Fashion, put it all on me!

Today is the first official day of fall and with fall comes the changing leaves, the cool crisp air, the pumpkin spice latte {which I've never personally tried but I hear it's really good} and of course, the fashion. Personnally, I'm not a super trend follower; I am what you call a "comfort-over-fashion" kind-of girl. Jeans and cardigans are usually my staples and you can always see me wearing a pair of flats.

For the past 2 years, it hasn't been really cold here in France so I could pull off most of my summer looks way into the fall season. But this year, it's getting really chilly really fast and I find myself longing more and more for a lot of nude tones, romantic-edgy looks, and lots of Chanel nail polishes. I've created a few looks that I would love to have this fall season.

I was inspired by the Chanel "Musings of a Muse" nail polish and I created this look. You can't go wrong with a pair of skinny jeans and my motto is if it's tight at the bottom, make it loose at the top so hence the flowy sweater that is fall-inspired. To give me a little bit of height since I am super short, I would pair it up with these wedges with the shearling detail. The sweater, necklace, skinny jeans, ankle wedges, messenger bag and cute hat are all from H&M. With this look, I would go for a subtle make-up look. A tinted moisturizer to even out my skin, a black-lined winger eyeliner using E.L.F Waterproof Eyeliner and peachy coral lips using M.A.C Florabundance.

I have been longing for the longest time for this Chanel "Innatendu" nude nail polish and it inspired this romantic-edgy look that I would definitely rock at work. First there is this gorgeous nude baby doll dress from TopShop but you can't go all nude because it would be too matchy- matchy so to toughen it up a little, I added some black shoes and black leggings with studded detailing, both from Asos. The coat has subtle golden detailing that is gorgeous from H&M and the bow belt from Asos and the little flower headband from TopShop make it all bohemian-chic. And to tie the whole look together, a wide camel messenger bag from TopShop that can carry lots of stuff yet looks quite elegant. And how cute is that "Bonjour" ring from Asos? For the makeup, I would go for the smallest hint of color with Too Faced Brightnening Blush in Papa don't peach and go for nude eye with lots of black mascara only on the top lashes. My favorite mascara of the moment is YSL Luxurious Mascara in Noir Radical.

This look was inspired by Chanel "Black Satin" Nail polish; and for a night out the town, a really cute dress is a MUST! You could go for a little LBD but there is something about this Miss Selfridges Flapper Dress that is quite retro and effortlessly chic. Pair it with an oversize TopShop blazer. In order to add a little bit of fantasy to the look, why not go for a black feather clutch? Simple earrings and nude platform heels that make your legs look that extra mile longer is TRULY the cherry on top. For the makeup, I'd go for a smoky eye and nude lips.

Those are my favorite looks for this fall season! What are yours?

xx

Hair Update!

*********************************************************HAIR UPDATE*****************************************************************HAIR UPDATE***************************************

Okay, so when I was picking the bottle of hair dye, I hesitated a long time for the darkest brown or black. After a while, I just picked up Garnier Color Intense in Black. I applied it this evening and left it for a little longer than usual because yes even at 22, I have grey hair. I have a small patch on the left side of my head; I think it means that someone is wise and/or rich. And I ain't neither of them so go figure :).

After rinsing, my roots looked like they were auburn. Yes, I don't know THAT happened but my roots are now auburn. I was fuming because I thought my hair was a complete disaster; I thought about going back to the department store and seriously getting a refund. I was this close to going all Naomi Campbell on them.

But now that my hair is completely dry, my hair look dark brown shot through with some auburn when bright lights hit it. Okay, so it might not be pitch black like I originally wanted it to be but I think this is nice as well. And if I get bored of it, well, I'll try dying it again in a month or so.

"The Lesson of the Day" is if you choose to use Garnier Color Intense, the color payoff isn't as great as suggested on the box. A lesson learned the hard way but still, lesson learned. On the upside, I found the most moisturizing conditioner I have ever come across; and guess what? It was only 1euro 50. It's a no name brand; I picked it up because it was close to my hairdye box and because I just really needed conditioner. It was for limp hair and split ends and it smells like fig and it's infused with Argan Oil. Seriously guys, my hair feels like silk and my hair is maybe 90% dry right now. I need to get the whole kit of it because I is officiallyz in lurv.

I will post pictures tomorrow of the final pictures. But here's a teaser. This is originally what my hair looked like:

xoxo, Gossip Girl. *I'm off to watch last night's episode. Seriously, how could I live without tv.blinkx.com? I don't know.*


******This is for Carina******


This is the reason why I don't trust hair stylists; I'd rather fuck up my own hair than to have to pay for someone else to fuck it up for me.


Please excuse the face I'm making. The sun was in my eyes.

I rest my case. This is some Carrot Top hair.

I have a confession to make

Are you ready for it ?

*I love to watch makeup tutorials.*

There, I said it! Phew! It feels like a weight has been lifted off my chest! Yes, I completely, simply, and utterly can spend HOURS, not minutes, HOURS watching makeup tutorials on YouTube. I don't know how I first got started with it but now it has become, by far, my most favorite thing to do when I'm on YouTube. I don't know if it's the color combinations, the techniques or the beauty gurus's knowledge but I cannot get enough of it.

I realised something not too long ago; by watching these videos, I slowly started to pick up their tricks to a flawless face. Growing up, I'd buy makeup but I never knew how to apply it correctly. I'd choose the wrong color for my foundation; I've never heard of the word "concealer" and I thought that an eyelash curler was a torture device. It would even be a miracle if my eyebrows were defined. I'd let them be wild and close to being a unibrow. NO LIE!

Exhibit A: Please excuse my best friend K's face in the background. Granted, you can only see half of my face but: wild bushy eyebrows? Check! Bags the size of a bucket of KFC? Check! At least I'm keeping my teeth blingin'. Thank you Crest Whites!

Exhibit B: Please excuse the drunk eyes! I swear I wasn't drunk; I was high..............HIGH ON LIFE THAT IS! I attempted to add a bright lip to my look but as you can tell, too much colour can make you look like Bozo the clown. Whiter face? Check! Red lips? Check! All I'm missing is the red nose and I'm set!

Thanks to the few ladies I will soon present to you, I went from "Drab to Fab"! Well not really, but my makeup application is definitely better and I get to experiment with looks that I've never tried before. These might just be my favorites.

This photo has been definitely put in B&W but I learned that for an old school Hollywood Glamour look, a winged liner is the way to go à la Sophia Loren.

For a nice bright pop of colour, please keep the rest of your face neutral.

And last but not least, define those eyebrows girl! They say "eyes are the windows to the soul" and your eyebrows are your window frames; well I just made that last one up but hey it works in this case, doesn't it? I must say so myself, my frames are working it!

What a difference right? Now, I wish I could say that this magic was all self-taught but it's not. I've learned from the top beauty gurus on YouTube and I'll give you guys my top 4 favorite beauty gurus so you can check them out too!

#4. Dulce Candy

{YouTube Link}

This girl is amazing; she lives in LA. Her makeup collection is BANANAS and her closet too! I've spent hours just watching her tutorials.

# 3. Tanya Burr

{YouTube link}

Tanya hails from Norwich, London and is a pretty brand-new guru. She is the sister-in-law of my #1. She is amazing and her work is always flawless.

# 2. Kandee Johnson

{YouTube link}

Seriously, if you've never seen Kandee, do yourself a favor and click on the link right now! You will not be disappointed as this woman is a living, breathing, walking ,talking ray of sunshine. Not only will you learn something, but you will be smiling at the end of every video. That's how much her smile is that infectious.

# 1. Samantha and Nicola Chapman

{YouTube link}

I don't know what else to say but these ladies are simply fabulous! They are the most professional, knowledgeable makeup artists I have ever seen! Their work are so fabulous and simply, they're the best.

Those are my favorite beauty gurus on YouTube. Do you guys have any favorites or are makeup tutorials not your cup of tea?

This might just be better than Pro-Activ.

Do you have pimples and blackheads that just won't budge? Do you have acne scars that have yet to fade? Are you tired of using over expensive creams in hope to finally have clear, beautiful skin? Do I really sound like an infomercial right now?

I need to make a huge confession; I am envious of girls who have clear, beautiful skin. Like, majorly envious.

I have struggled with my skin every since I hit puberty. It started with the occasional pimple on my chin and probably escalated to something that has like a full-blow breakout all over my face. My acne eventually wore down after 6 years of sheer torture and now, I get the occasional breakouts during "that time of the month". But the worst part of it all, is that now, I'm scarred. Although I may not have acne anymore, I have daily reminders of my horrendous past left on my face.

And it's not to say that I have not tried every single trick in the book to get rid of all my acne scars and breakouts, and I mean, EVERY SINGLE TRICK! I have tried to put toothpaste on pimples to dry them out; I have tried rubbing baking soda and water paste on my face to clear up my face. I have tried rubbing potato slices on my skin as well as using cucumber juice. I have used honey, turmeric, lemon juice but to no avail. I have spent money on things like:

Pro-Activ- this never worked on my skin. In fact, it made it worse.

Clinique Acne Solutions- This worked for awhile but eventually stopped, as with all other Clinique products on me.

Clinique 3-Step Program- This worked magic AT FIRST; it cleared up my skin but breakouts would still pop up everywhere and it also dried up my skin although I used the one for sensitive skin.

So I was literally about to give up until I fell on this piece of magic. I am telling you, I have used it for 2 days only and it has accomplished so much more than using Clinique Acne Solutions for 3 months. A) It is purely organic and B) you will not spend outrageous amounts of money on it. It is simply the magic of Tea Tree Oil and Aloe Vera Gel.

+ = Magic!

Just take an empty bottle or small pot; I mixed 100ml of Aloe Vera Gel with 20ml of Tea Tree Oil and Voilà! Easy peasy, lemon squeezy! That alone could work wonders but since I like to experiment, I also added a tablespoon of Aloe Vera Emergency Spray which is just 99.9% of Aloe vera in liquid form and since my T-Zone is on the dry side and Tea Tree Oil can dry out your skin, I added a tablespoon of my day cream enriched in Vitamin E to just hydrate my skin.

*WARNING:* It is highly recommended to not use Tea Tree Oil on skin directly. It should diluted in water or whatever else you're planning on using it for.*

This also may be used for fading stretch marks you may have on your skin. Only con of this whole thing? The smell; I don't know if you smelled it before but it is very very strong. So your loved one may not want to hug you for awhile until said-mixture can really go deep in the layers of your skin. But I'll gladly live through the smell if it can clear up my skin. I have dark spots on my forehead, huge clusters of scars of both my cheeks and on my chin. Those are my scars that I try to cover up on a daily basis.

I wish I could be a foundation kinda girl but I'm not. I hate the feeling of heavy-weight foundation on my skin but unfortunately, I have to put some on in order to even out my skin tone and when it's really hot, the last thing I wanna do is put on "my face" as I like to call it. I want to be free from my scars because I do feel they are holding me back a little and not to cry "Victory!" just yet, but I think I found my thing that works for ME. My scars have faded from dark brown to light brown; Think Mac's Soft Brown for all you makeup lovers, to Mac's Bamboo in just 2 days of application.

I will finally be able to wear things I have always dreamed of wearing but couldn't such as:

*I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it.....*

Cute? No hunny, I'm beautiful.

Cute. I'm sick and tired of the word "Cute". I mean, cute is way better than ugly, don't get me wrong. I have always been the good friend, you know the girl who guys hang out with but that nobody wants to really date and I've felt that way prominently because of my size. For a very long time, I've felt complexed about my body and how people saw me.If you didn't know, I am not super model size. I am not 5'10 and I do not have legs that could go on for days. I am short and curvy. All my life, all I've heard is "Oh, you're so cute but you could be beautiful if you were skinnier" or "Wow, that dress would look amazing if you lost at least 20 pounds". I'd always try to not let it get to me but there comes a time where even self-confidence cannot manage to drown out all the negativity.I've tried to harm my body countless times by not eating or drinking at all for days on end. It took me a very long time to realise that my size did not define me one bit; I could be the skinniest bitch around, if I didn't feel beautiful on the inside, then I was not truly beautiful. I realize now that as long as I'm healthy, I can be my own supermodel.

So a few nights ago, I couldn't sleep so I decided to watch some T.V and there was this documentary on the newest plus size model who was turning heads. Her name is Tara Lynn and she first graced the covers of W and Elle France. She is gorgeous and she's a size 48Eu/16Us/18Uk.

This gave me a lot of hope, considering the times we do live in where size 0 is plastered all over the covers of magazines. These magazines do not seem to realize that the average woman is a size 12 and it was so refreshing to see a real woman with real curves on her body, and not Photoshop-acquired ones, on the cover of a magazine. Maybe this will be a wake-up call for all these girls who strive so hard to look like their Photoshopped idols, sometimes detoriating their physical and mental health; maybe they should just realize that beauty comes in all different shapes and sizes. So the next time someone says "Oh, you're so cute!", I'll be like, "Not trying to be conceited but cute? No, hunny, I'm beautiful."

I am...

I saw this awesome post in Erin's Circle's blog and I felt like I had to do mine.

I am:

- the girl who stares at a sunrise and daydreams about the sunset.

- an only child and one of the eldest out of my 25 cousins.

- that child who used to try to put forks in electrical outlets.

- an 11-year-old who had to leave her family behind in order to move to a different country.

- a 6th grader who used to rock at playing kubbs, Sweden's national game, in middle school.

- a strawberry shake lover for those nights I didn't feel like cooking.

- the daughter who always got the bigger room whenever her family moved.

- a 9th grader who decided to shoplift a lipgloss in a local Walmart and who got banned from that specific store for 2 years.

- that little girl who used to run under her covers when she was home alone and would hear a strange noise.

- a girl who once had a crush on a boy who hated her guts.

- a 6th grader who was always teased because she couldn't speak a word of English.

- a 8th grader who had a crush on a boy who was part of her exchange program.

- a junior high student trying to smoke her first cigarette on top of a hill.

- that same junior high student who then rolled down said-so hill just because.

- a senior student who's prom dress got ruined by Mother Nature.

- a girl who got 6 stitches on her scalp all because she literally ran into the edge of a door.

- a girl who's never kissed her first love but has been in a one-year relationship with first love.

- a girl who got rejected 11 times; yes your eyes aren't playing a trick on you... 11 times.

- the 17 year-old who blasts Billie Jean in the car with her best friend because she's not of legal age to go clubbing.

- the 20 year-old who decides to leave her confortable life behind in search of new adventures.

- the 22 year-old who thought she knew everything there is to know about love; turns out I have a lot to learn.

- the coin I wished upon before throwing into a fountain.

- from a father who will never understand how much he means to me, deep down.

- from a mother who has put up with a lot of crap from me and still manages to love unconditionnally, with all her heart.

- from a maternal grandmother who could easily be my favorite person on this planet.

- from a stepfather who managed to bring joy to my mother's life and bring our family closer, and for that, I am eternally grateful.

- a heart worn on my sleeve.

- from many mistakes and wrong turns.

- a heart that has been broken many times yet it still falls in love like it's the first time.

- a laugh waiting to pour out of my soul to hopefully, bring a smile to your face.

- a friend who's loyal through thick and thin.

- eyes who cannot help but see the beauty in all.

- a soul who's main source of energy is hope.

- me, flawed and beautiful.