Colourpop Cosmetics - Mini Haul

* I paid for all the products below with my own money, and am not being paid for this review or haul

HOLE-LEE-CRAP.

So let me back up here a bit.
I got tipped off onto Colourpop by Samantha of Batalash who was doing a wee review of her favorite Colourpop shades. I figured, hell, It's my birthday and Christmas- lets try this brand out.
And I am so glad I did.

First of all, the packaging is crazy cute.

*not pictured was the brilliant way it was packed for safety. I took out all the bubbles and foam for this shot- but this was packed bomb proof! (Which is great!)

I'm already excited while unwrapping this. For such a low price, this is some quality packaging.

(Of course you gotta have one blurry photo. Reminder to charge my camera so it's ready next time.)

Everything is well marked, and the containers themselves are fantastic, sleek, and sturdy.

I can't tell you how many times I've ordered indie makeup and it's come in a crap container, or was put in an impossible clam shell.

But then I swatched.

EYESHADOWS! Sweet creamy goodness eyeshadows! And with no primer!
(featuring a bad burn I got on my thumb for my birthday. Let leg wax cool before taking it out of a microwave folks!)

Lipsticks! Oooh man those colors. And boy do they LAST.

So overall, I rate this brand crazy high. All the shadows are $5 too, and you get a ton of product. It's a fantastic value and totally awesome. I know that I will be spending a wee bit of my Christmas gift money on more shades. I'm addicted. I'm entranced. I have a huge ladyboner for this brand.

Too crude? You will be too once you try out these products.

<3 A.

Thrifty 2015

Could you go an entire year without buying any clothes from a 'regular' store?

I'm going to find out with my challenge,

So it occurred to me while I was pulling together piles of clothes to keep, and piles to donate, that I spent far too much money on clothing I rarely wore. I wanted to streamline the moving process and bring as little as possible with me. Now for anyone who knows me, I pretty much would split my spending evenly between Cotton On, Forever 21, and Blackmilk. The latter unfortunately rarely has sales. But it wasn't a shock to drop $50 on a couple pieces of 'disposable clothing' from Forever 21 (i.e. break/rip/shrink after a few wears) and not blink an eye. That's crazy! $50 is nearly a whole week of groceries for me alone, and I'm spending it on a tank top that has a stolen image of a cat printed on it? Ugh! What was I thinking.

I also began sewing more in 2014, and realized I have quite a passion for it. I originally started sewing so i could make myself some tops to go with my Blackmilk, but then I realized I could easily make my own leggings, dresses, skirts, etc- and not only get a sense of accomplishment from creating something, but also save a lot of cash in the process.

So then it donned on me. What if I broke the habit of impulse buying worthless clothing, and combined it with focusing more on creating my own clothing? Not only would I think a lot more about what I actually NEEDED, but I would be saving money, and widening my creative skills.

Here is the birth of 'Thrifty 2015", AKA a whole year I spend either buying my clothes at thrift stores, or if I want something really specific, I make it!

So for 2015 there is no more shopping at regular clothing stores. Thankfully Austin has some pretty fantastic thrift shops, and I've already been getting some great things! (I need to practice, ok?)

I'll be updating with my thrifty finds, outfits, creations, and whatever other knowledge I gain along the way.

Will it be tough? Yes. Will it be fun? Yes. Will it teach me a good lesson on consumerism in this country and teach me not to be a blind spending machine following along with every 'must-have' trend? Hopefully.

So wish me luck for 2015. I gotta stock up on some underwear before the year is over- because lets be real, that's one thing that you don't wanna buy secondhand.

Are you interested in joining thrifty 2015? Let me know! I'll be documenting on social media with #Thrifty2015, so if you'd like to join me in this challenge I'd love to see your thrifty finds!

Simplicity

It's not much of a secret that this last year has been pretty complicated and filled with plenty of unexpected, and somewhat unwanted, changes of plans. But every 'bad' thing that happened to us had a pretty good result. Matt lost his job, so we now are focusing on a comic we've wanted to release for a very long time. We had to sell our home, but now we're in a brand new adventure with better living conditions and far less stress! This time last year we were in a car accident and Matt's car was totaled, so we now share one vehicle and life is just a bit more simple.

So simplicity is my aim for this next year. Really grind down to the basic wants and needs that I have which boil down to three general topics. 

I want to be creative. I want time for improving my art, photography, singing, sewing, crochet, so on and so forth. These things rejuvenate me, and for me they are very VERY important. 

I want to be healthy. I want to have the resources and funds to treat my body well. I want time to work out, and I want time to cook fantastic food that makes me feel good. I want to treat my skin the way it deserves, and I want to not skimp out on the nutrients my body needs.

I want to be happy. I've been the happiest I've been in a very long time, and that's partly to do with finding someone who shares the same life views as I do, and partly to coming to peace with myself. I want to do things that enrich my sense of self and my relationship, and the previous two wants tie into this one. Living a healthy and creative life are key to making sure my happiness stays intact. 

Not really New Years resolutions per say, but more mental attitudes to keep in mind in day to day life. Would I want to spend time on reddit, or should I work on a painting? Do i want to go out for dinner or can I cook a nice meal at home? Do I sleep in or do I wake up and work out? Do I go and spend $65 on a haircut, or do I just learn to do it myself? Where is my money going? Why am I spending so much on so little quality things.

This blog also plays into the simplicity.
I want a place to write, document, and share my life- without the clutter other websites bring.

I look forward to the future that 2015 brings.

Moved to Austin!

First post!
This will be short and sweet as it's currently quarter to three in the morning and unfortunately I have to be up early, instead of my usual noon sleep in.

Something huge has happened and I've said goodbye to my home in Los Angeles and moved to Austin TX!
So far its been hectic but fantastic, and as soon as I can do a proper post on all of my feelings I definitely will.

Till then stay tuned and welcome to the new blog!