Chilly Summer

I was lucky enough to have a nice hot Summer so far, but if you weren't as lucky, or if the end of your Summer's gonna be more chilly, here's some inspiring pieces! 

Try to keep Summer styles in your outfits. Try bright colors, pastels or the nautical trend, just make sure it still looks summery, even if you're not showing as much skin!

Chilly Summer by siimplyalexx featuring a button down vest

Gypsy cream dress
£40 - missselfridge.com

Miss Selfridge sailor shirt
£39 - missselfridge.com

Nude cropped jacket
$120 - topshop.com

Quiksilver button down vest
$82 - amrag.com

High rise skinny jeans
$80 - topshop.com

Alternative Apparel long skirt
$58 - zappos.com

Converse sneaker
£47 - office.co.uk

Dorothy Perkins flat lace up boots
£32 - dorothyperkins.com

Inverni fedora hat
£50 - brownsfashion.com

White House Black Market cloche hat
$68 - whitehouseblackmarket.com

Scarve
€50 - heine.de

Cotton scarve
$32 - topshop.com

Something to remember

Recently, I wasn't as happy as I could be. I'm currently reading a book written by a psychologist and it's called "Psychology of happy people"... It hasn't been translated in English, it's a french book. But it couldn't have come at a better time. Although I find this book very interesting, I don't think I'll share with you what I learn from it. However, in this article, I thought I'd simply gather a few quotes which have really helped me be better.

“We tend to forget that happiness doesn't come as a result of getting something we don't have, but rather of recognizing and appreciating what we do have.”

- Frederick Keonig

“Being happy doesn't mean that everything is perfect. It means that you've decided to look beyond the imperfections.”

“Success is not the key to happiness. Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”

- Herman Cain

“Happiness is not the absence of problems but the ability to deal with them.”

“Happiness is like a kiss...you must share it to enjoy it.”

“If you want to live a happy life, tie it to a goal, not to people or things.”

- Albert Einstein

“The best way to cheer yourself up is to try to cheer somebody else up.”

- Mark Twain

VOTW: The perfect Summer nails!

I'm a bit late in posting the VOTW for the week of July 17-23. It's kinda hard to find spare time to do work when you're on vacation and you have a little 2 and a half year old brother running around. 

So, last week, my favorite video was a nail tutorial. It's once again the masterpiece of AndreasChoice. 

I've honestly never seen these kind of nails before her video, but after I watched it, I saw it once or twice! 

It's called "nail marbling". I love how you can make so many combination and how you'll never get the same look twice! 

Hope you enjoy it, share it, and show it lots of love! If you can't tell by now, I adore Andrea. ;)

Beyond the blog...

Yesterday, I did the #25thingsaboutme on Twitter, where you basically tweet 25 different things about you, at random. I have a twitter box on my blog but since you guys don't necessarily follow me on Twitter, or since you haven't been on my blog at that specific time, I thought it'd be cool to share with you those 25 tweets.
Although this is mostly a beauty blog, I think it's still appropriate for you to know me better. Posts such as this one will be listed under "Miscellaneous", if you are wondering.

So, here are my 25 facts about me:

1. This is my 1,111th tweet! I get excited for random things like that! lol
2. I've been dating the same guy for 3 years and a half almost.. considering my age, that's pretty amazing! I love him so much. :) 

3. I get cold really easily... I should have a jacket with me all year round.

4. I wish I was born in the Summer... I think I'd have way more fun on my birthday. It's in October...

5. I'm afraid of heights, closed spaces, darkness, spiders, snakes and pretty much any insect.

6. I always make the same wish when I blow my birthday candles and up to now, they always come true! :D

7. I'm a big spender. I don't try to save because I have no reason to! lol... So I'd rather buy what I want now.

8. My two closest girl friends have the same name and are both Muslim... talk about coincidence!

9. Racism is one thing I can't stand. It makes me want to puke. I swear, if u say something racist in front of me, you're gonna get punched.

10. Psychology is so fascinating to me. I read it for fun, I wanna study it, and I can't get enough! It's so intriguing..

11. I've had my phone for 3 months or so, and I've been talking 66 hours and 55 minutes. meh...

12. I think I'm intolerant to wine... every time I sip a tiny bit of it, I get a headache.. Sucks to be me 'cause I like the taste!

13. I've had multiple blogs but I'm most proud of the one I currently have!

14. My favorite magazine is Elle Québec. So what if it's for more "mature" women? I simply HATE celeb gossip! I don't give a damn!

15. I'm in love with my 2 year old bro... He's the sweetest kid ever! Even tho I've had unpleasant adventures with him...

16. I own 5 movies in DVD : The Titanic (<33), Prom Night, My Mom's New Boyfriend (Antonio Banderas <33)... oh & Finding Nemo and Cars. -.-

17. I have a love-hate relationship with my computer. I'm addicted to Internet... but HE'S SO FREAKIN' SLOW.

18. My dream as a kid was to learn how to drive, and now that I finally got my licence, I can't drive my mom's car! :( I need a car.

19. I could really use some new songs on my iPod... listening to the same 10 songs for months now!! Hate all the other ones..

20. I have a sweet tooth like no other! I'm surprised I'm not super fat yet... And no, I don't exercise. Not looking good...

21. I'm thirsty but I'm too lazy to go get some water. I'm pretty pathetic... Let's finish this! 4 left... make 'em count.

22. My dream vacation: Fiji Islands. When I get married, I want my honeymoon to be there! :D

23. I really want a bicycle very badly... I think I'd actually exercise! Why Mom, why don't you wanna buy me one??

24. I'm not one to hate people, but there is this girl I despise! I hope I never EVER see her again. Should delete her from FB & all.. brb.

25. To end on a positive note: I LOVE HARRY POTTER! :D I can't wait to see it, I'm not going to the midnight screening tho :(

VOTW: Bright Has Never Been More Wearable!

For this VOTW post, I decided to feature a tutorial. I'll try to change up the types of videos I share with you just so we don't get bored here!

It was reaaaally hard to pick my favorite tutorial this week, because my two "finalists" are both amazing makeup artists and their looks are both very creative! 

First, there was Michelle Phan, with her wearable rainbow look. I've seen this one only yesterday but I was really impressed. The second one is by Marlena from Makeup Geek. It was a cocktail inspired look, who turned out to be super simple yet the combination looks amazing. Now, I only have to pick one, so I had to make some choices. 

Since one of the tutorials is 1 week old, I decided to go with the most recent one, which is Marlena's video. This look is inspired by a cocktail called the Appletini. Now, I have no idea what that tastes like since I'm underage and haven't really experimented with cocktails yet, but it sure looks delish! According to Wikipedia, 

"An apple martini (appletini for short) is a cocktail containing vodka and one or more of apple juice, apple cider, apple liqueur, or apple brandy. Optionally, vermouthmay be included, as in a regular martini. Typically, the apple vodka is shaken or stirred with a sweet and sour mix and then strained into a cocktail glass."

Marlena is such a genius that she managed to incorporate green and pink into her look without making it look too dramatic and over the top! Honestly, I don't wear very dramatic makeup but I'd totally wear this!

Hope you guys enjoy it... Show it some love!

Sunburn 101: How to prevent it and treat it!

I thought I'd make this blog post for any of you who are making the best out of their Summer. I'm pretty sure all of are trying to get tanner, but if you are like me, tanning can sometimes be a problem because I always end up having sunburns instead of tans! So, I thought I'd separate this into two sections: preventing sunburns and treating sunburns. If you are interesting in a "How to Get the Perfect Tan" post, where I'd search tips for you to help you get nice and even tans, just comment below! Now, let's tackle the sunburns!

Prevent Sunburns:

1. Let's start with the obvious here... use sunscreen on all exposed areas! It is recommended to use 30 or higher, and to reapply during the day. Not applying sunscreen to tan faster is the perfect recipe for disaster! You'll be red as a lobster before you know it, not to mention how harmful the sun can be on the skin if you don't protect yourself from it. If you want to know more about the effects of the sun on the skin, I urge you to read this article I found. If you want to know more about choosing the best sunscreen, read this article.
2. Don't forget hard to reach places! Believe me, sunburns on your toes can be really painful. So don't forget areas like your ears, the back of your neck, the back of your knees, under the straps of your string bikini, etc.
3. Avoid sunbathing during the beginning of the season! Your skin isn't used to excessive sun exposure at the beginning of the Summer, after we've spent months completely covered up. Sunbathing will just make you burn the first couple of times. You'll burn on the first day of your vacation and you won't be able to have fun the rest of the time because you'll be in pain.
   
4. Avoid sunbathing during peak hours. This may vary depending on where you live, but that it usually between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m. That is usually when the sun "hits" harder, and you'll just burn faster.
5. Go gradually! It is way more efficient to expose yourself gradually. Use beach cover-ups during the first days, taking them off only for a couple of hours during the day. Build up the amount of sun exposure gradually. This will make you tan, not burn.
6. Cover your head! Scalp sunburns can be the most annoying ones ever! Use a nice hat or simply apply a bit of sunscreen on your hair part. Hey, who cares if your hair will look a bit greasy.

Treating Sunburns:

1. Avoid further sun exposure! Same thing goes with tanning salons. That would be the biggest mistake. Let the sunburn heal before exposing yourself again. 
2. Examine your sunburns. If you have blisters, that means your skin has been severely damaged and you could get an infection if you try to break them, so just leave them alone.  
3. If the pain is really intense, and you have swelling, take pain relievers. This might help you for a couple of hours.
   
4. Drink water! Since your body will have lost a part of its fluids, this is definitely useful!
5. Apply a cool and soothing cream or gel on the affected areas! Something containing aloe will help the burns stay moist and will help the healing process. Butter, oil or strong ointments should be avoided, since they can irritate the burns even more!
    
6. Take cool showers! Hot showers will accentuate the discomfort, so using cool water will help you find a bit of relief. Also use mild soaps and avoid using scrubs as they will irritate the affected areas even more.
7. Wear loose-fitted clothes. Your skin will be very sensitive in those areas and wearing something like jeans will rub on the skin and be painful.
8. Don't pull on peeling skin! I know this is VERY tempting but trust me, you're not helping! The sensitive layer of skin under will be damaged if you force it to be exposed ahead of time.

Hope this was helpful to all of you! Stay tuned for my next blog post and don't forget to follow!

Beauty purchases + First Impressions!

I thought I'd share with you my most recent beauty purchases, and tell you what I think of them after one use!
So, first I got this lipstick from Revlon Colorburst, in Peach.

The color payoff is okay. I don't really like the smell of this lipstick, though. I really like this color, and I think it'd be flattering on anyone! It cost me 9$.

Then I also got a Maybelline Lipgloss which was on sale for 4,99$. It's in Pink perfection.

The color payoff is pretty good keeping in mind that it's a lipgloss. It smells really nice! A bit fruity... And it isn't overly sticky.

After I got a nail polish! This one is from Revlon, in Lilac Pastelle. It cost me 4,99$

I really love the color but for some reason I got bubbles when applying the nail polish!

Finally, I got this anti-breakage nail treatment from Yves Rocher. It was on sale for 6,50$. 

I haven't tried it yet 'cause I have nail polish on but as soon as I try it on for a while, I'll do a review!

VOTW: A creative DIY!

Let me explain the title here: Video Of The Week.

I decided to start doing this on my blog because it's great to share awesomeness! 

So, the concept is easy: each week, I'll choose my favorite beauty video of the week and post it here! 

Obviously, these are not my videos and I won't take any credit for them.

This week's video was obvious for me. It's by AndreasChoice.

I've seen a similar DIY video before, but I just love how she showed different styles and I loved the editing!

Enjoy!

My Prom Experience (+ extras)

Hey ladies!
I finally got around to doing this blog post where I share with you some moments from my prom and whatever happened after.
First, here are some pictures of me going to prom:

I was wearing a really bright pink dress by Samuel Dong. I got it for 180$, which is pretty inexpensive compared to the dresses other girls purchased. I paired it with a nude clutch (20$) and nude sandals (70$) from Aldo. If you want to see what I brought along in my clutch, you can watch the following video:

I had my 2 rings and a bracelet which are from my boyfriend, plus a large bracelet (20$) and some dangling earrings (20$). We can't really see my makeup in the pictures, but I did a tutorial on how I would do my makeup on this very special day! You can watch it here:

Prom was really nice overall! We were at a fancy hotel. Here's what we ate:

I even got to be Prom Queen! I didn't get the tiara though, and my boyfriend was 2 votes away from being prom king. Then we just danced the night away! I obviously cried during the slows because it felt so weird to know that I won't be seeing all these people anymore, after having spent 5 years with them.
When prom was over, we walked with our feet killing us, to a friend's house.

Fun fact:My feet were hurting so much that my boyfriend offered to give me a piggy back ride. At some point, we were going downhill and he slipped because of his shoes and we fell! He actually made a hole in his pants at his knee level. I was having trouble to walk a bit after that. The worst thing was that his tux was a rental! Pretty hilarious to see, though!

I had a headache and took medication, so I wasn't drinking anything, along with some girls. At around 3 A.M., the host got sick so I spent the rest of the early morning cleaning vomit and tucking everyone in, since they were all passing out.
At 5, I went to bed but couldn't sleep because a male friend of mine spent the rest of the "night" smooching one of my girl friends in the bed right next to mine. I think it was really rude and impolite of them to do that, but whatever... teenagers will remain teenagers.
I went home at around 11 and at 2, I was in the car headed to a chalet out of town.
I went to bed really early the first night, because I was soooo tired. I didn't party too hard... ;)
Next day we hung out and had a party all day. I found myself washing dishes at 2 A.M. as we had to leave the next morning pretty early, and we had a feeling that not everyone would contribute to the cleaning.
At the chalet, there were around 3 people who got sick in those 2 nights, out of 22 or something like that. Not bad, I guess.
Conclusion: It was fun... I'm leaving out many details. But as you can see, it wasn't always fun, and I had to take care of stuff once in a while.
If you wanna share your prom adventures, leave a comment!
And if you haven't had your prom yet, what are you most looking forward to?