Etsy Shop

I just opened my first Etsy shop, Shattered Starlight! I am so excited. Right now I only have a few pieces up that I made earlier this summer when the creativity bug bit me. I'll be expanding soon and adding lots of new things if I'm able to get this going. I won't have too much up, but I'd like to do enough to make some extra cash while I go to school. 

To take a look at my Etsy shop CLICK HERE! <-----

These are the pieces I have up so far. Let me know what you think or would like to see soon! 

Flip Flop Fantasy

China Glaze- Flip Flop Fantasy

I have this new nail polish obsession. I picked this one up the other day at Sally's and absolutely love it. The only problem is, it comes out a bit dull and streaks a little bit. But with a clear coat, it's the perfect color for your nails! 

It's the Little Things...

After months of searching for new phone cases, I finally found THE ones. I had been looking at all kinds of cases, but I wasn't really willing to drop $20+ on a phone case I'd soon want to change. I decided to check amazon, and lo and behold, I found these for LESS  than $5 each. Not only are they super cute, but they're the EXACT same cases that I had been looking at. Needless to say, I was a happy camper. So, just in case you're in the same spot I was and haven't already thought of it... go to Amazon, and don't look back!

Beautifully Bronze

Today's review consists of my favorite go to MAC bronzers. While these two products are very similar, there are differences. Whether you're a first time MAC shopper or looking to try something new, I hope you find this helpful!! 


MAC Bronzing Powder in Golden Refined:
$23 at any MAC location (MAC store, online, or department store counter)

*More than one swipe was needed for the swatch.

       A few years ago, I made my first MAC purchase. This bronzer was suggested to me by one of ladies working at the MAC counter. This product goes on pretty sheer but is very build-able. The swatch didn't really pick it up, but there are flecks of gold. These flecks are almost, dare I say, chunky. Aside from the gold glitter, the product itself is matte. Now I did use this almost daily for the first year or so but I just couldn't get past the gold glitter after a while. This is bronzer is very good for an all over summer glow. The gold glitter provides a fun addition for those causal, beach wave, summer day. Like I said, it is very build-able. I am an NC20 (for reference) and this product worked well for my skin tone. I believe it would work well with all different kinds of shades of skin depending on use (either to add color or just for the glow it provides). It goes on very smoothly and blends well. While I know $23 is a lot to pay for a bronzer, I've had this product for about 4 years and there is still product. I have hit pan, but it will definitely last me a while longer. For a high quality product that lasts for years, $23 is really not a bad price to pay. I would definitely recommend this for those of you looking for a fun seasonal (or for special occasions) bronzer in addition to your every day staple. 

MAC Bronzing Powder in Matte Bronze:
$23 at any MAC location (MAC store, online, or department store counter)

*More than one swipe was needed for the swatch.

      

      I recently bought this after my search for a matte bronzer. I had tried all of the drugstore bronzers to no avail. I remembered how much I loved my first MAC bronzer and figured that I should give their Matte Bronze a try. This product is indeed matte upon application. In that pan, it looks pretty dark. However, it provides a sheer vail of bronze glow, or with a heavier hand, can be dark on the skin. I find that I have to be aware not to put too much on to avoid that dark streak on my face, as again, I am an NC20. This product is great for that sheer glow or for contouring depending on how you use it. It is very versatile and can be used for a number of uses. Because this bronzer is matte, you can use it every day, for any look you choose whether it be a fun night out, or in a professional setting. It blends very well, which means no harsh streaks. YAY! I've only had this bronzer for about 6 months and have barely made a dent, even though I generally use this on a daily basis. I'm sure that I will get as much use out of this bronzer as I have my Golden Refined, which again, for the price is fantastic. 

Luscious Lips

So for my first review, I'm going to be reviewing my 3 most recent lipstick purchases. While I normally am not a lipstick  kind of girl, I decided to jump on the nude lip bandwagon as well as those fun soft pinks. Hope you find some of this helpful for your next lip purchase!! (:

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Cupcake (055):
$6.49 at Target

*The swatch required more than one swipe to show up.

     While I was at Target the other day, I happened to see these and decided to try one on a whim. I have been searching for a nude-ish pink color and thought, "Why not give this a try?". Well let me tell you, I'm glad that I did. This lip color is a bright bubblegum pink in the tube, however when you put it on, it's the same tone, with less intensity; which is nice when you're trying to achieve that soft pink pout. When you put it on it feels very moisturizing like a good lip balm. I personally love this because I hate the drying feeling you get with normal lipsticks. This is the perfect mix between a lip balm and lipstick without the stickiness of a lipgloss. This color is not matte. While it doesn't have any glitter or shimmer, it does have a sheen. This is due to the color itself as well as the creamy consistency. While this is a fantastic product, there is one thing that is both a pro and a con. This color is very build-able. Meaning, the more layers you put on the more you intensify the color. after a couple of layers this does indeed take on the form of that vibrant bubblegum pink that you see in the tube. This is a pro because you can taylor the color to fit your look by means of application. You can use the same product for that soft pink as well as that bold color you're looking for. The only reason I would say that this could possibly be a con is because of the consistency. This is more something I would probably call more of a warning than a con. Now this might just be me, but when it comes to regular lip balms, I find myself constantly applying the nourishing treatment. Because this lipstick feels just like a lip balm, or rather a lip butter, I have to be careful not to apply it so often or else I end up with bright pink lips instead of the nude pink I was going for.. OOPS! Overall I would say this lipstick is definitely worth giving a try. Its a nourishing lip treatment as well as a lipstick all in one, so for us busy ladies, that is some good news! They also come in a variety of colors to fit everyones tastes and preferences. 

NYX Lip Smacking Fun Colors in Harmonica (lss 504):
$3.99 at Ulta

*The swatch required more than one swipe to show up.

      I purchased this at Ulta while on the search for my light pink color. I had heard so many good things about NYX and couldn't wait to try one of their products. And for about $4 how could I resist giving this product a try?! This color is a very pearly light pink. When you first apply this product, it is not drying, but it's also not creamy. The best way I would describe it would be as "thin" and slick. It has a high concentration of shimmer. As I said before, it's a very pearly light pink; I say this because it is VERY light. It is more like a white pink. Personally for the look I was trying to achieve it was way to light. It looked a little ridiculous. While this product has a great bang for your buck, it does wear off rather quickly, and as it wore off it left behind only the white shimmer and looked quite honestly, tacky. This is great to mix with other lipsticks to lighten them up for your custom shade, and for such a great price you can afford to buy many different colors to suit your needs. I wouldn't say these are a miss and I definitely don't regret buying this product. However, if you're wanting long lasting true color I would consider using this as an "enhancer" for other products instead of using it on it's own. 

M.A.C Satin in Myth (AC0):
$14.50 at any MAC vendor (online, MAC counters, or MAC stores)

*Just one swipe for this swatch! 

     Now one thing you must know about me is my determination. Once I get something in my head, there is no stopping me. I was on the hunt for the PERFECT nude lipstick. After weeks of research, from youtube reviews, to blogs and even customer reviews, I finally came to the one lipstick that kept popping up time after time: Myth by MAC. Now as I said previously, I'm not much of lipstick wearer, so I had to do a lot of justifying for spending that much on a lipstick. When I first put this lipstick on it was a little, well, not nude. I later found that this was because I put way too thick of a layer on. This color is a lovely peach nude lip color. It is in a satin finish, so it is matte once applied. I like this because, I naturally have very rosy lips so sometimes I want a truly nude lip without the shine and shimmer. This nude color however is on the orangey side. I find that I have to apply it lightly and blend so I don't look like my put someone else's skin color on my lips. Because of the matte finish, I find that this lipstick is very drying. While the color payoff is phenomenal and lasts for hours; as the hours go by, the lipstick starts to cake on your lips and looks like you have a bad case of chapped lips (even though my lips were very soft and moisturized beforehand). It helps if you put a very good moisturizing lip balm on your lips and let it absorb before applying this lipstick. Next time I might try a different nude shade and finish. I would definitely recommend trying this lipstick if you're looking for a nude shade or are buying your first MAC lipstick. 

Practical Meets Style!

Okay so I've been struggling with finding a practical way to store my hair tools without making my bathroom space look cluttered. I know when dealing with smaller spaces, style is sometimes second to practicality, but who says you can't have both? Of course I don't have money to blow on a fancy appliance holder so I tried to see what I could come up with using what I already had.

So this is made using a vase and some decorative pebbles. The vase was from some roses I got a while back. I thought it was a really cool vase so I was excited to find a good use for it! The decorative pebbles I had from a party I threw. I know Walmart and even the Dollar Store sells vases and they may be in similar styles. The pebbles can also be found at basically any store.

This may not be the fanciest display but I thought it was a really different way than what you normally see. I personally think it adds to the modern decor but of course the best part is that you can customize this to fit your taste and style!!

Remember to make sure your tools are off, unplugged, and cooled before storing them in your display!

Let me know what you think!! (:

Apartment living

So i have recently transitioned to apartment living.. meaning, small space, and no room for my collection of beauty products, particularly when talking about shower space. Yes, i know, i need to downsize but while I did get rid of excess products there was still hardly any room for the necessities. Problem is, when I went to go buy a temporary shower caddy, and they were up to $20!! I tried Walmart and Target for something that could hold all (or most) of my products without emptying my wallet! The solution?? Target dollar section!! Yes, thats right, the dollar section. With $3.00 and a bit of creativity I was able to create an affordable, AND style friendly, shower caddy to hold all of my shower products!! 

Before:

As you can see there was little ledge space. My shampoo and conditioner were half on and half off. It was almost impossible to grab any one bottle without knocking them all over! 

After:

I put this together by getting an over the door hanger with hooks. The dollar section had these plastic totes. Since my roommate and I chose black and shades of teal as our bathroom colors in our apartment in the fall, I chose the blue, but there were a few other colors to chose from to fit your chosen decor! The wide holes made a perfect holder for my razor so that the blades could air dry rather than sit at the bottom where it could harbor major bacteria(gross)! The over the door hooks came in a few other colors as well and I'm sure you could spray paint it in any color of your choosing. The loofah was something I already had on hand. 

(1) over the door hanger- $1

(2) plastic totes- $2

________________

Grand Total: $3!!!! 

All of the these items I found in the Target dollar section. 

Now thats what I call bargain decorating! 

(of course you could probably find comparable items in many stores. If they are not available at your Target. Prices, however, will vary!)

(View from the inside)

(view from the outside)

The over the door component of the hooks weren't quite as wide as they needed to be but I was able to easily widen them using some pliers. I was also thinking of adding two black or aqua bows on the outside where the prongs are.