cup of coffee in the company of my family. The snow has been falling since last night and the weatherman says there little chance of it lightening up any time soon. We have been taking turns shoveling the snow. I took some extra time during my turn so that I can play in the snow. I managed to throw a snow ball at my mom, dad, brother, sisters, sis in law, and uncle. I also started a snowman, but then I realized that I don't know how to make a snowman. It was the sad truth of becoming an adult. 

So I wrote this to challenge all of you "adults" that live in an area where there is snow to go out and make a snowman or throw a snowball at someone. Relive your youth if even for just a moment. It is those little things that give up pleasure and we can't just forget about them. As for me, I'm wiped out and going to go watch a couple of movies on Netflix before the semester starts on Tuesday and I won't have time for a movie. 

2013 Year In Review

Happy new year everyone! So the year has come to an end and yet again there is only so much that I can show for it. It hasn't been a complete fail of a year, but it wasn't the most eventful either. The years have come to blur together and I don't know when what happened so that may have something to do with it.

I think the thing that stands out the most to me is my getting a job. It pays well but like all jobs that pay well, it sucks. It is no where near my profession but I like the idea that I now have work experience outside of my moms home daycare to which I was an assistant and fill in whenever she had to travel. A of the 2nd of January it will have been one year exactly...it feels like it has been much longer than that. However I am great full to have a regular income and something to do week nights. 

Another thing that happened was I graduated with my Associates degree in Elementary Education. I don't feel much different and considering I don't have a job in education yet I guess it makes no difference. I am still a full time student except I will be transferring over to a university this Winter semester and my pockets will undoubtedly cry from the cost of tuition. I am both excited and anxious about the transfer and will most likely make a post after my first day or week. 

My niece and nephew both turning 1 this past year is also something that stands out to me. I have loved seeing them both grow and can't wait to see them grow even more this year and in years to come inshallah. They have easily become 2 of my most favorite people. 

The last thing that I feel is worth typing out for you all from 2013 is my first actual teaching experience. My chem professor took us to an elementary school to teach kids as opposed to sitting in class and teaching each other like I have done in past courses. It is a much different feeling teaching children than it is adults. I am awful at teaching adults, but with kids it came so naturally. I was beginning to sway from my decision about teaching, but that brought me right back to it. It was overall a very rewarding experience!

Minor things that have also happened: 

I've redecorated my room...still in the process actually.

I've become less obsessive about social media, which is a good thing in my opinion!

I am working on putting together something for charity and can't wait till it all comes together. It may not be ready till next winter but that's alright as long as it becomes real.

I have a beauty blog, it's not the greatest but it is a work in progress. subtlebeauty27.blogspot.com
I built my own bed which took all day, but was rewarding when I got to sleep in it that night.

Well that was basically my 2013. I can't wait to see what this year brings for me. I plan on being much more easy going and try not to stress over the little things. Take things as they are because, for the most part, you can't really change the outcome of some things! Happy new year :)