10 Things To Do In Vegas

What does every 20 year old in 'Murica dream about moments before turning the big 2-1? Where do they yearn to be when they're finally ready to leave the teen-adult purgatory? Oh yeah, there's really only one answer and that would be Sin City, or more appropriately, Las Vegas. So okay, maybe not every 20 year old dreams of this right of passage but I sure did and I got that opportunity in early June of this year! Let me tell you that I've never been at a destination and already started planning my return there before I'd even left (y'know, except for Disney World!) Only, Vegas is like adult Disney World. I got to take this trip with my wonderful boyfriend, Anthony, and boy did we not want to leave. We were there for 6 days and 5 nights, staying at the Paris hotel (which was absolutely beautiful, oh my goodness.) I can't recommend that hotel enough. Where else can you swim under the Eiffel Tower?! Oh, and we didn't do this, but Jersey Boys plays at that hotel and, if you can, go see it so I can envy you! Also, there's a super delicious breakfast buffet- super tasty ...

But, I digress. It seemed like we got so much done in just that short week, yet we soon realized there were a lot of things we just didn't have time for! Before we left for our trip I was all over the inter webs looking for things to do and places to see (trust me, there's A LOT to do.) So I thought I'd put my two cents in and share what were my top 10 things in Vegas that if you're heading there anytime soon you should def. see and do! Just letting you know now, we were like grandparents for a portion of the trip because of jet leg, so we didn't get to fully experience the nightlife. At least we have something to look forward to next time! Here we go, in no particular order, 10 things to do in Las Vegas!

001 • Have dinner at the Bacchanal Buffet at Caesar's Palace

You'll see the price tag and your wallet will jump out of your pocket or purse and run for the high heavens. Don't let it run! This buffet was the most delicious buffet/meal I had the entire trip, heck, maybe one of the best I've ever had period. There's not one specific style of food. They hit every note from spanish to italian, chinese to japanese, seafood to tacos, mashed potatoes to paprika potatoes, and all the desserts you can imagine, with the most delicious mango sorbet, evah. I wish we went back a second time before our trip ended. It was glorious. You feel the most fat happy you've ever felt leaving this buffet.

002 • Get drinks at Fat Tuesday

Speaking of fat ... ADULT SLURPEES at Fat Tuesday. I had a dumb blonde moment and thought it was only on Tuesday's but it is in fact a glorious place for adult drinks to cool you off in the crazy heat. The drinks range in flavors and boozes and the sizes range from small tumblr to yard cup (that comes with a strap for easier on the go drinking, haha) They also make yummy jello shots (my first ever) and I had an Arnold Palmer one. Def. worth it to stop by once or even twice! You even get a discount when you bring your glass back in! So fun!

003 • Drive to California

If you have the time, and the urge to go, rent yourself a car and drive west to visit sunny California. We drove four hours to get to Santa Monica because we wanted to see the pier and hit the beach (Las Vegas is a desert, there's no beach in site! This mermaid needed to stretch her fins!) The weather was beautiful and dropped from the crazy hot weather of Vegas. The water in the Pacific Ocean, however, was quite cold. You'd dip your toe in and get a chill all the way up your spine. The boardwalk was also a nice place to walk around and walk through the little shops and by the stalls. To get a really nice view of the beach and the boardwalk make sure to go up the ferris wheel!

004 • Drai's (or any club at least one night)

This was the only club I wish we would have gone to had we not been grandparents the entire trip. Jet lag is a nasty little bugger that will get you even if you don't think it will! It's one of the newer and UGH, I JUST WISH I WENT CLUBBING. Even if it's not your scene, you're in Vegas. One night at one club, would just have been an experience so I would recommend it. Not saying you have to go every night, but you may regret it if you don't go at all (I kind of do, wahh)

005 • Go up the Eiffel Tower at Paris Hotel

Even if you don't end up staying at the Paris hotel you can still make the trip up the Eiffel Tower. It's only half the size of the real thing but it's enough to give you the experience without the crazy line! We didn't even have to wait after purchasing our tickets and were sent right up. The view is wonderful from the top of the tower. You have the perfect 360 view of the strip of Las Vegas and it would have probably looked spectacular at night! Also, since I was with the man friend, it was slightly romantic ... but only slightly, haha ;D

006 • More drinks at the Sugar Factory in Paris Hotel

GO TO THE SUGAR FACTORY. Just do it. There's no way in heck I can ever see you regretting it unless, you know, you have like 6 goblets all to yourself and well, buddy, that was just poor decision making now wasn't it? All the cocktails and alcoholic beverages are themed around popular candies and chocolates. The Goblet's are Sugar Factory's 60oz. Signature drinks. They are sweet and fruity and full of candy. Oh and did I mention they put dry ice on the bottom of the glass? When the server arrives at your table to pour the drinks it looks quite magical. They even wait for you to have your camera's ready so you'll be all set to make your Instagram followers jealous- it's so cute. I didn't get to go in Vegas (although I REALLY WANTED TO and it was right in the Paris hotel) but I've been twice now in NYC and oh my. Go and thank me later!

007 • Ride the roller coaster at New York, New York 

A roller coaster? In the middle of the strip? Heck yeah! This was one of those things that we decided to do on our last night in Vegas. Most of the clubs were closed so we decided to go hotel hopping and see what all the other elaborately themed hotels were all about. Being native New Yorkers we had to check out New York New York. A big feature of the hotel is their roller coaster that we decided to ride on a whim. I wasn't expecting much, but it was actually quite fun! It's not a super thrill seeker ride but it's also not a tame one, which is what I was expecting. It's fast, has sharp twists and turns, and takes your picture about every 7 seconds at different points so be prepared!

008 • Get tickets for a Cirque du Soleil show

You can't walk down the Vegas strip without seeing a billboard or advertisement for a spectacular show. The most popular variety of show is Cirque du Soleil. I think there are about seven or eight just in Vegas. We were very fortunate to have been able to go see a show (thanks to my Papa) and we chose to pick the raunchy and risqué of the bunch, Zumanity. It's very sexual and there is a lot of nudity so be warned if that's not your cup of tea. If you can, I'd highly recommend seeing one of these shows. The staging, costumes, music, and acrobats are all so spectacular, well worth it to go! Although we didn't go see it, I heard 'O' at the Bellagio is the one to see. Whichever one you end up choosing, it'll be well worth it!

009 • See the Bellagio Fountains at night

Image Source

Apologies that this is not an original picture of mine. The Bellagio fountains are something absolutely worth seeing and it's nothing something you won't have time for. The fountains go off every 15-30 minutes after 9 PM. They're beautiful, loud, and just awe-inspiring. You can kind of get hypnotized waiting for the next formation of water bursts, which explains why I don't have any pictures of it. I was just really in a moment whilst watching them and it was lovely. (Also, jet lag was a big player in helping me space out a bit more, haha)

010 • Visit the 'Welcome to Las Vegas' sign

No one is too cool for the Vegas sign. It is at the end of the strip by the Luxor hotel (the giant pyramid), maybe a 5 minute car or cab ride away. You'll regret this for sure if you don't go at least look at it! It took us a while to figure out how to get the sign and myself to show up in the picture. I'd try going in the morning to get a clearer photo! Also, don't let the fools around the sign convince you to let them take a photo for you (they'll insist they're the only one who can make the clearest and most beautiful picture) because then they'll ask for a tip. Rubbish!

So there you have it- my top 10 things to do in Las Vegas. I so wish we had been able to at least go to one club and see what that was all about. I also didn't get wild and crazy drunk, but still had a wonderful time. So wonderful that I'm already itching to back! My biggest tip with Vegas, no matter what you choose to do is to make some time to relax. It seems like such a strange concept in such a bustling town, but trust me, you'll be glad to slow down for just a second! Helps everything sink in a bit better, too!

Have you ever been to Las Vegas?

What were your favorite things to do?

What would you love to do if you were flying out there right now?

Don't worry, I saw this on Pinterest

I made a promise that when I went back to blogging that I wouldn't just post about beauty bits and bobs exclusively and that I would make more of an effort to spice things up and add some lifestyle and fashion posts (at which I am just failing, haha) So I thought I'd share about a little diddy that's been absolutely consuming my life and that is Pinterest. It's nothing new to most of you and a majority of you are probably over your "SUPAH OBSESSED. MUST PIN ALL ZA THINGS" phase but boy oh boy am I just getting started. 

It's the perfect thing for me really. A way to organize all the pretty things, and oh my do I enjoy organization and the pretty things. It's also a super cool way for me to take all the imaginary trips and events and interior designs that I make up in my head and make them somewhat of a reality on some space of the internet. It's a good place to find things you'd never find or know about had you not been on Pinterest. In honor of this obsession (why it needs to be honored, I'll never know, seems like I need to see a therapist is more like it) I thought I'd share three of my own favorite boards. Also, if you'd like to follow me on Pinterest (you'd be a peach if you did) you can click here.

HA! I feel like everyone has a wedding pinterest board, which seemed rather cute until I started becoming obsessed with my own and proceeded to share my pins with my boyfriend, haha. I'm seriously laughing right now writing about this. I'm not ashamed of it. It's the sort of tools I would have liked to have as a little girl when I was pretending to plan my wedding. All my visions and ideas are now pictures all neatly folded into this little 'Happily Ever After' board. Sure it makes me seem a bit crazy since I'm not actually getting married any time soon, but everyone else is doing it so it's cool, right? ;)

Ah, a not so crazy Pinterest board. My 'Roomspiration' board is just that, a place to put all the design and trinket ideas for a new room. I'm genuinely thinking about redecorating my room to make it a much brighter and more efficient space to work and be in. I like the white walls and furniture so I can add small pops of pastel colors here and there. The shelves make a much neater and more inspiring organization. It's going to take some convincing with my mom since there's currently furniture in here that she can't bear to toss, but I've had this room the same way since I was 9- I think it's time for an upgrade. When that day comes and she is convinced, this board will be super handy for instant ideas!

Who doesn't love a travel board? I'm a wanderlust fiend and seeing all these gorgeous pictures of cities and beaches just fuels that lust. My current obsession is the Maldives with the breathtaking ocean huts and the water that glows like stars at night. It's safe to say that I can't wait to drag Anthony out here one day in the future. It would be too romantic for me to handle. I'm about to start adding photos and ideas for Mexico because that's where we (mostly I) want to go for Spring Break next year. PARTY!

What's your favorite type of Pinterest board?

Are you as obsessed as I am?

Leave your Pinterest links in the comments so I can follow. I seriously follow everyone because you just can't have a bad Pinterest board, haha!

Jasmine | A Whole New World

Since I've begun slowly but surely blogging more frequently I thought it might be time to start up my Disney Princess inspired makeup series once again! These use to be a bi-monthly thing that I sort of just stopped because I had classes and therefore was really short on time. I think I can get back into the swing of things and I've only got about three more princess's left to do after this one, which is awesome yet kind of sad. Guess I'll have to start up another themed makeup series soon after! Anyway, today I bring to you the *counts on fingers* 10th!! (holy cannoli) edition of my Disney Princess series. For those who don't know or are new to my blog, this is basically just a series where I take insipiration from the various themes and colors schemes of Disney princesses and create a look for them. I've already done Snow White, Rapunzel, Kida, Belle, Cinderella, Ariel, Aurora, Elsa, and Anna. If you'd like to check those out just click on each respective princess! Today I bring to you all Princess Jasmine. She was the one princess I was trying to save until I absolutely had to do her because I knew I wanted a winged eyeliner and I am just, agh, so bad at it, especially making both eyes even. I took inspiration from her blue ensemble and gold accents to bring this look together. As I was creating it I wasn't too thrilled with how it was coming out and, like said, was dreading the eyeliner application but I'm thoroughly pleased with how it came out! It really makes my eyes stand out and makes me wish it was thoroughly acceptable to don this look on an everyday basis! So without further ado, my Prinncess Jasmine inspired look and the prodcuts I used to create it!

On the eyes:

• Urban Decay Anti-Aging Primer Potion
• NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk
• MAC Eyeshadow in Aquadisiac, Amber Lights, and Vanilla
• INGLOT Eyeshadow in 24 Shine
• Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Eldorado 
• MAC So there Jade Power Point Eye Pencil
• Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl in 001 Black
• Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner in Intense Black
• Maybelline The Rocket Volum Express Mascara

On the face

• Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme in  001/Bobbi Brown Brightening Concealer/Tarte Smooth Operator Finsihing Powder
• Benefit Hervana Blush
• Benefit gimmeBrows Brow Gel
• NARS Laguna Bronzer
• Physicians Formula Healthy Wear Bronzer
• MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle
• MAC Creme Cup Lipstick
• Bobbi Brown Bellini High Shimmer Lip Gloss

What do you think of this look?

Is Princess Jasmine one of you favorite princesses?

Would you have freaked out as much as I did about doing the wings?!

Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser

Let's cut to the chase. I really don't like talking about skincare, which is why you very rarely see it on my blog. It's just something I don't thoroughly understand when it comes to what goes into making it work, but I couldn't not talk about this beaut. It's Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser- and it's that good that I'm breaking my no skincare rule and talking about it. Origins is a brand that never seems to fail. If you can properly identify your skincare concern, you can point yourself to the right product that'll work wonders! My mom actually ordered this scrub for herself and it had come with a small sample of it as well. I snatched the sample because, well, why not? It was love at first scrub. The scent is absolutely so refreshing, a citrusy mix, that when you use it in the morning it instantly invigorates the senses and has you feeling a little more awake. The grains in this scrub as small enough to be gentle and not too abrasive, but not so small that they won't exfoliate and actually scrub the skin. I find that after using this scrub that my skin looks brighter and feels a heck of a lot smoother. Most importantly, you feel clean after using it which is a quality that I feel sometimes gets overlooked! It doesn't dry out my skin and at the same time it doesn't really moisturize, so your favorite moisturizer afterwards is still a must. 

The Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub is $19.50 for 5 fl. oz. of product. It's surprisingly a lot because you don't have to use much of this cleanser. I'm so in love with this scrub that I only feel somewhat guilty for stealing it from my mom. It now holds permanent residence by my bathroom sink and I actually look forward to washing my face in the morning. Oh yeah, it's that nice! After trying it, your skincare routine won't feel complete without it!

Have you tried the Origins GinZing Refreshing Scrub Cleanser before?

What's your favorite scrub cleanser?

Fashion Friday | Tips for Sorting + Organizing Your Wardrobe

First off, let me say a HUGE thanks to all the love and support you guys showed my first fashion type  post. If you haven't seen it yet, it's right here. It really got me excited to do some more but the reality is that I'm terrified of bugs and just, AH! It's so hard to take a picture outside when you're constantly running in fear around and away from the camera. Also, I wasn't all too thrilled with my outfit. Was it something I really wanted to share? Not really, which brought me to analyze my closet and realize there's so much in there but so much I don't wear or fit anymore. Then I realized that before I could properly transition a little section of this space into "fashion posts" I'd have to sort through and organize my wardrobe.

It took 2 days to sort through and find an organization system that pleased me, mostly because I kept getting distracted. Depending on your ability to stay focused on one task, this shouldn't take more than a day! Through this process I've come up with some tips for sorting through your clothes to decide what to keep and what to toss and how to organize it when it's all said and done.

Tip #1⌇Tidy your room and yourself. This is a big one to really get you started with such a task. Clear your room of excess clutter so that when you start sorting through your clothes you don't have to worry about extra mess. Same goes for yourself. You don't have to go the nine yards but a little mascara and maybe letting down your hair will make you feel better as you try on clothes.

Tip #2⌇Take things out of your closet. Yep, everything out. Turn your closet into a clean state. If things are on hangers you don't have to take them off just yet because you may just be creating extra work for yourself if you end up keeping the item. Lay them into piles on the floor in categories (i.e. bulky sweates, jackets, dresses, short sleeves, long sleeves, etc.) It'll make it easier to go through things and see what you have that may be similar. 

Tip #3⌇Try things on. You don't have to try everything on but if you're unsure of wether or not you want to keep that skirt or dress, just try it on. It won't hurt and you'll get a better feel for the fit of the garment and wether or not it suits you any longer. Plus, this'll be a way to discover some new gems that you may have forgotten you had!

Tip #4⌇Organize by color then style. When you've finally gone through all your clothing and figured out what you are keeping, my advice would be to organize by color and then by style. I put the whites, creams, and beiges in the front, work my way down the rainbow, and end with the grays and blacks. Within that color organization I then sort them by sleeve size (i.e. 3/4 length sleeve, short sleeve, tank, etc.) With the longer sleeved shirts I just put from thickest to thinnest material. It's a system that has worked great for me and made it much easier to put away clothing when I know exactly where it's supposed to go.

Tip #5⌇Throw out. Donate. Sell. Once you've put all the 'keeps' back into your newly organized closet, it's time to sort through the 'not keep' pile. If there are obvious signs of stains and wear, sadly, you'll just have to toss those. If there are articles of clothing that are in good condition but just no longer fit you or your style then see if you can't donate them to a family member, friend, or clothing donation bin. You can also try your luck at selling some pieces if they are in good to great to almost perfect condition at consignment stores, thrift stores, websites like thredup.com, or even through the poshmark app. I've never had any luck, but it never hurts to try!

What are you favorite ways/tips to organize your wardrobe?