101 in 1001 • 002

A few months ago I started a challenge of sorts- 101 things to accomplish in 1001 days! It's an ambitious, fun, and yet frightening list! Frightening because I don't know if I'll complete it all. So far I've only done one update, so today I'm coming to you guys with the second. Going through the looooong list I discovered that during my little sporadic blogging hiatus I actually managed to get a good chunk of things started or crossed off my list entirely. I know I wasn't here to blog so I thought why not show you what's been happening whilst I've been away! For the complete list of 101 in 1001, click here • here • and for the first update, click here • here •

100. Collect five new full size perfumes.

Thank you, super-man-friend! This was the last bottle of a perfume I had a while ago that was discontinued and it smells like tropical mermaids.

Holy cannoli, do I love this perfume. It's a more grown up and sexy scent than what I usually go for, but *sniffs* so divine! Technically, it's my sister's perfume, but I have free reign to use it whenever I want so, technically it's mine and counts for this list, haha!

041. Get my hair done at the Dry Bar.

$40 for a wash and blow out may seem like a lot, and let's face it, it is, but it was well worth it. I treated myself to a super sassy mermaid 'do on my birthday. It was a really lovely experience and the girl who did my hair talked to me like we'd been friends for years. We bonded over wanting a really delicious coconut. I would totally go back, maybe around the holidays. It's pricey but def. recommend it though!

073. Get a promotion.

Woop! Moving on up in the retail world, haha. The fact that my promotion also came at the same time I got employee of the month was just wonderful. I was happy to see my hard work acknowledged! You get this snazzy pin to show off on your name badge, too, haha!

049. Have a margarita at Jose Tejas.

Mmm, mmm, delicioso! I love me a margarita and being able to finally have one at one of my favorite restaurants made it that much tastier! *cheers*

003. Go to Vegas for my 21st Birthday.

Viva, Las Vegas! It was such an amazing trip and I already want to go back. There was still so much I wanted to see and do and drink!

025. See the Eiffel Tower.

Okay, so it's not France, but what are you gonna do? I think this is the closest I'll get to seeing this majestic structure at this point in my life. On the bright side, how many people can say they've swam underneath the Eiffel Tower? Not many ;) Unless, you know, they also stayed at the Paris Hotel in Vegas... Absolutely beautiful!

027. Collect 5 more Starbucks location mugs.

Thank you to my mom's best friend, Katya! A while back she went to New Orleans and was kind enough to bring me back a Starbucks mug! It has little dancing prawns by the saxophone! 

While I was in Vegas, the man friend and I decided to take a day and drive out to California. We drove 4 hours to Santa Monica beach in Los Angeles, so after the beach, we hit up a Starbucks because I don't know the next time I'll be going there! I didn't get the Las Vegas mug (which I am now kicking myself for) because my credit card bill was starting to scare me, haha, and I plan to go back, soon!

034. Go to Santa Monica.

Done, and done! The water at the beach was freezing and full of disgustingly slimy seaweed, but it was beautiful and the weather was gorgeous- so relaxing  Everyone is also seriously so beautiful in California and made me feel like I looked like a potato. 

024. Eat at In-N-Out.

In-N-Out. Oh my, In-N-Out. No where to be found on the east coast so as soon as I knew I was flying out west I knew this would be a stop at some point. It's not as mind blowingly amazing as everyone made it seem (personally, I prefer Shake Shack, but that might be my east coast bias ;) ) but I can't knock that the burgers were delicious! Fries, were eh, but everyone keeps telling me it's because I didn't get them animal style- whoops!

009. Get a tattoo.

This was one of the things on my list that I was afraid wouldn't get completed. I was afraid I'd change my mind, chicken out, or not get the approval from my mom. I'm so glad I went through with it! I feel like it's always been a part of me, which I think is a good sign with something that's so permanent! Can you guess what it's a nod to? #harrypotternerdfohlife

Loving Lately #2

Well, hello again. I'm finding it quite difficult to come up with a cute and quirky way to open each new post that I've done once a month since like February. I'm not even going to talk about a return because every time I do, I jinx it and am completely embarrassed at how many times I've promised it. I'm back. Officially. Things are changing but they haven't changed completely just yet. Let's just say that The Mod Mermaid is getting an internal revamp (a.k.a. the content) and is awaiting an external make over! For now, let's stick to what I talk about best and that's beauty products, specifically products that I've been loving lately!

Lately (hohoho!) I haven't been reaching for many beauty products at once. I've been working many hours a week and have gotten quite good at getting up right before I'm supposed to jump into my car. So there haven't been many reaches for interesting lipsticks or crazy complicated eye shadow looks. These products have been my saviors to make me look like I haven't had only 23.7 seconds to look put together. 

• Benefit's gimmeBrow | This beaut was featured in my first 'loving lately' post and I just can't get enough of it! I wasn't overly thrilled at having to purchase it at the Benefit event I went to, but I'm so glad I did. It's perfect for making your brows look polished and groomed, while keeping it looking natural. I can't be fussed with crazy filled in brows, but sometimes they do need a little extra so this guy is amazing to have!
• Bobbi Brown Sparkle Shadow in Ballet/NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Yogurt | This pair have been my go to 'no muss, no fuss' eyeshadow combination. I blend a little of the jumbo eye pencil all over my eyelid and then pat the sparkle eye shadow on top. The color of the jumbo pencil really enhances the pink in the shadow and the slight tackiness before it dries helps get the max amount of glitter to stick for a subtle, yet sparkly look.
• MAC Venus Lipstick | I bought this limited edition MAC lipstick almost two years ago and it's my most used and most loved. I always go back to this because it's my perfect 'my-lips-but-better' shade. It goes with any and every look I create and I'm so sad to see it getting down to the nub. I haven't come across a color just like it. It's the only thing about really falling in love limited edition products that SUCKS ):
• NARS Guy Bourdin One Night Stand Blush Palette | I la-la-la-la-LOVE this palette. Sure, two of the shades look exactly the same and sometimes I can't tell which one is Orgasm, but I still LOVE it. This palette doesn't sit with the rest of my collection, it's parked right in my pencil drawer where I can reach for it straight away. It's convenient and I absolutely adore the bubblegum pink shade paired with the highlighter shade! I've also managed to put a dent in some of the shades which should be a sad thing but as you beauty gals know, is such an amazing feat! It means it's being loved and abused in the most amazing way possible
• Sigma F05 Small Contour Brush | Ever since I bought this brush at IMATS it has not left my side. I will seriously try to find every use for this brush, but it's great for what it's meant to do and that's contour. I'm not the most skilled at contouring but you'd think I was pretty decent when I get to use this brush. It's dense, but not too stiff and it's the perfect size to get the bronzer exactly where you want it and blend it out just how you want. Ah, I just love it. It's a great brush! It's ain't too shabby at applying some highlighter and blushers (although it's specialty will always be those bronzers!)

What's one product you've been loving lately?

Are you ready for The Mod Mermaid 2.0?!

So Belated | NYC IMATS 2014 Haul

 Your eyes do not deceive you! There is actually a new post up on my blog. Never thought you'd see the day, did you? I'm back. I've missed this- I've missed you guys! Hopefully, you've missed me and all my roundabout ramblings :) That's all I'm going to say about my return because I've discovered that the longer my "I'm back!" shpeals are, the less likely I am to actually have another post up that week. Alright, IMATS! I figured I'd start with this post because who doesn't love a haul? Regardless of the fact that it's about a month and a half over due... A haul is a haul, amiright? I picked up some things this time around that aren't usual to an standard IMATS haul because I've already got so much that it didn't really seem like I needed anything else (but obviously, I did ;) ) So here's what I got:

• Sigma Brush Cleansing Glove :: This was SUCH a spur of the moment purchase. I've seen this all over the beauty community and probably like you're doing now, I just laughed. Who needs a giant oven mitt to wash their brushes?! UHM, ME, it turns out. I got it in blue (of course) and it's seriously become such a life saver. Seriously, I spend less of my life cleaning brushes now because it does such a brilliant job of thoroughly and quickly, cleaning all my brushes. No regrets here. I'll be writing a review on it soon that'll make you regret laughing!
• Kryolan Aquacolor Dayglow Palette :: Ah, UV makeup. My obsession of the year that probably spurred from my upcoming trip to Vegas and that one episode of Teen Wolf where everyone is at party and body painted with this stuff. I still haven't had a chance to properly play around with it because I don't yet have a backlight to make the magical effects work, but soon I will! I couldn't believe they had the palette of 6 at IMATS for the amount it would cost to buy the 3 colors I had wanted. Sure, I may not get the most use out of these, but they will be a cherished part of my collection, for sure!
• Sigma Brushes (E50, E39, F05, x2 E25, x2 E05) :: Sigma were handing out these shopping bags all day that were full of samples (the best being the brush samples!) My mom and sister managed to snag a bunch even though we didn't wait on that long line (my friend waited her whole time at IMATS there!!) Seriously, I don't even mind the shorter handles, I feel like I've gotten two amazing full size brushes with the small E25 blending and E05 liner brushes. The E25 is AMAZING and so incredibly soft. I'm going to write a more in-depth review on the other brushes I got because I feel like since I've been able to use them I can ramble on forever in this post, so stay tuned for that!
• Lit Cosmetics Glitters in Champagne Wishes, Wonder Woman, and Goober Grape :: Believe it or not, I actually wasn't going to stop by the Lit booth this time around, but, as my luck would have it, that's where Andrea from From Inside My Closet and Coco from The Beauty Milk were when I finally showed up to the show and that's where I met up with them. Their hands (especially Coco's) was covered in glitter and my little mermaid heart just could not resist! I love the colors I got this time, and again, a more in depth review is coming on my whole collection of Lit glitters! Prepare yourselves!
• Sugarpill Elektrocute Pigment in Supercharged :: I have been obsessed with Sugarpill without every actually having purchased any products from them. The colors and pigmentation and just creativity behind some of the products is enough to make you so proud to find these in your collection. I picked up an Elektrocute pigment on a whim. I was originally going to get the Lumi pigment, but alas, it was sold out. So, having just one product from this brand didn't seem enough to walk away with so I charged up my current obsession with neons and picked up this bright and glittery beauty. Still haven't worked out the kinks (or touched it, really) but it's a pigment unlike I've ever seen before. Bright colors, amazing pay off, and glitter?! I was quite happy with that purchase ;)
• Sugarpill Pressed Pigment in Tako :: This is the one eyeshadow I have been dying to get my hands on for ages. It's the most pigmented, most matte, and truest white that I ever did see. I've been pulling it out non-stop for highlighting the brow bone and the inner corners of my eyes. It's brilliant and deserves some sort of makeup award for all the amazingness that it is. It's also quite fitting that it's named 'tako' which is my most beloved food to eat, LOL!
• Eldora Lashes :: Last but not least, lashes! I was going to originally stop by Ardelle and pick up some lashes for "you never know" occasions but I was contacted by Eldora to receive a goody bag full of their lashes! They were generous enough to give me four pairs of a variety of lashes that I can't wait to play around with for makeup looks I want to do for the blog! There's one pair that looks like little daddy long legs feet are attached to the band, haha, which freak me out and make them so cool all at the same time!

So there you (finally) have it! My IMATS haul that seems almost ancient! It was a really great time and I was so happy to get to see Andrea again and meet Coco! I can't wait to see these girls again (well, I saw Andrea at Beauty Con, haha ;) ) If there's anything you'd like to see a more in-depth review on lickety split, let me know and I'll get on it. Hopefully, this shan't be the last you see of me again and I won't be taking another month long hiatus. I forgot about how much fun I have blogging! I'll see you all soon!

Would you guys try a brush cleansing glove shaped after an oven mitt? Do you think you'd be able to resist the amazingness of glitter and UV makeup? Haha, let me know!

Le Petite LUSH Haul

Do you know what happens when you try to pay off credit card bills? You can't spend any of your money on things you don't super need. In my case, any sort of beauty product wether it was a make up product, hair care product, or even a skincare product. Do you know what happens when you're cut off from being able to purchase these things and not by choice? You start to realize what beauty products you need to spend money on and what you can live without. Skincare products was one of those things I COULD NOT LIVE WITHOUT. Although, I did put up a fair fight and try my hardest. I succumbed to digging through my stash of samples and finding anything that said "moisturizer" regardless of skin type which sent my skin into hell. Notice the lack of make up/face posts? Enough was enough and I couldn't keep treating my skin like this, especially since my skin is parched and dry as the sahara. So off to LUSH I went during a very long break between classes. I hadn't been there in a while and I've forgotten all about it's magical powers of not letting customers leave with just one thing. 

First item on my list, was of course a moisturizer. A moisturizer that wasn't just a random sample, but one that was tailored for dry and sensitive skin. Hallo, Celestial. It was a toss up between this one and Skin Drink, which are both great for dry skin but as Celestial was suited more for sensitive skin and calming redness (and smelled not so rancid), that is the one I went with. I've just applied it to myself and I can feel happiness, pure happiness, radiating from my skin. My face also smells like a milkshake and I totally dig it. Now of course, if you've ever been to LUSH you know their latest limited edition collection always stares you in the face when you come in and I COULD NOT RESIST the cute little Bunny bubble bar and it's small shiny blue eyes staring up at me practically SCREAMING "PLEASE TAKE ME HOME" He's adorable and smells like candy floss, incredibleness. I've hidden him within the depths of my minuscule collection of bubble bars in hopes that I forget he's there. I think if I ever use him, I'll be forever sad and feel like I'm taking a bath in the bubble blood of that bunny, haha- super morbid, I know. Lastly, you always have that one item you don't even know why you needed it but you got it anyway- a small chunk of the delicious smelling Honey, I Washed the Kids soap. Every time I smell this it takes me back to the first time I ever used a LUSH soap because this was it. It's the only one that moisturizes my skin and keeps it smelling yummy for hours. I absolutely used to love it so I'm excited to rekindle that love affair, haha. 

All in all, it was a great trip. I used to take so many trips there that it started to get annoying and I would forget what I loved about all these gorgeous and organic products. It also didn't help that I used to work there and it was just LUSH 24/7. I prefer being a customer so much more and for once, my wallet doesn't feel the least bit guilt. Look at me turning into a shopper with better will power!

Have you picked up anything from LUSH recently?

Julie G Nails

My nails have never looked worse for wear, which you wouldn't think since out of the once a week posts I've been doing lately, they've all been related to nail polish. Guess I'm trying to hide the hideousness of it all with some bright and shnazzy colors that are sure to distract. I'm surprised I haven't talked about the Julie G line of nail polishes from Jesse's Girl Cosmetics. I got them almost a year ago at IMATS at 3 for $10 (tell me you could have resisted!) and they are such wonderful polishes! The line doesn't have a huge array of polishes but the ones that are included sure are fun and unique.

You can probably already guess that Mermaid's Tale is my favorite of the three I have here. It's a stunning and deep blue based polish, mixed in with various blue and green shimmers and holographic goodness. I seriously do not know the technical terms for the amazingness happening inside that bottle, but just now it's magical. I wore it for maybe 3 months straight after I bought it, haha. The next shade is Oh Em Gee, which is a color as obnoxious as it's name. I've got a little small spot for neons so when I saw this I was all over it. The formula on this one is a bit thinner and def. needs a shiny top coat to keep it from looking like a dull neon and it makes the streakiness a bit less apparent, but overall it's a great color, especially for the summer! Super distracting to the eyes if you talk with your hands, though, haha! The last shade I got was Cupcakes & Castles and the polish is as cute as it's name. The names are very spot on with their shades, which I love- adds a nice little quirk! Cupcakes & Castles is a semi-sheer baby pink polish with the tiniest of white and pink shimmers. It's very pretty on the nails and I can see it being great for work or if you're just sick of the more "out there" colors and need something softer. I have to admit though that sometimes I like this color better in the bottle than actually on my nails.

The formula on these polishes is super nice especially when you consider how budget-friendly they are. Aside from IMATS, I've only ever seen them at Rite Aid for about $3.99 a piece- super affordable. You won't be settling for quality. They last as long as your average polish would and it's def. worth a look to see if you can find a shade that you like. Highly, highly, recommend Mermaid's Tale- a unique polish that you're sure to love and not yet have in your collection. Being a mermaid, I'm a bit biased to this shade, but what can you do? ;D I look forward to seeing this brand at IMATS, and if I see some more shades that catch my eye, I may just go rogue from my wishlist!