Softlips Luxe Coconut Milk 5-in-1

Hello!

Today I am excited to bring you my first product review! I thought that since I experiment with so many different products, it only makes sense that I give feedback on these products to my readers.

Up first is Softlips' Luxe Coconut Milk 5-in-1 Lip Care. I received this as a stocking stuffer from my mom, and boy does she know how to pick! The product can be purchased from the Softlips website or exclusively at Target.

Upon receiving the lip balm, I opened the package to something that looked a lot like lipstick. Even the lip balm itself was in the shape of lipstick! This made it harder to apply than regular lip balm, but after having worn lipstick for such a long time, it was no match for me!

Coming from a family of full-lipped individuals, it can often be hard to find a lip product that keeps the whole upper and lower lip moisturized and soft looking. However, this lip product made my lips instantly softer and smoother. It is, by far, the best lip balm I have ever used. The website boasts that it "hydrates, protects, replenishes, smoothes, and shines" (hence the 5-in-1 label). And I can assure you that it really does most, if not all, of the five!

Keep in mind that my lips were quite cracked from being outside in the cool air before I applied this lip balm. These are the results from just having it on for about five minutes! Next, I wanted to see how it would fair under a matte lipstick. In the pictures I am wearing Revlon's Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in "Amour". It is a gel formula.

I liked how easily the lipcolor applied after I put on the lip balm. It glided right on without any problems. The Revlon lipcolor product is actually not a favorite of mine because it is not quite as matte as I want it to be. However, I am going to give a rave review to the Softlips lip balm as it made the application of the Revlon product so much easier. 

Overall, I highly recommend purchasing this product. It has made my lips feel so much softer in the past few minutes, and who doesn't love having super soft lips? If you have any questions, feel free to ask. You can purchase the lipstick from the Softlips website or from the Target website (or in stores).

Have you tried this product? What do you think? Cheers. 

Vintage Secret Santa

Hello, everyone!

I hope that those who celebrated Christmas yesterday had a wonderful and blessed day filled with lots of cheer! I know that I certainly did, and I am now happy to share with you one of the special parts of my day.

This year I participated in Jessica Cangiano's (of Chronically Vintage) Vintage Secret Santa gift exchange. She did a lovely job organizing the whole event, and I am happy to say that I received a lovely gift all the way from Kentucky!

Katie did a wonderful job catering to my vintage (and chocolate) desires. Thank you so much, Katie!

Here are some pictures:

Sorry about the blurry quality of this photo. I was so excited that my hands were shaking!

Isn't the packaging of this gift so adorable?

Vintage postcards from Louisville! How cute!

 

Beautiful snowflake brooch! Hopefully this brings the east coast some snow!

A lovely necklace!

Hot chocolate from a local chocolate shop

Just to reiterate, I am very thankful for such a wonderful gift from my Santa Claus. I would also like to again thank Jessica for putting on such a wonderful event; I can't wait to participate again next year! Hopefully the person that received my gift likes hers as much as I like mine! 

Did you all participate in this exchange? What did you receive?

Cheers! 

Merry Christmas!

It's finally here! Christmas day!

Now we can all finally relax. No more shopping, no more rushing about. It's time to relax and focus on the beauty of life and the spirit of Christmas.

If you're celebrating today, take time to enjoy the Lord's birth with friends and family. Say a prayer, open presents, sing songs together. Even if you don't celebrate Christmas, still take time to bask in the joyful atmosphere that surrounds Christmas.

This can be a hard time of year for people, so keep that in mind as well. We are all here to help and support each other, no matter the circumstances.

Having said that, I hope everyone has a very, merry day! I can't wait to read about all the fun activities that took place and all of the fun gifts that were given and received! Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas Eve!

Hello!

Can you believe that it is Christmas Eve? I certainly can't. While I am very excited, I am also sad about how fast Christmas has come upon us. We can't worry about it being over yet, though! We still have two full days of Christmas festivities (and a few more than that in other countries!).

This post is dedicated to photos of our Christmas decorations. Enjoy!

My two favorite ornaments

Guardian of the presents

The tradition of awesome German advent calendars continues

Orange Cinnamon: The smell of Christmas

I hope that everyone has a lovely day today with friends and family! It's the poignant moments that we share together in celebration that make life so beautiful. Cheers. 

The Walters Art Museum

Hello, wonderful people!

Christmas is almost upon us, and with that there seems to be so little time. With the holidays looming and me being on break for another month, I am trying to take advantage of every spare minute that I have to do something fun.

With that being said, my sister and I decided to visit the Walters Art Museum in Baltimore. It is a very lovely place with a fairly vast collection for the size of the building. I believe that art is one of the few things that separates human beings from a lot of other species. We have the ability to create amazing things, and we should never take that for granted.

Here are some of the pictures that we took:

I opted to wear red velvet not only because it's almost Christmas, but also because it is hands down my favorite material. I belted the dress because it lacked form without the belt; I hate clothing that is shapeless.

If you're ever looking for something to do to pass the time for a few hours, visit an art gallery or museum! There is something beautiful in the quietness and stillness of these places. I especially recommend going on a weekday when there are not a lot of people about.

I hope everyone is finishing up holiday shopping. Brace yourselves; we are almost in 2016! Cheers.

Christmas Preparation

Hello, everyone!

I am finally finished with my finals! After I completed my last one yesterday, I seriously almost fell to my knees I was so happy. As much as I love learning and the pursuit of knowledge, sometimes you just need a break. And what better time to take a break than Christmas time?

Unfortunately, I still have a lot of things that I need to take care of. Here is a short list of things that need to happen in the next nine days:

Shopping

One of the most unfortunate things about being in class for so long is that it leaves very little time to do much else. In my short moments of spare time, I would much rather read a book or relax to music than shop. As a result, I am way behind on all of my Christmas shopping. Hopefully I can have it all done by Friday!

New York City

At the end of the day, there is little that I like better around the holidays than New York City. I already love NYC because of its vibrancy and blend of cultures and people, but around Christmas it is even better. Everyone just seems so cheery. The shops are all decorated, the tree is lit, the Rockettes are performing, what more could you need to put you in the holiday spirit?

Marathon Christmas Movies

I love a classic Christmas movie. Whether it is "It's a Wonderful Life" or a more recent classic like "Elf", I find that Christmas movies are some of the fastest ways to put you in the holiday spirit. 

Attend a Party

I really do enjoy holiday parties. Everyone looks so glamorous, and it's the one time of year where I usually don't feel overdressed. The decorations and music just add to the ambiance. Furthermore, there's always great food and even better company. 

Sleep

It has been a very long semester. There is nothing in the world that I would like more than to just get one really good night's sleep. If I have just that one night of uninterrupted sleep, then I know I will be recharged and ready to crank out the rest of the year in style. 

I hope everyone is doing well! What do you need to accomplish in the next nine days? 

Cheers.

Happy Birthday, Sinatra!

Hello, everyone!

As you may all know, today is an important day. It is Frank Sinatra's 100th birthday! 

Now, it's hard to know where to even begin with this post. Sinatra means the world to me. His music invokes emotion in me that I didn't know art was capable of. He came from a poorer background yet managed to become one of the most important (in my opinion, he is the most important) and influential names in the history of music. He supported equality in a time where racism was rampant. 

Sinatra made a name for himself. Whether you call him "Ol' Blue Eyes", "The Chairman of the Board", or "The Voice", everyone always knows who you are referring to. He was the king of cool, and his aura still remains ever-present today. He is the pinnacle of hard work; he believed that you could accomplish anything if you put your mind to it. 

Finally, I have to mention his voice. I like the adjectives silky, sultry, and smooth, but just about any positive adjective that you can think of can describes Sinatra's voice at some point in his career or another. No matter what your mood is, I guarantee that you can find a song sung by Sinatra to happily listen to.

Today I'm going to post a series of Frank's videos and songs that are some of my favorites. I hope you enjoy them as much as I do!

"All the Things You Are" (1945)

"This Song is You" (1943)

Scene from Anchors Aweigh (1945)

"The Way You Look Tonight" (My favorite song)

"Angel Eyes"

"Well, Did You Evah!" (High Society, 1956)

"It Was a Very Good Year"

"New York, New York" with Liza Minnelli

It was really difficult for me to pick these videos out of thousands of others I could have chosen. He was so talented, and I am so glad that I am able to share in his music with millions of other fans around the world. Thank you to my wonderful mother for raising me on this music. 

Love you forever and always, Frank. Hope you're resting easy, and happy birthday!

"May you live to be 100 and may the last voice you hear be mine."