Early Summer Beauty Favs

Happy first day of Summer!

Today I am sharing some of my beauty favorites that I have been using constantly these past few weeks!

Neutrogena Hydroboost Moisturizer - GUYS, this stuff is amazing it is so light and feels great on my skin.  It is also veryyyy similar to the Clinique 72-hour Moisture Surge, but for a fraction of the price. I don't moisturize like I should so this travel size has lasted me a while and I truly do love it. 

Neutrogena Hydroboost Lip Shine - Yes I am sharing two lip glosses in this post but I love to change things up! I kept seeing people share this on their instagram in May and I had to try it out especially since it is a drugstore brand, I figured "why not?" When I went to Target to purchase there were few colors left and few quantities in those remaining colors! If you want a lip gloss to keep on hand, I highly recommend this Lip Shine!

Laneige Berry Lip Gloss - I actually received this in my Easter basket from my mom this year.  I had been wanting the overnight lip mask from Laneige, but honestly, I have gotten way more use out of this as I can toss it in my bag for on the go as well.  There are about four flavor options, but I love the pink tube.  It honestly tastes/smells like a Jelly Bean LipSmacker. This is a more luxurious lip gloss and makes me feel a little more put together when I wear it

Bad Gal BANG - I had been using the Better Than Sex mascara for a while, but it was starting to clump up and I figured it was time to toss it.  My mom had this unopened from a Nordstrom Sale where mascaras were buy two get the third free and she still had not gotten around to using it.  I have really enjoyed it and it doesn't flake off throughout the day!

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue- Okay so I have saved my absolute favorite for last!  This tinted moisturizer feels soooo good on my skin.  My friend and I were in Ulta a few weeks ago just trying out every product in typical Ulta fashion and we tried this and we were hooked!!!  I am almost out and I plan on repurchasing this again. I wear the shade Birch 1.5 and it matches my complexion perfectly! I would highly recommend this if you are in the market for a new foundation. It is very lightweight and great for these hot summer days! 

What beauty products have you been loving this summer?

Bailey

Post-Grad Plans

Good morning, friends!

It has been almost a whole month since I graduated from UNC-Chapel Hill in May.  I am writing to you from my home in Eastern North Carolina.

The week following the longest exam week ever (literally, so long... I had SIX exams) was quite fun.  I got to spend time with friends and relax.  My boyfriend's family, along with mine, had a nice lunch together at the Angus Barn in Raleigh. It was nice having all of our family in one place instead of splitting our time.

So what's next?

Beginning in July, I will begin work as a College Advisor for the Carolina College Advising Corps.  I will be working at a high school in my hometown which is kind of exciting and a relief in some regards. This was the job I wanted out of all of the ones I had applied for and it will be nice to face this new transition while living at home and having familiar faces around (and of course to be able to save money).

Until work begins,  I have just been relaxing at home, going to the gym and spending days at the pool.  My goal is to work on the blog a little more as well now that I have rested up!

What are your plans for the summer?

Bailey

February Catch Up

Can you believe we are over half way through February!? It's crazy how long January seems to last and then February is always so short!

So far, the past few weeks had been great! I was working out regularly and was on top of my school work! The weather was amazing and I was way less anxious than I normally am. 

Then, last week something changed. I really don't know what it was... the weather dropping back down to 40-degree temps and rain, perhaps??? It really killed my vibe and I only worked out once the entire week with the exception of two walks around my neighborhood. But I was not myself.

For Valentine's Day, my boyfriend and I went to a restaurant called Maggiano's in Durham at the mall. I have spent an embarrassing amount of time at that mall over the year and I can't believe I had never been before. It was really great and I loved getting to share a dinner with my Valentine!

I have found some more work out classes that I enjoy besides my regular barbell pump from last semester. This semester I have tried out 3-2-1 which is a HIIT class that has intervals of 3 minutes for cardio (my nemesis), 2 minutes of strength (my fav), and 1 minute of abs! It is fast-paced and the classes last only 45 minutes which is a perfect amount of time in my opinion. 

Alpha Chi had a sisterhood event this weekend at a studio called barre(d). I had never taken a barre class until then. It is sooooo different than any workout I had done before. I initially was not a fan mainly because I was in so much pain, but I felt so good afterward and want to go back now that I know what to anticipate. This semester my goal has been to workout at least twice a week and it hasn't been that bad!

Happy Wednesday!

Bailey

Tidying Up with Marie Kondo

Yes, I am soooo hopping on this organization train! I used to be very organized in early high school and probably up until college when my days began to vary SO MUCH. I've been wanting to get back into a routine of it all and Netflix released this series at the perfect time. 

I started watching Tidying Up with Marie Kondo while I was at home for Christmas break. At this point, I don't really have a lot of stuff at home and the stuff I do have, I don't use a lot. I keep those things at home because I don't wear use them enough, but am not ready to let go for the most part. 

I brought quite a few things home from my room at the sorority house. I anticipated I would be getting a good amount of clothes from Santa, so I didn't bring too many home. I brought a lot of small things as well. 

After watching two episodes of the show, I got to tidying. I went through all of my t-shirts, leggings, pants, pajamas, and closet. I realized that many things I was holding onto were not necessarily sparking joy. Tidying up my room at home was nowhere near as fun as it was when I returned back to school, especially since the items at home were not being used regularly anyway. 

Amongst the many things I brought back to school with me, I also found Marie Kondo's book at my house. I knew my mom had read it a while back and many people raved about it as well prior to the show. Hopefully, I can find downtime to read it, but it is so hard with school (and not having a space completely of my own) to sit to read for fun and be able to reorganize every single thing.

When I got back to school, between unpacking, finding joy and folding, I spent about two hours reorganizing my room. Unfortunately, I was unable to get rid of too many things because I can't let go of my sorority t-shirts just yet. The most calming part for me was the folding. I really felt connected (it sounds weird I know) and it made me feel like I had a grip on this goal of organization I had been longing for this past couple of years. Granted, space in my home is very limited as I share it with three other girls, but I was able to fold my pants and t-shirts (disclaimer: I still had too many t-shirts).

I am trying to keep my bed made every day. It always feels so much better in my room when I do this. I know it doesn't look super neat, but it's a super small space!

My space for jeans is super limited! Th KonMari folding did not work out as well with the space I have, but they are all folded nonetheless.

Again, my space is limited, but I made a stack of my shorts and folded my leggings and sweatpants in the KonMari style! It was oh-so calming!

Folding my t-shirts was my favorite part! I definitely have some attachment issues to them though. I can revisit this afer I graduate but for now, I mostly live in t-shirts so I wasn't super picky.

I can honestly say I had such a great week last week! Although starting a new semester is always a bit overwhelming for me, I really felt like I took the week by the horns! I even woke up at 7:30 and ran errands SATURDAY MORNING. It's crazy what a little bit of organization can do you for your mind. 

Have you tried tidying up your life? What has it done for you?

Bailey

Goals for the New Semester

In light of the new year, I thought I would share some goals I have for myself. I am not one to necessarily have resolutions nor am I one to stick to them, but going into my FINAL semester, I feel like I should document what I want to accomplish in the coming months.

Make Healthier Choices: Yeah, yeah something about being healthy had to be put up here. I really got into going to fitness classes on campus and I hope I can continue to get over my fears and go more often. Going to fitness classes alone really scares me, I did it once last semester and it was fine! Having my friends tag along is always more fun! I also want to drink more water. Over break, I know I didn't drink nearly enough water like I should have and I always drink more at school. I want to be more intentional and consume more if possible.

Procrastinate Less: I'll be honest, this past semester was the best I have ever done while at Carolina. My teachers for 3/5 of my classes gave us daily reading questions that actually kept me more focused on assignments. I still managed to procrastinate papers. I'm seriously the worst about this. Like I will start them DAY OF and freak myself out and tears were almost always shed. Here's to being better about that whether it be just writing a page or two BEFORE the actual due date!

Establish a Routine: I really want to get better about waking up 30 minutes before class starts and scrolling through my phone in bed and all that jazz. My alarm is always set for an hour before I need to leave for class, but I spend to much time in bed. Hopefully this semester I will get up and scroll through my socials while I drink my coffee (also something I am trying to get into bc I am tired... A LOT) I think a routine will improve my mood and focus throughout the day. And this also includes adding a gym routine!

Have More Patience:  Whew! Now if this isn't something noteworthy. I am not a patient person, in fact I'm more on the temperamental side of things. I let small things bother me like nobody's business. This semester I want to try to be calmer which is a hard thing to say as someone who HAS NO IDEA OF WHAT THEY ARE DOING NEXT YEAR. But I want to incorporate this throughout my day to day life with my roommates, friends, and boyfriend.

What goals do you have for the new semester?!

Bailey

My Christmas List

Hey y'all!

Now that exams are finally over, I thought it would be time to share what is on my Christmas list! Exams were crazy because Chapel Hill got around 10 inches of snow in the middle of exam week. I do not do well with major weather occurrences that change up my routine, so exam week was extra stressful, but I made some of my best grades since being at Carolina! So without further ado...

Monogram Necklace: A ton of girls have been wearing these lately, I kind of want one with my name on it, but I feel like that is a little too bold for me. For now I will stick it out with the B. I have a lot of dainty gold necklaces, but I feel like people don't notice them. I think this one will be cool and more noticeable. 

Steve Madden Shoes: I really haven't had a new pair of dressy shoes in a while. I am also the WORST at walking in heels. These meet my height requirements with an added sense of elegance. Hopefully I get these and I can't wait to wear them!

Perfume: I've really been torn between Ralph Lauren Romance and YSL Mon Paris perfumes. I've been using all three of the Tory Burch perfumes since early high school and figured it was time to change it up. I'll be happy with either scent.

BeautyCounter Best of: My aunt is a BeautyCounter consultant and she has let me try out a lot of her products. My favorite is the 3 Balancing Charcoal Mask. I've had a small tube for about a year and I am almost out. It is so fascinating to watch the mask dry to see your pores (weird I know), but I have been wanting to take better care of my skin and have more products of my own, so I thought this set would be nice to receive!

Drunk Elephant Lippe Balm: In continuation of the skin care theme, my lips are constantly dry! Thanks to my favorite YouTubers Brooke Miccio and Danielle Carolan, I have been wanting to try Drunk Elephant products. Hopefully this balm is high quality!

Teddy Bear Coat: I wasn't originally going to ask for a teddy coat because I'm not sure if I'd wear it, but it seems to be the go to fashion piece this season and I feel like I'd regret it if I didn't end up getting one because it isn't something I'd necessarily buy for myself. The jacket looks super warm so I can't go wrong!

Bose SoundLink II Bluetooth Speaker: I don't have a bluetooth speaker of my own, so I figured it would be a great gift to ask for especially as I am emerging to real life adulthood come May. You can never go wrong with Bose speakers!

Lululemon Align Crop: Spoiler Alert... I already got these from my boyfriend's parents this past weekend because that is when they do Christmas and I made the graphic way before then (oops). But these are my first lulu leggings! Y'all, I feel so lame, but I see the hype!!! They are amazing and I also got a lulu giftcard so maybe I will purchase another pair after Christmas. 

What I've Learned This Semester

I cannot believe we are a month out from exams... I have mixed feelings about it. I'm only interested in half of my classes and the other half I really enjoy. On Monday, I registered for classes for the last time... EVER (for a while at least). This semester has by far been better than my whole last year at UNC. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed myself, but there were a lot more lows.

1. I am an introvert. I had always been told by my family that I am an introvert. Last year, I hated being alone though. I guess that was due to the fact that my roommates were always gone and were not as close as I had anticipated that we would be. This year living in a 2 bedroom, 1 bathroom house, I have learned that I do miss being lonesome more than I had expected. Not to mention that I have all of my meals in the main sorority house, so I constantly surrounded by sisters. I really do love the company, but it's comical looking back on how lonely I was sometimes last year. It's definitely all about balance at the end of the day. 

2. I love to learn. Although some of my classes are not very interesting, the ones I do like are soooooo entertaining. I have rarely skipped class this semester (something I did frequently last year). I'm sure if it's because I live close to campus/ my roommates are more responsible or the combination of multiple factors, but it has not happened too much this semester and it truly does make a difference. Now, if I could just focus better when I am working on my homework! My favorite class is Intro to Human Development and Family Studies which most first years take who want to go into education. While I did choose this class as an elective, I knew it would be very interesting to me as I hope to be a guidance counselor one day.

3. I have found my best friends. This is so cheesy and sappy but I do love my friends here at Carolina so much. They are so supportive and REAL. It's not like high school where you had to be friends with certain people. I love spending time with my sisters (to an extent though, see point number 1 lol). They definitely keep you accountable and are a strong support system.

I am sad to see this semester end and next semester will be bittersweet for sure. How have your semesters gone so far?!