Meh, Meh, Meh. MEHHHHHHH.

My job is eating my brains. I literally have no words left. I swear, I'm dying.

Dior Addict Lip Glow Color Reviver Balm Review PLUS Wet n Wild Megalast Undercover Nail Color Review!

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, I bought this on Thursday night. I fell in love with it at the counter, partially because it was so natural-looking (it is the exact same color as the tube!) and partially because it was semi-minty. I completely adore minty lip products! 

I have used it like mad, but that is a really good representation of the color! What I like about it is that it brings out the natural color of my lips, so that my lips looks slightly glossy and tinted, but in the most natural way possible. I'm so pale that I have the worst time finding a my-lips-but-better color, and this fills that need. 

Before with nude lips:

After with balm:

I love it! I know there are a lot of color-changing lip balms out there, but this is my favorite. I love how it is in lipstick form, and I like the minty-ness. The only complaint I have is that it doesn't last as long as I would like it to. I am going to see how long this tube lasts for me, but I do recommend it and will probably buy it again.

The nail polish shown was an impulse purchase, but I think it is amazing! I needed a work-appropriate color, and this is amazing. Seriously, I plan to buy a few more colors in this line. I could have gotten away with one coat of it, but with two coats it is amazing. It is super cheap, and the quality is better than the Essie/China Glaze polishes I have. Completely. Freaking. Awesome.

Awesome surprises/Last (Thursday) night: tgif!

This is my "I have survived my second week of work/gotten less than seven hours of sleep in the last 48 hours and am now taking crappy makeup-free pictures in photobooth on my ancient macbook" face. Gorgeous, no? 

I am not usually big on surprises. I don't *dislike* them, but I don't prefer them. I'm pretty flexible though, so I tend not to mind. 

I'm rarely surprised, so it is kind of a moot point. Let me give you some back story: 

I take the bus to and from work. The bus stop is half a mile away from my house, and is in front of a convenience store. Last night my boyfriend texted me when I was on the bus ride home, and told me to stop by the convenience store when I got off the bus. I did, and he was right there waiting for me. My mind=blown. Seriously. 

He drove me home, I changed, and he drove me to the bank to deposit my first check!  See, I have this little first-paycheck ritual. Whenever I start a new job, I treat myself with a bit of my first check. I usually buy a lipstick or a perfume, and I hate doing this alone. I dislike lonesome celebrations. 

He came with me to the mall, and we walked all over. We looked at a furniture store, bought a few chocolate truffles, and then I brought him to Macy's to lipstick with me. I bought a Dior Addict lipstick, and there will be pictures tomorrow or Sunday. 

We then went for a picnic, and decided to watch a movie. We curled up together and watched the Adjustment Bureau. It was good! A little bit too "love conquers ALL!!!!!" for me, but sweet nonetheless. I have to say, it really was the best night ever. I love him so much, and the time with him made my week. 

Nars Damned and other updates.

I know that I never added an image to my Nars Damned review, and here it is. I really, really love this color. I wish that it didn't make me seem so goth-like. I have nothing against people who wear the goth style, but it makes this color fairly unwearable for me. I work 8-5, and then I volunteer a few hours per week, both of which in professional environments that frown upon extreme looks. It really is a lovely color, and is one that I would re-purchase but will probably never use up.

♥

I saw the cutest raccoon on my run this morning! It was HUGE and old, going slightly grey in its little black mask area. I saw it and stopped, and it saw me and seemed interested in me. I think someone around here is feeding it because I honestly believe that it would have walked up to me. Not in a mean way, but in a "I'm hungry and creatures like you feed me! What do you have to offer me?" way. 

A tiny bit sad.

I don't like posting sad things here. I'm not quite sure why, but I guess it might be because I am a happy person and I want my little space here to reflect that. However, this is my sort of online journal, an overview of my life, and I want it to reflect all aspects of my life.

I don't know why I feel so down tonight. Nothing horrifically wrong happened today, but there were just a few things that just made me feel a bit hollow, worn out.

You may remember my posting about the coffee shop man. I saw him again today at the bagel shop where I went to get my lunch. He tried to invite me to lunch with him and his friend, and then asked if the 50+ year old man behind me was my husband. I said no, that I had a short break from lunch and had to rush back to make it on time. He then gave me a 3X5 card with his name, phone number, and a light pink/purple stamp on it. I have to say, with shame, that I went back and incredulously explained this to my coworkers. I was creeped out by it! He so obviously doesn't understand that I am not anywhere near interested. He seems fully mentally capable, and dresses in neatly pressed clothing, but he is just strange. As you have seen, I'm not the most attractive person out there, so he must be desperate.

Tonight though... tonight I feel sad for him. It must be rough to get to be middle aged and not have someone. I just wish that I could find someone for him, someone to provide companionship. I usually am not mocking of people who hit on me, and I just feel guilty for sinking so low. While I don't want to date him, I wish that I could find someone who would be willing to. No one should have to be alone if they don't want to be.

Ritual Relaxation

I am not ritualistic at all. For the most part, I like to switch up my routine — take a different jogging trail, wear different makeup, etc. 

However, I do have one thing that I do pretty consistently: burn candles. I like to burn one for an hour or so while I get dressed in the morning, and then burn one for a couple hours at night while I read in bed or look around online. I love the scent, and I enjoy the relaxing flicker. 

What are your rituals?

Work tomorrow!

Today was amazing. B came down to see me, and we walked all over downtown, and then went on a hike. Midway through the hike we found this bizarre little hut thingy at the top of the hill. I forced him into an awkward photo op because it was just so randomly there. I really miss having him here.

I go back to work tomorrow, and I feel rather indifferent towards it. I mean, it is a great place to work, but it doesn't really create passion in me, other than the fact that I will be able to pay for the apartment this fall and maybe a bit of furniture.  

Maybelline Salon Expert Nail Color Retro Red Review/Personal rantings.

I love this color. Seriously, it is the most perfect red for my skin tone. However, I am fairly certain that it has been discontinued, and that makes me all sad inside. This is a polish that I would definitely buy again, and the flat, curved brush really does help with the precision. 

I have had three people try to pick me up in the tackiest of ways today. I always feel bad turning people down though, so I came home and hunted down the most wedding-looking ring I own. I am not a huge fan of this ring, but this way I can just say "Sorry, I'm married" instead of awkwardly stammering and walking off. (Not saying I'm super hot, just saying that I was the only chick braving the rain today in heels. These guys were older and desperate, I'm quite mediocre looking, I know.)

Just in case anyone is curious: if you want to pick up a chick in the coffee shop, there is a right and a wrong way to do so. My local library has a little cafe in it and is located right next to the bus station. I had thirty minutes to wait for my bus and I decided that I could dash over, look at a book, and get myself a delicious bagel and a latte. I was in a kind of low mood, but I was acting perky so that I wouldn't come off as sad. I stood in line, placed my order, and then stood there waiting.

 This man had been staring at me the entire time that I was in line, and I had been hoping that he wouldn't approach me. Unfortunately, he did. He came up and started asking what I was doing today, telling me that he had a special appointment with a realtor to look at additional properties today, etc. He made two mistakes: 

First — Don't try to impress people with money. If I was the type of person who went into a relationship for financial gain, my blog would be *far* sexier and self promoting. I worked in real estate before, and I remember the types of people that we would get on weekends – outside of our normal office hours. Half of the people were deeply apologetic for making us come out to meet them on the weekend. They realized that, just like them, we ran a business and have family and friends. The other half of the people felt completely and utterly entitled to it. They are purchasing something, and therefore we must yield to their every whim. The funny thing is that most of the people in this group had very average incomes.

Entitlement is not going to create attraction, at least not for me. I want someone who can acknowledge that the person who is behind the counter at Starbucks is a human being exactly like us, but has different circumstances. The fact that they make more or less than we do doesn't mean that they are obligated to do something for us. 

The second mistake is a big one: Timing. It was early, I was tired, and I wanted my coffee. I was planning on sitting down and enjoying my bagel, maybe taking the later bus, and then looking at the book sale that the library was having. If he had come up to me and asked me to sit with him while I was looking for a seat with my coffee and bagel I would have been far more receptive. I still would have said no, because I am seeing someone already, but if I were single I would probably accept an invitation like that. 

I ended up leaving as soon as I got my food because I didn't want to deal with him. I was tired and have a low awkward threshold. 

China Glaze Jetstream Review

I like this color. I admit, it was far lighter than I was expecting, but I think it is a nice, work appropriate color. I do find it to be a bit yellow, but I think that my odd skin tone plays a huge part in the oddness of the color. The image shows two coats of the polish with Seche Vite on top. 

As I have mentioned before, I love China Glaze, so I recommend the polish overall. The color is up to personal preference.

Friends?

I don't usually get annoyed by these things, but today I read an article/posty thing that both annoyed me and made me wonder. 

The post was a woman asking for advice, her husband wanted her to delete her facebook because he was afraid that she would talk to men/have an affair. Women were telling her to delete it or let him patrol it, and to be quite honest I was appalled. 

As I have said in the past, I have been with the same man for just over a year. We have had our rough patches (no affairs, my one dealbreaker)  but worked through them and are looking at moving in with each other in the fall. He would never, ever ask me to do anything of the sort, and I wouldn't do it even if he did. 

I have always held that a relationship is two (or more, depending on your preference) people who have decided to live their lives together. They are still individuals, but they function as a team. He agrees. When we live together, we will split the bills, pay for our individual wants, and possibly share a vehicle. This allows us to have a mutual, equal relationship. 

I cannot fathom allowing him to have control of my life. He and I are friends on facebook, but we do not have our statuses as "in relationship." We simply have a blank relationship status. I know that I mention him a lot here, but that is because this blog reflects a great deal of my personal life. In my professional life, I don't discuss my relationship. I have many male work friends and school friends, go to lunch with them, and but I come home to my beloved. 

I am a very friendly person, and very bubbly. I like people! B is the same way, and that is why we work out. I don't worry that he has female friends, and he doesn't worry that I have male friends. It has backfired once, when a man was attracted to me, I turned him down, and he then accused me of cheating. I had proof that I wasn't even in town the day he said he saw me at the mall with this man, but I never had to use it. B trusts me beyond the shadow of a doubt. He laughed about it when he heard. (I will probably post about what happened at some point, but I had driven my mum to a city about two hours away for a full day of medical appointments. There was literally no way that I could have been where he said I was.) 

Aside from that, we have never had a problem, and I guess that is why I look at posts like that woman's with horror. I mean, how terrible would it be to be in a relationship with that level of mistrust? I think that the best relationship is the one that doesn't force you to give up your identity. A good relationship should enhance it, not destroy it. 

What do you think?

First Day/Dress Shopping.

Today was my first day of work, and I am completely exhausted. I have to get up and do it all over again in less than 5 and a half hours. I have been looking at pretty dresses though, and I wanted to leave you with some rather mediocre cell phone/dressing room photos. 

I really liked both of them, but they are $100 and had mediocre stitching, with threads hanging out all over. They are super cute though... the black and white one is my favorite.

EOS Shave Cream Review.

Let me start by saying that I have very few HG products. I tend to find that there are many products out there that do basically the same thing, and I will switch around between them trying to find the best results for the best price. This, however, is an HG product. 

When I saw this in the store, I was a bit skeptical. I mean, shave wet OR dry? I dislike razor burn just as much as the next girl, and I was afraid that this would be agony-inducing. I was also afraid that I would go through the bottle in a month, because it is such a thick product. 

I love it. This is the fourth bottle or so that I have used up, and I have found that a tube will last me about two months, shaving my legs twice a week. It is like a lotion, and I use three pumps per leg. I tend to use it dry, because it allows me greater control and gives me the ability to really see my legs. I have tried it wet as well, and it works beautifully. With this product, I tend to shave my legs at night, moisturize afterwards, and then shower in the morning, without rinsing my legs in between. It is really like a dense moisturizer, but allows enough slip for me to get shave. 

There are four or five different scents, and the vanilla is my favorite, although I didn't find any of them to be offensive, which is rare for a scent-snob like me. 

Honestly, I can't recommend this product enough. I will be re-purchasing it tomorrow. 

****Also, if I commented on your blog today and misspelled a billion and a half words, I apologize. I used my iPad on the bus, and I was trying to hide my keyboard from the man who was far too close to me while being jostled around on the bus. I am usually really careful, and I will try to improve my iCommenting.

Homesick?

I managed to completely forget to take a picture of my old room! I was so rushed for time this morning that I blanked it. I decided to inundate you with pictures of my new room instead! I'm still in the process of settling in, and still have a bunch of clothing in baskets because I managed to leave all of my hangers at home, but I've made a bit of progress. 

Just so you know, all of the furniture/bedding is my grandmums, other than the fluffy blanket at the end of the bed. I am going to make my mark on things, but I didn't want to come in and change everything on my first day. 

That is my precious Macbook. I have had it for nearly four years and I absolutely adore it. I had to buy a new battery for it last year, but it has been so good to me overall. I'm not a total Apple fangirl, and don't really care what people use for their computers, but I'm absolutely in love with mine and will miss it deeply when I have to replace it/ end computer love gush. 

I like being here at my grandmum's, but I miss having my car. I know it sounds like a silly thing, but I've never really used public transportation before. It has never been super available or convenient in my area, and now that I have to rely on it, I'm panicking a bit. I'm going to explore a bit tomorrow, and will probably take a billion and a half pictures/send anxious tweets about how lost I am. I want to have the bus system down before I start work on Tuesday. I also miss the little sounds of my old house, and miss my kitten like crazy. She is loud and a bit obnoxious, but she always cuddled at my feet. 

Saturday Self-Improvements: Moving Day.

Please enter my lovely bedroom, and take a look around: 

Note the shopping bags from earlier, looking for work clothing, and Nyquil bottle leftover from the throat experience. 

Those are my precious cats, that I will be forced to leave behind. I will still see them once a month or so, but they usually sleep with me at night, and I will miss their presence. 

You can tell that I have a bit of a candle fetish, and that I had a crummy bottle of lotion that wouldn't pump out the last two inches of stuff. 

I'm in the process of packing/cleaning/prepping for my boyfriend to stay in my room while I'm living in another town for the summer. I will post the after shots tomorrow.

The Friday Five

Finals are OVER!!!! All but one of my grades are in, and so far, all A's. I'm so happy, because I was quite nervous about one class, but I must have barely made it! 

♥

My job schedule is in, and I will be working from 7:45am to 4:15pm. I'm so glad, because initially I thought I would be working from 5:45 to 2:15. Not too horrible, but it would have made life a tad difficult, with the bus system and all. 

I'm going to be living with my grandmum (and paying rent, not mooching) this summer, and I absolutely love her. She is so fun to be with and we share tastes on just about everything. She also has a Keurig. My excitement is palpable. I love coffee, and now I can get the little pods and have delicious flavored coffee in the mornings for $1 a cup instead of $4+. 

♥

I found a ballet class in the city I will be living in! It only meets once a week, but is super affordable and will allow me to keep dancing. I still plan to get a gym membership, but this made me smile. 

I have been spending so much time with B this week. He is so amazingly sweet, we didn't get to spend enough time together this term, and won't be able to spend much time together this summer. I went over to his place last night, and we just curled up and talked about the future, the apartment we will share this fall. I will miss driving over to his place in the middle of the night when we live together, as bizarre as it sounds, and driving home early in the morning to get ready for class. I know it may sound strange, but it is a sort of happy ritual, one that will be greatly missed. 

I have been busy!

I have been crazy busy today! I spent half of the day perfecting the paper that I sent in to the school that I'm waitlisted at. I'm not quite sure that I want to go, but I know that I want to try my best to get in, or I would always wonder. Now I just sit and remain anxious while waiting and wondering. I am very impatient, and this waiting game is killing me.

Shopping for the new job! Part One: Dresses.

 I have a new job! I'm so thankful, because I have been unemployed for over a year now, and it had become very hard for me to remain positive.

One of the awesome parts about this job is the dress code: Dressy business casual. I only have a few things that really nail that style, so aside from one or two dresses and a thousand skirts I'm out of luck.

Sooooo... I'm going to inundate you all with my shopping! Today's post is going to be on dresses.

I love dresses. I really, really love dresses. They tend to add an instant elegance, and with the right shoes and bag can be perfect. I plan on living in dresses and light cardigans/wraps this summer.

                                                                                                    All images Via Kohl's

I love this dress! I think that it would be absolutely perfect with a light cardigan and basic black slingbacks. I was so excited, ready to purchase, and then I saw the sizes available. I briefly wished that I was an extra-large.

I like this a lot, but I wish that it were in black. My love for caffeinated beverages is legendary, and most of those beverages are dark. I don't see this dress lasting a week without a coffee, tea, or Pepsi Max stain. I will keep looking at it and fantasizing about being coordinated enough to wear it it. 

This was by far the most viable option out of all of them. I don't like the pink around the bottom, but there was an option without it (I couldn't find a decent picture of it though.) I like it because it fits the code (knee length, covers armpits) and I wouldn't have to wear a cardigan with it. It also looks like it would be fairly comfortable as well.

I have this feeling that I'm going to be spending the next few days anxiously running through thrift stores. It will be fun! I start next Tuesday. 

Quickie!

I got the job! I'm beyond thrilled. Seriously. 

Today I took my last two finals, which I'm a tad upset about and will elaborate on later. 

However, I am DONE with this term, and am going out with my friends. My regularly scheduled mediocrity will be back tomorrow.

Bobble Bottle Review

I'm sure that you have noticed the trend in my posts thus far: self-improvement. 

It isn't that I feel I have any huge issues, but I know that there are a few areas of my life that I could do better in, such as health and finances. I tend to be crummy about getting enough water in and more than willing to stop and buy a latte or a diet soda. They taste good, but my bank account looks pretty sad, and I feel wretched when I don't have access to enough caffeine. 

I saw this bottle at my local Target. I thought it was super cute, and I was hoping to have something that I could carry with me to class/work and enjoy decent tasting water. I'm a bit of a water snob, and I hate water that smells/tastes bad. This bottle has a built in purifier, and I assumed that it would clear up the taste. 

Unfortunately, this bottle is far more trouble than it is worth. I got the super-cute pink one, cleaned it as directed, and put water in it. You cannot use ice with this bottle, which is an annoyance, but fairly common. I took a few sips of the water, and it is meh. Not necessarily bad, but off in a way that I can't quite define. I wouldn't mind the flavor or the lack of cold water so much if it weren't for how difficult it is to actually *get* a drink of water. 

You know how you get a super thick milkshake and you have to suck and suck and suck before you get to anything? You have the same experience with this bottle, but you only get water after all the effort. To be honest, it isn't worth the effort. I think the bottle design is adorable, the idea is brilliant, but the finished product isn't very good. The bottle itself is quite thin, almost like a plastic soda bottle, and I feel like I have to be super careful with it for fear of destroying it accidentally. 

Overall, I do not recommend this bottle and would not repurchase.

Saturday Self-Improvements.

This month I'm focusing on language. I have the first three sets of Rosetta Stone French, and haven't used them. I'm going to start working on French four hours a week, beginning this week.

Unfortunately, my nails have broken again, and I ended up cutting them last night :(

My throat still hurts, and I have almost no voice. However, I do believe that I'm starting to come out of it a bit, and am hoping that I feel even better tomorrow. I don't like feeling low, especially when I should be studying.

The Friday Five

I have been looking at storage for our soon-to-be apartment! That was the only downside, but I have always hated closets and preferred a clothing rack, and I will put my desk in the closet. 

I have the most terrible sore throat! I'm assuming it is from stress, but I'm tired of feeling crummy. 

♥

I got rejected from my dream school. I found out while in class, stood up, and walked out. I texted B, and then I walked down to my current schools art gallery. He was waiting there for me, and I told him not to be sympathetic, because I didn't want to cry on campus. He got this look on his face, and that caused two tears, the only ones that I have cried. I'm numb and empty now. My dreams are dead, and I have failed.  

♥

Finals are next week, and I will also find out whether or not I got the job next week. I'm dying of nerves.

♥

I took two classes with one instructor this term, and I always wondered if he didn't like me. He just seemed somewhat annoyed whenever I said something in class, and whenever I would see him in the hall he would seemingly work to avoid me (and I wasn't trying to talk to him, usually I'm heading for my volunteer job and running a tad late, so all I can manage is a smile and a "Hi, Dr. ......") 

I turned in my final assignment, and he took me aside after class and told me that he really liked my work and would be willing to write a reference for me. It was the only bright spot of my week.

♥

Aveeno Active Naturals Positively Nourishing Smoothing Body Wash Review

I decided to try this last month, and I am glad that I did! It is one of the few exfoliating body washes that actually exfoliates, but gently. I must admit, I didn't notice a huge difference in my skin, although my keratosis pilaris did clear up some (that could just be from getting more sun though, so I don't guarantee that effect!) 

The scent is pleasant, but quite strong and somewhat artificial, although not overwhelmingly so. I wouldn't recommend this to people who are highly sensitive to scent, because this does last for multiple hours, and is strong upon use. 

The scrubby bits in it are good sized, but didn't make my skin feel like it was being rubbed raw. I used my hands to apply it, and that may have made a difference. 

Overall, I used about half of the bottle in the last month, and probably won't but it again. The smell is overpowering my perfume during the day, and Flowerbomb doesn't really blend well with this. 

If the smell isn't a problem for you, I strongly recommend it for a lightly exfoliating body wash. 

This Month I'm Trying:

♥ Tretinoin cream. If you haven't noticed from my pictures, I have some unfortunate acne. I have a prescription for this, and will be using it every night for a week.

♥ Olay Night of Olay Firming Cream. Super cheap, something I purchased in a pinch, but I'm trying to use up my "extra" products before I move.

♥ Crest 3D White Advanced Vivid Stain Protection Toothpaste. I am on a mission to whiten.

♥ Rembrandt Whitening Mouthwash. I have been using this off and on, and like the results when I'm consistent.

♥ Body Brushing. I'm trying to prep my skin for summer.

♥ Yoga/Pilates/Jogging. I'm going to exercise 4 times a week.

♥ Weight Watchers. I'm going to stick to my points, eating exactly the amount I should. I will share with you the results at the end of the month! I'm not trying to starve myself, but I'm not quite fit enough to feel completely comfortable in shorts or a bathing suit.