Winter Lips

 I can pinpoint the exact moment I became an adult to the first time I reached for a lipstick instead of a lip gloss. That's a pretty defining moment for a girl who spent a lot of her formative years wearing sparkly blue eye shadow.

Anyway, now that I've grown into a more mature makeup style, lipstick is my #1 go-to when I need to look put together.

A great lipstick is like the LBD of the makeup world- always in style, easy to pull together, and can cover a multitude of sins.

Seriously, swipe on some lipstick and your coworkers will all be commenting on how chic you look and will never suspect you took National Wine Day a little too seriously. 

These are my favorite go-to's right now:

1 | 2 |3

These colors are deep enough for the winter, but their bright hues can carry you right into spring. This plum lipstick goes on glossy and is moisturizing with a more sheer, but buildable color. I put this on my girlfriend a couple of weekends ago and it made her green eyes POP!

This is my current favorite red lipstick. My skin's naturally pale with cool undertones, and this red-orange shade is super flattering.

Finally this cult-favorite is a great little multitasker. It has blue undertones which means it looks great on fairer skin tones and those blue tones make your teeth look whiter. It's also super pigmented and the shade is deep enough to work regardless of the season. (It is a semi-matte lipstick, which tend to be a little more drying, so double up on the lip balm with this one).

Thanks for reading!

Kristine

2016

Lately

Bracelets | Watch | Sweatshirt: H&M: not currently online | Pillow | Cactus Candle Holders | Prints: Donut Worry; Bless This Mess | Scarf | Ring

       After a lot of midnight breakdowns and revisions of my cover letter, I landed a post-grad job. Any semblance of a lifestyle I may have had quickly deteriorated into a wash, rinse and repeat cycle of coffee, work, wine. Sometimes (often) I’d sneak pizza into the mix.

       Finally I feel like I’ve gotten the handle on the 9-5 lifestyle. (This is a myth. I do not work 9-5. Who tricked us into thinking we would all get to leave work by 5pm??) But it turns out that although landing a job is tough, adjusting to a job might be tougher.

        After a long work week, it’s hard to convince yourself that leaving your sofa is necessary. But it is easy to convince yourself that paying a $15 delivery fee for pizza and wine is reasonable and something that you should definitely do.

        Now that I’ve been thrust into the real world for over a year now, I’m starting to find that balance between work and life, and for me a big part of that is getting back into my hobbies outside of work.

        A hobby sounds like such a weird thing to say; how often do you get asked about your hobbies anymore? (unless you’re at some weird work ice-breaker activity, which we all know are the worst)

So, what are your hobbies?

10 year old Kristine: “Reading, dancing, gymnastics, drawing, arts and crafts, riding my bike, playing with dolls, Neopets, writing, chain-emails, shopping… ”

24 year old Kristine: “Mostly just eating and thinking about my next meal. Oh and I also watch the Bachelor”

But I want to get back into my hobbies. For me it’s easy to get into a slump of just getting though my days, but I’m a lot happier when I take the time to get back into the things I love to do. So I’m making an effort to do just that, which means I’ll update this blog instead of going home and watching Jeopardy in my yoga pants. Or maybe I’ll find the balance to do both.

big girl bag

Now that I'm a graduate I think it's probably time to invest in some grown up purchases. Of course my very first big girl purchase ended poorly (I'm still not over the loss of the cutest bicycle ever. Don't steal. Come on.) So now I'm turing to what I do best: online shopping. Today is a great day for binge shopping because:

A. It's gross and rainy outside and 

B. Kate Spade

I'm stocking up on a couple of grown up bags; perfect for carting around all of your necessities (wallet, phone, snacks, etc) while looking put together and mature. 

I picked up these two cuties and I can't wait for them to arrive! 

 

Go check out the sale and grab some seriously discounted accessories!

Happy shopping :)

beach bag essentials

Looking at the calendar and seeing that it's almost halfway through August gives me the same kind of emotions as when you realize there's only one slice of pizza left in the Dominos box, or as when Starbucks tells you they've run out of chai. But lucky for us, summer isn't quite over, and there are still enough sunny days left to hit the beach. (They're interspersed with just enough rainy days to hide in your bed and finish binge watching that Netflix series, too) So anyway, since I'm a bonafide expert on lounging, I thought I'd share my essentials for a relaxing beach day.

1. Sephora Perfection Mist Airbrush Foundation | 2. Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil | 3. Evian Mineral Water Spray | 4. Sunscreen: Neutrogena | 5. Apple Earpods | 6. Ray-Ban Sunnies | 7. Cosmetic Bag | 8. Beach Blanket | 9. Silky scarf | 10. Wide Tooth Comb | 11. Moroccan Hair Oil | 12. Cheek Stain | 13. Baby Powder

Start out with a beach bag (mine's from Target, and I love it, but it's not in stock anymore; I love this one and this one). Get one that's unlined so the sand doesn't get stuck at the bottom of the bag. Bring a book because it's good for you and reading is sexy. I just finished reading Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil, and it was gothic and weird and awesome. Any suggestions for my next summer reading?! I've got a dusty library card that's begging to be used. 

Obviously grab sunscreen. If you're a diva like me, you'll have three different kinds in your bag. Get one for specifically for your face if you're prone to breakouts because most are oil free and won't clog your pores. 

I know that it's probably revealing of how high maintenance I am that I'm about to advise you about what kind of makeup to bring to the beach, BUT hear me out. This Sephora Foundation sprays on so evenly that you don't even need a mirror, and it's buildable, so you can control your coverage. It stays on in the heat if you've got any uneven skin to cover, and it doesn't feel heavy if you want to apply it post-beach lounging and pre-bar hopping. The cheek stain gives you a super sheer and natural blush that you'll need if you've been good and have been applying your sunscreen correctly :) (which I am very guilty of not doing…)

The baby powder is probably the weirdest thing I carry with me, and sometimes I get looked at like I've got three heads when I pull it out at the beach, but it is an absolute necessity. If you shake some baby powder on your skin any sand stuck to you falls right off like magic. It also doubles as dry shampoo if you're that kind of girl (which we know I am.)

Finally, every single one of you needs to go buy that blanket. It's handwoven, enormous and only $32. I bought two. They work as an outdoor blanket (an can just be tossed in the wash) but you can bet that this guy is going to be at the foot of my bed all winter for stylish and snuggly warmth. 

Seriously, go grab your beach essentials and as much beer as you can carry and get to the beach asap. 

Boston Beach Bummin'

Boston is cold. No one really prepared me for this when I moved to Boston from sunny Alabama. I have a college degree, but I'm telling you that I didn't know Boston was in New England until my dad called me during the 2012 Superbowl to see if Boston was pumped that the New England Patriots were playing. So not only am I apparently geographically challenged, but I was also unprepared for the weather that is typical of New England– which is apparently where I live. While there's something to be said for those (loooooong) months of hibernating under a winter coat and eating mac and cheese for every meal to pack on those insulating pounds, there's honestly nothing better than Boston in the summer. 

I've been loving exploring beaches this summer, and one of my new favorite beaches is Long Beach in Nahant, MA. It's the perfect place for day trips because it's only about 30 minutes away from Boston so you feel like you've escaped the city without going too far. If you like to spend your beach trips laying in the sun, there's a huge shoreline for that, with packed sand for running around and playing soccer, and soft sand for lounging in. If you like to spend your beach trips hunting for little critters (like I do) there's an abundance of snails, baby hermit crabs and other creatures that you can check out on the giant rocks at the edge of the shoreline. 

Long Beach parking is only $5 (but I think it may be free on weekdays?!) which is a bargain for Boston area beaches, which usually can run up to $25 for day parking. Before you park, stock up on snacks at one of the various convenience stores around the area, and grab take out lunch at Seaside Pizza , a local eatery that has awesome sandwiches, subs and pizza.

If you don't have access to a car (you can take public transit to Nahant, but it's a little tricky) you can hit the beach at the Boston Harbor Islands instead. The ferry runs from Long Wharf for about $15, and you can hop around the Harbor Islands. Spectacle Island is the closest, and it's only about a 20 minute ferry ride. BONUS: the ferry sells beer. Stock up during those 20 minutes. There's a lifeguarded swimming section, acres to explore, a snack shack and a rocky beach to lounge on. You can see the Boston skyline from the beach, which is so beautiful, and you don't get the enormous crowds that you usually see at a typical beach. 

These two places are super beautiful and fun areas to enjoy summer and take advantage of the warm weather while it's here!

Exploring Boston is one of my favorite things to do, and I'd love to hear if any of you have any favorite outdoor summer spots!

These shoes are made for walkin'

Is anyone else guilty of having an entire closet full of clothes, but being so lazy and only wearing the same outfit every day? Ok this isn't exactly what I do (don't ask my roommates. There is this one shirt I refuse to take off), but I do have those key pieces that I could wear again and again and never get sick of. These shoes are one of them. The most important part about these shoes is that they are an almost complete dupe for the Steve Madden version– and I bought them at Target! I got them a few months ago, and had to wait patiently until it was warm enough in Boston to wear them. Now that it's officially summer, I don't take these babies off. Not kidding, these are so incredibly comfortable, and I wear them with everything. They're perfect for work or a casual outfit, and I recently trekked around NYC wearing them and didn't even get one blister. I went to Target yesterday and these guys were on sale, so obviously I picked up a pair in black for only $17, and I believe the other colors are running for around $24 now. If you're at Target, definitely stop by and grab a pair. You'll wear them everyday and save a ton of money. It's a win-win. 

Steve Madden //Target  

 

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I've got a diploma and I don't know how to use it.

When I started this blog way back in the day as an undergrad, it was a project for one of my PR classes in college. Now, 11 months later, I'm a wise and worldly graduate. I literally never have to do homework again. But, I missed the chance to express my creativity and also keep my mom up to date on my life (hey Mom), so I am back and (possibly even) better than ever. 

Since I've been forced to finish my education and leave the comfort of my daily schedule of Starbucks trips followed by an occasional class, I thought it was only fitting to move my blog off the Boston University host website- although, maybe if I didn't, I could convince them I was still a student and they'd let me stay?? 

    Smiling on the outside, mourning the loss of our childhood and parent-funded eating habits on the inside. 

I'm psyched to get back into the world of expressing my emotions and life via social media, as I was once told that I was a "great friend to have on Facebook because I am so entertaining" after posting consecutively about breaking my graduation cap in half and then dropping my toothbrush down the toilet. It is my life goal to entertain others through my daily life struggles. I think I might be one of those people who is better on the page than in real life.

Anyway, hope you're all ready for it. 

      They gave me a diploma and there are no take-backs.