Does Castor Oil Work to Grow Your Eyelashes?? [REAL TEST!]

Being your typical Asian girl, long thick full luscious eyelashes are something I don't have. It's never been extremely bothersome though and I've never felt self-conscious or ashamed of my lashes. Heck, I'm pretty lucky because my lashes are actually a decent length for most Asians and I'm fortunate enough to not have short lashes that grow downward and into my eyeballs (yes that's a thing; it happened to my cousin and also a friend who actually had to get surgery to correct it because they were scratching/damaging her eyes!).

But that's besides the point. After watching numerous beauty gurus talking about RevitaLash or some other lash elongating or thickening product (many of which cost $60 and upward for a small mascara size bottle), I decided to give some DIY products a go. I started with just using my organic lipbalm to "coat" my lashes every night but then I did some research and found that Vaseline can be helpful (some controversy on it though) as well as castor oil. Castor oil seemed to be really highly recommended so I decided to get a bottle of castor oil from Now (pretty reputable brand, highly rated) on Amazon ($9.15 only for 16 oz!). The bottle is HUGE. I'm not sure how I'm going to finish it although I have been able to use up more by mixing a squirt of castor oil with some cheap body lotion and using it on my body.

I've used the castor oil every night (for about 2 months now) and apply just a little (pea size amount) on the tip/edge of my index finger. I put any excess oil onto the back of my other hand and apply the oil to upper lashline (the root of the lashes!) of one eye. I usually swipe the side of my index finger back into the excess I've wiped onto my hand to get some more product and then move onto the other eye. Then I'll use what's left on my finger to coat the bottom lashes. People say you really just need to get the base/root of your eyelashes rather than the whole entire eyelash but I find the oil on my finger tends to hit/coat the whole lash while I'm focusing on putting product on the lash line so basically, I end up coating my lashes as well as the root. Don't think it hurts to nourish the lash tips although if it gets in your eye, it kind of itches but it's not a huge deal (I actually wear night time contacts and haven't had too much problem with the product getting in my eye or irritating my eyes but just a word of note I suppose). Probably the better method to apply the castor oil would be to use a Q-tip/cotton swab but I'm too lazy to buy them/my finger works just fine for me but to each their own.

Now I'm not an ophthalmologist or optometrist so I can't say if this is safe or bad for your eyes/lashes but I haven't noticed any negative side effects in the last 2 months that I've been doing this (ie redness, allergic reaction, etc). The only possibly one downside is that maybe the castor oil clogs my pores because about twice, I've gotten a pimple on my upper cheekbone/under my eye which is pretty rare for me but I'm not sure if that's due to the castor oil. I've also gotten about 2 pimples within my eyebrows which seem to be associated with when I put any leftover castor oil through my brows (thought I'd try to thicken up those too) so I've stopped doing that. I read on a website (here is one site and another site that talks about the comedogenic properties of castor and other oils) that castor oil can clog pores on some people so I'd definitely suggest trying it out for a day or two first before really going for it. Despite possibly getting pimples around my eyes because of the oil, I haven't gotten any pimples on my eyelids or lashline (no styes) and I actually had what I think might have been a milia (keratin filled bump) which you can see in the initial pictures below and it's now gone away possibly because of the castor oil (it gets on my eyelids when I'm applying it, sometimes I rub the leftover/excess around my eyes like eye cream). So as a final warning, just be aware of any skin changes and stop if you think the castor oil is causing negative effects.

Okay so here's some picture results from my last 2 months of using castor oil (what you've all been waiting for).

I apologize for the lighting difference and meh quality but these were taken off my phone with no product on. The top 2 photos were at the start (February 2017) and the bottom 2 photos are now (April 2017). I'm going to continue using the castor oil since 2 months isn't a whole lot of time, and update this as it goes but so far I haven't seen that much of a difference..can you guys? It's definitely a bit disappointing that there's not much change and I actually did some MORE research on castor oil and found that only some people have actually seen eyelash growth with it so maybe it's not as effective as I initially though.

There is an actual medical product that boosts eyelash growth but requires a prescription and is incredibly expensive. It's called bimatoprost (generic) or Latisse (brand name) and has been shown to be extremely effective in lengthening your lashes. I don't plan on getting that though because (1) price and (2) a friend tried it and said after stopping, her lashes seemed stunted in growth (this has been mentioned by others who've used it as well).

So hopefully this was somewhat helpful or interesting to read. I'm sorry castor oil isn't the miracle product (for me at least) but give it a shot if you want - maybe you'll be different? Anyways, what other DIY or actual real products have you guys tried to make your eyelashes grow?

New Lip Products (Kylie Jenner and Alexis Ren x ColourPop Collection) + Swatches!

Recently I've been getting more and more into lip products especially liquid lipsticks. They're so fun (the bold colors!) and last quite well throughout the day, even through meals (well if you get the right brand...  more to come on this!). I still need to work on staying inside of my lip lines especially since liquid lipsticks aren't as forgiving as a traditional lipstick. Anyways, Alexis Ren recently had a collaboration with Colourpop and released about 6 items in her collection. I picked up 4 of the 6 and thought I'd share a swatch of these along with 2 Kylie Jenner liquid lipsticks my sister got recently as well.

Find this and more fun shots on my Instagram!

 The 4 items I got from the Alexis Ren x Colourpop collection were:
-Pressed Powder Face Duo in Topaz ($15)
-Blotted Lip in Lexi and Deja Vu ($5 each)
-Ultra Satin Lip in Bare Necessities ($6)

The two Kylie Jenner matte liquid lipsticks my sister picked up were in the shade:
-Candy K (lip kit, $29): described as a warm pinky nude
-Kristen ($17): described as a warm brown berry

I swatched all the lip products on my hand down below. I also have included a swatch of Beeper, an ultra satin lip liquid lipstick from ColourPop which is said to be comparable to Kylie Jenner's matte liquid lipstick in Dolce (which unfortunately I don't have but there are lots of comparison photos online!)

Personally, I think the quality of the Kylie Jenner and Colourpop liquid lipsticks are pretty much the same. They both have the same lasting power (Colourpop may actually last a little bit longer through food) and have high pigmentation. The Kylie Jenner matte liquid lipsticks are significantly more expensive and have a buttercream/frosting scent to them so if you're not into that, I would avoid these. The Colourpop lippies are all (I have multiple other ones as well) unscented. Like all the liquid lipsticks I've tried, both brands' liquid lipsticks tend to dry down a little darker then when you first apply them so just a word of caution. I would advise not applying more than 1 or 2 layers of either liquid lipstick as that tends to make them more easily rub off/smear (I learned the hard way..). Neither brand makes my lips feel too dry but I would advise lip balm after a day's wear of any liquid lipstick. They both fade off throughout the day nicely and don't flake off like other brands.

I like both the Kylie Jenner colors in terms of wearability (easy to wear on an everyday basis) where as some of the Colourpp liquid lipsticks can be a bit too bold for everyday. Beeper is definitely a dark brown mauve-y color (as you can see in the swatch) which makes it less work-friendly but I suppose that depends on your field of work. Bare Necessities is a nice peachy pink color though I noticed it did seem to smear a little bit more easily than Beeper or my other liquid lipsticks from the regular Colourpop collection. Not sure if that's because they used a different formula or if I was just eating/drinking more the day I wore Bare Necessities but thought I might just throw that in. Bare Necessities also might not look good on every skin tone (I think if you're a little darker than a MAC NC30-35 it might not look as good but that's just my opinion/from what my sister noticed when she wore it as she is a tad darker than NC30-35).

Lexi and Deja Vu are really nice. Both color are easy to wear and you can build up the color intensity. They're very creamy like a classic lipstick. They're not too drying and are a good consistency that doesn't accentuate your lip creases. The swatches on my hand were about 3-4 strokes/rubs on my hand (to give you an understanding of the pigmentation). I like the packaging of all the Alexis Ren collection products. It's like nice and classy with the black and gold!

I think I'll update this with more photos of me actually wearing the products on my lips/face but for now, hope you enjoy the mini review/hope it helps you decide if you want to buy them or not!

TheBalm/The Balm Cosmetics Review

The Balm Cosmetics has been a brand that I've heard loads about but just never got around to trying because it wasn't in available at Sephora, Ulta, or any drugstores. However, some time ago, there was a site wide 50% off sale on their online website so my sister and I jumped on it and picked up a few goodies we'd been eyeing for ages. So now that I've gotten to try out the products and put them to the test, I thought I'd do a little review and give you my thoughts on them!

I think it's only appropriate to start with Mary-Lou Manizer ($24 off the Balm site) because this was the first the Balm product I heard of. It's definitely a cult favorite and has been tested by many others and I have to say, I agree with the hype. It's a really beautiful light beige highlighter (not too warm and not too cool) with a beautiful fine shimmer that doesn't make you look like a disco ball but definitely makes you stand out. The packaging is quality and the mirror is huge so it's perfect for travel or on-the go makeup. You can double it for eyeshadow or highlighter too which is awesome. Definitely no complaints here. If you want to try out their other shades of highlighters though, they have a trio package with all 3 shades that they have in a mini/deluxe size which I semi wish I got because I bet they all would have looked really nice!

Next up is Bahama Mama ($20), a warm bronzer that hits the spot. I've been using it daily since I got it and absolutely love it. It has ZERO orange tones to it so it won't make you look like an oompa loompa (is that how you spell that..?) and blends in so easily. It's not SO pigmented that you get too much pigment when you swipe your brush into it (which is a good thing, I dislike products that are so soft that you get way too much product even with the lightest touch) but it definitely has color so don't be too hard with it. Like the highlighter, you can double this as an eyeshadow as well and it'll contour your eyes flawlessly. It is a bit small for $20 but since I got it half off, I'd say $10 is a good deal. I have Hoola by Benefit and the NYC Sunny Bronzer (really amazing for the price) so I'd say the NYC Sunny has a bit more orange than Hoola or Bahama Mama and Hoola is just a touch lighter than Bahama Mama. I love both my Hoola and Bahama Mama though so can't really say which I'd choose if I had to choose one. Maybe Hoola since it does come with a brush that is excellent for contouring but I think Bahama Mama's color is just SLIGHTLY better for my skin tone. Also keep in mind Hoola by Benefit is $29 so if price is a deciding factor, think on that (NYC's bronzer is like.. less than $5 by the way).

When picking out which products I was going to get, I had the hardest time choosing between Nude Tude (the original neutral palette) and Nude Dude (released after Nude Tude with more pinky tones). I ended up choosing Nude Dude ($36) because I wanted the rosy-dusty shades it had while Nude Tude had other warmer golden shades that I already had with my Naked by Urban Decay palette. I'm completely satisfied with my Nude Tude palette and have been using it basically daily since I got it. I love the wide range of colors it has and they're all really well pigmented and blend so easily. I don't get any patchiness with them and there's a really good amount of shimmery shades and matte shades. Beware that the dark colors are very pigmented so you don't want to be heavy handed (whereas the lighter shades you can get away with being heavy handed because they'll blend in more easily). The highlight shade is so good for the inner corners and underneath the brow bone and even all over the lid if you're doing a look that calls for that. I love the two dusty rose shades though because those are totally my style right now (one is shimmery and one isn't, 3rd column from the right) and they pair so well  with the darker browns next to them (2nd column from the right). While $36 isn't exactly cheap, it IS cheaper than the many other neutral palettes out there (ie. the Naked palettes are $54, Smashbox Full Exposure is $52, Too Faced The Chocolate Bar is $49) and I would say the shadow shades and quality are on par with all of those other brands so don't be afraid to try it even if Sephora doesn't stock it!

My sister wanted to try Meet Matt(e) Hughes ($17) in the shade Honest so we picked that up and lemme say it is super pigmented, matte, and creamy. The color is a bit more peachy that it appears in my photos and is described as a warm coral. It seems like it would be good on all skin tones and is very wearable. I think it lasts for a reasonable amount of time and fades well when you eat/drink/do stuff that would make it come off. The applicator is standard like most others though to be honest I prefer the heart shaped applicator tips with a pointed tip which really helps you get the edges of your lip without mistake. Definitely make sure you use a lip liner with this because mistakes are not easily forgiven. I think $17 is a bit up there in price especially since I've recently discovered the wonders of ColourPop (I know I'm late to the bandwagon) which has amazing liquid lipsticks for only $4-5 (they have sales a lot so you can usually get it discounted) and they're just as good, if not better, than this TheBalm liquid lipsticks.

How 'Bout Them Apples ($32) is a cream blush (well technically cheeks and lips) palette that is so pigmented and the color range is super wearable and versatile for all occasions. The packaging is cute (as are all of The Balm products, and as you can see in the photo below, the palette opens up vertically and on the top half, there's a HUGE mirror. Super great when you're traveling, on the go, or just not in a location where a full mirror is at easy access. Application works well with a beauty blender or dense brush but a normal powder brush would do as well. Gotta say this is a big hit and would definitely recommend it if you can pick it up on sale since full price is edging it a bit if you're like me and don't use blush that often.

I don't have a close up shot of the Time Balm ($28) foundation (my apologies) but it was definitely super orange-y/oxidized when my sister tried it out. I got the shade Medium (for my sister's Asian skin tone which I would say is about a Mac NC30 but maybe a little darker) and it just had a strong orange undertone that wasn't super flattering for the neutral undertone Asian skins generally carry; I'd say this foundation is better suited for Caucasian individuals. The puff that comes with the foundation isn't the greatest but that's expected so not a huge deal breaker really. This is one of the downsides of not having TheBalm stocked at Sephora or Ulta because you can't try out the foundations to make sure the shade fits you. So if you're not 100% sure if the shade will match you, I'd say save your money and spend a bit more for one you know matches you (aka one you can sample in store) since you can't return used/open items to TheBalm (understandably so).

All in all, I'd say I'm pretty pleased with this The Balm haul. I've wanted to try out their products for so long so I was really excited when I saw they had a 50% off sale! At full price, they're definitely a bit on the pricier range but they do go on sales periodically and some products can be found on sites like HauteLook for discount so look out for those if you're interested. The only product I'm iffy/so-so about is the Time Balm foundation but everything else I'd definitely recommend!

The Best (and cheapest!) Way to Clean Your Makeup Brushes

I'm not going to babble too much and get straight into the post. It's pretty common knowledge that makeup brushes need to be washed - especially face makeup brushes. You don't want bacteria building up and if you're doing makeup on other people, you don't want their face oils and germs on the brush when you use it next right? Same goes with eye brushes although the concern is more that when you use different colors, you'll have residual from the old shade you used and well, that's no good if you've got black shadow mixing with your highlight. So yes it's clear that makeup brushes need to be washed. But using what?!

Store bought cleansing solutions are expensive aren't they? So most people have come to realize that well... olive oil is great at removing makeup from the face and doesn't clog pores. And dish washer soap is supposed to kill 99.999% of bacteria. SO.. if you take the two and mix them together, you should get the perfect makeup cleansing mixture right? CORRECT! I think that's also pretty common knowledge (I think all the Youtube makeup gurus I watch use this solution). It's cheap (well olive oil can be pricey but it's def worth it) and effective. I've used it since I started getting into makeup and have never had any issues. However..the only one problem is really getting out ALL the makeup from some of my denser brushes (ie. the Sigma F80 kabuki brush). Sometimes the foundation really gets stuck in and even after multiple scrubs on my hand, I find there is still residual foundation spots left on the brush. I know other people have had this problem because Sigma designed a tool to help with this: a brush cleaning glove! It has ridges and bumps that are supposed to help you "deep clean" all your brushes quickly and efficiently.

I think it's a cool idea especially if you have a ton of brushes.. However, for someone like me who only needs to wash a few (5-7) brushes every so often, $39 is a pretty steep price. So I discovered my own tool to help me deep clean and it's something I think most people will have! A ginger grater! Now I know what you're thinking (okay well I don't) but does it seem weird? Well a ginger grater also has little small raised bumps to help you grate a ginger into tiny shreds of pieces. It's not too sharp like a knife or a cheese grater, and it's on a flat surface (like the one shown below).

It's definitely improved the cleanliness of my brushes and speed of the whole process so I thought I'd share it with all of you. All you have to do is move your brush up and down or in circular motions and you'll see all the pigment and gunk from your makeup foaming up off your brush. I do this as many times until the soap bubbles are clear or when I rinse the brush under water and wring it out, the liquid drainage is clear.

To dry my brushes, I use a dry and clean dish towel or hair towel and lay it vertically. I roll up one edge so that it creates a raised roll that I can prop my brushes against so that they lay at a downward slant to promote the drainage of water as they dry. This is important to prevent the bristles in your brushes from falling out. In the below photo they're propped upward because I had just dipped them in my oil+detergent mixture. They're currently propped the opposite way since I just finished cleaning them. I like to use a hair towel because they're long enough to roll up and still have extra towel room to cover my brushes when they're drying to prevent dust or random stuff falling on them and dirtying them (if that makes sense)

I hope this post was somewhat useful for you and please give it a go! It might seem weird at first but it's quite effective! If you have any questions, feel free to leave them down below!

A peek at my Frosty VoxBox from Influenster

 

 This winter season I was lucky enough to be chosen to be sent the Frosty VoxBox from Influenster! If you don't know what Influenster is, it's a review site/company that sends out boxes to members to try out different product brands. Each box contains different items and they all have special themes that you, as a member, can earn badges for which will allow you to be considered to be sent those items related to your interest. For example, for a makeup obsessed person like me, I have the Beauty Badge which qualifies me for consideration for makeup Influenster boxes. There's also fitness themed boxes, food themed, travel themed, and more! I would definitely check out Influenster if you're interested or post in the comments below and I can invite you (I think you need an invitation to join).

With that being said, let me share with you the products I received in my Frosty VoxBox!

One of the first things I noticed was the McCornick Gourmet bottle of thyme. I'm no professional chef but I do know that thyme is a super useful dried herb when it comes to cooking. I've used it to season lamb, mashed potatoes, and various other dishes so I was actually pretty excited to see this in my VoxBox. I recently used it for our family Christmas dinner to season our roasted vegetables and it was so good! McCormick is a brand I've grown up with and I think it's one of those "family brands" that have just been around for a while. The glass bottle packaging definitely makes this bottle look more classy and professional than their usual plastic ones. I definitely think I might pick up a few more herbs or dried seasonings from this "gourmet" line by McCormick.

There were two makeup products that came in my Frosty VoxBox. The Rimmel Scandal Eyes waterproof khol kajal liner and the NYC lipstick. Both I've actually been fortunate to have tried as I bought the pencil liner in the nude shade a while back. Everyone on Youtube was raving about how good it was and how it was a dupe for the Stila nude pencil that everyone always used on their waterliner so I thought I'd give it a try and I'm so glad I did. The liner is just the perfect amount of softness without being too soft like the Stila ones which sort of "mush" when you apply too much pressure and tend to smudge. The Rimmel liner is much better and it lasts all day with little to no smudging on my semi-oily eyelids. I don't own the liner in the black shade though so I'm really glad I got it! I'm a bit of an eyeliner junkie and I own more than enough black eyeliners but I always love to try new ones. If you want, I might post a review and comparison of all my favorite (and not so favorite) black pencil liners.

The NYC lipstick came in the shade Sugar Plum and is a beautiful mauve-y color. I previously received the same Expert Last Lip Color by NYC from another Influenster box but it was in a hot pink shade which was definitely a bit intimidating. This color, however, is much more wearable and perfect for the winter season. It's almost like a Kylie Jenner lip color which is that nude-mauve sort of lip color that everyone's been going crazy about. I wore this lip color the other day and found it a little drying but definitely lasting.

Another makeup/beauty related product I received was the Rimmel London makeup remover. I'm definitely happy that I got this in my box because I'm running low on my supply of the "free gift with purchase" makeup removers that I get from Clinque (my mom is a sucker for those deals and they almost always come with a travel size of their makeup remover which is SUPER good by the way and I would highly recommend). I have yet to try the makeup remover from Rimmel though but it's a good large sized bottle that I'm sure will last me for a good long while. I'll update you on my thoughts about the remover and how well it removes fake eyelashes and waterproof makeup!

No7 is a UK brand I believe but I've never actually tried anything from their line so I was a little excited to see a sample of their product in my box. It's a anti-aging serum so I might actually give it to my mom to try but at the same time, I feel like it's a bit hard to review a skincare product based on a small sample since I'm almost positive there is no topical treatment that will instantly cure your aging skin problems in a tiny sample packet. Nevertheless, still excited to see a brand I haven't had much exposure to in my box :)

If I haven't mentioned before, my sister is an absolute tea fanatic. She loves all things tea and tea parties and tea cakes and well anything tea related. She's even started collecting fancy vintage tea cups and been to some nice tea shops. Celestial Seasonings tea is a brand that we've both tried and actually their main company is located in Colorado where one of my cousins works. My cousin actually brought us back limited edition tea flavors that you can only get at the company in Colorado and the one she gave me for Christmas is called "Fast Lane" that apparently has a ton of caffeine for those sleepless college studying nights (not that I actually do that though.. haha). Anyways, just the name "Candy Cane Lane" got me excited and the fact that it's green tea is even better since I loveee green tea. I steeped the tea bag for about 2-3 minutes in a cup of hot water and let me tell you, it was SO good. The candy cane flavor isn't too strong or weird and it adds a nice burst of mint-iness.

Another exciting item I received was the Ecotools hairbrush. I haven't bought a new hair brush in a while so all of mine are getting pretty..well let's just say worn out so this was a long overdue and needed hair brush. The cool thing is that it's sort of rounded which is great for blow-drying hair and it has the nice rounded bristles at the top so it doesn't stab your scalp. I've been using it since I got it and it's great! I don't know if it's any less damaging then a normal hair brush but it doesn't seem to yank out my hairs as much as some of my other ones so maybe that counts haha. It does also seem to make my hair smoother after I shower and brush my hair.

Last but not least... CANDY! This was probably the thing that first caught my eye when I opened my VoxBox because I love anything sweet. I've never actually tried fruit vines though it's by the same brand that makes Red Vines. I opened these up the other day to share with my boyfriend and he loves anything strawberry flavored so he fell in love with them right away. They're gummy type of candies and are the perfect bite size. Plus they aren't too overly sweet and are low in fat if you're on a diet (though I suppose you shouldn't be eating too much candy anyways because of the sugar..). I think I like these better than the regular red vines and would recommend you try these out if you're into the firmer type of fruity gummy candies.

Anyways that's it for my Frosty VoxBox. I hope you guys enjoyed the mini review of everything and have a wonderful new year's eve/new year if I don't post anything before 2015~!





Disclaimer: I received these products complimentary from Influenster for testing purposes. However, all opinions are my honest and true thoughts!

Manicure Monday: Alice in Wonderland Inspired Nail Art

Happy almost Christmas~! As much as I love the holiday season and painting my nails in the Christmas spirit, I decided to do something different with my sister's nails the other day and wanted to share it with you all for Manicure Monday. Because my sister loves Alice in Wonderland so much, we decided to go with that theme for her nails which constituted pretty bows, gold accented designs, and just basically an overall girly theme. We went blue as the main color because it's my sister's favorite color and also because Alice wears a blue and white dress throughout the movie so we thought it best appropriate. Part of our inspiration also came from another Alice in Wonderland nail design which you can easily find if you just Google "Alice in Wonderland nail art" so you can see where we got the color and some pattern designs from there.

I did all the nail art with either a toothpick or my white nail art deco nail polish which has a special thin tip made for drawing lines/for nail art (as the name so appropriately states) but overall the designs are all pretty simple and easy enough to do. I actually used the toothpick to trace out lines before filling them in with a normal nail polish (like in the case of the white diamond or the white clock on my sister's ring finger and thumb respectively) and for the lace design. Toothpicks are probably one of the best "at-home" nail tools you can use because they're so useful! I used them to pick up the nail gems in addition to using them to create the designs.

I purchased the gold chain from my local Daiso which is sort of like a Japanese dollar store except everything is usually $1.50 unless otherwise stated. It comes in a long chain which you can cut to your liking with scissors. I'm pretty sure you can find it on Ebay for less than a dollar which is also about the same price as the nail gems I used which came in a wheel with multiple colors similar to this. I also added on some cute stickers I got from China which you can also purchase on Ebay for super cheap :)

For the nail polishes, I used..
-Sky Blue: Revlon Core Nail Blue Lagoon
-Pastel Baby Blue: Barry M Gelly Nail Paint Huckleberry 19
-White: Orly Nail Polish White Tips #42001
-Black: Sally Hansen Hard as Nails Xtreme Wear Nail Color 370 Black Out
-White Nail Art: L.A. Colors Art Deco Nail Art 901 White

And as usual, I topped with Seche Vite top coat to seal everything in. I think it was especially important this time because I needed to make sure none of the 3-D things would fall off like the rose or the gold chain. 

Let me know what you think and if you have any nail design requests, just leave them in the comments below~! Hope you all have a wonderful holiday break and spend lots of time with your family! ^__^

Frozen's Princess Elsa Inspired Makeup Look

One of the most popular Disney princess movies ever was Frozen, recently released in November of 2013. Princess Elsa is definitely beautiful and her purple eye look really stands out. Right after I watched the movie, I was inspired to do a makeup look based off of Princess Elsa's look.

I used the above photo for reference when I was creating this look in case any of you were wondering. I'm in no way saying I look like her or that I could ever look as gorgeous as she does, but I had a lot of fun recreating her look!

I know this is super late and probably way out of season (much more appropriate for fall or winter when I had originally done this) but I just wanted to share it with any of you guys interested. I used a mix of purple shadows and can do a makeup tutorial if any of you are interested~!

I love how soft the look is but still really elegant and pretty. It's a beautiful smokey eye without being too much and you only really fully see the color when you blink/look down. It suits brown eyed girls (anyone get that reference to the Korean girl band? ;D ) or blue eyes like Elsa or really any eye color in my opinion. Anyways I have to go study for my exams but hope you are all enjoying your summer (if you're already finished with school) and good luck to everyone else who still is in school and has finals or end of the year projects coming up! xoxo.

Introducing the GoVoxBox from Influenster

Hi everyone~! Sorry it's been a while since my last post since I've been so caught up with my exams but summer is almost here so I know I just have to push through this last stretch and then it'll be all over! As my fellow Kpop lovers would say "Fighting~!" haha ^__^ Another thing keeping me going is also knowing that my family and I are going to Yellowstone National Park for a road trip right after my last exam! I'm so excited and actually, my GoVoxBox from Influenster couldn't have come at a more perfect time! I was so excited to receive it and it really has a bunch of products that are just perfect for my family road trip!

As you can see, it contains items perfect for any outdoor activities really! A bag of almonds to snack on, a protein shaker bottle (I'VE ALWAYS WANTED ONE OMGOSH NOW I'M PART OF THE COOL FITNESS CLUB LOL <3), protein shakes to keep me fueled throughout the day, tampons in case of ..well you know haha, and even shoe inserts to make sure I can walk the distance! I was also delighted to see the pumice stone because I walk outside barefoot all the time and my heels are just (okay sorry if this is TMI) caked with dead skin. It's so bad that when my foot itches, I really have to dig my nail into my skin because it's so thick that just scratching the surface doesn't get rid of that itch!

Here is the bag of Blue Diamond Almonds in the Blueberry flavor that I received and I am SO excited to try them out! I haven't actually tried them so I can't give my honest opinion yet and I do actually want to save them for my trip, but let me say, they look delicious! I love Blue Diamond almonds in general, ever since I tried their chocolate flavored almonds - SO good! My boyfriend and I were on the Keto diet which is basically a no/extremely low carb and high fat diet and we were allowed to eat nuts in small amounts. One day, my boyfriend was craving chocolate and of course we couldn't actually eat real chocolate so we came upon the Blue Diamond chocolate almonds and they were amazing!! If you haven't tried them out, I definitely suggest them. They're much healthier than the actual chocolate coated or covered almonds that you normally see since it's just like cocoa powder on the surface of the almonds (sort of like how these blueberry almonds are coated in a blueberry powder) but they taste amazing! So I definitely have high hopes for these blueberry flavored almonds and can't wait to try them out. Almonds are the perfect snack for on the go and they really do keep you full because they're high in healthy fats. These blueberry almonds are extra good because they contain Vitamin E, an antioxidant that you know we all need!

As I mentioned before, I was superr excited to try out the Pedi-Rock from Profoot since my feet are just caked with layers of skin. Unfortunately I was sorely disappointed. I used it in the shower to try and remove the layers of dead skin and while I was using, the Pedi-Rock was like falling apart! I mean black beads just kept fall off of it which was quite alarming. It did work in removing some of my dead skin though but no better than an ordinary pumice stone or file so I don't know if I would recommend this really. Super disappointed that I couldn't love this product but it's not that it doesn't work - it's just nothing special. The shoe inserts on the other hand were quite nice. They are surprisingly comfortable when I put them in my running shoes and walked around for the whole day. I don't know how necessary they really are, but if you're looking for a shoe insert, I'd definitely suggest these!

The Next Step Fit n Full Protein shakes that I received were an unexpected but wonderful surprise. I've been struggling with my weight for the past 2-3 years now and I'm always trying to find healthy snacks, meal plans, or meal supplements. I got three different protein mix flavors which included Swiss Chocolate, Rich Vanilla, and Fresh Berries. So far I've only tried Swiss Chocolate (hey this girl was craving her daily chocolate dose) and it was absolutely delicious! I've always been a bit wary of protein shakes because from what my workout guy friends always say, those usually don't taste the best. I know most fitness girls put protein powder in their smoothies and stuff which I usually do too but with these protein mixes, all I need to do is add water and..shake! Such a perfect invention for me since I always have early morning classes and no time to eat breakfast.

The last thing I received in my GoVoxBox was the Aqua Spa Body Creme. Apparently you could have gotten the Aqua Spa Bath Salts but I'm glad I got the Body Creme because my skin is always so dry so I'm always open to trying new more moisturizing lotions. As you can see in the photo, (ignoring my disgustingly old looking hands) the creme is pretty thick but it absorbs into the skin super quickly. It has a distinct scent to it since it's says it contains lavender and chamomile and I can't put my finger on the exact scent but I want to say it smells like shaving cream.. but I feel like it's a man's shaving cream not like the girl kinds that have the nice paradise scents (if you know what I'm talking about haha). If any of you guys have tried this body creme and know what it smells like, pleasee leave a comment down below because it's bugging me that I can't put my finger on the scent! >:(

Oh and last but not least (because I almost missed it haha so I felt it only appropriate to add it at the very end), there was a coupon for Mueller Greek Yogurt. I've heard of the brand and seen it every so often in Target but never tried it but now with the coupon, there's nothing stopping me haha. I love eating Greek yogurt - plain or with fruit - and it's so good for you and keeps your full for a long time~! My favorites include the Honey Greek yogurt by Sunnyside Farms (the name-brand sold by Save Mart and Lucky supermarkets), Trader Joe's Honey Greek yogurt, and the Dannon Oikos Greek yogurt (all their flavors are deliciouus). Maybe the Mueller Greek yogurts will get added to this list haha. I'll definitely let you guys knows if I end up liking it when I get off my lazy bum and go to the grocery market to buy it haha!

Anyways, hope this post wasn't too rambly or long and if you were thinking about purchasing any of these products, I hope this post was able to help you make your decision in some way ^__^ Have a wonderful Memorial Weekend everyone~!