Loving Lately #1

Have monthly favorites been outdated? I hardly see any on my dash when the end of the month rolls around these day! I've always been a fan of reading them but never writing them. I always felt too much pressure to 'love' certain products every month and my versions of those posts were always so lame. I still want to share products I've been loving during longer periods of time so I've created this "loving lately" series. I know, super original title, amiright? Instead of doing it monthly, I'll be doing it sporadically when I feel like I have a bunch of stuff I love that I must, must, must share. Hurr we go!

• Bath & Body Works Fine Fragrance Mist in Carried Away | Carried Away is my favorite scent from Bath & Body Works. When I worked there it was the only scent I was really good at selling and I wanted you to go home with at least the shower gel. In an attempt to ration the last bit of my One Direction perfume, I've started reaching for my large collection of fragrance mists. Of course, I reached for this one first with it's delicious notes of raspberries, bergamot, jasmine, and vanilla. MMM, MMM! Just wish the staying power was longer :/
• Benefit's gimmeBrow | I wasn't totally in love with this when I got it because I was bitter about practically being forced to buy it, but now my feelings have changed. Brows still aren't a part of my daily make up routine but on occasion I do enjoy sprucing up my brows to make them look less fuzzy wuzzy and give them more shape. It's especially great for work when I wan to look put together, but not to over the top. I don't know, I can't describe it (which is really helpful for you guys, isn't it? haha) but I do love this stuff!
• Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer | This concealer has been the only concealer I've used since I bought it! I love the coverage and brightness of all the Wake Me Up products from Rimmel. I've raved on and on about them for quite some time and still to this day I won't use anything else. I'm actually running low on it, but may refrain from buying another just to use up the rest of the concealers that are lost in the "forgotten".
• Candy Cane flavored Chap Stick | MMM, MMM! You can't go wrong with peppermint and candy cane flavored things during any time of the year honestly. It's equal parts minty and equal parts sweet which makes for a tasty combination! This crazy cold weather has just been the worst to my lips, so I'm glad this guy not only tastes delicious, but keeps my lips nice and moisturized for hours!
• NARS Narsissist Eyeshadow Palette | I've saved the best for last! I know reviews on this palette from NARS have been mixed, but just know that I LOVE it. It's all I've been using and reaching for as of late to create eyeshadow looks. My thoughts on it are coming really, really soon, I promise, along with crazy model shots of it (LOL) and swatches! It's all set up in my drafts, but school is making it rather hard to write up the dang thing! Long story short; I LOVE IT. MONEY WELL SPENT!

What have YOU been "loving lately" Har har ;)

On The Face | Springtime Pops

There's still snow on the ground and we're promised more on Tuesday. Frankly, I'm just absolutely tired of it all. My wardrobe and make up collection was not built for the spring! So today, on a day we're getting our warmest weather yet, I've decided to embrace the spring, even though it's not yet here. Think of it as my version of a rain dance, except it's a spring dance ... of make up. You get it, haha! I've kept it very light and fresh, not even using foundation. On the eyes it's all about the NARS NARSissist palette. I've been using nothing but this palette lately, and will be reviewing it soon! I sort of mixed together a bunch of the lighter colors and added a matte tan shade into the crease for a little natural definition. For mascara, I used Maybelline's The Falsies Volum Express; great for darkening the eyelashes and giving them a small lift. On my face, I opted out of using a foundation as I didn't want any of the make up to look or feel heavy. So using my fingers I applied Urban Decay's Naked Beauty Balm all over my face and then used Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer for under the eyes and some small blemishes that I had. I gently powdered all of that with Rimmel's Stay Matte powder. For the cheeks, I skipped the contouring and just applied Benefit's Hervana on the cheekbones. Normally I apply them right on the apples of the cheeks, but I was feeling adventurous, haha. Then to top off the cheeks with a nice "spring dew" I lightly dusted NARS Miss Liberty blush on my cheek bones. Lastly, the piece de resistance, I applied my new YSL Volupte Sheer Candy in 09 Cool Guava to my lips. It's a sheer and shiny lip color, which is something I'm not used to, but I love the pop of pink it gives and I think it brings the whole look together!

ORLY | Ingenuine

Question time! What's better than a color shifting nail polish? Answer. A nail polish that not only shift colors but is shimmery and metallic all at the same time! ORLY's Ingenuine is one of the most beautiful polishes I've ever seen. It was on the floor shelf (not a bottom shelf, but pretty much on the floor) at Sally's Beauty Supply, so it wasn't meant to catch your attention but boy did this one! I can't remember if I dubbed it or my sister dubbed, but never the less, this was dubbed the Rapunzel nail polish because of the gorgeous purple and gold shifts. Indoors and in flourscent lighting the nail polish takes on a brassy gold color. Outside the purple shines through more and when it's really sunny the two colors just dance together to create a magnificent metallic show. The finish of this polish looks as though it would be metallic but it's actually really shimmery which is great because then it doesn't apply streaky. I find you need two coats of this for it to really shine and show it's stuff. The formula was not too thin and not to thick, which made drying time super quick! The staying power is incredible- nearly 4 days on and it still had no chips. When it did start to fade a bit (mostly from lifting boxes at work) I removed it and painted it right back on. That's how much I love this polish and wanted to keep watching the color shifts in class. For $6, you can really do no wrong with this beaut!

What are your favorite color shifting nail polishes?

a super random wishlist

One of my favorite ways to get back into the "blogging game" so to speak is to create a wishlist of products I've been lusting over while I've been "away" Well when I went to sit down on Polyvore and pull the items I've truly been wanting I ended up with this strange set. A truly random, had nothing to do with each other set of stuff that's been itching my wallet (or making it run in fear, haha) A few nights ago my sister had a dream that she was riding a Penny Board. The dream was so powerful that she woke up wanting to own one and learn how to ride it. It seemed rather sudden but then I took interest, looked up Penny Boards and boarding and now I'm hooked, too! It's like the accessory I've been missing all my life, haha and now I'm really excited to get my hands on one. In mint, of course. I'm gonna dub it my mermaid board or should it be the mermaid mobile? Haha, the name is a work in progress. I should probably be lusting after a helmet, as well. The beauty lords know I'm gonna end up on my face in dirt on more than one occasion attempting to learn! 

So that's a non-beauty item I've been lusting after. The next are the Kryolan UV-Dayglow Aquacolors. It's makeup paint that ... wait for it ... glows under a backlight! HELLO, parties of one under a backlight in my room. I know Kryolan is going to be at IMATS, so hopefully they have the palette full of all these colors, otherwise I'm gonna have a rather difficult time choosing just a couple! Think of all the stellar makeup looks you could create! Now moving on to a product not so out there, but one everyone has been going goo-goo eyed for and that's the Hourglass Ambient Blush Powder in Dim Fusion. I want to know what all the commotion is with these Hourglass Ambient powders and whilst I don't completely see myself justifying the powder, I can, perhaps, justify a blush! Dim Fusion is one of the really lighter colors and I've been after a pale, soft peachy pink for a while now! 

Lastly on my list is the Rosabotanica by Balenciaga perfume, whose packaging instantly caught my eye because I thought the middle bit was a lighthouse. Gosh darn my attraction to anything seafaring. The scent is quite different from what I'm used to wearing but it's so lovely and much more grown up than my One Direction perfume, haha! I didn't check the price when I was ogling it in the store, but when I got home and looked it up my jaw hit the floor so hard. It's $130 for this beauty. Yeah, what? Huh? Ouch. My wallet ran away in fear that I may actually be cuckoo enough to buy it. Maybe in duty free when I go on holiday, but for now it'll just remain on this super random wishlist, haha!

What's one random thing you're lusting after?

One Direction | Our Moment

I think it's about time that I talked about one of my absolute favorite scents as of late. It's such a favorite that in the 2 1/2 months that I've had it, I've used up more than half. I have perfumes that I have had for up to a year and there's only just the slightest of dents. That ladies and gents is a testament to just how amazing and in love I am with the One Direction Our Moment perfume ($49.50 for 1.7 oz.) 

Now okay, I'm not a crazy Directioner (totally not judging if you are!) but it was one of those things that you know is going to sell for the name. Upon walking into Sephora, I was less than impressed with the slightly tacky outer packaging, haha. I can do without the five floating heads staring at me. Then I saw the bottle and though "oh yeah, how cute would that look sitting on a dresser or amongst other perfumes?" The bottle is a clear hexagonal shape, in which you can see the pale pink liquid. The top is actually meant to look like a regal crown in silver. It has little accents on the metal strips that really give it that something extra. In the middle, to complete the crown, is pink tulle (at least I think that's what that fabric is. It could just be netting) It's a girly and fun packaging that the youngest of Directioners can enjoy as well some of the older fan base. I display it loud and proud in front of even my Marc Jacobs and Dior perfumes (oups! XD) 

As for the scent, it's everything I could ask for. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Our Moment is really fruity with a floral kick throw in. The Sephora website describes it as "a fun, sparkling, fruity debut fragrance..." It has a nice mix of notes ranging from pink grapefruit (yum!) to jasmine to white patchouli (which, if you know me, I'm not patchouli's biggest fan, but you can't really detect it/it works for this perfume) This is one of those perfumes that when I wear it people notice it, even hours after I've sprayed it on. I actually get complimented a lot for it when people get close enough to get a good whiff, which then results in the question "what is it?!" and I have to (not gonna lie, quite embarrassingly) admit that it's the One Direction perfume, haha *hides face*

All in all, the scent and packaging, are spot on. I can see a whole range of girls and young ladies loving this scent. It's a great mix of notes so that it's not overly fruity, or floral, or musky, it's the perfect combo, just like the boys of One Direction (did I really just type that? LOL) If it's still in stock where ever you buy perfume I'd def. say it's a "must-sniff"! I'm actually gutted that it's sold out everywhere around me. Guess this was a romance between girl and perfume that wasn't meant to last! *sigh*

What do you think of celebrity perfumes? Which is your current favorite perfume?

→ 101 in 1001 ←

Hello, hello! Sorry it's been so quiet this week, I can honestly say that I've spent most of it working on this doozy of a post/project. I've been reading Becky's blog for a while now, but only just recently stumbled across her original '101 in 1001' post that made sense of all her updates. In a nutshell, the point of 101 in 1001 is creating a list 101 things you want to do in 1001 days (which is about 2.75 years) So that's what I've finally put together and I want to share it all with you. Coming up with 101 plausible ideas was a lot harder than it looks so I'm happy to have it done! It's a super strange combo of things to get done, to be quite honest, haha. I'll keep you guys updated once a month on my progress and hopefully by the time I'm 24 (eck, gross, oldness) I'll have completed everything. Heck, I can complete at least 3/4's of this list, I'll be ecstatic, but I'm aiming for all 101 ;)

001. Graduate college.
002. Book a trip to London.
003. Go to Vegas for my 21st birthday.
004. Reread all the Harry Potter books.
005. Make 5 home-cooked meals.
006. Jump off a waterfall.
007. Write a hand-written love letter.
008. Buy a Penny board.
009. Get a tattoo.
010. Visit the Smithsonian.
011. Go to Disney World.
012. Gain 1000 followers on The Mod Mermaid.
013. Have a credit card balance of '$0.'
014. Buy three Catbird alphabet rings.
015. Pretend to be a tourist in NYC for the day.
016. Buy a Polaroid.
017. Decorate a phone case. 
018. Go to a dance club.
019. Send a postcard.
020. Fill up 3 moleskine journals.
021. Go scuba diving.
022. Become a certified bartender.
023. Get a tragus piercing.
024. Eat at In-N-Out.
025. See the Eiffel Tower.
026. Donate my hair.
027. Collect 5 more Starbucks location mugs. (2/5)
028. Go on the row boats in Central Park.
029. Do 5 random Pinterest DIYs. (1/5)
030. Adopt a kitty cat.
031. Celebrate an anniversary.
032. Post every day for a month on The Mod Mermaid.
033. Read 50 books.
034. Go to Santa Monica.
035. Take photo booth pictures.
036. Shoot 10 rolls of film. (3/10)
037. Take an aerial silk class.
038. See Book of Mormon on Broadway.
039. Attend a wedding.
040. Go to Electric Zoo.
041. Get my hair done at the Dry Bar.
042. See Jersey Boys on Broadway.
043. Declare a major.
044. Go the to the top floor of the Empire State Building.
045. Take a weekend trip to Provincetown.
046. Go zip-lining.
047. Swim in the ocean at night.
048. Master the art of rainbow shots.
049. Have a margarita at Jose Tejas.
050. Get business cards made for my blog.
051. Finish my Disney Princess series.
052. Visit the Bodies Museum.
053. Go to a blogger event.
054. Buy a party dress.
055. Watch a sunrise by the beach.
056. Watch a sunrise over a city.
057. Have dinner and dessert at Max Brenners.
058. Learn to snowboard.
059. Go bowling at Bowlmor Lanes.
060. Have a picnic in Central Park.
061. Read a 300 page book in a day.
062. Drive over the speed limit.
063. Go on a Blacklight Run.
064. See a concert.
065. Have a water balloon fight.
066. Collect all the Disney Princess films on Blu-Ray.
067. Make my super-man-friend smile big on Valentine's Day.
068. Get on the Slingshot at Six Flags.
069. Get on the Dare Devil Dive.
070. Buy pastel colored hair chalk.
071. Go to Puerto Rico.
072. Grow a plant.
073. Get a promotion. 
074. Leave a note in ten different library books.
075. Learn to whistle with my fingers.
076. Ride the Hogwarts Express.
077. Save up $5,000.
078. Move into my own apartment.
079. Watch all of the Harry Potter movies in one day.
080. Write in my journal everyday for a month.
081. Finish a 1,000+ piece puzzle.
082. Have and finish any goblet drink from the Sugar Factory (by myself)
083. Go to a baseball game.
084. Fill up my owl (piggy) bank.
085. Learn to dance bachata. 
086. Apply for a beauty internship with Seventeen Magazine.
087. Ride a NYC taxi cab.
088. Go to San Genero's festival.
089. Take a bite of a ghost pepper.
090. Do the Spartan Race.
091. Eat at Nando's.
092. Ride a Segway.
093. Write a message in a bottle in 3 different languages.
094. Have a New Years kiss in Times Square.
095. See the Christmas light show at Rockefeller Center.
096. Go parasailing.
097. Go to the Bioluminescent Bay.
098. Swim with a dolphin.
099. Learn to play chess.
100. Collect five new full size perfumes. (2/5)
101. Own a black light and UV make up or paint.

•  Update 1 • 

•  Update 2 •

Valentine's Day Make Up Look

Hello, you gorgeous popsicles (too much Grace Helbig on the brain, haha) Happy February to you all! Have you noticed the sea of red that has no doubt already bombarded some grocery and drug stores? There's no way you couldn't have, haha, cause I swear it just envelops you and makes you stop. The color red will do that to you, as I've come to realize from many a Psych class. February and all this red means just one thing- Valentine's Day is on it's way. So for the next two weeks I figured I'd put together some looks that you could wear for the ocassion wether you're going out on a date, out with your gal-friends, just chilling with me, myself and I, or you know, wear for any ocassion, honestly!

Today's look is a very light, simple, and natural take on a smokey eye. I think this would be great for any day, really, but especially nice if you've made plans in the day time or early evening. In this look there's equal attention placed on eyes, lips, and cheeks, for an all around pretty look. For the eyes I used NARS Smudgeproof Base Primer and NYX's Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk for the base, blending both out with my fingers. Then with a fluffy crease brush I took a little bit of MAC's Satin Taupe and applied it lightly into the crease, ever so slightly building up the intensity and bringing it into the outer-V. Next, I took MAC's Naked Lunch on a flat shader brush and applied that on the inner 2/3 of my lid, concentrating the most color on the center. After that, using MAC's Shroom on a pencil brush I dabbed that into the inner corners to really open up the eyes, making them look a bit bigger and brighter. Who doesn't love looking doe-eyed, haha? Especially on V-Day! Then, since most of the eyeshadows have a satin-y finish to them, I decided to highlight the brow bone with a matte shadow (MAC Vanilla) to balance everything out. Now I debated lining my eyes with a liquid liner and wing, but I really wanted this to be a rather natural and soft look so to define the eyes just a bit, I tightlined the upper and lower water lines with Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Liner in Black. I realize this technique can close off the eyes (thus defeating the purpose of the bright inner corner) so if your eyes are tad on the smaller size, just tightline the upper lash line so that your lashes look fuller. Lastly, I topped of my eyelashes with Maybelline theFalsies Volume Express, which is a great lengthing and curling mascara, truly recommend!

For the rest of the face, I applied NARS Sheer Glow foundation with a Beauty Blender and Rimmel's Wake Me Up concealer, blending it out with my finger. For cheeks, I used Tarte's Exposed Amazonian Clay blusher on the apple's of my cheeks and NARS Devotee on the cheek bones for highlight. On my lips I opted for Chanel's Rouge Coco in 54 Le Baiser et voila, the look is finished!

Hope you enjoyed this look and stay tuned for the next!