Goodies that Caught My Eye in the Beauty World

I adore the art of cosmetics. It is lovely to think of our face and body as if it is a blank canvas that we paint and decorate every day. The vast cosmetic world makes the possibility of creation endless and exciting. I absolutely love it.

During the day, my makeup is usually sparse. I work in the mornings and I am definitely not a morning person (unless I have been up all night). I work at my college, and I usually have school at some other point during the day, if not I go home and nap or try convincing myself that my homework desperately needs my attention. But at night... At night magic descends and I become the master creator and artist of my imagination. I am naturally more active at night, and as such I generally get more done. I clean, do laundry, and all that boring stuff, but I also create. I weave my imagination into my reality and I create. Sometimes I create photos and drawings, sometimes I hang marbles wrapped in wire from my ceiling, sometimes feathers and beads are involved, and many times I play with my face. I love playing around with makeup and creating looks that range from natural to outrageous. I have fallen in love with YouTube these last few months and I have found a variety of amazing women who review makeup and create some beautiful looks. Because of these awesome people, I have discovered some makeup brands or I have had some visual reviews that pushed me into wanting them even more than I did before.

I want to share all of the goodies that I am dying to get my hands on. Because I do not own any of the products I am about to list, I would like to state that the photos are not my own. They are all photos that are from the respective websites (Which I will definitely link for you!).

I will start with my most wanted items and work my way down!

1. Urban Decay's Naked 3 Palette

This palette is gorgeous. I swatched it at Ulta and I have watched and read multiple reviews. I feel like Naked 3 has more colors that will work with my skin tone than either of the first two Naked palettes, and I am attracted to the beautiful rosy tones. The Naked 3 Palette came out in December 2013 and is $52 USD. Urban Decay's Website

2. Urban Decay's Electric Palette

 This palette is the latest from Urban Decay. It came out mid March, it is so new neither Ulta nor Sephora have it in stock where I live and I checked just under a week ago. I love colors, I find them adventurous and exciting. This palette is a pressed pigment palette, it is $49 USD and you can find it on Urban Decay's Website!

3. Sugarpill Cosmetics Brush Set

These are the most adorable brushes I have ever seen and I must have them. I love Sugarpill cosmetics, and yet I have nothing from them! Sugarpill is an online company, and they are colorful and absolutely lovely. These brushes are new, they were released in February of 2014. I have read yet to read a negative review on these brushes. They are not the most affordable out there, the set of 4 costs $68 USD (You can also buy them separately) and you can find them on Sugarpill's Website. Did I mention they are cruelty free?!

4. Sugarpill Cosmetics Burning Heart Palette

 

I have wanted this palette for years. The only reason I do not own it is because I tend to easily get distracted and forget about all the wonderful makeup stores that exist online. I fell in love with this palette when I first saw it years ago and I am in love with it even more now. This palette costs $34 USD and you can find it on Sugarpill's Website.

 5. Concrete Minerals Ouija Makeup Bag (and mineral/ pro matte loose eyeshadows)

I just discovered Concrete Minerals a few weeks ago and I am excited to try them. This makeup bag is adorable, and quite large, which means I must have it. This bag isn't exactly new, it has been around for a good year or so, but it is new to me and I must have it. It costs $28 USD. Concrete minerals also has a very large variety of loose eyeshadow, their selection of both matte and mineral are amazing and from what I hear, the color payoff is excellent. The mineral eyeshadow are $7 USD and the matte eyeshadow are $8 USD. You can find the bag and eyeshadow on the Concrete Minerals Website!

6. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara

 

I won't lie, I was attracted by the bold name of this mascara. It has been out since August of 2013, but I have to let my mascara stash dwindle before buying this. I have heard some great things about this mascara and I really want to see how good it is for myself. This mascara costs $23 USD and you can find it on the Too Faced Website as well as Ulta or Sephora. 

 7. Medusa's Makeup Brush Set

 

I love makeup brushes just as much as I love makeup, sometimes even more. I love to try new brands and this set of 6 is just $35 on  Medusa's Makeup Website. This averages less than $6 a brush! I have heard some great things about these brushes and at this price they are more than affordable. Also, orders over $25 get free shipping!

8. Beauty Blender Sponge

Ok, so I know this has been around for awhile and I have never tried it. Actually, I didn't even know it existed until a friend of mine told me about it. Then I saw the cost, I wasn't ready to pay $20 USD for a sponge! My curiosity got then better of me, so I researched it and saw exactly how good it is and now I want it. You can find the beautyblender at Sephora, and online at Amazon, Beautylish, and about 100 other places. 

Side note: Number 9, 10, and 11 are all items I want at the same time. It would just look odd to have three number 9's!

9.  Sugarpill Cosmetics Loose Eyeshadow (in Goldilux, Paperdoll, and Stella)

 One day I will probably want all of Sugarpill's loose eyeshadows because they are sparkly and gorgeous and I love all things glitter, but for now I chose the top 3 I know I want to have. To the far left is Goldilux, a gorgeous gold, and I mean gold. It is not a yellow kind of gold, it is a true type of gold. In the middle lies Paperdoll, a precious lavender glitter purple. To the right is Stella, a black eyeshadow with multicolored glitter. All of Sugarpill's loose eyeshadows are $12 USD each and you can find them on Sugarpill's Website.

10. Medusa's Makeup Glitter Powder in Abracadabra

I did say I like glitter! Abracadabra is pure black glitter. There are no other flecks of silver, or any other color, just black. Sometimes a girl just needs some good black glitter. Medusa's Makeup has a large variety of glitter powders and the glitter is fine, not chunky. You get 2 grams of glitter for $7 USD and you can find it at Medusa's Makeup!

11. Sugarpill Cosmetics Elektrocute Sparkling Neon Pigment

There are 5 colors in the Elektrocute line. The top left (pink) on is called Love Buzz, the top right (yellow) one is called Hi-Viz, the bottom left (orange) one is called Supercharged, the bottom middle (blue) one is called Hellatronic, and the bottom right (green) one i called Sparkage. I am most excited to try the orange and blue pigments. These pigments are fairly new, they came out in August of 2013. They cost $16 USD each, but you get 5 grams. You can find these on Sugarpill's Website.

12. Jesse's Girl Glow Stix Lip gloss in Wicked

The picture does not do this justice. These lip glosses really do look like an iridescent neon glow stick. Jesse's Girl is a drugstore brand, which is awesome because these are only $5 USD! I watched a couple reviews on these and the color just looks fun and exciting. I meant it when I said I love crazy colors! I want to try the color Wicked, it is a green glowstick color. There are other colors available, and you can find these at your local drugstore or at the Jesse's Girl Website.

13. Lunatick Cosmetic Labs Glamour Ghoul Glitter

I just discovered Lunatick Cosmetic Labs and I definitely want to try out some of their products. I saw a review on some of Lunaticks products, and I thought the glitter was great. It is not super fine glitter, and you get a large amount in a test tube! How cool is that? The only problem is that I can't seem to find these guys on Lunatick Labs Website. It looks like they have a lot of stuff coming soon, so I am hoping I see it then. I will definitely shoot them an email and inquire because this is something I want to try.

14. Too Fast Random Mystery Item

Too fast is more clothing than makeup, but I want to throw it in anyway. I am a sucker for subscription and mystery boxes! Seriously. I love them. It's a problem, but not really. Too Fast has something called a random item box. It can be fore men or women and you can choose shoes, accessories, swimwear, women's apparel, or men's apparel. The cost of the box varies, but the women's apparel box is $10 USD. You select your size when you order and your mystery item gets shipped. I love surprises (good ones anyway) so I find this extremely appealing and fun. You can find these mystery items on the Too Fast Website!

This is everything I am looking forward to getting in the (hopefully) near future. There is definitely a kind of trend to the items I have chosen. I love black, bright colors, and glitter. I already have a ton of natural colors, so it is time to venture forth and find some new stuff. Until next time...

Razzle Me, Dazzle Me,

~Stevi

Late Night Adventures

My heart feels like it is breaking and I cannot seem to hold it together. This feeling lingers and my whole body aches with grief, but I don't feel like these emotions are valid even though they are because I feel them. It is driving me mad.

Then some pretty cool stuff happened that rejuvenated me.

I cried. I laughed. I partied. I adventured.

Not in that order, but this all happened in the last week and I needed it. My heart was grieving for myself and I didn't even know it. I was lost in a dense fog of stress, negativity, and worry; the fog was so dense I couldn't even see ahead of me or behind me, I could not even see myself. It sucked and I started to miss things. I started to miss the days when I sat on rooftops, went on crazy drives in the middle of the night, and showing up at friends houses in the middle of the night. I miss it. Somewhere I reasoned and believed that I needed to grow up, be more considerate and responsible. I don't like this. Nope. I am all for those rooftops and crazy nights. I can have it all, so I think I will just go for it. I still worked, just as hard as I do now. I still went to college and studied hard and got good grades. I miss the fun, I miss the friendships, I miss to spontaneity.

I am a night person, I always have been, even when I was young. I have a type of sporadic insomnia and I don't really mind most of the time because it is just part of what makes me who I am. I had some friends who were also night owls when I lived in California. I had one friend who would call me in the middle of the night and ask what I was up to- the answer was almost always nothing. He would ask me if I wanted to come over, I always did. We would sit on his rooftop and drink, talk, and just stargaze. I had another friend who loved to just take off and go places, I was always game. We were both poor and some nights we would sit there and talk about places we wanted to go and he would all of a sudden just starting tearing his couch apart, finding his change jars and we would count our pennies and put it all in the gas tank and just GO, it didn't matter what time it was. We never went to the same place twice. A group of friends and I would sneak into parks after hours and pretend like we were ten, sliding down slides, and swing until it took our breath away. Sometimes friends and I would climb the fence to a public pool and go skinny dipping.

All of those moments are so precious I will never let them go. Even though friendships may have ended, the moments are still alive in my heart.

I haven't done anything like that in awhile. I would walk my dog at night, sure. I would take midnight drives just to drive, but it wasn't the same. In this last week I had some amazing adventures that I feel have healed my spirit.

Late one night I randomly decided that I wanted to go on an adventure. So, I put my shoes on, put my dog on his leash, and invited my boyfriend to go on an adventure with me. We walked to a park about 4 blocks away.

I decided to take pictures of my adventure until my phone died (and it was near death). I started out by capturing the rock that sings to me outside of my art room window.

I find him an inspiration to my imagination

I love walking at night, and I love swings and slides. So, I walked to this park and the first thing I did was run to the swings and just swing as high and as fast as I could until it took my breath away. There is nothing better than swinging under the stars. 

After my swing stilled I slid down a curly slide with my dog. I loved it, I don't think he did though!

I climb everything and I ran around with my dog- he did love this part. When I was thoroughly exhausted I collapsed into the grass and just looked up at the moon and the stars and I relaxed. In that moment I had no worries, no anxiety, no stress, and no sadness. I was captivated by the brilliance of everything around me and I was in love with everything from the sweat on my skin, the smell of the air, the feel of the grass and the silence of the night. 

I decided there was one more thing I had to do before I could go home: I had to roll down the small hill this park provided, so I did. It was amazing.

This late night adventure was perfect. I felt a sense of satisfaction, peace, and gratitude as I walked home and I slept peacefully that night. 

 

Last night I had another amazing adventure with friends. My boyfriend and I showed up with some rum and juice to offer and started the night off with a heavy drink. It was on. There was chatting, dancing, drinking, and the Great Chicken Nugget Disaster of 2014. We all sang, acted, danced, crawled, and most importantly we hugged and we laughed. We were loud and we didn't care. The small party didn't stop until morning, right before the sun started coming up.  

I needed this and it felt unimaginably good. It was like taking a drink of cold water after having a dry mouth all day- refreshing. 

These moments have helped me out and I am grateful. I am so grateful. It has helped heal my spirit and has helped inspire me to push through the fog and keep going. There are things that I cannot help right now, and that is okay because there are things that I can help and I need to concentrate on those things so that I can succeed. I want to be successful in my life and myself. All the way from how I feel physically and emotionally, to my education and career.

I also want to make sure I have these adventures, these moments I can share with friends that I  will hold close to my heart. 

~Stevi

Spring is Coming! Along with a couple projects anyone can do on the cheap!

I am over winter. I want spring now, but unfortunately the seasons do not care what I want. So, over the weekend I pretended spring was here by cleaning the tiny excuse for a backyard I have and firing up my grill. My backyard is a small square, 2/3 cement 1/3 dirt and I have a dog which means nothing grows in my dirt. I decided to even out the ground and place white rock in the area sprinkled with pretty river rock and I will add little bobbles and potted plants and shrubs. This is currently in progress and I started this weekend! I leveled the dirt and started laying some rock. I also took the opportunity to sweep and clean the rest of my tiny yard. After finishing I felt great and was inspired to grill. As the grill was going I completed the "spring feel" by pouring a fancy glass of pomegranate blueberry juice and lighting a floral scented candle for ambiance as the sun was setting. The fresh upturned earth, lingering floral scent from the candle, refreshing fruit juice, and all the scents from the grill combined to pleasantly fill me with the sense of spring. It was relaxing and refreshing. I needed a break from the crazy weather and a relaxing spring day, so I made it happen!

With spring in mind I was inspired to work on some small projects that involve my bathroom. I love my bathroom, I spend a lot of time there and I want it to look good. I noticed how dull and boring it was this last month so I have done a couple small, inexpensive things to spruce it up.

I rent my place, and I am a college student who works part time which means I have no money to spare on redecorating my space. Since I rent I cannot paint my boring off-white walls; I have to work with what I got. I have a regular old sink, average bath tub, old ass toilet, and no counter space. One thing I do have is a nice size closet in my bathroom.

First: I added some color. I love drama, if I have white walls then I want some dark color. I chose a dark rich purple with silver/grey, and a little bit of white (mostly with my towels) to give my bathroom a nicer look. I have specific towels for my bathroom, so I chose a nice grey, purple, and white towel for my bathroom to match the look I want to achieve. I found an awesome purple shower curtain with silver rhinestones for 10 bucks at a discount store along with a nice fuzzy purple bathroom rug for 5 bucks. These two things add a lot of color to a bare room and it makes a huge difference.

Bath mat and shower curtain bling

Next: My sink sucks. Truly, deeply, sucks. The counter space in my bathroom also sucks. I have no sophisticated words that can get the point across better- it just sucks. Instead of giving my sink area the evil eye I decided to just make it awesome. I have a mirror above my sink with a small drawer area that holds very little, but it creates a ledge. I bought an acrylic makeup organizer for about 7 bucks and put it on top of this ledge. This adds something to the room I love: personality, a peek into my goodies, and convenience. For me, if something is out of site it is out of mind and my makeup is often out of site. I love having my little acrylic organizer right over my sink, cuddled up next to my mirror. I have some of my makeup brushes in it, along with some of my newer or most used makeup. I love seeing this every day! I also hate a cluttered sink, and since my sink counter is so small, I don't like to have anything other than soap or lotion on it.

My sink, my mirror and my small but awesome makeup organizer!

Next Next: To the right of my sink I have a waste basket and a litter box, it is very boring and not at all pleasing to the eye. I want a lot of things I can't have for this area of my bathroom, so I brainstormed for some things I can have and I came up with a happy little result. I have a closet that gives me plenty of room in my bathroom but it is dark and half of the closet is an inconvenience, and quite frankly, I love shelving. With this in mind, I decided that a few corner shelves would definitely give that dull, ugly corner of my bathroom some spice. I bought 3 dark brown corner shelves at Home Depot for 10 dollars each. These shelves came with screws, but I bought extra anchors for extra strength and security. Now, these 10 dollar shelves aren't the best quality but they work and they look nice for my cheap ass bathroom. I have never put up corner shelves before, and they tested my patience. They are more difficult than regular shelves because it is a corner and it takes some very accurate measuring and a very good level, and (if you can) spare an extra set of hands if you are a newb like I was. I plan to add a table under my shelves to give that corner a little something extra; the table will sit over the litter box, concealing it a little bit and adding a nicer look to the room. This has not happened yet, but it will...

My new shelves! I don't even quite know what to put on them yet...

Next Next Next: My toilet area. We all need the toilet, and I am very grateful for its invention, but it is often a hated piece. Do we ever have good experiences there?! Well, behind my toilet was boring, so I added one of those over the toilet shelf things. I have a plain silver metal one with some shelves, nothing special but it definitely gives a little something extra. The plain cheap metal ones are very inexpensive and usually come as a set with a toilet paper holder and towel rack (or something like it). I like to keep candles, hair products, and a basket of extra soaps, bath salts, and bubble bath on my back of the toilet shelving (I have no idea what its real name is). 

Still kind of "eh", but I'm working on it ;)

Next Next Next Next: My beloved, and somewhat hated, bathroom closet. I love my bathroom closet because it provides me with a lot of space to put things. However, the door to my closet is quite small and it makes half of the closet space frustrating to access. It creates a dark space that is inconvenient to use. I store most of my makeup, and all of my hair stuff in my bathroom closet. The closet has four long shelves. The top shelf holds all the bathroom towels, the second holds my makeup and hair stuff, the third hold other bathroom items such as Q-tips, cotton balls, extra hair stuff, nail stuff, etc. It is the most unorganized shelf. The last shelf holds bigger things such as big makeup boxes, as well as peroxide, band-aids, extra lotions, etc. It is a great space to put a lot of items, but the construction is poor. The door is narrow and the shelving almost comes right up to the door, so you have to just bend and reach to the far right to grab things since the closet is long and the door is narrow. It is also dark which makes it frustrating to find things sometimes. Especially on the shelf where I keep my hair and makeup items. 

   -The first thing I did was add some cheap touch lights to illuminate my bathroom closet a bit. I bought a 4 pack of touch lights for 3 bucks, batteries included. These aren't the brightest lights, but they do work on a budget. After all, I am not doing my makeup in the closet, just looking for it! 

 

Left: My closet, looking very barren and lifeless. Right: The touch light that will go in my closet.

I stuck the four lights on the bottom of the top shelf with double-sided sticky tape. I staggered them so that I get light toward the back and toward the front for better coverage. Now I can just tap the lights on and off as I see fit.

  Even these cheap little lights make a noticeable difference.

   -After lighting my black hole of mystery, I wanted to better organize it. I love my makeup, and I really love having it accessible and displayed. In the photo above, to the left, you can see a small 3 drawer storage container. I have hair clips, ties, etc in the top drawer, all of my lip stuff shoved in the second drawer, and all of my eye shadows, liners, etc overstuffed in the bottom drawer. I also have my pallets stacked on top haphazardly. It is awful, all of it. It is messy, unorganized and overfull. I cannot see all of my makeup so I often forget I have things and never use them. To the right of my 3-drawer house of horrors I have a cute little 3 section rectangular box that holds foundations, primers, mascara, blush, and other items. It is also overfull, but since it is open it isn't as bad. After cruising Youtube, I found a couple DIY ideas for makeup storage. I love acrylic makeup storage, but those can get expensive and I can't do expensive.

      The first DIY: Makeup storage pyramid!!! I found 6 square, glass candle holders for 2 bucks each and I glued them together to form a makeup storage pyramid (3 on the bottom, 2 middle, 1 top). All you need to do this is the glue of your choice (hot glue works great) and your 6 glass/plastic items. If you get jar candles, once you use up your candle you can clean out the jar and use those. I don't have enough yet, but when I do I will definitely make one because they work amazing and you are recycling. Bath and Body Works candle jars work extremely well because of their shape and they have no lip. You don't have to glue in a pyramid shape, but I prefer to because I like the way it looks more than just stacking. I also took a round thick piece of felt, cut it in half, and glued the pieces on the bottom front of my pyramid so that it slightly tilts upward and prevents sliding/scratching. For 12 bucks I made an attractive, accessible makeup holder.

 

My awesome new storage pyramid! I plan on making one with candle jars next!

      The second DIY is for makeup brushes. It costs less than 5 bucks and works great. You need a nice glass vase or container (not super tall, but not super short either), Epsom salt, food coloring (optional), perfume or scented/essential oil (optional). Clean your vase and set it aside. If you do not want colored or scented salt, then all you do is pour Epsom salt in your vase until it is 2/3 of the way full. Stick your brushes in and BAM! You now have a nice little brush holder. I prefer color and scent, so I take a few extra steps. First, pour your salt in a bowl, add a few drops of the food coloring of your choice until you get the desired color. Next, add a few drops of your essential oil and blend with a whisk for a couple minutes. Then just let it sit for a few hours, stirring every 30 minutes to an hour. You do not want a lot of moisture or the salt will become hard. If you stir every once in a while and wait a few hours, the salt will dry and be good to go. Once it dries, you just pour it into the vase and add your brushes! Epsom salt is good to use because it is cheap and works great with food coloring and fragrance/essential oils. You can use sand if you want, but it does not work as well if you want to add color or fragrance. I enjoy adding fragrance because I keep this DIY brush holder in my bathroom closet and it adds a nice, faint fragrance to my closet and my brushes that I enjoy. I personally added Jasmine essential oil because it is one of my favorite scents. 

My brush holder, it's great because it can hold a lot of brushes, or just a few, securely and it is safe for all brushes. Make sure you change your salt when it starts to look dirty or old/gross. 

Lastly: Bathroom art. I never put original or expensive art in my bathrooms because of the moisture. There is always a chance that your art can get water damage if hanging in a bathroom and you never want original art damaged. Art is precious, and expensive, so always treasure it and treat it with care. I love my bathroom and I love putting art on my walls, so I put prints securely framed in my bathroom along with some wall decals and decorations. Right now my bathroom does not have a lot of art in it, I am slowly figuring out what I want to do, and it is honestly the most time consuming and expensive thing to do for me (most of the time). I choose my own photos, matte and frame them myself, then choose how to hang them, and I am picky. So far my bathroom has a small print of  a small abstract purple orchid with a pretty quote. I also have a wall decal above my door that says "Be Your Own Kind of Beautiful". 

 

I have spent very little and my bathroom has come very far. I love my bathroom, I spend a lot of time there. It is where I do my business, where I shower, take relaxing baths, do my hair,  and do my makeup (most of the time). I want my bathroom to have a good feeling about it. I have a great window in my bathroom so I get to bathe by sunlight and moonlight and it is an amazing feeling. Cleansing and transformation takes place in the bathroom, so I want to treat it well.

Even if you can't change your sink or the color of your walls, you can make your room look and feel good for very little money. I have future plans of adding more art, a table, another mirror, and some accents around some areas to really pull one of my favorite spaces in my home together. 

Thanks for reading this long ass blog post!

Razzle Me, Dazzle Me,

~Stevi

To Take Flight or Sit Tight? Late Night Contempations

I am a college student and I'm over it.

Thats right.

Done.

Well, almost. I finish my second associate degree in a few months and I am excited, but I admit a large portion of my excitement is not registering for another semester, or figuring out classes, and not having to do homework. I have been in school my entire life and I want to be out of school for a little while. Seems reasonable right? I find it terrifying. Why? Because I have yet to realize my final educational goal which is going to school for and receiving my Bachelors degree in Cinematography and Film Production. Part of me feels like a quitter and part of me feels secure in the thought that I am merely taking a deep breath and relaxing, I am in no hurry. Or am I? This internal conflict of mine is really getting on my nerves!

A few months back I started re-looking at colleges I want to attend to complete my bachelors degree and I found some great options, but I realized that I would not be ready to move over the summer to start this new adventure. As much as I love being wild, starting goals, and adventuring, I realized that I also love friends, family, and taking it easy for awhile. So, I contemplated my dilemma. Do I leave quickly or do I stay for a bit longer? I decided to stay because I realized that I have no need to rush. I want to relish my life not run through it and miss small moments. I have a tendency to overload myself and become so busy that I pass up opportunities to celebrate the value of living and I do not want that anymore.

Also, I have two degrees already why not use them right?! I am excited at the thought of financial stability. Due to my education thus far I have the ability to receive some phenomenal job opportunities which will only further my career and life experience. I have the ability to gain an income that allows me to stabilize and work on aspects of my life that have been lacking or set aside so that I can concentrate on my education.

Also, friends. I love them. Five years ago I moved to a place where I knew only my brother and my sister in law. Now I have the pleasure of knowing some of the most amazing people I have ever met and I am grateful to call them my friends. The love I have for my friends is so deep and so vast it is inexplicable. I cannot leave them, it hurts my heart to think about moving to another place and not having them near me. I wish I could pack them all up in a box and just take them with me, but life doesn't work that way.

When the time comes, leaving will be one of the most difficult decisions of my entire life. To tear myself away from the life I have now will nearly break my heart. I can feel the ache just by thinking about it. I am sure I sound dramatic, and that is okay because I am full of so much love that it truly hurts to leave it.

I know about skype, face-time, email, phone calls, etc. I know. But it isn't the same as going out for coffee, giving and receiving hugs, or relaxing in each others company.

I also know that new adventures and relationships await me wherever I go and I look forward to it. But when I go I will look back into the faces of the people I dearly love and I will promise to visit. I will not break that promise, it is too important to let go.

xoxo

~Stevi

For the Love of Music: New Discoveries and an Old Favorite.

Music holds a special spot in my heart. I would never want to live in a world where music didn't exist; music makes you move your body and your mind. It inspires, suggests, dazzles, captivates, and provides a colorful imaginative world.

It has been awhile since I have ventured out in search of new music, aside from a few discoveries in the last 5 months, I have not listened to anything new on my own. I only heard new stuff if  Pandora, a friend, or a store played it in my presence and more often than not I didn't actually listen. For awhile music took a back seat and I miss it. So, I decided that once a month I would add a "For the Love of Music" blog post to help motivate me to find some new music that I like.

I have 5 musicians to present today. One of them is my ultimate favorite, and not new to me at all, Emilie Autumn. Two are musicians I discovered in the last five months, and two are brand new discoveries from this last week! I will start in order of discovery, oldest first.

Emilie Autumn. Emilie Autumn Music
This is her music video for "Fight Like a Girl":

Emilie Autumn is my favorite musician. I have gone to multiple concerts, at least once a year and I was able to meet her the last time I went. She is more than a musician, she is an experience. 

Unwoman. Unwoman Music
This is her music video for "City":

I discovered Unwoman when I went to the Steampunk Ball in Virginia City (Fall 2013). I loved her live performance and I am so stoked that I got to see her live before I even knew who she was!

The Impossible Girl. The Impossible Girl Music

This is her music video for "Animal":

I discovered Kim Boekbinder (The Impossible Girl) through reading Veronica Varlow's blog. Her music has a great feel and is so awesome I don't even know how to describe it. 

Jill Tracy. Jill Tracy Music

This is her music video for "The Fine Art of Poisoning":

I just discovered Jill Tracy about a week ago by accidentally clicking on something. I have never been happier to stumble upon an artist. Her sound is seductive, dark, and classy. Put on a slinky dress, light a candle, and drink some wine and rock out her music!

Bad Wolf. Bad Wolf Website

 This is Bad Wolf's music video for "Drowning Beautiful":

I found Bad Wolf when I found Steamfaerie's YouTube channel (steamfaerietv). Steamfaerie is adorable and I love watching her channel, she makes some cute creative things. I love her costumes and discovered she sang and had a band so I hopped over and checked out Bad Wolf. I like their style and thought I would share.

These are all indie bands, and many of them allow you to download their music for free on their websites (I linked them all for you!). If you like it, please donate some money to these wonderful people! 

Until next time....

Razzle Me, Dazzle Me,

~Stevi

The Ambiance I Create When I Read

I love to read. Some may say I am a bibliophile and I am more than okay with that.

I read often, and every time I do I make sure it is special. I love getting lost in a book; wandering through pages, caressing every word, and allowing myself go to a new place (or a well loved older one) is exhilarating every time. Books are magical, and I let the magic consume me.

But who likes to read in a bad environment? Not this girl! Bad doesn't necessarily mean a dirty home, it can be cluttered, dark, loud, or just uncomfortable. I make sure to create a magical environment around me to accompany the magical environment I experience in every book I read.

I light candles, drink tea, take a soothing bath or shower while playing some good music (Before reading, of course). Sometimes I like to pick up my own little noise maker and make my own before opening the page.

I want to share a book I just finished reading, along with some elements that create the perfect ambiance for my reading time.

I discovered Sarah Addison Allen a few years ago with her book The Girl Who Chased the Moon and I fell in love. I fall in love with her books each and every time I read them. The best way I can describe her books is with the term Magical Realism. They all take place in beautiful southern settings with a variety of characters you will enjoy and empathize with. There is magic in every world she creates, but not in the Harry Potter kind of way. Sometimes there is a tree with a personality of its own, wallpaper that changes based on the mood of the inhabitant of the room, flowers you can eat, or a lake with a mysterious alligator. The magic is beautiful, captivating, and comes to life. Sarah Addison Allen's latest book is Lost Lake, it came out in mid January of this year. I had the book pre-ordered and gobbled it up upon delivery. Lost Lake is a story about second chances, misfits, hope, and making your own ending. It is not my favorite book by Allen, but I am in love with it just like all her others. My favorite remains being The Girl who Chased the Moon. Sarah Addison Allen

I always light a candle when I read, I love the mood the flame creates along with the scent of the candle. I am a huge fan of creating an atmosphere with scent, so I always have some kind of deliciously scented candle at the ready. A candle I just discovered is called Orchid by Salt City Candle Company. Orchid is a refreshing clean scent, with light floral undertones. Imagine the scent of a garden in the early morning right after it rains. Salt City Candle Company

Next, I always brew a cup of tea. I am an avid tea drinker and have at least twenty different types of tea in my home at any given time. A new tea I discovered is called Field of Purple Flowers by Talbott Teas. I was pleasantly surprised by Field of Purple Flowers; it is a green tea with purple cornflower. The taste is amazing, it is light but flavorful and the tea itself is GORGEOUS. I cannot get enough of it. I paid about ten dollars for my tin of tea and it came with 15 sachets. If you love tea and want to try out something new I definitely recommend this. Talbott Teas

Last, but not least, is my little coconut shell musical instrument thing. I honestly have no idea what it is called, the woman i bought it from called it a hand piano. It is a fun little thing to play, you pluck away at it and it creates some very pretty sounds that remind me of a wind chime. I love to sit with it and pluck away as I get lost in my thoughts. When I finish a book I usually contemplate it; my musical coconut keeps my hands busy and creates a relaxing atmosphere where I usually find inspiration. 

I love finding magic in everything I do, and I love creating my own magical place that I can get lost in.

Pick up a good book and get lost in her pages ;) Until next time...

Razzle Me, Dazzle Me,

~Stevi

Mysteries of Mint and a couple fun finds

 

Mint. A wonderful herb that can be used internally and externally to flavor, heal, and soothe. All mint has menthol, making it great for the digestive system. It relaxes the stomach and assists with gas. It can also help keep your system clean by getting rid of bad bacteria. Externally mint can be applied as a cream or oil and is great as a cooling agent. It helps soothe aches and pains and can be used in aromatherapy. 

Mint is a great herb, but not for everything. One way mint should not be used is on the lips. I know, there are many lip moisturizes and lip balms that contain mint, avoid them. Mint can dry out the skin, especially sensitive skin. Our lips are more sensitive than other parts of our body, often cracked, dry, or damaged. Mint, since it contains menthol, can dry out and irritate your lips. It may feel soothing to apply a mint lip balm to your lips at first, but it will cause irritation and dryness over time.

I live in high desert and keeping my lips moisturized can be a chore; there are some great products out there to help lips, just read the ingredients and make sure mint/menthol are not in them.

In addition to my mint awareness post, I wanted to share my finds while I was out and about this weekend. 

First, I found some fantastic new heals, on clearance! 

Via Spiga leather heels

I found a pair of leather heels in my size for less than 25% of their original cost. Why so cheap? Because they were considered last season in an uncommon size. I don't keep up with fashion seasons, I just wear what I like, and I like the way these heels look. I didn't even know they were leather when I bought them. It is difficult finding shoes in my size, because I wear a size 11 or 12. I know, huge, but I am also almost six feet tall and I have some long toes. Usually I have to find shoes online, so imagine my excitement with these!

Second, I stumbled upon a vibrant purple mascara.

 London Butter Wink Colour Mascara in Indigo Punk

I had a 20% off coupon for Ulta that was about to expire, so I decided to use it on a product that I have never tried before. While lurking around the store I noticed a colorful London Butter display and decided to check it out, this gorgeous mascara caught my eye. I dyed my hair purple last month and I thought that it might be neat to have my lashes and brows match. I haven't tried this mascara out properly yet, but I did try it at Ulta. When I tried it at Ulta I was not wearing any previous mascara and no makeup of any kind. It went on fairly well, you could definitely see the color after the first coat and even better after two coats. I talked with an associate and she recommended putting on your normal black mascara and applying the colored mascara over the top. I have not tried this yet but I plan on doing it soon and will let you know!

Until we meet again.. Razzle Me, Dazzle Me

~Stevi

Big Goals and Beauty Boxes

It has been a long time since my last blog post and I am sorry for it. A lot has happened in the last few months, many changes and many realizations. I want to share these with all of you.

Recently, my partner and I have been able to get our troubles in order and relax because of it. It feels good, I feel refreshed and inspired. I don't want to talk about my woes because I left them behind, no need to give them credit here. What I choose to share are my goals.

I have a variety of goals that I am determined to accomplish, the first of which involves this blog. I plan to make at least one blog post a week. I want to share the things I love, learn, and discover.

I have discovered a lot this month.

I discovered beauty boxes, forgotten herbal facts, and hidden treasures. I intend on discovering new music, beautiful quotes, fantastic teas, new photography ideas, and anything else my mind and heart can conjure. I want to share it all. I am passionate about the arts and music; I am an aspiring photographer and graphic artist, as such I want to share my art and talk about my dreams and inspirations.

Above is an early birthday gift I received from my boyfriend. Yes it is real. I love butterflies (Even though this is called a sunset moth, a day flying moth) I see it as a butterfly. Butterflies are symbols of change, transformation, and beauty. They are special to me in very personal ways, I can never get enough of them.

Now, speaking of beauty...

Have you heard of Beauty bags/Boxes? I discovered them yesterday. My boyfriend told me about something called a loot crate (lootcrate.com) which is a box of geeky/nerdy treats that you subscribe to monthly and every month a box of geeky goodies gets shipped to you, a mystery until you open your box. I LOVE SURPRISES. As interested as I was in a loot crate, I must admit that the goodies in former boxes werent ones I would often use. So, I ordered for my boyfriend because because, well, he is a nerd. Now I wanted my own version of a loot chest, and I love makeup. After requesting help from my friend Google, I found two well used sites that send out monthly beauty samples.

The first site is Ipsy. You can subscribe to Ipsy and for 10 dollars a month (with free shipping) they send you samples (and full sizes) of beauty products from a number of different brand names. I signed up, no hesitation. If you are interested here is my link: http://www.ipsy.com/r/6m4e. Ipsy has an awesome reward system, if you use my link I get points and with those I can get extra goodies in my Ipsy bag each month!

The second site is Birchbox, which is very similar to Ipsy. Birchbox also sends beauty samples each month, is costs 10 dollars and has free shipping. I also signed up with Birchbox. They also have a similar reward system, and here is my link: https://www.birchbox.com/invite/kwh7l.

I invite you all to check these sites out if you are interested in beauty surprises like me. I am not affiliated with either site, I just want to share my excitement with what I consider fun finds. There are plenty of youtube vlogs with many women sharing their beauty bags/boxes. They come with some great stuff!

I have been really into etsy the last few months as well, I am waiting for a couple of treats to come in the mail, when they arrive I will share them along with some beautiful art that I found.

Razzle me, Dazzle me

~Stevi