Organize Me! - Makeup

I've always had such difficulty when it comes to organizing my makeup and hair accessories.  The biggest problem I have is the fact that the only closet that is in my bathroom is a linen closet - as in the closet is built to store towels and linens.  This is great to have, but the problem is that it is very deep - and it makes it difficult to reach anything I need.  

I was getting very fed up with the constant state my bathroom was in.  I needed a major fix before school started - because there was no way I was going to function in mayhem.  And that was exactly the state my beauty products were in!

After reading a few ideas for organizing beauty products, I went to Target and bought myself a three-drawer cart in purple for $15.  Its so cute and fits perfectly just under my sink!

I store my body lotions, makeup removers, perfumes and face wash on the top of the storage unit for easy access!

I decided to group my makeup and organize it by drawers - face and lip products are in the top drawer and eye products are in the second.  The third drawer was for hair care products.  this organization worked well because it gives me room to grow my makeup collection while having more than enough room to organize everything nicely and neatly!

Here is how I organize my top drawer.  I couldn't find any small compartments that would work to store makeup, so I made due.  I used the lids to jewelry boxes (which I had a TON of) to sort and store the makeup in groups.  The layout worked so well!  I have all my face brushes and nail-grooming supplies in a drawer I took from a storage unit I never used, and then sorted face powders, blushes, bronzers and lip products into boxes in which they would fit.

My second drawer is all for eye makeup.  After doing a bit of cleaning out (throwing away old shadows, eye primers, liners that I never used, etc.) I was able to make a lot of space to expand!  I'll need that since I am absolutely addicted to eye products.

I grouped my mascaras, eyeliners and eye curlers into one of those drawers from the storage unit.  Its the perfect size and keeps all those liner tubes from rolling away!  I then stacked and stored my shadow trios and quads in the back behind the box that held the more "dressy" eyeshadows - ones with glitter and wild colors that would only be worn for a night out.  I couldn't find a box in which my cream shadow quads would fit, so I just laid them out it front.  

The third drawer is completely dedicated to my hair care regimen.  Here I store my hair masks, heat protectants, and hair accessories (hair clips, bobby pins and hairbands) as well as my wide-tooth comb - the only acceptable brush for damp hair!

And that is how I organize my makeup and hair products!  How do you organize yours?

-xx, Beccy

Whats In My Bag?

New vlog! Enjoy!

What is one thing you always have in your purse?

-xx, Beccy

Mani Mondays | Wet n Wild's Wild Shine in "Dreamy Poppy"

Unpainted nails make me sad.  

I love, love, love to paint my nails.  I feel so put together when they're decorated with a pretty shade.  These last few weeks have been so busy that I haven't had the chance to paint my nails - I felt naked leaving the house without a coat of polish!

Since summer is ending soon, I decided to try one last summery polish before settling into fall neutrals.  I was hoping I could find a pretty coral shade that wasn't expensive (I will not spend $8-$10 on a bottle of nail polish).  Needless to say, I got really excited when I saw Wet n Wild's nail polish in the color "Dreamy Poppy".

Wet n Wild Wild Shine in "Dreamy Poppy" - $1

I was so excited when I bought this.  The color seemed more of a coral pink than a poppy and it was only a buck!  It seemed so perfect for August.  I bought it immediately and took it home.

To be honest, you can tell this is a cheap nail polish.  The formula was weird - even when I had shaken it up, it still seemed slightly goopy.  It took forever to put on a first coat, because (and this will sound weird) the polish didn't move.  As soon as it hit the nail it would stay - it was like glue.

And it got worse.

The initial color reminded me of road construction crews.  A bright, fluorescent orange I have only seen on traffic cones had attached itself to my nails.  And it took FOREVER to dry.  It took about 30 minutes for each coat to at least get tacky, and that was with blowing on my nails and my nail drying spray.

Well, this morning it looked better.  It certainly looks more like a poppy than a coral - an it is definitely brighter than a lot of polishes I like to wear.  It is not how it appears in the polish bottle.  However, the color is actually starting to grow on me - it really is nice for August.  Alas I don't think its right for my pale skin.    But it is really pretty!

What are your favorite nail polish colors for August?

-xx, Beccy

Five Things to Do When Stressed

What happened to August?

It's crazy to think that summer is ending.  I'm sad to see it go, since I know as soon as the first snow hits I am going to miss sunny skies and perfect, 70 degree weather.  I'm going to miss ice cold Arnold Palmers on the porch and late nights cruising with friends around town.  I am DEFINITELY going to miss sleeping in.  

However, I am excited for the upcoming fall.  Every now and then you can feel the autumn chill in the air.  It reminds me of pumpkins, dried corn, apple cider and colored leaves.  Oh, and pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks.  Can't forget those!

However fall starting means school, which means homework and projects and after-school activities.  Its easy to get overwhelmed.  Here are a few of my own tips on what to do when you get stressed out during this school year:

1. Organize and Re-group

When you feel overwhelmed, you won't be productive no matter how hard you're working.  Take a pause and re-group.  Look over your schedule for the next few days.  Determine what is the highest on your priority list.  Is there a major history test in two days?  Then those French flash cards for next Friday can definitely wait.  Have a major project or paper due in two weeks?  Decide what you will work on each day.  My dad used to tell me this saying all the time when I would get overwhelmed: 

"Inch by inch its a cinch.  Yard by yard its hard."

Trying to do everything at once will just stress you out - plus you won't get nearly as much done.  Take a breather, open your planner, and break up that mountain of papers and deadlines into smaller, bite-sized chunks you can handle.  Also, don't try and tackle the hardest tasks first.  Knock out the smaller, easier ones so your list will begin to shrink and you will see progress.  

2.  Get Sweaty

I don't know about y'all, but when there is a lot on my mind (papers, tests, projects, homework, social activities, you name it) I tend to stay awake an hour after lying down to sleep thinking about all I still have to do.  Don't let yourself lose an hour of sleep over what you have to do tomorrow!  Every day, either before you go to sleep or when you start to feel overwhelmed, try to exercise for thirty minutes.  That can either be blasting your favorite music and dancing, running or biking.  It doesn't matter as long as it gets your heart rate up and your adrenaline pumping.  Once your done, you'll return to your work refreshed, more focused and you'll be asleep as soon as your head hits the pillow.

3. Paint Your Nails

Sometimes you just need to stop working on whatever and have a little "me" time.  Pick your favorite color, sit down with some music and paint your nails.  You'll be surprised how much better you'll feel whenever you look down and see your favorite color glittering back up at you.

4.  Drink Some Hot Tea

Sometimes all you need is tea.  A hot cup of tea can do wonders.  It can refresh you with its heat.  Its herbal qualities can calm your nerves which can leave you more focused and it can invigorate you for a few more hours of cram time.   To calm nerves and reduce anxiety caused by long "To-Do" lists, drink some chamomile tea.  Another one of my favorites is black tea - it has just enough caffeine to give you a little jolt, but not enough to make you jittery.  Its herbal qualities also calm anxiety and help you focus!

5.  Take A Nap
A common (and stupid!) mistake that many students make during school is deciding to throw sleep out the window when deadlines begin to pile up.  This practice will hurt your grades, activities and health if practiced for a long time.  To be able to concentrate and understand your studies, you need to sleep.  Cognitive function is the first thing your body will stop supporting when it is running on little energy.  Just like you shouldn't drive when you're drowsy, you shouldn't try and cram when you can barely keep your eyes open.

To help with this, set your alarm and take a 20 minute power nap.  You'll wake up refreshed and ready for a power study session, but you won't affect your normal sleep schedule.  It will also help with stress, as situations often are magnified by exhaustion.  When you wake up bright-eyed and bushy-tailed, you'll be able to assess the situation clearly and understand what exactly you need to do.

What are your daily de-stressing routines?
-xx, Beccy

Fall Fashion Haul: Forever 21, J. Crew and more!

Anyone else wishing that it was fall yet?

I'm really starting to miss Starbucks' pumpkin spice lattes and colored leaves.  I really want to see pumpkins and fall colors and riding boots again.  I've been consoling myself by buying clothes and accessories for fall - hope this helps anyone who is getting ready to shop for the school year!

What is one fall fashion accessory you can't wait to wear?

-xx, Beccy

Back to School Beauty Essentials!!

Sorry if I ramble now and then, this is my first vlog.  This is just a collection of beauty products I will be using this school year. 

Are there any beauty products that you are addicted too?

Happy new school year!

-xx, Beccy

Tasty Treats | Banana Cupcakes with Nutella Icing

Oh, do I have a treat for y'all today.

My family and I have really become hooked on the Nutella craze as of late - we will buy at least one container of the hazelnut spread every trip to the grocery.  I'll have it on my toast, and cover it with bananas.  Nutella and bananas - you can't get any better than that.

So when I had a little free time to kill, I decided to take my favorite snack and make it into a sweet treat.  After a few hours of hard work I had crafted a delicious banana cupcake with Nutella icing!

Here's the recipe:

Banana Cupcakes

1 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 stick of butter - softened, not melted

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup sour cream

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

2 large eggs

2 bananas (medium to large) peeled and mashed

3/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional!)

To start, preheat your oven to 350 degrees.  Line your cupcake pan with tin baking cups - this will keep the mess to a minimum.  Mix your flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside.

In another bowl, combine the butter and sugar with a hand mixer.  Make sure the butter and sugar are completely combined - you will want to start these cupcakes with a very smooth base!  Mix in the sour cream and vanilla, and slowly add the eggs (one at a time).

Once your wet ingredients are combined, slowly mix in the dry ingredients (those you combined earlier and set aside).  Make sure you have fully combined the ingredients that are in the bowl before adding more!  If you dump in all the ingredients to quickly, they will not combine and it makes a huge mess.

Once thoroughly combined, add the bananas and the walnuts.  Be careful not to over mix!

Fill your cupcake tins three quarters full and bake for 18-20 minutes, or when they appear golden brown on top and toothpick stuck into the middle of the cupcake comes out clean.

Nutella Buttercream Icing

2 sticks softened unsalted butter

2 cups powdered sugar

3/4 cup Nutella

3 tablespoons of heavy cream

2 tablespoons of vanilla extract

Start by beating the butter with a hand mixer for 3 minutes.  You will want the icing to have a creamy base.  Once the butter is creamy add the 2 cups of powdered sugar and beat on medium speed. The icing will be getting much thicker - add the Nutella and continue to beat on medium speed.  Mix in the heavy cream and vanilla and continue to beat on medium speed until everything is thoroughly combined and the icing is thick and creamy. 

Ice the cupcakes when cool and chill the remaining icing in the fridge until next use.

These cupcakes are so good!  I hope you enjoy!

Happy baking!

-xx, Beccy