I've always preferred natural makeup, and usually I change up my lipstick for a fancy evening. While I do enjoy playing with makeup, I don't think that it's the end all be all for feeling beautiful. Everyone should feel as good without makeup as they do with it, which is a lot easier said than done, and I am no exception. Nevertheless, maybe this look will inspire you! 1. First I start fresh faced and fancy free. I've already washed my face and put on toner, moisturizer, and spot treatment. 2. Next I apply primer and foundation. The green e.l.f. primer helps tone down my acne scars and hyper-pigmentation, while the NYX helps with my oily t-zone. This e.l.f. foundation is the best one I have ever used! It's super cheap and has great coverage. I definitely recommend it. 3. I do my eye makeup with this Beach Goddess palette from Illuminate by Ashley Tisdale. It was definitely a good purchase because I've been using it for probably 2.5 years. It also includes blush, highlight, and contour! The picture on the right shows which products in the palette I use. This is the final eye look -- I start with a light color, or gold, on the lid, the medium color from the bottom left of the palette in the crease, and the dark color from the top right of the palette to give an illusion of depth. 4. I finish with powder, contour, highlight, and blush, then I swipe on some mascara and lipstick! Bonus: here's my OOTD, one of my favorite outfits! I'll link all the pieces and products below! Products: NYX primer e.l.f. primer e.l.f. foundation in Porcelain Face powder in Fair Eye shadow palette in Beach Goddess Mascara Eyelash curler My favorite lipstick in Pastel Petal I just picked up my beauty blender from TJ Maxx My Outfit: Top -- from a thrift store in Florida Necklace -- a graduation gift Earrings -- a Christmas gift Skirt Bralette Sneakers in Green Do you like to do your makeup? What looks do you like? Let me know below!
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Restful Sundays are one of the best things I have incorporated into my routine. Albeit, this semester, I haven't been great about keeping up with it, and I can see the effects on my mood. America has become such a fast-paced, selfish, and workaholic society. And I really hate how inescapable it feels. Having one day a week to rest, to take a break from work and stressors, no matter what that looks like for you, is Biblical because God knew how much time and energy we would spend on things that aren't that important in the grand scheme of things. A day of rest doesn't have to be on Sunday, but that is when I do mine, just because I'm already going to church and that seems to be our society's calmest day. Here are my favorite activities to do -- leave your favorites in the comments! Comfy Clothes There is a good chance you already wear nothing but sweatpants, but I love changing out of my church dress into a crewneck and sweats. Bonus points for fuzzy socks! A Nice Dose of Escapsim My absolute favorite thing to do on a restful Sunday is lose myself in a book or Netflix show (though usually, I choose a book). It helps calm my brain and engage my imagination. Reading also has the lovely ability to help improve your empathy, as well as your grammar! Unplug I love leaving my phone at the other end of the room when I'm reading. I also love to read in our campus' arboretum for hours at a time, and just leave my phone in my room. I really recommend taking time away from your phone to give your eyes a break from the screen, your back a break from hunching over, and your mind a break from what literally everyone else in the world is doing. Treat Yo' Self I can only take bubble baths when I'm home, but by gosh do I enjoy them. YouTube, bath bombs, scrubs, bath salts, candles, chocolate in any form -- the options to mix and match are endless. I highly recommend. How often do you take a day off? What do you like to do?
I came across this verse recently during my devotion, and it really caught my attention. "Though we are slaves, our God has not forsaken us in our bondage. He has shown us kindness in the sight of the kings of Persia: He has granted us new life to rebuild the house of our God and repair its ruins, and he has given us a wall of protection in Judah and Jerusalem." So you may take this at first glance and think, "Oh yeah I know, God is good wahoo." But there is a very important detail to remember about this time is Israel's history: Israel got themselves into this mess Israel was caught in a cycle, for like, years and years and years, of screwing up and ignoring God, getting captured, and then crying out to God for deliverance. When He came through and rescued them, all they did was ignore Him again, which would lead to them reentering captivity...You get the picture. God is so good that way. Even when we do things over and over again -- lie, cheat, judge, preach false interpretations of Scripture -- God still loves us and pursues us. He doesn't forget us when we're in the captivity of fear, others' gossip, or anxiety, even when those things are a direct result of us saying or doing something we shouldn't have. He is still ready to protect you and to be there for you if you'll let Him. Confessing you did something wrong, and then repenting of it (aka admitting that it was something wrong) is the first step, even if it isn't easy. He is pursuing you, He is fighting for you, and He wants a relationship with you. He won't shut you out and He won't kick you to the curb after you mess up. I would have been kicked the curb a long time ago. 1. Harry Potter
2. KaetlynAnne.com
3. Emma Watson and Sadie Robertson
4. Maze Runner: The Death Cure
5. Cassandra Bankson
Cassandra's YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/DiamondsAndHeels14 6. My Planner
Did you do anything fun this month? Have you seen The Death Cure? What Harry Potter book is your favorite? Let me know in the comments!
You're probably familiar with some of the biggest titles in entertainment recently: Dear Evan Hansen, 13 Reasons Why and even lesser-known movies such as Netflix's A Girl Like Her. (I watched A Girl Like Her last week and it WRECKED me.)
Let me start off with this. I love that bullying has become such a topic of conversation, because it needs to be talked about. Good for the people responsible for putting these movies, shows, and musicals out so that the conversations can be had. The only problem I have with these movies (etc) is this: We need to stop getting caught up in how beautiful the stories are or how cute Ben Platt is. Bullying is not a romantic issue, nor should it be treated as such in the real world. If your only experience with bullying is these movies, and you've never been made fun of or felt ostracized, I can tell you that it sucks. And it's not "just teasing" if the person being teased doesn't find it funny. People are so concerned with tweeting, sharing a FaceBook post, or posting on Instagram about how terrible bullying is, but nine times out of ten, someone witnessing bullying will just walk away. Or even worse, the proponent for anti-bullying is the one acting like a bully. My sister and I were just discussing how it seems like no one actually cares. We talk behind people's backs, we put each other down (emotionally, and sometimes physically), we call people names, we let the new people sit by themselves instead of venturing away from our clique, because being awkward and alone looks awful and we don't want to deal with that. But it's the right thing to do. That fact alone should propel us to help others. Standing up for someone is inconvenient, sometimes scary, and not fun. It probably won't end in you falling in love with the victim, nor will there be a beautiful soundtrack over top of your epic showdown with evil. But knowing that you helped someone is such a unique and great feeling. Making someone feel small the way that bullies do is unacceptable and we need to act like we care. Waiting around for someone else to do a good deed is just wasting time. YOU can be the person that steps in. Helping someone out in a situation like this will help them be more confident, and you'll doubtlessly get a new friend. Who cares if they aren't the popular kid? They deserve the same treatment everyone else demands. Wouldn't you want someone to step in for you? It is that time of year again, folks. Hot chocolate, snow, the scent of evergreen. I am SO EXCITED y’all you have no idea. Christmas is my favorite time of year, without a doubt. There’s something about being with your family, fireplaces and cozy blankets, and the feeling that for a few weeks, the whole world is at peace (even though I know that isn’t always the case). Unfortunately, as a college student, there are some drawbacks when it comes to getting ready for Christmas. Mainly, I won’t be done with exams until December 15th. That means that there are roughly 22 days of Christmas decorating, activities, and fun that UNC students at least can’t fully partake in. Here’s my guide for being as Christmas-y as possible while you’re stuck at school (featuring the dorm room of Yours Truly). Decorating: Mini Christmas trees are perhaps the best way to bring festivity into your living space. Mine has tiny ornaments, and golden star tinsel! I’m a sucker for good wall art, and I actually made this one for my sister! It’s based on a video from my favorite YouTuber, Bethany Mota, and all I did was use Reindeer head outlines to guide where the gold paint went, and used red and burgundy nail polish for the noses. I’m obsessed with it. (Here's a link to Bethany's video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGVlvWgDPbk) I think decorating is all in the details, so I have a few trinkets that I place around my room. I've got a green and red plaid blanket and a Christmas throw pillow for my bed, and a picture frame and little stocking to help fill the room with all-around ~merriment~ Activities: I love baking cookies, my favorite of which are sugar cookies with a Chai tea packet emptied into the dough. It adds a nice flavor, without being too overwhelming. Hot tea, hot chocolate, and reading always feel so cozy and lovely to me. I'm a crafty person, and it's great because not only is it therapeutic, but you get a cool product out of it! Every year, I make at least one present for everyone in my immediate family. I love how personal it is. A plethora of Christmas movies awaits you on Netflix and even your local library. I’ve always loved 'White Christmas', 'Eloise at Christmastime', and 'Elf'. You can also see if there are any Christmas events on campus, or if there's somewhere nearby to go ice skating! I hope this helped you get into a holiday mood! Merry Christmas! Last month, I travelled to New York City, and while this was my fourth trip, it was wildly different than any I had taken before. This trip was with my Media and Journalism Experiential Marketing class, where I’ve been learning about the new wave of advertising that gives customers an experience instead of just a photo of a celebrity with a product. We’ve been discussing what makes someone want to buy a plain white tee for hundreds of dollars just to have the brand name, and what experiences make a customer fall in love with a brand. We flew out of RDU on Thursday to land in LaGuardia and make our way to our hotel. We stayed in a fashion-themed hotel called the Gregory on 35th street! From there, we set out for Chelsea Market, and it was actually both sunnier and hotter in New York than it was in North Carolina that week. By the time we reached the market, all of us had shed our jackets. Chelsea Market was filled with some wonderful surprises, from natural beauty products and pop art, to some cute mini donuts and a yummy apple and brie crêpe. Halloween décor was in full swing, with gory dummies and fake spider webs hanging everywhere. When we headed back to our hotel, we took the High Line, which used to be old railroad tracks, but is now overgrown with wildflowers and other plants. The rest of our night consisted of a networking event with UNC alumni living in the city and a dinner. That night, and early into the next morning, I walked around Times Square with some friends and popped in the Disney store and Forever 21. Friday began with a trip to ABC Carpet and Home to get an idea of the kinds of décor and store windows we liked, which will play into our project for the second half of the semester. We then drove to the MOMA for their ‘Is Fashion Modern’ exhibit; This showed different clothing and accessories and had histories, evolution, and design information on past and futuristic pieces. One of my favorite parts of the trip was our visit to Spring Studios, a company that runs campaigns and creates advertisements for dozens of different brands, from Marc Jacobs to Michael Kors. My friend Alexandra interned there this past summer, and worked on a whole campaign! We talked with the Creative Executive and watched campaigns, discussed aspects of advertising, and walked around the beautiful rooftop. We toured an old hotel that had this Edgar Allen Poe vibe, and the best Shirley Temple I’ve ever had, before finishing off Friday with another dinner and a comedy show! On Saturday morning, we headed to the Cartier mansion on Fifth Avenue, which is a museum-like exhibit featuring old, famous pieces from the Cartier jewelry collection. The mansion used to be owned by the Vanderbilt family, but they sold it to Pierre Cartier for $100 and a pearl necklace! (Both of these would have different value at the time, but still.) There were necklaces worn by Elizabeth Taylor and Grace Kelly, and they even had jewelers on site making the pieces in front of us! From the building’s lush red velvet, jaguar motifs, and Hollywood royalty, we definitely took away a lot of ideas that will help our project. We glimpsed some more window displays for further inspiration on our way to Bergdorf Goodman’s. Let me tell you, I understand how Blair Waldorf spends all day inside there. We actually got lost for a few minutes. My roommate for the weekend, Brooke, our friend Chrissy and I took pictures with the dresses we loved but couldn’t buy, and this earned us a serious stink-eye from an employee. I finished my New York trip with the Cooper Hewitt design museum, a walk through Central Park, and hopping on the subway to go back to the hotel. We ended up getting to the airport about 20 minutes before our plane started boarding, but thankfully the security line was very short, and we made it back to UNC with no problems. This whole experience really got me thinking. I have always had this deep-set belief that I have the ability to do something great with my life. I want to work in this huge industry (fashion), and my greatest dream is to become a published author. But this trip, and seeing how many people’s lives revolve around nothing but fashion, kind of broke my heart. I asked myself, if none of what I want for my life happens, will I be ok with it? If I never make it out of North Carolina, if I never end up making all that money to pay off student loans and redo our family’s kitchen, if I never even publish one book, will I be okay? I think the answer is yes. There is so much more to life than clothing, and models, and whose name is on which issue of Vogue. There is so much more meaning in life than having meltdowns over the fact that Condé Nast no longer has an internship program (apparently, this was a real thing). There is a God who is the ultimate provider, joy-giver, and sustainer, and He is passionately fighting for you. Even when life sucks and hands you a situation you don’t think you would ever be able to handle, which has been me and my closest friends’ lives over the past few weeks, God is the peace, reassurance, and calm that you need. It doesn’t mean that you will never have another struggle. It doesn’t mean that this awful time is God’s fault. All it means is that He is there, and He is faithful. And no matter how your life turns out, you can know that it will be okay. When I was little, my favorite activity was time travel. I always longed to be transported by books and movies, to lose touch with reality for just long enough. All the way up through high school, when I needed an escape, all I had to do was crack the cover of a beloved novel and jump into another world.
If you have known me for more than a week, you’ll know that my favorite series of all time is C.S. Lewis’ The Chronicles of Narnia. Leaving a world that didn’t satisfy for another one of wonder, beauty, and a Savior spoke to me in ways I didn’t even understand as a six-year-old. My family moved from Raleigh, North Carolina to the Outer Banks when I was in sixth grade, and my sister and I were homeschooled until my sophomore year of high school. I didn’t really have many friends except for a few girls at church. Even entering my public school in 2013, I knew next to no one, and joined extracurricular theatre for a creative outlet and to make new friends. Over the course of the next few years, I still seemed unable to shake the status of the new girl. I was left out, uninvited to Friendsgivings and New Year’s parties, and one night I remember crying myself to sleep because I felt so alone, which completely contrasts my usual, optimistic, joyful self. Senior year, I was working on a Creative Writing project one night in my room, listening to a Bethany Dillon CD, when the last line of a song caught my attention. This line, “I’ve always known this wasn’t home”, was repeated over and over, and it didn’t take long for me to break down. I realized that the reason I felt so alone, the ache I felt in my soul that this world at every turn is leaving me dissatisfied, is because I, as well as the rest of humanity, was created for another world. We were designed to spend eternity in Heaven with The Lord, and because of the fall, humanity separated itself from His Will. But the story doesn’t end there. God loved us so much that He acted on our behalf to fix our mistake; He sent Jesus to leave the perfection of Heaven to come down to our broken earth to save us. He sacrificed everything so that when we stand before God one day, if we believe that Jesus covered our sin completely and took all our blame in exchange for His righteousness, all will be set right again and we’ll spend eternity with Our Father. If you run towards Him, you do not have to ever worry about rejection. He’s been chasing after you your whole life, and His greatest desire is that you would stop running, turn around, and take His hand. He doesn’t pick and choose based on background, social hierarchies, or mistakes. Our culture has become one that thinks God is like Christians, who, because of our human nature, can be petty, rude, and holier than thou. We as a Church should be striving wholeheartedly to make sure we are living like Christ by loving everyone, in every way we can. Narnia was the story that touched my life, the story that still gives me a greater understanding of salvation and the beautiful ideas that surround it. I write so that my stories may be that for another child. I dream that I can publish a series that impacts a new generation, and even if it is only loved by one little girl, who relates to a protagonist struggling to find her identity and her home, and that little girl comes to know Jesus, the past five years of writing and editing (as well as how many more are left) will be worth it. “Beloved, said the Glorious One, unless thy desire had been for me thou wouldst not have sought so long and so truly. For all find what they truly seek...And since then, O Kings and Ladies, I have been wandering to find [Aslan] and my happiness is so great that it even weakens me like a wound. And this is the marvel of marvels, that he called me Beloved, me who am but as a dog.” – Emeth, The Chronicles of Narnia, The Last Battle |
AuthorI am a September baby, which may be the root of my love for fall. I love dark chocolate, popcorn, and I do actually like brussel sprouts. I'm the kind of person that listens to a Christmas song in September. (But only one. I don't want to ruin the ~magic~). Archives
May 2019
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