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7.24.2013

Update and THANK YOU!

I bet you all thought I was never going to post again
Well...
HERE I AM!

I don't even have an excuse for my obscenely long absence
I just got out of the routine of blogging
I would think about posting something, and then just... not
This spring was pretty busy for me at school, and this summer has consisted of a lot of working

Can I just quick say that I can't believe we are already over half way done with 2013
That's nuts

While this is a very general statement, it is very true:
This has just been a wonderful year
Quite a lot has changed in my life, too much to write about in one post, but I'll update you guys in future posts

One thing I would like to update you on, is a very generous gift I received from Elle Magazine

Last summer, my lovely friend Alyssa had the amazing opportunity to do some work with Elle [I'm so jealous]
She asked me if I wouldn't mind answering some questions about my blog. I didn't know what the interview would be for, but I willingly participated!
She asked questions about my style, my inspiration, and basically just things I talk about on my blog
It was fun chat about it with her

As you guys probably know from some of my previous posts, I have a love for Rebecca Minkoff handbags.
I just think they're lovely; nice shapes in fun colors and patterns that are classic and chic, yet trendy

This spring I could not believe it when I received a package from Elle Magazine
Inside was a Rebecca Minkoff bag
I'm still in shock to be honest
They sent me the bag to thank me for my answers, but honestly, I want to thank them just for listening!
I'm so touched by their gift, and would like to send a huge THANK YOU to the magazine


I feel quite bad that it has taken me this long to talk about it, but like I said, I fell out of the blogging world
I really miss it, and I'm hoping it won't happen again

All in all, I'm alive, I miss blogging, and I want to send out a huge thank you to Elle Magazine for my very generous gift
I hope you all have a lovely day
XO Kara


4.08.2013

Spring Haul

Helloooo!!
I'm finally back today
I have a little haul for you
The promise of spring always gets me excited to go shopping
I picked some new things up over the past few weeks and I want to share them with you all

 H&M:




 Kohl's:
[I was quite shocked]


Nike Outlet:
[Woo!!]
Sorry it's slightly out of focus

 Ulta:
 Revlon Photoready BB Cream, Revlon Just Bitten balm stain, Butter London nail polish in Teddy Girl
 Bath & Body Works: 

Two of my favorite scents
If you haven't smelled Market Peach yet, GO DO IT!
It smells phenomenal
And Mahogany Teakwood smells exactly like Abercrombie

I have picked up a few more things recently and I'm willing to share if you guys like these kind of posts :)

Thanks so much for reading! Have a lovely day & I'll talk to you soon
XO Kara

2.17.2013

M.I.A.

Hi friends!

I hate when my life gets unbalanced
After spending a semester going to school in Spain (and by going to school I mean occasionally going to class and traveling practically every weekend), I have been having a little trouble adjusting to school in the states
Now that I have been in class for a few weeks, I'm starting to get back into a routine, and I'm really going to work on blogging more regularly

You guys know I love blogging, and it's a great outlet from the stresses of school
I'd love love love it if you would leave a comment telling me what kind of posts you'd like to see in the future!
More reviews? tutorials? OOTD's?

Again I'm so sorry for the lack of posts and I really look forward to posting more soon :)

Talk to you guys very soon!
XO Kara

1.23.2013

Bits of Decor

Hi friends!
How's life?

Today I'm taking a little break from makeup and beauty 
to talk to you all about decor
I absolutely love decor and any way to make the home a little more beautiful
I look forward to getting an apartment of my own after I graduate to be able to decorate my whole home however I want

I'm going to share with you one of my favorite corners of my bedroom
One of my go-to techniques for decorating is using some of my favorite shoes, accessories, beauty products, etc.
I mean, I spend all of this money on these things, why wouldn't I want them on display?

I used a simple bookcase to shore the shoes


Storing them with one facing the front and one the back makes it more visually appealing and lets you see more of the shoe
Having my nail polish on display adds color to my room and also helps me choose what color I'm in the mood for

On top I keep a basket with odds and ends for doing my nails (polish remover, nail file, etc.)
A Toms shoebox
A picture frame with photos from Spain, Ireland and Paris with my friends
And a few Victoria's Secret PINK dogs

I absolutely love this corner of my room
It shows off some of my favorite things and gives me inspiration

Let me know if you guys would like to see some other decor!!
Thanks for reading
XO Kara

1.21.2013

Review :: Maybelline Color Whisper

Hello loves
I have another review for you today

I'm a sucker for lip products
I feel like I can never have enough
Especially at the drugstore

The other day at Ulta I saw a display for the new 
Maybelline Color Whisper lipsticks
The packaging really caught my eye--
Colorful and sleek

These are very reminiscent of the ever loved Revlon Lip Butters
They range from shiny nudes to deeper berry colors
20 in total

I practiced a lot of self control and only bought one
I wasn't sure how I was going to feel about them so I didn't want to be stuck with a bunch of lipsticks I don't like

I chose the color Who Wore It Red-er


As I said before, I love the packaging of these
It's sleek, yet bold
They're also quite thin and light

The consistency is very smooth
It's marketed as color pigments in a gel form
They glide on the lips very well, actually maybe a little too well
With products like this, you don't want to think about lip liner
I had to be very careful when applying this because it's so slick its very easy to get some onto your face
With that being said, these are also very pigmented
They are quite shiny as well


To be honest, I wasn't thrilled with the color I chose
I feel like on the lips it looks much more pink than in the tube
I was hoping for a truer red

Overall--
They have a nice color selection
Packaging is great
Consistency is very smooth
Quite comparable to the Revlor Lip Butters, but I'd say that these are smoother
With that being said, I think I prefer the Lip Butters

If you try these out, I'd love to hear your thoughts!!
Thanks so much for reading
XO Kara

1.15.2013

Current Makeup

Hi friends!

Today I want to share with you some makeup that I have been loving lately
These products have really stood out to me, and I find myself constantly reaching for them
In winter, my skin looks quite dull, I think this is the case with most people
The products I'm going to share with you have really helped bring life back to my skin

Face--
 Rimmel Stay Matte powder:
I use this just through my T-Zone to prevent my skin from looking shiny
NYC Bronzer in Sunny:
This bronzer is great for the winter months
It's fairly light, so it doesn't look too orange on paler skin
It's completely matte, so it's great for contouring
The best part, it's only about $4


NARS blush in Sin:
This has quickly become one of my favorite blushes
It's one of those colors that is just perfect with almost any look
It's a gorgeous berry color with gold shimmer
The berry color adds richness to the skin, and the gold shimmer helps warm up your complexion 
Benefit's High Beam:
This liquid highlighter adds the perfect amount of luminosity to the skin that we're often lacking in the winter months
I use it practically every day
Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch concealer:
I've talked about this product before
It's a great under eye concealer that is very brightening

Eyes--


Chanel eyeshadow quad in Mystic Eyes:
I have been using this quad almost every day since I bought it almost a month ago
The colors are perfect for every day wear
The matte pink color is great all over the lid with the light bronze in the crease, the dark brown along the lower lash line and the silver on the inner corners
Absolutely worth every penny
Josie Maran Argan Mascara:
This mascara has a larger wand than I typically like, but it's growing on me
I like the formula of this mascara, it's not too wet
It leaves your lashes very full and soft

Lips--
BareMinerals lipgloss in Trail Blazer:
This lipgloss is a really nice peachy nude color that looks great over lipstick or on its own
The formula has good staying power and it isn't sticky
It also tingles a little bit when you apply it

These have been my favorite beauty products lately
I'd love to hear what yours are!!
Thanks so much for reading
XO Kara

1.13.2013

What's In My Bag?

Hello loves

As you probably know, I really enjoy watching beauty YouTubers
I'm subscribed to an obscene amount
One of the most popular "beauty" videos on YouTube is probably the 
"What's In My Bag?" tag
I personally love watching them
I guess I'm just nosy like that

I can't believe it's taken me a year to write this post, but I figured it was time to share it with you all!

You guys probably remember my beautiful Rebecca Minkoff bag I bought in summer
In case you didn't see it, her she is

While I was in Spain, I saw there was a Rebecca Minkoff event on Hautelook
[In case you don't know what Hautelook is, it is a website that has really great designer events that change every day, and they are greatly discounted]
I couldn't resist, and bought my bag a sister
What can I say? I think Rebecca's designs are flawless
I ordered it in the beginning of October and had it sent home, so I had to wait until December to actual see my beauty in person
They definitely aren't cheap, but in my opinion they are well worth the money

[If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen this bag plenty of times, but this is her debut on my blog!]







Most people are familiar with her Mini MAC bags, this bag however is the original MAC, which is just a little bigger
I seriously love this bag so much
It's a great size for me
I don't like huge bags, but it also holds every thing I want it to
It has an inside zip pocket, as well as two pockets on the other side
There is a zippered pocket under the clasp closure on the outside of the bag, as well
The gold hardware is great quality, as is the leather
I absolutely love the chain strap [which is removable]
The cheetah pattern also helps make a simple outfit more exciting
Overall, I couldn't be happier with this bag

Let's move on to what is inside

I've mentioned before that I am a Type 1 Diabetic, so I always have my blood glucose meter and fruit snacks [in case my blood sugar goes low] with me
This is kind of frustrating at times because I have to have my meter with me, but it's kind of large, so I always have to take that into account when buying a new bag 
 Since it's pretty much always freezing in Wisconsin, I have my deep purple leather gloves
 I'll usually bring whatever lip product I'm wearing that day with me, but these three are almost always in my bag since they go with anything
Maybelline Baby Lips, Chanel lipstick in Charme, and Mac lipstick in Modesty
And gum, of course


 Next is my coral wallet from Coach
It's a really great quality leather wallet
As you can see, there's plenty of room for cards, and I really like the metal turn-lock closure
 Often times I will switch back and forth between my wallet and this Coach wristlet
Next is my favorite hand lotion of all time
Soap&Glory Hand Food
No joke, this stuff is amazing
It makes your hands so soft, and hardly leaves a residue
The smell alone is reason enough to buy it
I like this mini size because it's perfect to keep in your purse
They usually have these in the line as you check out at Sephora and it's only $5


Next are my car keys, nothing special, but I love my Tiffany & Co. key ring, and also my little shell keychain from The Camino de Santiago
 My iPhone 4s

 Last, but definitely not least, my sunglasses
They are Polarized RayBan Wayfarers
These are probably my favorite sunglasses ever
I have pretty sensitive eyes, so even if it's not very sunny, I'm usually wearing my sunglasses

The contents of my purse change slightly depending on what I'm doing
But for the most part, this is what I usually have with me!

As I told you guys I'm quite nosy, I'd love for you to do this tag!
Either write a post or simply write your essentials in the comments :)

Thanks so much for reading!
XO Kara