Shady's Back, Tell A Friend

What a title for a beauty blog post, yeah? LOL, I suck at non-review related post titles, forgive me!

HI GUYS! Guess what? I'm done, D-O-N-E, DONE with my sophomore year of college! I took my last final early this morning (which was awful to wake up for). It's so strange because I've been so busy with always something to do that I can't quite wrap my mind around the fact that it's actually done. I can sit down and watch hours of Netflix without feeling guilty for procrastinating. Summer's here! Seriously, it's so humid and hot outside, haha. Today's blog post is going to be a chit chatty one. Just wanted to update you on some things going on and what's in store for my blog. I plan to churn out some posts for this week, and I've already filmed a HUGE haul video that'll be up on my channel as soon as it's done being edited. 

I've genuinely missed you guys. I miss the interaction on here in the comments and on my twitter. I'm usually really good replying to every single comment on my posts and it kills me that there are comments in some posts that I haven't got a chance to reply to. I'll be doing that as soon as I'm done typing up this post. I don't care how many comments I get on my posts, 5 or 20, I can't just leave them there without at least a 'thank you' or a smiley face :) Also, hello to all my new followers! Whenever I had the chance to check on my little blog it put a smile on my face to see that there were new readers. Especially since I hadn't made a proper post in a couple of weeks. I'm usually a constant poster, so get ready! 

Ah, it just feels so good to be sitting here and just typing. I thought I would forget what to say or how to write! I have so much in store and so many new products that I want to share with you all. I'm also thinking about doing a series of posts culminating in a video each week in June. Like, I'll review all my 'base' products for my face that week and then Friday would be a foundation routine. I think that's really cool and will motivate me, plus give me some sort of structure. I've gone back to writing in my blog journal to keep everything organized and stay on top of my posts. 

I think that's it. I cannot believe summer vacation is finally here. I can honestly say that after this semester it is well deserved! How are you all? I hope you're finishing up on your last stretch of school and if not, I hope it's at least going smoothly! The end is near guys! (That sounds apocalyptic!) Haha! I'll talk to you guys tomorrow in an actual, honest to goodness, beauty post!

Ah, I missed this :)

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My (itty bitty) Nail Polish Collection

WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! Car gone, beds empty, no note! (Read that as Mrs. Weasley, please, for the full effect)

Hiiiii, guys *sheepish wave* I took an impromptu hiatus and didn't bother to tell anyone. Why? Well mostly because I was too busy to even get to writing out a tweet or post letting you guys know and not so mostly was I didn't know when I was coming back. I have a week, YES A WEEK! left of this gosh darn semester! Then I can get back to my old posting habits and just annoy you guys with post after post ;)

Surprisingly enough, I managed to find time to film a collection video! Don't ask me how I had time for a video/editing session but not to write a post. (I'm just so tired of writing as of right now!!!) ANYWAY, I asked if you guys would like to see my nail polish collection and you all said *thumbs up*, haha. So here it is in its (itty bitty) glory. I don't show my face in this video because I got a facial and came out looking like a spotted leopard. Even make up couldn't mask that polka-dotted mess. No face, but loads of pretty polish colors to look at. It's a very modest collection compared to many larger collections you're no doubt used to seeing; heck even I'm used to seeing those! If you guys are interested to see which nail polishes I have then you can watch the video below! I'd love for you guys to leave me recommendations of your favorite polishes below in the comments, as well. I'm trying to expand my collection of colors and could use your help on color selection!

Thanks so much for watching!

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Lipstick Picks for Spring

Morning everyone! It's my 20th birthday! & I just needed to get that out of the way, haha! Today I have a really exciting, and super colorful post to share with you all and that is my Top 5 lipstick picks for spring! It's a guest post I wrote for the lovely Sandra at The Puzzle of Sandra's Life and if I do say so myself, it's a good one! There's a nice mix of light, pastel shades, as well as some of my favorite brights (couldn't exclude those beauts!) so hopefully you'll be able to find some lip-spiration (oooh, I quite like that!) for the warmer months! If you guys are interested, do head on over to Sandra's blog through this link -> here and have a read! I'd really appreciate the support (it's my first guest post ever, eek!) and would love to know what you guys think! Don't forget to share your favorite spring time lipstick with me when you get over there!

Have an awesome day everyone! (Almost wrote 'birthday' LOL)

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NOTD | Mermaid's Tale In The Cab-ana

The title of this post ... I can't. I feel like it's my cleverest moment (It's probably not), but it just fits in a cute way and that makes me feel accomplished. ANYWAY, this post was not planned but last night I was repainting my nails to start the month of May off fresh with my new polish, Essie In The Cab-ana, from their Resort collection. When I finished, I looked at them, and said 'WHOA, this needs to be shared!' I have been lusting after In The Cab-ana ever since I randomly stumbled across it in CVS. It's a fun light blue creme polish, that's also a bit bright so you know it's going to be a favorite in the summer time! It's my favorite shade of blue and I'm already in love with this polish! It applies opaque in one coat, but you know me, I had to apply two. I seriously could not recommend this polish enough to any of you! If you see it, nab it! It's going to be PERFECT, 100% PERFECT for the summer time and even now in the spring time! Everything about this polish makes me giddy which sounds mental, I realize that, but it's that gorgeous of a color. 

I also love doing the accent nail with creme polishes, so much so that even Rico Suave has noticed this and asked why I never just paint all my nails the same color, haha. I paired it with another new favorite polish of mine that I got at IMATS, Julie G's Mermaid's Tale. I adore the way these two polishes go together and compliment each other. The bright blue of In The Cab-ana paired with the dark, but shimmering Mermaid's Tale makes me ache for the beach, warmer weather, and summer time!

I'm totally, and utterly obsessed with this manicure! What do you think?

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Collective Haul | Sephora, Bath & Body Works, Bobbi Brown, and Macadamia Natural Oil

Happy, slappy Tuesday, y'all! It's the end of April today if I'm not mistaken! Which to most is a signal of 1/3 of the year coming to a close but to me it means MY BIRTHDAY IS IN 2 DAYS! I know, I know, you're tired of hearing about it. By the end of the week you won't have to hear about it again till next year ... or unless I post a haul of goodies I got, LOL. Speaking of hauls, I have a collective one to share with you all today! I've been shopping a bit here and there for some essentials and not so essentials, haha. Sephora was having their VIB sale at the beginning of the month and I took that as an opportunity to get a full-size Urban Decay Naked Skin BB after loving and squeezing out every last drop from my baby-size sample. Since I ran out of my MAC MSF a while back I figured it was time to try a new setting powder. Originally I was going to go for NARS Light Reflecting Powder but my friend Julia recommended Tarte's Smooth Operator Amazonian Clay Powder, which she said is a great setting powder for drier skin as it has some ingredient that keeps moisture on your face. I don't know, but I was sold and got it! Reviews on both of these are coming to a blog post near you so stay tuned! I also got my Sephora birthday perk which is a mini sample of Benefit's They're Real (love this mascara, and I'm so glad I've never had to purchase it as it always, always comes as a sample somewhere) and a mini Benefit's WattsUp highlighter, which I actually reviewed once and wasn't a big fan of it. 

Bobbi Brown was also having a super exciting Friends & Family 20% off sale that my mom took FULL advantage of. Seriously, if Bobbi Brown makes it, my mom 100% wants it, haha! She kindly asked if I'd like anything (no doubt trying to spread the Bobbi Brown joy she is feeling) and I said no until I played with one of their lipglosses in a Sephora one night out. I ended up getting Bobbi Brown's High Shimmer Gloss in Bellini. It's such a gorgeous, everyday lipgloss with hints of silver and gold shimmers. I'm not a lip gloss gal, at all, but this one has virtually no stick to it. It's not goopy and you can barely feel it on your lips which I LOVE.

Then my ever so lovely mother surprised me with some sweet treat from Bath & Body Works after I dropped my *not-so* subtle hints about wanting some new candles. She picked up the Strawberry, Market Peach, and a baby Espresso candles (which btw, makes my entire room smell like a coffee shop!) I, like every other blogger/vlogger, love me some Bath & Body Works candles! They have the best scent throw and some of the most delicious scents I've ever sniffed! I didn't even have the heart to blow out Market Peach whilst taking these photos!

Last, but not least, are my Macadamia Natural Hair goodies that I managed to find in my Stop N' Shop (for cheaper, too!) I've been on the search for some hair products that would make my frizzy, poofy, dry, and curly hair look like I actually managed to do something with the mess. Macadamia products are raved and raved about on the blog-o-sphere and after some recommendations I bit the bullet (have you seen the price?!) and got myself the shampoo and conditioner. Well I THOUGHT I got the conditioner, turns out it's the leave in conditioner, haha! Woopsie. Still testing both of these out and the Leave-In conditioner is actually quite nice so I've decided to keep it. We'll see how I get on with them and then I'll be sure to put up my own review on the ever so hyped hair goods!

What do you lovelies think? Anything here that you've tried? What have you recently hauled? 

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FOTD: Aqua Shimmer

This is actually a face of the 'yesterday' but I won't tell if you won't ;) Sundays are 50/50 days. Sometimes it'll be a day I wear not a single trace of make up; other times it'll be a day for me to play with products I haven't touched in a while. So yesterday I decided to break out my unhealthy amount of blue liners and pop one under my lower lashline for a subtle yet really fun and sparkly pop o' color that many of us beauty gals, looooove :) It made me feel really pretty paired with the dark black liquid liner on top and made my eyes do that thing where they look uberly blue and ha-uuuge. I dug it, and I think I'll be wearing this look a lot more now that it's getting warm and is becoming socially acceptable to wear more color! 

On my foch:

• Urban Decay Naked BB as a primer
• Urban Decay Naked Skin all over foundation
• Tarte Smooth Operator powder face with Sigma Large Powder to set foundation
• Benefit's Hervana Blush blended on apples of cheeks
• Benefit's  WattsUp blended on tops of cheeks
• Sephora Liquid Liner in Noir thin line on upper lash line
• NYX Eye/Eyebrow Pencil in Aqua Shimmer (who would put this on their eyebrows?!!) line the lower lashline and stopped a little before the inner corner
• MAC Fascinating Eye Khol line the inner corner for a pop
• Bobbi Brown Intensifying Long-Wear Mascara mascara yo' lashes
• And shockingly enough, no lip color :O *gasp*

What color would you like to pop under your lower lash line? I think I'm going to try mint or purple next time!

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I ♥ Spring Tag

Hey guys! Hope you're all having a fabulous weekend. I should be starting and finishing a paper for my history class but instead have spent the day watching Spongebob and Ice Age. What a life, right? Because of my school work I haven't really had time to film so that's why no video has gone up recently, but I finally managed to film a video and do the I <3 Spring Tag that a lot of lovely people have been doing! It took me ages to put up this video because I've been trying since 10 pm last night. So this is just a quick post to let you know that it's finally up and I'd love for you guys to watch it and let me know what you think! If you haven't done this tag yet, I def. TAG YOU! to do it :)

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

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✤ 20th Birthday Wishlist ✤

Hey everyone! Today is Thursday the 25th of April which means that my 20th birthday is just a week away! I love my birthday and I get so excited for it every year! I take birthday's quite seriously and I'm not sure why. I feel like on your birthday you and your loved ones should (at least attempt) to make sure you have a joyous day! What's strange about this year's birthday is that I'm turning 20. No more teen. People will hear 20 and expect me to act like a full fledged adult and we all know that's not happening ;) If anyone asks, it's only my 8th birthday, haha! Anyway, I thought I'd share with you a wishlist of things I'd love for my birthday! Of course they're beauty related bits but c'mon, isn't your birthday a prime time to lust after things you love but it would ache your heart to splurge on yourself? Yes, I thought so. Here's my list!

1. Estee Lauder Pure Eyeshadow Duo in Raisins | I swatched this in a duty free in Mexico before boarding my flight and instantly fell in love with the smooth, buttery-ness and beauty of these shadows. This is such a lovely duo that if I got I could see myself pairing the two colors every day!
2. Benefit's FakeUp | I LOVE THIS STUFF. I tried it out in a Sephora and was seriously overwhelmed with how fantastically it worked. I did buy it, but had to return it because I realized I didn't have the funds to pay it off. So, hopeful birthday present :)
3. LORAC PRO Palette | I always ignore products when they initially get super hyped up and when that dies down I end up falling in love with. I'm an absolute nut for matte shadows and a friend of mine basically said I need this. It's still sold out in all my Sephora's but it'd be an awesome palette to have!
4. Essie's Resort Collection | The colors in this collection of polishes by Essie are all so lovely and spring like. They remind of some of the colors that Barry M does in their Hi Shine formula and since I can't get those, I'd love these!
5. Beauty Blender | This has been on my list for quite some time and I've heard that it's fabulous for getting a flawless foundation application. 
6. NARS Sex Appeal Blush | This blush is the epitome of the perfect pale, pink, peach nude. It's gorgeous. I love it. I need it. I did buy this with the FakeUp but again, didn't have the funds to pay it off so I begrudgingly had to return. But soon, it shall be mine! I need this in my collection!
7. Mermaids: The Myths, Legends, & Lore | Self explanatory, I think, haha. It's a 200 page book about the myths and legends of mermaids which is something I've never seen before. I'd love to read up more on some of the mysteries of le mermaids :)
8. Ted Baker Kalipso Wash Bag | I've seen this bag in a lot of bloggers' 'What's In My Make Up Bag?' posts and I love how simple yet cute it looks! It took me ages to figure out where anyone got them because no one ever said, haha! My mom actually got the black one and stores her new make up collection in it. I love it, and am so jealous of hers! (Hopefully she gets bored of it so I can steal it ;) )
9. Jeffrey Campbell Litas | These shoes are SO BADASS. I'm always in ballet flats or sandals and I'd love a pair of sassy shoes I could wear to feel super ... well, sassy, haha. I think these would go great with my insane amount of plaid shirts and acid wash shorts. I don't expect to get these as a gift and even if I received enough money to buy them myself I'd still have to get the cajones to order them!

It's a long list, but hey a girl can dream can't she? This is the only time of year where my list is about a mile long! It'd be awesome to have even one of the things on this list as just imagining owning any of it makes me happy. I'm super excited for my birthday and I can't believe it's just a week away! Eep! Hope I get to eat a lot of Mexican food, YUM! :D

Anyone else a Taurus baby? ;)

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Pictures Hanging on a Wall

Did you ever notice that hardly anyone takes personal photos with a camera that's not on their phone? Seriously, think about it! When you want to snap a quick picture you grab your phone, snap it, and then upload it to Instagram to share with your friends (Unless you're that one individual who whips out their iPads, LOL). I'm not saying this as a "TECHNOLOGY HAS TAKEN OVER OUR LIVES" sort of thing. I'm coming from a place nostalagia. When you would have your pictures, print them and have a physical image in your hands. I used to print pictures from drugstores and sites like Snapfish all the time. Now, not so much and my memories are just stored on my phone, instead of a keepsake box or hung up on my wall.

A while ago I stumbled upon this site called Printstagr.am. They print out your Instagram pictures on some seriously sturdy photo paper. So I decided to order some because it seemed like just the fix I needed to my nostalgia of physical pictures and I thought I'd share with you all what I did with them! I ordered the mini squares (2.5 x 2.5 pictures that are $12 for 48) and decided to place them on my door like they were photos in a dark room that you hung up to dry. I used baker's twine, Command mini hook strips, and tiny (yet super sparkly) clothes pins from Michael's to put this whole little DIY together. I love the look of these pictures just hanging in my room. They add a personal touch that my room was seriously lacking and now I have pictures I can get up and physically look at! It's so much nicer to see them on my door than on my phone's gallery. 

If any of you lovelies have some pictures on your Instagram's that you'd love to physically have, I'd highly recommend this website/service! It's affordable, quality is great, and there's no stopping the DIY gears churning in your head! I've known people to just tape them up on their walls to create a massive collage (which sounds so awesome and I may try soon!). I know all of us blog lovelies take pride in our Instagram accounts and keep loads of keepsake pictures on their, so why not take that one step further and have something you can actually keep!

Have any of you lovelies ever used this site? What do you think?

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[CLOSED] The Mod Mermaid's 1st Birthday + Giveaway!

Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday to you, Happy Birthday dear bloggy, Happy Birthday to you!

Morning, afternoon, or good evening to you all! I'm a big ball of energy today because there's something so amazing at seeing your blog reach a full year! I honestly can't believe that a year ago today I sat down and wrote my first post. (It was my IMATS experience and haul post, haha!) It's exciting because I'm the type of person who gets bored with things quite quickly and once I get bored I just stop doing it, but not with my blog! I feel like I should have made cupcakes or a cake or something for such an occasion! Maybe I'll throw a party and have all the #bbloggers celebrate, haha, imagine! I'm so proud of my blog and little space on the internet. I'm happy that I found a hobby that I enjoy doing so much that let's me play with make up, write about something I love and interact with lovelies all over the country and even the world! No one in my personal life really cares too much about make up (not like we do!) so it's great to have found and stuck with a fantastic community like the #bbloggers. (I promised myself I wouldn't cry! )': )

In honor of my blog's first birthday and to treat all my lovely readers because I'm so thankful for each and every one of you and the comments you leave I've decided to host a giveaway! Now as I am without a job the prize shan't be as extravagant as I wish I could make it but what I will do is up the ante by having two winners! Oh yeah! The first winner will receive a MAC lipstick of their choice (cause we all love a MAC lipstick, don't we?!)  and the second winner will receive a Maybelline Color Sensational Vivid lipstick of their choice (I love brights, and I will make you love them too!) On top of that, this giveaway will be international! I've never had a giveaway that wasn't international because it doesn't seem fair to exclude such a wide part of my audience! 

You all know how this works! I shall leave you with this widget and just make sure to record your entries and come back for the ones you can do once a day as that'll increase your chances! There are only two mandatory entries you must complete, and you must complete both!

1. Follow this blog via GFC (only follow if you plan to stick around! none of this temporary following, it's not nice!)

2. Leave a comment below telling me :: What are your favorite blog posts to read/write? 

The rest are optional, you don't have to do them, but feel free to so that your chances to win are increased! The giveaway will run from April 19, 2013 to May 19, 2013. A whole month to enter and remember there will be TWO WINNERS! Also, please make sure that if you live with your parents that you let them know you've entered because chances are you won't tell them, you'll win, I'll send the package and you'll be questioned about this mysterious lady sending you gifts! Just avoid it, haha, and give them a heads up!

I will select the winners 1- 2 days after the giveaway closes. If I don't get a response in 48 hours a new winner will be chosen and keep getting chosen until such a time that a winner responds (how legal). Also, to the winners please give me about a week or two to send out your prize. I have to wait to hear back what colors you'd like, get to a MAC store and then a drugstore, and then get to the post which might take a little time!

Again, thank you all so so so much! I really appreciate all the love and support you've given my blog just by following, coming to read, leaving a comment, or even sharing my posts with others! I love you guys (cue cheesy music!) and here's to another year for The Mod Mermaid *clink* 

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Happy entering! May the odds be ever in your favor ;)

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