January 2014 Favorites!

It is the end of the month and that means it is favorites time! Every month on my Beauty Channel, I make a video showing my favorite products of the month. This month is will be live on January 31st. Here, on my blog, I post extra information and pictures then the video. 

The brand & name have worn off!

1. Wet N' Wild Ultimate Sheer Tinted Moisturizer in 181A Beige -- This is a great Tinted Moisturizer, it is has SPF 15, which is great for all year round! In the summer I will wear this all on its own, it doesn't have great coverage but it does even out my skin. Right now though I have been mixing it with a moisturizer and putting that on underneath my foundation/BB cream. I love to layer moisturizers, especially in the winter time!

2.  Revlon Photo Ready Powder-- No matter what I am wearing (tinted moistuizer, BB cream or foundation) I always wear some type of powder. I feel like it sets everything into place and makes it stay for a long time. I loved the Revlon Photo Ready Powder for the long wearing and the matte finish it gave my face. I am always looking to try something new, so let me know your favorite down below. 

3. Elf Highlighter & Concealer-- Most days I don't want to look flawless, I want people to be able to still see my skin, so normally I like light concealers. They hide the redness, but it doesn't look cakey. This is true for the ELF Concealer. The Highlighter is AMAZING it gives your face a glow without being shiny or shimmer. The light hits it and it looks so natural and glowy. I love it! (Hence, why it is in my favorites, right?) And it's only $3!

A swatch of the concealer & highlighter

4. Maybelline Falsies Volume Express Mascara-- Let me start by saying, I never have and don't plan on curling my lashes. I just don't see the need. I have been loving this mascara because if you can see the wand is curves so you can "curl" your lashes and bring them up just by using the wand! I only use it on the top lashes and it gives them a ton of volume.  

5. Beauty Smoothie in Berrylicious-- I always use lotion when I get out of the shower. I take burning hot showers (like the knob all the way over to hot), so when I get out my body needs moisture and maybe even a little cooling. This lotion is great for that because not only does it have the lotion to moisturize there is also gel which cools my body. It feels so nice! The smell is overly sweet, but it doesn't stay on your body long so don't let that stop you!

You can see the layers of lotion & gel

6. Zoya Nail polish in Dove-- I won't spend too much time on this because I made a whole blog post on it, with tons of pictures so go check it out! 

7. STASH Chai Green Tea-- I love tea, especially green tea. This chai green tea is okay, but I know how to make it Great (for me anyways). First, I start with hot water, I then add sugar in there with some additional cold water. After those are all mixed I add the tea bag and it is delicious! I like cold tea better then hot, so that is how I normally make it but this tea is good hot too!  

This tea is also 100 % natural! 

 

Thanks for reading! I hope you have a great day! What was your favorite product you used in January! 

~Annelise

NOTD: Gemma by Zoya

This week I decided to add some color to my nails. My favorite color is green so I thought a perfect winter color was be this nail polish, Gemma by Zoya. I like that in different lights it is different shades of forest green. The Zoya Website describes the color as "light muted olive green with an overlay of blue and violet duo chrome shimmer. Unique, hip and cutting-edge yet subtle enough to suit any wardrobe." 

With Flash

I painted my nails with three coats on Friday evening with my Essie Topcoat, and Tuesday the polish is still on perfectly. Zoya nail polishes always stay on so well! 

Natural Lighting 

Natural Lighting

Inside Lighting

Inside Lightning 

 As you can see, this is a beautiful color and looks good in any lighting! Let me know what your favorite nail polish is down below! I hope you are having a great day! 

Thanks for reading! 
~Annelise 

First Week Back & A Casual Friday Outfit!

This was the first week back to school. I am in the 2nd of 4 semesters focused on Elementary Education. This semester I am taking...

• Elementary Literacy Methods K-2 -- This class has the best teacher and is all about strategies to use with little kids to help them learn to read or read better. I love children's book and reading with them! I am excited for this class! 

• Teaching Science: K-6 --  Based on the title, I bet you can guess what this class is about. It is about how to teach science for elementary school, it goes with the Practicum class (see below). I don't remember science in elementary school. I did really liked science, for the most part, throughout middle and high school as well as college. I think this class will be lots of fun! 

• Teaching Culturally & Linguistically Diverse Learning -- This class seems like it will be super helpful! It is going to help answer the tough situations you might face as a teacher. One example is if there is a student in your class that is Muslim and needs to pray 5 times a day. Where does he/she pray? This class isn't necessarily about what is wrong or right but those gray areas that can get messy. 

• Practicum--  This class isn't really a class. It is where we go out to the elementary schools in the area and for the first half we are in grades K-3 helping them with reading and teaching a lesson. The second half we go into the schools and as a group teach a lesson on science (3rd-5th). I am SO excited for this class and being out in the schools! 

• Math for Elementary Teachers -- This class is the only one that is not one of the ones I have to take together. I could have taken this class anytime before I student teach. This class is going to be the hardest class to care about for a few reasons... 
• I know what the teacher is teaching
• The teacher isn't teaching us how to teach children, but actually teaching us the math
• The teacher is like all the negative (not funny qualities) of the Big Bang Theory characters (I love that show)    

Overall, I am hoping that I do learn to teach children better than prior to this semester! I am excited that I am getting close to a career I really have a passion for! Remember, even if you can do the classes of a major doesn't mean that major is for you!  

I am going to make a post on the organization I am using this semester, but one is picking out outfits before the week starts. The outfit I ended up wearing Friday was cute and casual. I loved it! Here is a link to the video I posted! Let me know what you think or if you are in school what classes you are taking! 

Thanks for reading! 

~Annelise

OOTD: First Day Back!

Yesterday, January 21st, was my first day back to school after winter break. I only had once class today it is one of my teaching classes. The title of the class is Teaching Culturally and Linguistically Diverse Learners. My teacher is 25 years old and get her doctorate in two weeks. She graduated high school at 16 has taught in elementary schools for three years! 

I thought I would show you my outfit. Just a side note it was FREEZING this morning! It felt like -6, when I was walking to class, way too cold! I set out four outfits on Sunday to wear this week! That helped SO much when I was getting ready, I would definitely recommend it. I didn't set an outfit for a certain day, but just made four outfits, that way I get to choose each morning.  

So let's get into the outfit: 

Jacket: I got this jacket two years ago from my mom for Christmas! I love it! My favorite neutral to wear is gray. It is not see-through like white can be or show everything like black. It is a happy medium. This jacket is a gray pea-coat from the brand Hydraulic! 

Scarf: I love wearing scarfs when it is cold, it keeps your neck cold when you are heading to class/work, but once you are inside you can still keep it on and it completes an outfit. I have had this gray zebra scarf for years!

Sweater: To add some color to this outfit, I added a bright red sweater by the brand Merona ( from Target). I wish it was a little longer, but overall it keeps me warm and adds some color to a bland winter day.

Jeans: I don't own a lot of jeans at the moment, my body has been changing (growing hips, etc.). This jeans seem to still fit me pretty well, they are pretty stretchy. The American Eagle Artist Jeans in a dark wash are very comfortable and are a perfect length for flats. 

Shoes:  My shoes are little gray booties, I have had them for years! I can't remember when or where I got them, they are the brand Xhileration. They do have some fun detailing on the side, which I really like!  

I have the same nails as my last post (Dove by Zoya). If you keep up with my YouTube beauty channel you might have seen, a video I posted recently about an outfit I was planning to wear the first day back. I decided to wear that outfit later in the week ( maybe tomorrow). 

I hope you enjoyed reading! 

Annelise 

NOTD: Dove by Zoya

 I love when my nails are painted. I feel like it makes me look more put together no matter what outfit I have on. I usually change my nail polish once a week or so, depending on the wear and time. I am not the best nail painter of all times and can be impatient (not a good combination). I picked this polish, Dove by Zoya, because of its neutral-like color. The Zoya Website describes it as a soft, delicate light neutral gray with an opaque, glossy creme finish. Unexpected and flattering as a wear-with-anything neutral with a twist. 

I start school tomorrow (January 21st) so I wanted a neutral nail polish so it would match. I am a matchy-matchy person. Things have to match or it bothwers me. I just took off a red nail polish, and if I wasn't wearing red in my clothes I wore red lipstick/stain/gloss to tie it in. One reason I loved this color, one less thing I have to worry about.  

Below are some different pictures I took around my house, in different lighting so you can get a better idea how it would look. I did use three coats. The first coat was not opaque at all so you definitely need two layers, but I like to be safe then sorry and normally do 2-3 coats not matter how opaque the first coat is.

I don't own a base coat and my nail polish seems to stay on pretty well without one.I do think a top coat is important for the longevity of your nail polish. I use Essie's Good to Go and I love it. It adds some shine and smoothness to my nails. I would definitely recommend it! 

I hope you enjoyed reading this post for more beauty and fashion check out my youtube channel! If you would like watch some of my daily life, my vlog channel is the place to be! Have an awesome day! 

~Annelise

January 2014 Birchbox

I just received my January Birchbox. I have been getting Birchbox for total about two years (I took a one year break for financial reasons). It is a $10 a month subscription service where you get a box with beauty products inside. I made a video entitled What is Birchbox? If you want to know more don't be afraid to ask. I would definitely recommend it as long as you have an extra $10 each month! I feel like this month is a great box.

Each month one of the things in the box is a list of everything in the box. The list includes...

1. product name

2. Company name  

3. Price for the Full-size or certain amount 

4. What it is 

5. How you use it 

This list is helpful, if you have no idea what the product is it also gives me a good way to describe it to you all in the beginning. 

 The packaging is very neat and it always fits in my mail box! I big plus! I have had a product leak out on my during shipping and birchbox replaced it and got back with me very quickly. 

 The first item that I saw was the Protect & Detangle by Beauty Protector. It is a spray that you use on damp hair and it is suppose to protect & detangle (hence the name). I am excited to use this product because I use a detangler EVERY time I get out of the shower or my hair is a complete rat's nest and I cant get a comb through it without taking a lot of hair with me!

 The next product is Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I am always in the market for a new cleanser for my face, I found a lot I like but none that have done amazing things for my skin or that I have just really liked. This is something I have never tried you first put the cleanser on your face and massage it in. Then you hot the muslin cloth (and hot water) and wipe it off in small circles. I love the idea especially in the winter time, the hot water will feel so good!

 The next product is a lotion. This is another thing that I love trying. I love the Bath & Body Works Triple Moisture Creams, but I am always will to try different lotions to combat my dry skin in the winter. This is the Pink Grapefruit Nourishing Body Cream by 100% pure. I am excited to see how nourishing they actually are! 

The next product is something I am always excited to see in my birchbox, a NAIL POLISH! I have never been able to use a full bottle of nail polish before it dries out so these little bottles are perfect. Since nail polish is normally $8 anyway, if you like the color it is like you got everything else in the box for $2. This nail polish is my the brand Ruby Wing and in the color Kitten Heels. Such a cute, fun name! I like the bright color, but it isn't just that color. If you can see in the first picture, it changes color in sunlight, it becomes a rich magenta. I am excited to try it out and see how it works!

 The last thing in my box was a lifestyle extra. Ashmad Tea London. The three flavors I got were Jasmine Romance (green tea) and Peach & passion Fruit and English No. 1 Tea (both black teas). I love tea! I am excited to try these new flavors. I usually stick with green teacso it will be fun to branch and out try some black tea.




I hope you enjoyed reading. I will have a review on this Month's Box in January! I hope you check out my beauty channel for more fashion and beauty as well as my vlog channel to see what's going on in my life in video form! I hope you all have an amazing day!

~Annelise

Vanity Set Up

An overview

I moved at the beginning of January to a new rental house. I used to have the a 12 drawer rolling plastic cabinet, I really liked it. I wasn't going to have room it in our new place and the drawers kept falling off the tracks. I wanted a vanity and my husband happened to get a new desk for free from work. We had an extra desk so I could use this as my vanity. I purchased a Jerdon Makeup Mirror that has different settings for different lighting, I love it! Also on top of my desk is my brushes, lotions and other random things in the pink basket (below). I also have a old candle jar that I put my used brushes in to make sure that I wash them at the end of the week. I also have a nail polish and perfume on my desk. The brown box is filled with products that I want to use up (they are all almost gone). In the drawer (which is not pictured) is where my face powders, primers, concealers and other face products.  

The first shelf, pictured left, is where my blush and bronzers and lip products including lip glosses and lispticks are. There is one primer that doesn't fit in the above drawer which is one my mom gave me. The other shelf which is pictured below is all about the eyes. It has pallets, mascara, eye liners and all kinds of fun things. I love playing up my eyes and getting eye products for sure.  I hope you enjoyed. How do you store your makeup? 

Thanks for Reading,
Annelise Collins