I am not a makeup guru.

BUT I'M GOING TO PRETEND OKAY.

So I buy a lot of (affordable) products, especially during Christmas/winter. I have the worst dry, sensitive skin so that is a bit of a product hog. I've also been looking for makeup that will make me feel like a Christmas fairy or something. So I've gathered quite a few "beauty" (if that's what you want to call it) favorites that I'm proud of and I figured I would share.

Lip Color:

Left to right: Sonia Kashuk Lip Definer - "True Red", Maybelline Color Sensational Lipstick - "Ruby Star" (this one has shimmer in it), Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick - No. 11, Rimmel London Kate Moss Lipstick - No. 08, Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter - "Pink Truffle", MAC Lipstick - "Plum Dandy", NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss - "Cosmo"

I am obsessed with these for Christmas, especially since I figured out how to work red lipstick. I go for deep reds (left, along with the very important lip liner), deep pinks (first two on the right row), and gold shimmer (The MAC lipstick is a deep plum purple with a gold frost to it and the NYX lipgloss is my new favorite thing and shimmery, long-lasting, and not sticky at all).

Nail Color:

 Left to Right: Essie Nail Lacquer - "Scarlett O'Hara", "Berry Naughty"; Revlon Nail Enamel - "Creme Brulee", "Radiant"; Sinful Colors Professional Nail Colour - "Gilded", "Holiday Rebel"; Seche Vite Dry Fast Topcoat (AKA AMAZING OMG)

Pretty much the same trend as lip color: red, a little bit of deep purple, gold, and lots of glitter. Essie is one of the best nail polishes you can get at the drug store, Revlon is also really great (and cheaper than Essie), and Sinful Colors has the best glitter topcoats (that are $2 max). Also Seche Vite topcoat has changed my life. It dries so so fast and I don't have to wait around. You can pick it up at Sally's.

I am actually really proud of the Christmas nails that I did yesterday:

 Other Makeup:

NYX Blush - "Mocha", Coty Airspun Loose Face Powder (Translucent Extra Coverage), Wet 'n Wild Fergie Centerstage Collection Shimmer Palette - "Rose Champagne Glow", New York Color Smooth Skin Bronzing Powder - "Sunny", Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow - "Pomegranate Punk", Wet 'n Wild Coloricon Shimmer Eye Pencil - "Copper", L'oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner - "Black Mica" ("Carbon Black" is even better if you can find it)

For eyes, I love pomegranate (the Maybelline eyeshadow) and bronze (the Wet 'n Wild eyeliner) as well as a good dark black liquid liner to make things look more glamorous. I feel like I need a slightly darker, more matte face to wear red lipstick and shimmery eyes, so the bronzer (which is one of NYC's hits in a collection of misses) and NYX blush really help with that. However, to add a little glow, I use a highlighter on my cheekbones (the Wet 'n Wild shimmer palette is a similar type of highlighter to MAC's Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle, which is on my Christmas list) and an amazing loose powder (that is SO HARD to find at the drugstores on the island for some reason) that really helps with coverage as well as mattifies.

P.S. The color tattoos are fantastic. I would also recommend "Bad to the Bronze" (staying with the bronze theme) as well as "Barely Branded" (a good eyeshadow base with a bit of shimmer if you'd like) and "Inked in Pink" (I use this for the days where I just want a swipe of eyeshadow on the lid) from the Metal collection. Also they have 3 limited edition matte colors ("Just Beige", "Matte Brown", and "Nude Pink") that are floating around. If you can get your grubby paws on them, go for it. 

Bath Time:

Bath and Body Works "Warm Vanilla Sugar" Golden Sugar Scrub, Lush "Rose Jam" Shower Gel, Dove Limited Edition "Winter Care" Body Wash, EOS Ultra Moisturizing Shave Cream - "Vanilla Bliss", Lush "Star Light, Star Bright" Bath Melt (limited edition for Christmas)

The name of the game is luxury and moisture (and a little bit of glitter), especially for winter. I have bought three of those bath melts from Lush so far this year and I am obsessed. So glittery and moisturizing and they smell amazing (melt was destroyed soon after taking this picture). I am bummed that they are only Christmas items and not year-round. The Dove Winter Care and EOS shave cream have saved my skin, and the sugar scrub and shower gel smell really nice and are really cleansing.

Moisturizers:

 Cetaphil Moisturizing Cream, Vaseline, Bath and Body Works Body Butter - "Pink Chiffon", Nivea Lip Butter - "Raspberry Rose Kiss", Walgreens "Candy Cane" lip balm

Not much to explain here. I use these every day. I've used Cetaphil forever and it can be put everywhere (body and face). It doesn't have a strong scent or greasiness. Nivea lip butter is the best to apply every night before bed and it tastes amazing. Vaseline helps EVERYTHING, especially if you have some spots that tend to get really dry. A good body butter is important to help you get really soft skin, not to mention it makes you smell fantastic (I love the Bath and Body Works ones the best, but The Body Shop sells amazing butters as well). The lip balm is a knock-off EOS balm from Walgreens, but it tastes like CANDY CANES. I love love love peppermint during Christmas (I have candy cane hand sanitizer too).

Also face masks have helped me a lot. Lush has fresh face masks, and I'm currently using their Christmas one, Rudolph (which does everything, but smells and looks icky). Oatifix is also good for dry skin. But I've really liked using olive oil and baking soda as a mask/exfoliant. It does wonders, and you can choose to add something to the paste other than olive oil if you prefer. Here's a video:

Hair:

Conair brown bobby pins, Batiste Dry Shampoo, Goody TangleFix

I am growing out my hair, so I'm trying to keep it simple. I usually straighten it and put my pesky bangs back with bobby pins and hair spray. Batiste dry shampoo is the best ever (it's British, of course) and it's super important because I have really oily hair. The tangle brush is perfect for detangling your hair and leaving it shiny (like a fine comb but better). I would actually highly recommend the Tangle Teezer (also British) over the Goody version, it's much better. You can find it at Sally's (I lost mine in security while flying back from Thanksgiving).

Tea:

And of course everyone needs a kettle, some cute Christmas mugs, and peppermint tea. I am currently drinking Celestial Seasonings peppermint tea, but I have a box of Twinings in Dallas. I like to add almond milk to it, it tastes like a candy cane!


See how fabulous I am.

  ha....


OK BYE

*bounces in*

*trips* *stumbles to the floor*

Oh, shut up.

I know it's been a while. Only a few months.

 Or five.

I'VE BEEN BUSY OKAY.

But really, I am sorry I am neglecting this blog and not keeping any of you (who might actually care enough to read this) completely updated. August got away from me with the vacation, trying to pull myself out of my lazy slump, my White Coat Ceremony, orientation, and school starting. Then everything went nonstop after that.

*insert photo of me looking all happy in a white coat to give you a false impression of how delightful my life has been in the past five months*

I'll do a quick PFAQ (Possible Frequently Asked Questions) to update you all on my life:

1. How's medical school?
Challenging. But it does seem to be something I can handle.  I successfully made it through two 8-week modules (1. Gross Anatomy and Radiology; 2. Molecules, Cells, and Tissues) and half of my Practice of Medicine (POM) course (runs all year long along with the modules). I have learned more than I care to think about, but I still have a lot to learn (obvs. I have 3.5 years left). My mentors are all fantastic, and my small groups have been absolutely phenomenal to work with (in fact, my POM group has become like family). The faculty truly cares about my and my classmate's education and I am up to my eyeballs in resources from those faculty and the upperclassmen. The schedule is also really nice. Having all afternoon reserved for self-study has definitely been helpful. I've even had clinical experience, both with my mentors for POM and at St. Vincent's Student Clinic. I can't say it hasn't been difficult, lonely, and frustrating at times, but I really feel like I'm doing what I'm meant to be doing. Sometimes before really stressful exams I remind myself that I'm on a REAL medical campus doing what I REALLY dreamed of. That helps. Stress-eating a pizza also helps.

2. Are you adjusting to adulthood?
If you can call what I do "adulthood", yupp. No problems here. That $10,000 direct deposit from the federal government in late August sure helped. (YAY DEBT)

3. How's the cat?
Either spoiled or tortured. He's at least well-fed. And ready for Christmas.

4. How's your social life?

5. So you haven't made any friends then?
Nah, I have friends. I've made a couple of closer friends here, and I occasionally take a break from studying and introversion to go to game nights or parties. My classmates are really awesome and I enjoy being surrounded by them. Going to the parties at the medical fraternities is fun because I get greeted by like 3 or 4 classmates at once (most of us don't go to lecture and so we don't really see each other very often). I also keep up with a few of my friends in Fayetteville and Skype them regularly. And some even come visit me for a Fall Out Boy/Panic! at the Disco concert:

I am definitely surrounded by plenty of love.

6. BOYFRIEND?

7. How do you handle stress?
Tea.

(And sometimes, in extreme situations, Dominos.)
I mostly try to make sure that I am taking care of myself. I keep the apartment clean, make sure I get sleep and take naps if I need to, try to eat healthy, etc. I love keeping Lush bath products around so that I can take a quick shower in the middle of studying with my favorite citrus-y Happy Hippy shower gel or end the week by taking a long bath and catching up on Grey's Anatomy. A good bath is an easy thing to fit into my weekend and I really enjoy pampering myself, doing my nails, taking care of my skin, etc. I also have really liked buying new makeup products and trying things out. I just find joy in trying to improve myself a little bit every day. It's definitely been a boost on my confidence.

P.S. There may be a "Christmastime Beauty Favorites" blog coming up sometime this weekend.

8. Can you cook yet or do you still only eat pizza rolls?
I can cook at a very basic level. I have a few dishes that I rotate throughout the week and I'm pretty satisfied with them. I continue learning new quick, easy, and delicious meals to add to my rotation. I no longer eat a lot of unhealthy frozen food. I've done well in calling it quits on a lot of processed foods and replacing my weekly essentials with healthier options. I also eat a ton of fruits and pair them with every meal. That partnered with calorie-watching (and one meal off/week) has made me a lot healthier and happier, and I can certainly tell that I've lost weight in a good way.  I'm trying not to hop on a scale though because I am trying to be body positive regardless of my weight and make adjustments to my diet based on how I can be healthier and more energized (not on what my scale says that week).

9. Currently watching/listening to?
Watching: Merlin, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and the Doctor Who 50th Anniversary for the 80th time
Listening to: One Direction's new album "Midnight Memories" because it is amazing no matter what you say

10. HOW ABOUT THAT DOCTOR WHO 50TH??!?!
aldfhs;kaghsfd;bldkhsgafgl;dsbjgasd;lvckhgfsa;dlkhbfgafbdsl;kafgsdjkld (still spazzing out about it)

11. Are you looking forward to the Doctor Who Christmas special?
SHUT UP. WE DON'T SPEAK OF EVIL ON THIS BLOG.

12. Current favorite Outfit of the Day?
Underwear and an over-sized t-shirt because it's Christmas break and no one is expecting me anywhere.

13. What did you ask for for Christmas?
Tea and high-end makeup. I don't know what you expected.

14. What are you doing for Christmas?
I'll be heading up to Dallas with the cat on Saturday. My sister has a Dallas Symphony Orchestra concert on Sunday, and then my family will be celebrating my parents' anniversary, Christmas, and my mom's birthday in a variety of ways over the following week and a half. I'm looking forward to it and I should be blogging about it a bit, in case you're interested.

15. Can I ask you for advice about *insert vague health problem here*?

 

I promise I'll update with the Christmastime "Favorites" blog sometime this weekend. Thanks for sticking with me, friends.

HERE'S THE BEST CHRISTMAS VIDEO EVER CREATED OKAY:

Current Status

(I'm in Panama City Beach with my family on vacation, but I'll come up with a good update when I get back. Byyyyyeee)

Way in over my head

Adulthood has been busy kicking my butt.

So, as I have no idea how to be an adult, I've been doing a lot of things for the first time ever in my life. To give you a taste of what it's like to be me right now (since this is my blog, after all), I present to you the following list of 20 things I have had to do for the first time since I moved out of my parents' house:

1. De-bone and boil a chicken breast

2. Cook chicken that wasn't in a frozen Tyson package

3. Come up with things to eat besides baked ziti and pizza rolls

4. Set off a smoke alarm while cooking. Twice

5. Change the batteries on a smoke alarm

6. Adjust a bike saddle

7. Assemble a dining set

8. Use a socket wrench

9. Use a hammer

10. Use any tools at all

11. Hang wall decor with anything other than painter's tape, command strips, and push pins

12. Buy furniture

13. Pay an electric bill

14. Pay for the Internet

15. Take a sick cat to the vet

16. Clean cat urine out of upholstery

17. Cross ocean on a ferry (while I was the one driving the car)

18. Help a turtle cross the road

19. Drive across town to recycle something

20. Prefer Target over Walmart


Tomorrow I am going to the beach and making a pizza.

Today's YouTube video of the day is what I wish my apartment tour looked like:

Byeeee

I think I made a terrible, terrible mistake

What's up, y'all? I am sunburnt.

This intelligent med student decided to bike 10 miles without sunscreen today.

Also Galveston sucks at sidewalks and there were so many tourists on the Seawall either walking or biking with their heads in the clouds (like seriously...are these people going to reproduce? I'm quite concerned for the world if that's the case.), so it took a little longer than it should have to get to the freaking Kroger and back.

 But it was worth it because beach and exercise.

There were also the people who WALKED(/danced/ran/skipped/skateboarded/biked/spazzed/acted like a prat/died) IN THE STREET when I was trying to get to a place where I could see the fireworks (I eventually turned around and went home).

(Daniel shares my hatred for people's stupidity, I don't know if you can tell)

Anyway...other than that, not much to report. Still waiting for the dining set so that I can show you pictures of my apartment. Still spending most of my day dancing to Daft Punk with no pants on (no, Mom...I don't leave the blinds open).

And eating nothing but unhealthy frozen food (i.e. pizza rolls) because I still can't really cook.

So..

Skype me, yeah? I need people to talk to.

Here's Grace giving real life advice on the vlogbrothers channel with "50 Way to Pretend to Be Smarter":

LOVE YOU ALL

All Grown Up?

Oh hey!

So...it's been a while. I've been a bit busy moving and stuff.

I officially moved into my new apartment on Saturday, after driving through both Dallas and Houston with a cat that was so scared he had peed himself and wouldn't stop meowing.

I was pretty proud of myself for driving through Houston by the way. I knew exactly what to look for: losers cutting me off every two seconds.

Saturday and Sunday were CRAZY and non-stop, but we managed to acquire the furniture I had pre-ordered and buy a mattress, then assemble everything. Over the past few days, I've unpacked and decorated the apartment, gone to Walmart four times and Target three times, bought Internet (after spending an hour on the phone with my dad trying to get it to work and naming my Wifi The TARDIS) and Renter's Insurance, purchased a 5-piece dining set from Amazon, and (obviously) spent much more money than I care to think about.

I haven't managed to have a day so far where I haven't gone to the store and made a major purchase (whether at the store or elsewhere). Today's major purchase was a Schwinn bicycle, the last thing on my "big kid purchase" list, so that I can ride to the beach for the 4th of July tomorrow.

With all of the tourists around, it will likely look like this:

The goal for tomorrow is to not spend money. We'll see how this goes.

The apartment is almost done, I'm just waiting on my dining set. Once that comes in and I have assembled it (I am so over my head with the handyman crap), I will post pictures!

This post is just an update, but I should be posting something tomorrow. I'm definitely having an interesting experience adjusting to both Galveston and adult life, so there is much to talk about.

Today's YouTube video is one of my favorites:

Adios!

Jill's Post-Grad Life: BuzzFeed Style

So last night at like 1a.m. I started tweeting with the hastags #waystoknowyourealone and #postgradlife as kind of a joke about what my life has become since I graduated and moved home. That is: lonely and kind of sad.

So here's a blog version of the list of reasons why my current post-grad life makes me depressed (BuzzFeed style):

1. My biggest love interest at the moment is a British YouTuber whom I will likely never meet, befriend, or date. Which is cool with me, I just like to look at him and hear him talk.

2. Doctor Who is currently my best friend.

3. I think about Sherlock so often that I physically need Season 3.

4. I spend much of my spare time quoting Lord of the Rings with my sister.

5. My monthly Tumblr post number since I graduated (May and June):

6. I'm not sure how much time I've spent on YouTube, but I'm afraid to find out. (Fact: I have over 2000 videos in my watch history and that isn't indicative at all because I watch most videos more than once)

7. My friends stop texting me back and I figure it's because I'm boring them.

8. My friends won't read my blog until I "start doing something interesting with my life".

9. I feel sad when I see Dan and Phil now because I miss companionship.

10. I even feel rejected by my cat.

11. I would rather sleep than do anything else.

12. Because I have no use of a car yet, I almost never leave the house.

13. I'm easily amused.

 

14. I worry constantly about things I know are already taken care of at my end.

15. And finally:

The good news: I'm moving to Galveston in less than two weeks!

Today's YouTube video is freaking adorable:

Byeeeee