Obsession: Brandy Melville

Recently Brandy Melville has been getting a lot of love on YouTube. I've seen several hauls from different beauty and fashion gurus that featured Brandy Melville. I heard its style is like Urban Outfitters but more affordable. They have lots of cute tees, tanks, shorts, and accessories. 

Beautybaby44 is holding up one of their tanks. The details on the elephant are so intricate!

Meghanrosette is holding up one of their dip dye shorts. I'd love to get myself a pair of their shorts!

Stilababe09 is wearing one of their rings. They have lots of studded jewelry.

Akaydoll is holding one of their cross necklaces. I've been seeing crosses a lot now. Possibly a new trend?

Apparently there are only locations in California and New York in the U.S. so they're not really close by for me... but they do have an online website which I will be checking out! http://brandymelvilleusa.com/

Have you guys heard about Brandy Melville? Are there any stores you're obsessing about? 

Soft Summery Day Look- by Sara

Hi everyone, please welcome Sara! She has a great everyday look to share with you guys! Her link is at the bottom of the post. You should definitely check out her blog!

Hey, I’m Sara, from De l’Etoile! This is my first guest post, so I am very excited! Some of the pictures are clearer than others, so I apologize on behalf of my camera, which has a mind of its own. :)


Today’s tutorial is for a soft, summery, day look. During the summer, you don’t want to weigh down your natural beauty with too much makeup. So here’s a look that brings out your eyes, instead of hiding them.


I’m using colors from Urban Decay’s “Naked” palette, but if you have similar colors, those will work out great as well.


1. Start out with clean eyelids, and don’t forget to apply primer to avoid creases as the day progresses.



2. Blend “Buck,” a matte copper tone, into, and just above, the crease of your eyelids. The darker you apply it, the deeper set your eyes will appear.

  

3. Brush “Half Baked,” a light shimmery gold, onto the entire lower half of your lid. Then, go back and pat some extra gold in the middle, right above your pupil.

  

4. With a thin brush, line your eyes with “Hustle,” a dark maple. Pack it on as much as you prefer, and extend the line as far toward the inner corner of your eye as you would like. I stopped about halfway across my upper lash line. Don’t forget the bottom lash line, as well!

  

5. Apply “Virgin,” a sheer nude highlighter, in three places: just below your eyebrows, on the inner corner of your eye, and underneath your eyes to cover dark circles. This eliminates any impression of fatigue.



6. Lastly, add a little mascara, and you’re done! You can add eyeliner, but it isn’t really necessary because of step 4.



And now you have a day look for any occasion, that looks great with any eye color! Thank you so much for reading, and thank you to Kassica for inviting me to Kassica Life!


Please feel free to check out my home blog, De l’Etoile!


XOXO

Guest Post and Some Updates

I wrote a guest post for A Brunette Duet. Click on this link to check it out!  http://www.abrunetteduet.com/2012/07/favorite-fashion-trends-by-kassica.html

Also you can follow my blog on Bloglovin' and hellocotton! Links are on the side bar. 

Beautiful Blogger Award

Rules: 

1. Thank the person that nominated you and link to their blog. 

Thank you so much Melissa! When I saw your post it made my day! Check out her blog Miss Meliss

2. Tell us how the idea of  making a blog popped up and what makes you continue it?

I answered the first part of this in my previous post (haha). I would have to say Amarixe inspired me. When I discovered her YouTube channel I found out she had a blog and checked it out. I thought it looked so nice and I wanted to start my own blog! I really enjoy writing about beauty and fashion. I look forward to seeing comments from others and interacting with other bloggers!

3.Describe a usual day in you life.
Summer: To be honest I can't really "sleep in". Wake up at 8-9am. Get ready, eat breakfast. Check email, blog, etc. Summer reading/school pre-work (almost done). Lunch. Various activities depending on day (volunteering/piano/flute/hang out with friends/pool/shopping, etc.) Dinner. Read. Sleep. Repeat.
School Year: Get up around 6am. Get ready, eat breakfast. Classes/Lunch/Classes. After school activities (not sure what I'm doing yet...). Homework. Dinner. Homework.  

4. The best collaboration with a blogger.

I enjoyed working with all the bloggers I had collaborations with! Sophie wrote a great guest post for this blog! Amazing blogger! She's the only blogger that has guest posted so far. If you are interested please send me an email. I wrote a guest post for A Brunette Duet which should be up sometime next week. Steph and Laura are so nice! :) 

5. The worst collaboration with a blogger.

None so far... Everyone I've worked with were awesome!

6. Describe what having a blog means to you
Where do I begin? This may seem a little cliche but this blog has really been a creative outlet for me. It's my way for me to express my ideas and opinions on things that I am passionate about. I love being able to interact with people around the world that have the same interests as me. I want to thank all my followers for supporting my blog! Every time I see a new comment or even follower, my heart leaps for joy! For all the new followers: Welcome and thank you for taking the time to read my little blog! :)
This weekend I reached 100 followers! Ahhhhh!!! I remember when I reached 5 followers, I was ecstatic! Thank you so much! :D


Nominate Other Bloggers
A Brunette Duet
Crazed and Caffeinated Beauty
Peach Closet
See it, Love it, Swatch it
the ME fashion

Personal Interview (See if you were tagged!)

Thank you Jill at Notebook from the Heart for tagging me! This personal interview is a great way to learn more about each other and get to know different bloggers. What's different about this tag is you get to choose what questions to answer! Sounds like fun, right?


Here are the rules:

Mention who tagged you and give the link to their blog. 

Create ten (10) interview questions, of any subject matter, that you would love to answer.

Answer the questions in at least two sentences.

Tag at least five fellow bloggers to continue the activity in their own blog post!

My 10 Questions

1. Who/What inspired you to create this blog? I would have to say Amarixe. When I discovered her YouTube channel I found out she had a blog and checked it out. I thought it looked so nice and I wanted to start my own blog!
2. How did you come up with your blog name? It was inspired by Amarixe by combining my first and middle name but I did do it differently. 
3. What advice do you have for beginning bloggers? Blogging is a great experience and it's so fun to find other blogs and have "conversations" with other bloggers. Even though you may start out with very few followers you will definitely gain a ton in the long run if you take the time to check out other blogs and leave nice comments and become a member. Also, blog hops are a great opportunity to find blogs with similar topics as yours. It's important that your blog looks aesthetically pleasing and that you have good content-that's how others get interested in your blog. Pictures is key! It's nice to have a "contact me" but if you put an email on your blog make sure it's not your personal email because you will get spammed a lot!
4. What do you look for in a good blog? Mainly it's the content- well written posts, lots of pictures, interesting topics, and a variety of posts! Then, it's the set-up like does it look nice, is the header inviting, can I navigate the blog easily, etc.
5. What are your goals for your blog before 2013 (inspired by a brunette duet)? I am hoping to reach 100 followers and do a giveaway! I want to establish a good connection between other bloggers. I love reading other blogs! If you have a blog, leave a link below so I can check it out.
6. What is your favorite summer drink? This is a little difficult to write at least two sentencs, so I am going to lengthen this out (heh heh). Right now it's strawberry lemonade and pear lychee white tea! 
7. Most exotic fruit you've eaten? Lychees! They are small and pink with a prickly shell. The inside is white, juicy, and sweet. You can find them at asian supermarkets/food stores.
8. What is your favorite restaurant? I love Chipotle and Red Lobster! I always go back to them.
9. Number one place you want to go to: I'd love to go to Hawaii! Their beaches are so inviting!
10. What is the top makeup item on your wish list? There is a lot of makeup I'd like to try but I think the Naked palette by Urban Decay is at the top. It has all neutral eye shadows that are so beautiful and perfect for everyday wear.

I tag:

Niamh Makes Things
Beck to Vintage
Confessions of a Small Town Girl
jenxxhope
Hiiyooitscat Beauty Diaries
Indian Beauty Forever
Charlotte C
Emma's Advice
Sa4a's Beauty Blog
A Brunette Duet

I'd really like to see what questions you've picked in your interviews!

Vera Bradley Fall 2012 Collection

It's the middle of July and Vera Bradley has released their Fall 2012 collection! Yes, that's right, the fall collection is now available for the public to purchase. Here are the patterns:

Va Va Bloom
* All images are from Vera Bradley's blog insidestitch.com

Indigo Pop

Paisley Meets Plaid

I really like all three patterns but I think I like Indigo Pop the most. It has a very simple pattern that is easy on the eyes. Va Va Bloom is a little wild but I love the color choices. Paisley Meets Plaid is a very Vera Bradley style pattern. Usually they thrown in paisley in one of their patterns every once in a while.

This fall they also introduced a new bath and bedding collection! I really want to check that out! I think it's Vera Bradley's goal to cover everything with their patterns...What are they taking over next... furniture?...apparel?...hair accessories?

Bedding in Va Va Bloom

New Bags

New Accessories

New School Supplies

What do you think of the fall collection?

Adventures in Canada (pic heavy)

Hey everyone! In my previous post I mentioned that I was probably going to do a post on my trip to Canada and here it is! 

I traveled to Toronto and Niagara Falls with my family!

I created this collage of Niagara falls using an app called pic stitch. We went on the maid of the mist (upper right corner), the white water walk (not shown) and the journey behind the falls (lower right corner). The maid of the mist is a boat that takes you up close to the waterfalls. The white water walk is a boardwalk along the raging waters that have fell from the falls.  The journey behind the falls should be called the journey beside the falls because you couldn't see anything from the windows behind the falls. It was still a spectacular sight and very very wet. The mist splattered my camera with water but the pictures turned out all right. :)

This is a view from the bottom of the CN Tower in Toronto. Sorry about the glare in the lower right corner-the sun got in the way but it does add a cool effect to the picture. 

This is a view of the world below us in the CN Tower. This is a glass floor that you can stand on.

We also went to the Casa Loma meaning Hill House. You actually have to climb a set of pretty steep steps to get to the castle. This gorgeous castle was built by Henry Pellatt, a well known and rich Canadian financier and soldier. He died in the 1930s and his house was turned into a public museum. Warning: there's no air conditioning so don't go on a hot day especially to the upper floors. Casa Loma is very similar to Biltmore (the largest mansion in the U.S. located in Asheville, North Carolina).

 At the Toronto Islands, we went canoeing which was really fun! I really want to try kayaking next time!

Toronto skyline with swans in it! View from the Toronto Islands! The CN Tower is in the middle.

More waterfall pics!

 I'm on the edge...

 White Water Walk

Glorious blue raincoats on the Maid of the Mist.

We went to the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) as well but I didn't take any pictures of that. I did get to see a limited edition exhibit featuring a collection of Picasso's artwork! 

How has your summer been? Any fun adventures you've been on? Leave a comment if you're a blogger from Canada! I was actually there on Canada Day and I was back for the Fourth of July in the U.S. :) Haha, what a coincidence! 

Liebster Blog Award!

Hello everyone! Sorry I was gone for a week. I was on vacation! :) I went to Toronto and Niagara Falls in Canada! I will probably do a post on that trip soon!


Ahhhhhh! I can't believe I received another award! Thank you Niamh from http://niamh-makes-things.blogspot.com/ and MissJammyxo from http://missjammyxo.blogspot.com/!!! You guys should check out their blogs! Niamh is such an artsy person and MissJammyxo has some awesome beauty posts! 

The Liebster Award is targeted towards bloggers who have less than 200 followers. The Meaning; Liebster is German and means sweetest, kindest, nicest, dearest, beloved, lovely, kind, pleasant, valued, cute, endearing and welcome. Here's what you need to do:

1. Each person must post 11 random facts about themselves to get to know the blogger.
2. Answer the 11 question that the person who awarded you posted to be answered.
3. Choose 11 people to whom you want to award this.
4. Tell them that you nominated them.
5. And last, make up 11 question for the next person to answer. 

Niamh's Questions:

1. Where in the world would you go if you could? I would go to a lot of places! A Europe tour, Hawaii, Carribean, and more!
2. Who inspires you the most? There's no one in particular that I get inspired the most. I get inspiration from my family, friends, other bloggers, certain YouTubers, basically the world around me and nature of course!
3. What's your favourite season? Summer! More free time and I love swimming!!!
4. If you could only paint your nails one colour for the rest of your life, what colour would you paint them? OPI Be a Dahlia Won't You - because it matches with about everything I own!
5. Favorite film? The Pink Panther, Get Smart, and Up. I love comedies! 
6. If you could meet anyone through history, who would you choose to meet? I would meet Frederic Chopin because he is my favorite composer! I love the nocturnes, waltzes, and polonaises he wrote. The most piece of his that I have played was the Fantasie-Impromptu Op. 66. It's so beautiful! (I'm a classical music freak :)
7. What one thing did you wear when you were growing up that stands out in your mind? I had a snow coat that was like a dual chrome like color. Magenta and light blue... It was interesting...
8. Where do you love to shop for clothes? Hollister, American Eagle, Delia's, Macy's and Kohl's!
9. What is your dream job? Hmmm... this is hard. I've had so many dreams: fashion designer, author, restaurant owner, pop star (jk). I don't think they're realistic, but hey, a girl can dream! :D
10. Is there anything you take for granted? Wow, this is a thoughtful question! My life has been going pretty well so I guess I do take a lot of things for granted. Like my family, food, clean water, electricity, cars, a home, and so on...
11. If you were an animal, what would you be? A dolphin! They get to explore the ocean, they can do flipping tricks, they're beautiful and smart! 

And MissJammyxo's Questions:

1. What is your favourite makeup product of all time? I'm afraid I can't really answer this question. I haven't tried out that many makeup products to really choose a favorite makeup product...
2. What is your favourite nail polish of all time? I'm really liking OPI Be a Dahlia Won't You. It's very bright and it has a subtle shimmer to it. It goes well with a lot of my clothes.
3. What are your favourite and least favourite kind of blog posts to read? Ooh I like this question! My favorites: I like hauls, product reviews, tips, OOTDs and DIYs. I like a variety of posts! Least favorite: Well, I don't have a least favorite type of post but anything not written well or just doesn't appeal to me. 
4. What is your favourite hairstyle? I don't have a particular hairstyle favorite but I love the ombre hair trend! 
5. What was the last thing you bought? Chicken burrito bowl from Chipotle!
6. If you could go back in time, what would you do? I wouldn't change anything. I believe my fate has already been decided and I shouldn't mess around with it. Who knows what will happen if you change one thing?
7. What is your dream job? Already answered above in Niamh's questions.
8. What is your favourite quote or saying?  "Yesterday is history. Tomorrow is a mystery. Today is a gift. That's why it is called the present." 
9. What is your favourite TV Series? The Big Bang Theory
10. If you won £1000, what would you do with it? I'd take a tour of Europe!
11. Any plans for the summer? I plan on volunteering and blogging!

My Questions:

1. Who/What inspired you to create your blog?
2. How did you come up with your blog name?
3. What is your favorite food and/or drink?
4. What's your hidden talent?
5. If you could choose one vacation spot in the entire world, where would you go and why?
6. What's the weirdest or most exotic thing you've ever eaten?
7. If your life was a song, what would the title be?
8. Which is your colour that best describes you or stands for your personality? 
9. Who's your celebrity crush?
10. Would you rather be blind, deaf, or mute?
11. What's your current outfit?

Nominations:

http://hannahlcf.blogspot.com/

http://missmelissafashionandbeautyblog.blogspot.com/

http://ochibernadas.blogspot.com/

http://starvogue84.blogspot.com/

http://yuliconversations.blogspot.com/

http://allthingsbrightandbootiful.blogspot.com/2012_07_01_archive.html

http://southernglamourista.blogspot.com/

http://whyyyjen.blogspot.com/

http://amirajsfashiondiaries.blogspot.com/

http://happygolucky10.blogspot.com/
http://staceykane1988.blogspot.com/