Revlon Colorstay "Sorbet"

Hey guys!

Here's a quick mani for you guys! Sorry ahead of time for the state of my cuticles. The Accutane is drying out all my skin and I can't seem to get my cuticles to be moisturized no matter what I put on them.

Retails for $8.29 at CVS (but I got it on sale for 75% off!)

It's bright pastel orange creme. I usually adore Revlon Colorstay's formula, but this one ran more sheer than usual. As you can see in the picture below, even with 3 coats, you can see my nails underneath. I had some leveling issues, but none that my usual Seche Vite top coat didn't take care of. You also have to make sure that you let each coat dry before you put on the next one or the polish will get patchy. I had this issue as well because I did this mani very quickly before a meeting.

Shown with 3 coats.

Formula issues aside, I love this color! It's the perfect sunny orange for summer and it definitely brightens my day when I look at my nails. I have a lot of oranges in my collection, but this one is unique. It's much lighter and brighter than the oranges I have. 

Bottom line: I think the color is beautiful enough to justify working through some formula issues, but if you already have similar colors, I would skip this one. 

Love,

Katie

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Accutane Skin Regimen

Hello dears!

I've struggled with acne on and off again ever since middle school. I've tried over the counter products, Asian medicinal lotions, and I've been to the dermatologist twice. Starting around September of last year, I started to get large patches of deep, painful cystic acne that would last for weeks on end. I had been to the dermatologist before with limited success, but I decided to go again because I didn't want my skin to undergo anymore trauma and damage. After a couple rounds of creams and antibiotics, my dermatologist put me on Accutane.

For those of you who have been on this medication, you know how serious and how potent it really is. It works by shrinking your sebaceous (oil) glands to a pre-pubescent size, according to my dermatologist. Because it's so potent, It has tons of potential side effects, ranging from joint pain and nausea to depression and possible birth defects (but they have plenty of precautions in place to prevent any possible pregnancy while you're on the drug). The most prevalent side effect is extremely dry skin and lips. I'm starting my third month of Accutane now and I wanted share the skincare regimen that has helped curb most of the dryness in my skin.

Cleansing:

Morning: I wash my face with lukewarm water and the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. Even though it's made for normal to oily skin, I find that it is very gentle and does not strip my skin at all. I follow that with moisturization, sun protection, and then my makeup for the day. 
Night: For eye makeup removal, I've been using the Maybelline Clean Express Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover. You can see my full review here. For face makeup removal, I use the Bioderma Sebium H2O cleansing water. I find that this gets off most of my base makeup without stripping my skin and it serves as the first cleaning of my face at night. Then I wash my face with the Cetaphil Daily Facial Cleanser. I usually just use my hands for this, but if my skin is feel extra blocked, I will use either my orange silicon facial scrubber or my Clarisonic Mia, depending on how clogged my skin feels. On days when my skin feels extra dehydrated, I will skip the Bioderma and use the Cetaphil first to get my makeup off. Then I will use a combination of olive oil and vitamin E oil (in the pink bottle) to wash my face. I take a dime size amount, rub it into my skin, and then steam it off with a towel soaked in hot water. I find this really works to combat dry skin. 

Moisture:

Morning: After my Cetaphil wash, I will take about 2 droplets of the Now Rose Hip Seed Oil on my fingertips and gently, but thoroughly pat that into my skin. This oil is seriously amazing. It moisturizes so well and also has helped some of my acne scars fade. Then I will use the Cerave AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion, which also doubles as my sun protection on cloudy days. This lotion is affordable and it contains a lot of high end ingredients like hyaluronic acid, which is great for dry skin.

Night: I repeat my morning regime and replace the Cerave AM with the Cerave PM Facial Moisturizing Lotion. After I shower, I will use the Cerave Moisturizing Cream on my body to keep the dry skin and rashes at bay. 

Morning: On sunny days, I use the Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream over my moisturizer. It's just a really great sunscreen that's not too greasy and does a good job of protecting your face from the sun. To touch up during the day, I use the Peter Thomas Roth Oily Problem Skin Instant Mineral sunscreen. It's a powder sunscreen so it can go over your makeup with ease during the day. 

One of my biggest issues is dry lips. If I don't keep my lips moisturized at all times, they get eczema and these water bubbles start popping up. It's an extremely uncomfortable situation so I try to avoid that all costs. It seems that my lips are allergic to Aquaphor as it only makes the bubbles multiply. So I stick to Vaseline. The biggest size is for my bathroom and the smaller ones are for my purses. It does a great job of retaining the moisture in my lips. It is very slick and shiny, so if you're a guy, I would try to use as little as possible. As a girl, I don't mind too much; I'd rather have overly shiny lips than bubbled ones.

I hope that this was helpful to those of you who are having troubles while on Accutane. It is a very harsh drug, but I have loved the results so far. Good luck!

Love,

Katie

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Spring Haul!

Hello dears!

It's been so long since I've posted! I've been caught up in the craziness of finals and shopping for MCAT books. Who knew it would be so hard to win a bid for those on Ebay? This may be a little late, but here are some of the items I picked up for my closet as the weather warms up. I know there's a lot of stuff here, but this is built up from March (does that make being a shopaholic better? Don't know...). Here we go!

Tops

This floral sleeveless chiffon top from Forever 21 is the perfect piece for spring and summer. The material is light enough to keep you cool and the pattern is busy enough that you can get away with just wearing a good nude bra underneath. It's perfect for tucking into high waisted shorts and skirts. It also looks cute untucked with some fitted pants. Perfect!

This light green/yellow chiffon top from Forever 21 is a fun, interesting piece for spring. From the front, it's an unassuming button down top. The back gives it a little kick with a very flattering cutout. I paired this with dark wash jean shorts and sandals, but I can also see this transitioning well into fall with some skinny jeans and flats. And the color is divine!

I bought this mint shirt from Forever 21 as a basic with a little bit of a surprise. I got this in my usual small, but this runs a bit shorter than I thought it would. The length doesn't bother me too much though, because I can tuck it into high waisted shorts and skirts. 

I got this lace crochet top from Express when they were having one of their awesome box sales. It's slightly cropped and is soooo cute with colored shorts. This type of airy top is an essential for spring and summer. 

Can I just say how much I adore this shirt?! I'm a crazy cat lady at heart and this shirt is simply perfect. And the cutouts in the back are so cool! I wore it to an outdoor concert event and it was perfect! It will give any shorts-and-a-shirt outfit a little extra fun and edginess. The material is also really soft, so if you think you can't wear it out often, it would be perfect for sleeping in. 

Dresses

I typically love Express dresses and I immediately fell in love with this one when I saw it. The shape is super simple and flattering to most figures, but the color-blocking and coral make it fresh and fun. The taupe panels down the side are very slimming. You can dress it up with some wedges, a great clutch, and statement jewelry. You can also wear it casually since it's a knit material with just sandals and sunglasses. I have a feeling I'll be wearing this dress a lot this summer!

I absolutely adore maxi dresses, but my closet only had chiffon maxis that I find are often harder to dress down for everyday wear. This black jersey maxi perfectly solves that problem! It's just a simple tank dress and it's gathered at the waist so you don't lose your shape. The length is perfect for me in flats (I'm 5' 7"). There are slits on both sides of the bottom which allow for easy movement and also let's your legs breathe, which is good since maxis in Texas summer heat can be quite hot. 

This coral maxi from Forever 21 is also a jersey knit and super casual. The seamless neckline is very flattering. It's a little longer than the black maxi before it so I need to wear wedges so it doesn't drag. 

 This red dress is super simple and super flattering. Since it's so basic, you can really make it your own with accessories. I'd probably wear it with a statement necklace and cute flats. Adore!

Bottom/Jumpers

I just got these recently, but I already know I'm going to be wearing them a ton. They're light weight and high waisted...right up my alley! I'm planning to pair them with a white chiffon top and gold jewelry.

This is just a basic black skirt that I thought my closet needed. It's good for any season and is the perfect backdrop to whatever you want to pair with it. Super useful!

I think this might be a love-or-hate thing, but I'm obviously cheering for the love side. It's hard to see since it's all black, but the jumper has buttons at the top and a drawstring waist to cinch your figure. It's super flattering since it's all black and also makes a good backdrop for statement necklaces and other jewelry. 

Accessories

These are all from Forever 21. The mint belt will be good for cinching in your waist and adding a pop of color. The ring is just really, but beware since it does run small. The two lover's knot rings are pretty close dupes for the James Avery  equivalent and are perfect for stacking. 

This chevron ring has three pieces that can be worn separately. I think the effect is best when worn with at least 2. It's mixed metal so it matches everything! Great for a more subtle statement piece. 

Last but not least, I finally have a new watch! I wear watches all the time for school and my rosegold one only matches half of my jewelry so I bought a white/silver to match the other half. Love!

Whew that was a lot of stuff. If you've made it to the end, I commend you! I think these pieces will add a lot of life to my warm weather wardrobe and I hope you got some ideas for your closet from this haul. Until next time!

Love,

Katie

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OOTD: Maxi-licious

Hey guys!

So I went shopping this past weekend (spring haul coming soon!) and I couldn't refrain from wearing one of my new dresses today. It was a beautiful, breezy 70 degrees outside. Perfect maxi dress weather!

What I'm Wearing:

• Forever 21 black maxi dress
• BCBG Paris Maitry flats
• Forever 21 skinny teal belt
• Forever 21 hand bag
• Necklace from Sam Moon
• Jewelmint gold ring from Petit Paris ring set (ring on the left)
• Forever 21 knotted rope ring (ring on the right)

Love,

Katie

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Review: Maybelline Clean Express! Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover

Hey guys!

Today, I have a review for one of the products in the new Maybelline Clean Express makeup remover line. This line launched this past January 2013 and I bought mine at Walmart for $4.97. I ran out of my usual remover (Neutrogena Oil-Free Makeup Remover) and decided to try something new. Since this is only the second type of makeup remover I have tried, this review will focus on a comparison between the Maybelline Clean Express and the Neutrogena remover.

I bought the waterproof dual-phase remover in the line, because I always wear waterproof mascara. Anyone who wears waterproof mascara knows that it can be a huge pain to remove. 

Maybelline claims:

• Dual-phase formula breaks up even longwear and waterproof makeup, and removes instantly
• Oil-free
• Ophthalmologist tested, allergy tested
• Safe for contact lens wearers and sensitive eyes

After using this product for the past two week, I am pretty impressed. To use, I put some on a cotton ball, hold it on my eye for 15-20 seconds, and then shimmy the cotton ball around to remove my eye makeup. I repeat this usually about 2-3 times. One eye usually takes about one cotton ball, depending on how much makeup I'm wearing that day. The opening is smaller than the Neutrogena remover and this makes it easier to dispense it on a cotton ball.

I do have to say that I do have some fogginess in my eyes after I use this remover, because I am a contact lens wearer. It's nothing unbearable and it usually goes away quickly, but it's something to keep in mind. 

Bottom line: I think that this remover works better than the Neutrogena, but it's still not a miracle remover. It still takes multiple wettings of the cotton ball to get all the waterproof mascara off, but much less than the Neutrogena did. It's a good remover and I would consider repurchasing it. However, I am looking to experiment with different removers, so it may be a while until I actually do repurchase.

Happy removing!

Katie

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Double Essie!

Hey guys!

I've been really busy with school the past two weeks and my nails were very unkempt. I'm finally free and so it's time for a manicure! It's just starting to get warm so I mixed a wintry shade with a spring-y one.

The wintry shade is Essie's "Bobbing For Baubles". This is a beautiful, very dark navy creme tinged with a bit of gray. The formula is very easy to work with. It does go on streaky in the first coat, but it's perfectly opaque in two coats. 

The spring shade Essie's "Your Hut or Mine" and is one of my favorite pinks. It's got a lot of peach and coral in it and gold microshimmer. In the bottle, the shimmer is gold, but on the nails, it often looks like pink shimmer. I've lent this color to a lot of friends and it's flattering on a variety of skin tones. The formula on this one is also easy to work with. It's almost opaque in one coat, but I prefer it with at least two. It's the perfect shade for spring!

Here's the final manicure: 

(All pictures taken with Seche Vite base coat and top coat)

Love,

Katie

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Outfit of the Day (OOTD): Transitional Peplum

Hey guys!

The weather is finally looking up in the Midwest! We had 14 inches of snow last Monday. That's just unacceptable for the end of March! Here's a quick outfit for a casual school day. 

I love peplum tops, because they're so interesting on their own that you don't need a lot of accessories (and extra effort) to make it look chic and simple. Perfect for a fast outfit to run out in after a busy morning!

What I'm wearing:

• Forever 21 striped peplum top
• American Eagle jeggings
• Lucky Tablita booties (most comfortable boots in the world)
• Forever 21 studded doctor's bag
• Red earrings

Love,

Katie

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Day 1: Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred

Hey guys!

It's technically spring already, but there's almost a foot of snow outside in St. Louis. It's never too late to start getting healthy and fit, especially since summer will be here before you know it. I usually go to the gym and run on the treadmill, but I've decided to try something new:  a workout DVD! 

Jillian Michael's 30 Day Shred promises 20 pounds of weight loss in 30 days with just a 20 minute workout everyday. There are 3 levels of workout and you do each level for 10 days before moving to the next level. I'll check in 30 days later and see if Jillian can keep her promises!

Love,

Katie

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Zoya "Faye"

Hello!

Even though it's already the middle of March, it's still cold and windy in St. Louis. But that doesn't mean you can't cheer yourself up with a fun nail color!

Zoya's Faye is one of my favorite and most unique shades in my collection. It is a medium purple base with tons of gold shimmer. At certain angles, the purple is more visible and the shade comes off as a purple with shimmers in it. At other angles, the gold is more prominent. It's a very dimensional color and I definitely catch myself staring at my nails during class. 

As with most of my Zoya experience, the formula is on the thin side, but you can achieve full opacity at 3 coats and can definitely get away with 2 coats. I don't mind the thinner formula, because it's easier for me to work with than a thick, opaque formula. 

All photos taken with 3 coats of polish and Seche Vite top coat. 

You can really see the gold in this picture.

Overall, I think Zoya's Faye is beautiful enough to warrant even the biggest nail addict to go out and get it. What do you guys think?

Love, 
Katie

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New Beginnings

Hello!

So I've finally taken the plunge and decided to start this blog on beauty, fashion, cats, health, and everything else that I love. I'm a university student who is finding out just what I'm made of and I wanted to share that adventure (along with any bits of knowledge). 

I will be posting mostly about makeup, nails, and fashion, with some fun random posts thrown in. I hope you find this blog helpful and enjoyable!

Love,

Katie

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