Surviving Working 2 Retail Jobs...During the Holidays!

Hi everyone, I wanted to do a post on what has been taking up the majority of my time and energy this holiday season. I have been working two retail jobs, at Victoria's Secret and at Ulta, and it has gotten super crazy with hours. I have worked multiple 12-16 hour work days between the two jobs. This week alone I am working over 50 hours! So I came up with a couple tips for working two retail jobs:

- Separate your availability. If you give both jobs the same availability there is bound to be overlap leaving you having to find someone to switch shifts with you, or work with your manager to switch you which is a hassle and is crazy. I learned that the hard way this week...

- Give yourself room to breathe. On this one I seriously need to take my own advice, but, I am intentionally working as much as I possibly can to help me pay off some bills quicker. If you can handle it, go for it. But if you can't, don't push yourself to the point where you are sick or too exhausted to function.

- Get to know your co-workers and managers. This will come in handy if you are stuck in situations where schedules overlap, need to switch, need someone to cover you, etc. Also, people are awesome, make friends!

Hope this helped, and wish me luck that I survive this holiday season! haha, I wish you all Happy Holidays and a very Merry Christmas!
<3 Kimmie

NaBloPoMo November Round Up

Hey guys, so I wanted to do a sum up on my attempt to complete National Blogging Post Month which is where you post every single day. I did well for the majority of the month, however for the last week and a half I wasn't able to really get any posts done because I was pretty much working back to back shifts.

Tomorrow will be my first day off since last Monday. If you have ever worked retail during the holidays you know what I'm talking about. And especially while attending school, the panda eyes are real!

I seriously cannot believe that it is already December, that is so crazy to me, this year has gone by so ridiculously fast it is insane. I wanted to say that I hope your year continues well and I want to wish all of you happy holidays in advanced since there are a lot of celebrations happening over the month.

But I do plan on keeping the posts coming now that I have gotten up a decent momentum. If there is anything you would  like me to post about please let me know in the comments, I would appreciated your feedback.

Take care everyone,
Kimmie

How to: DIY Z-Palette

I am a big fan of making your own palettes and a lot of brands sell eyeshadow pans in just pan form that can stick to a magnetic palette. However, Z-Palettes can get expensive when the start at $15 for a small one. Don't get me wrong, I love my Z-Palette, but before I could afford my first one, I found a DIY video on YouTube that taught me how to make my own. 

What you need:

     - A Crayola or Roseart water paint palette

     - Magnet sheets with a sticky side

     - Optional: Fun duct tape

1. To start, you take out the plastic part holding the water paints and the brush. If you are using the Crayola version like I did you will need to break off the little plastic pieces that hold the brush as well as the piece that is used to hang the palette. This is a bit time consuming because you will have to sand it down flat enough to put the magnet sheet on smoothly.

2. Once you have a smooth and empty palette, trace the size of magnet you need and cut it out. IMPORTANT: before you peel of the backing to stick the magnet in, make sure it fits inside easily. You will have to trim the sides a bit because you used the bottom as a stencil.

3. Peel off the backing and place the magnet sheet in. Don't forget to smooth out any air bubbles and make it as stuck on as possible. Press down on the sheet until you feel it is done. (I have a line because I wound up having to use magnet square pieces instead of the roll.)

4. This part is optional, but I had some minion duct tape and decided to make my palette a bit more fun by putting the tape over the magnet. And Nixx decided to cuddle the palette as I was taking photos.

And you are done! My palette is currently housing the majority of my Makeup Geek Foiled shadows as well as some of my brighter colors (like Mac's Rule) and misc shadows.

Overall the process took me about 45 minutes to make, I had a lot of fun, and I have extra magnets left over if I want to make another one.

Good luck!
<3 Kimmie

Throwback Thursday

Back for another Throwback Thursday this week. These are two more photos I found when I was moving of my cousin Ursula a.k.a. Lani, my sister, and I.

The top photo is just at our house in L.A. and the bottom is the three of us being goofs at the Krispy Kreme's Factory in Gardena. I know the bottom photo was taken in 2004, but I am honestly not sure about the top, but I do know it was at least a year before.

My cousin is one of my biggest role models and I look to her for support and advice. She is the one who always reminds me that I need to take care of myself first and I don't always have to make everyone happy. I am happy that I now only live two hours away from her instead of 6!

Hope you enjoyed this walk down memory lane with me, have a great Thursday!
<3 Kimmie

Pale Princess Makeup Tips

Hey guys, here are some tips I have compiled for those of you who, like me, much resemble Snow White in complexion. I plan on doing a post on my favorite makeup products for fair skin in the future, but for now here are five tips to keep in mind.

Disney Princess Snow White Cinderella Aurora and Belle (clipped to polyvore.com)

1. Make sure it matches! This is basic makeup 101; however, with extremely fair skin it is very easy to tell if your foundation doesn’t work for you. I can’t tell you guys how many times I have blended my foundation down my neck, it looked fine, then walked outside and looked like I had a wave of orange. Err on the side of going lighter and avoid foundations that oxidize.

2. Add some color back. I have been learning that it is very easy for pale girls to look washed out, ghostly or sickly. Looking dead is the last thing we want.

3. Concealer lips = no-no! I know girls love their nude lipsticks and I am no exception. However, especially with pale girls you want to avoid going too light because it will wash you out and make you look sick. Go for a “your lips but better” shade instead.

4. Careful not to go overboard. Ok, so when your face is naturally almost as white as a clown’s, it can be easy to add too much and look like you just got done working a kids party. Once again, I learned this the hard way. Find the happy medium with your makeup application. And this isn’t saying you can’t go dramatic, because if you can do it, rock it.

5. Don’t forget your brows. This is my weakness because brows are often the last things I remember. But, when you are fair, and especially if you have light brow hair, you will want to fill them in to frame your face and it can look weird if you don’t.

Hope these tips helped, and I have learned these all from my own trial and error and looking like a goof. Although, at the end of the day it’s just makeup, it washes off. So enjoy and have fun with it!

What to do When You ARE Sick

Tis the season! The cold and flu season that is. With the weather changing, temperatures dropping, and stress levels rising for impending finals, it is easy to become subject to tiny cold virus invaders. I did a post a while ago about how to avoid getting sick, but I thought it would be helpful to do a post about what to do when preventative measures fail.

     - Take advantage of the campus health center. The health center can give you a check up and make sure nothing is seriously wrong, and give you a note for class if need be. Plus, doctors will be able to give your more specific advice for your particular case compared to my blanket advice.

     - H20! Drinking lots of water will not only help keep you hydrated, but assist in flushing out the gunk and toxins in your system.

     - Keep an emergency stash. It is always a good idea to have an emergency kit of supplies you might need when sick/not feeling well: ibuprophen, cough syrup, NyQuil/DayQuil, Tums, etc. Don’t try to go it alone, medication exists for a reason, it will make your life easier while sick and help you get better quicker.

     - Get some Z’s. When you are asleep your body hard at work and is able to dedicate more of its resources to repairing your body. And when fighting an infection your body will especially need sleep because it makes it easier for your body to fight the virus.

     - Don’t forget to eat. I know when you’re sick a lot of time you loose your appetite. However, it is really important to force yourself to eat and get the nutrition you need to stay healthy.

Being sick while trying to balance school, work, and everything else under the sun really sucks. So I hope these tips help you guys. I am currently getting over a cold, which is why I thought it would be fitting to write this. Stay healthy my friends, and good luck with the rest of the semester.

College Makeup Essentials

Source

When it comes to college, whether or not you live in a dorm, space and money are precious assets that should be used wisely. So, when starting a new semester, you really don’t want to blow all your money on new makeup or bring your entire collection to school. Here are a couple essential items that you should invest in and should definitely find their way into your suitcase/makeup bag.

1. A basic, versatile eye shadow palette
     - Aim for something that has light, medium and darker shadows that you could use every day. I like the Coastal Scents Revealed Palettes, the NYX Natural palette and the Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palettes. L'Oreal and NYX have some really good palettes for a cheaper price.

2. Face Primer & Eye Primer
     - If you are like me and on the go from the moment you wake up until you get home, you want something to help your makeup stay on all day.
     - ELF and Milani have incredible eye primers that are comparable to Urban Decay and Too Faced.
     - For face primers I would recommend L’Oreal or Maybelline.

3. Reliable concealer.
     - This is an absolute must! Especially when you are in college and stress and lack of sleep become everyday things.
     - I like the Maybelline Fit Me or Instant Age Rewind as well as the NYX concealers.

4. Mascara.
     - Well um, of course. Mascara helps open up your eyes and make you look just that much more awake. The drugstore has some amazing mascara’s and this is one item I really don’t think you need to spend a lot of money on.
     - My favorites are Maybelline’s Pillow Plush and Cover Girl’s Outlast (an oldie but a goodie!)

5. Foundation and/or tinted moisturizer.
     - This one is based on personal preference, skin type, how much coverage you want. Personally, I like to have both on hand so I can have a choice of what I want on my face that day, plus, tinted moisturizers or BB creams make decent primers/bases.
     - When it comes to foundation I have come to like the Maybelline Fit Me (can tell I like this line?), Revlon Color Stay (awesome because it has a formula for normal to oily or normal to dry), or Cover Girl 3 in 1. On the high end side, I love Cover FX, Kat Von D and Smashbox HD.
     - BB’s/CC’s/Tinted Moisturizers have boomed lately. Maybelline, Physician’s Formula, L’Oreal are all amazing, and high end brands like Cover FX, Laura Mercier and Stila all have amazing ones.

6. Nude Eyeliner.
     - This is a life hack I use on a daily basis. Replace the black eyeliner on your waterline with a nude pencil and it will instantly make you look more awake and alert! Especially amazing for when you have to be at work early in the morning or have a 7 or 8am class!
     - Rimmel has the best nude eyeliner I have ever used, and it is waterproof!

7. Everyday blush
     - For this you want to try and find something non-shimmery. You want to aim for something that is just going to give you a nice healthy glow.

8. Bronzer.
     - Aim for something that is matte. I prefer matte bronzers because you can contour with them, or just use it to add some warmth to your face.
     - Absolute best two bronzers I can recommend are NYC’s Smooth Skin Bronzer in Sunny (THIS THING IS ONLY $2 AND AMAZING!) and Benefit’s Hoolah. If you haven’t heard about these two I think you may have been living under a rock! Another good one I would recommend from the drugstore is the Rimmel Natural Bronze bronzer in Sun Bronze. (That’s a lot of bronze…)

9. Powder.
     - Even if you don’t use powder all over your face, you should definitely use it to set your concealer, particularly under your eyes, otherwise it can just slip and slide off. This really helps hold your makeup in place.
     - For me, powder is powder, especially if you are going translucent powder. But the ones I like the most that I have tried are Maybelline Fit Me powder or L'Oreal TruMatch and Physician’s Formula have good powders

10. Lip Stuff!
     - I say “stuff” because I feel like this category can change like the wind. I would definitely recommend having one or two lip products that you love and are your “go-to”.
     - For me, my “Go-To” lip products are the Revlon Velvet Rose, Maybelline Color Sensational in Summer Sunset and Peachy Scene, and Wet N’ Wild Bare it All. (My daily lip liner is Maybelline Lip Pencil in 25 Toast).

Additional: I love the Elf Mist and Set for setting my makeup and it is only $3!

Hope this helped :)
<3 Kimmie

University Applications Advice

So I am currently in the same boat as high school seniors and putting in my application to transfer to a university! EEEEEPPP! In all honesty, I am pretty nervous for this transition because I am not the best with dealing with change. I am facing the bittersweet emotions of being excited to transition to the next level of my education, but nervous to leave the comfort I have settled into at community. So, all in all, on par with what I was feeling as a senior transitioning to college.
So here are some tips for being halfway through the application period:

1. Make sure you have had someone proof read your essays. This is really important because you have a word limit and so you want to hit your point home without going overboard or over wording.

2. Don’t stress about trying to be the most original or most embellished in your essays, just be yourself. Colleges want to know about you, they don’t want to read a pretentious done up essay meant to impress them. Show them who you are and why YOU are different, why YOU are a good applicant.

3. Keep your deadlines in mind. They can catch up to you quicker than you would expect. For CSU’s and UC’s the deadline is actually November 30th, but for many privates the deadlines can be in December, or even January. Set deadlines for yourself to make sure you are getting everything done and not rushing at the last minute because sites are known to crash, and you wouldn’t want to waste all your hard work to get the app in late.

4. Be on the lookout for scholarships! I will be posting something separate on my advice for scholarships at a later date, so be sure to look out for that, but it is a good idea to start applying now, because their may be some specific for the schools you are applying to or the area you are from.

5. Don’t Panic. Take a lesson from Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. So take a deep breath, remember it will be ok, and don’t forget your towel!

I wish you all luck!
<3 Kimmie

"30 Day"/30 Questions Makeup Challenge Part 3

Once again, totally forgot about the existence of this. Here is the final part, and here are links to part 1 and part 2.

Question #21: Where do you purchase your makeup?

- Um, all over the place. For drugstore, CVS, Walgreens and Ulta are the best. I do also love Sephora and will occasionally venture to my MAC counter. I don’t really buy a lot of makeup online but I will occasionally because I love Makeup Geek, Coastal Scents, ColourPop and Morphe Brushes (at the moment the store is only about 30 min away so that is cool!)

Question #22: Favorite toner.

- I loved my Clean and Clear cooling toner, but they sadly discontinued it. My new favorite is the Dickenson’s All-Natural Witch Hazel Toner. Thanks you AlisonLovesJB for your recommendation!

Question #23: Favorite eyshadow palette and blush palette.

- Blush Palette: I only really own one full blush palette, and that is the Benefit Cheeky Sweet Spot Box O’ Blushes palette from the holiday collection. I love it because I had wanted to try Benefit blushes for a long time and this gave me that chance without spending an insane amount.

- Eyeshadow Palette: That is really difficult…this might be cheating but the one I use the most is my custom Z-palette that I put together. I use it the most because it has all the shadows I use on a daily basis in one spot. When it comes to premade palettes I think my favorite right now is my Too Faced Semi-Sweet Chocolate Bar.

Question #24: Which do you prefer: cream, liquid, matte, powder, sheer or shimmer eyeshadows?

- Um I don’t think I have ever used a liquid eyeshadow. I like creams for eyeshadow bases, and even though I love adding a pop of shimmer, I think overall I prefer matte eyeshadows.

Question #25: Favorite eyeliner.

- I love the Elizabeth Mott You’re So Fine and Jessie’s Girl liquid eyeliners. They make my life so much easier when it comes to doing eyeliner, especially in a hurry. (I am still trying to get the hang of cream/gel eyeliner. I own the ELF cream eyeliner and want to try the Maybelline Master Studio gel.)
Don’t have a favorite pencil liner...even though I have been using this the longest! Haha, but the one I have been using the longest is the Avon Glimmersticks Eyeliner in black.

Question #26: Do you wear makeup every day?

- Nope! I usually wear makeup Mon-Fri for work and school. Some days all I do is mix a pump of foundation in with my moisturized to add a bit of coverage and throw on mascara. But on days that I’m not going anywhere or just don’t care I do not bother putting in the effort.

Question #27: Favorite powder.

- I haven’t tried a bunch of powders, but at the moment I am loving the Maybelline Matte and Poreless powder.

Question #28: Favorite makeup remover.

- Like so many others, I love my Neutrogena wipes! But I am also looking to test out others. If you have any recommendations let me know in the comments please ☺

Question #29: Do you wear liquid eyeliner? (If so, what is your favorite?)

- See question #25.

Question #30: Photo of yourself with and without makeup.

Here is a picture from my before step brother's prom being a goof with him. No makeup.

And here is me after getting a makeup lesson at Mac.

What's in my Z-Palette

Personally, I like looking at pictures on Instagram and Pinterest of what eyeshadows people have in their everyday palette. I feel like it is good reference for when I look for new shadows to see what overlaps, or which shadows people have hit pan on, and they might be good ones to try.

So here is my everyday palette in the rose gold chevron palette you can buy on Makeup Geek's website. I shortened Makeup Geek to MUG and Coastal Scents to C.S.

Hope you enjoy and happy Friday the 13th!

Source: DeviantArt

<3 Kimmie

Throwback Thursday

I realized I haven't done a throwback Thursday post in quite a while and I thought it would be fun to resume them. I found quite a few pictures when I was moving from when I was younger and here is one of them:

This picture is from May 29th, 2004 at the church I grew up at. In the back row from left to right are: my uncle Sean, my dad, uncle Marcus, and my great grandfather Growant. Next row: my cousin Annie, my sister, cousin Julia, me, and my cousin Paloma.

I'm not really sure what was going on this day but I was really happy to find this picture because unfortunately Growant passed away not too long after this and I like finding pictures of my family all together.

Have a good day everyone :)

Books I'm glad my teachers made me read

During our years of grade school from elementary school through high school and then onto college, we read a plethora of books spanning a genres and topics. Some of these books we will tune out and only push through because we are being graded, while others will truly resonate with us. I sat down and narrowed my list down to 5 books that I am really glad my teachers made me read and that I highly recommend. (I may do a second part because I have more!) 

1. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe - this is an amazing book that allows you to read about a different culture. I did a full review here.

2. You Don't Know Me by David Klass. This is a really amazing book I read in 9th grade from the perspective of a boy in high school named John who is struggling with life, love, feeling like no one truly knows him, and an abusive step father. It is a really emotional book but I loved the whole thing.

3. Night by Elie Weisel. Night is an autobiographical story from Elie's experience surviving through a Nazi concentration camp with his father. This book does not hold anything back, and I cried through it. It isn't a very long novel but if you are a history buff it is a must read.

4. Number the Stars by Luis Lowry. Another book based during the holocaust but this time from the view of a 10 year old girl, Annamarie Johansen, at the start of the German occupation of Denmark who's family courageously help Annamarie's best friend Ellen's jewish family escape into Switzerland. I don't know how many times I have read this book but I love it so much!

5. Always Running by Luis J. Rodríguez. I read this book in my senior year it is a "memoir about a young Chicano gang member surviving the dangerous streets of East Los Angeles." This book is a very raw and honest tale of what it is like to be a gang member in Los Angeles and everything that comes along with it.

What assigned reading books from school did you love?

Hope you enjoyed my picks!

Fall Favorites Tag

Hey guys, so Jaclyn Hill recently created her version of the Fall Favorites tag and I decided to sit down and write my response to the tag. Hope you guys enjoy!

1. Favorite fall candle - I've only recently started burning candles again and so far I have two candles that I really like, both are from Bath & Body Works. Autumn smells very outdoorsy and I just feel like its fall. Second is Buttercream Icing which is a sweet smelling candle that isn't overpowering.

 2. Favorite lip color - I have noticed since it was announced that Marsala would be the color of the year last fall that these are the colors I have loved every year, the darker redish mauvey colors. They work very well on my complection. That being said, my favorite color is Too Faced's Pink Chocolate, the shade on the left. And if you are on a tighter budget, I recently found a near perfect dupe. Wet n' Wild's Spiked with Rum (right) where the only difference I found is that WnW is matte and Too Faced has a cream finish.

3. Favorite drink - I am not a big Starbucks person and I'm really not the biggest fan of pumpkin spice. What I love drinking every year around this time is peppermint hot chocolate! Side note: I did recently discover that I like the salted caramel frappachino from Starbucks.

4. Favorite blush - I only really got into blush a couple months ago and the blush I have been loving this fall for the perfect dark, rosey shade is Benefit's Rockatour. I love the whole "just out of the cold" blush look, and because I'm so fair I still really like light pink blushes around winter.

5. Favorite clothing item - boots and oversized sweaters make me happy ^_^

6. Favorite fall movie - I can't just pick one...I adore Halloweentown and Hocus Pocus. These movies are my childhood and I will watch them year round! Haha, can I get a shout out for old school Disney Channel Original Movies?! But, outside of Disney, my favorite is Practical Magic. This movie is incredible and a must watch.

 7. Favorite fall tv show - forever and always Criminal Minds <3! I am so bummed I don't have cable right now, so I have to watch online.

8. Favorite Thanksgiving food - I love my aunt's mash potatoes! I have fond memories of my cousins and I digging out the center of rolls to stuff them full of mash potatoes, gravy, turkey, and the works. Even though we did this on Christmas more than Thanksgiving, don't judge! haha

 9. Favorite Halloween costume - I'd say I love my costume from this year. I was a cracked porcelain doll. The full body photo of me was blurry but I just wore flats and a black, knee-length dress with a red sash around the waist.

Hope you guys enjoyed. I tag anyone reading who wants to do this, let me know what your fall favorites are and have a great day you guys.
<3 Kimmie

Top 10 Songs on my iPod

I've been told you can tell a lot about a person from their top played songs. If thats true I thought it would be fun to share with you guys the top 10 played songs on my iPod and see what conclusions that leads to. Haha, hope you enjoy. 

1. Battle Born - Five Finger Death Punch

2. Talking Body - Tove Lo

3. Angel in the Night - Basshunter

4. I Can Walk On Water - Basshunter

5. Wrong Side of Heaven - Five Finger Death Punch

6. Camilla - Basshunter

7. Bad Company - Five Finger Death Punch

8. Automatic - Nicki Minaj

9. Light Em' Up - Fall Out Boy

10. The Call - Backstreet Boys

Well, you can definitely tell who my favorite band is and the fact that I really like Basshunter! I have been really enjoying the Basshunter album "Now You're Gone" as well as the Five Finger Death Punch Wrong Side of Heaven Albums.

Let me know what songs are on your top played list, or that you have really been enjoying lately and I'll take a listen!

Have a wonderful day!

10 Facts About Me

Hey guys, I thought it would be fun to share 10 random facts about myself. So here is what I came up with:

1. My sister got to choose my name and named me after the original Pink Power Ranger.

2. My favorite color is purple and when I was younger (I don't recall the exact age) all I would wear was purple. It didn't matter what pattern it was, what shade of purple, or if what I wore matched, just so long as it was purple.

3. I am a very picky eater.

4. My WingStop order is half teriyaki and half Hawaiian flavor.

5. I'm secretly really insecure and self conscious and always afraid that the people around me don't want me there.

6. I still have a slight fear of the dark.

7. I still sleep with a stuffed animal because I like having something to hold onto. Some people have to sleep with a pillow in between their legs, I have to sleep holding something.

8. My favorite soda's are Dr. Pepper, Vanilla Coke, and Cherry Pepsi.

9. I have a weakness for Rockstar Punched energy drinks.

10. My favorite candies are chocolate and sour candy.

Rest in Peace Uncle Morgan

Tonight at 9:20pm, my dad's best friend and my "uncle" Morgan, a.k.a. Sensei Stumpy left this world. While my heart aches from his passing I know this is for the best. For the last six weeks of his life he had been in an incredible amount of pain and now he doesn't have to suffer any more.

Morgan on the left with my dad.

He was one of the most amazing, caring, and humble people I have ever had the pleasure of knowing. I am so thankful to have had him in my life for as long as I did. I am thankful that I got to grow up knowing him from when I was a little girl at the Renaissance Faire to now as a 20 year old. He was a wonderful human being who taught those around him to be better. One of my favorite memories is my dad always saying that the only way he would try to take him on would be with a sniper rifle, on a roof, two blocks away. The reason he earned the nickname "Sensei Stumpy" is because for one he was short and he had a black belt in I believe four different types of marshal arts.

He even taught a "date safe" course and would put on a padded suit and let his students kick his butt. I remember him telling me to show my mom when she came to pick me up what I had learned and was proud of me. I remember laughing with him at how goofy he looked in the suit as well.

Forever the goofballs at my dad's 50th birthday. My dad, Morgan, and friend Brian.

He was full of jokes and whit up to the end. He told my dad "I'm probably the only person whose own tongue is trying to kill them." And when they were discussing if reincarnation was real, he would want to come back as a police dog to receive pets and treats and bite bad guys in the butt. He even told my dad that if he came back as a police dog the signal that it would be him is that he would run around and pee on him.

I will truly miss him, and I know we will meet again one day. Rest in Peace Uncle Morgan, until we meet again.

Getting my Wisdom Teeth Out

Hey everyone, I am incredibly out of it today, I am on pretty heavy pain meds, and apologize for any typos or if I run on a bit. Yesterday I got all four of my wisdom teeth out in one go.

My experience was good one. If you are in the Rocklin Area and need oral surgery done, I would recommend Dr. Jared Antrobus. The nurse was really nice and even gave me a blanket for the surgery because I swear I am always cold. I was put under for the surgery and it was pretty weird. I was given the meds and the last thing I remember was talking to the nurse about liking her taste in music because they had Pandora going in the back ground, her fixing the goggles they had to put on me, and I barely remember the doctor talking about Taylor Swift and then next thing I knew, I was being woken up.

This is be not long after I was woken up.

The weird thing on my head is a compression sock. So far I am doing well, the pain isn't too horrible because of the meds. The only super difficult part was the first four hours having to bite down on gauze. I had to switch to using tea bags instead, because the blood on the gauze was making me nauseous. That has been the only sucky part, is that whenever I get blood building up in my mouth I get nauseous.

At the moment my cheeks are going back and forth between being swollen up to a chipmuck and being only somewhat swollen.

My 2 hours post-op verses 8 hours.

I am currently closer to the first picture in swelling. I was told that days 2 and 3 are the peak for swelling. And I have to go into onboarding for Ulta in about half hour, so thats going to be fun.

Well, I wanted to get something posted because I am trying to do NaBloPoMo, national blog post month, where I post something every day. There will be more exciting content up once I've recovered.

Take care everyone!

Life Update

Hey everyone, so I thought it would be fun to do a bit of a life update to let you guys know what has been going on with me since I moved and since this year has been very crazy with lots of changes, struggles, losses and just crazy stuff going on.

So I was finally able to get a job in late August that wasn't a temp job. I am working at Victoria's Secret part time and more recently I just got hired for seasonal part time at Ulta Beauty. I've been working at VS for about two months now, and I like it, but am unfortunately not getting many hours due to being in between back to school and holiday. I am learning what it is like to struggle financially as an adult. We have rent, my car payment, school, and I'm paying off my hospital bill from my car accident last year! (I know right!)

Nothing screams "you're an adult now" like having a list of bills to pay and constantly being afraid of not being able to. I am really thankful that I have a second job for holiday because I can hopefully have a little bit of spending money and not be worried about affording everything. If anyone has any advice for working two part time retail jobs, please let me know, I could really use the help.

To top everything off, I am not able to get my financial aid through school because of issues and I'm having to go through a complicated special exceptions process, and having to deal with applications to universities to transfer. Wish me luck.

Other than money school is going well so far. I have managed to get myself back on track and have a transfer plan together again and it does really give me some peace of mind knowing that at least on part of my life is somewhat stable.

Sorry for my mini negativity rant. I honestly didn't mean for this to turn into one, but I feel like things are starting to get better and turn around, and I truly hope that is so. I'm trying really hard to stay positive and work my way through all the struggles I am going through, but it is really hard, I am not going to lie. This year has definitely been one of the most difficult I have gone through.

Time to take a deep breath and just keep on truckin'. That is truly how I life my life. I am realizing not matter how hard things get, I just keep going, and just keep towards my goals and handle what is thrown my way as best I can. Like a little fishy once said, "just keep swimming."

This is my tattoo.

Hope you are all doing well. Hugs from my computer to yours,
<3 Kimmie

October Favorites

Can you guys believe it is November??? I am not really big on pumpkin spice, but I am so ready for "Mint-er"! Get it, mint and winter? Lol, anyhow, here is what I have been loving over the last month. I realized it isn't a lot but here ya go.

1. Manic Panic Dreamtone - This stuff is a heaven send. It is pure white liquid foundation that I can mix in with my other foundations to make them light enough for me because of how pale I am. Love it!

2. Elizabeth Mott Queen of the Fill - I got this brow gel in one of my Ipsy bags and I really enjoy it. I'm typically pretty lazy when it comes to my brows and this is perfect for that because it fills them in and makes them look fuller. It is pretty liquidy but dries fairly quickly.

3. Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. I have quite a few sample sizes of this mascara and I like how lengthening and long lasting it is.

4. Glamglow Thirsty Mud. I have a little Sephora sample of this stuff and it is wonderful. I have dry skin and this helps so much. I will use this as my night time moisturizer and my skin feels more hydrated when I wake up.

5. Mac Wedge. When I want to go more natural on my brows I use this eyeshadow. It is perfect for my hair color and lasts all day on me. I also use it as a cooler toned crease color. 

6. MUG Rapunzel. This is a soft white shimmery shade that I use either all over the lid or as a highlight color. It is so brightening and beautiful and helps me look awake.

Let me know what you guys have been loving this past month.

<3 Kimmie

Helpful Note Infographic

Hey guys, wanted to share this helpful picture/infographic I found on Pinterest that has really helped me with taking notes for college. I hope this helps you!

This is my first time ever doing a post this simple, let me know what you think.

<3 Kimmie

Project 10 Pan: My Goals and Progress

So when you are like me and collect makeup, as your collection grows you forget to use some things. A few months ago I found two hastags on Instagram #panthatpalette and #project10pan, and they really inspired me to really focus on using what I have already in my collection.

The point behind project 10 pan is to use up 10 items in your collection before the end of the year. Here is my list of 10 items and I specified whether my goal is to completely finish the product, or just hit pan on it because realistically there are some items I know there are no way I can finish in the remaining two months, but I am going to make as much progress as I can.

Clockwise from the top: Maybelline Fit Me, Lorac Mini Pro, Walking on Eggshells, Peach Smoothie, Creme Brûlée, and Milk Chocolate Soleil.

Smashbox Primer, Covergirl 3 in 1, Neutrogena Sensitive Moisturizer, Maybelline Dream Smooth Mousse

1. Hit pan on the Walking on eggshells palette - Lid and Crease shades
2. Hit pan on Lorac 2 mini - Rosé
3. Hit pan on Maybelline Fit Me Powder - Did it ^_^ now to make as much progress as I can in the next two months.
4. Finish Covergirl 3 in 1 Foundation
5. Finish Dream Smooth Mousse
6. Finish Smasbox Photo Finish Primer
7. Hit pan on Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
8. Finish Makeup Geek Peach Smoothie
9. Finish Makeup Geek Creme Brûlée
10. Finish Makeup forever hd 117 - FINISHED!
11. Finish Neutrogena moisturizer
Hope this inspired you guys to make progress on items in your collection. I plan on posting an update towards the end of November, and at the end of the year.

Sending hugs from my computer to yours,
<3 Kimmie

Lustables Vol. 4

Hey guys, it is holiday palette season! So I thought I would share with you guys some of the holiday sets I have my eyes on for this year.

Urban Decay Vice 4 - Just look at this gorgeous thing! My boyfriend bought me the Vice 3 palette for Christmas last year, so this year I asked him to get the Vice 4 for me :)



Becca Afterglow Palette - Really wanting this palette mostly because I have been wanting to try the two blushes in Wild Honey and Flower Child for quite some time and this way I can try them out along with getting three other products for just a little bit more than buying one of the blushes.

The Balm In the Balm of Your Hand Palette - This is another one that is just an incredible deal. I already own the full size Hot Mama blush but I have been wanting to try the other two blushes, the eyeshadows look gorgeous, and it is fantastic for travel. Amazing bang for your buck!


Tarte Greatest Glitz Collector's Set - I really like how this is broken down into three separate palettes with well thought out color schemes for each. I don't have a lot of rose gold or silver-y shades and I like that those are two of the palettes.

Some other items I have on my radar are: the Bare Minerals Jumbo Mineral Veil (the packaging is so fancy!), the Lorac Mega Pro 2, the Too Faced Le Grand Chateau Trio.

Let me know what you guys are looking at picking up for the holidays! Have a wonderful day,
<3 Kimmie

September Favorites

Hey guys, can you believe it is already October? This year is absolutely flying by, and I don't know about you guys but I am super excited for Halloween. Here are the things I have been loving over this past month:

Makeup favorites:
- Covergirl 3 in 1 foundation. Right now this is the only foundation that has been working for me color wise and it hasn't been drying on my skin (which is freaking out right now.) Its good medium to full coverage that lasts well on me. Plus it is on my list of 10 things I am trying to use up by the end of the year. Post coming soon.
- Wet-N-Wild Walking on Eggshells trio. Wonderful every day eyeshadows from the drugstore. Also on my list to use up this has been my everyday go-to for just a simple eye look that I don't have to think about.
- Too Faced Sweetheart blush in Peach Beach. This blush has been my absolute go-to over September. It is beautiful, not too overpowering on my skin tone, and it has a nice sheen and highlight factor so I have been skipping highlight with this. It just gives the most beautiful glow! This is a must have for fair skin!
- Maybelline Color Sensational lipstick in Peachy Scene. I'm not really big on pinky colors when it comes to lipstick but this is a really wonderful every day lipstick. It is a nice peachy pink that isn't too crazy. Have been using this thing to death this month.

Book Favorite:

- Isle of Lies by Donna Fletcher. I absolutely love this book, and being me, it is a romance novel. I recently rediscovered this book when I was moving and decided to reread it this month and fell in love with it all over again. This book is a historical romance set in Scotland, which is a large part of my heritage and makes me love it all the more. Here is the Goodreads page so you can check it out. Also, the sequel is wonderful too.

*Due to the amount of crud that went down this summer I wasn't able to get through much of my summer reading list and will be extending these goals through the end of the year*

Music Favorites:
- Good for You - Selena Gomez
- Basshunter
- The Phoenix - Fall Out Boy

What are some things you guys have been loving this month? Let me know in the comments.
<3 Kimmie

Link Roundup: my Favorite YouTube Tutorials

Hey everyone, if you have been reading my blog for a while you know I am a total makeup junkie and it is about 3am and I thought I would do a fun link roundup and share with you guys some of my favorite YouTube makeup tutorials. So here we go!

So this first one isn't even really a beauty tutorial, but one of my favorite makeup artists Klaire DeLys who did this incredible, badass look inspired by the Ghost of Christmas Future.

These next three are my FAVORITE old school Jaclyn Hill tutorials. My go-to look is from her bridal makeup tutorial but I wear it for my every day! Haha

And because who doesn't love Michelle Phan and Tim Burton...

I really love Michelle Phan, Kandee Johnson, and Jaclyn Hill's older tutorials from when I first subscribed to their channels.

I wear this look ALL the time!

I am seriously subscribed to way too many people on YouTube but some of my favorites are: Kathleenlights and Thataylaa are newer loves (as in only been subscribed for about 2 ish years) Jaclyn Hill, Michelle Phan, Kandee Johnson, and Makeup Medic (who sadly stopped posting) are the beauty YouTubers I have been subscribed to for like over 5 years!

Hope you guys enjoyed my super random link roundup!

<3 Kimmie

Tips for Community College Students

Hey guys, since we are in the first couple weeks of back to school, I thought I would make a post dedicated to my fellow community college students. After two years of community and starting on my third, I have come up with three tips for you guys that have really helped me. Hope you enjoy!

1. If you weren't able to register for a class, don't let that deter you. If you are waitlisted, or even not, try and sit in on a couple of different sections of the class. One problem with community college is how over crowded they can be so general ed classes are difficult to snag. Still try for them. Don't underestimate the power of sitting in on a class, I have gotten into several classes by sitting in and talking to the teachers. They will typically help you out and let you know of open sections.

2. Invest in the parking pass. Also, make sure to arrive at least 15 minutes before your class, because parking can be hell! Especially on the first week or two of school when everyone is trying to get classes and before some people drop. Another tip would be to locate the best parking areas relative to your classes so you don't have to go way out of your way.

3. Create a road map. One of the biggest problems I have seen causing students to get caught in the "community college trap" is many don't know what they need to do to graduate or get distracted. Make sure you sit down with a counselor and find out what you need to do to transfer. Even if you still are unsure of a major, start working off of the IGETC transfer plan and go from there.

Hope these tips helped you guys, let me know anything that has really helped you through community college, or just college in general. Hugs from my computer to yours,

<3 Kimmie

Tips for Job Interviews

Hey guys, so I had a job interview at Macy's today and decided to sit down and give you guys a few tips for job interviews since I know a lot of college students struggle with this and question exactly what to do.

1. Do your research. I can’t stress how important it is to do research on the company(ies) you apply for. It really impresses managers if you walk in with that kind of knowledge and it will give you extra points. Also, you can usually find the interview questions online, review and rehearse! You don’t want to memorize answers because managers can tell if your answers are stiff or not true. Be honest and genuine, but go over potential answers so you aren’t using tons of filler words.

2. Dress professional! I know you guys are probably reading this and thinking “well duh” but I have seen people go to an interview wearing blue jeans and a plaid button down, and stuff along those lines. I highly recommend going with neutral colors. You can’t go wrong with black and white; you can throw in browns or blues, or for girls maybe a colorful blouse, but I typically stick to black and white. For shoes, DO NOT WEAR TENNIS SHOES! Guys, invest in nice dress shoes, girls a pair of black flats or simple black heels.  If you need ideas for outfits, Pinterest and Google are your friends!

3. Bring a resume. Regardless of whether you attached your resume to the online application, bring a printed copy. The manager is not going to take the time to print out all the resumes for all applicants. Bringing your resume will once again give you brownie points. Speaking of resumes, make sure your resume is well put together! If you need help…

Additional tips:
- Show up early (once again, duh) you do not want your first impression on the manager to be that you are irresponsible and tardy.

- Girls, keep your makeup natural and not overboard. I have linked below two of my favorite natural makeup looks for your reference. Also, don't go crazy with jewelry.

(Wouldn't recommend false lashes though.)

- Just overall, behave and dress professionally, you want to be taken seriously and like you can operate in the work environment.

I hope these tips help you guys and good luck!
<3 Kimmie

Dealing with Loss

These past couple weeks have been some of the hardest I have faced in a very long time. Not only did I loose one of my best friends, one of my DeMolay boys, that I had known since he was 12, was murdered. Shot to death while sitting in his car. And (since this post was sitting in my drafts for a while) I lost my dog Lemi.

While sitting here in front of my computer mulling over the traumatizing and emotional events, I keep hearing my boyfriend's advice playing through my head. When I found out about Quincy's passing he hugged me tight and told me "don't torture yourself with the 'what if's' or the 'why didn't he's.' You'll only drive yourself crazy. Remember who he was, remember the times you spent together and the memories of the happier Quincy."

His words really impacted me and so I just wanted to come, sit down, and write. To have a bit of a heart to heart, to let you all know that if you are grieving if you are hurting, it will all be ok.

Loss is never easy. It tears at your heart and claws at your soul. Sometimes all you want to do is cry  out from the sheer pain you feel inside. I know I am not alone in feeling this way. What has been helping me through this extremely difficult time, aside from just going on autopilot which I know isn't really the best thing to do, is thinking about what my boyfriend told me.

Granted, I can't listen to the song "See You Again" I even yell at the radio and change the station any time it comes off. But overall, I have been trying to remember the fun times, the times that we were happy, the times that we spent together that shaped our friendships. I always try to take a moment to think about something funny about the,. Like the fact that Quincy, when he and my boyfriend came to visit me, kept making jokes about how Johnny bought him on the corner for $20. Or Lemi had a super sonic bark., and whenever we came home, she was so excited to see us that she would run outside and do laps in the front lawn.

That being said, one very important part about grieving, let yourself feel. You need to allow yourself to go through the stages of grief, you need to allow yourself to go through the natural emotions that are going through you. Denying yourself from being allowed to feel will only make things worse. If you need to cry, let yourself. Give yourself say, 10 minutes to be absolutely miserable and ugly crying. Then, take a deep breathe, pull yourself together, and keep going.

Another important thing, take advantages of your friends around you. Friends are there for a reason, especially when you need them. Even if you just need to be surrounded by people who are going to accept that you are going to be out of it and not fully participating, then do it.

Before I go, I wanted to say that loss is a natural part of life, but that doesn't make it suck any less. It is a process and it is perfectly fine to feel, to cry, to hate the world some times. Just know that you are not alone. You shouldn't judge yourself for feeling what you are, it is ok. I'm still working through this myself. You have people who are there for you, even it is just this girl behind the words.

I'm sorry this post is really randomly ordered and probably repetitive and just all over the place, but I hope you guys got my points. Sending big hugs from my computer to yours,

<3 Kimmie

My Summer Reading List

After hours of looking at pre-made reading lists for college students and not really falling in love with any of them, I found this list on Book Riot which, instead on naming specific books, has 10 categories of books to read. By book choices are all in my Goodreads shelf.

#1 - A Shakespeare Play. My pick is As You Like It. I got to see this play in, I think, middle school and I have been wanting to read it forever. If I finish it and want to read another my 2nd choice is a Midsummer Night Dream.

#2 - A biography of a historical figure. Cleopatra: A Life by Stacy Schiff. I've always been interested in Cleopatra, so I am excited to read this.

#3 - A book about a historical event or period in history. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon. Set in Scotland and starts out in 1945 before the main character Claire wakes up in 1743.

#4 - A classic (Pre 1910). I have been slowly working my way through The Count of Monte Cristo for a while and want to finish it this summer.

#5 - A modern classic (Post 1910). The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath. This book is such a cult classic I figured I would give it a try.

#6 - Dystopia novel. I have been wanting to read the Divergent series for a while now and so I figured I'd add this to the list.

#7 - Young Adult. I chose the book Cinder. I know #6 and #7 are both young adult and set in Dystopian societies, but I couldn't help myself.

#8 - Non-fiction. #Girlboss. A memoir by the CEO and Founder of Nasty Gal.

I did skip #9 since I'm not very interested in politics. Might read Killing Lincoln by Bill O'Reilly.

#10 - Graphic Novel. Instead of a novel I chose a manga, I want to finish this series called V.B. Rose (Velvet Black Rose).

At the end of the summer, I'll do an update on how far I got through the list.

What are some of the books you guys are loving right now or planning on for the summer?

<3 Kimmie

Losing a friend I grew up with...R.I.P. Quincy

Two days ago I got news that rocked my world. One of my friends that I have known since I was in 6th grade (now 9 years) died in a tragic accident. At first no one in our middle school group knew what had happened, but one of my friends found a news article stating he was hit by a metrolink train. I still can't bring myself to read the article.

I can't describe in words how surreal it is to lose a friend so suddenly and someone who is so young. Quincy has...had, a fiance and a three month old daughter who will never know how amazing her father was. He had his whole life ahead of him and now he is just suddenly gone. That truly breaks my heart.

Quincy has been my friend since I entered middle school. He was a year older than me. All throughout middle school and even after we went to different high schools, he was really protective of me and always treated me like I was his little sister. He would call me on my birthday and sing happy birthday over the phone and it sounded hilarious because of how deep his voice was. He never worried about if he looked like a goof as long as he was having fun with our group. One year for Halloween he wore his sisters girl scout uniform just to be silly and make everyone laugh.

During middle school when I first started cutting he was one of the only people who knew, and he didn't treat me differently, but he made sure I knew he was always there for me. During my time at Concordia, on his night off from work, he and my boyfriend drove the 45 minutes to surprise me and come see me because I told them I was feeling lonely. He could always brighten up your day and would go out of his way to make you smile. He even went to my schools prom just because we asked him.

I wish I could see him to tell him that he is one of the most incredible, kindest, and most caring people I have ever met. He was more than my friend, he was a brother to me. I love him so much and I can't imagine this world without him in it. Quincy, I miss you so much, I hope some day to see you again some day. I hope you are up there somewhere looking down on us. Rest in peace my dear friend.

My Goals for Summer 2015

After reading the little engine that couldn't a.k.a. Matthew's post on his goals for summer I was inspired by his witty and sarcastic writing to share my goals for the upcoming months with you and tried to channel a bit of his style into this post.

I hope you find my goals entertaining and interesting.  I wanted to write about something other than the typical summer agenda of a majority of school kids: sleep until noon every day and go to the beach.

Without any further ado, here are my ten summer goals:

1. Read 5 books.
Since starting college I have fallen so behind on reading anything aside from what was assigned. I used to have at least two personal books in my backpack at any given time. Seriously, in middle school I would get in trouble for reading in class, get my book taken away and then just pull out a different book!

Will probably create a summer reading list on my Goodreads account.

2. Find a job.
This one is a must since I have moved and am now currently unemployed. My boyfriend keeps making jokes about being my “sugar daddy” in the mean time! As much as I love him, and that he is offering, being a grown up I unfortunately have bills that call my name every month.

3. Be more active on my blog and writing in general.
I have had this idea for a book in my head for years and I have written bits and pieces so I want to try and put that together.

I seriously neglect this blog during the school semesters and I feel bad about it, but unfortunately for the past year and a half I have been overloading myself when it comes to school and work and I barely have had time for sleep.

So believe me when I say that for the time I don’t have a job, I am taking advantage of sleep as much as I can!


4. Kick ass in my summer classes.
Since I am a double major I have a ridiculous amount of classes I need to take before I can transfer to a four-year university. My goal is to graduate from community by spring of 2016, however, that is looking harder and harder. So I am taking two classes online to try and ease the amount I have to take the coming year.

Or so I tell myself as I will likely continue in my overachieving, put too much work on myself, ways… Wish me luck!

5. Get my life in order.
Ah yes, the ever present, daunting task that every young adult, well really all adults, must face.

Can we all agree that it is ridiculous that in your senior year of high school you still have to ask for permission to use the restroom and then a mere months later upon graduation, you are expected to have your entire future figured out. Um, what?

So this one probably wont be completed this summer, but I can still try.

6. Come to terms with the fact that I am no longer a teenager.
Seriously! I find it so crazy that tomorrow is my 20th birthday! Where in the world has the time gone! I feel like just a short time ago I was still in middle school! Well it doesn’t help that I still get told I look like I am in middle school… But now I am a full blown adult with bills and independence and, and….can I just have nap time back???

7. Stop eating so much fast food.
I swear fast food is an addiction! My tummy pudge hates me.

Speaker box: “Hi, welcome to McDonalds can I take your order?”
Me: “Um yeah, food that is good…um just give me one of everything. And don’t forget the extra large oreo McFlurry.”

What am I doing with my life?

8. Get ripped.
Highly unlikely I will come out of this summer with washboard abs and a thigh gap (don’t really care about the gap anyway) but I would just like to get toned up. I think it is ridiculous that I am considered on the high edge of overweigh. I am supposed to be between 115-130. I am barely over that, well like 15 pounds over that but still. Shall we revisit number 7?

However, I do want to do a cosplay of Selene from Underworld and if I am getting into a spandex body suit, there will be no jiggle. I WILL DEFEAT THE JIGGLE! MWAHAHAHA!

9. Find the Holy Grail.
Or you know I could just rewatch the movie for the millionth time and laugh at the Monty Python cast and annoy my friends for the next two days with non-stop quotes from the movie. If you haven’t seen it, drop everything because your life is not complete until you do.

10. Go to the river.
I have lived about a 10 minute drive from the beach my entire life and it is really strange not being that close. But on the upside there is a cool lake nearby that allows swimming and has barbecues so that sounds like a fun weekend.


What are some of your goals for this summer? Anything life changing planned as we once again celebrate the two months we have to catch up on sleep and our social lives?

Hope you all have an amazing summer!
<3 Kimmie

Moving!

Good Morning Internet!

So happy that I finally have time to sit down and write a post! Life, once again, took a crazy hectic turn and stress levels were through the roof! But, long story short, I am now officially all moved and am now living in Northern California! 

It was definitely an experience, moving away from home truly for the first time.  I learned that renting a moving truck to go across state is expensive! So, my last day at my job was this past Monday, May 18th. It was really sad because I love my job and have been there for two years.  But at the same time, I am excited to be starting this new adventure. 

I have been looking around for a job like crazy! The job market is nuts and honestly intimidating, so keep your fingers crossed for me that I can find a new job soon.

Unfortunately, right now I am a bit sick =_= and I think it is from all the stress lately and now being in a completely new place.

Either way, I am happy that I will have more time to dedicate to myself and be able to write more on here.

Hugs from my computer to yours!

<3 Kimmie